Foot massage at Bangkok's International Airport

Reflexology, especially foot reflexlogy is one of the best form of pampering, esp after all the walking. For a traveler, the legs are often the most tired and overworked part of the body.

I had a leg cramp at Bangkok airport. Since we were eating at the fastfood area near to Changs’ we decided to have a quick foot massage. This place is not a 'spa', but you get a picture window overlooking the landing and take off strips of the planes!

We thought we had enough time for a quick 30 minute massage before running off. After all, we had slightly more than an hour. We had told them how hurried we were, but they still took their own sweet time to bring the water, soap and brushes to wash your feet before starting the massage, and walk slowly to get the towel to rub off the cream after that. I had to point to an aeroplane taking off and then to my watch before they get the message, and quickly finish up, charge us, and off we went! A 30 minute foot massage turned out taking almost 45 minutes.




It takes at least 30 minutes to walk to the gate and clear immigration from Chang’s. We had to run. We almost missed our plane, after entering through the wrong terminal. Luckily, the terminals are connected, and the immigration officer let us in.


Although we felt that the young girls there were not as skilled as those we met in Chinatown, and the price slightly more expensive than in town, it was still heavenly. We felt much lighter after the massage, and had a very good sleep on the plane. I am really tempted to take up one of the massage course offered in Thailand.

More travel experience coming soon!

Travel topics coming up!
Massage experience in Bangkok
Almost late for the plane!!! Foot massage at the airport!
More about massages- Boran Spa at Twin Towers Hotel, Bangkok

Joining tour groups to visit places outside Bangkok
Visiting the floating market at Damuen Saduak- The picture perfect market scene
Bang Pa In (summer palace) conclusion :I want to be a Thai King
Ayuthaya: The ancient city

Grand Palace and Wat Pho area
Grand Palace- an amazing "golden" architecture.
Grand Palace- so , this is how they restored it?
The tauts and gangsters around Grand Palace
Temple closed! Wat Pho closed? Big Buddha closed? Dun believe it!

Floating market in Damuen Saduak. Should you join group tours?

Among the tours around Bangkok, we have always put off going to the floating market, because of the distance and the varying reviews received. I have joined a half-day tour, and been-there-done-that recently. I think the floating market is a MUST see. Not only that, you must see it fast. Damuen Saduak is the last surviving real floating market largely beacuse of the distance away from Bangkok, which in a way discourage tourists from heading there.

The disadvantage of a tour group
I joined a larget group tour, and honestly if you have the money, do otherwise. Get a private guide and have a private tour. The reason is simple. You can get there earlier, and spend time enjoying the real stuff; not stopping half an hour in a 'coconut factory' which is just a tourist trap. I don't mind the trap if it is after the visit to the floating market, but it was before!

Therefore, I reached there around 10:30 am. The sun was hot, and the real action ie the locals doing their daily marketing was over. What I saw was mainly tourists. Although it was a little over the top, I just could not stop slapping myself with sunblock. The sun was practically grilling me!

Despite this, the tour was still amazing, and I have no complains. Afterall, 700B for this experience and the sights was more than worth it!

We took a James Bond boat (long tail boat) from the jetty to the market.
As we travel along the klong, we had an interesting glimpse of the life along the waterways. We saw a young couple having some TLC time- bathing together infront of their house in the klong. It was the 'best moment' for us, and I could see people clicking their cameras away, but perhaps the "worse" for the couple. Yes, people bath in the water ways. I also saw middle-aged women doing their laundry, and getting a bath at the same time. And there were also children standing along the klong, waiting for our boat to pass so that they can jump in for their fun time!

That is their way of life
Our tour guide kept reminding us- a bunch of tourists from Singapore, Hong Kong , UK, US etc to not feel sad or ask 'how could these people live this way?' That is their way of life for generations, and they are happy! I am sure they are, esp if people like us stop disrupting their life with the noisy long tail boats.

Rich man poor man in the same neighbourhood
The klong is basically a 'street'. I saw "rich man's house "- built with brick with nice verandah and big engine powered boats in the "porch", and I also identified the "poor man's house" - practically empty, made of wood and attap, and had a small rickety sampan in the "porch".Yes, it is a neighbourhood street. You see grocery shops along it, and people stopping infront of these shops in their car-equivalent(boat) to buy things too!. That is a 'drive through service'? I tried to picture McDonalds opening shop there. ha ha...

I could see some of them are pretty well off, with the trappings of modern lifestyle. However, instead of a car, I saw boats 'parked' in the 'porch'. I also saw washing machines-with both the inlet and outlet hose dipped into the klong waters.

Private vs group tour?
If you are travelling from Singapore, I think I saw a great deal from Asia Travel, starting from 500B/person for a half day tour. Otherwise, I suggest checking out the private tour companies in Bangkok to hire a guide! I think it is worth it to pay slightly more and spend more time there. Afterall, private guided tour in Bangkok is among the cheapest in the world.

I will write more about about the market itself next. Stay "book-marked"!

Tour guide or guide book?

Should you get a tour guide or guide book?

IMHO, it depends. It depends
- where you are going to visit
-whether you had sufficient time reading up
-whether you will come back again
-how big is your group

The last point is of course an uncertain answer. What I could say is if you are from a really faraway country and you think you have very little chance of ever visiting this country again, you could consider yourself as falling into this category.

Where are you going to visit?

• Is that place accessible without private transport?
• Does that place have a lot of interesting history or culture ?

Eg if you are going to Ayuthaya and The Summer place and you a a first time visitor, I suggest getting a tour guide (1600B for group tour using coach and a river cruise, and 3500B for a private guide with private car, tickets, and buffet lunch by Bangkok Smiling Tours). This area is not that accessible, and there are plenty of places to cover-under the HOT sun. You will be glad that you could seek 'refuge' in the air-conditioned car/bus between the sites. The place is also full of history and lots of interesting details, and these are not put up at the sites. You just get simple brochure in Bang Pa In and nothing at all in some sites. Therefore, having a guide makes sense!

Do you have suffifient time to read up before you go?
The eyes cannot see what the brains do not know. If you do not read up well before you go to Ayuthaya or the Grand Place for example, you will miss alot of things. At the Grand Place, there are plenty good books detailing the history and the architecture of the Palace and the Wat Phra Keow. At Ayuthaya, you might find yourself staring at some ruins and bricks scattered here and there. I was glad I had a guide who told me about what these were eg ruins of palace grounds, corner stones of temples etc and why certain places were more 'ruined' that others. Otherwise... you wasted a trip.

