Chatuchak Is Shopping Paradise
May 7th, 2008
today i’m going to blog about the best - and also my favourite - place to shop in the whole wide world : the Chatuchak Market in Bangkok :)
no trip to Bangkok is complete without a visit to the huge and famous weekend market that houses a vast labyrinth of shops and stalls selling just about anything a shopper could ask for. some 20,000 shops are tucked away haphazardly in this market, separated into 26 different sections according to their 9 categories of wares - books & collectibles, plants & gardening, home utensils & decor, pets and animals, antiques, clothing and accessories, handicrafts, furniture and miscellaneous; somewhat systematic but still thrillingly chaotic.
not only does Chatuchak have the most mind-boggling variety of products for sale, but everything is also CHEAP like nothing you’ve ever seen before!!! so cheap that every weekend in Bangkok, resellers and business owners from all over the world descend onto Chatuchak to stock up wholesale on super-cheap clothes, furniture, accessories and jewelry to bring back to their shops to re-sell for triple the price. (read: Bangsar and Hartamas boutiques ;) the rest of us holidaying shoppers can also share the joy of finding bargains in every nook and corner of the market. dangly earrings for RM 1 per pair? little wooden stools for RM 3? sundresses and original artist-designed tshirts for RM 15? a whole box of beautiful glass jars for RM 8? only in Chatuchak :)
upon touchdown in Bangkok, eeyang came to ask me : “so where do you wanna go first?” and i instantly screamed “CHATUCHAK!!!!” please, as if he even needed to ask. sigh i seriously believe that my birthplace is actually Chatuchak. there is no other place on earth in which i feel more at home and ALIVE :D and so we spent the first 4 hours of our time in Bangkok trawling Chatuchak and scavenging for the best buys. we emerged happy! very very tired and sweaty but happy.
pictures! :
#1 little bags and clutches going for 59 baht (RM 5.9) and 100 baht (RM 10)
#2 this is a shop selling art materials; there is a whole area in Chatuchak just for handicraft stuff. i go CRAZY buying materials everytime i’m here! sieutheng, ginny and vvens, you guys would love it too. ink pens, marker pens, all kinds of paper, string, ribbon, buttons and all kinds of craft items for super cheap!
#3 bundles of tissue paper for so cheap. i remember how when we were doing that Valentines’ Day roses project back in Form 5, and i was so happy to find tissue for RM 30/bundle at SSF in Jalan TAR. here in Chatuchak it’s RM 10, without bargaining yet. sigh!
#4 adorable puppies for sale :) there was a REALLY cute pure-breed pomeranian that cost only RM 200!!! wtfish! in KL it would probably sell for RM 1,600.
#5 this is my attempt at taking a The Dog picture, hehe. it’s a quasi-milo dog!! :D
#6 handmade postcards that i bought for RM 2 each after bargaining. i was so attracted to them because the postcards featured a lot of teddy bears that i actually have! see that monkey, and that Tigger and Piglet? i have them too! the photos in the postcards were taken by the shopowner’s sister - she’d take all her soft toys along with her and drive around the rural areas of Thailand to do her photoshoots, then make cards out of her photos. so creative! i bought a whole bunch back to use as birthday cards :)
#7 earrings for RM 1 a pair. i bought a dozen :D hello!!! it’s RM 1!!!
#8 this shop color-coded all their earrings. the girl in the photo is Malaysian too, and she kept going, “aiyo die lah how could i have spent so much money buying all those earrings from The Curve when it’s so cheap here!!”. i totally know how she felt because i kept seeing at Chatuchak all these dresses that i bought from Bangsar.. but at one third the price i paid :(
#9 happy mugs!
#10 happy clips!
#11 lots of little shops like these that sell pretty clothes. even though they’re quite cheap, the problem is you cant try the clothes on. unless the shop happens to have a makeshift dressing-room; usually just a pinned up cloth. works, nevertheless! the blue dress i’m wearing in the McDonalds video is from Chatuchak - cost only RM 10! i bought the same dress in pink too.
#12 haha this is eeyang eating some chocolate donut thing. he’s wearing my heart necklace -___- he just came into my room, picked it up and threw it around his neck. i didnt even realize he was wearing it until i took this picture. even then, he didnt want to give it back -_____- haih sometimes i worry about him.
#13 REALLY PRETTY FLIP FLOPS FOR ONLY RM 5!!!! it’s not even the strawy/beachy type of flip flops that are so native to Thailand. sigh. i was so smitten i bought 3 pairs. that’s my finger pointing at a pink pair that i bought. i wanted the orange one at the upper left corner but no size :(
#14 eeyang thought i had to have this shirt because i am actually a cat ^___^ i should have bought the piggy one at the back because i am also a pig :| the shirts here are slightly more expensive (RM 20) cos they’re original designs.
#15 handwoven Moccasin-type shoes! so cuuute. but one rainy day and it’ll be all ruined :|
#16 me and the best drink that Thailand has to offer - the orange juice! they use these oranges that are very very much like mandarin oranges, and the drink is just so mind-numbingly good. SIGH. i miss!
#17 we bumped into Jack Sparrow hahahaha
#18 bags! but after trawling all of Chatuchak, i didnt find any that i really really liked :\
#19 this shop looks like it belongs in a mall, doesnt it? Chatuchak has loads of these. very quirkily-designed shops with quality products.
