Bangkok Day 1 - Glow Pratunam Hotel, Chicken Rice at Pratunam and Siam shopping

Reached Bangkok's airport in the late morning and made the wrong decision to grab a cab to Glow Pratunam Hotel. We were stuck in a (typical) massive jam in the heart of downtown Bangkok for a really long while and by the time we reached our hotel, it was close to 1pm.

The lobby of Glow Pratunam is situated on the 7th floor of Shibuya mall, directly opposite Platinum Shopping Centre. The location of the hotel is definitely one big plus! It's so close to the shopping haven which is Platinum and within walking distance to Siam Paragon, Central World and Siam Square. It is also right beside the Pratunam market if you are interested in some roadside shopping. The only downside has to be the slightly longer walk to the nearest BTS which is Ratchathewi station, but even that did not take us too long.

We reached earlier than the allocated check-in time (2pm) but the staff was so accommodating and allowed us to check in early. But first they ushered us to the lounge for our welcome drink!

Nice cool refreshing purple drink with some lime bits inside.

For the price we paid, I was completely blown away by the room! It was spacious, very clean and with all the tiny details to make your stay more comfortable. For example, there is a dock on the counter for you to plug in your iphone or ipod and play your own music while you rest after a long day shopping. There is a comfortable reclining chair beside the window for you to watch the view below while you wait for your hair to dry. Oh and the wardrobe opens both ways, and you can get your clothes from the bathroom as well so you don't have to pack your clothes to bathe!

After settling down, we walked over to the famous Chicken Rice at Pratunam. We read about it in the papers last month and our taxi driver strongly recommended it when we went past the shop on our way to the hotel. If you want to try the famous chicken rice at Pratunam, you can walk over from Platinum. It is just opposite Novotel, on the same side of the road as Platinum. I suppose the shop name should be Kuang Heng?

The chicken is really soft and tender. The taste is totally different from the Hainanese Chicken Rice we are used to in Singapore and the rice is less oily. I love the sauce that accompanies the chicken rice! It's sweet and salty all at the same time. Awesome dip for the lean tender pieces of chicken.

After the chicken rice, we turned down the road and walked to Central World to begin our shopping journey! After some shopping at Central World and Siam Paragon, where we KIV-ed a whole bunch of stuff (and eventually returned to purchase them on the last day), we decided to head over to MBK. But not before grabbing dinner at a squat little building housing Ootoya!

I ordered the set with scallop steamed rice and fried chicken in boiled sauce. I remember trying this dish in Singapore's Ootoya as well and this one in Bangkok levels up in terms of standard. Was a very satisfying first meal in Bangkok! And nope, we didn't have thai food until the second day ;)

Day 2 coming up next!