7D7N Bangkok 2015: Flight Day + Marriott Vacation Club (MVC) at The Empire Place
Link to Part 2: Wang Lang Market
I went to Bangkok recently (the Labor Day + Wesak long holidays combo).
I am currently busy with work so the blog post about this trip will be updated very slowly.
Four of us went: Me, Hon, FC and YS. Two guys two gals combo, the other two are not couple.
*** *** ***
Itinerary:
Day half:
- flight and checked in Marriott Vacation Club at The Empire Place
Day 1:
- Wang Lang Market
- Silom Market
Day 2:
- Union Mall
- Or Tor Kor Market
Day 3:
- Talaat Nang Loeng Market
- Bobae Market
Day 4:
- day trip to Mahacai + Maeklong Railway Market + Amphawa Floating Market
Day 5:
- Chatcucak Weekend Market
- Central World - Platinum Mall etc
- Khao San Road
Day 6:
- Klong Toei Market
- Emporium, EM Quatier
- dinner at Cabbage & Condom
Day 7:
- Balik Back Home 回家~~~
Expenses:
Overall 19,000Baht for 2 person + 40USD per pax for the accommodation
inclusive of 2,400Baht in public expenses fund
*** *** ***
Me and Hon went on the 28th, earlier than the rest. It was supposed to be 8D7N but the first day was kind of a spoil. Here's the story.
Our flight was 1.30pm, everything was on schedule and went as smooth as a baby's buttock until the flight entering the Bangkok region. There's some turbulence here and there, and the pilot spoke up:
"Dear passengers, there is a thunderstorm ahead of us and we were asked to hold in the holding position as directed by the control tower. Thank you for your patient and we'll update you with any latest info"
*Not exact quote but that's what he meant
There were some gan jiong-ness (nervousness) in the crowd but everything was still cool. We were thankful for the pilot informing us about the situation too! Time went by (exceeded the scheduled landing time dy) until the second announcement was made:
"There has been several go around in the airport, and for the safety reason we will divert to Pattaya airport to refuel our tank and continue our journey to land in Bangkok. We hope you understand this is for our sefety and thank you for your cooperation."
Wow diverted flight!!! First experience for me and Hon!!
When the plane landed in Pattaya airport, some passengers very gan jiong stood up, opened the overhead compartment, unloading their stuff and waited on the aisle. I was like "these fellas all don't understand English one ar?"
...and, apparently, no they do not. There were a bunch of Indonesians on the flight and they didn't understand what's going on at all. The pilot, very cool with mustache and all, came out from cockpit to explain the situation, in both English and broken Bahasa Indon, then only the crowd settled down, while the cabin crews busy chasing everyone away from the Hot Seats LOL. We got to see all the chasing as we sat behind the Hot Seats and the scene was funny haha!
The weather looked pretty awesome in Pattaya though. It was already an hour late from the scheduled landing time, and everyone started order food (only instant noodles were available). Hon didn't let me buy one coz "I also hungry ar, tahan awhile bit more bee we eat good good one at Bangkok nah!" Hmph...
By the time we reached bangkok-Don Mueang Airport, it was already 4.40pm local time. almost 2 hours late OMG!!
*From here onwards, all time mentioned is in GMT+7 (an hour earlier than Malaysia) and all currency mentioned is in Baht (B)
We caught the airport transfer bus to Mochit (30B/pax). The bus is at Exit Gate 6 and the bus number is A1, very easy to spot, a lot of people waiting for the bus and there's an attendee calling for passengers.
Afterwards we got on the BTS to Chong Nonsi station.
It is advisable to buy the BTS 'Rabbit Card' if 1) you stay near a BTS station; 2) you travel duration is longer than 3 days; 3) you travel alone (or two, in our case on the first two days). It's like Malaysia's Touch N Go card so no hassle of digging small changes and buying tickets on the counter/machine. The first purchase is a minimum of 200B: card issuing fee 50B non-refundable, card deposit 50B refundable upon card return, purse value 100B. A minimum of 100B for every top up.
However, from my observation, using BTS is not cheap, starting at 15B and up to 42B per journey (from end to end). Plus, you cannot use the "Rabbit Card" at MRT. If you're traveling in a group of 3 onward, it is wiser and cheaper to take taxi. Of course you can always try to hop on their buses, but I'm not that adventurous LOL.
Now, the introduction of our accommodation. I must say it was AMAAAAZING! So do expect a lot of !!! and AWESOME and OMG and whatnot in the following description haha.
First off, let me talk bit-bit about how did this trip happen. Hon, FC and YS were gathering and chit-chatting one day and FC talked about her timeshare thingy under Interval International, and that she had an apartment available for the Labor Day long weekend in Bangkok. The boys got all excited and urging her to make this trip come true, and there we were, in the awesome apartment thanks to her haha!
Hon and I got lost while searching for the apartment, not to mention we dragged two luggages along with us OMG should have brought the backpacks instead. Most people know the apartment as The Empire Place rather than Marriott Vacation Club (MVC). We asked a guard for direction and in his fully-Thai explanation, we managed to find our way haha!!
