Day 09 - Thailand

September 12, 2008
Gone Berserk

The day that I had been anticipating had finally arrived. Bangkok Day Three was shopping day, specifically shopping at Platinum Mall day. Shopping in Platinum Mall had gained such buzz of mythic proportions that I was worried it would explode in my face as a Bangkok bust. Before embarking on our shopping spree, I fortified myself with McDonalds Peanut McFlurry while the others sampled the grub in the stalls of the Robinsons Supermarket.

Platinum Mall is not directly accessible via any rail transport. We took the BTS to Chidlom Station, cut through Gaysorn to take a 10 minute-walk down Ratchadamri Road, a major avenue leading to the Pratunam District. On the way, we passed by crackling sounds, flavorful smells and rapid chatter that characterize bustling street food stalls. We decided to return for lunch later. Platinum Mall is right across Amari Watergate Hotel and is right at the corner of New Petchaburi and Ratchadamri Roads. It is five stories of rows and rows of all kinds of clothing and accessories a girl can ever need at cheap prices. Most of the clothes are Thailand-made and according to some of the sellers, personally-designed. There are stores which sell variations of one thing—plaid, jumpers, shorts, boleros, and statement tees. While there are the rare stores which do not sell female accoutrements, they sell things that a girl can also have fun buying—children’s clothes, pet clothes and even guy’s clothes. Melissa and Ernest decided to separate, and we agreed to meet up by 12nn for lunch.


After seeing the first few stalls, we realized that almost all of the stores sold varying merchandise so it was imperative we not miss one. The rest of the girls and I decided to stick together and to systematically trawl down each and every aisle. Sticking together also proved crucial because buying at least 3 articles of clothing from a store or as they refer to the practice, buying wholesale, provided savings which maximized our baht’s buying potential. I’m surprised that Platinum did not bring out the hoarder in all of us; it did bring out everyone’s patience and obliviousness to pain and hunger pangs. Some personal Platinum highlights:
  • Couple Tees- Boy and girl shirts which tell a story. It’s cute in concept. Will a couple really wear them in tandem except for a pictorial or costume party? Made extra cute because of the plastic lunchbox-type packaging.
  • 70 baht (100PHP) Tees- The long lean ones usually sold in Zara TRF and seen in teens and tweens. Small colorful buttons serve as additional designs on the print. The print in front is also replicated in full at the back as some sort of branding or tag.
  • Couple Pillowcases- Pillowcases in pairs which depict a stick couple in a romantic scene. Think innocent, idyllic, first blush love. Also comes in bolster cases.
  • “Careful! I Had A Bowl of Bitchy for Breakfast.” Statement Tee- I couldn’t not own it.
  • Sea Anemone Ring- Almost bought this 20 baht wonder in Vietnam for 7USD

How can I also forget?

  • Due to chronic inability to resist a bargain, Nikki buying a total 35 pieces of clothing, 28 shirts in total.
  • Ditching Melissa and Ernest and skipping lunch because Platinum shopping is way more essential to the soul.
  • Finally taking lunch (early dinner) by 4PM at the food court and me scarfing down my taro dessert in 15 minutes because I was too amped up and wanted to go back for something.
  • Going back with Gene to buy a beautiful printed blue circle skirt only to find out that it made me look fat when I got back to Manila. The pity purchase of a purple dress that I did to get a lower rate turned out to be the better buy.
  • Hyperventilating inside because I was overwhelmed by the assault on the senses of too much cheap clothing and suppressing those animal instincts.
I have saved rows and rows of space in choosing not to gush insensibly about Platinum Mall. Until now, I still cannot wait to go back. With all the different styles on display, it’s impossible not to find even just one thing in this cavernous, well-air-conditioned monolith of a bargain heaven. Never mind the accessories area (4th floor) which we skipped, those who love clothes will find it a trial to keep their wallets closed and to not upsize their purchase to get the “wholesale discount,” a cleverly-designed marketing concept to drive a girl delirious. I’m speaking in superlatives as though there’s no better shopping experience because this mall put the Amazing in Thailand.

Let the Games Begin
I knew that I wouldn’t be able to match the girls’ enthusiasm for shopping, so I decided to join Ernest in Platinum since we also wanted to try some of the street food we saw on our way there. First stop at Platinum was its food court. We had takoyaki (samurai balls) and the Thai version of halo-halo; however, both were so-so. We moved right along and browsed through random stalls of Platinum and found ourselves spending most of our time checking out stores that sell graphic tees and bags. We were able to buy a few choice shirts but failed in buying a hip 40s bag to suit Ernest’s mom.