Will you come back again?
I went to Grand Palace twice within 2 years, and will go again in a few months time, if possible. I must be nuts? The first time round, I spent about 4 hours there, wandering around, refering to guide books, pamplets and the books we bought at the compound. We really tried hard to 'capture' the fascinating and awesome place in our minds and hearts. However, we were just too tired and thirsty under the scorching sun, and missed a lot of things. We only realised what we saw was so and so after reading the books agaiin when we reach home. I went with my good friend again two months ago. I thought I knew that place pretty well. To my pleasant suprise, I learned a lot of new things about it! I am definitely going back for a third time. This time will be armed with a digicam and a notebook!

How big is your group?
Simple mathematics. The bigger your group, the more cost effective it is! You could consider private car tours and not the group tours which tend to be more rushed!

Should you book before you leave? Yes and no.
Asia Travel for example, offers a slightly cheaper rate than when you actually book in Thailand. I generally find that booking through the internet can sometimes be 100-200B cheaper/person than booking through the tour agents available at your hotel lobbies. I suggest shopping aroud for it.

If you are from US/Europe, book from an Asian based company!You get much better deals! Yes, much better deals than the packaged deals offered by the brand names in your home country. Surf the net a little and do some comparison. Many of these Bangkok based tour companies accept booking online. If if you decide not to book immediately, it still help you to make decisions when you need to book at the hotel.

If you are going around sept and through the rainy season, booking fr Bangkok after checking the weather is an advantage. (Book 1-2 days before) The rain will keep you away from many outdoors places.

Thai massage- just what I need now!

I want a good massage, a really good massage. I wish I am at a spa somewhere out there (Hua Hin will be nice!!) I am aching all over the past two weeks, thanks to my arthritis!

Images of spas start to float in my head and I think I am getting schizophrenic about spas and massages. Hua Hin, Banyan Tree Resort, The Datai...... wow! The Davis at Bangkok will be a good boutiques hotel choice too. Heard that they have a good spa!

You see, I am a sucker for a good massage, anytime but esp when my arthiritis and perhaps fibro was flaring up. Bangkok did what my doctors could not do. Yes, I spent a week in Bangkok and I got better! I did what most doctors who frown about. And I would not advise any arthritic to do what I did, it may really make you worse. Thai massage is not 'gentle massage'!

They offer awfully cheap and good quality massage in Bangkok. I remember getting the herbal massage in Wat Pho. It was painful in certain places when the massuer work on it. However, I had a nice distraction; I really enjoyed observing the Thais observing the caucasians or farangs. To see a petite lady working a man twice her size into a grimace is something that is funny? I am not sure, but I was surely amused. This 'entertainment' made me more relaxed.

When you are more relaxed during the massage and do not 'resist' the deep pressure your masseur is applying, the pain is less. I have also to learned to breath in and out based on the rhythm the massuer applied. Yes, I suspect that there is a rhythm. And you can see these small bodies actually rock with each pressure applied to intensify the strength. No wonder a Thai massage is supposed to be a 'dancelike' thing. You are expected to coordinate with your massuer and focus on the massage you are getting . If you do this, which I eventually learned and achieved, you get in to a very relaxed and almost meditative state.



At Wat Pho, they do not advise a daily massage, but I was just too much in pain and my muscles had tensed-up and bunch up like rocks. I am every massuer's night mare.

Thank goodness, I only need to spend about 300-400B daily, and I get 1-2 hours of massage everyday. I had alternate days in Wat Pho (I doubt they will entertain me daily, and I could explain to them why I needed everyday, since we did not speak a common language), and at the shop opposite my hotel.

Thai massage do wonders to your legs, especially your thighs. They cleverly bend your legs to different angles to reach those deep tissues. Painful at first, but it worked wonders. By the second or third massage, I could feel the muscles around my hips, knees and ankles loosen up. The hard knots or bands also dissapeared. I could not achieve the same effects with my regular Tui Na (chinese style massage), and also the Javanese massage, Balinese massage and Swedish massage.

The traditional Thai massage concentrate more on legs and the back. If your shoulders are killing you, I suggest getting an oil or aroma massage at your hotel spa or some more touristy place. I realised that these massuer pay more attention to head, shoulder and wrists, perhaps due to their experience with tourists. Those really 'traditional' places will work your legs and back more and less on your shoulder or wrists. They are particularly great after lots of walking. Is it due to the fact that 'traditionally, most people use these muscles more?

Whatever pain you have, try your best to communicate to them. Language may be a barrier, but i realised that most of them are really keen to help, and will look at whichever part you point to to examine and check whether you are in pain. After all, Thai massage is supposed to be a branch of medicine and you will notice that those massuers in Wat Pho and some other places will actually put their hands together and 'mumble' something before starting the massage. I am told that they are asking for their 'medicine deity' for clarity of mind to focus on 'healing' their 'patient' and also pray for your 'wellness'.

Got to end here... my arthritis is killing me again . I need a Thai massage ! ( not body masage).

This "Thai little boy" is now a dad!

I had been using Nattawud's(aka Gor) websites for my researching the places I travel to whenever I went to Bangkok, and to gain an insight into Thais' life. His website is one of the best online travel guides for Thailand.

To my suprise, I found out that he is now a dad at the ripe old age of 18, and have a two year old daughter. He is also a regular columnist in Bangkok Post every Tuesday, and work full time as managing his sites.

I remember this very cute chubby boy's 'school projects'- especially those featuring the amazing Ayuthaya and his life in Thailand. I was very impressed with the amaturish website then, for it was packed with observation and important facts, from the eyes of children who were trying to find out more about their own culture and history. His is definitely one of my favourite online travel guide providing very good and "sincere" information for the traveler.

That was the travel website that gave me to urgency to visit this ancient city, which ia about 1 hour plus away from Bangkok. The ruins in Ayuthaya is threatened by floods every raining season. With each flood, more damages are done to those 'ruins'.

Air travel: Cheap can also mean "good service"!

Blogging about that Tiger Airways promotion made my subconciously compare the level of service received while doing my in-flight shopping. Paying for an expensive air ticket does not mean you get good service.

I was very happy with my experience at Tiger Airways although the perfume I wanted was out of stock. Compared to my experience in another carrier, this level of service was really something unexpected. I could only look at the lovely chain on in the catalogue.