#20 so cool, right? a bag made out of an empty rice sack
#21 pouches and pencil cases for RM 9.90. i bought that colorful one underneath the sign, and also a red faux croc skin case for my make-up. contentment!
#22 gorgeous tribal-design earrings! RM 8 per pair, also original designs. no other shop in Chatuchak had these earrings.
there are soooooooo many more things quaint items in Chatuchak that i didn’t take pictures of, and also that i wish i bought :( eeyang and i went back to Chatuchak again the following day because we felt we just HAD to buy more stuff. haha. my biggest regret was not buying this beautiful oil painting from this artist who had a most unique and dreamlike style. but it cost RM 150, and i didnt have enough cash on me :\ by the time i got more cash, i couldnt find her shop again.
which brings me to …
PINKPAU’S TIPS FOR CHATUCHAK MARKET!
1. if you see something you like, buy it right away. don’t even think of walking around to compare prices and then coming back, because chances are you won’t be able to find the shop again. that’s how big and messy Chatuchak is
2. if you MUST move away from a shop but want to come back, ask them for a business card or the section and soi (street .. or in this case alley) of their shop. most merchants in the market will know how to direct you back to your intended shop just by looking at the section & soi.
3. dont stray too far from your friends!! it can be a REAL pain in the butt to locate each other again, even if you have phones. if you are in a big group and it’s just impossible to shop together, designate a place to meet-up again at a certain time. one good spot to do this is the Clock Tower. there are buggies in the open-air areas that will ferry you around for free, but you must ask them to take you to your intended spot.
4. wear comfortable shoes. i’d suggest something like flip flops, which are comfy but also easy to remove in case you want to try on or shop for shoes
5. dress lightly and appropriately for the hot sticky weather, and also for lots of shoulder-rubbing and body-grazing; the Chatuchak crowd is not to be underestimated :P
6. try not to use the bathrooms if you can help it. the bathrooms are few, overly crowded, dirty and faaaar away.
7. yes you can bargain at most shops!
8. have fun exploring Chatuchak!!! here, only the fittest will survive and emerge victorious :P
oh, chatuchak. oh, cheap shopping. oh, wonderful smorgasbord of hodgepodge and bric-a-brac. my heart longs for you so! hey if anyone wants certain kinds of things from Chatuchak, lemme know :) i may be going back there sometime in June or July, so can help you folks buy.
i’m going to write about my hotel in Bangkok in the next post. oh it is the CUTEST hotel you will ever lay eyes on, and i’m so excited to write about it!! :D
95 Comments Add your own
1. lin | May 7th, 2008 at 6:52 am
OMG! Chatuchak just earned a place on my ‘places to visit’ list. LOL.
And thanks for the handy tips!
Can’t wait for ur next post on the hotel~^^
2. jingle bell | May 7th, 2008 at 7:03 am
tak tidur and be able to blog at this hour!?
I tak tidur juga. still rushing my assignments.
T.T
3. Yatz | May 7th, 2008 at 7:24 am
chatuchak best~!!
planned to go before the coming CNY for shopping spree..wheeeeee~~
4. Yappy | May 7th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Omg… the dogs… so cuteee!!!!! I want!!!!! You must have shop like mad!!! I would too if I’m let loose there! Hahaha…
How many things have you bought? :))) Can’t wait for your post about the hotel. :)))
5. Simon Seow | May 7th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Buy me some Jibbitz for my Mickey Mouse Crocs. It’s damn cheap over there yo!
6. weiqi | May 7th, 2008 at 7:52 am
u brighten up my day!!! Bangkok and Chatuchak!!! u made me want to go Bangkok right away…*cry* but i cant
7. Andy | May 7th, 2008 at 8:31 am
Hrm, even RM20 for a original design tee isn’t expensive, thats like AU$7, which is the price of a Big Mac meal, meh.
I really should go to Bangkok, when I get home.
8. sheon | May 7th, 2008 at 8:32 am
june/july? can i go with you?
9. songjun | May 7th, 2008 at 8:57 am
ehhhhh did you eat the yummy thai food there? i love the vermicelli thingy they had yums
10. Sam | May 7th, 2008 at 9:04 am
mmm! i wanna go!!! the flip flops are really cute. the dresses are not bad too! buy some back and sell ‘em online su ann! since u do so much traveling, buy and sell. u’re gonna get goood profit ;)
11. Sam | May 7th, 2008 at 9:08 am
i had to read back what u said about the heart shaped necklace eeyang was wearing, otherwise i would’ve suspected him gay! i have one in olive, light gold color.
12. twinkle | May 7th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Happy Shopping eh?? Good on you! Me wish to shop like that also. Like like laaa
13. KY | May 7th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I went there, it was hot and humid and .. well they sell fried pork skin! :D :D :D
14. clem | May 7th, 2008 at 9:45 am
sigh i missed the whole chatuchak madness on sunday. :( apparently chatuchak is truly ‘open’ on weekends only if i recall what my bangkok host told me correctly. is that true?
my friend and i went there the next day (monday), but there weren’t that many shops that were open. i guess maybe next time :P
15. nurul | May 7th, 2008 at 10:07 am
i want the flip flops….. n the happy clips n the mug n the dress n the postcard!!! huhuhu. may i know how to go there? from kl to bangkok…. do i need a passport??? =D
16. Rachel | May 7th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Haha… good that you and KY blog bout bangkok.. I’m flying off tomorrow evening to the shopping heaven… it’s disturbing cos i dunno if i bring enough CASH! lol… Hahaha… next time we should go again n again n again!
