Maybe all your money got washed away over Songkran. Maybe heading to the hills for family gatherings and feasts cost a little more than you expected. Maybe you invested a few hundred baht too many on giant water guns that will be useless for another year. Maybe it just seems like a bit of a stretch until the next pay day at the end of the month.
TOO GOOD TO MISS: Above, dusk at Victory Monument, and left, boat noodles at bargain prices.
Budget buys : Above right, a ‘khao man gai’ vendor with a 40-year history, and right, low-cost clothes at Pratunam Market.
For those feeling the post-holiday pinch, there are still plenty of opportunities to have fun in Bangkok without breaking the bank. So sit back as Brunch takes you on three different kinds of capital city experience: urban shopping, old town sightseeing and eco tourism. These can all be done for less than 300 baht a day, if you’re careful.
We’ll start each of our journeys from Victory Monument, since it’s fairly central and there are plenty of transport options. Try the boat noodles while you’re there — they only cost 15 baht a bowl, but it’s easy to walk away having eaten 10 of them (if you do there’s a free Est cola in it for you). There are also several low-cost shopping spots scattered around the intersection where you can find trendy outfits, bags, shoes, accessories, DVDs and mobile phone cases.
Apart from being a monument to a victory everyone’s forgotten over the French, the massive roundabout also serves as a transport hub. Minivans go everywhere in the country, and even after last year’s fare increase the dearest ticket on the skytrain is 52 baht, many of the city’s bus routes pass by and there are taxis, tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis aplenty.
URBAN SHOPPING
The first destination is Pratunam Market. The cheap way to go is by bus — numbers 54 and 204 will take you there. The even cheaper way is to wait for the free versions, with the blue signs on the front. Be warned, though, that it will be slower than taking a taxi and there’s no air con.
Pratunam specialises in clothes and accessories; many of the shops are wholesalers, which makes the products cheap. The lowest price found during Brunch’s visit was 50 baht for a shirt, the quality only slightly lower than you’d expect to find in a mall and the style was trendy with a cool pattern.
There’s more to it than just clothing and materials, too, with a range of souvenirs and gadgets available. This place is quite famous among tourists, so you can see a mix of nationalities in the crowd.
Shopping here lasts until late afternoon. Street food costs between 25-50 baht, with the area’s seemingly simple but ever-popular khao man gai (chicken on rice) famed around the world.
From here it’s a short walk across the road to Platinum Fashion Mall, where there’s more shopping to be found — but it’s also much more likely to push the 300 baht budget past breaking point.
OLD TOWN SIGHTSEEING
The 59 bus heads from Victory Monument to the old town area, which may be the best place in Bangkok for those who love photography. Once again, there’s the option of a free bus. When you get off at the Tha Phra Chan bus stop you will be facing Sanam Luang, a large field and public square in front of Wat Phra Kaew, aka the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and the Grand Palace. These are usually on the tourist to-do list, but we’ll leave them aside given the financial constraints.
Tha Phra Chan’s pier has been under renovation, but Wat Maha That pier is just beside the market. From there it’s a three-baht ferry ride across to Thon Buri’s Wang Lang area, which is famous for its second-hand products.
Some of these are almost shockingly cheap — the prices of clothes, bags and shoes start from as little as 50 baht. Given you may have only spent three baht to get there, you can probably afford to indulge in a purchase or two and still stick to the 300-baht limit. The second-hand area is hidden in an alley of Wang Lang market. It may take a little while to hunt for something you want, but many leather bags and shoes are still in good condition.
After working up an appetite, there are quite a few cut-price eating options. One steak restaurant, called Bangkok Grill, is regularly crowded since the price of steak starts at 69 baht, fish and chips are 49 baht and soups are 29 baht. Nearby, a Vietnamese noodle restaurant, Khun Daeng, a branch of the famous one on Phra Athit Road, has bowls from 50 baht and they are good value for money.
It’s possible to spend the whole day in the old town area without spending too much. Santichaiprakarn Park on Phra Athit Road next to the Chao Phraya River is a great place to rest, where it’s possible to take a deep breath of the fresh river breeze. Nearby is Soi Rambutri connecting Phra Athit Road to Chakrabongse Road and Khao San Road. Street food in the area, from pad thai to fried wontons, grilled chicken and pork to kebabs, can be found from 20-60 baht.
ECO TOURISM
The third journey, to the calm eco tourism spot called the Bang Pu Recreation Centre, offers another change of pace. There’s a bit of travelling involved, but it’s worth the effort.
From Victory Monument, take the skytrain to Wong Wian Yai station for 43 baht. From there, a song taew pickup to Samrong costs only eight baht. Then take a van directly to Bang Pu Recreation Centre for 20 baht. So, 71 baht has gone from the daily budget. And don’t forget, it will take another 71 baht to get back.
However, the food costs as little as 50 baht per dish, so you should be able to get by. (If you want to blow the budget, the seafood options can cost hundreds of baht.)
Bang Pu Recreation Centre is situated on a mangrove by the sea in Samut Prakan province. It’s great for nature lovers, with many beautiful and colourful birds in the nature reserve. The most visited spot is the long Sukta Pier where people come to feed seagulls who are said to fly from parts of South Asia, China, Tibet and Mongolia to escape winter.
At the end of the day, it’s the visitors who flock in the greatest numbers to the pier. Some are families, some are couples, all watching the beautiful sunset together. n
CITY OASIS: Tha Phra Athit and Santichaiprakarn Park, above, and left, the ferry crossing over to Tha Pra Chan pier.
TOURIST draw: Above right, plenty of goodies to be found in the Khao San Road area, right, sizzling steak at Bangkok Grill.
seaside fun: Above, seafood at Bang Pu Recreation Centre, right and far right, seagulls and tourists flock to the pier.
