Bangkok Shopping

27th February

So what do you do on your last day in Bangkok. Go shopping with two guys from Bhutan of course!

Most of the morning I was absorbed in writing, so at around lunchtime, when Mon messaged me, to see if I wanted to go and meet his friend, Phendun, I couldn't think of anything better to do.

His friend, also from Bhutan, often stayed in Thailand - so often, he would rent an apartment. Mon, by the way, is a teacher, and in Thailand, travelling a bit, waiting on his agency to confirm his job in Australia.

We took a taxi to Phendun's flat and from there we went out shopping. Here is Victory monument from the taxi.

Phendun has a travel agency business in Bhutan - he gave me a small booklet with lots of information about this intriguing country. They told me that you can't travel there independently, only through an agent, and as yet, they don't have an international airport. He said the flight path into Bhutan is quite tricky, due to all the mountains!

The population is only 700,000 with a King who rules the people, and is thought of as a God. It is a Buddhist country, and they are not allowed to kill any animals or insects. They eat meat, but it has to be imported from India (with whom they have good relations). They are not allowed to fish either.

They can drink - it sounds like quite a lot! - but smoking and drugs are not allowed. They have really colourful national dress, and clothes with 'big pockets' which they can carry stuff in (including babies) and they have lots of festivals with dancing.

Crime is about 1% & the country is Carbon 0.

Bhutan national dress & Festival Dancing:

Update - They don't have McDonald's or KFC Heaven !

We then headed for the mall where I had some food in the food court then we went to a shop called 'The big C' where Phendun was looking for a rice cooker, his wife had instructed him to buy. He was not happy, as she wasn't answering his messages and he didn't really want to carry a rice cooker home on the plane.

We then shopped for meat - oh yeah - I didn't mention - Phendun is also a 'body builder' and in training for a competition in July, so he has to eat a tonne of protein and go to the gym everyday.

Then a trip to a weird army shop to buy handcuffs........supposedly for his friend who is a policeman......I didn't ask any more, but it was hilarious when - in the shop - he slapped them onto Mons wrist, and the girl struggled to find the right key. I was in fits 😂. 

He didn't buy them in the end, they were expensive and he was worried about carrying then through the airport security.....

Back at his flat, he cooked for us all, which was very nice. We went back early as I had to be up at 4 am to get the bus to Chiang Mai.