BANGKOK, wait for me!!! I’m coming :)
17. Ping | May 7th, 2008 at 10:58 am
o_O this is bad, I feel like buying almost everything that I see in your post. And you give me an idea of a holiday shopping spree location :-D
We can’t buy the puppy back, right? Think they have tight procedure for it?
Hehe, thanks for the tips :-) and can’t wait for your post about the hotel~!
18. Seng Ming | May 7th, 2008 at 11:23 am
aiyo :( i miss chatuchak! that was the first place i went to when i touched down at bangkok early march. spent a bomb and really enjoyed myself there in heaven and don’t get me started with the food there too.. so cheaaap and yummy
19. Tricia | May 7th, 2008 at 11:25 am
wow….its just like a bigger and larger version of lady’s street in HK?! Nice place to buy stuff!! Cheap and nice!! Awwwwww, the puppies are so so so so cuteeee!!! U should have smuggled some of them back here and sell them to me…muahahahahaha…
20. -Moo Moo- | May 7th, 2008 at 11:28 am
PinkPau….Chatuchak open on Friday or not?
PLS REPLY…TQ So much!
21. carol | May 7th, 2008 at 11:40 am
omgosh i am so emailing you right now haha.
WAH THE EARRINGS VERY NICE LOR i am the biggest sucker for dangly earrings!! and bags!! and accessories!! and cheap sundresses!! :D :D :D
eee i wanna visit la.
22. mich | May 7th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Pinkpau, u always give useful tips.
U’re so loveable.
^^
23. entwined | May 7th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
oh god oh god oh god. hahaha i so have to go there. :(((( my parents ah…when my friends were planning a trip to bangkok, they said cannot go. but once they changed the venue to phuket, then i can go. wtf. ARE THEY HINTING AT SOMETHING! :((( what’s worse (or better for me, in the future) is that i have an aunt living in bangkok!!! ok ok time to strategise so i can persuade my parents to let me go next year :P
i want to gooooooooooo :’(
24. tom | May 7th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
come on.. food!.. i want to read about food!! :P
25. reallybites | May 7th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
i want to go with you wtff unless u r goin with martian la
yesss everyone must take note of TIP ONE. my fren experienced that before and she came back very tak puas coz kenot find the shop again.
26. wizardp00f | May 7th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
i have been having all this bangkok-chatuchak-shopping-holiday dream this whole week and seeing your post is a divine sign that i HAVE to go there this july. :D one question: what language do one use to get around?
Love your blog btw. :)
27. grace | May 7th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
argh..i also shop earings like mad 1…
omg if i go chatuchak sure broke
omg those dresses are so pretty!!
now i know y my dad never wants to bring me to thailand >.
28. Emily | May 7th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
WTF THOSE EARRINGSSSSSSSS!!! *faints*
WTF THOSE SUPER CUTE FLIP FLOPS!!!! * double faints*
i feel like crying already. T_______________T
grrr!
29. Michelle | May 7th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I wanna go Bangkok!!!
30. wittyowl | May 7th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
hey, i reali like ur blog =) i just wanna ask about how much do they sell the heart shape clips in #10? just curious. Malaysia is selling an arm for it! i’m so inspired to go chatuchak right now! =D
31. iua | May 7th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
hi this is my first post here.. been your silent reader for a bout i year already *shy*…
the thing is, im in the midst of booking a trip to bangkok next week (partly due to this post’s fault). can you please tell me the hotel you stayed at? wont be able to wait till your next post, because it’ll be too late…
im afraid if i randomly pick out a hotel it might turn out to be a nightmare…
thanks in advance and keep up the good writings~
32. kei | May 7th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
OMG OMG OMG THE FLIP FLOPS SO NICE LAH OK!
and… i thought everyone exaggerates when they say everything is so cheap but its true laah cuz u mentioned the prices how come u didnt post pictures of sundresses!!!
33. hw | May 7th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Perfect timing of your post =D I’m headed to Bangkok and Phuket this coming Friday, and Chatuchak is one of the main places my gf and I are looking forward to going =D
Any recommendations of places to go in Bangkok for authentic yummy local food?
