Baggage charges may seem to be the new reality both in Asia and beyond, but there are still a few ways to give them the slip.
Maximise Your Miles: Achieving elite status on one airline helps you avoid fees on that carrier and increases your baggage allowance, but also gives you privileges with other alliance members.
Think Ahead: You’ll save if you prepay for a checked bag while booking with airlines like AirAsia and Jetstar.
Know Your Friends: If you’re travelling in Asia, you’ll get ample allowance from major carriers but pay up for low-cost carriers; in the U.S. the opposite applies. A JetBlue ticket includes one free checked bag; Southwest Airlines passengers can check two bags free.
Team Up: If you’re travelling with someone, pack in tandem so that one person carries on the other checks. Fill the checked bag with toiletries, shoes, bulkier items or anything that won’t make it through a security checkpoint.
Shop Till You Drop: Hitting Siam Square or Chatuchuk Market to refresh your wardrobe? Minimise what you bring (you’ll want to wear your new clothes, anyway) and pack a foldable bag into a carry-on suitcase. Pay to check it on the return leg only.
Not All Bags Are Created Equal: carry-on bags that meet dimension requirements on certain flights won’t always fly with others; if you haven’t used the bag with a certain carrier before, call ahead to ensure it’ll fit.
Do Your Duty, Free: Bags packed to the limit but no gift for the in-laws? Buy duty-free, which won’t go against your weight limit.
This past Sunday I took it upon myself to head north to Chatuchak Market (Jatujuak or JJs as the locals call it) and check out some plants. That’s right folks, it may surprise some (I’m not generally thought of as a “green thumb”) to hear this, but it’s true. And so, Sunday afternoon I pack my bag – water, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, snack – and hit the road!
Trying to explain Chatuchak is not an easy task as this market staunchly defies description as it boggles the mind. When you arrive via the Skytrain you get a good bird’s eye view of just how large it is: some 70 rai (27 acres), which is divided up into 27 sections, housing 15,000 shops [which have being in operation for over 20 years].
The market is skilfully (but not “strictly”) divided up into the following sections:
·Section 22 to 26: antiques, furniture, handicrafts and
·Section 27: books, food and dessert shops, collectibles.
The only downfall to Chatuchak is that it can get extremely hot – the aisles are very narrow and dark, it is outdoors (so no fan or AC), and there are tons of people. Meaning: this is not exactly leisurely shopping in parts, you will have to use your pointy elbows and fight your way through at times. It’s not uncommon to see delirious tourist aimlessly wandering and near fainting as they fervently clutch their abundant shopping bags and staging around searching for that ever elusive “perfect” souvenir. Whilst the undercover parts can be a tight squeeze, there are plenty of open-air sections in-between that offer a cool respite and a chance to re-charge the batteries.
At the start, the market can feel like a total maze, and it is very easy to get frustrated; especially when you cannot navigate through the crap (faux Hello Kitty earmuffs anyone!) to find what you really desire and/or need. At this point, stop, take a fresh OJ break in the shade at one of the ubiquitous urban cafes and don’t succumb to any kind of Blair Witch fantasy and believe you’re frantically lost in the woods. Trust me, once you’ve figured out the map and gotten acclimated to your surroundings, a shopper’s paradise will open up before your eyes! In truth, getting lost is actually my favourite part of Chatuchak, I’ve stumbled across some of my best and most interesting finds that way, I’ll list a few here: squeaky plastic chickens, Mr T t-shirts, solid gold back-scratchers, Reebok Pumps, x-rated fridge magnets, home-made Barbie outfits, mini-pomeranianpuppies, hemp underwear, recycled coca-cola can handbags and Pac-Man Atari games.
As you’re probably starting to realise, Chatuchak is a jack-of-all-trades kinda place, in one corner you have plants and books, in another all manner of pets and their associated paraphernalia, all this neighbouring “trendy” fashion boutiques staffed by up-and-coming local designers and juxtaposed to exquisite hand-made tea sets and a guy selling nothing but novelty lighters. Anything and everything is possible at Chuatuchak. Come armed with an open mind, a big bag, plenty of patience, lots of water, great bargaining skills and you’ll have a fantastic time.
The market is officially open 6am to 6pm on Wednesday/Thursday for plants and flowers, wholesale on Friday and Saturday/Sunday is “miscellaneous”. My advice is go early in the morning or late in the afternoon as the heat and crowds [as many as 20,000 people!] can be quite unbearable. One could easily spend half a day here; I’m usually done after 1.5hrs of caffeine-infused wandering. For more information go to: www.chatuchak.org.
Oh, btw, I did get my plant, a lovely bonsai whom I now call Mr Miyagi (or Mr M) and who sits proudly on my desk at work. Mission accomplished. Nest time a beanbag... I reckon Chatuchak is up to the challenge!!!
Getting there: From the Siam City Hotel take the Skytrain from Phayathai station five stops to the last station, Mo Chit. From there you can easily follow the crowds down the road 200m to the market. You really cannot miss it. Alternatively, you can get there by taxi or MRT, station Chatuchuk Park.
Siam Hotels & Resorts is an award-winning independently owned and operated Thai group comprising the Siam City Hotel, Bangkok (470 rooms); Siam Bayshore Resort & Spa, Pattaya (270 rooms); and Siam Bayview Hotel, Pattaya (260 rooms). In the coming years the group will also expand to include two ‘boutique’ properties: The Siam (39 rooms) on the banks of the famed Chao Praya River in Bangkok; and the Siam Boulevard, an addition to the existing Siam Bayview Hotel site in down-town Pattaya.
