BootsnAll Travel Network



Update to Wat Pho, Cheap Sushi!

So, made it to Wat Pho via taxi, in some traffic, Sukhumvit was a bit hellish at 11 a.m., it was 109 BT, which the driver tried to screw me by 5 BT, even though it was metered. We made it there in half an hour. I scrambled to find exact change, which I didn’t put in my camera bag, and gave him 120 BT, so I made him give me 5 BT more.

Well, in the guide at my hotel, I could’ve sworn it said massage by donation at Wat Pho, well, it was 400 for 1 hour and I didn’t have a lot of money, and I didn’t want to spend it all in case I couldn’t change any money in that area and I was really thirsty. So, I figured I’d leave and come back because an exchange place had to be around there some where, I mean I wasn’t far from Khao San area.

I didn’t study my map very well, and upon exiting the temple, this guy [insert Tuk recruiter] asked me where I was going next.

“Change money, ” I say.

So, he gets a tuk-tuk for me, making my itinerary. He tells me to go see the Lucky Buddha (“It’s free!” he says), then go to Fashion Factory where they make suits (this part was alittle unclear, he said something about today is a special promotion and tuk-tuks something…), then the driver would drop me off at the Sky Train station all for 30 Baht.

“That good price, do you speak Thai? You get good price, if not they charge moH.”

I tell him no, I’ll take a taxi, so he gets a tuk-tuk.
I tell him no, I don’t want to go to those place, just to the Sky Train. I’ll take a taxi.
So he gets a tuk-tuk.

Tuk’s are non a/c, motorized tricycles, what do you call those, like a motorized rickshaw. So, I got in for some strange reason, and away we went, sitting in the traffic pollution and sticky polluted air.

Went to see the Lucky Buddha, and said a prayer, realizing that luck=love=existence in a nutshell. Affirmed that I am lucky, I am love, blah blah blah. 😀

Then we got to this “Fashion Factory” which I tried to avoid, but the driver told me something that the man told me when I left Wat Pho, “special government promotion, don’t buy, take your time, I wait” and he points to his tank.

So the guy who runs it or manages it, takes me to the back, asked me if I wear suits.

“No.”

Turns out he is 3rd generation Chhetri and he explains to me that the Tuk drivers get a free gas coupon when they bring tourists there. So we chat about the state of Nepal, dating outside castes and my business.

Finally, I make it out, my driver get’s his coupon and off to the Sky Train I go.

Ended up at Siam Square, which is a huge shopping center, filled with low-budget shopping, to high end shopping, to low budget shopping again in alleyways across the street.

I ended buying some gifts for people in Nepal, knick-knacks….this place had a nasty Sizzler restaurant. Yeah, americana alright. Burger King and Starbucks. Home away from home. Please get me out of there.

But I did come across a sushi restaurant. Which was cheap, and then they add 45 Baht service fee, which means I don’t have to leave a tip. It was cheap and good, I figure, screw the THai food, I can get that in Kathmandu, me and my Uncle can make it, get as much sushi as I can. The sashimi was really good, thick, chuncky slices of fish I haven’t had before. And my sushi, was small, but good slices….$12 USD or so, Bali is much much cheaper, I would’ve paid half for that….they had great deals there.

I saw that Crash was playing, on my way to Wat Pho and thought I’d go check out a movie. I stayed in this center for a couple of hours, out of the heat, just looking at all the high end stuff for the home. Cute shit they had there. Designer international architects making cute glasses, dog tents….

This place is huge, you just keep walking and shopping and shopping full of Thai teens, and Thai Fashionista and some ex-pats. At the sushi restaurant inside the “Discover” mall (I thought it was a Discovery Channel museum), these 2 Thai females, I saw females because I’m unsure of their age, could’ve been 15 or 35. You can never tell, anshent Ashyn seclet! They were taking pictures of each other with their girly, sleek camera phones. I’ve never seen such nifty, techi, CUTE phones. Toni, eat your heart out. One of the females had a pink, small rectangular pix phone, I thought it was a small flat, camera, it was a phone. She bettah work it.

So, oh yeah, I did not get a Thai massage at the temple. But I will get one in my hood.

So turned out to be a lucky day. But then again, I am already lucky, right?



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2 responses to “Update to Wat Pho, Cheap Sushi!”

  1. what pho massages never were by donation – but I am surprised it’s 400 Baht now. When I was there 5 years ago it was only 250 Bt (and still twice expensive than Khao San Road massage centres).

    I had there a massage only for 30 min as I didn’t want to waste my money – however I had to try to compare to the other places.

  2. Joe Pagan says:

    Random question: I know you are using wordpress for this blog, but have you tried any other platforms. I am trying to decide for my blog? and I ask because I like yours.

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