34. skyler | May 7th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
ASK YOU BUY NEVER BUY FOR ME T___________T my first week of july is holiday, you are going with me T_______T
35. pinkpau | May 7th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
lin : it’s DEFINITELY a must visit :))
jingle bell : eh so poor thing :( i know how that feels :(
yatz : haha my friend eeyang who went with me, bought jeans for soooooo cheap. so unfair lah you all guys can fit into any kinds of jeans wan. us girls have to look high and low for the perfect pair!
yappy : i bought LOTS and LOTS of stuff :P we went to chatuchak for two days, spent about 4-5 hours each day. haha
simon : jibbitz is those things you stick in the holes of the crocs right? haha okok i look for it
weiqi : why cant you go? :(
andy : oh you must!! of course there’s more to bangkok than just chatuchak, but it is definitely THE highlight!
sheon : ya ok! :D
songjun : of course lah hahaha. the soft springy vermicelli right? kicks the ass of the dry stuff we have here. ei something funny happened.. i was in the cab on the way to the hotel from my airport, then i passed by a house that looked DAMN FAMILIAR. then i realized it was gook’s house!!! so i called him and asked him if he lived in that area. turns out he lives just down the street from my hotel, haha. but we never met up cos eeyang dowan -______- oh and i bumped into fadli at a club!!! but didnt say hi cos i shy :|
sam : so many people are doing it already! LOADS and LOADS in kl :P and they do it so much better than i ever could. haha eeyang is so manly he can pull off things like wearing his friend’s necklaces without looking gay! and he has no qualms about doing it. that’s what i like about him :) cos he holds my bags for me when i go to the bathroom ;)
twinkle : goooooo do it! :D
KY : you are such a MAN. -_-
clem : yes weekends only! the other days not worth it at all !
nurul : you can fly or take a bus! wait for air asia’s promos :) and the MAS 0 fare promo coming up. and the Air Asia SUB-zero fair promo coming up to counter MAS ;) yes you need a passport for any country outside of malaysia!
rachel : zomg have fun in bangkok!!! :D dont get conned by the ping pong ladies ok :( KY and i getting conned are enough already :(
ping : bangkok is THE best holiday shopping destination cos its cheappp. singapore and australia may have better fashion but exchange rate and inflation is killer. no we cant bring the puppies back, but i know someone who bought hamsters at chatuchak, then put them in his POCKETS and SMUGGLED them back to malaysia. hahahaha. i can only imagine how uncomfortable the plane ride was for him and both the hamsters :P
seng ming : did you see the cute little fried eggs!
tricia : it’s NOTHING like ladies’ street!!!! ladies’ street just sells a lot of fake stuff, dvds and random things. chatuchak is like.. flea market + handmade things + clothes haven :)
moo moo : not many shops are open on weekdays. so you dont see as much stuff :) saturdays and sundays are the best days to go.
carol : and for RM 1 per pair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i FLIPPED OUT ok. i was like staring at the sign and asking eeyang, eh… am i converting wrongly? is it really RM 1?
mich : hahaha thank u thank u :P i aim to please *curtsy
entwined : omg dont go phuket.. very boring wan!! anything there is in phuket, you can find in bangkok and 10 times better. except for the go-karting and ATVs maybe. there is little shopping in phuket, and it’s all about the beach and barlife there.
tom : hahahaha okok! maybe next next next post!
reallybites : nono i’m going alone! come we go!!!! ya the first time i went to chatuchak, that happened to me. so i LEARNED from my mistake :P like, buy only! dont really need to compare prices cos everything so cheap
wizardp00r : english! because i dont speak thai :P it can be a little bit difficult because not many thais speak english, so what is important is getting your hotel to write you the names of places and other important things in thai on a piece of paper. other things like “thank you”, “hello”, “how much is this?” “so expensive!”, “nevermind”; you should learn how to say them :) very useful.
grace : hehe your dad is a clever man. but tell him it’s VALUE FOR MONEY!!!! unlike singapore and HK where shopping is soooo expensive
emily : dont cry dont cry :P i can give you a pair of earrings! hahaha cos i bought back a dozen and im sure i cant wear them all anytime soon :P
michelle : goooo! when u come back for the holidays, drag your parents :)
wittyowl : 1 baht per piece. which is like 10 cents in ringgit? haha! :D
iua : oh .. oh :( but but i cannot tell you which hotel :( why dont you drop me an email and i’ll tell you :) if you dont want to email me, you can check out Imm Fusion hotel. that one’s cute too, but it’s not my hotel :D
kei : cos i didnt buy many sundresses :( only 3! a lot of the dress shops here dont have fitting rooms for you to try them on, and oftentimes when this is the case, you end up with sundresses with straps that are too loose, busts that are too tight, dresses that make you look short! sooooo no point buying wan! i learn from experience :(
hw : sniff you are back!! i thought you abandoned my blog :( have fun in bangkok, it’s an awesome place. hmm okay there are lots of good thai restaurants in bangkok, but the ones that i know tend to be a tad touristy. for instance there’s Cabbages & Condoms, Baan Khanita and Lemongrass - all around the Sukhumvit area. they’re good but not great, and are also slightly more expensive. (however, this expensive is like ‘average’ price after conversion into ringgit). the best food in bangkok are all on the streets :) walk into any street stall and chances are the food’s good AND cheap. reallllllyy cheap! so i’d say go for the little street stalls selling noodles and all that; look out for the ones that have lots of people and just peep at what everyone’s having! if you must go to restaurants (hygiene reasons etc), there are the three that i mentioned! there’s also one called Ban Khun Mae in Siam Square in that shopping boutique area; it’s a corner lot in a shop with wooden walls. pretty good!! and better than the other 3 more touristy ones i mentioned earlier :) you can google all 4 places for the addresses!
