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Thailand 2025

June - July 2025
  • Siewch
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Getting reacquainted with Thailand, and my 17th & 18th layovers in Tokyo. Read more
  • Siewch
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  • SiewchTravelerThailand 2025
    Siam Square with a view of MBK Center in the distance.
    My squid pad kaprow at Phed Mark.Jeff's vegetarian pad kaprow at Phed Mark.Phed Mark.I thought this was a gay shop, but it turned out to be something else.Siam Square.Siam Square.

    Evening Explorations

    July 3 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    In the evening, we ventured out to Phed Mark at Ekkamai. Located next to the Eastern Bus Station, I again marveled at the ease of movement. I used to sit in a local bus for over two hours just to get here to connect to another bus to go east to Rayong or Koh Samet.

    Phed Mark is partially owned by American food blogger Mark Wiens, and it showcases one dish - pad kaprow, which is a dish stir fried with a protein, holy basil, and chillies. This dish or khai jeow (Thai omelette) - and not pad thai - would be what most Thais would name as their favorite comfort food. The name of the restaurant is a clever play of words. "Phed" means hot/spicy, and "Mark" could either refer to the owner's name, or be interpreted as "a lot" in Thai.

    Anyway, Jeff found his new favorite Thai dish here. Sadly, there is only one restaurant in Honolulu that does even a half decent facsimilie of this dish. I hope it'll be up to scratch for Jeff when we return.

    After dinner, we went to Siam Square hoping to track down a 3D LED display of Hanuman. Sadly, the display had ended its run. We walked around the lively streets around Siam Square before turning in for the night.    Read more

  • SiewchTravelerThailand 2025
    Vegan pad see iew at Lee Jae Vegan.
    My gua kai at Ann Guay Tiew Gua Kai.Ann Guay Tiew Gua Kai.Scenes from Chinatown.Scenes from Chinatown.Scenes from Chinatown.A relaxed kitty at Wat Mangkon station. I had to stare for a moment to make sure it was breathing!

    Another Foray Into Chinatown

    July 3 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    After the Chao Phraya Sky Park, we walked a short distance over to Chinatown for some street food. Once there, we made a beeline for the alley housing Lee Jae Vegan where we both had their amazing pad see iew. While settling my bill, I had a short conversation with the matron of the establishment. She wanted to practice her Mandarin and I wanted to practice my Thai, so it was a somewhat bizarre conversation with her speaking in Mandarin and me responding in Thai!

    After that, we made our way to Ann Guay Tiew Gua Kai for gua kai, which is a hard to find dish made of crispy fried flat noodles. Indeed, this dish is only found in this part of Chinatown and pretty much nowhere else. I had mine with egg and preserved squid.

    After this second lunch, we made our way to Wat Mangkon station and back to our room for a little rest.

    I am so pleased that Chinatown is now to accessible with the subway. When I lived in Bangkok, I loved to come here for the lively streets and the food, but getting here was such a pain at that time due ot the traffic.    Read more

  • SiewchTravelerThailand 2025
    Chao Phraya Sky Park.
    Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.Chao Phraya Sky Park.

    Chao Phraya Sky Park

    July 3 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Atlas Obscura billed the Chao Phraya Sky Park as Bangkok's answer to New York's High Line. Built on an bridge that has been abandoned since 1984, the Sky Park spans across the Chao Phraya River with great views of both Bangkok and Thonburi.

    Getting to the Sky Park took some effort and determination. Even though we were right under it when we disembarked from the Chao Phraya Express boat, the entance to the park was hidden behind some construction hoardings. The Sky Park itself offered great views of the river and both sides of the city, but the there was too much traffic noise. Regardless, this was a nice free activity for us.

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chao-phraya…    Read more

  • SiewchTravelerThailand 2025
    The Wat Yannawa boat with a statue of King Rama III.
    Wat Yannawa.Wat Yannawa.Wat Yannawa.Wat Yannawa.The Wat Yannawa boat is actually set in water.Wat Yannawa.Wat Yannawa.Wat Yannawa.Wat Yannawa.Chinese-style temple at Wat Yannawa.Wat Yannawa.The abandoned Sathorn Unique Tower located next to Wat Yannawa.The abandoned Sathorn Unique Tower located next to Wat Yannawa.The abandoned Sathorn Unique Tower located next to Wat Yannawa.

    Wat Yannawa

    July 3 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    I learned about Wat Yannawa from Atlas Obscura. Located inside the complex is a building shaped like a Chinese junk. The main thing that amused us is that this boat is enclosed in a compound with water in it.

    The temple grounds also featured a Chinese style temple. There was quite a bit of Vietnamese signage which was a little odd.

    As an added bonus, this temple was next to abandoned Sathorn Unique Tower, which was under construction to be a luxury condominium when the Asian Financial Crisis hit and construction was abandoned. The building has sat derelict since then, and nowadays it mostly functions as a giant advertisement.

    https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chao-phraya…    Read more

  • SiewchTravelerThailand 2025
    The exterior of the restored temple.
    The interior of the restored temple.We ate at the local market before we set off for Wat Pariwat.My lad na breakfast at the local market near our hotel.The local market near our hotel.Wat Pariwat.Wat Pariwat.The figurine depicted a man crawling out from the pig's outfit.Superman, Wat Pariwat.Wat Pariwat.Wat Pariwat.Captain Hook, Wat Pariwat.Wat Pariwat.Wat Pariwat.Two figurines seem to be sawing through this man's arms. Wat Pariwat.Wat Pariwat.Batman, Wat Pariwat.Wat Pariwat.Wat Pariwat.Wat Pariwat.Wat Pariwat.Wat Pariwat.

