6 Things That Surprised Me About Bangkok

Here are interesting facts about Bangkok that I didn’t know, and I’m simply sharing these fascinating things with you as part of my travel this year with my family to the Land of Smiles- Bangkok, Thailand.

Cabs in Suvarnabhumi International Airport Are Organized 

The airport alone is huge, and Suvarnabhumi is just one of two international airports in Bangkok. Upon exit of the arrivals area, we approached the taxis lined up outside. But one of the drivers said we had to print out numbers at kiosks in the corner before we can ask any of the cabs to take us to our hotel. That’s how organized they all were. There was none of the screaming at potential passengers, everything was calm and regulated. 

Cabs can take you anywhere in the city, just be prepared with your local currency and toll fees. Each cab waits for passengers under numbered LED boards and that takes out the guesswork for your ride from the airport. I hope our airports can learn from Suvarnabhumi, to take away the problem of overcharging cabs.

There Are Approximately 400 Temples in Bangkok Alone 

And just by looking at the sides of the road from the cab, each block has a huge temple that stands for this or that. In our first day tour, we immediately visited four temples: the Standing Buddha, the Sleeping Buddha, the Sitting Buddha, and the Walking Buddha. In Bangkok alone, and not including the other cities of Thailand, there are 400 temples for both Buddhism and Hinduism, all while allowing tourists to visit and to make donations. I convinced my parents to limit our visits to only the relevant temples, because it would be impossible to visit all 400 in a single day.

Bangkok Is Spotless!

Now this one requires you to visit the city to take a look at it and affirm that the Thais take cleanliness seriously. Even I’m impressed with how clean Chatuchak Weekend Market is, where there are so many tourists and vendors, but none were so careless with trash in the area. Even when we bought food by the streets, like the market beside MBK Center, or the street vendors selling in Chatuchak Market, everybody was responsible with their own trash. I somehow wish I could boast of my city this way. This must also be another reason why tourists like to come and enjoy in Bangkok, because the Thais know that a clean city is easily promoted. 

Thai People Admire Manny Pacquiao

Well, not only the Thai taxi drivers but also our Khmer driver in Cambodia knows very well that Manny Pacquiao is Filipino. I guess our Pambansang Kamao just has so many fans beyond Philippine shores. It’s also good to be able to have common ground with these people because we’re also fans of the Pacman, plus we get to know their interests.

Both Thai and Khmer Drivers would always smile once they found out that we were Filipinos and they always mention Manny Pacquiao. If I were Pacman, I’d be flattered to know that Thais and Khmers are his fans too. 

Every Corner Displays A Portrait of His Majesty, The King 

TheThai people love and take pride in their king. Make no mistake about it, which is why every corner displays a framed photo of their venerated king. One can even hear the anthem during regular visits to the street food corner downtown. Almost every Thai establishment, be it a bank, restaurant, shopping mall or government office has a towering portrait of King Rama X displayed in front. Displaying portraits of the incumbent King and Queen Mother are a means of the Thai people showing their loyalty to their beloved royals.

Tuk-tuks Can Speed Up, As In Really Speed Up! 

If you’re connected with me on Facebook, I posted a video about a speeding tuk-tuk as we made our way to Khaosan Road to the Bangkok Library to meet up with my cousin’s friends. I even proposed for a Bangkok Drift movie as part of the Fast and Furious Series, make a feature on tuk-tuks too if you please. But getting onboard a tuk-tuk in Bangkok is just a priceless experience. No visit to Thailand is complete without a tuk-tuk ride, so all you have to do is hold on to dear life and enjoy the ride.

I’m sure though that if I stayed longer in Bangkok, I’ll be able to share more observations with you, but for now, here are just the fascinating experiences we have had in Siam.

Reminders

·  When visiting other nations, we are responsible for our own behavior and should observe proper customs as the locals do, as we are only guests in their country.

·  Be responsible travelers by disposing of trash properly and being courteous to those you meet, especially the elderly and locals. 

Note: All input are based on my personal experiences in Bangkok, Thailand. Our group made arrangements prior to our travel dates. This is in no way, a sponsored post.

*Photos taken with the Samsung Galaxy A50.

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Unboxing Déco Art X Crafts Delight Tara Viaje Kit

It’s been a while since I’ve done an unboxing of a stationery kit, but this is sure one way to break the monotony of my blog and you know me, anything travel is always worth turning a head to.

For this month, Deco Art and Crafts Delight decided to launch a vintage travel themed stationery and crafts kit and boy oh boy, did it arouse my curiosity. Another reason why I raised my hand to this edition is because I have another leisurely travel scheduled next month (hello, long weekend) and it’s definitely going to be very useful for me.

I always prep a traveler’s notebook every time I leave, whether it’s standard or pocket sized, what’s important to me is preserving the memories, writing down thoughts and experiences while in transit especially if they involve the significant people I’m traveling with.

So…. On to the unboxing….

Burnt edges of Chinese Newspaper add a nice touch to the package

The packaging alone is a nice surprise, the twine and burnt edges of the Chinese newspaper ties up  with the vintage travel theme nicely. 

What's inside the wrapped package

Onto the other additions in the kit are two washi tapes, a wooden stamp and a crystal pen in a beautiful copper-ish color. Mental note: test it out later. The washis are a constant in any Deco Art and Crafts Delight subscription kit but the pen and stamp are a new addition to this set. Still a welcome touch. 

Vintage travel themed washi

Here’s a close up look of the washis.

More paper goods

A peak into some more of the goodies in the kit, there are doilies, ephemera, stickers and journal cards.