skyler : YOU get your dad to give you green light first. oooh mr high fructose corn syrup. hahaha
36. iamthewitch | May 7th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Gosh… you have made me tempted to visit Chatuchak! OK I must go some day… I’m a sucker for cheap stuff! Cheap and cute and nice of course :P
37. shengmae* | May 7th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
heyy there! :) thank you sooo much for this post! was actually planning for a short trip down to bangkok this coming july. and i must say your recent post is a savior! haha.
would you mind if i emailed you about a few minor details ie: transport, hotels, etc?
thanks so much su ann! :D
38. pinkpau | May 7th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
iamthewitch : then chatuchak is perfect for you :D
shengmae : sure go ahead! :)
39. thegeekinpink | May 7th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
yay i cant wait to go there end of the year! :) HAPPY
40. michellesy | May 7th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I. So. Need. To. Go. To. Bangkok.
Haha, Su Ann, reading your blog always ignites the urge to travel in me =)
And OMG, the shopping is to die for at Chatuchak ok!
41. wittyowl | May 7th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
super thank you for the reply =D
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!! 10 cent for one! gosh… i’ll go crazy there. there must b tons of cheap art & craft stuff there! =D
art friends @ pavilion selling at RM129 for about 80 heart shape clips!!!!!
42. Jane | May 7th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Chatuchak…not so good memories…haha. I went there during a cross-country exchange in sophomore year and after the race, we had a “fun race” in Chatuchak where we had to buy outfits based on a certain theme for our team. We went around searching for the most outrageous combination we could possibly put together and we ended up lost. With lost members too. It took us almost an hour to get back to the bus in one piece.
I wish I had more time to check out the place and buy fun stuff like you did :(
43. jiayoong. | May 7th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
why isnt there a place like that in ol’ malaysia, whyyyyyy!
44. sheryl | May 7th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
wah……….now i really wanna go back there again for shopping!!! But one thing…the clothes and dresses are so small in Thailand, how to fit?! sigh…
45. chm | May 7th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
may i ask hw much u spent on shoppin alone? must be quite a bomb even after conversion…
46. lishun | May 7th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
i am not one for shopping, but it looks like chatuchak might change my mind. haha. worth flying over to bangkok for?
47. RealGunners | May 7th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
ei i wan guns and bullets, can help me buy ah? shd be cheap there :D
48. huoy | May 7th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
I was a silent reader of ur blog but this blog post really makes me wanna comment! I so wanna go bangkok for all the cheap yet gorgeous stuffs. Sorry but I can’t help answering lishun’s question, that the shopping there is definitely worthhh flying over bangkok! Now I shall stop going bangsar and save up for chatuchak!
p/s: I know freddy lol, but just some sort of acquantanceship. He was my friend’s friend and we haven’t met long time ago so I don’t think he remembers me lol.
49. lyn | May 8th, 2008 at 12:26 am
i want to get something too but i dunno what .. i like to buy really random stuff haha .. and i’m easily attracted to the color pink .. but i can’t wear earrings :(
50. TheRealAnonymous | May 8th, 2008 at 2:04 am
DON’T FORGET TO BRING YOUR IC THIS TIME LEYYYYYYYYY… !!
Faster get it done and bring it wif u… leave ur passport in the hotel. =p Den u can start experiencing wat u just missed the last time around. =)
51. hj | May 8th, 2008 at 2:30 am
hey.. there’s a place in KL where u also can get RM1/pair earrings!
it’s called plaza GM, in Chow Kit. n the things in the curve are exactly the same!! but triple the price..
52. entwined | May 8th, 2008 at 2:49 am
we’ve already booked the tickets to phuket. i pity the guys coming along if we are going to bkk. hahaha. they’d be so lost. when i hit bkk, i want to shop without niggling fears that my friends bored out their minds :P anyways, i’m up for a relaxing beach holidays after my exams also haha :D
53. songjun | May 8th, 2008 at 2:51 am
Lim Su Ann, I am dissapointed in you for putting on your post whether or not it was endorsed by the Thai Tourism board, ChaTuChak Association of Vendors, Cheap Shoppers Galore Addicts Ring, Pink Earrings Unlimited, Pet Heaven Bangkok and AirAsia for any potential kickbacks u might receive for promoting Thailand’s tourism. Please next time say so I can tell if i’m being marketed to or not. This is called Ethics ok.
-.- Ok i had a hard time trying to think up of all those lame names hahaha
ANYWAY, why didnt go visit Gook? omg how did u pass his house? its like down some super narrow lorong lol should have said hi to fadz, catch him doing something illegal haha
54. pinkpau | May 8th, 2008 at 3:09 am
thegeekinpink : go shop yourself crazyeeee :D
michellesy : hehe! *curtsy
wittyowl : yes lots of very random and cool art stuff. go to chatuchak :) you will never again buy any overpriced art supplies from anywhere else.
jane : oh no that sounds like a total nightmare! hopefully a better shopping experience next time :) chatuchak is totally worth it.
sheryl : mostly free size!! :) can fit wan
chm : i dont want to say!!! hahahaha!
