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THAILAND | More than just wholesale shopping and vibrant night markets

By Athina Angliongto - 12:21:00 AM

Ahhh yes, THAILAND. Those who are close to me would know that Thailand is one of my favourite Asian countries.

Just a little back story: I first fell in love with Thailand when we first visited back in 2014 – together with my then boyfriend (now husband) and a few of our friends. For the four full days that we were there, not only were we able to see a fraction of what Bangkok has to offer, but we also made time and dedicated a full day (overnight) trip to Pattaya – which is around a two-hour trip from Bangkok.

I honestly felt like four days was not enough as I wanted to come back as soon as possible. But of course, life happened to me – got married in 2015, had to adjust to married life and got pregnant in 2018, became a mom at 2019 and well, pandemic hit us! But lo and behold, we got another chance to visit last year, 2023, and it was still also for four days but I felt like it was still not enough to really bask in the beauty of Thailand.

And this year, I was one of the blessed ones to be flown by Cebu Pacific Air and tried first hand their direct flight from Davao City to Bangkok (via Don Mueang International Airport). In case you didn’t know, Cebu Pacific Air now offers direct flights to the Land of Smiles from Davao City, three times a week! And to make this trip even better was that Cebu Pacific Air partnered with Tourism Authority of Thailand and opened our eyes with the fact that Bangkok and Pattaya have so much to offer.

So for this blog, allow me to share a few snaps and also brief descriptions of the lovely places that we went to during our short but sweet trip to Bangkok and Pattaya:

DAY ONE: All about learning new things and experiences

SUAN SAMPRAN

This family owned 50-acre property is situated about an hour's drive from Thailand's capital - specifically located in Ta Chine River, Nakhom Pathom Province. If you're looking for a place to just get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, then this, my friends, is the place to be. Aside from being dominated by greens and nature, this place also serves as an ideal venue for seminars, weddings, birthdays or just any occasion. It already has a restaurant, a cafe called PATHOM CAFE and also holds workshops such as NATURAL SCENT MAKING, TIE DYE HANKY MAKING and RICE BODY SCRUB MAKING. These are the three activities that me and my buddies were able to try out. And trust me, it was definitely one for the books. I mean, imagine just learning how to do those things is such a great addition to your memory bank.

LUNCH AT BUBBLE IN THE FOREST

This cafe has been on my list since after seeing it on TikTok. Sadly, we weren't able to visit it during my trip last year. So you would expect that when this was added to our itinerary, I was definitely THE HAPPIEST OF THEM ALL, lol.

I don't know if my photos do justice, but the place is just an absolute VIBE! It has beautiful tables and chairs perched above water, and the food? No complaints from me whatsoever. Everything we ate was just close to perfection. I wasn't able try their drinks though but I'm definitely coming back there next time to try those out myself.

THONBURI LOCAL FRESH MARKET

I don't know about you guys, but this is probably THE CLEANEST MARKET that I have been to. Now just to clarify my point of comparison, I've been to a lot of markets during my trips abroad. And not one of them has compared to the cleanliness of Thonburi Local Fresh Market thus far.

What's in here: Lots of fresh seafood, fruits, flowers, vegetables, unique flavored drinks, clothes, bags, shoes, accessories and more!

ICON SIAM

This place is popularly known as one of Bangkok's luxury malls. And no, I wasn't here for the shopping but I was here to visit Sook Siam and to wait for dinner time for us to hop on the Chao Phraya Princess Dinner Cruise.

SOOK SIAM INDOOR FLOATING MARKET

Just to set your expections: NO, this is not a place inside that mall that has a boat where you can ride and roam around while purchasing food and drinks to enjoy during the whole boat trip. This is an indoor market that has areas of water around it. Sook Siam Indoor Floating Market is a place where the different food and products from at most ALL REGIONS of Thailand are being showcased and sold. So just by visiting this place kind of gives you a glimpse of what the other regions of Thailand have to offer. Would I recommend visiting this place? Oh yes indeed! I mean it's like already travelling the whole country of Thailand just by visiting one place. I mean, how convenient is that?