We all earlier agreed to meet at 12 PM, but when Ernest and I were about to go to the designated meeting place, I received a text message from Nikki. The message basically said that they were not yet done shopping and that they would prefer to meet much later in the afternoon. This was when I knew that they lost their minds at Platinum.

Ernest and I decided to leave Platinum after Nikki’s message to explore what more Bangkok had to offer. Since it was already lunch time, we took it as our cue to sample Thai street food. We first had an assortment of sausages with the herb sausage coming out as a winner. Next stop was a stall selling beef and pork ribs. These were also divine. We finally had some sweet balls for dessert; I recall complaining that it wasn’t any good.

We still had many balls left when we headed to Big C Supermarket which was near the food stalls. Big C was forgettable save for the fact that it was here that Ernest pointed out to me that I managed to finish the much-insulted balls without any help from him. We had a laugh over this.



We moved to Central World right away since we had to revisit Zen, which Ernest dubbed as his favorite mall in all of Bangkok. Zen jumpstarted Ernest’s shopping spree which went on until the end of the day. Aside from Central World, we covered the three malls within the Siam Complex namely: Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and Siam Discovery Center. At the end of the shopping session, I had a few items with me while Ernest didn’t disappoint with the array of merchandise he managed to buy. As a testament to how hard he shopped, I found him struggling a bit to carry all his purchases. Notable stores that we visited include Human Touch which sells unique pillow cases and Quiksilver where board shorts were remarkably cheaper.

Between all the shopping, we made it a point to squeeze in a few bites at local establishments to sink our teeth into the commercial side of the Thai food culture. We first went to Greyhound Café which was a trendy modern hangout in Siam Center. We had Spaghetti with Corned Beef with Fresh Chilies which was refreshingly different and Hot and Spicy Beef Balls with Crispy Celery which tasted like fish balls that can be found at any Pinoy street corner. The experience overall was good though since the food was interesting, the wait staff was attentive, prices were reasonable, and ambiance was superb. Dessert, on the other hand, came in the form of an Iberry ice cream sandwich which we found while heading to Siam Paragon’s Gourmet Market. Iberry offers unique ice cream flavors such as Black Sesame which we didn’t fail to order. I found the concoction too exotic for my taste though.


After being sidetracked with Iberry ice cream, it was time to hit the Gourmet Market of Siam Paragon. It certainly was a food haven as it offered a wide range of products which one could taste before buying. Unlike other stores that scrimp on samples, the Gourmet Market encourages food tasting with what seemed like an endless supply of free food to try. I seriously couldn’t decide on which products to taste first! Needless to say, Ernest and I were in frenzy mode trying product after product. By the end of it all, I was able to taste an array of items from something as basic as fish crackers to much coveted steak pieces. We left the Gourmet Market stuffed silly and sated that we no longer required dinner that night. Yes, we gobbled that much!

Platinum shopping done, we headed to Big C to have some money exchanged. The Net said that Pratunam area hotels offered the best rates, but we didn’t bother walking all the way into the heart of the district. Big C’s money exchange was favorably mentioned as well, and we had to go there to buy Wacoal. Buying bras is an expensive exercise in Manila what with Wacoal bras at at least 800PHP each and as such is not done regularly. As revealed in a memorable Central World Food Loft conversation that will remain private, not all girls need lots of bras. For those who do, the half-the-price Wacoal bras were a cause to hoard. I was disappointed that there were no bandeau-style bras in all imaginable colors of the rainbow, but I did end up with a good number. The bras are not counterfeit but are Thailand-made.

We couldn’t rush enough to get home right after to try on our loot. The food stall owners were setting up their tables and chairs for the dinner crowd, and I felt a momentary regret for missing out again on sampling Thai street food. I also felt annoyed that they were blocking my way since I was carrying a lot of bags. I can’t imagine how Nikki felt carrying her numerous plastic bags.



Modeling our purchases was good fun but going to another mall to shop some more was much more fun. We headed off to Siam Paragon save for Gene who had to return to Big C to exchange something she bought in Wacoal. My first order of business in Siam Paragon was to engage my olfactory sense in finding the perfect scent for me at Jo Malone. The scent was fastidiously packaged—the crinkling of the black Japanese paper, tying of the black grosgrain ribbon and the liberal sprinkling of fragrance before the final product reached my hands. I was reminded of the obsessive gift-wrapping Rowan Atkinson’s character showed on the movie Love Actually.


