One particular place that every tourist must not miss when visiting Bangkok, Thailand is Chatuchak Weekend Market. It is THE place for bargain shopping.

It is very easy to get there via Bangkok's easy to navigate train system. Just ride the BTS (Sky Train) or MRT (Subway Train) and get off at Mo Chit station. Make sure to get a copy of the free map of the train systems that are available in most stations, save a picture file on your mobile device, or print out a copy from the internet before you leave for Thailand.

I went to Chatuchak on a Saturday by myself. I took the airport link train from the Ramkhamhaeng station, which is just across Nasa Vegas, my hotel, got off at Makkasan (fare: THB 15) and walked to the MRT's Pratcha Buri station. I rode that one going to Mo Chit (fare: THB 31).

Walking towards the main market is easy because I just followed the flow of the people in front of me. Just turn right after getting off the MRT stairs, go straight, and you'll eventually see the entrance to Chatuchak on your right.

From there, just start exploring anywhere. You will find bargains at every turn. I very much regret not being able to have more time there, though. I arrived around 3PM and didn't get to buy as many souvenirs as I wanted because the stalls close at 6PM.

Someday, I would like go back there because I saw a lot of things I should have bought the first time I passed their areas. As it was, due to the huge land space, I found it hard to find certain stalls again afterwards.

Some tips:

1.  Wear comfortable shoes and light clothing. It can get really hot. Bring a bottle of water with you although there are food stalls also where you can buy snacks and drinks. I ate a papaya salad to replenish my energy.

2. Always try to get the lowest price possible. Learn to haggle with the shop owners. I happily was able to get some good discounts.

3. Exchange rate here is higher. Don't swap all your spending money while at the airport. I learned that too late.

4. Bring a big foldable bag that you can put your all purchases in to avoid holding lots of small plastic bags. My mistake.

5. Take pictures. The place is so colorful, you'll have a great time taking lots of nice shots.

6. Go there early to be able to shop more. Operating hours: 6PM-12MN on Fridays, 9AM-6PM on Saturdays and Sundays.

I find it serendipitous that a month prior to my solo trip to Bangkok, Thailand, I had an opportunity to visit Vientiane, Laos in early October and teach a weeklong academic writing course to graduate students there. 

I appreciated the chance to familiarize myself a little bit with Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport before I took another flight to Laos and back to the Philippines 10 days later.

In Vientiane, one of my students gave me tips about traveling to Thailand, including where to find convenient and affordable accommodations. Olive told me she often stays at Nasa Vegas Hotel which is right across a station of the airport link train. 

Once back home, I logged on to Agoda.com and searched for Bangkok hotels. I was pleased to see that a junior room at Nasa Vegas only costs around US$12.00+ (breakfast not included so I have nothing to write about this hotel's food). I booked a room for two nights and my credit card was charged a total of US$28.52 including taxes, which was equivalent to PhP1261.70. 

I checked in at Nasa Vegas on the afternoon of November 9 right after arriving from Pattaya. I got off the bus at the airport and took the train straight to Ramkhamhaeng, the fourth station from the airport. I just had to cross the street under the station and walked over to the hotel. 

Although the check in time was indicated at 3PM, I was allowed to check in immediately at 1:30PM after being asked for a THB1000 deposit, my passport, and the email print out of my reservation. 

My room was comfortable although far in appearance from the nicer photos posted at the Agoda site. It is located at the corner of the 18th floor and overlooks the railway. I was not at all bothered by the sound of the trains passing by, even at night. It actually fascinated me. 

Aside from the TV, there was a small refrigerator where I got to cool water and juices I bought from the Family Mart store outside. I did not get anything from the mini bar to lessen my expenses. 

The bathroom is okay. I was not expecting a bathtub but there was one, along with hot water. There were towels, soap, and shampoo but guests would have to bring their own oral care kits because toothbrushes and toothpaste are for sale along with some snacks on the minibar.

I think the hotel have seen better days though because when you get off the elevator on the 18th floor, you’ll be greeted with the hall carpet’s musty scent. It’s a good thing the inside of my room doesn’t have any unpleasant smell and the air conditioning unit was working fine.

I guess the top (first world :p) problem I encountered was the lack of outlets for my two phones, iPad, laptop, and camera batteries' charger. There was only one electrical outlet below the bedside table mirror so I had to unplug the TV at night to be able to charge at least two gadgets at the same time. 

Overall though, I am quite satisfied with my stay. After all, I didn’t spend a lot of time inside the hotel, having been busy seeing sights around Bangkok during the day. If I were to go back, I’d probably stay there again because of the price and the proximity to the train and airport. 

Please take note, however, that train fares are expensive and malls and restaurants are quite far from Nasa Vegas. The only commercial establishments I saw that’s near it is the Family Mart and a massage place (that I didn't get to try, argh!) beside it. So don’t stay there if you’re looking for a vibrant nightlife. 

But if you’re like me who’s afraid of not making it to an early morning flight, book at Nasa Vegas. My return trip to the Philippines was around 8AM on November 11 and I was able to easily check out of the hotel around 6AM. Travel time to Suvarnabhumi took less than 15 minutes thanks, too, to Bangkok’s efficient train system.

*To see more photos taken around Bangkok and find links to my other blog posts about Thailand, please visit this Facebook album

Last month, I was handed a free SIM card at the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport after my plane from Laos landed. I didn't have the chance to use it as I was flying home to the Philippines a few hours later.

Yesterday, I was once more in Bangkok and was finally able to test the Happy sim (more info at dtac.co.th). From my research online, this one costs THB 49 and has THB 15 free load. As soon as I cleared immigration, I inserted the sim in my extra phone to call my uncle who I was meeting a few hours later. 

Unlike in the Philippines where texting is cheap and voice calls are expensive, local text messages here cost THB 3 each while calls are at THB 0.99-1.50 per minute. Internet costs THB 2 per megabyte. 

After my first call, I tried to activate the English menu by calling 1678 as per the brochure's instruction. All I heard was someone speaking in Thai. The wasted call further deducted THB 3 from my free load. 

I looked for a DTAC booth to buy extra credits so I can connect to the Internet. The lady at the counter suggested I just buy the Happy Tourist sim that provides unlimited 3G access for 7 days and THB 100 load credits. Knowing that I would probably be out sightseeing most of the time in the next five days, I bought the new sim.

I inserted it in a Samsung Galaxy Y phone and used that as my mobile hotspot. When the data packet is on, I can connect my laptop, Windows Phone, and iPad mini to the internet as well. The catch though is that the Samsung phone's battery drains faster when WiFi is on so I made use of a power bank to make sure my hotspot doesn't die on me.

In fairness, the connection is not bad, although I've never seen the signal reach as high as 3G status. I am able to post photos on Instagram, check my emails, and keep updated on Facebook both in Bangkok and in Pattaya. There are just some areas where the signal goes from E to H. When it rained heavily earlier today, I had difficulties posting pictures online.

Still, I am very thankful that for a few extra bahts, I could still communicate with my loved ones back home as well as keep updated with news from the Philippines. 

Aside from DTAC, another mobile service provider here is AIS. Rates and SIM cards cost the same but my uncle says the signal of AIS is believed to be better. If you do get to try it when you're in Thailand, please leave a comment on this post so other readers can also make use of the information :)