Bangkok in August 2023 wasn’t just a trip. It was the first time we left the country together as siblings, and that alone made it different.
August 7–14, 2023.
Seven of us. Different starting points. Same destination.
Carla and I flew in from Abu Dhabi using staff travel. Owel, Camille, Frank, Mike, and Rocky came from Manila. It was the first time most of us were traveling abroad together — not for work, not for school, not because of someone else’s plan.
Just because we wanted to.
That alone made it special.
We stayed at Picnic Hotel in Rangnam Alley near Pratunam. Quiet street. Clean rooms. Surprisingly good breakfast buffet with different dishes every morning. Outside the hotel were small coffee shops everywhere. Less than 10 dirhams per cup, but honestly solid.
Bangkok coffee hits differently.
First Night — Ease Into It
We didn’t overplan.
After landing in Suvarnabhumi, check-in muna, quick rest, then lakad around Pratunam. Street vendors. Massage shops. Clothing stalls. Everything busy but not overwhelming.
We passed CentralWorld, then ended up in Khao San.
Plastic chairs. Pad Thai. Pad kra pao. Cold beer. Backpackers everywhere. Music overlapping. Neon lights fighting each other.
It wasn’t fancy.
But it felt right.
Parang Bangkok welcoming us properly.
Temples, Heat, and Tuk-Tuks
Next morning we went straight into old Bangkok.
Grand Palace first. Gold everywhere. The kind of detail you can’t process in one visit. You just accept that you won’t see everything.
Wat Phra Kaew beside it. Then Wat Pho — the Reclining Buddha.
Standing there, you automatically go quiet. Not because someone told you to. It just feels like that kind of place.
We crossed the river by ferry to Wat Arun. That short boat ride gave us a few minutes of breeze from the heat.
By midday we took a tuk-tuk to Khao San for lunch. In Bangkok, if it smells good, order it.
Later we moved to Siam — MBK, Siam Square, endless shops. Dinner was katsudon in MBK. Then BTS and MRT back to the hotel.
That night was simple.
Beer on the veranda. Seven of us just sitting there, pagod pero masaya.
Chinatown and River Lights
Yaowarat felt different from the rest of Bangkok.
Denser. Older. Slightly chaotic but controlled.
We visited Wat Trai Mit — the Golden Buddha. Right outside, I found Heaven on Earth Café and ordered an orange Americano. Cold with a slight citrus note. Perfect after walking under the sun.
We explored the Chinatown Heritage Center, then just walked and ate. Street food hopping without overplanning.
Later we visited ICONSIAM. Massive mall, but the indoor floating market section made it feel uniquely Thai.
I bought Uniqlo pieces and a green Ray-Ban Clubmaster. Random purchase, but now forever attached to this trip.
That evening we boarded the Meridian Cruise.
As we moved along the Chao Phraya River, temples lit up slowly and the skyline reflected on the water. Dinner buffet, soft music, city lights moving slowly past us.
Nobody made a speech.
Nobody needed to.
You could just feel it — this was one of those nights.
Railway Market and Floating Market
We hired a private taxi for the day. 2,000 baht total for all seven of us. Innova. Driver stayed with us the whole time.
First stop: Maeklong Railway Market.
Vendors literally set up on train tracks. When the train approached, everything folded back in seconds. After it passed, the market returned like nothing happened.
Next stop was Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.
Boats everywhere. Food cooked on water. I had coconut ice cream served inside a coconut shell — easily one of the best I’ve had.
Thai mango with chili salt. Sweet and spicy. Simple but unforgettable.
It was my first floating market. Seeing it in real life made me realize hindi pala siya cliché. It actually feels alive.
Back in Bangkok we stopped at Tofu Skincare for pasabuy, then dinner at Jodd Fairs.
Leng zaab for the first time — stacked pork bones in spicy broth. Messy. Intense. New favorite.
Shopping Days and Slow Moments
Not every day needs heavy sightseeing.
We revisited Pratunam, Platinum Mall, Erawan Shrine, and Siam Square again.
Bangkok is easy to repeat. You don’t feel pressure to maximize every hour.
One night we had buffet dinner at Novotel Siam Square.
Nothing dramatic.
Just all of us at one table eating and talking.
Sometimes that’s the highlight.
Chatuchak Weekend Market
Overwhelming in the best way.
Thousands of stalls. Clothes. Art. Food. Souvenirs.
Masaya ang mga bata. Shopping ang magkakapatid.
I remember thinking — who would’ve thought we’d be here?
Different cities. Different lives. But somehow meeting in Bangkok.
It didn’t feel like a bucket list moment.
It felt like a milestone.
Unexpected Ending
Last day at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
We ate at the basement cafeteria — real Bangkok prices, not airport prices. Hidden spot but worth finding.
Then separation.
They flew back to Manila via Cebu Pacific.
Carla and I tried staff travel back to Abu Dhabi.
Full.
Next flight.
Full again.
So we adapted.
Booked FlyScoot to Singapore.
Extended the story.
Because sometimes trips don’t end cleanly.
And that’s okay.
Looking Back
Bangkok made everything easy.
Easy to move. Easy to eat. Easy to explore.
But what stayed with me wasn’t the temples or markets.
It was seeing all of us there together.
Seven people from different directions, choosing to meet in one city.
That’s the part I’ll remember.
