My Breakfasts At Bangkok Loft Inn

Posted by : foongpc | Sunday, May 26, 2013 | Published in

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If you have read my write-ups on my current favorite hotel in Bangkok which is none other than Bangkok Loft Inn, you would know that I had enjoyed the breakfast there.

When my friend and I checked into the hotel on the first day, the staff had asked us what we would like for breakfast the next day. We were provided with a menu list and from there I chose the chicken rice with Thai chili sauce!

So this was my first breakfast at the Terrace Restaurant in Bangkok Loft Inn!

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Although the chicken rice does not look very delicious in the photo above, I can assure you it was really yummy! The Thai chili sauce made all the difference actually - I practically dunked the chicken meat into that bowl of sauce. Yum!

My friend chose the shrimp salad (photo below). He said it was delicious!

Of course, there were a variety of other food you could eat as well - buffet style. There were toasts, salads, fruits, pastries, milk and cornflakes. For drinks, you could choose from coffee, tea and fruit juices. (Sorry no photos - didn't think it was necessary!)

After breakfast, my friend and I went out the whole day and did not return to the hotel till the late evening. When we went to get our room key at the counter, the staff asked us what we would like to have for breakfast the next day. My friend chose the chicken rice and I decided to choose the shrimp salad! Haha!

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The shrimp salad was delicious! Could not get enough of it! Well, luckily it was a salad and was not too filling as I was supposed to meet up with Filipino blogger Ishmael Ahab for .... breakfast! LOL!

I have to say I enjoyed the fruits at this hotel especially the passion fruits which were in abundance. I ate a lot of the passion fruits as they were quite expensive back in Malaysia.

I was not feeling very well on my third morning in Bangkok so I skipped the breakfast that day which was a real pity! Oh well, my fourth morning was a breakfast of porridge and you tiao (chinese cruller).

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I really didn't imagine myself to be eating porridge but that's what I ordered! And surprisingly, it was really good! I practically licked the bowl dry! Haha!

My friend ate fried rice, I think. I forgot to take a photo of that.

Overall, I enjoyed all the breakfast meals a lot at Bangkok Loft Inn. Certainly no regrets staying in this hotel and I highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Bangkok.

Coming Up Next : My Visit To The Erawan Museum

The 2am Hauntings

Posted by : foongpc | Friday, May 24, 2013 | Published in

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This is a true story.

My friend told me this story a few months back. I was thinking of waiting till the Hungry Ghost Festival to tell this story but somehow, I am in the mood to write about it now. So here it is ... 

I met up with my friend Aileen (not her real name) during the Chinese New Year holidays. We had not been meeting for over a year so I thought it would be nice to catch up with her during the festive break.  We had lunch together and that's when Aileen told me her story. 

Aileen's husband died a few years ago due to an incurable disease, leaving her with her 2 young children and 2 properties. One of the properties is the house she is living in now, and the other is a condominium unit in Kuala Lumpur which she rented out to a single man in his late 20's named Gavin. 

Lately, Aileen had been having trouble collecting the rental from Gavin. He had always been punctual in his payments, Aileen told me. But he started to be late in his payments and when he did not pay for three months straight, Aileen decided enough is enough. 

She gave him an ultimatum - either pay up or get kicked out. When Gavin did not answer her call, she was furious and got her agent to get him to pay up or move out. He finally agreed to move out, much to Aileen's relief. 

A few days after Gavin had moved out, Aileen received a call from Mrs Yap, a condo resident who was staying right below her unit. Aileen knew Mrs Yap well because Mrs Yap had been complaining about the water leaking from Aileen's unit above. But this time, Mrs Yap did not call about any water leakage. Instead, she asked Aileen if anyone is still staying in her condominium unit. 

Surprised, Aileen asked why. 

"I can hear someone flushing the toilet in the middle of the night." Mrs Yap told her. 

Aileen laughed and said "You must be mistaken. There's no one staying in there now. I have not rented out to anyone yet."

But Mrs Yap called her again the next day. She was sure she heard the flushing of the toilet again last night. But this time, she also heard someone banging on the wall. 

"What time did you hear this banging sound?" Aileen asked.

"About 2 am in the morning" Mrs Yap replied. 

"That's impossible" Aileen said. "Unless ...."

Aileen could only think of one possibility. Maybe Gavin had returned during the night and stayed in her condo! She was angry. She called him but the number no longer existed.  

She had no idea how Gavin could get in since he had already passed her the key. Oh, maybe he duplicated the key, she thought.  That scumbag!! 

