Travel to Bangkok during Chinese New Year 2013

We stay at Novotel Pratunam Bangkok, the hotel was new and nice. The hotel was very near to the shopping mall and very strategies.

The view from 21st floor in our room

The view the lobby at 8th floor

The hotel room (Novotel Pratunam) is a little bit small, there is no bath tub but there is rain shower.
There is swimming pool, jacuzzi and fitness centre but no Massage centre :(
Easy access from lobby that connecting to the Platinum Fashion Mall Zone 3.
We spent most of our 2 days walking around this area (Pratunam), the hotel is near with the shopping centre such as Big C, Platinum Fashion Mall, Pratunam Market, IT Mall and many more.
You can buy Sim Card to get the 3G services there for just around 400 bath for 7 days. Advise is to get at the airport upon arival.

The foods are cheap and delicious

This is just a few picture that we took, we are so hungry until forget to take all the picture of the food. Mostly the foods are relatively spicy and sweet,and the price are cheap if compare to Singapore.

Thai Ice Coffee

Thai Style Chicken Rice? With lots of ingridient? Im not too sure also... (:

Thai Style Ice Kacang?

Of course the famous Tom Yam Sea Food and Spring Roll with Thai Sauce.

Royal Palace Bangkok

We decided to only go to 1 temple during our 4 days trip. We choose the most famous one which is The Royal Palace. It cost 500 Bath for the entrance (Which is quite expensive) and you can enter most of the place in this area such as museum which i think previously require to buy separate ticket.

The place is huge and the weather is super hot. Not so many shelter, so make sure you wear some thing cooling, comfortable and bring water. If you go to Bangkok for the first time, this is the place that you must go, but i think once is enough. 

Panorama of the Temple

Panorama of the Painting on the Wall

The office i guess.

The Huge Guardian

Gate Keeper

Gold Temple

Siam Niramit Show

Siam Niramit Show is a must to watch, other than Ladyboy Show. 

Even-thou its very expensive, but it worth the money. It cost about 1000 Bath. 

Dont bring any camera other wise you will have to queue to deposit your camera before you can enter. 

The security very tight like at the airport. So better dont bring any camera. 

The picture shows only the entrance of the show. You can feed the elephant and take picture.

A very truly wonderful show. You wont be able to see this kind of show anywhere else. 

The setting of the stage, changing theme and so on is just amazing. 

And just little tips, the souvenir there is expensive than outside. 

You can visit: http://www.siamniramit.com/ for more details.

Cha Tu Chak Week End Market

Cha Tu Chak market is the biggest market that i ever visited. Unfortunately i did not spent a lot of time fto explore here due to one of my mate exhausted. But i can say, this market has everything, from clothes, pants, school uniform (heh?), souvenir, animal, plants, food, baby stuff, fake branded bag and many more. It is open only on weekend, so don't get the wrong days. Is a "must go" market to visit. Return to this market again? definitely  there are a lot of things to explore. Even we spend like 2 hours,  our hand already full of plastic bag. The stuff here cheap and a lot of varieties.  

Dont forget to wear some thing casual, cooling, and bring more water. Because this place is smoking hot. It can make you perspire within minutes. If you plan to buy lots of thing, go and buy trolley or luggage to help you carry your stuff. 

The funny thing about this market, if you come early in the morning, you can see a lot of seller of the shops are still sleeping. You need to wake him up if you want to buy things. And not only one shop, i think almost 80% of the shop seller sleeping when we reach there around 10 AM to 1 PM. And another thing about shop in Bangkok, not so many seller force you to buy, unlike other places such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Min. I found more enjoyable to shop in Bangkok. The people are nice, friendly and the price you dont have to bargain until 50%. Most of the stuff there is super cheap already. Most of the stuff is a whole sale price. So if you buy more than 1, they will give you cheaper price.