Journal cards 

Looking at the journal cards, my favorites are the vintage map, Say Yes to New Adventures, and My Goal Is To Run Out Of Pages In My Passport. That’s not far from the truth, sista!

Sticker ephemera 

Now the ephemera stickers are small, so I didn’t take them out of their little plastic pouch because I’m afraid to lose some in case. This reduces the need to bring a good glue during travel next month so it’s easy to just write away all the thoughts and experiences. 

Loads of vintage travel stickers

Lastly, there are the functional stickers that come with almost every monthly kit. But I think the newer additions are the washi strips and larger boxes. I'm not really a fond of the icon stickers but I guess I can find some use for my daily planner at work. 

It’s the first time that Deco Art and Crafts Delight launched a full kit and with the unboxing of this one, I can say that so far, so good. I hope that they can continue the vintage theme, like café, or fashion. But in case a mermaid kit comes up, you can expect that I’ll be one of the first to also sign up for it.

Would you care to get a box of this kit too? Simply reach out through Insta! As of this publication, there are only 2 kits left so you better hurry!

Deco Art Instagram

Crafts Delight Instagram

Disclaimer: This is not a paid post. All opinion are the blogger’s own. 

Washi Wednesday: Scouting for Travel Washi

It’s probably because my last quarter travel is nearing, plus almost everything is in place that’s helping to build my excitement. I really, really want to unplug and be with C already.

Nature has always been our surest way of recharging. Unplugging is what we really need right now, plus discovering new places together. And because bringing along a traveller’s journal is one of my hobbies, I’ve started setting up my upcycled, hand-painted TN from Airees Creates.

I guess C is already used to all my shenanigans every time we travel. I have a tendency to scout for art materials and linger a bit too long over the watercolours. I know it too well, that a pair of scissors are definitely not allowed in hand-carried baggage. (They have to be checked-in).

So in the name of setting up my TN and for our upcoming escape, I’ve gathered travel washi that I would definitely like to get my hands on lol.

I'm seriously thinking about getting world map washi, but who knows what else I can come across by the time I get to roam around Manila as well. That and some vintage ticket washi.

But of course, I'm not forgetting why I need to get away for a while. And I can't wait to capture anything interesting I see on camera. Wheew! I'm quietly, super excited. =) 

Unboxing Crafts Unltd January 2016 Planner Kit, Inspiring A Nautical Journey, Let’s Sail Away!

Who doesn’t want to spend a day at the beach and then just feel those worries melt away? January started the pull of saying “hey, come back here, don’t let your mind wander off just yet”. I felt the same way when I started work again. But it doesn’t always have to be like that. Good thing, Crafts Unltd came up with a Nautical themed Planner Kit this month that’s a must-grab for some nautical aficionados on the horizon.

So what do I think of the Crafts Unltd January 2016 Planner Kit? Let’s take a look at the items one by one.

There's the anchor plushie that I think makes this planner kit more of a goodie box, but it makes a good gift on its own also. I'm not sure if it drives home the concept of a planner kit for me. 

I'm happy to see a set of stickers with a nautical theme and the color palette is gorgeous, this goes well with a whole lot of planner themes, the hand-drawn effect makes it so unique. I wish that there were more of these stickers though. Some pieces here have to be cut though because they aren't pre-cut. There's also a small and handy card holder. It's not your usual card holder so that makes it a fun piece to bring around. It's also a nice card holder to bring around during relaxed business meetings, especially if it involves travel. 

Paper clips in a bottle. It seems like a good twist to the usual "message in a bottle" approach. I saw that there's a sailboat, anchor and something that I haven't figured out yet, but it's nice to display on am all too-formal desk and it's useful, talk about form over function. This is a keeper!

 

Here's something nice. There's a ribbon decorated paper clip, a magnet, Out to Sea postcard which I really like, and a quoted dashboard (?) 

They're really what you can see from the usual planner kit, but I like the postcard very much and I used it already in my Instagram album that houses my pink sand beach visit. 

The paper clip and magnet and dashboard (?) are nice to have items but not really a necessity. Just nice to have and share. 

There's also a pocket notebook (quite handy for travel) and a regular mini planner with a silver ribbon bookmark. The lines are large and makes a good gift for a colleague at work. The red pen resembles a piece of a turbine, must be because of its plastic make and flat handle. 

The flat bookmarks are a part of the kit, so are the wooden colored veneers and anchor eraser. The hot air balloon bookmarks are sold separately and you can choose your colors from their Instagram feed, and I think complements the overall dream nautical and journey theme for the month. 

The pouch is larger than expected. I was hoping this could serve as a pencil case but it can carry a wallet and smartphone just like a clutch. The strap makes a good use of the pouch like a wristlet, so yeah, it's a multi-purpose pouch with lots of space in it for just pens. It can carry the other planner goodies in it too. It's not a part of the monthly planner kit but can be bought from Crafts Unltd just the same. 

So what do I think of the whole planner kit in general?

There are some items that I appreciate, like the eraser, postcard, paperclips, stickers and plushies. But I think this is already a good deal for the monthly subscription fee of Php 540. It's also enough to encourage a regular planner girl to dream and plan of beach and island trips throughout the year. 

I still think that more stickers and some washi could have hit the mark though, especially if they have subtle gilded details and whatnot, but maybe that's for another planner theme kit altogether. 

Follow Crafts Unltd on Instagram and check out their goodies for your planners and don't hesitate to send them a message if there's something you like! Ms. Jona is really a nice seller. Also, if you don't mind, while you're in Insta, you can also follow me as @raisiespeaks  and see what I'm up to. 

Are you into planners and stationery? Share your thoughts with me! Have a great weekend! Why not visit the beach or go on an island trip while you're at it!