04 Year-end Trip: Chatuchak, Bangkok

 "You don't always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens." - Mandy Hale

(Chatuchak Red Indian)

Day 04: Sunday, 18 December 2022
Chatuchak free and easy.

Today our plan was to spend time in Chatuchak Weekend Market.

(The early birds)

(The breakfast spread)

We had breakfast at the hotel dining area in the lobby. There were varieties of breakfast sets but we chose scrambled eggs and toast with fruits and juices and coffee. It was a filling meal that would last us till lunch time.

We had a few ways to get to the Chatuchak Market. On foot may take us more than an hour as there is no direct route. Or we could either drive there or call a Grab taxi. Another way is to take a ride on the BTS SkyTrain or Metro train.

 

(Riding on the BTS Skytrain)

(The carriage was packed with commuters)

We decided to take the BTS SkyTrain which is the most convenient form of transport. We walked to Phahon Yothin 24 station which is about 500m from our hotel. At the ticket booth we were surprised that the tickets were free. BTS SkyTrain was offering free trips between newly opened stations as a new year gift to Bangkok's commuters until next year!

Mo Chit Station near Chatuchak Market was two stations away. Before we visited the market we detoured to Chatuchak Park and had a nice stroll around the lake. The park is a large public park situated next to Chatuchak Weekend Market. It is a leisure and recreation area. There are nine pieces of ASEAN sculptures that enhance the character of the park.

 

(Chatuchak Park next to the weekend market)

(The lake in Chatuchak Park)

(The Chatuchak Park Clock Tower)

When we arrived at the market area it was not very crowded and some stalls were not opened. Chatuchak Weekend Market is a combination of indoor and outdoor market. It is also known as JJ Market and a must-visit place for tourists. It is a huge market consisting of about 30 sections with more than 10,000 shops and stalls offering a wide range of products from Thai handicrafts, handmade products, clothing, accessories, arts etc. Opening hours are from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm. The market is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Some sections are opened only on certain days. But all sections are open only on Saturdays and Sundays that is why it is always crowded on the weekends. The market is huge and navigating it can be confusing.

 

(Local and foreign visitors to Chatuchak Market)

(Souvenirs shopping)

(T-shirts and sunglasses)

Before we started exploring the market, we had an hour of therapeutic foot and shoulder massage. There were many massage outlets in the market for tourists to take a break from shopping and tired feet. After the massage, we started our tour of the market. We were not looking for anything in particular so we strolled among rows and rows of stalls and managed to buy some souvenirs.

 

(Vintage signages on sale)

(Colorful trinkets)

(Woodcrafts and porcelain)

(Chatuchak Market Clock Tower and Muslim stalls)

We had delicious nasi briyani ayam for lunch at one of the many halal stalls in the market. A plate of nasi briyani cost B50/plate which was very cheap. Met many Malaysian tourists on a shopping spree. When we had enough of walking and browsing, we took the BTS SkyTrain back to our hotel.

(MRT and Skytrain Mo Chit Stations)

(Less crowd in the afternoon)

The rest of the afternoon was spent napping and resting. We had halal seafood burger and chicken burger for dinner in the room while watching the World Cup finals Argentina Vs France. Argentina won on penalties and a good farewell for Messi.

(World Cup final TV dinner)

           Day 05: Year-end Trip: Bangkok - Khon Kaen👉

👈Day 03: Year-end Trip: Chumphon - Bangkok

05 Year-end Trip: Bangkok - Khon Kaen

 "Weaknesses are just strengths in the wrong environment." - Marianne Cantwell

(Seafood restaurants along Lam Takhong Lake)

Day 05: Monday, 19 December 2022
Route: Bangkok to Khon Kaen
Distance: 435km
Hotel: Hop Inn Hotel, Khon Kaen

(Scrambled eggs and toast)

(Ready for the long road trip)

(Maps.me to complement the Garmin)

We started driving out of Bangkok via route 1 towards Saraburi. The traffic was bearable but a few times we took wrong turns and needed to make u-turns. We drove leisurely on the highway with care, maintaining the speed limits.

(Early morning traffic towards Saraburi)

(Passing through Saraburi cement factories)

After more than two hours of driving, we stopped at a PTT Muak Lek to stretch our legs and get some snacks. The weather was sunny but a little chilly.

(Souvenir shopping at Pak Chong PTT)

(Highway by-passing Khao Yai)

Along the way we made a photo stop at Lam Takhong Dam. It is off Highway 2 located between Nakhon Ratchasima and Saraburi. The dam is an earth-filled dam across the Lam Takhong River that flows through a crevasse. Its primary purpose is to divert water from the dam for irrigation. Visitors can walk on the dam to enjoy the view of the Reservoir with a beautiful background of the mountains. There are lake-side resorts and plenty of seafood restaurants along the dam.

(Seafood restaurants and resorts)

(The reservoir and seafood market)

(A restaurant with a beautiful view of the lake)

We reached Nakhon Ratchasima around lunch time and headed to Masjid At-Rit Wan for solat jamak. This mosque brought back fond memories. During our Kembara Qurban Dana Madrasah Kemboja in 2012, our bikers gang of seven motorbikes stopped here for solat break and were served with sumptuous meals by the qariah masjid. 