I was flying to HK in a "best-airline" and was going to do some last minute shopping for my grand aunt. The service I reeived totally tarnished my otherwise very good impression and experience with the airline.

While they gave excellent service to the Gucci-clad Caucasian couple sitting next to me and showed them all the watches they wanted, I was treated as invisible. Yes, invisible. I must have said more than 10 "excuse me"s (Yes, I wanted that chain badly!), but they never bothered about me. Hello.. I was not paying half price for my air ticket, why am I getting a less than half hearted service?

You know what, the couple was not too happy with how they treated me. The lady did not buy the watch she liked in the end. She whispered to me with a wink "I think I can get this somewhere else".

I will save money on my flights next time and spend it on other stuff.

Other than less leg space (which is not a proble for me, since I am no giraffe), everything is ok. Clean toilets, clean seats. what more can I ask for? I will go for Tiger on these short flights.

Cheap Air tickets : Tiger Airways' sales is now on!

Hi fellow travel bugs,

Looking for cheap air tickets?

The tiger airways offers are now on! This is definitely THE cheapest airfares you can get for these destinations. Make sure you book it quick. Otherwise, you will not get the cheapest seats at the best flight times.

They use e-tickets! Even if you are back-packing in the region and have no 'permanent address', you can still buy it. All you need is your credit card and and passport number to book.

I tried the Singapore-Bangkok flight before. Not bad! In fact I considered really value for money: punctual flight times, clean toilets, good service. You cannot complain about their food; they do not serve meals. However, you can buy piping hot Nissin cup noddles for around SGD 2, and order the other snacks or beverage from them. So just bring some spare change along and you will get some decent snacks.

My pet peeve is dirty toilets in flights. Tiger Airways' was clean- much cleaner than many of those "full-carrier" flights which I had been on. I saw the flight attendent checking it now and then.

You can't expect the variety you get on SIA or Cathay in their inflight shopping. You still get your usual Lancome travel packs and the other standard things. However, their Elizabeth Arden Green Tea EDT was a really cheap!!! Cheaper tha other in-flights!!!I was so disappointed when it was out of stock. But my attendant was really nice and let me try on other perfumes, including one from Gucci. She was really really nice.This really consoled my disappointment.

Review of my flight experience with Tiger Airways:
Timing - Ok punctual! Took off 15 minutes late due to some problems but still arrived 15 minutes early, in fact. Did the pilot "speeded"??
Seat- Ok if you are less than 165cm. 165-175cm: bear with it. 175cm onwards: all the best. If there is tall guy sitting behind, dun take the seat unless you want a free "back massage".
Toilet- great! Clean!
Food-the noodles was a great idea. Variety of snack are ok.
Service- I met a great team, with one very very pretty and professional flight stewardess.
My impression of her- she is one of the best!
Take off and landing- the pilot was good. Did a good job.
Safety: was it a two-engine plane?? Hmmmm....

Verdict: Tiger Airways anytime for flights less than 4 hours, esp with these promotions.

Note: Do not hurry to book hotels through the website. Shop around and compare first. I did not fidn their partners' offers exactly cheap.

Declaration: This blogger is in no way affliated to those airlines. I have nothing to do with that "Octopus" there. We are of a different species and origin, and I believe I came to this world first. :D

Hotel: Cheap or chic?

Booking of hotel is usually a headache for gals.
We want it cheap, chic, safe and if possible within walking distance to all attractions! If you want these things all thrown in, I suggest you give Bangkok a miss. You can get all the other things in your list, except the walking distance part. Bangkok is huge, and there are so many places of interest. Fret not, the taxis there are really really cheap. You will reach most places with less than 100B

Bangkok is a hotel haven
Even a pauper like me can afford to go 5 star (ok, at least 4 star) if I want to. Push that "be sensible" button in your head and you know that if you give up one star, you will get your massages and many more pairs of shoes!

My favourite site is asiarooms
Ok, I ONLY use Asiarooms for my Bangkok hotels. So far, I cannot find any other cheaper place. Orbitz and others may give similar rates, but they will also charge you a service charge! (usually around 10USD). No way. I just become extra stingy when it comes to spending on these things for Bangkok trip. I can get a lot of fun with 10USD. And don't bother to spend time checking out those so called last minute discount hotel rooms, they are never as cheapas Asiarooms, at least for Bangkok.

Warning
I never had any problems with Asia Rooms, and so did my friends. However there are some postings on the internet about overcharging etc.

My biggest problem so far is requesting for a non-smoking room. They cannot specifically confirm a non-smoking room or you. After being smoked out in HK, I have a phobia of smoking room.(I will tell more about the disgusting experience next time)

Calling the agents can be a drag. Their English may not be that good (They can understand you, but you got to speak slower), and they speak SLLOOOOOWWWLY. Thank goodness the long distance call was not that expensive. My word of advice, if you need to call them make sure you call off-peak or using budget lines. The time taken will be longer than you what had expected.

Checking in early helps ???
I am not terribly sure of this, but the only time I did not have a very good room was when I checked in around midnight, and graciously let everyone go before us. We regreted being so gracious. We had the last room along the corridor, and the room did not smell exactly fresh. You can tell it had not been used/aired at least for a week. We could not change rooms, cos we had the last room in a fully packed hotel.
Hotel tips

• Slippers and toothbrush sets are usually not in your room (if you go 3 star), but you can request and get it free.
• Tip that guy who brought it for you generously. Come on, you can afford to be generous in Bangkok. Give at least 20B! You can then be doubly be reassured that you will get everything done smoothly. If you need anything else, it will come in doubly quick time. Hot water etc. Even your room may be extra well cleaned.
• If you are really supersitious, knock before going in. Thais believe in this as well.
• Tip from a well travelled sales friend- check for the Bible/Quran/Buddhist prayer book. If it is closed, it is ok. If it is opened, ask for a change of room.
• Another tip : Leave your shoes at the door/near your bed, one face up, the other face down.
• Explore the hotel services eg massage. Many health centres are open until 2 am, and you can book a massage after a late night out in the comfort of your room.
• Before you book your massage service, get out of the hotel and look around. You will definitely find some cheaper alternatives for the massage.

Oh ya, never ever ask for a BODY MASSAGE.

International calls - my autoroam nightmare

How do I make/receive international calls when travelling? Use my autoroam! Yes, no call back service, discount international call cards or anything else. Just the autoroaming on my mobile phone.



