We love our toys so much, we take them with us when we travel. That’s my Sayuri and Caine with Cla‘s Addie and Baby Treeson and Rotch‘s Makoto.

Mind you, Bangkok isn’t an expensive place to travel in. In fact, it’s quite cheap. Public transport in Bangkok is pretty efficient, and if you opt to take a taxi, the fare isn’t all that expensive, especially if you’re traveling with a group.

Good food is plentiful in Thailand, and for as low as 50 baht, you can get a plate of the best pad thai with 5 plump shrimp. For 30 baht more, you can get a plate of 10 chicken satay. For dessert, how about a plate of the most amazing mango and sticky rice for only 60 baht?

What pwns us in Bangkok is the shopping. Many would rave about the cheap clothes and accessories in Bangkok, but for Rotch, Cla and I, it’s all about the dolls. Last June, I stumbled upon dollie heaven in Yaowarat (Chinatown). This time, we found utopia in Chatuchak Mall.

Super realistic looking doll shoes for Taeyangs. They’re pretty expensive, but they’re very detailed.

It was funny, really. We headed out to this huge weekend market and surrounding shopping areas, without any clue as to where this dolly shop that Cla was able to find on Flickr. With Rotch leading the way, we went through the weekend market to the Chatuchak Plaza and eventually into Chatuchak Mall, where we found this store specializing in Pullips, Dals and Taeyangs — a rarity in a city so enamored with Blythe.

With mouths agape, we looked over their collection, many of which are rares that we only read about online, never seen in person. Right next to the store is another shop specializing in different doll accessories. There are clothes not only for Blythes, but also for Pullips, Dals and Taeyangs as well. There are even Momokos for sale for a fraction of the cost, and even a Ru Paul doll (99% plastic, 1% woman).

Best mango and sticky rice ever! This is from the stall in Sukhumvit Soi 38’s night market.

Tomorrow we’re going on another mission. I’m taking the girls to Chinatown, to that store with doll clothes (though the selection isn’t as huge, the price is lower there), and we’re headed back to Chatuchak to look for the store we initially intended to visit.

Bangkok may have pwned our budget, but if it’s anything to do with dollies, we welcome this pwnage.

The path that leads to the ITF Market

After lunch, I walked down the length of Silom road towards Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road to look for the street that leads to the ITF Market. I took photos of the landmarks for future reference. If you want to go to this market, it’s on Silom Soi 10. Photos taken, I walk towards the intersection and crossed the road to get on a taxi that will take me to Yaowarat, or Chinatown.

I was back in Mangkorn street, buying up some dollie stuff. It’s rather unfortunate that I found this doll shop, because after discovering the store, I’ve no interest in exploring Bangkok’s Chinatown more. After making my purchase, I went back out to Yaowarat Road and hailed a taxi to Central World. I initially wanted to walk towards the Chao Phraya River and take the river express to Thong Sala, but it started drizzling, and I don’t want to get soaked while lost in the middle of Chinatown.

Just how big is Blythe in Thailand? They have hair product boxes featuring the dolls. And they don’t even grow hair.

Of course, taking the taxi meant enduring the traffic. This is the second taxi ride I’ve had since I arrived from Vientiane. The taxi ride then was fast, as the roads were pretty much deserted. Though the ride from Silom to Chinatown was fairly good, traffic was quite heavy when we reached Yaowarat Road. It was traffic going out as well, and even more so when we were nearing the Siam area.

The reason I wanted to go back to Central World is to check out the doll items they have for sale and to look for a pad thai mix. My sister-in-law is requesting that I cook pad thai while I’m staying with them in Singapore. I did find a mix, but the only one available is in a bottle. I can secure the bottle inside my backpack with some clothes to protect it from getting smashed, but I don’t want to risk it. Seems like I’ll just have to find the mix in Singapore. I didn’t buy any doll stuff in Zen world either. The prices of the things they have for sale are much more expensive than the ones being sold in Chinatown. However, they also have items that I didn’t see in Chinatown, so if you’re in the lookout for Blythe clothes in Bangkok, Zen World is a good place to start.

Soi Philippines

I went back to the hostel, and after dropping my things and changing into more comfortable clothes, I headed back down to the street for an early dinner. However, before I sat down to eat, I walked around the neighborhood first. Well, I just wanted to see the Philippine Embassy, actually. It was a fair walk to the embassy, and I was tickled to see it in the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Soi Philippines. I crossed the road to walk back to Soi 38. At one crossing, I was wondering why people are all standing up at attention, and why one side of the road was completely empty. A patrol car drove past, followed by a black car with very dark tint, and a couple more cars. As soon as the last car passed, everybody started moving again. Must be somebody very very important.

I stopped by the chicken rice stall I had dinner at the other night and had it with fried chicken. The whole day I’ve been wondering about my plans for Malaysia. I’ve initially planned on staying until the end of June, but as my trip progresses, the date to go back to Singapore has been moving backwards. First I thought I’d go back on the 29th, so I can rest on the 30th before going back to work on July 1st. Then I thought 27th might be better, so I’d also have time to go to the places I planned to visit on Day 1. Now, I’m currently settled on June 26th. It’s my sister-in-law’s birthday, and to celebrate, the family will be spending the weekend at a hotel. I figured that’s the best time for me to go back to Singapore, so I can quarantine myself while they’re away. The problem now is.. how to I cram a trip to Malaysia in just 7 days?

