I already accomplished my mission for this Bangkok trip. Now its time for our second mission (Adah to-do list), Maeklong Railway Market. The plan is check out The Patra, check in some hotel near
Chatuchak Market. Leave our bag there and go to Maeklong. Sounds good right?
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| Life achievement I guess? Watch live muay thai fight hehe |
So we check out from The Patra Hotel and take Grab to Raemkhanheng station. From there take BTS skytrain to Mo Chit station. We will stay around here as its closer to the airport & city center. We just follow the crowd to exit number 1. There are many entrance and we just went to the park before entering the market.
I think we arrived around 10am but most of the shop are not open even though the opening hour stated from 6am. We keep on walking until we come across JJ Market near the traffic light. There are a few halal food sold outside the mall.
We just search nearby hotel and try to go by walking but it too far away. After been cancelled few times by Grab driver, we just take a taxi that willing to take us to our new hotel, Hotel G9. The driver told us that other Grab or taxi driver reject us because there is traffic in front and they need to take long way to make a U-turn to our hotel.
Takes about 5 minute ( not include traffic time) to reach our destination. Yeah, not very far but we dont know how to cross the big roads to go to the other side, besides its hot and we are drenched with sweat with out big backpack. So taking a taxi is still a good idea.
We dont have any reservation at the hotel. Just come in and ask if there is empty room. Our backup plan if no room available, just walk around and find other hotel. Fortunately there is available room for two but we can only check in at 1pm.
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| G9 Bangkok Hotel front |
While waiting we ask the receptionist how to go to Maeklong. Can we go now?
Now cannot. Its very far from here, if you go now the market already close. You can go tomorrow early morning. Frustrated, we ask if there are any activity we can do near here as we are flying out tomorrow already.
She suggested we watch a boxing match. The stadium is just in front and its free. Like the Malay say "bagai orang mengantuk disorong bantal" we are excited once again. First because we do put watching muay thai in our to-go list but didnt go for it as its far and need to pay. But here we are staying right in front of the boxing stadium hahahaha. Second its free, its near. Anything free is good.
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| Lunch first |
While waiting for our room, we eat some chicken rice and cold Arabus coffee bought at 7E next door. Wah so nice this area. In front G9 hotel is also a hotel, 7E store, hawker stall, a TV station and walking distance to Chatuchak Market and BTS train, MRT. Very convenient, next time can stay here.
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| Channel 7 |
Around 1pm we went inside Channel 7 building. The guard say hello to us and ask where we come from. Maybe its rare to see two hijab lady from Malaysia watching a boxing match hehe. In a pondok there are already many foreigner sitting there. Few Thais then ask all of us to go to the side and line up one by one.
Its to make sure that they can control how many people enter the stadium one at a time. Also they will check your bag. So few precaution here:
- No food or drink inside.They throw it out even water bottle
- There is dress code. No flip flop, wear shoes. No short, wear long pants. No singlet, wear collared shirt. If not you have to buy tshirt outside before entering.
- Eat and go to toilet before entering. Its hard to go out once the show start.
- Come early around 1pm. Come late you need to pay to sit at special area
- Takes almost 1.5 hours to watch whole show.
The show start after 2.30pm. By this time the whole stadium is so crowded with locals. Foreigners who come early will be seated at foreigners section. Its up there on the metal bleachers almost 1 floor up. Your butt will hurt a little but you got the best view. Also its more comfortable than down there with the locals.
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| We are so excited hahha. I do not regret not going for concert day 2. This is cool! |
The locals got very loud while watching the fight as betting is on going. And its so pack down there, i think people can faint almost like rock pit in a concert, difference is your oppa is fighting another oppa, not singing hehehe
We stay the whole show for 5 fights. each fight got 5 rounds but less if they win with TKO. I think they show live televised for 3 fight only. We enjoy it very much as we do understand some of the rules. Like the first 2 rounds usually the fighters are trying to intimidate each other, the start of muay thai got some dance going on. I think Asian people enjoy this more than the foreigner who more used to fast pace fight like boxing.
I dont understand how they place bet and how will they get paid if they win. There are at least 3 people I saw taking bets from people inside stadium and others taking bet through phone call. Some fight also show the winner not only win money but also actual gold beside a winning belt.
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| The people sitting are company representative that sponsor the match. They hold placard with company logo and change to other sponsor every new fight. |
There are also many company taking turn sitting at the sponsor seat. They wave when then live camera show their company name & takes several picture when giving awards to the winner. This is not only a weekend pass time for the local, this is how local business do marketing also.
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| Early fight. |
I will upload some of the fight in my Youtube channel and you will hear how excited the people and us watching the fight!
After the match we went to 7E again ( I think we enter this shop at least 3 times a day) for some cold water and went back to rest in our room. The room is spacious for 2 people with lift available. Read my review of G9 Bangkok hotel here.
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| Octopus with chili sauce yums |
We went out again at night to Chatucak market, the largest market in Thailand. Unfortunately most of the shop are closed. Only then we realized the market open until 6pm only. Only few place open in the market but enough for some drinks, foods and window shopping.
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| No taxi or Grab will take you when the traffic is this bad |
As the traffic is so bad, we decided to just walk back in the dark to our hotel. Oh ya, at night I think around 11pm the whole area electric got shut down for half an hour. Thank God it when back to normal if not I dont think we can sleep.
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