ShanghaiMamas

Lessons Learned in Bangkok

Sunday, April 27th 2008

Lessons Learned in Bangkok

I recently moved from the Midwest to Shanghai, China.  I followed my husband, who had accepted his dream job.  My two young girls followed me – Jie Jie is 2 years old and Mei Mei just turned 1.  Still adjusting to life as a mother of two children - and really, still adjusting to life as a mother - I suddenly began adjusting to life in a very foreign city. 

The benefits are obvious and the drawbacks are many.  But the main draw for me has been the opportunity to travel.  Within 1 month of settling in to our home in Shanghai, my husband’s company invited him to a conference in Bangkok, Thailand.

 We’re coming, I said.

 I’ll be in meetings the whole time, joining co-workers for dinner and catching up with the office in my free time.  I won’t be able to help you at all.  I will hardly even see you, he explained.

 We’re coming, I said.

 The company chose a lovely resort on the outskirts of town for its conference, and the girls and I settled in to our oversized room.  Over the course of the week, I formed a few personal rules for travel with my two young kids:

Stay near the action
Our hotel lay a 20 minute ferry ride away from the nearest form of public transportation.  The girls loved the ferry, watching the water splash by and staring at the other boats and people who lived and worked on the river.  Some days, the girls even loved the SkyTrain or the Water Taxi.  But frequently, they were ready to return to the hotel just as we reached our destination.  Never ready to leave before 10:30 in the morning, and falling asleep by 2:00 in the afternoon, the 1 hour commute made exploration quite difficult.

Stay somewhere pleasant and entertaining
Back at the hotel no later than 3:00 in the afternoon, I spent plenty of time on their grounds.  I took full advantage of the room’s balcony, reading, writing and enjoying the view of the river, the treetops and a distant temple.  We spent all of our evenings on site, walking the gardens, splashing in the pools and eating at one of the restaurants.

Don’t sacrifice naptime
I learned that I can move it, scrunch it, or bring it along; but I had to plan for it.

Pack the necessities
Diapers, wipes, formula, butt paste. Even if the guide book and the hotel website say they’re easily available.  I spent two of my three evenings off walking the empty streets near the resort in search of a grocery store stocking diapers and wipes.

Always carry snacks and water
Two things will certainly derail a young child: hunger and lack of sleep. I learned to carry crackers and oranges, and to pick up snacks at street vendors as the girls became cranky.

 It took me a few days to figure out my rules.  And once I learned them, it took me a few days to implement them faithfully – my poor children were so behind on sleep when we returned home!  And although following along on a business trip may be more trouble than its worth, with my rules engrained in my mind, I do plan to do it again.

Bangkok itself I found to be a very typical large Asian metropolis.  Full of people, traffic and tall buildings, we spent more time on the transportation than in the sites.  We did tour the National Palace and the Wats surrounding it.  Although they were full of colorful people and bright murals, we felt we had to speed through to keep the girls entertained.  However, the markets kept all of us happy for hours.  The Chatuchuk Weekend Market took quite some time and travel to reach, but was worth every minute.  Billed to be the largest outdoor market in the world, this place sells everything.  The market is stall upon stall hawking anything you can think of.  Apparently this market runs to over 35 acres and is the largest outdoor market in the world.  In the midst of it, its hard to tell that its outdoors, although in the middle of the hot season I’m sure that the crowds seething through the small aisles and into the matchbox shops, one on top of another, would feel the hottest place in town and one would no doubt remember they’re outside.

We spent longer than intended in the pet section, watching piles of puppies, mice, kitties and a woman with nearly immobile chipmunks placed along her arms and legs.  Her sign read NO PHOTOS, which makes me wonder what kind of chaos would have ensued with a flash lighting up her menagerie.  We saw candlesticks, clothes, kitchen tools and more in the hours we spent wandering up and down, and yet we barely scratched the surface.  Food stands abound, selling loads of freshly cooked morsels, if you can get past the lack of refrigeration before your chicken hits the grill.  Noisy, busy and brightly colored, the market kept our girls interested for hours, and was certainly the most fun my husband has ever had while shopping.

And in the evenings, I left my husband with his computer and two sleeping girls to troll the Suan Lum Night Market.  Filled with affordable housewares and downright cheap pashminas, this market also hid away fantastic little boutiques with beautiful pieces at amazing prices.  And although I didn’t fall in love with Bangkok as a city, I’m still itching to return with an empty suitcase yawning to be filled with flirty little skirts.

Essentials:

Flight: Thai Airways

www.ThaiAir.com

Hotel in Bangkok:  The Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa

www.Marriott.com/hotels/travel/bkkth-bangkok-marriott-resort-and-spa/

Pros:  Very child friendly resort with large rooms and balconies, high chairs and helpful staff around every corner, children’s pool and Kid’s Corner.  Beautiful gardens and lovely view on the river.

Cons:  Not all inclusive, the little prices added up quickly.  The only restaurants nearby were fast food, and the hotel restaurants were mediocre and expensive.

Sights:

Chatuchak Weekend Market – www.Into-Asia.com/bangkok/markets/chatuchak.php

Suan Lum Night Bazaar – www.Bangkok.com/shopping-market/suan-lum-night-bazaar-html.

By Lynne Moo

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