Authentic Thai Culinary Experience at Patches Thai Restaurant

It has been a long while since my trip to Thailand, perhaps anywhere else beyond the Philippines. At this point, my curiosity and eagerness to experience new things are already bursting at the seams. I was just craving something familiar from the land of smiles. The great thing I discovered Authentic Thai Culinary Experience at Patches Thai Restaurant in Angeles, Pampanga.

I’ve been visiting Angeles a lot lately since I purchased my first car ever. It’s nothing fancy, just enough to take me where I want to go to. It was my birthday so I thought that I’d go out and treat myself. For dinner, it was Thai for me!

After a restful afternoon at Gong Hang Sauna inside Clark, I traveled the Malabaas road where Patches Thai Restaurant is situated. It is about a 7km, 15-minute drive from the Air Base. I arrived at the restaurant at about 6:30 PM just in time for dinner ahead of the coming crowd of diners.

I placed my order at their front counter, though I think you can also sit down and wait to be served. I ordered Padthai, of course, Papaya Salad, and the quintessential Thai milk tea. since I was alone they were able to seat me inside where there is airconditioning.

Waiting time was reasonable, and must I say worth it!

I had to hold myself from digging into my food immediately and waited for my Thai milk tea. I was hesitant knowing that Thai food can be a bit spicy.

Finally, I got my drink. I am now ready to dive in.

I have to say that the serving is quite generous that two persons can share one. The pad Thai was just as tasty as I remember it was. Patches Thai Restaurant also provides seasonings on the side with mashed peanuts being one of them. Back in Bangkok, I would add chunky bits of peanuts but having them mashed just brings out the best of the dish.

The papaya salad was just to die for!

It was an awesome marriage of sweet, a bit of spicy, and tangy tastes. The papaya was crunchy while the sauce was just refreshing! Though they asked me what level of spiciness I wanted, I was still quite hesitant to try it without my milk tea, knowing what medium and not so spicy in Thailand means! LOL! Thankfully though, their spice meter has been adjusted to Filipino standard so medium spicy does mean medium spicy! LOL!

As for the Thai Milk tea, it was just as I remember it having in Bangkok. Nothing special though, but if you want authentic Thai milk tea, you can count on Patches Thai Restaurant. To be honest, though, I actually like the 7-11 milk tea in Bangkok. But hey, the ones served at the restaurant is just how they do it in Thailand!

I spent about 30 minutes trying to finish my dishes but the serving was just too big for me. Remember to bring a friend, if you have one (LOL), when you visit Patches Thai Restaurant in Angeles, Pampanga. I had to ask the restaurant to put my papaya salad in a takeaway bag, it was just wrong to leave it there! When they got back to me, it was just a joy to see they made it just as local vendors in Bangkok do it!

I spent about a little over thirty minutes in the restaurant trying to consume everything and fail. Don’t get me wrong that’s actually good as the servings are generous. The interior was homie, with their brown vinyl walls reminding me of traditional houses in Thai telenovelas.

It was all good! I can’t wait to comeback and try their other dishes. I could only order so much since I got no one to Patches, I can’t wait to be back!

Patches Thai Restaurant
26B Malabanias Road, Angeles City, Philippines
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057026366895
Phone: +63 961 483 8823

2018: Sharing The Gift Of Travel

Over the past years, I’ve traveled solo exploring most of Southeast Asia. Every once in a while though, I get this idea that it could be a lot more fun if bring friends or even family with me. Don’t get me wrong, I still love solo travel above all, but I guess sharing the gift of travel is a good idea.

My 2018 was filled with travels shared with friends and family.But these trips didn’t just happened this year alone, its preparation even dates back a year earlier. Budgeting for several people  for a couple of trips was quite a daunting task. It was quite scary assuring them that the amount I ask them to save would be enough for the entirety of the trips.

The first trip I had was on January. This trip was particularly the hardest. It was a fourteen day Indochina trip starting in Vietnam. Not everyone can join the trip at the same time. We began the trip with four friends going to Ho Chi Minh City. Two of them bailed out last minute, leaving me with two companions. Before we head out to Phnom Penh, three friends joined us; then another three followed when e were in Siem Reap. Three people later went ahead to Bangkok after a day in Siem Reap, then two friends joined us when we arrived in Bangkok. It was a roller coaster ride indeed! A logistics nightmare, but it was fun!

