Pratunam

Day 2 - Feb 24 - Monday

We took an MRT from Cha Nongsi to National Stadium. From there we took another train to Siam station before taking a walk on the Skybridge to Siam Central, Siam Paragon and Platinum shopping complex. All the shopping complexes were near each other.

We decided to have duck noodle for breakfast at Pratunam. The father and daughter had duck noodles. I had old cucumber soup. It seems Pratunam is famous for chicken rice. Indeed at this shop selling duck rice and duck noodles, many customers ordered chicken rice.

We visited the small alleyways at Pratunam but found it depressing as the shops were selling clothes like those my mother would buy. Also the stalls were closed to one another in the alleyways which were dirty and smelly.

We decided to walk over to Platinum shopping complex. This shopping complex is a wholesale shop selling clothes, bags and shoes. No trying and no bargaining because the prices are already considered cheap since this is a wholesale market. However many of the clothing were from countries like Korea.

I could not walk the many floors of the complex and opted to sit down while waiting for my family. It was there I met a group of nine from Singapore who often travel to Bangkok for holiday. Of course in terms of exchange rate, Bangkok would be a shopping paradise for them.

After Platinum, we took a tut-tut (small motorized scooter-like transportation with colorful exteriors and plastic L-shaped seats). 3 people can seat comfortably though 4 would be possible but rather cramped.

We were recommended by the Singapore group to visit MBK, the largest shopping complex in Bangkok. The head of the group informed us that it will take us 3-days to finish the 7-floor shopping complex.

We were also informed by a security guard (Thai but English-speaking) that MBK has the first MK restaurant outlet. Now a church member had recommended that we try this restaurant as it was a special Bangkok steamboat outlet.

We found the restaurant but not before helping ourselves to free iced tea milk tea drinks at the largest food outlet at the 5th floor. The Thais love their iced milk tea which they drink in tall glasses. The reddish-brown drink made me homesick for teh tarik but it did not even taste close the real thing back home. It tasted rather sweetish and too cloying for my liking.

We found MK restaurant and found out that it was like a clone of the Sukiya restaurant in KL save that there was no buffet spread. It was delicious. I really like the not too strong Sukiya soup which I ate with dollops of the Japanese sesame sauce. However I did not find the tom yum delicious as I am not really a fan of tom yum unless it is tom yum in a coconut shell with a big prawn stuck at its open mouth!

After a hearty lunch, we explored Siam Central, Siam Paragon. I bought a Mulberry wallet outside Siam Central for 150 baht. It was classic as it was white in color.

Next stop Asiatique....