Platinum Mall Bangkok

Platinum Mall consist of 3 zone, Zone A, B and C. Our hotel (Novotel) is connected with Zone C. The thing that impress me most with shopping in Bangkok is that all shops selling different items. It is unique and local branded. So it is advisable that if you found something that you like, better buy it straight away, because most of the time you cant find it in another shops.

Zone A and Zone B are connected. Every level selling different stuff (Mostly clothes) for different ages and gender. And most of the items is whole sale items. It is heaven for SHOPALOVER.

Tuk Tuk

The famous Tuk Tuk. Surprisingly, i saw this Tuk Tuk take 4 passenger at the same time.

Lion Dance in Novotel Hotel

We are quite lucky to see Lion Dance after check out of the hotel.

A little GAG :)

Tit Bits 

Fattening our self with Singha Beer (Must Try) and snacks. And banana :p

Coca-Cola Can with Thai Logo

Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Airport

And finally we are heading home to Singapore. A small advise, do not take taxi provided by the Hotel, because it can cost you double. The cost of Taxi from Novotel Pratunam to Airport Suvarnabhumi only cost around 400 to 600 Bath.

If you have any questions regarding our trip to Bangkok and you want to know more, can drop us comments bellow and I will try my best to help answer your questions. (:

Gloomy Sunday in Singapore

What a gloomy day in Singapore today, 

as its 2 days of raining non stop we decided to take a walk on a breeze gloomy day. 

Looking at the view outside the Marina Sands Shopping Mall, i decided to give a Panorama - 360 (Free) app from android a try. The result is amazing. Take a look at the sample that I attached at the top image. Its Free, Its Social Media and you can share it with your friends as well.

After having a good walk at Marina Sands, then we decided to eat 

Bak Kut Teh @ Ng Ah Seow Bak Kut Teh.

Well even-thou you can't compare it with Malaysian Bak Kut Teh, 

I still think this is one of the best in Singapore

After having a big meal, we decided to walk to Farrer Park and continue to City Hall just for window shopping. But guess what, we can't stop the temptation of Milkshake Choco and Durian in Once upon a milkshake. We order a very small cup and its just nice and perfect.

Trip to Hanoi Vietnam

Trip this time we spent 4 days and 3 night during the Hari Raya Holiday in Hanoi (Vietnam). We decided not to take tour, but instead we rent a big van (12 seater). The problem with Vietnam, most of the driver do not know how to speak English. So most of the time we have a communication breakdown. But luckily the people on the hotels very helpful in translating the schedule and place that we decided to go during our trip in Hanoi.

Some advise if you planning to rent a van during your trip to Hanoi, make sure you have plan to where you want to go. Most of the time the person of contact are able to understand English, so it is advisable to ask them to prepare your itinerary in advance.

First day when we land in Hanoi is already afternoon, and decided to take dinner in one of the restaurant in Hanoi. After that we rush for the famous Water Puppet Show around 8 PM.

On the second day, we spend the whole journey on the Halong Bay. The journey from Hanoi to Halong Bay takes about 4 hours. Along trip we stop at the arts shop factory, where by they sell lots of traditional clothes, painting, stone sculptures and many more. 

The above picture shows the Vietnam lady drawing and some 2 colour banana.

The trip in Halong Bay will be taking cruise for 4 hours. The price per person around 100 USD and it is included the cruse fees and lunch. During the cruise trip, they will take you round the Halong Bay Mountain and there will be only 1 stop which to see the cave. It was a great journey. Beautiful places and scenery, maybe next time should try to spend the night there.

First ever pictures of executions Dutch army in Indonesia

For the first time in history,photos surfaced of executions, which were most likely carried out by the Dutch army during the police actions in the former Dutch East Indies.

The photographs come from the private album of a soldier who served as a conscript in the Dutch East Indies. In the pictures to see the liquidation of three Indonesians. They stand with their backs to the firing squad at the edge of a ditch when they are fired. The trench is filled with corpses of executed, according to a second photo. On the outskirts are two Dutch soldiers, recognizable by their uniform.

