Rediscovering Bangkok

My trip to BKK wrapped up, and it was a great opportunity to rediscover the City of Smiles.

In the early 2000s, I'd be in BKK often. I found the place fascinating in terms of culture, cuisine and shopping, of course. It also helped a lot that my friend Louis was Vice-Consul to the country.

I remember enjoying the street food along Sukhumvit, the shopping at Pratunam and the endless malls, the energy of Khao San Road, and the beautiful Wats that pepper this huge city.

When I worked in HKG, my interest in BKK waned. After all, HKG and China had its huge share of culture, cuisine and shopping. Especially shopping. After trawling the stores in and around HKG, I found the shopping scene in BKK very lackluster. Thus, my trips to the country became few and far between.

But thanks to this trip, I've learned to appreciate the city all over again. While there are some new additions to the city, the old reliables are still there and haven't moved. (Unlike HKG.)

My usual haunts - The Emporium, MBK, Siam Discovery, Pratunam, even the notorious Lacoste store - are still there. And thanks to Mark and Mau, I was able to check out new restaurants and shopping spots. This includes that "patis-smelling Thai restaurant" (Mark's description) in Siam Discovery, the International Food Court in MBK, Platinum Mall, the IT City, among other things.

Thanks to this trip, I've rediscovered the things about BKK that endeared it to me when I first visited the place a decade-and-then-some back. And it looks like I'll be rediscovering more of it again soon.