I have almost forgotten about the unhappiness I had about the autoroaming service from my service provider, until their customer service officer irked me again today.

I hate to call service hotlines, not even when I am slapped with an unbelievable amount of autoroaming charges. I just got to rant here after being rudely cut off by their customer service officer.

Incident 1- which I had actually forgotten
You was in Bangkok for a holiday with my friend, and I fell really sick there. My phone was on autoroaming, with calls diverted to my hubby's phone just in case some impt clients called.

When the bill came, I had a heart attack. There were so many calls, some of them less than 1 minute apart, and usually lasts about 1 minute. I even had 5 calls within a few minutes! The bills also did not state clearly whether it it outgoing or incoming calls. I was really suprised when I saw the bill, as my handphone did not register those missed calls, and so did my husband's handphone.


It was not possible for me to make those calls, cos I was sleeping like a log and having high fever. International calls on autoroam is expensive, who on earth will be stupid to call every minute? Where did the calls come from ? Was there a ghost in my hotel room making and receiving those calls? It added to what I heard on the grapevine regarding mysterious autoroam calls,
just that mine is a tad to many. However, I was really busy then, and like most goody goody people living in this place, just paid up my bills without kicking a fuss.

I forgot about the incident and happily renewed my contract a few days ago.

Incident 2 This is it!
Today I regretted renewing my contract. They had offered me ''free'' voice mail as a promotion when I signed up another line. The promotion period was one year, and ended last month. Typical to their style, they started charging you for these ''value added'' services without informing you about these charges.

I know their style well, and being the typical ''tame'' customer, called their hotline and requested them to stop the service. Stopping their service requires one day, and yes, as of this time, I am still being charged for my voicemail. I thought being a super loyal customer with multiple lines would give me a chance to ''feedback''.


I asked the lady over the phone nicely:
Me: Can I provide some feedback about this? This is not the second time I am encountering this, and I am sure many customers also feel the same. You might want to note this down ...
xxxCustomer service officer: Sure, go ahead.
Me: Can xxx give inform us B4 the charges start or ask us whether we want to continue before charging because....
xxxCustomer service officer(She CUTS in abruptly!!): Ok. Thank your for calling......
Me (I actually got angry!): Excuse me I have not finished yet!!!!

Darn!!!
I was thinking of asking them to consider sending us an sms to remind us.... just like how efficiently they remind me whenever I am late in paying the bills. Now come to think of it, I am sure the smart people up there have thought of how convenient this is for customers, but they just do not want to do it. The smart aleks through that it is possible for them to earn some extra dollars because many people will give up cancelling it (they will be lost in their hotline, which require you to push many right buttons before a CSO appears). Perhaps that is why they are not supportive of true number portability.

But I tell you what, when number protability comes I will be the first customer to run. Even without number portability, we (family) will change all our lines, one by one, to some other more decent service provider. No more feedback. We just take our bussiness (albeit small) to somewhere else.


And as for my travels? I am going to check out those call back cards and stop being the 'autoroam queen'. Although I usually will not use public phones outside hotels, especially when I am alone in an unfamiliar place (I believe that is a sitting duck for robbery and other crimes), I will reconsider. Phonecards, prepaid mobile card, call back cards, whatever. I am going to find an alternative.

Earning money for my Bird nest

I wish I am in Bangkok now. I can imagine doing the typical Sunday routine there. Wake up after a good sleep, check out the buffet spread offered for breakfast at the hotel and headthen to JJ (Catuchak) market. At this time of the day, I would be leaving JJ market for the comfort of air-conditioned shopping at MBK or Siam Square.

Why am I not there?
1) I need to complete some work here
2) I am broke

I just read the Problogger's website. Wow, so much money! There seem to be so many people talking about Adsense and stuff like that. I see Adsense, Adsense and Adsense everywhere. They are all talking about SEO(Search engine optimisation) etc etc. Hmm, is there such a thing called techniques in optimizing websites to earn money from it? There must be really alot of people interested in it, judging by the number of website advertisements I saw on his website that is supposed to be offering advise about these things? Of course, I am always as curious as a cat and went to check all those website. WOW! I did know know there are such interesting things. Hmm afternoon well spent!

Can you really earn that much from hitting the keyboard from the comfort of your home (or hotel!) ?? Hey, these people are talking about thousands of dollars. I spent some time reading the things that these people did. I will be happy if I ever get to earn 20USD/month. This is sufficient for a coconut (it is served in a coconut, not bowl) of premium bird nest at Nam Sing. (Branch 1: China Town (Yaowaraj) Bangkok.TEL：(66) 2222-6292, 2226-3682 Branch 2: FL., 3 MBK Center,Bangkok. TEL：(66) 2611-4787). And please, dun stinge when you actually go there. At least get the 200B birdnest. Go for premium birdnest and you will get the real stuff.

Girls, do you want a body massage in Bangkok???

Massage massage.....The most common question that I get is:

''That place got hanky-panky?"

My reply:

"So you want a place with or without???" :D

My most important advice:
Never ever ask for a BODY massage!

I was asking the cab drive to recommend a place with good BODY massage (trying to distinguish from the FOOT massage), and wondered why he gave was quite shocked and turned around to take a good look at us at the next red light.

Then he started; about recommending an Italian couple and they thoroughly enjoyed. He asked us about our budget. Well , we were ok about anything not too outrageous, as I was aching everywhere and dying for a massage.

Apparently some popular places cost a few thousand dollars an hour. At that time, I was really curious and asked what is so special, and how come the locals will go for something so expensive. My Thai colleague told me that she goes for those 180B (2 hours) massage! Only then the driver realised we had a communication problem.

In Thailand , body massage means using someones's body to give you a massage.
How is it done?? Imagine that! Since we were stuck in a jam, he went on and on to give quite a lot of details to 'enlighten' us.

According to our driver, these are very popular among men: tourists and locals who are rich enough. The men get pampered like 'kings' there. They can pick and choose which girl they like, and the lastest craze were young teenage girls from Chin* with 'fair soft skin' and 'very sexy body'. They 'really know how to make you happy'. After taking their pick, the men will be given a bath by the girls. 'They bath with you, everything wash, clean, then can start'.

''They use their body to give you massage, not hands! Then after the massage you can do anything you like. What you want, just tell her. No problem. Clean. Very high class. Everybody must wear condom. When you go in , they will give you one condom''.

