A cheap Sunday in Bangkok

Video games in the Emporium

Bangkok is a great city to explore even if you are on a budget.

Today was a great day with clear blue skies and the sun beaming down so it was a must to get outside and enjoy it. Walking is an ideal, and free, way to explore the city. I grabbed my ipod and made my way to the Emporium shopping complex on Sukhumvit Road; accessed from Phrom Phong Skytrain. After a 20 minute walk from home the air-conditioning was a welcome relief from the humidity outside. Usually, I am not that interested in shopping centers and get bored and impatient quickly but I find the Emporium is a good way to start the day. On the 6th floor is the Thailand Creative and Design Centre which has varying exhibitions throughout the year. At the moment there is a Thai-UK Digital festival focusing on the video game industry from the two countries. The exhibition displays the evolution of the industry from PONG and PACMAN to the current technology of today. There is a separate room where you can play a range of different consoles on big screens; including some of the old classics. The centre is always free.

The shopping complex has a cinema, supermarket, foodcourt and an array of retail shops to keep you busy but on a budget I decide to head to the Kinokuniya bookstore which houses a great selection of English books. Here you can find anything you are after; a welcome relief from life in Hanoi where it was a struggle to get your hands on a good book. The difference from home is that here you can find a great selection of Thai literature and history books (all translated). I note down the titles of the books I like.

The Skytrain is a very cheap way to get around town with a single trip ranging from 15-40 baht. I met Celine at Chit Lom and we walked across to Central World which sells itself as the largest lifestyle shopping destination in Bangkok. It is definitely big. On the 7th floor is a great food court offering, among other things, a decent selection of Thai food at decent prices. If you go for a late lunch you may grab a sofa by the window giving you great views over the Siam area; any earlier and they are always taken. Celine had a noddle soup with fish balls, pork slices and won tons while I took the yellow curry with pork. You can grab a meal from around 40-60 baht.

Me and Rooney. Getting your photo with cardboard Rooney seemed to be the craze so I had to be a part of it.

Out the front of Central World was a street football tournament sponsored by ESPN and Tiger beer. A grandstand was set up and those without a seat were eagerly on tippy toes trying to catch a glimpse of the action. Away from the match there were other football related activities to take part in. Fun and free.

Football accuracy shot

After I hit the gym at our apartment, then I took the Metro to Lumphini station to explore the other side of Lumphini park; I covered the first part last week. I really enjoy this space, as do countless others, who at 7pm are still jogging and walking the leafy park surrounded by trees and lakes. At 5pm you can catch the daily aerobics classes in the park which host a few hundred Thais and is fun to see.

Street Football

This was my day today but of course there are countless other ways to explore the city on a budget. With cheap food, great parks and markets, shopping centres, free museums and temples you can experience much of what the city has to offer without breaking the bank.