Dec
29
White Palace Hotel, Bangkok
Filed Under travel | 5 Comments
I booked the hotel after a comprehensive search on the internet for cheap and nice hotel in Pratunam area in Bangkok. After reading heaps of reviews and price comparisons, I finally used Agoda service to book White Palace Hotel. Online Booking! ^^
It is located within walking distance to the many famous hotel near that area; Baiyoke Suite Hotel, First House Bangkok Hotel, Indra Regent, MyHotel, Siam City Hotel, Amari Watergate, Great Diamond Suites, S 2 S Boutique Resort, Pratunam City Inn, Bangkok Palace and others!
The price is USD108.03 for 4 nights, which was about RM91 per night, breakfast inclusive. I think the price was rather reasonable for the large room and large bathroom (at least 6 times bigger than Genting First World bathroom!).
The location was strategically located near the Pratunam wholesale market, which was cheaper than Chatuchak & Platinum but too bad I didn’t realise till the very last day, which was a little too late!! But to get to the nearest train station, it could be quite a walk, about 20 to 30 minutes walk. =.=”
Walking to Platinum mall is about 10 to 15 minutes walk which wasn’t too bad.
Only a couple of minor unpleasant incidents with the service but apart from that, everything was good. Like when I called housekeeping for hairdryer, they just said wrong number and hanged up on me. Twice. And they wanted to charged me 18 baht for calling the housekeeping 3 times. But was clarified at the end. =.=”
Oh yeah, you can ‘borrowed’ the hair dryer on demand at the reception counter.
Another minor complain was there wasn’t a proper half-body-length mirror in the whole room! Only a stretch of horizontal mirror which was good enough for make-up but not for previewing your new clothes when you put them on!
Breakfast was pretty good as they served bacon(!!!), ham, sausages, fried eggs, fried rice/noodles, fresh vegetables & fruits; of course with (lousy) coffee & tea as well as too-sweet-juices. I could never get the coffee right.
To get the best coffee, get it from the morning Pratunam market (or Chatuchak or I believe any coffee hawker stall) for only 15 to 20 bath for delicious-iced-coffee! Simply irresistible!
The worst experience I had in this hotel was the hot shower in my bathroom (room 801 specifically, so next time if you get this room, asked for change immediately!!).
You have to carefully ‘tuned’ the tap on for the warm shower. It is either too hot (to the point where you could slaughter a pig) or too freaking cold!
And the temperatures alternated so frequently as I was trying to ‘tune’ it for the right temperatures while showering. The main agenda when you were in the shower was more to tuning for the right temperatures rather than showering.
Sometimes I just gave up and settled for the cold water. It was a very unpleasant showering experience that I have to give up my routine-shower in the morning.
When I was back to my home, I felt so grateful for my hot shower that works perfectly to my desire!
Apart from that, I would probably stay at the same hotel again (for the location, large room & breakfast); but of course not on the same room!
Dec
10
Bangkok, again~
Filed Under travel, happy, me, life | 5 Comments
I remembered reading it somewhere that Bangkok was ranked the best place to travel to in the whole wide world!
Geez, I would have thought it is either Europe or US or somewhere more fancy but then again, I wasn’t entirely sure of this fact and the reasons why it was chosen. Probably the food, the shopping, the ‘entertainment’, the fun, eh?
Whatever it is, it is reason enough for me to make my second trip here, very willingly! I mean I even hope to come here every 2 years, or 3 hopefully. But I know of someone who is not willing to go with me again! Crap..
It was a brilliantly great place, affordable and simply amazing for retail therapy!
Although, I hate to admit that my 2nd landing here was initially due to the combo package that I regrettably-bought and then there was the free ticket, thanks to AirAsia.
But nevertheless, it was a trip that I really sought after, especially after I’ve worked so hard like I never did before. A well-deserved-post-project-trip. There.
5 days 4 nights, I insisted. My first trip was only 4D/3N and I had to go to all the temples, visiting the tiger farm, etc. There wasn’t much time for shopping.