We wandered around a bit more and also bought some more bras before heading to the food court for dinner. I saw mooncakes being sold on account of it being the Mid-Autumn Festival on the upcoming Sunday. I hit upon the perfect pasalubong for my mooncake-loving mom and bought variants in custard, durian, etc. After dinner, we shopped at Siam Paragon’s Gourmet Market to buy delicacies to take home. Delicacies included potato chips in crab flavor, durian and mangosteen chips, tamarind, curry powder and Koh Kae in BBQ flavor. As mentioned earlier, this peanut snack is highly-addictive. From teasing Nikki about wanting to buy loads of Koh Kae, I ended up buying some under the pretext of pasalubong for my siblings. Mee krob was also available, and I bought one serving so I could take a piece of Chote Chitr back to Manila and share that gastronomic experience with my family. As an added treat, I also bought Swensen’s Ice Cream since I never got to eat in their shop. Receipts from the Gourmet Market can be used to claim the VAT Refund if the minimum 2000 baht purchase is met even after the VAT-exclusive items like rice are deducted. Gourmet Market receipts though cannot be combined with mall or department store purchases.

We stayed inside the supermarket exploring until closing time. I’ve always been fascinated with supermarkets. Everything is organized and easy to look at so it’s very easy to discover new things. Beverage, snacks and personal care sections hold my attention longest.

Tonight was our last night in Bangkok and the penultimate day of our 3-Country Odyssey. Time flies when you’re having fun and doing so many things indeed. The trip that was eight months in the making (like a premature baby) was winding down. I also indulged in a bit of self-congratulations for not getting into a disagreement with Ernest with whom I always seem to be getting into verbal skirmishes with in Manila. Maybe we just had a breakthrough.

Second Time’s the Charm

We returned to City Lodge to unload the bags we carried from all the shopping we did before heading to Ekkamai for another shot at Thai massage. We were expecting to see DJ, Nikki, K, and Gene at the hotel but were surprised to learn that they have not yet returned from their Platinum shopping.

After a few minutes freshening up, we carried on and took the BTS to Ekkamai to go to Health Land Spa and Massage. We had to walk a good 10 minutes from the Ekkamai BTS station to finally reach the massage center. I was willing to go the extra mile to have a Health Land experience since I’ve read rave reviews. Health Land Spa was charming and inviting with its immaculately white façade and yellow lights. I also took the good number of cars parked at Health Land as an encouraging sign of things to come.

We were welcomed by a lady who explained the various treatments the spa offered. We were in Thailand after all so it was a no-brainer for me to choose the two hour Thai massage treatment. Ernest, though not a fan of Thai massage, followed suit. After waiting for a few minutes at the lobby, we were ushered in a room where our feet were washed as per custom. We didn’t have any incidents with the masseuses this time though since our attendants were sweet old ladies. At the back of my head, I just wondered if they would manage to stretch us properly for they certainly were no spring chickens.

Our attendants eventually led us to our second floor room and after changing into the usual Thai massage garb, I gave in to the pleasure of experiencing authentic Thai massage in the hands of a skilled expert. It was too tempting to sleep during the two-hour delight but I controlled myself since I didn’t want to miss a single moment of the wonderful massage. My attendant certainly worked most of the kinks off my body and only struggled when it came to stretching my back. I couldn’t blame the fragile lady though considering that she had to deal with me. I daresay that the trip to Ekkamai was well worth it for I had the most wondrous, thorough, and relaxing massage I have ever experienced in my life. Unfortunately, this doesn’t hold true for Ernest who got “sick” because he’s not used to the freezing temperature which we had in our room.

It took effort to get up from the very comfortable state I was in after the massage, but somehow, we managed albeit groggily, to leave the premises and hail a cab for Sukhumvit. It was already around midnight at this point, but traffic was still bad that it took 20 minutes for us to reach the hotel.

Back at City Lodge, we found DJ, K, Nikki, and Gene making inventory of their hauls for the day and sharing stories of the bargains they managed to snag. Gene, Nikki, and DJ briefly stayed in our room before calling it a night out of sheer exhaustion from all the walking and shopping they did. Besides, tomorrow signaled the end of the 3-Country Odyssey and we figured that we all should be well-rested so that we would be able to milk our concluding day down to its last drop for whatever it was worth.

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