He went on and on to 'tempt' my husband and I to give it a try. Ha.. ha.. no thanks!
If you want to get a full body massage, either ask for Thai massage or traditional for the traditional Thai massage. These are done with your clothes on (fully clothed). If you like the swedish/balinese style or just something that is more gentle, ask for ''oil massage'' (clothes off, panties on).

''Foot massage'' is extremely popular (and no, they do not use their feet to massage you, they massage your feet). However, take note that ''foot massage'' includes your calves and up to the area around your knees. So if you are wearing as skirt, you might not be confortable getting a guy to do it for you.

My travel suggestion: Make sure you try the Thai masage at least once, and pick a 2 hour session if you can. The best place to try? Wat Pho. Although slightly more expensive that the typical massage set up, it is worth it! I sometimes go to Thailand just to get a dose of the real thing at Wat Pho.

Wat Pho opening hours and fees
Open daily from 8:00am until 5:00pm.

Fees
Thai massage
Half-hour massage 150 B
one-hour body massage-250
one-hour massage with herbs 350- make sure you wear pants and clothes that do not stain easily
600 baht per hour for outside services

Foot massage 45 minutes- 250 baht

Tips: Wear something lose and comfortable, and do not stain easily if you want to try the herb massage. However, they will provide you a change of clothes at no extra cost. Mornings on weekdays are usually less busy, but be aware that you might feel more sleepy after the massage, esp if you have not been getting enough sleep (too relaxed?). If that happens, rest a while before heading to your next stop!

You can read more about my Thai massage experience.

How to get there? I always go by cab! This is where I head to after my Grand Palace visit, and before I head for my late lunch in Chinatown.

But if you decide to try other ways, here are the info you need:
1. Bus Nos. 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 25, 32, 43, 44, 47, 48, 51, 53, 82, 103.
2. Air-conditioned bus Nos. 1, 6, 7, 8, 12, 44
3. Chao phraya Express boat. Get off at Tha Chang pier, Tha Tien Pier or Pak Klong Talad Pier, then walk through Thai Wang Road entrance.

(Beware, the cab drivers like to take you for a 'ride' if you flag a cab around the Grand Palace area.)

Hint: always suft the net for the lastest promotions. Even established places sometimes offer a 10-15% discounts if you bring a printout of their "cuopon". I will write more about spas and massages next time!

Checklist for travelling to Bangkok

Travelling check list- what every woman should bring!

1. Credit card- better to bring both Visa and Mastercard. I have seen shops accepting on but not the other. Bring at least one credit card, it will come in handy when you suddenly see somthing gorgeous.
2. Cash! How much? depends on how much you want to shop. You need not do the exchange at the airport in your home country. There are plenty of little machines and kiosks in BKK airport for exchange purposes, and these give you good rates. Just insert your USD/SGD/RM and watch them turn to Bath!! Unless you are exchanging a lot of money, it is not worth the special trip to your favourite money changer. Tip... make sure you keep some cash in your hotel safe, we advise at least 1000B for your exit airport tax (500B), and cabfares + a little extra for last minute airport shopping. BKK is a place that we squeeze even the last Bath out of ''rational'' shoppers due to the good bargains. As I am a credit card person, I find that around 1000B per day is enough as a 'small change'.
3. Sunblock! Cap! sunglasses? Umbrella? Forget it... if it rains, your umbrella wll not help much. My favourite sunblock is Sunkiller, definitely the best in terms of coverage, and it is non-oily!
4. Disposable panties! It is worth investing in the ''cotton'' ones, although they are double the price of the ''paper'' ones.. you will definitely feel more secure and comfortable in it.
5. Camera!
6. Good comfortable pair of walking shoes/sandals. If you need to go to Grand Palace, make sure you bring along a pair of shoe which cover up your toes, they guards may not let you in if you are wearing your fav pair of TeV**sandals. But then again, this depends on whether you will be heading there straight or after doing some something.... read more about shoes in in my ''BIG WIDE feet -- the FEMALE BIG-FOOTs guide to getting pair of shoes in Cinderella land''
7. Disposable chopsticks! If you are very adventurous about road side food, and like me .. want to try EVERYTHING, and EVERY STALL which looks terribly crowded, bring one or two pairs of disposable chopsticks. While the washing standards done in the road side stalls are comparable or even better than many places in Singapore-Malaysia... let me warn you that they RECYCLE DISPOSABLE chopsticks!!!!!! It is not a exactly appetising to when you are handed a pair of dripping wet recycled chopsticks which had been washed in soapy water. Recycle chopsticks are permeable(do not have the coatings like your regular wooden chopsticks).
8. Wet Tissues (body and face) BKK is extremely hot and humid, and let me warn you , you will SWEAT big time and STINK. It will be quite embarassing to try out clothes in that state! The wet tissues how in really handy to give your self a wipe down. As my skin is pretty sensitive, I usually buy a small packet of baby wipes in Watsons or Guardian before heading there. This is something that you got to buy in your home country, in a place where you are familiar, and I suggest you try out these wipes first before you actually bring them there (Test whether you are sensitive to it, and try to buy something that is not fragranced). I tried to get it in BKK, and was really disappointed. I found them.. but they were in huge banded packaging... I guess mums always look for savings and bargains. Other than wiping myself, my baby wipes have also cleaned tables, chairs, toilet seat in my hotel room (yeah... I did that). It will also be handy when you REALLY need to do your big bussiness in a public toilet. (Note: This is not something impossible to happen... after eating so much!!)
9. A tiny bottle of soap/ one of your cheap facial cleanser samples- this is for washing your hands after going to toilets. Toilets in major tourist attractions and shopping centres are world class, but many of the lesser places do not have soap. To a foodie like me, my own bottle of soap will come in handy when I need to eat the tidbits that I bought, or use my fingers to pick up some nice food samples. (otherwise.. it is quite yucky to use your fingers after the toilet trip.... yucks.....)
10. Your phone charger/extra battery
11. A luggage that is at least 2/3 empty....to lug back all your stuff. I have seen may girls bringing the large size trolleys luggage there ... haha. Whether you want to bring extra bags depend on whether you want to get another piece. Luggage bags in BKK starts around 199B!
12. Clothes- skirts. I used to go for pants, but I realised that they are very useless when I need to try clothes!
13. Optional: Travel detergent n plastics hangers!-- if you like to travel extremely light like me, I think a small bottle will be very handy. I use it to wash the new T-shirts that I buy and also my sweaty smelly T-shirts. I usually bring 2-3 light weight and flat plastic hangers and put them at the bottom of my luggage. These do not take up space and will be useful to hang up your clothings. I do not like to use those wooden hangers in hotel rooms for my wet clothes or clothes that I need to wear....