The apartment is located in the Sathorn - we assume it is the heart of the business/economic district because it is surrounded by high-rise buildings with big companies like the Big 4, Bank of China etc. As described in their website: "Located within a high-end condominium residence in the heart of Bangkok, Marriott Vacation Club at The Empire Place is conveniently located near Sathorn Road and Taksin Bridge"
From the outside, it looks very elegant and high-classy (VERY atas), and check this blog out for the outer looks coz I didn't snap any pictures on the outside.
We were greeted by a very friendly guy receptionist, checked in and all, and were escorted up to our room by a over-friendly bell boy - he introduced every wonderful places in Bangkok but missed out the instruction to use the washing machine, the dryer, the microwave and what not, and wouldn't leave until we handed over some tips LOL.
Anyway, the place was AWEEESOME!!
The room was a one room serviced apartment, and it was fully-furnished to the last bit. They have a complete kitchen with all the appliances needed, the bathroom with a bathtub, TV set with hundreds of channels and a DVD player, and I think we were most excited when we knew they have washing machine and dryer in the apartment - no need to bring too much clothes, can wash!! Heee...
1 room with a king-sized bed, so big Hon couldn't find me while sleeping coz I slept a distance away from him haha! The pillows are godsend OMG I really missed those pillows and the bed now. There's a TV set in the room so no need to fight for TVs.
The living area has the sofa bed and a TV set. The sofa bed was already prepared nicely when we arrived.
Bathroom with rain shower, bathtub and the usual necessities. Nothing much to talk about except the daily housekeeping people arranged my toiletries so nicely on the bathroom top.
All the drawers are full of items like spoons, forks, knifes, over mitts, plates... EVERYTHING. There's also a coffee maker which we don't really know how to use it.
Because of these two babies, I came back without laundry YAY!!! There's nothing more merrier than a low after-trip laundry volume hahaha!
Our balcony faced the Empire Tower (that huge chunk window-ful building on the pic above), and overlooking the buildings, apartments etc. Luckily it was a distance away so it didn't block our view. We stayed at the 16th floor so we weren't be bothered by the busy traffic etc. Since we were in the business district, the day was full with OL ladies (the guys were pretty excited), and the night was very quiet, especially during their 1st-5th May super-long public holidays.
Besides that, they have an outdoor swimming pool, gym with a studio inside, tennis court, sauna and steam room. They offer fitness classes like yoga, pilates, kickboxing etc for the MVC guests and the condo residents.
I've seen one of the yoga class and was a little skeptical about the instructor, and then I joined her kickboxing class and I nearly died!! She was so powerful and full of energy, at the end I sobbed in frustration and exhaustion LOL. Yes I am serious, I did cry, in front of Hon lah haha. The studio's aircond was a little too cold in the beginning, I think that's why I got so exhausted since the beginning yikes.
Overall, we LOVED the place!! It was one of the most comfortable accommodation we've ever stayed in our trips, it has all the facilities we needed (we can just buy raw materials back to cook at home!), the bed was so comfy I didn't even want to get up from it, everything was so nice~~~
One drawback was we didn't spend enough time in the apartment to fully enjoy the comfortable the place provided.
I went to Bangkok recently (the Labor Day + Wesak long holidays combo).
I am currently busy with work so the blog post about this trip will be updated very slowly.
Four of us went: Me, Hon, FC and YS. Two guys two gals combo, the other two are not couple.
*** *** ***
Itinerary:
Day half:
- flight and checked in Marriott Vacation Club at The Empire Place
Day 1:
- Wang Lang Market
- Silom Market
Day 2:
- Union Mall
- Or Tor Kor Market
Day 3:
- Talaat Nang Loeng Market
- Bobae Market
Day 4:
- day trip to Mahacai + Maeklong Railway Market + Amphawa Floating Market
Day 5:
- Chatcucak Weekend Market
- Central World - Platinum Mall etc
- Khao San Road
Day 6:
- Klong Toei Market
- Emporium, EM Quatier
- dinner at Cabbage & Condom
Day 7:
- Balik Back Home 回家~~~
Expenses:
Overall 19,000Baht for 2 person + 40USD per pax for the accommodation
inclusive of 2,400Baht in public expenses fund
*** *** ***
Me and Hon went on the 28th, earlier than the rest. It was supposed to be 8D7N but the first day was kind of a spoil. Here's the story.
Our flight was 1.30pm, everything was on schedule and went as smooth as a baby's buttock until the flight entering the Bangkok region. There's some turbulence here and there, and the pilot spoke up:
"Dear passengers, there is a thunderstorm ahead of us and we were asked to hold in the holding position as directed by the control tower. Thank you for your patient and we'll update you with any latest info"
*Not exact quote but that's what he meant
There were some gan jiong-ness (nervousness) in the crowd but everything was still cool. We were thankful for the pilot informing us about the situation too! Time went by (exceeded the scheduled landing time dy) until the second announcement was made:
"There has been several go around in the airport, and for the safety reason we will divert to Pattaya airport to refuel our tank and continue our journey to land in Bangkok. We hope you understand this is for our sefety and thank you for your cooperation."