(We were here in 2012)

(Fond memories of Kembara Dana Madrasah Kemboja)

(Spacious upper level prayer hall)

(Spacious lower ground prayer area for Muslimat)

After performing our prayers, the caretaker of the mosque and his wife sent us to a nearby halal restaurant on their tuk-tuk. After a delicious nasi goreng lunch, we walked back to the mosque where we parked our bigfoot. Nana Halal restoran was only 400m from the mosque.

(Riding the tuk-tuk to a Halal restaurant)

(A row of Muslim eateries)

(Tasty nasi goreng for lunch)

(A tall glass of smoothies on a hot day)

We took a short break at a PTT before reaching Khon Kaen. It was already dark when we arrived. We drove on narrow busy lanes to Masjid Khon Kaen but solat Maghrib was already over. We met with Imam Khuzaifah and a jemaah Harun from Myanmar who was very fluent in Malay and took some photos of the mosque.

(Khon Kaen Central Moslem Mosque)

(Imam Khuzaifah of Masjid Khon Kaen)

Later we continued driving to look for halal restaurants in town but Karo Halal Food was closed, even the Roti House was not a halal eatery.

(McD double fillet for dinner)

(One of the many Hop Inn in Khon Kaen)

(Our lodging for the night)

We decided to check in a hotel first before we look for dinner later. The first Hop Inn hotel was fully booked. We went to another Hop Inn hotel located along the highway and got a room for the night for B750/night. Later we had double fillet-o-fish with fries at the McDonald's located in front of the hotel.

The weather was too cold to stay long outdoor.

    Day 06: Year-end Trip: Khon Kaen - Phu Thap Berk👉

👈Day 04: Year-end Trip - Chatuchak, Bangkok

06 Year-end Trip: Khon Kaen - Phu Thap Berk

"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world." - Robin Williams

(A chalet on the mountain)

Day 06: Tuesday, 20 December 2022
Route: Khon Kaen to Phu Thap Berk
Distance: 232 km
Hotel: Cute Chalet Phu Thap Berk

(A McD restaurant next to Hop Inn)

(Pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast)

We had breakfast at McDonald's. The breakfast set of pancakes and scrambled eggs was filling. This morning we travelled to the highlands of Phu Thap Berk in Phetchabun Province. 

(Cool weather in Khon Kaen)

(Stocking provisions from 7-eleven)

Phu Thap Berk is the highest point of Phetchabun Mountains. The peak rises 12 km west of Highway 203, between the towns of Loei and Phetchabun. Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park surrounds the mountain. The summit of Phu Thap Berk is at 1,768m elevation. December and January are the coldest months, April the hottest. The villagers of Phu Thap Boek are predominantly Hmong hill tribes people who immigrated from northern Thailand. The mountain has since been overrun by allegedly illegal resorts and restaurants.

Our last trip to Phu Thap Berk was with our KTM in 2018 with three other couples.

(Driving towards the higlands)

(Less traffic on the trunk roads)

We took the Route 12 and made a few rest stops for refuelling and provisions. Phu Thab Berk may not have halal eateries so we bought CP fish burgers, maggi mee, bread and some snacks. From Khon Kaen, we passed two mountain ranges which offered fantastic landscapes, greenery, wild and dense vegetation, valleys, rivers and even wild elephant crossings.

Along the highway there are a few beautiful waterfalls and national parks. We stopped for photo shots at the entrance of Nam Nao National Park.

(The entrance of Nam Nao National Park)

(Beware of wild elephants!)

Around noon we reached the 2nd Police Checkpoint where Route 12 exited the national park. We stopped at a small shop with still operational hand-operated fuel pumps which were still in good condition. This is where we stopped during one of our 4-nation biking trips when one bike was out of petrol and needed to be rescued. We bought eggs from the grocery store next to the fuel pumps.

(Trying out the hand-operated petrol pumps)

(Ascending the mountainous road)

(Cute chalets of Phu Thap Berk)

(Beautiful panoramic view of the valley)

We reached Phu Thap Berk summit around 2.30 pm. The weather was bright and sunny and the temperature was about 18°C. We climbed steep slopes to have some photo shots at the summit. We started looking for a lodging for the night when the weather started to get colder.

(Stunning mountain scenery)

(Hiking slowly to the summit) 

(The summit of Phu Thap Berk) 

(Camping sites for the hardy)

(Astounding views from the top)

(The fog is slowly creeping over the valley)

We rented a beautiful hill-side chalet perched at the edge of the mountain ridge giving us the best panoramic view of Phu Thap Berk. The chalet was at B1800/night.

(A cabin perched on the slope)

(Phu Thap Berk neat terraces)

(Braving the cold weather)

(Hot steaming maggi mee for the bone-chilling weather)

         Day 07: Year-end Trip: Phu Thap Berk - Uttaradit👉

👈Day 05: Year-end Trip: Bangkok - Khon Kaen