After contemplating for some time, Aileen decided to change the padlock. When she went to the condo one evening to have it done, she bumped into Mrs Yap who told her that the man had just left. 

"You saw him?" Aileen asked.

"No, but I heard him moving around upstairs just now and then it was quiet minutes before you came." 

"But you did not see him right?" 

"No I did not." 

"Oh well, I have changed the lock now. He won't be able to get in." 

Feeling reassured, Aileen went home. She was sure she would get a good night sleep that night. 

But the next day, Aileen got a call from Mrs Yap again. 

She sounded scared over the phone. "I heard it again last night!" 

"Hear what?" Aileen asked.

"The banging on the wall!" Mrs Yap exclaimed. "It was quite loud and I could not sleep! I thought you changed the lock!" 

"I did!" Aileen could feel a chill going down her spine. 

"Then why is there still someone making all the noise? And he did it at 2am every time!"  

Aileen did not know what to say. She had changed the lock! How did he get in? Through the windows? But that would mean he had to climb up 7 storeys high from the outside. It's quite impossible! Besides, she had locked all the windows and they could not be opened from the outside!

"Mrs Yap, are you sure what you heard is from my condo unit?" Aileen tried to reassure herself.

"I am very sure. It's coming right above my unit." Mrs Yap explained. "I would not hear so clearly if your unit is not directly above ours." 

Aileen then decided to meet up with Mrs Yap and her husband Mr Yap to talk about this unexplained mystery. But before she went, she called her agent and asked her if she knew anything about the man who rented her condominium unit. 

The agent reluctantly told her that Gavin had been suffering from depression and he was unemployed for many months. Perhaps that explained why he could not pay her the rental! As for his whereabouts, the agent said she had no idea. 

Probably he's a psycho? Aileen could not shake off that eerie thought. That could explain why he banged on the wall at 2 am in the morning! Yet when she met him on several occasions, he appeared to be normal and in fact, quite polite. 

When Aileen met up with Mr and Mrs Yap that evening, she invited them up to her unit. Aileen looked around for any signs of wall being damaged but found none. Then they went into the bedroom where Gavin slept. 

There, Mr Yap pointed up to the ceiling. Aileen gasped. The ceiling was damaged badly as if someone had used a stick or something to hit it. So he had been banging on the ceiling at 2am every night! Clearly, it was the work of someone with mental problems! 

"What happened next?" I asked Aileen excitedly. 

"Mr and Mrs Yap went back hometown for Chinese New Year, so I did not hear from them." Aileen said. "And I got a plumber to fix the water leakage issue in my unit." 

"Did the plumber hear or see anything unusual?" I asked.

"No, but then he had not finished fixing it yet. He also went back hometown for the Chinese New Year holidays." Aileen explained.

"So no one knows if the banging sound still continues?" 

"No. And I don't think I want to know." She laughed nervously. 

And just like that, her story ended. We did not meet again. I wonder what is the conclusion to her story. Should I call her up to ask? I don't know. Deep down, I don't really want to know as well. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss, don't you think? 

For more true ghosts stories, click on the links below ....

The Haunted Penang Hotel
My Paranormal Experience At Lake Kenyir
Terrorized By Toyol!

Bangkok Loft Inn : My Favorite Hotel In Bangkok!

Posted by : foongpc | Tuesday, May 21, 2013 | Published in

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Last January, I visited Bangkok with a friend for a short holiday. It's my 5th time in this lovely city. We stayed at a boutique hotel called Bangkok Loft Inn in the Thonburi section of Bangkok.

My friend and I took a taxi from Don Mueang International airport to our hotel. It costs us 350 baht (USD11.75 / RM35) and took a little more than an hour to reach. The taxi driver did not know the exact location of the hotel so when he told us we had reached the correct street yet could not find the hotel, I thought we were really lost!

Read More > Landing At Don Mueang International Airport

Fortunately, a lady who was walking past our taxi saw our predicament and asked where we were heading. When the driver told her the name of the hotel, she smiled and pointed to a building ahead of us. It was less than 100 metres away!

And guess what? That lady was one of the staff working in that hotel! LOL!

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Checking into the Bangkok Loft Inn was a breeze. The hotel staff were helpful and friendly. I really like them! We were each given a welcome drink, which was nice.

But what surprised me was that they also gave us a map of Bangkok, and pointed out to us the location of the hotel and the nearest BTS Skytrain station. On top of that, they also gave each of us the hotel's name card so that we could show any taxi driver the address and get back safely to the hotel. How thoughtful!