CHAO PHRAYA PRINCESS DINNER CRUISE

Watch my TikTok video of our dinner cruise by clicking HERE

Ah yes, probably the most awaited part of the day - buffet dinner cruise with a view of Bangkok's night lights on known tourist spots for around 2 hours. Now while the food was acceptable for me, I just wished that the drinks were also unlimited. We were only given one glass of juice each and if you want sodas, you gotta pay for additionals. But to be honest, I would definitely do this again. Watch my TikTok video (link above) and you'll see a fraction of the beautiful view that I saw while enjoying my buffet dinner.

That sums up day one of our Thailand Trip. Let's go to day two!

DAY TWO: Well we meet again, PATTAYA

The first time I went to Pattaya was back in 2014. I absolutely had no idea why our friends had to include it in our itinerary because 1.) I never heard of that place before, just only familiar with Bangkok; and 2.) Why the need to travel two hours away from Bangkok I mean, I felt like it would take up a huge chunk of our time.

But when we arrived at Pattaya, my air definitely changed... A LOT! It was such a beautiful place that just made me say that I wished we spent a few days more. But sadly, we only had one day to enjoy Pattaya in 2014. Fast forward to 2024, I got the chance to visit again and it was just as amazing as before.

Places we visited:

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden: Went here in 2014 too but a lot has already changed. It has become more beautiful and more organized too. The elephant show was also something that changed. The arena has become bigger and if I'm not mistaken, there are more elephants now than before.

Buddha Mountain Kho Chi Chan - I've seen it only on the internet and now I finally saw it in person! This is also known as the laser-carved buddha located in Pattaya and looking at it just makes you wonder... "how on earth did they do this?!"

Quick lunch at Wyndham Jomtien Pattaya - one of the newest hotels in Pattaya, Wyndham Jomtien Pattaya makes you want to stay inside its premises and never want to leave! While we did not stay here, I would love to do so when I have the chance to go back to Pattaya in the near future.

Pattaya Floating Market - this is where I got myself a nice order of coconut ice cream for just 60 baht plus got to see in person the famous thai milk tea guy that seems like dancing while preparing an order of milk tea. - watch my TikTok Video of him by clicking HERE.

House of Benedict Pattaya - Saw this first on TikTok along with other videos of it. This cafe became popular for its very beautiful interiors. Stepping into this cafe felt that I wasn't in Thailand... but somewhere in Europe enjoying a European vacation with my girlies.

Sanctuary of Truth - we visited this one back in 2014 and it wasn't finished back then. Surprise... it still isn't finish now (2024). But this place is a must visit. Every area of this huge temple has a meaning and a purpose as to why each carve and design came to be. Trust me, you'll learn a thing or two about the importance of life just by looking at the wonderful carvings, and of course, backed up by the explanations of the tour guides.

Pro tip: When visiting, please avoid wearing revealing clothes like sleeveless, shorts, mini skirts and the like.

Massage at Healthland - this place is one of the most popular massage places in Pattaya. I got myself an hour foot and back massage. And to be honest, I felt that one hour wasn't enough! I'll get the two-hour massage next time for sure!

DAY THREE: Time to go back to Bangkok!

OZO North Pattaya Beach Resort - of course before going back to Bangkok, allow me to share the hotel where we stayed at. This is OZO North Pattaya Beach Resort and it is definitely one of the nicest hotels that I have been to! I honestly love everything about this place - friendly staff, a huge chess board, foosball at the lobby area, delicious breakfast (I mean I swear I went back for seconds, you guys) and the rooms are just spacious and clean.

Watch my TikTok video by clicking HERE for a glimpse of the hotel.

