Giant 焼肉 (yakiniku) in Bangkok

Bangkok is a heaven for eating.  You'll find many international restaurants throughout city.  If you're missing your homeland cuisine, there is at least one restaurant from your country waiting for you for sure.  The Japanese are lucky.  Japanese food is quite popular in Thailand as you can see from franchise restaurants like "Fuji", "Zen", "Yayoi", "Oishi" etc.

Apart from those famous restaurants, I recommend another one called "Giant yakiniku". It is an all-you-can-eat restaurant with a fix price of 330 Baht per person including drinks and service charge.  The beef lovers should try it.  There are more than 10 kinds of meat for you to choose along with salad and seaweed.

How to go?

Take BTS skytrain to Chid Lom Station.  Walk up north on Chid Lom Road along the Central department store for about 300 meters. You'll see the restaurant on the second floor.

Santi Wana, Chaiprakarn

 

Last three weeks, I followed my dad to a construction site in Chaiprakarn, a province in Chiang Mai district.  Santi Wana village is located on the mountain near Myanmar border.  Accidentally, I found a memorial of KMT at the back of construction site.  What I remember from people is that KMT army fled from China to this area.  They also helped Thai government to fight with Communist in Northern Thailand during 1950's to 1980's.

Walking down the road a few steps, is Tham Ngob village.  There is still an army camp which is modified to be an inn for tourist.  In the village you can find typical homemade Yunnan dishes together with Chinese Ulong tea.

Kad Ngua - Chiang Mai Cattle Market

Last Saturday I drove to San Pa Tong to visit my friend.  I caught in a traffic jam, wondered why many cars were around there and found later that there was a bazaar ahead.  Of course I must stop by and check it out!

Water buffalo market

Sold or go back home?

Waiting for the passengers...

Kad Ngua (กาดงัว) is the biggest cattle market in Northern Thailand.  It's located 25 km. to the south of Chiang Mai.  Originally, this place was a trading area for cow and water buffalo merchants in local area and also some from Central Thailand many decades ago.  Nowadays you can find clothes, tools, flowers, food, almost everything for your daily life like in Thai phrase "from toothpicks to warships".  Also the second-hand motorcycles and bicycles are sold here individually with negotiable price.  Many of them are classic type which you cannot find anywhere anymore.

Fighting cock market

Tiny mandarin oranges

Knife shop

Where? >> San Pa Tong, around the 25th km. pillar on Chiang Mai-Hod Rd. (Route 108)
When? >> Saturday only. From 2am (so early!) to 1pm
How? >> Blue bus or Yellow minibus. Both start from Pratu Chiang Mai (Chiang Mai Gate).  Price is around 15 Baht and take 45 mins.