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My hotel room (known as Superior Room) was on the third floor of this 4-storey luxurious boutique hotel. The teak flooring made the room appeared airy and spacious. I was glad to see that flat screen TV! Yay! If you must know, I love watching Thai dramas (despite not understanding a word!) and Thai music videos, so a good flat screen TV is very important! LOL!

Read More > I Love Thai TV And Thai MTV!

No smoking and no durians allowed inside the room or you will be fined 2,000 baht! (USD67.30 / RM202.70)

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That's pretty strict! Looks like I could not bring back my favorite durian with sticky rice desserts for supper! Oh well, not a huge problem. I can live with that : )

I was satisfied with the amenities in the room. There were extra pillows, a laundry basket, clothes hangers and an in-room safe.

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There's a working table and a leather sofa too.

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The view of the room from the working table.

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The view of the room while sitting at the leather sofa.

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And the view of the 32-inch flat screen cable TV while lying on the comfortable Double Bed. I got to tell you that I enjoyed watching TV - all the Thai dramas and Thai music videos - every night in my hotel room till the wee hours of the morning! Haha!

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I also like that they provide a hair dryer outside the bathroom.

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The switches and sockets. Thailand uses a different kind of sockets (compared to Malaysia) so make sure you bring a Universal Travel Adaptor when you visit Bangkok!

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Water boiler and coffee maker.

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Small bedside table where the telephone and notepad were placed.

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I found some interesting decorative items inside that small glass cabinet on the wall above the leather sofa.

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These were the items inside the glass cabinet. I wish I could take them home with me!

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I like the design of the lamp stand and the three pictures hanging on the wall above the bed.

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Opening the curtain behind the leather sofa, I could get a nice view of the streets outside.

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Although it would be nicer if the hotel was taller and not limited to just 4 storeys high. Would be nice staying at a higher floor and have a bird's eye view of Bangkok city.

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During this trip, I had actually spent some time sitting on this sofa by the window and enjoyed myself reading a good book with a cup of hot coffee. Simply love it!

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One of the most important aspect of a hotel room is its bathroom and toilet. For me, it must be clean and everything should be in good working condition. I am pleased to say the bathroom in Bangkok Loft Inn  was excellent!

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It was clean and tidy. The bath towels were clean. And I like that there's a separate cubicle for shower.

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Too bad they did not provide rainforest shower head - that would have made it perfect!

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An illustration on the wall to educate hotel guests. I hope no guests would squat with their two feet on top of the toilet bowl - a big NO NO to me!!

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By the way, all the rooms in Bangkok Loft Inn are wi-fi enabled. I found the hi-speed Internet access to be very reliable. It did not fail me during my 4 nights stay - surely another plus point for this hotel!

Bangkok Loft Inn also serves surprisingly delicious breakfasts at its Terrace Restaurant on the first floor.

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My stay includes complimentary breakfasts which I enjoyed very much! This is the area outside the Terrace Restaurant.

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Going down the stairs, I saw a notice board and decided to check it out.

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Three cute monks in orange robes beside the wall.

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On the notice board, a warning message stood out. This is a very good warning to all guests and tourists especially if you are a first timer to Bangkok.

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The practice of tuk tuk drivers offering cheap rides to discounted jewelry stores are pretty common in Bangkok. If you are offered one, please decline or risk being taken for a ride!

Other than the warning message, the board was completely inundated with thank you letters and postcards from guests who have enjoyed their stay in this hotel. Take a look at some of them!

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I booked this hotel room via Agoda at the price of RM520 (USD172.50) for a 5D/4N stay (inclusive of breakfast) which works out to RM130 (USD43.10) per night. With its friendly customer service, lovely room and clean bathroom, reliable hi-speed Internet access, PLUS its delicious breakfast, the price I paid was totally worth it!

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The only problem could be its location which is a bit far from tourist hotspots like Silom and Sukhumvit. However, it's just 5 minutes walk to Wongwian Yai BTS Skytrain Station so getting around in Bangkok is not really a problem.

Besides, it's just 2 stations away from Saphan Taksin Pier where you can take a boat to all the tourist spots like Wat Arun, Grand Palace and Chinatown.

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Overall, I highly recommend Bangkok Loft Inn - currently my favorite hotel in Bangkok!