Khao San Road on a Sunday morning (well, 11am)

I woke up just past 9am, and finally rolled out of bed around 10:30. The plan for the day was to have lunch at the restaurant Ming recommended in Chinatown, walk around the area, find this market and visit Wat Po and Wat Arun. From Khao San Road, I took a cab to Chinatown. There wasn’t as much traffic on the road, except around Chinatown. The taxi driver dropped me off at this main road, and I started walking, with no idea where the restaurant may be. I walked and walked, noticing that most of the shops that I’m passing were either selling non-food items, or deli-shops — no restaurants. I came upon a street that has plenty of food vendors on the street. I turned down this street, hoping to find someplace where I can have brunch.

Bangkok really is shopper’s heaven. Or a dollie-obsessed budget traveler’s nightmare.

It turned out something else was calling me to this street. It wasn’t food. It was DOLL CLOTHES! I never really knew about the dollie culture in Thailand, and I guess I never really bothered because I was content with Singapore. But my golly! I have come upon the motherload! Like the stalls in Divisoria, most of the stores inside buildings would extend out to the street. From outside, I saw some dollie clothes and went to inspect. It was dollie heaven inside. There are loads of doll clothes for 1/6 scale dolls, and there are also shoes, socks, leggings, stockings, hats, Thai traditional costumes and even eyechips from Ixtee! There are also Blythes on sale, so most of the clothes and accessories are best fit for Blythes. But I think it can fit Pullips as well, since I’ve seen some of the clothes have stickers that say it can fit the “Pullip Girl.” Suffice to say, this shop wreck havoc upon my budget, and I was still restraining myself. I was so glad I made this trip to Chinatown, even if I didn’t find the restaurant I’m supposed to eat at.

My 90 baht meal at MBK’s food court

I was poorer by THB 1,640, but I was happy. I am so glad I’m passing by Bangkok again a week. I’m going to go crazy! I walk back out to the main road and hailed a taxi going to MBK. Mahboonkruong, popularly known as MBK is a shopping mall. I hung out a lot in this mall the last time I was here. I’m not there for the shopping though — I’m there for the food. The food court on MBK’s 6th floor is the best place to eat good value, yummy Thai food. It works with a coupon system: you convert your cash to coupons that you use to pay for whatever you order inside the food court. Each stall has its own specialty, and this is marked clearly in both English and Thai. The menu are also in both languages, and the prices are clearly marked. There are also photos to help you decide what to order.

Inside the Chao Praya river express

I had the roast duck with rice, which comes with a bowl of soup, and a plate of fresh spring roll. Both are pretty good for the price (THB 50 and THB 40, respectively). I had two bottled water, and after lunch, I had tea at this tiny coffee shop within the food court. My total bill? THB 139. That certainly makes up for my exhorbitant dollie shopping.

The reclining Buddha inside Wat Po

After checking out the shops inside MBK, I decide that it’s finally time to step out of the airconditioned comfort of the mall and head to the temples. What I like about MBK is that it’s directly connected to the National Stadium BTS Skytrain station. There was a big difference in their ticketing system, since I was last here. They are now using the smart card for the BTS, which works the same way as the ez-Link in Singapore and Octopuscard in Hong Kong. I think they’ve only started this last December 2008, so right now, the card only works for the BTS. The card costs THB 160: it is loaded with THB 100 credits, and the THB 60 is for the card and the deposit. Unlike the old magnetic card, this card is valid up to 5 years, and reloadable. I rode the train to Sapan Thaksin, where I rode the Chao Praya River express to Tha Thien, where Wat Po is.

I just *had* to take a photo!

It was a short walk from the pier to the temple, and it was fairly easy to find (just follow the trail of tourists). The entrance fee to the temple is THB 50, and if you’re getting a guide, it’s THB 200 for 1 person, THB 300 for 2, and THB 400 for 3. There was a lot of tourist when I was there earlier, and it’s hard to get a shot without anybody in it. The complex is pretty big, so it’s not just the main temple. But I just wasn’t in the mood to explore, because it was still pretty hot and there’s hardly any breeze. And there are just too many people. I walk back to the ferry station, and got on the boat that crosses to Wat Arun, the temple of Dawn. This being the temple of dawn, of course meant that it’s best to visit at daybreak. I liked Wat Arun much better. I’ve only been to three temples in Bangkok, and Wat Arun is definitely my favorite. There are vendors selling souvenirs around the temple complex, but none in the temple itself. It’s much more peaceful in Wat Arun, and if you climb up, you’ll have a gorgeous view of the Chao Praya river.

Sayuri at Wat Arun

After taking photos, I went back to the boat dock to get back to the river express station at Tha Thien. Phra Arthit was the closest station to Khao San, and that’s where most of the travelers are going as well. There’s a bit of walk going to KSR, and the best way to find Khao San Road is to follow the tourists. Sooner or later, you’ll bound to end up at Khao San.

Shambara’s Pad Thai

So here I am, back at Shambara, having my early dinner. Though I was exposed to tons of people today, I think the fresh air did me good, as I can now smell the eucalyptus, when I hold up my little tub of Vicks under my nose. I’m checking out of Shambara early tomorrow morning to catch my 11am flight out of Thailand.