Wow diverted flight!!! First experience for me and Hon!!
When the plane landed in Pattaya airport, some passengers very gan jiong stood up, opened the overhead compartment, unloading their stuff and waited on the aisle. I was like "these fellas all don't understand English one ar?"
...and, apparently, no they do not. There were a bunch of Indonesians on the flight and they didn't understand what's going on at all. The pilot, very cool with mustache and all, came out from cockpit to explain the situation, in both English and broken Bahasa Indon, then only the crowd settled down, while the cabin crews busy chasing everyone away from the Hot Seats LOL. We got to see all the chasing as we sat behind the Hot Seats and the scene was funny haha!
 |
| The lori minyak came to the rescue |
By the time we reached bangkok-Don Mueang Airport, it was already 4.40pm local time. almost 2 hours late OMG!!
*From here onwards, all time mentioned is in GMT+7 (an hour earlier than Malaysia) and all currency mentioned is in Baht (B)
We caught the airport transfer bus to Mochit (30B/pax). The bus is at Exit Gate 6 and the bus number is A1, very easy to spot, a lot of people waiting for the bus and there's an attendee calling for passengers.
Afterwards we got on the BTS to Chong Nonsi station.
It is advisable to buy the BTS 'Rabbit Card' if 1) you stay near a BTS station; 2) you travel duration is longer than 3 days; 3) you travel alone (or two, in our case on the first two days). It's like Malaysia's Touch N Go card so no hassle of digging small changes and buying tickets on the counter/machine. The first purchase is a minimum of 200B: card issuing fee 50B non-refundable, card deposit 50B refundable upon card return, purse value 100B. A minimum of 100B for every top up.
However, from my observation, using BTS is not cheap, starting at 15B and up to 42B per journey (from end to end). Plus, you cannot use the "Rabbit Card" at MRT. If you're traveling in a group of 3 onward, it is wiser and cheaper to take taxi. Of course you can always try to hop on their buses, but I'm not that adventurous LOL.
 |
| One of our proper meals |
Now, the introduction of our accommodation. I must say it was AMAAAAZING! So do expect a lot of !!! and AWESOME and OMG and whatnot in the following description haha.
First off, let me talk bit-bit about how did this trip happen. Hon, FC and YS were gathering and chit-chatting one day and FC talked about her timeshare thingy under Interval International, and that she had an apartment available for the Labor Day long weekend in Bangkok. The boys got all excited and urging her to make this trip come true, and there we were, in the awesome apartment thanks to her haha!
Hon and I got lost while searching for the apartment, not to mention we dragged two luggages along with us OMG should have brought the backpacks instead. Most people know the apartment as The Empire Place rather than Marriott Vacation Club (MVC). We asked a guard for direction and in his fully-Thai explanation, we managed to find our way haha!!
The apartment is located in the Sathorn - we assume it is the heart of the business/economic district because it is surrounded by high-rise buildings with big companies like the Big 4, Bank of China etc. As described in their website: "Located within a high-end condominium residence in the heart of Bangkok, Marriott Vacation Club at The Empire Place is conveniently located near Sathorn Road and Taksin Bridge"
From the outside, it looks very elegant and high-classy (VERY atas), and check this blog out for the outer looks coz I didn't snap any pictures on the outside.
We were greeted by a very friendly guy receptionist, checked in and all, and were escorted up to our room by a over-friendly bell boy - he introduced every wonderful places in Bangkok but missed out the instruction to use the washing machine, the dryer, the microwave and what not, and wouldn't leave until we handed over some tips LOL.
Anyway, the place was AWEEESOME!!
The room was a one room serviced apartment, and it was fully-furnished to the last bit. They have a complete kitchen with all the appliances needed, the bathroom with a bathtub, TV set with hundreds of channels and a DVD player, and I think we were most excited when we knew they have washing machine and dryer in the apartment - no need to bring too much clothes, can wash!! Heee...
 |
| Master suite with King-size bed |
 |
| Living area aka makeshift sofa bed for the guys |
 |
| Bathroom |
 |
| Kitchen with eveything you need |
 |
| Our savior hahaha! |
 |
| Things we saw when we looked down |
 |
| Things we saw when we looked down(2) |
 |
| The surrounding |
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| One of the landmark in our area - awesome and weird looking building |
I've seen one of the yoga class and was a little skeptical about the instructor, and then I joined her kickboxing class and I nearly died!! She was so powerful and full of energy, at the end I sobbed in frustration and exhaustion LOL. Yes I am serious, I did cry, in front of Hon lah haha. The studio's aircond was a little too cold in the beginning, I think that's why I got so exhausted since the beginning yikes.
Overall, we LOVED the place!! It was one of the most comfortable accommodation we've ever stayed in our trips, it has all the facilities we needed (we can just buy raw materials back to cook at home!), the bed was so comfy I didn't even want to get up from it, everything was so nice~~~
One drawback was we didn't spend enough time in the apartment to fully enjoy the comfortable the place provided.
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