    Wat Pariwat

    July 3 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    I woke up feeling a little fatigued. This didn't come as a surprise as based on past experience I often hit a wall after around ten days on the road. We decided to explore for a few hours and then return to our room to rest.

    Our first stop of the day was Wat Pariwat. We walked about 1 km to Chong Nonsi BTS station to catch the BRT bus directly to Wat Pariwat. Unfortunately, the ticket booths there weren't working and it would have eaten up all our remaining data to download an app to purchase tickets. So, we flagged down a taxi.

    Wat Pariwat is an unusual temple in that it features mosaic pop culture figures on its exterior. There are two wats in the center of the complex; the one with the pop culture figures is fully restored and open, while the other is undergoing restoration. Along the exterior, we spied Batman, Captain America, Superman, Popeye, Pinnochio. Inside the hall, I recognized a picture of Albert Einstein. Apart from the pop culture figures, there were also mosaics depicting more traditional Chinese, Indian, and Thai-influenced figurines.

    In the ordination hall of an adjacent complex, there is apparently a tiny statue of David Beckham at the base of a Buddha statue. Unfortunately, that hall was closed.

    Overall, this was a fun first stop for us. My only regret is that I should have come prepared with a list of the pop culture icons I wanted to find in order to check them off. It was only while writing this entry, for example, that I learned that there is an image of Barack Obama taking a selfie.    Read more

  • SiewchTravelerThailand 2025
    The klong taxi that plies Klong Saen Saep.
    Mahakan Fort near the klong taxi pier.Mahakan Fort near the klong taxi pier.The klong taxi that plies Klong Saen Saep.The conductor on the klong taxi that plies Klong Saen Saep.Jeff on the klong taxi.The klong taxi that plies Klong Saen Saep.We disambarked at Asoke Pier and transferred to the Petchaburi MRT station.The klong taxi that plies Klong Saen Saep.

    Klong Taxi

    July 2 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    After the Squid Game display, we walked towards the klong taxi pier. Along the way, we walked through Fort Mahakon and into the grounds of Wat Saket, but we didn't go into the wat itself as we weren't appropriately dressed.

    Back when I lived in Bangkok, the klong taxi wasn't on the tourist radar yet, and it was the fastest way to get to Bangkok once you reached a pier. Getting to the pier, of course, involved battling traffic. Information in English on the klong taxi was scarce back in the day, but I hopped on and just went for the ride. One one occasion, I went all the way east to what I now know is Wat Sriboonruang at Ramkamhaeng Soi 107. I loved seeing the klong communities en route, and I am glad to say my enjoyment hasn't diminished.    Read more

  • SiewchTravelerThailand 2025
    A video of Jeff playing the jump rope game.
    Squid Game interactive display.The Giant Swing.Squid Game interactive display.Jeff reenacting a scene from Squid Game.Squid Game interactive display.Squid Game interactive display.Jeff reenacting a scene from Squid Game.Squid Game interactive display.Squid Game interactive display.Squid Game interactive display.Squid Game interactive display.Thipsamai, a famous pad thai restaurant.Inside Thipsamai.My "superb pad thai" at Thipsamai.Jeff's vegetarian pad thai at Thipsamai.Scenes from around the Squid Game interactive display.

    A Special Squid Game Interactive Display

    July 2 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Just before we set off on this trip, I saw videos of a Squid Game interactive display in the open space next to the Giant Swing. I can't get myself to watch Squid Game, but Jeff has followed the series, so from Chinatown we made a beeline for this display.

    When we got there, we explored the various games and looked at the giant statues with the jump rope. We researched and knew that the jump rope started at 4pm, so we made our way to the nearby Thipsamai for their famous pad thai, and then we made our way back for Jeff to queue for the jump rope game. I am glad to report that Jeff survived the jump rope challenge.    Read more

  • SiewchTravelerThailand 2025
    This Optimus Prime statue marked our entry into Talat Noi.
    Talat Noi.Talat Noi.Talat Noi.Talat Noi.Hong Sieng Kong at Talat Noi.Our view of the Chao Phraya River from Hong Sieng Kong at Talat Noi.Our view of the Chao Phraya River from Hong Sieng Kong at Talat Noi.Hong Sieng Kong at Talat Noi.Hong Sieng Kong at Talat Noi.Hong Sieng Kong at Talat Noi.Talat Noi.Sacred banyan tree, Talat Noi.This little car marks the entrance to 32 Chocolate Bar, Talat Noi.The tiny entrance of 32 Chocolate Bar, Talat Noi.The interior of 32 Chocolate Bar, Talat Noi.The interior of 32 Chocolate Bar, Talat Noi.The interior of 32 Chocolate Bar, Talat Noi.Talat Noi.Talat Noi.

    Talat Noi

    July 2 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Talat Noi is a gentrifying neighborhood on the outskirts of Chinatown along the Chao Phraya River. It has traditionally been an area for car repairs and parts, and much of the area still has car parts shops with hipster coffee joints and street art interspersed among them.

    Quite fittingly, the outer boundary of Talat Noi features a statue of Optimus Prime inside a small traffic circle. I had read online that people bring offerings of engine oil to him, but sadly I saw no evidence of that while we were there. From there, we went to Hong Sieng Kong, a riverside eatery, for dessert, before looking for a virally famous old car marking the entrance to 32 Chocolate Bar, a cute little hot chocolate joint.

    After visiting Talat Noi, we made our way back to Chinatown proper and on to the Giant Swing.    Read more

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