li shun : DEFINITELY. see huoy at #48 agrees too :P
realgunners : where can bring back!!! dont try to bluff me ah, i know these things wan
huoy : yalar i am never shopping at the bangsar boutiques again :( but then again, i think at bangsar you are paying for all their effort of scavenging and sourcing the best stuff in places like chatuchak :) haha freddy! you mean freddy cheu? i’m meeting him in singapore sometime next month when he’s back for the summer
lyn : necklaces then! or bags. or shoes!
therealanon : i was supposed to get my ic done yesterday :( but i lazy :( and i dowan to go tomoro … so … :(
hj : plaza GM? seriously?? omg i dont even know where this is!! is it the same kinda earrings as in the picture? the dangly type ones?
entwined : oh ok :D have fun in phuket. must catch the beach sunsets!!! :)
songjun : hahahahahaha songjun songjun i heart you! cheap shoppers addicts galore ring??? hahahaha you idiot. eh i said wat, didnt go and visit Gook cos eeyang dowan. passed his house on the way to the hotel, and i just happened to look down that lane. i was like eh that house looks damn familiar.. haha. no lah i din say hi to fadli cos he was inside the club and i was outside. yalar gook also say he’s doing illegal things hahaha
55. cheryl | May 8th, 2008 at 5:10 am
omg.
so many earrings and cool stuff there.
pls, bring me to chatuchak!!!.
haha :D
56. viona | May 8th, 2008 at 6:07 am
gawddd u made me wanna go to chatuchak!!
the name of the place is so cutee =)
57. julz | May 8th, 2008 at 6:21 am
*dammit* so jealous. I wanna go Bangkok now!!
58. lotsofcravings | May 8th, 2008 at 8:37 am
is this like visting bangkok season?? i just came back from bangkok last week, n i m seeing bangkok left right centre in the blogosphere!
59. RealGunners | May 8th, 2008 at 8:37 am
hahahaha i oso know cannot bring back, that’s y ask u buy ma ngek ngek ngek :D
haih… i’ve been to Dubai, China, Europe, UK, but never been to Bangkok, arghh!!!! saving up to clear up my stupid study loan, hopefully next year will be my travel year :D
60. nurul | May 8th, 2008 at 8:44 am
tq 4 ur info.. =) emmmmm… can i ask u to help me those stuff? maybe just the flip flops n dress… if u dont mind la…. ;)
61. James | May 8th, 2008 at 10:04 am
You and eeyang would look perfect together…
62. Joanne | May 8th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Hi Pinkpau,
Just wondering whats your camera model? I really like the quality of your photos~!
63. jenn* | May 8th, 2008 at 11:01 am
hi pinkpau. thanks for the write up on chatuchak. i’ll be going to bkk this 21st and chatuchak will be on my must-visit list :)
THANK YOU!
64. Reta | May 8th, 2008 at 11:27 am
platinum mall is great for very nice dresses and clothings too!
65. aimee | May 8th, 2008 at 11:35 am
after reading this entry, i felt an urge to log on malaysia airlines to book the next flight to thailand.
travel agencies should hire you to write reviews la, bloooody convincing!
can’;t wait to read about the hotel, pray tell!
66. vvens | May 8th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
hhahaa must remember to bring mini fan there la or not will die. too hot ;p
why is jack sparrow there *_*
67. skyler | May 8th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Haha I don’t care already T_______T I am going to book a flight and pretend to run away then come back a few days later wtf. Eh how much are shih tzu puppies I forgot to ask!
68. bangkok here i come! | May 8th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
hi pinkpau, like some of the ppl here, im also one of your silent readers ._.
im going to bkk next thurs for 4 days *excited* =D and this will be my 1st time there.. can you recommend more “must-go” places in your upcoming posts? i’ll be staying in sukhumvit area.
and also, i heard that you gotta wake up very very early to go chatuchak by skytrain.. is it true? may i know what’s your schedule like?
“pingpong & tiger” shows are not worth a visit ah? x_X
thanks in advance..
cheers!
69. Ping | May 8th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
OMG, i want to plan a trip to go there now~
haha, i know who you meant :-P even i can’t imagine that. kekeke.
70. AngPau | May 8th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Anything for guys to shop there?
Anyway, after reading this post I think I should plan the next trip to Chatuchak instead of Hatyai!
71. Ru | May 8th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Pinkpau you’re so lucky! Been years since I been in Bangkok, thanks to this blog entry I miss it even more.
I love that cute shirt from picture #14, I hope they stick around for a while, when I visit Bangkok again I’ll so visit that shop (and all the others). :3
Ohh Chatuchak is bliss!
72. Kayfourtyfour | May 8th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
i was in bangkok early this year, and although i enjoyed chatuchak immensely, i found that most of the thai people there did not like to bargain. they would only lower their prices if you buy three or more, and even then the price would only be lowered by 50 Baht or so, which is about RM5 -_-
however i had the chance to visit this night bazaar (erm can’t remember the name anymore -_-) which is probably not as big as chatuchak, but still damn big la because even though we were there for a whole night in the end we only covered 2 sections of it, and there was still a whole row of sections left unexplored. also the sellers there were not only more willing to give you bargain, they actually won’t let you go until you agree to purchase the item at YOUR terms of pricing. of course d good thing about this is that no matter how low you bargain at, in the end almost 70% of them will let you have your way. there was this one item that was 250 Baht and i bargained for 100 Baht and actually i didn’t even bargain so hard, i just kept trying to leave the stall but she wouldn’t let me and in the end she really just sold it to me for 100 Baht -_- the bad thing about this is if you accidentally ’show interest’ in something that you REALLY don’t want to buy, you’ll probably end up buying it anyway ‘cuz the seller just refuses to let you go. like that 100 Baht thing for instance, cos it was some light deco and i was more interested in clothes -_-
but yeah the night bazaar was awesome! plus it was joined to food courts and bars / pubs / nightlife. they even had the mechanical bull riding thing which was pretty fun. and whoever is planning to buy clothes in thailand, try to take down orders for at least 2 other ppl also because everything is usually sold cheaper in threes.
wah i write so long!
