Bangkok is Asia's shopping capital. It's like Greenhills shopping center in the Philippines turned into one big country. But aside from the retail trademark, BKK is also known for its rich culture and grand temples. My friends visited Bangkok back in 2012. This is our first out of the country trip after College and I remember we went there mainly for shopping in Chatuchak and some sightseeing and on our first day in BKK, we visited the following:
Chao Phraya River - We went to the pier early because we have no clue for the departure time of the boat going to the temples but luckily, we were just right on time. We bought the 1 day unlimited boat pass for 150 BHT so that's about Php 200 and for more info, click here. We wanted to go to the 3 popular temples in BKK which are The Grand Palace, What Pho, and Wat Arum. However, Wat Arum at that time was not open because of an official's burial ceremony. Instead, we just went to the first 2.
The Grand Palace is the home of the Thai King and high government officials. This is the city's famous landmark because of the jaw dropping intricate designs in GOLD. Entrance fee is about 400 BHT and BTW, tip, you should plan your wardrobe in advance. Do not wear something revealing, short, plunging, body hugging etc. In short, wear something decent unless you don't mind paying unnecessary expenses for the malong type or temple skirt rental just to cover up your skin. The line here is very long and they require you to pay around deposit fee of 200 BHT. It is advisable to wear jeans and comfortable shirts.
Wat Pho Temple or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The Buddha is 46 meters long and 15 meters high! The soles of the Buddha are embellished with mother-of-pearl decorations with 108 auspicious characteristics of a true Buddha. How do I know this? well...thanks to Google of course hahah. The Entrance fee cost us 100 BHT or around Php 150.
Travel Tip! Be careful with pickpockets in Bangkok. I learned the hard way because my Longchamp bag was slashed inside the metro train. Good thing that my passport and other valuables were safe.
Outside the temple, you can try the massage to release foot and back tension from your temple trip. Wat Pho is known for their special massage because this is the home of the 1st Thai massage university. We weren't able to try this because the illustrations outside the shop looks uhh scary hahaha just kidding! Massage costs around 150-250 BHT for 30 mins. to an hour.
Overall, I highly recommend that you to allot one whole day of temple hopping when you visit BKK then reserve all the remaining days for SHOPPING! Visiting temples are tiring and expect excessive sweating because of the scourging heat so don't forget to keep yourself hydrated.
Disclaimer: This is an old post from my Blogspot account dated February 7, 2012.
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