If you got these things in your bag, I would say... relax and just go! You could almost buy anything you want/need in BKK! wait.. how about toothpaste and toothbrushes? If you paid USD25+ for your hotel room, you should have it there. What happens if you do not see it in your room?? Just call the housekeeper-- ask and you will get it.. FREE. Yeah... you might need to ask for your paper slippers too.

Well actually you need not bring anything but your cash and credit card :D

Here is a different travel check list for cold and wet November London: Travel checklist for Nov London

Sky Train in Bangkok

The BTS website is an excellent interactive site which will even show you what are the attractions that are near a station. BTS is not cheap. If you have company (2 or more persons), it is always cheaper to go by cab, except perhaps the trip to Cathuchak (aka JJ) market. For that, my experience shows me that it will usually come up to about 100B, beacuse the driver will take you for a ride. 100B may not be that bad, it is the fact that he took up your prime early morning shopping time! 10:00 am is not as HOT as 11:00 am!

To travel from Chinatown/Grand Palace to town, the river taxis are a great idea. Again, you will be spared the ''ride'', the jams and you get to enjoy travelling down the famous river. Check the Chao Phraya services here.

Do what the locals do-taxi from airport

before you join the custom clearance Q and get your immigration things done, look out for some maps. Personally prefer the maps obtained here as they are more detailed(and drawn to scale) than what the concierge provides.

When you arrive at the arrival hall, look for the sign of ''departure hall''. Look for the escalator and go up to the floor. Take your taxi from there!

Just say ''hotel name, bai meter''. Bring with you your booking receipt from your hotel. Usually this also contains the address in Thai language. If the driver look confused after you told him your destination, just how him the address. Remain calm and tell him to go by the expressway, which they usually refer to as the tollway. You might have to 'pay as you go' , ie paying for the toll charges whenever you reach a toll gate. It is 20B per gate, and there were 2 gates before you reach downtown. so get 2x 20B ready!

How much does this cost? 250-300+B, after tipping!

Oh yes.. the driver understands your "by meter"... The Thais say "bai meter" for it anyway.

but... if money is not a problem.. just save the hassles. Just "order" an Bangkok airport pick up service through the internet or your hotel.

Other household things to shop about!

My biggest regrets (what I did not buy.. or did not buy enough)
Most of these are handicrafts unique to Thailand.

1) Scented candles-- those that can float in water to create a spa like ambience. It costs only around 100B, (you can bargain to 70 or 80B) for 10. Can get at night market , MBK or JJ.

2) Chopsticks set: They have this very nicely lacqured sets. I guess I was really put off by the girls attitude and missed a good bargain. It was an intricate set, and she offered me 3200B (wow!). I told her no way, and she offered 1500B. I was really appalled and the she would let me have it at 750B. I was more shocked than anything by then... she offered me 350B. Shucks... I should have bought it!!!! It is so much more beautiful that those sets which go for more than 20-30SGD!!

3) Water feature: I was lazy to bring them back, cos they could be quite heavy. But now that I am not there I realised that you get better choices there!

4) Towels: This is so 'auntie'; but the stalls in JJ are main distributors for towels! You get really good quality and nice towels there! We bought from a corner shop and each towel was around 200B (did not bargain). The towels turned up to be much better than those that I obtained in Singapore ... for only about 50% of the price here.

5) Lamps: Yes, lamps! Again, lazy to carry and hoped that the designs will be here soon. It never arrived. If you cannot get the whole thing, just get the lampshades and use it to replace your cheap and common table lamp from IKe* :)

6) Paintings, art pieces : there are so many creative things there.. things that you do not see out of Thailand yet. There is something that will definitely make you feel like buying! I fell in love with the salt and pepper sets. Check out those pewter sets!

7) Fine ceramics: Yes, they have really good ones there. You can get this at SL might market and MBK too. I was really attracted to the ''bowl'' like thing, but decided not to buy when suddenly reminded that it look like an urn holder... hmmm have been watching too many horror shows

hint: Thinking of getting a gift for someone? Bangkok is a handicraft haven. There are so much variety in Thailand, and at a cheap price. I suggest you check handicraft websites such as Productthailand.com or other sites in the internet. See what are the pieces that your friends/family like. These sites also frequently list the places where you can get the products, and give you more information about it.

Shopping for home furnishing in Bangkok

If you are thinking of getting a gift from Bangkok for your mum, aunts or all your house proud friends, cushion covers are a safe bet. These are really beautiful, with a wide variety of designs and materials. They also do not burst your wallet nor your baggage allowance..

Cushion covers brighten up your homes, cover up your coffee spills and it is really really cheap!!!!!

I thought that these two silverish-blue cushion covers are really cool! Really look modern and not going to look dated at all. Some more it is silk leh...

Price? 150B per piece.
But this nosy woman have been enjoying the bargaining strategy of a true blue Hong Kong 'si lai' (teh less rich equivalent of Tai Tai), and she managed to get it down to 70B per piece for silk cushion cover! Where to get? We suggest trying the night market! JJ and MBK have this too.. but JJ will really be hot.. you will give up bargaining and MBK cannot give you too rock bottom price. Any comments from readers?


This pair of cotton covers have intricate design.. price? Not too sure...I think my mum would love it! Great gift for your aunties too.

And every one is gonna be tempted to buy something like this. There are lots of much more beautiful designs, and it come in many sizes. Price starts from around 150B depending on size and design. JJ market got the most choices (as far as I know). However... do not be tempted.... it is HEAVY! You can get one from City Square (JB)for about 20% more.. but it is worth it. I would not take up my luggage capacity this! Oh ya.. must also tell you that I do not find it very comfortable if you sit there long.

JJ market-- getting everything there? Forget it.

This is a quick post for my lucky friend who is jetting to Thailand. The posts here are mainly for first time visitors, or the 'high-class' gals with deep pockets and have been buying the more expensive things. There are really lots of cheap, good and beautiful things in Bangkok to shop for!