73. pinkpau | May 8th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
cheryl : ok, if you can fit in my luggage :D
viona : hmm! actually i wonder what the name means.. must go look it up
julz : dont be jealous lahhh :P you go too!
lotsofcravings : i think it’s cos of songkran season :)
realgunners : all the best to your travel year :D make sure you blog abt it!
nurul : ya ok, i’ll put up a notice on my blog when i’m going to bangkok again :)
james : we did.. but that was like 6 years ago :P
joanne : the canon ixus 75! it’s about 1.5 years old i think
jenn : you are welcome! :)
reta : AGREED!!! :D
aimee : hahaha MAS! wait for the asean price wars to start, then only book :P i made the mistake of booking a MAS flight to kuching the very day they released their zero-fare campaign. now air asia is coming up with a SUB-zero fare campaign. haih! i shoulda known
vvens : ya or paper fan! paper fan windier. hahaha jack sparrow was collecting donations. he looks very real in person wan, but this eeyang lah! donno how to take pictures wan!
skyler : didnt ask about shih tzus :|
bangkok here i come! : sukhumvit area! good place to stay. scroll up a bit for my recommendations to hw at the bottom of comment #35; there are some good restaurants in sukhumvit. lots of very good cake places too, but you gotta google that cos i forgot the names of the places :| if you’re staying near any of the skytrain stations in sukhumvit, you dont have to worry about sticking near sukhumvit; bangkok is your oyster with the skytrain! must go places for shopping : chatuchak, platinum mall, suan lum bazaar. other must go places : khao san road, the grand palace, wat arun, chinatown, getting a thai massage!, sirocco dome bar, the river boat cruise thing. refer to comment #35 over here, my reply to entwined for a little bit more info about the shopping places :) about the skytrain thing, no not the case. the skytrain opens till midnight, and chatuchak opens from morning till 6pm on saturdays and sundays. i usually go to chatuchak between 11am to 5pm. ahhh pingpong shows.. just dont get conned. dont go to go-go bars in patpong where you have to be taken one floor up, and they say things like you dont have to pay if you dont want to stay, etc. it’s a con!! read it here. this happened to my friend KY, and the same thing happened to me too!
ping : eh? what do you mean you know who i meant?
angpau : of course! my friend eeyang spent more money shopping than i did :P but that’s because he bought lots of clothes and i bought more rubbishy things. eh hatyai not much to do
ru : i actually have the address of that particular shop with the cat shirt! it’s the same shop that sells the postcards. it’s in Section 8, Soi 17/1, Rooms 254 and 255 :)
kayfourtyfour : that’s a really good point. i should have put that in my pointers! the thing about chatuchak is that the price is soooooo low already that there’s really no point bargaining because the merchants wont budge much. suan lum night bazaar can give you discounts because their stuff is the same as chatuchak but slightly more expensive. suan lum’s great too - it’s like a mini chatuchak. haih but still… the messiness and everythingness of chatuchak is why i love it so much :D
74. Emily | May 8th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
haha. really? come come gimme gimme i dont mind adding another pair into my collection. HA HA HA. XD
seriously i’m also one of those who will go crazy buying pretty handicraft / DIY those rubbishy stuffs. :P
Hmm..NOW i know where those boutiques and flea market stall owners get their stocks from. C h a t u c h a k, B A N G K O K ! here i come!! Weeeeeeeeeee! but, not so soon lar haih sad case.
ps: how much have u spend buying all those stuff in chatuchak huh?
75. Abby | May 8th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Hi Su Anne! I would reaaally reaaally like to go to BKK this end of June. Was intending it to be a solo travel kind of thing, but if you’re going around that time as well, I totally wouldn’t mind the company! And you do sound like great company ;) I NEEEED to get good bargains. Hehehe. Could I mail you please? :)
76. poet36 | May 8th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
heyyy pinkpau, before i go on i just would like say how amazing your blog is. i just can’t help but notice how your blog has evolved drastically over the last few months.from being one that touched on your feeling, emotions and experiences it has become focused more towards fun-filled sugar and spice-esque drama. its still a joy to read but it has lost some of tht maturity and depth tht every entry used to posess. i’ll probbaly get a lot of sh*t for this but hey its just my opinion and i hope you take it with no offence. cheers poet36
77. jean | May 8th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
hey pinkpau.. i’ve been a silent reader of yours for quite sometime.. first time commenting..
i love shopping in bangkok too! hehe.. have u been to pratunam? if you havent, you really have to go check it out!! they have a lot of wholesale malls there selling really really cheap clothes!
