A week in Bangkok
For a week I was in Bangkok working, presenting at a conference, but also enjoying art, food and shopping.
Work and the conference were quite good. But this is my private blog, so I’ll talk about the other stuff.
On the way from Spain and Thailand, and back, I had layovers at the new Istanbul IST Airport, and I got to enjoy the Turkish Airlines Business Lounge (much better than the IGA lounge) with its amazing facilities, which is one of the best in Asia. But in Bangkok’s airport, I enjoyed, perhaps even more, at the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge, with an amazing selection of Asian food and delicacies (butterfly pea lime tea… awesome!).
The flight over there was OK, but my left arm was burned (and my clothes stained) by a Turkish flight attendant accidentally spilling boiling coffee all over me. SO much so they had to give me burn gel, and therefore I had to fill out a “medical treatment on flight” form. What shocked me the most is that the airline never apologized, or even showed a bit of concern. Not exactly stellar customer service.
In any case, I made it to the hotel, from where I enjoyed spectacular views of Bangkok, as my room was on the 27th floor. For my first dinner I went to one of my favourite places, the Michelin Starred Tim Ho Wan.
The next two days, with my distributor and a colleague, we attended the Thai Pathology Association Congress, where I had a nice buffet lunch and warm pandan-filled bun, and also gave a lecture and had people take their selfies with my poster in the background. In the evening we had a nice dinner at Kub Kao’ Kub Pla (in the very cute CentralFestival EastVille).
I also did some shopping, as many markets are open at night, so I went to Chatuchak Weekend Market (note to self: don’t go on Fridays, it’s much better on Saturdays and Sundays), The Platinum Fashion Mall, and MBK. The truth is that food is as exciting and delicious as the shopping in those places.
And, of course, I spent a few hours at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), enjoying some really good exhibitions.
All in all a good trip. If only I had my wife and kids with me joining the fun!