This trip was entirely shopping (though I did not actually, entirely, achieve the satisfaction that I wished for) & of course visit the great Damnoen Saduak Floating Market which was situated an hour and half away from Bangkok city. Not to forget, the insanely-great-massage!
I always rated the trip ‘complete’ or not-much-of-a-regret if we have the last day or half of the last day, not knowing where else to go. It means we have visited all we have planned for and a little extra for unplanned-destination.In this trip, yes. The optional ChinaTown at night.
My itinerary for this trip :
Day 1 : Thursday :
Pratunam WholeSale
Platinum Mall
Day 2 : Friday :
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Silom
Central World
Suan Lum Night Bazaar
Day 3 : Saturday :
Chatuchak
Siam Discovery (The Loft)
Siam Square, Sizzlers dinner
Massage
Day 4 : Friday :
Pratunam Morning Market
MBK
Platinum Mall
China Town
Massage
Day 5 : Monday :
Breakfast @ hotel
Good Bye, Bangkok!
More pics to come.. I hope..
Dec
1
Kit - 64GB Mobility Solid State Disk SATA Hard Drive
Filed Under fun, life | 2 Comments
This is absurd.
Or when I first heard about it.
A Dell hard disk for a mere RM17?
God knows what is a Solid State Disk. Maybe He does knows. 
Okay, maybe a lot of people do know but definitely not me. I am comfortable with the term external hard disk or thumb drive.
When a colleague of mine let me know of the news, just after I stepped out from the shower, I was a little doubtful. I think it was closed to 8pm.
Not even much interested in it. Even if it is a RM17 for a hard disk, a 64GB only. Mine is 160GB and I was planning to get one like 500 GB or 1 Terabyte if possible.
But when he said Dell made a mistake, my ears pricked it caught my attention!
I made a google for a quick and descriptive information about solid state disk but not to much avail. Particularly if I can use it as harddisk.
I made a google-image, but it wasn’t very helpful either.
But when I heard his urgency in asking me to place orders and that other colleagues had ordered A LOT, I’ve made up my mind to buy a couple. Yeah, just I case if I cannot use them or not compatible with my system.
KW who was also online asked his programmer about it and confirmed that it is indeed a crazy bargain!
1000 duly came online when I was placing the order and I quickly seek his professional advice. He said that I’ll need a serial attached SCSI interface to use it and not sure if converter is available. But the price is definitely ‘cheap like shit’. His words, not mine.
Thus, the order was made.
More discussion and googling, I found out that Dell made that mistake in Taiwan by selling Dell 19inches monitor at USD15 instead of USD228 somewhere at the end of June 2009!
Taipei - Dell Inc is expected to compensate tens of thousands of Taiwan shoppers after its website misstated the price for its LCD monitors, triggering rush orders from Taiwanese buyers, according to local media reports Saturday. “It was a mistake in our labels. If we have caused inconvenience to any clients, we are deeply sorry,” TVBS quoted Wang Chen, sales manger for Dell (Taiwan), as saying,
According to cable TV channel TVBS, Dell (Taiwan) has apologized for the error and will discuss a solution with the buyers.
“We will contact these clients and properly settle the issue,” she added.
Reading this, I have doubts that I will actually receive the goods. Or not. Maybe a couple of coupon codes?
I am not sure. Anyone knows what happened to the issue in Taiwan?
I’ve checked that the Dell - Red - 64GB Mobility Solid State Hard Drive - Kit (400-15600) on Dell website costs about € 496.94. Not sure if it is an equivalent product anyway.
This RM17 Kit - 64GB Mobility Solid State Disk SATA Hard Drive product was taken down shortly (around 8.30pm), before I decided if it is worth to invest more on it!
Anyway, it has been an thrilling experience; however bad it is to take advantage of the situation. A little mistake.
Wondered how much it would cost Dell. 
Whatever the outcome might be now. 
Will I get it, or not?