 

March is a good time for Taipei, one of my pet cities in the world. I love the cool weather during spring and how beautiful the Cherry Blossoms are. A trip with your friends wouldn’t be complete unless someone backs out. Yep one backed out, so in with my best friend’s aunt. I’d say that the tour turned out good, I feel like everyone felt they got their money’s worth that they even sat down one of the scheduled tours. I stayed in Taipei for a couple more days after they left. I wanted to enjoy the city like how I always enjoyed it to be. The city is just full of life and class.

 

After a few months of staying at my base, my feet itched for some travel. Easiest place to get to? Baguio! It has been a while since I’ve been there so I was really excited about visiting it again. It was just a bus ride away after all. I revisited all the usual tourist spots like the Burnham Park, Mines View Park and the Baguio Cathedral. I wanted to check them out again since it has been a few years since I’ve been to the city.

The highlight of my travel year was on November. It was a surprise for my dad. All he knew was that we are going to Viet Nam, he was surprised later on that we are actually backpacking across Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand! He only figured everything out when we checked out of our AirBnb in Ho Chi Minh city and rode a bus to Phnom Penh, Dad also met my girlfriend for the first time, who is Cambodian and is based in the capital city. Our journey ended in Bangkok where shopping was really good. We had loads of fun and dad really enjoyed biking around Siem Reap. As for me it was awesome having traveled with dad knowing that he hates bus rides, but still manage to make it through. He actually didn’t got dizzy at all!

Don’t get the idea though that this year was just all good. This year was also my most challenging, as one of my projects went down the drain. It wasn’t even my fault, I was just there to assist. But then everything snowballing that caused difficulties for me in planning my travels for 2019. It was traumatic, but I learned a lot in the process.

Travel was abundant for me on 2018. I am grateful that I was able to share my passion with friends. It was tiring but fulfilling showing them

Beach Days In Pattaya

Knowing that I’ll be travelling mostly inland during my Indochina solo backpacking trip, I made it a point that I’ll see the sea. At least once. It was kinda difficult finding a way to put Pattaya on the route to Cambodia without going back to Bangkok. There was little information about transportation  from there to the border town of Aranyaprathet. The backpacker instinct in me though said there must be some form of transport going from there to the border. So I said, heck yeah I’ll just wing it! Continue reading

How to Make the Most of Your Time in Bangkok

Bangkok is a popular destination and often the first port of call for anyone who’s visiting Thailand for the first time.

The capital city never stops, with busy streets, constant traffic and famous nightlife all combining to create that unique Bangkok atmosphere. Continue reading

Must See Tourist Spots In Bangkok

A lot of people try to go off the beaten path avoiding places crowded with tourists. But then again most of these bangkok thailand tourist spots are so iconic that you’d just somewhat “need” to cross it out of your list. So we’ve come up with a list of tourists spots that first timers can definitely enjoy!

  1. The Grand Palace

    Visit the former residence of the King of Thailand that exudes elegance and royalty all throughout the complex.  [Read More Here]

    bangkok thailand tourist spots

  2. Wat Pho

    Gaze at the massive reclining buddah and experience Thai massage right at its birth place at the Wat Pho. [Read More Here]

    bangkok thailand tourist spots

  3. City Pilar

    Considered as the center of the City of Bangkok, the City Pilar Shrine houses of course, a Pilar which  [Read More Here]
    bangkok thailand tourist spotssource

  4. Wat Arun

    Known to be the Temple of Dawn Wat Arun was originally built as a Hindu temple across the Chao Phraya river from the Wat Pho [Read More Here]bangkok thailand tourist spotssource

  5. Chao Phraya River Express

    When all traffic is jammed in the old city center of Bangkok, residents luckily has the Chao Phraya express to navigate from one end of the city to another [Read More Here] bangkok thailand tourist spots