© ALBUM JACOBUS R.. Drie Indonesiërs worden beschoten.

Never before Experts from the institute NIOD war and the Dutch Institute for Military History (NIMH) say such photographs never before seen. "They are not pictures everyday and it is certainly not every Indies Military these pictures brought home," said an employee of the NIMH. Even when similar pictures are NIOD unknown, said René Cook. "We have lots of albums here. You're waiting for the moment the picture pops up and it is now. Previously I have never seen. "

© Album Jacobus R.. Doden in een greppel, twee Nederlandse soldaten kijken toe.

The consulted historians do not doubt the authenticity. The exact location nor the circumstances of the execution is known. Possible further research provides more details.

The author is a soldier from Enschede. He is now deceased. It was broadcast in 1947, shortly before the first police action, and he is only retrieved in 1950, after the handover. He served in the artillery. In the Corps are part of history makes no mention of executions. Supposedly, the only artillery assistance to the infantry or Special Forces, who have executions.

Known executions in the Javanese kampong Rawagede and South Sulawesi. The families of the victims of Rawagede was last year awarded damages. The state should respond to the lawsuit filed against the extrajudicial killings in South Sulawesi. How many Indonesians in both actions just died is not known.

The soldier has never publicized the existence of the photos. His albums would never have noticed if she had not recently found in a Dumpster in Enschede. Who has thrown them there, is not known. The owner of the albums was childless and would have lived only in recent years.

Dumpster An employee of the Municipal Enschede saw the old albums are in the dumpster and decided to fish them out. The municipality of Enschede collects more pictures to the life of its own citizens to illustrate. The albums would still have been laid aside, as the archivists were not alarmed by pictures of a prison transport. At that time the album they decided to take it again where they met with the pictures of the executions.

Recently three historical institutes called on the government to re-investigate the police actions between 1945 and 1950, to understand what war is conducted in Indonesia. The government has not yet responded.

8 Things to Prevent After Meal

1. Prevent Smoking after Meal
Because smoking after meal can cause 10 times worse than normal smoking time.

2. Drink Tea after Meal
The acid on tea can cause the protein inside the food that you eat difficult to digest. Drink tea after meal can cause slowness in retrieving the important nutrition under your body by 80%

3. Drink Cold Water after Meal
Cold temperature in the drink can cause the food that contain fat will not be digested properly, so the fat will stuck in intestine that can cause bottle neck on the digestion channel. At the end it will cause fat.

4. Eat Fruits after Meal
Some of you dont know that eating fruits after meal can cause your tummy bloating because full of air. Give 1 or 2 hour after meal before eating fruits.

5. Loosen your Belt after Meal
Most of people try to loosen their belt after meal because they feel their tummy is full, this will cause your intestine twisted and blocked.

6. Walk after Meal
Walk after meal can cause the nutrition will not absorb properly by digestive system, especially run it will cause appendix and vomiting.

7. Take a Shower after Meal
Those that have a habit after meal then go to bath, it will cause weaken the digestive system in the stomach because the bath after eating will increase blood flow to the hands, feet and body that causes the amount of blood around the stomach will continue to decrease.

8. Go Sleep after Meal
Sleeping after a meal will make the food can not be digested properly. Consequently, experiencing bloating and intestinal inflammation

Catvenger

Bintan Lagoon Resort

My next journey is going to Bintan Lagoon Resort.

One of the best resort in Bintan.

First we reach there around 12 PM, and there is shuttle but to pick you up from the Ferry terminal to the Bintan Lagoon Resort. We can only get our room at 3 PM, but we can check in first. While we waiting, we take a bus provided by the resort, just pay 3 SGD dollar to the Kampung Legoi. 

We had our lunch at Warung Bumbu.

Bintan Lagoon Resort

The place are great, the people are nice and friendly and the beach is clean.