Shopping in Bangkok

Organization!  Nice streets and so colorful too! 

Rather than try to tour the city my first full day in Bangkok, I decided to hit the mall scene.  My first delight was a public transportation system that was efficient, safe, reliable and orderly. Throughout the week I was continually amazed at the ease of getting around and the lack of underlying stress associated with it.  

At the elevated train station I was surprised to find arrows on the ground directing the que.  People actually paid attention to these marks and stood in single file lines waiting for the train to arrive.  As the doors opened they waited politely while people exited then entered the train.  They were very polite giving up their seats for pregnant women and children.  I was shocked that a society could act in such a respectful manner.  I realize how jaded Bogota has made me.

The malls are amazing. There are zillions of them lined up one after another. Crosswalks line the sky making moving between malls a snap.  Signs are in Thai and English.  In fact, another restful element of this trip was that everyone speaks some degree of English.

I had heard that prices were fantastic in Thailand on goods.  I did not find this to be true.  On Western products, clothing and electronics, prices were the same or possibly a bit more than in the US. I started at the Siam Malls.  I have never experienced shopping quiet like this before.  A bit neurotic in order and set up, wide aisles were lined with brand name mini stores.  There were no walls separating stores, rather racks of clothing, creative - high end backdrops and displays created visual boundaries.  Music played softly overhead giving a relaxed feel to the shopping experience.

Ridding in a Tuk-Tuk

Eventually I wandered several malls down to the --------- Mall.  Completely different in feel I felt as though I had stepped into an Asian mall on TV.  Loud, bright, crowded, flashy and cheap.  Here the fake jewelry and boot legged DVDs lined the aisle. Cool cheap clothes and mass produced Thai trinkets filled every stall.  Essentially an indoor market, bargaining was expected.  I left with a bag of clothes, a camera bag, nuts and dried fruit to snack on.

Somehow having a wild frenzy of energy after being awake for a kazillion hours, Chad and I decided to check out the outdoor night markets. The first one was a complete flop so  bargained for a ride in a tuk tuk, the three wheel flashy motorcycles with a seat in the back.  A bit crazy, but not close to the "thrill" of riding in a cab in Bogota.  Again, traffic is orderly and polite with rules that are known and followed.  Also the streets are pothole free. I could have knelt and kissed one of these beautifully paved roads as they brought tears of joy to my eyes.  

Night Market

Success at the next market.  Brimming with people, loads of goods and bartering going on all around.  I found the little finger nail trimmer sets that I had searched for all over Miami and Bogota at Christmas. We quickly found that we needed to stay in the center aisle as the two outer aisles were lined with pole dancing bars.  I really didn't want to know what a "ping pong" show was but sadly heard stories about it throughout the week.  

Another tuk tuk ride back and a few hours of sleep before we were wide-eyed at the wrong time of the day!

Street Food