  6. Asiatique

    Fast becoming as the go to chill out place of youngsters in the city, Asiatique is an old industrial riverfront property turned into a hip place for food and entertainment. [Read More Here]bangkok thailand tourist spotssource

  7. Shopping Malls

    MBK
    Platinum Fashion Mall
    Pantip Plaza
    bangkok thailand tourist spots

  8. Floating Market

    Probably one of the destination that would come up on a Thailand first timer’s list. Its most famous floating market the Damnoen Saduak floating market located about two hours from Bangkok. bangkok thailand tourist spots

  9. Giant Swing

    It is said that during the early kingdoms of Thailand, the king would install one giant swing in each important city. these swings are used as a ceremonial accessories in royal rituals. [Read More Here]bangkok thailand tourist spots

  10. Khaosan Road

    Considered to be the center of the backpacking universe, Khaosan road hosts to hundreds of guesthouses for backpackers starting or ending their journeys [Read More Here]
    bangkok thailand tourist spots

  11. Yaowarat

    Chinatown’s main road, Yaowarat is Bangkok’s main foodie destination. The main street would come alive at night with different stalls offering a wide variety of food selection. [Read More] source

  12. Jim Thompson House

    The house of the american businessman who helped revive the Thai Silk trade across the globe houses artifacts of the businessman himself [Read More Here]bangkok thailand tourist spots

  13. Lumpini Park

    bangkok thailand tourist spots

  14. Erawan Shrine

    Originally constructed in the 1950’s to grace the opening of the old Erawan Hotel, hence the reference of Erawan Shrine. [Read More Here]bangkok thailand tourist spots

    bangkok thailand tourist spots

  15. Victory Monument

    bangkok thailand tourist spots

  16. Democracy Monument

    bangkok thailand tourist spots

  17. loha prasat

    bangkok thailand tourist spots

Bangkok Hostel: Zee Thai Hostel

We were on a 12 day backpacking trip of the Indochina region of Southeast Asia and a few of my friends went ahead to Thailand. They didn’t have the luxury of time. They were booked at the same hostel where the rest of us will be staying. But when they got to the hostel, they were quite disappointed with the accommodation. I got into panic mode and re-booked our group to a different hostel.

wanting to stay near Khaosan road, to be just a stone throw away from the main attractions of the old city so we can just wander around saving us money. Though there are hundreds of hostels in and around Khaosan, I had a budget to work around and a level of comfort to provide for my friends -they aren’t really thrifty-stingy-backpackers like me.

I scoured through the pages of online booking sites like Booking.com and Agoda. I sorted out options and trying out different types of accommodation just to keep the group together in one room. I kinda gave up and chose Zee Thai Hostel. According to the map, the hostel is almost 1k from the Khaosan area, it felt a bit too far.

LOCATION

I thought that it far from the action in Khaosan road. I was wrong. Though the map tells me that it was almost a kilometer away, but the actual walk from the hostel didn’t feel like it.  It was a leisurely 3-5 minute walk along the alleys of boutique hostels. Turns out that being tucked away from the noise of Khaosan became an advantage.

The location also allowed us to hail taxis and tuktuks without worrying abut competing with other tourists. Every night there are also a lot of pop-up shops that sets up their stores in front of the hostel so food isn’t gonna be an issue if you’re lazy to go to Rambuttri alley. During day time there are barbecue shops around the area where we eat to our hearts content! price starts at 10-20 bhat a piece for grilled chicken.

 

ROOMS

My friends definitely love the rooms. Each dorm bed had curtains that provides some privacy when you sleep.  Each room has its own split type climate control, this was awesome for us since we rented the entire dorm room. They left the controls to us so we were able to adjust the temperature to a comfortable level. However if you are staying with other solo travelers, you can still request the front desk to adjust it for you.

 

AMENITIES

Our stay in Zee Thai Hostel was really comfortable. We would just hang out at the common area and watch cable TV or movies online on their massive smart TV during our free time. Other travelers take advantage of the free use the computer while some just play with the instruments around or read a book that is readily available from the shelves.