Bangkok Loft Inn
55 Somdet Phra Chao Taksin Rd
Bangyeerua, Thonburi, Bangkok
10600 Thailand
Website

Coming Up Next : My Breakfasts At Bangkok Loft Inn

Landing At Don Mueang International Airport In Bangkok

Posted by : foongpc | Friday, May 17, 2013 | Published in

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Last January I flew to Bangkok for a short holiday with a friend. I can almost hear some of you loyal readers shouting out loud "Again?!!"

Yes, again.

In fact, this must be my 5th time holidaying in Bangkok. I am not sure why, but I just don't seem to get tired of this city. There are always new things to discover and I have enjoyed every single one of my trips there.

Read More > Things I Did In Bangkok

Only this time, instead of landing at my favorite Suvarnabhumi International Airport, my AirAsia flight had diverted to the older and much smaller Don Mueang International Airport. In case you didn't know, AirAsia had moved all flight operations from Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang since October 1st, 2012.

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However, I was quite pleased that there were less crowd at Don Mueang, although I must say it was quite annoying to find our luggage coming out from another conveyor belt instead of the one where we were supposed to wait! Not very efficient eh?

But wait! I have jumped the line. There's something I wanted to tell you regarding my flight with AirAsia.

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While boarding the plane to Bangkok at LCCT in Malaysia, the male flight attendant asked me to place my backpack in the luggage compartment above the seats. I was surprised as I have flown with AirAsia so many times, and this is the first time I was asked to do such a thing.

I told him that I have always placed my backpack on the floor under the seat in front. He told me that was against the rules. No bags allowed on the floor. Really? Since when?

Besides, my backpack was not large and long like a backpacker's backpack if you know what I mean. It's just like a children's school bag! Can you see my backpack on the chair in the picture below?

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Oh by the way, that's the picture of my hotel room in Bangkok. The hotel is a boutique hotel by the name of Bangkok Loft Inn and it's one of the best hotels in that price range that I have ever stayed in Bangkok. More about this hotel in my next post.

Read More > My Experience Flying Thai Airways

Back to my story. I was adamant in NOT placing my backpack in the luggage compartment. The flight steward insisted that I do as he asked. I refused. Deadlock. He was a bit irritated. I was furious. But I kept smiling and so did he. Although I was sure he could see the fakeness in my smile as clearly as I saw the fakeness in his. In the end, the customer won. Hah!

Now tell me, dear readers, did I do anything wrong? If I did, why was I allowed to place my backpack on the floor under the seats every time I flew in an AirAsia plane? Or did they just change the rules?

Anyway, upon landing at Don Mueang International Airport, my friend and I took a taxi to our hotel. The only problem was, the taxi driver did not seem quite sure where exactly our hotel was located.

Coming Up Next : My Stay At Bangkok Loft Inn 

Yummy Durian Pancakes At Mid Valley!

Posted by : foongpc | Monday, May 13, 2013 | Published in

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I love durians!! Do you?

Billed as The King Of Fruits, durians are banned in most hotels and airplanes due to its strong smell. Which is a pity because I like both the smell and taste of a durian! Haha!

Although eating the durian fruit itself is the best way to enjoy this King Of Fruits, I do not mind eating it in other forms like in cakes, ice creams and desserts.

Read More > 101 Ways To Eat Durians

Did you know that there is this stall or kiosk in Mid Valley Megamall that sells durian pancakes? Located at the Lower Ground floor near the KFC restaurant, it sells other durian products too, but I was mainly attracted to its durian pancakes.

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The durian pancakes are made fresh on the spot.  They are sold at RM3 per piece. However, the price is slightly reduced if you order more - RM5.50 for 2 pieces and RM12.50 for 5 pieces.

Being a durian fan, I decided to order 5 pieces for myself : )

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First, the pancake skin was made.

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Then frozen durian creams were scooped up and weighed.

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The durian creams were placed on the cooked pancakes.

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Then the pancakes were folded up neatly.

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And pressed to lock in the durian fillings.

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My 5 durian pancakes were then placed in a plastic box ready to be eaten. All done in less than 5 minutes!

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I immediately took one bite. The cold, 100% pure durian fillings contrasted nicely with the hot and crispy pancake. Yummy!

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I ate 2 pancakes on the spot and took the remaining home. When I reached home, I found the pancake skin had already turned soft but it still tasted good, although eating it fresh was better.

If you dislike durians, you will not like this durian pancake. But if you love durians, you must give this a try! Now I can't wait to go Mid Valley again to get my fill of the durian pancakes! : )