Ancient City, Rice Ball for Elephants Making and Buffet Lunch - also known as the largest open-air museum in the entire world, Ancient City is a place where you can see giant replicas of temples in Thailand. Now this is place is worth the visit since it's like travelling around Thailand but just in one place. Because of the huge size of this place, it is best to really make time to visit and preferably, rent a golf cart to be able to fully enjoy the place.

I also got the chance to learn how to make rice balls that are being fed to the elephants at Ancient City. It was such a nice experience and I'm glad I was able to try it.

Watch HERE to see my TikTok video about the experience.

And while in Ancient City, don't miss out on their Lunch Buffet. To be honest, the food was just okay for me but what I really liked was their thai coconut snack station which was located right outside the buffet venue. I certainly had a blast eating their coconut delicacy.

SIAM FANTASY CULTURAL AND MARTIAL ARTS SHOW - located at Asiatique, the Riverfront, Siam Fantasy Show is an attraction that basically narrates how SIAM (former name of Thailand) came to be - through their colorful and expert dancing and singing. As for me, there was no dull moment while watching the show. I had fun learning and I appreciated the fact that Thailand history was indeed full of colors and how they have preserved it even up to this day through their dancing and costumes.

DAY FOUR: I'm gonna miss you, Thailand!

WAT PHO - after a nice hearty breakfast at MOXY Hotel, we packed our bags, got on the van and first stop of our last day in Thailand is Wat Pho - a Buddhist temple which is famous for the Reclining Buddha. Judging by the looks of the place, I guess it's safe to assume that the entire area was built after the Reclining Buddha was placed there. I mean, given the HUGE size of the Reclining Buddha, there was absolutely no way that it fit through the door, right?

SEA LIFE BANGKOK OCEAN WORLD - located at Siam Paragon, this place houses a lot of our sea creature friends and imagine, it's right inside one of the most popular malls in Bangkok. Now before we went here, I was honestly not that excited to visit because pffft come one... I'm an adult already. But well, this place proved me wrong. As a 30-ish adult who's already a wife and a mother, I had THE TIME OF MY LIFE learning more about our sea animal friends. And it already made me want to go back and of course, tag my son along with me. I am confident that he is going to love it here as much as I do!

BEST PADTHAI EVER AT THIPSAMAI RESTAURANT - So yeah, this trip is already my third trip to Thailand but this is the first time that I tried the pad thai from THIPSAMAI. And wait, why didn't I know about them sooner? They have THE BEST PAD THAI ever and I am not even exaggerating! This is definitely a must try!

MADAME TUSSAUDS WAX MUSEUM BANGKOK - would you believe that even after visiting so many countries, this was my first time to enter a Madame Tussauds wax museum! I was really reluctant in visiting this museum because I thought I would get scared. But I actually had a lot of fun seeing the wax figures of famous personalities. And the best part of it is seeing Ms. Catriona Gray's wax figure there. Talk about Filipino Pride!

Dinner at a local restaurant (OLE) - Now one thing about travelling is exploring and discovering new places. Don't let this restaurant fool you. It may be small but the food was absolutely unforgettable! It was indeed the perfect spread before heading to Don Mueang International Airport.

By the way, just wanted to say that we were able to stay at one of the trendiest hotels in Bangkok - MOXY HOTEL RATCHAPRASONG - which is just located right in front of Central World, and a few meter away from Big C Supermarket and The Market. This was such an ideal hotel for me because it was also located just a 5-minute walk from Pratunam Market. And as a girlie who loves clothes (and affordable prices), this hotel was such a heaven-sent! Read more about my experience by clicking HERE.

Also watch my TikTok video about Moxy Hotel by clicking HERE.

Quick video of my breakfast experience at Moxy Hotel Ratchaprasong - click HERE.

And that basically sums up our four-day trip to Thailand. Again, special thanks to Cebu Pacific Air for flying us to Bangkok and of course, to Tourism Authority of Thailand - Philippines for showing us that Thailand is indeed just more than its affordable shopping and night markets.

Definitely coming back for you soon, Thailand!