When you go to Thailand and you shop, you must plan too! Even with a tall, dark and handsome(?) husband in tow, I could not carry all that I wanted to buy from JJ market. So do not assume that you will be able to manage if you really want to BUY and BUY, especially when you have just shifted to a new home and a first time visitor.

In Thailand, you will be so tempted to turn your home in to a spa, with everything so beautiful and affordable! It is very disgusting to know that the small zen like water feature that you have been lusting after sells for 1/3 to 1/2 of its usual price in Bangkok.. before you even before started your bargaining!

As far as possible, get some stuff from the other markets you are visiting and you will be spared some bargaining under the terrible heat in Chatuchak market. This is the weekend market in the world and you can really shop till you drop without burning a hole in you rmarket. You might want to try getting some small home furnishings, T-shirts, some spices, cute little things that are perfect to shop for when your hubby is not going with you. You can really take your time shopping for them and enjoy it!

And yes, bring CASH for you trips to JJ market. Most stalls there do not accept credit cards.

Racist and placist

As I overheard the news on the tv about how 2 bloggers were hauled to court and charged with ''sedition for posting racist comments online'', I was rather terrified. With the other bloggers rushing to review their own posts, I reminded myself to be never never tempted to put a joke about Ah Beng, Ali or Ah Singh, no matter how funny it is.

I did not have a chance to read their blogs, so I am really wondering what have they said? Were they really racists? In this part of the world, communities from different races are so well integrated that it is not weird to see a table of friends from different races enjoying a good laugh over a cup of 'teh tarik' and have share some of these 'racist' jokes.

True, racist jokes tend to be categorical, a sweeping statement just like the 'blond' jokes. The question is what is the 'intention' of the joke? Derogatory? Discriminative? Or just a way we 'simplify' things and register the information in our neural system?

Jokes are something that I can avoid, no problem. This is not a 'jokes' blog. But as a travel blogger, my concern is how do I describe the most important element: PEOPLE.

If you cannot provide honest description of your observation , in fact it is personal observation about people and places, where is the fun? My interest in the people that I meet. Therefore, to play safe, I better find out more about the rules.

So, what is racism? My Oxford online dictionary told me that
''racism'' :

noun 1 the belief that there are characteristics, abilities, or
qualities specific to each race. 2 discrimination against or
antagonism towards other races

How many are guilty about the first one? But the 2nd one?

I think I am guilty about the first one.

I think Thai massuers are the best! Thai girls are really petite and
pretty, intelligent and hardworking.And if I were a man, I will go for a
Thai girl. I also think many Thai men are remarkably gentle. However, if you need to get your service staff you get something fast for you, tell them about it. Else they will take their own pace.

So... am I guilty? Or is it ok to say this elsewhere but not in Thailand? Other than being racist, is there something called ''placist''?

Two bloggers charged under Sedition Act over racist remarks

Channelnewsasia.com: "Two bloggers charged under Sedition Act over racist remarks "By Pearl Forss,

Singapore News
Time is GMT + 8 hours Posted: 12 September 2005 1255 hrs

SINGAPORE : Two bloggers have been charged with sedition for posting racist comments online. This is the first time bloggers are being charged in Singapore and it is sending shockwaves through the local blogging community. Lawyers say the last time the sedition act was invoked in Singapore was at least 10 years ago. Twenty-five-year-old Nicholas Lim Yew and 27-year-old Benjamin Koh Song Huat are being accused of posting racist comments on an online forum and on their blog site. They are both being charged with committing a seditious act, by promoting feelings of ill-will and hostility between races in Singapore. They were not represented by defence lawyers and were granted bail of S$10,000 each. This charge came as a shock to many in the blogging community. Said Singaporean blogger Benjamin Lee (Mr Miyagi):" A lot of them will be looking at their blogs and wondering if they made any legally seditious remarks. I think because of the way this will be played up, it's negative publicity for the Singapore blogging community." "Currently if you surf the net you will come across a lot of bloggers making such comments. You will probably see a drop in such cases henceforth. At the moment I am not aware of any cases except of a case in Iran where bloggers are charged. But Iran has a different legal system from Singapore," said Leonard Loo, managing partner of Leonard Loo & Co Advocates & Solicitors. Channel NewsAsia understands that the Media Development Authority had asked host servers to remove a racist blog from the web. Police are now investigating this matter. While many racist blogs by Singaporeans can be found online, the blogging community is also quick to criticize any racist comments. Channel NewsAsia has received many emails from viewers informing us about a few racist sites. Viewers said they were "appalled as well as disappointed that a Singaporean could condemn" other fellow Singaporeans of a different race. Lawyers warn that anybody who forwards seditious remarks to others via email can also be charged with abetment. The case is expected to be heard in court again on September 21. A person is deemed to have committed an offence under the Sedition Act if he performs any act which has a seditious tendency, or conspires with any person to do so. It is also an offence to utter any seditious words or to print, publish, sell, distribute, reproduce or import any seditious publication. First time offenders can be fined up to S$5,000, or jailed up to three years, or both. For subsequent offences, they can be jailed up to five years and have their seditious publications forfeited and destroyed. - CNA

Why do I avoid travelling in August?- A story on supersition

August usually coincides with the 7th lunar month. Come to HK, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia in the 7th lunar month and you will see a lot of things burning, and I am not just talking about forest fires. You will see people burning joss sticks and paper money on the road sides. Even the authorities of squeky clean Singapore will just turn a blind eye about it (the locals call it 'close one eye') , for these are the offerings for the dead.

The hungry ghosts, the departed souls who came back for a 'visit' when the hell gate opens. Some people believes accidents (especially the WEIRD ones) happen more often. Well, I am not too sure about it. Why be scared about these hungry ghosts? Hungry people are more dangerous, esp the man who is hungry for power, money or fame!

So, why don't I travel? Pick your choice.
1) I am schizophrenic
2) I am 'sensitive' to these things

Most Asian cultures refer to haunted places as 'not clean', and I am a 'not clean place' detector. I was a totally 'scientific' young girl who believed everything could be explained by science. Well, life experiences changed the perception. I have now accepted that I somehow have too many uncanny coincidences about feeling ''uncomfortable'' in certain places. These include murder scenes, and a guest house which I suspected was the place where the Japanese used to torture the local men and raped the women.

In the 7th month, it is believed that most places will not be too 'clean', particularly hotels! Don't believe me?

