September 24, 2024 (Tuesday) – Day 4 in Bangkok, Thailand

Asis and I got a late start today. We headed to centralwOrld and arrived around 10 AM. We took the bus, and luckily, it wasn’t pouring, though the weather was gray and drizzly at times. Our original plan for the day was to visit Lumphini Park and explore the nearby cafes, but with the weather not cooperating, we ended up roaming around the malls in the area instead.

We also had the chance to visit two matcha cafés I had researched before the trip. Luckily, both were inside the mall: Seven Suns and Peace 和 Oriental Teahouse (Gaysorn Amarin). After indulging in all the matcha goodness, we headed back to the hotel around 2 PM by bus. Before going up to our room, Asis bought boiled pig blood soup from a stall near the bus stop, and we also grabbed some kaya buns at the mall. After freshening up and enjoying a quick meal, we took a few hours to rest and recharge.

Later in the evening, we walked about 10 to 15 minutes to Nikko Thai Massage. It turned out to be one of the best massages I’ve ever had. We chose the aromatherapy body massage with oil instead of the traditional Thai massage, since we didn’t want too much stretching. My body was still sore from all the walking over the past few days. They let us pick our oil scent, and we both chose “fresh.” The massage was incredibly relaxing and eased all the tension in my back and shoulders.

Afterwards, we took a tuk-tuk back to the hotel for the first time. We had to haggle with the driver for a cheaper fare since the hotel was close by, and thankfully, he agreed. Riding a tuk-tuk felt like a must-do experience in Thailand.

Later that night, we got hungry again and decided to eat at a food stall right beside the hotel that only opens at night. It was raining, but that didn’t stop us. The food was great, the portions were generous, and the whole experience felt so local and authentic.

That’s how we spontaneously spent Day 4.

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September 25, 2024 (Wednesday) – Day 5 in Bangkok, Thailand

It was our last day in Bangkok, so we started the morning with McDonald’s delivery for breakfast. We spent quite a bit of time packing and organising our things, especially since we had picked up a bunch of bulky goodies to take home. By 12 PM, we checked out and headed to our next stop, HeyDude Studio. However, we couldn’t figure out which bus stop to get off at, so we ended up booking a Grab from Big C Supercenter Ratchadamri across from centralwOrld.

Days prior, I had already contacted HeyDude Studio to set up a tattoo appointment. It was tough finding a decent yet affordable tattoo shop, so I was really glad I found this one. The studio is in the Chinatown area, and our appointment was at 1 PM, but we got delayed due to traffic. The studio was small and cute, with collectible items on display. They speak little English, but they were really welcoming. Joox did an amazing job with our tattoos. Asis and I got matching ones, though mine was smaller with a little sparkle design added. We loved how they turned out!

We finished around 3 PM, and by then, we were starving. With all our stuff in tow, we made our way to Jek Pui Curry. This place was featured in a Netflix documentary, so we were excited to try it. We got two different curries they were serving that day. It was cheap, simple, and comforting—Asis really liked it. We ate there on their stools, holding our plates since they didn’t really have tables for everyone. The rain started pouring just as we arrived, so we had to wait for it to subside before heading to the nearest ARL station.

The traffic was really bad, and we got stuck for what felt like forever. We even fell asleep in the car and woke up still stuck in traffic! We finally made it to the airport around 6 PM, checked in early, and found a spot to wait for our 4 AM flight. The waiting game was exhausting, but we made it. We landed in Manila at around 8 AM, grabbed breakfast at Mary Grace, and then headed home.

It was such an unforgettable trip—our first international trip together as husband and wife. We absolutely fell in love with Bangkok: the culture, the food, and the overall vibe. We can’t wait to go back because there’s still so much more to see, do, and eat. There’s something special about experiencing a place like a local, and I’m excited to create even more memories with my husband.