78. foreverjas | May 8th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
gosh. so nice! i wanna go! izit dangerous there? i wanan shop !!!! gosh. so pretty those stuff!
79. cheryl | May 8th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
lol.
ok, let me know when ur going there again.
i’ll start dieting to fit in ur luggage.
hehe…
80. jab | May 8th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
you have gain weight! Cute chubby cheeks!
81. bargain hunting aunt | May 8th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
girl, stock up and pack them along! in usa, lots of things are made in china.etc.. but sold in expensive usd! to get an idea, you go work the math and conversion below..not sure about new york though..
* purses 100 baht - rm 20 - usd 19.99
* 7 pair of earrings 10 baht - rm10 for 3 pairs - usd 10 per pair.
* basic mani & pedi :- 300 baht - rm 70 - usd 40 ..and the courteous gentle thai girls as well as the professional filipino girls at one utama easily beat the rough vietnamese girls in most nail salons in usa..
p/s i saw toe rings sold by an asian girl in an upscale mall here for USD 8 ..i have seen the same ones/quality back in pj…. but forgot how much they cost …
82. depressed aunt | May 8th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
..and yesterday i was so ‘high’ to get a pair of flip flops on sale for USD 14 from Macy ..until i saw your cuter and prettier ones for RM 5…….then i sank into deep depression..
83. huoy | May 8th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Yeah I agree with what you said about the boutiques, plus they also paid for the air ticket to go there too. But still.. I would love to go and explore the big market myself, because it’s the process of finding the gems in each store that makes shopping sooo fun! I definitely won’t mind about the crowd and hot weather, the merrier the better!
Oh shit… At this point I’m so sad already, we are actually paying the boutiques owner for more fun shopping trip at bangkok! They get to have a great vacation yet earning money at the same time… Jealous lah lol.
Ah I don’t know freddy’s surname btw… I know he’s in taylor’s adp programme though, coz that’s how my friend who was in adp knows him too. So funny la I even went to his house before but I don’t know his surname! He’s in US d?
84. pinkpau | May 9th, 2008 at 12:57 am
emily : hahahaha dont ask!!! :P i spent too much :(
abby : i know who you are.. you’re ezra’s sister!! haha yes feel free to email me :) it would be great to meet you. ezra says many great things about you :)
poet36 : thank you poet36, and i totally agree with you because i’ve noticed the change myself :) it’s been a very strange couple of months for me; i find that i dont think or feel as much as i used to. which probably explains the lack of emotional posts lately. i dont foresee this changing anytime soon, because i’m going to be super busy packing up my life within the next few months.. but i know that when i settle down in america, all the emo-ness will come back ;) thank you so much for your kind concern, i really really appreciate it.
jean : yup i’ve been to pratunam! haha i cant stand bangkokkkk there are just too many places to shop!
foreverjas : dangerous? no no not at all
cheryl : hahaha! im going in july :P or june. dont know yet.
jab : yes i have!!!!!!!! :( it’s all those big macs. haha but i’ve always had cute chubby cheeks :P
bargain hunting / depressed aunt : awwww dont be depressed. i bring some nice flip flops for you when i come to visit you :D
huoy : oh yes you must go to chatuchak :) it’s very, very amazing. yup he’s in US, he left in january. but he’ll be back for the summer :)
85. nurul | May 9th, 2008 at 8:38 am
tq n i will be waiting 4 the good news.. =)
86. Ping | May 9th, 2008 at 8:49 am
The guy who hide the hamsters in his pocket, it’s Kenny Sia isn’t it? :-) or I’m wrong o_O?
87. 狐 | May 10th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
wow… nice place to visit… and you really took some very nice pictures…
88. UncleJosh | May 10th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
afterall… things are just as it seems…
great shopping place for those who love to shop at low prices eh…
how’z ee yang? haven’t talk to him in ages… and how are you? still staying at the same palce?
89. alea | May 10th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
I MISS BANGKOK!!!! T_______T
90. Paul Ark | May 10th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
If you go mid-week (Wednesday, I think), JJ Market becomes a huge trading market for orchids.
91. Firdauz takes 5 | May 11th, 2008 at 3:40 am
i wanna go also!
92. deedee | May 11th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
omg.. chatuchak! i love that place la.. i’ve been to that place 5 times already.. but still managed to get lost! the things there are even cheaper than china. and also nice and better quality.. haih.. i miss bangkok!
93. grace | May 14th, 2008 at 1:58 am
okay, so i’ve never been to thailand EVER (and this is partly coz i’ve always been kinda *uhhhh* about the perceived dodginess of the place) but you make it look astonishingly lovely. must be all the bright colors. i want to go now!
94. hj | May 14th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
plaza GM is somewhere in chow kit. the place is quite new. some ppl r reluctant to go there cos it’s notorious with the “ah gua” culture.. but it’s really safe..so no worries..n parking is easy.
im not sure bout the price 4 the dangly earrings.. but i bought a few button earrings for rm1 each! curve is selling the same thing at 3 for rm10.. there’re also lotsa other accesorries, if u buy more the price will be lower..
95. vivian | May 16th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
ahhh! i missed a chance going to chatuchak cause was damn tired after watching shows.
i wanan go back to bangkok again.
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