Check out when most tourist hotels offer start their offers in places like BKK, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore! For 2005, you just have to look at the prices offered for Phuket related hotels and flights. Up to 70% discounts!

Well, the 7th month had just passed. I think Asians are pretty obsessed with warding off 'evils', that there is a full range of 'tricks' and charms which are supposed to work. Do these really work or is it just pure psychology? I am not sure. One trick surely worked for me. Let's talk about it in the next blog!

A kind friend had sent me an email about ghost protection in hotels. I found the advise sensible and added it here.

Getting through the 3rd post- the meaning of '3'

The Chinese have this saying 'san fen zhong re du'- roughly translated as 'heat only lasting 3 minutes'. It actually means a person's enthusiasm only lasts three minutes. That is why you see me back here again- so fast!

I dread not being able to go past the 3rd entry! The Chinese somehow associate the number with certain discontinuation. Other than the length of a person's enthusiasm, they also believe that wealth cannot last more than 3 generations!

Superstitions- numbers and travels

So the ''angmohs'' (red hair) or ''kwei los'' (ghosts) [actually all referring to Caucasians :D] do not like number 13 ?

The Asians, especially the chinese have lots of supersitions regarding numbers. This is an interesting part of Chinese culture, and the Thais will tell you that they have other similar supersitions in their cultures.

Know your 3s from your 4s!
3 is associated with lots of things! Pronounced as as 'Sam' in Cantonese, it sounds like 'sang'-meaning alive. 3 is a lucky number, especially when you need to travel.

If you see '4's before you travel, that is a bad omen. Four is pronounced as 'sei' - sounds very much like 'sei'-meaning dead in cantonese or 'si' in mandarin, which also sounds dead.

So 3- means you will live on, 4 you will be dead.

If you are on a plane, and enjoying seat number 45, the old Chinese lady next to you will be very grateful to you if you would change your seat with her. From 44, which sounds like 'sure die', she is now in 'sei ng'(45)- meaning 'cannot die'.

If you are a hotel receptionist an chance upon a rude Chinese, just assign him room 44 on the 4th floor. He will either request a change of room or will not sleep well!

The other impt travel number: 7 7 is the other very important travel number to Chinese. While I am ok with all the 3s and 4s, 7 is a number I will take note of 7. I will make sure that I will not be tempted to get the airline offer around August. You were thinking that hotels in Asia are cheap during this time because it is post-summer and it is a great bargain ??? Ha... . ha... SHOOO.... get out of here. Stop reading! If you read on you will not have any more cheap holidays in August!

What am I gonna talk about??

I will talk about my travels, hunts for yummy food and shopping experiences. Before I lose my focus, let me put down here the things that I MUST talk about here. This will save me and people around me from a lot of things:

• Save me from repeating the ''musts'' to every single galfriend, colleague, ex-colleague, friend's girl friend, etc etc
• Save my friends from listening to hours of my raves and rants about a place

Things that I MUST blog about:

Bangkok:

• Food haunts : other than Nam Sing do you know other places?
• Shopping: get the kicks of getting a good price without bargaining!
• Hotels: I double tripple many-multiple checks on these... cos I 1) hate dirty hotels 2) hate ''DIRTY'' hotels- who ask we do be so darn sensitive 3) hate to end up paying a lot for dirty hotels! 4) hate to end up in hotels where people give me DIRTY looks.
• Getting around.. taxis? sky train? tuk-tuks?
• How I experience so much and yet spend so little money hahahah....... this is what make my friends mad!!!
• Hmm what is she trying to do?
• Stop recommending my boyfriend to try the special service
• ''I want to watch ''taiger'' show!''
• The best ice-cream!
• Wan Tan noodles are a must try!

Japan:

• I spent around USD800 in 11 days! Flights and accomodation included! Films too!
• Biwa-ko anyone?The unforgetable Yoshinoya beef(cake)....slurp...
• Would you dare to venture there??? Back lanes, hunting for geishas in red light district and love hotels (what I would never tell my mum)
• Fire works....
• Old woman in the middle of the night..... (haunted or what)
• Kobe... the city where my sixth sense kicked in... chills and trills
• In Kobe and not tried Kobe beef?
• What you should never buy back!
• Ho chiak!!!
• Obasan and pachinko.
• Kyoto the sacred city?
• The waterfall which inspired Buddhist chants

Hong Kong- Ngor Lei Lah!!!

• 6 star hotel!
• Hermes toiletries?
• Downgraded.... to a ''hillview'' hotel
• The egg tarts that Chris Patten loved
• The room that they made love?
• I saw the bald guy in my room... again
• The thousand holed building
• They moved there? Sell the stocks
• Yum Cha!!! Family day.
• Almost stranded with a big group of foreign workers in that island!
• Mangoes and steamed milk
• Pei pa kao
• Wan Tan noodles
• Your nail is in my yin yeung!

All about Malaysia

Tioman

• Sharks and turtle
• My first and last trip?

Pulau Redang

• Is this paradise?
• Even aunties and kids jump!
• Sang Kancil or pelanduk?
• Fish for dinner...
• Mama is here!

Perhentian

• How I miss Perhentian
• The night when the storm came
• Kingfish!!
• Speak Bahasa Melayu? You get great discounts!

Kota Baru

• The land of women enterpreneurs
• FOOD!! The night market
• Thou shall stay apart!
• Ghosts from the past? Are they telling me something?
• It is not that bad...
• WAU wow!
• Wrong way
• Snorkeltherapy

Kuala Terengganu

• Keropok land
• Locals are ok, beware of tourists!
• Pi** anchorage no more?
• The slow bum boat ride

and many many other places...

Somebody tell me... how to earn some money to go? Blogging?

Starting to BLOG!

I will begin my blogging journey. Detailing my travel, shopping and eating experiences in the places I have been to.

I want to share with everyone my experiences: through the eyes of a woman. A woman who loves to travel but do not have the money to travel. This is a blessing in disguise. Perhaps this is why every trip is so precious, every moment spent in a new place seem sacred. My eyes are always wide open, my ears alert to every sound that around me and my nose would sniff out the different smell and scents of a foreign country. On top of that , my sixth sense will tell me whether the hotel I stay is haunted or not.

Do come back often to check what I have put up. It will be great if there is enough of you gals coming and allow me to make some money through some programs that I have yet to figure out. But hey, I never believe that money is easy to make. If I will ever earn enough to cover my airport taxes of my next trip, I will be one happy woman!