 

One thing though that really convinced me that Zee Thai Hostel is one of, if not the best hostel near Khaosan; The washer! It was our group’s last day together -them going back to Manila and me staying behind for business. I had to decide whether I’d extend in Zee Thai Hostel or move on to a cheaper one. Then while hanging out on their roof deck a poster caught my attention. It said yes its free to use! Along with photos of hotel amenities including the clothes washer!  Having clothes washed  will cost you about  $1-2 per kilo and if you have jackets and pants that would cost a lot! So I thought that instead of having my clothes done for me I’d rather stick to this nice hostel and wash my own clothes. I actually saved money by not moving to a cheaper hostel!

For digital nomads, the hostel’s  internet connection is just awesome. We can download an entire album in just minutes on our phones! I was also able to upload photos from a recent wedding I covered in less than 15 minutes!

PRICE

The Zee Thai Hostel offers different price ranges depending on what season, month and how long you will be staying. They offer good discount during lean season and extra discounts for people who will be staying long term in the hostel. We were able to secure our beds for about $8 a night. Being the one who booked for the group, I initially felt that it was a bit pricey.  That notion though changed when we got to the hostel, The interior was so refreshing and the staff was just so warm in welcoming us.

THE VERDICT

I’d say that the Zee Thai hostel is a great choice if you want to stay near Khaosan and still want to have some peace and quite when you retire for the day. There can be other options that way cheaper than the Zee Thai Hostel  if you are trying to slow down your spending – I use to stay in a $2 hostel. However, if you spending a few more dollars is not an issue, or if you are staying for a few days and you want to enjoy your trip without breaking the bank Zee Thai Hostel can be the best choice for you.

Backpackers hanging out at the roof deck.

Zee Thai Hostel
Address: 258/1, บ้านพานถม, พระนคร, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
(258/1 Wisut Kasat Road Pranakorn 10200 Bangkok, Thailand)
Phone: +66 97 201 6317

How To Get To Pattaya From Aranyaprateth

Most travelers coming from Cambodia opts to go straight to Bangkok as soon as they cross the border to Aranyaprateth. But if you are looking for to have some time under the Thai Sun a quick stop over in Pattaya can satisfy your craving for some sand between your toes.

One can get to Pattaya from the border by booking a bus online, however most of the bus companies that I found are quite expensive. Good thing is that staff in the hotel where I as staying gave me directions on where I could catch a Van to Pattaya at a fraction of the cost.

After going through immigration find your way to the Star Plaza Mall‘s open air parking on the right side where van are located. You can buy a ticket from the terminal desk, they will issue a receipt so make sure that you don’t lose it because at some point of the journey they will be inspecting this.

Fare all the way to Pattaya is about 250 Baht.

Here are some photos of the terminal that you should be looking for.

Terminal Desk

Terminal To Pattaya

Do you know any other way to get to Pattaya from Aranyaprateth? Let us know in the comment!

How To Get To Khao San Road From Airport

There’s a couple of ways to get to the city from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, it is really up to you how would you want to navigate the city depending on how much time and convenience you are willing to let go. Here’s a couple of ways on how to get to Khao San Road from the airport.

Via Taxi

The most convenient yet expensive way to get to Khao San Road from the airport is by taking cab. Flag down rate starts at ฿ 35 while ฿ 6 is charged for every kilometer while a surcharge of ฿ 1.25 for every meter is applied if your vehicle is moving under 6 kph. You will also need to shoulder the toll fees for the expressway while you will be at the mercy of Bangkok’s famous traffic jams.

Via Bus

There are buses at the arrival area that you can ride taking you directly to Khao San Road. Fare is about ฿ 150 – 180 depending on the bus company. Compared to taxis they are more comfortable with bigger seats designed for trips, but just like the taxi travel time will depend on the traffic situation.

Via Train

First off, the train will NOT take you directly to Khao San road. You can take the airport train up to the end of the Airport Rail Link line which is the Phaya Thai station. From the Phaya Thai station, walk to the Victory Monument or take another train (just one station away ฿15) and take the 509 or 157 bus. Make sure to tell the conductor to unload you at the right stop. Fare from the airport to Phaya Thai station is ฿45 and the bus to Khao San road is ฿13

Victory Monument Bus Stop