Our company rarely goes on company outings. We don't even have Christmas parties. Neither do we celebrate anniversaries or have a Halloween party on November. This Bangkok company outing was a first since the company's existence as RightSize Phillipines. We were lucky to travel to Bangkok and experience its grandness. I know its not usual for a Philippine company to treat its whole crew outside the country for free.




Here's a picture of us with our excited faces. We departed on a Thursday night. Prior to the flight, we met at the office then proceeded to Resorts World Manila to kill time and have dinner. We were not allowed by the way to carry check in luggage, just carry on bags so we were forced to bring just a few pairs of clothes to wear. Our boss is not a fan of waiting for baggages at the carousel, thus the hand carries only.




The hotel where we stayed for 3 days was in Pratunam. Its a walking distance to Bangkok's famous shopping places which was a good thing. We are paired with a roomate to share the room. Be warned though that the walls of the bathroom and restroom of this hotel are blurry transparent -- haha, spell awkward. Ideal for couples I think, but not for us.



Friday was spent TEMPLE HOPPING. The temples were beyond amazing. Magnificent. Marvelous. Grand. The architecture was admirable, its intricacy is excellent you would wonder how it was built by people. I love how the walls and pillars shimmer when hit by the rays of the sun. Everything about it was starstruck. The pictures below are not enough to show how splendid the temples were.


We went to the Wat Phra Kaew (or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Benchamabophit Dusitvanaram (also known as the Marble temple) and Wat Saket (also known as Golden Mount). These are not the only temples in Bangkok, but we only managed to go to these 3 that day.


We went there on a February and the sun was greeting us everywhere. It was hot, scorching and humid that day. Bangkok's climate doesn't differ much with ours. Modest clothing is necessary to go inside the temples so imagine us sweating in our pants and sleeved top most of the day.











A picture of us with our sad faces. We got lost from our group on our way to the Grand Palace. There's too many people around and it was a challenge looking for our companions. We have no ways of communicating with them since our phones didn't work in Thailand. Luckily that after around thirty minutes, we reunited with them.


We had our money changed to Baht currency before heading out to the temples. Streets in Bangkok are very much like what we have in the Philippines -- they also have sidewalk vendors everywhere. I also had that feeling like I'm just in Baclaran or Divisoria but with people speaking a different language.


Tuk-tuks are Thailand's version of our jeepney. In order to go temple hopping, our boss rented out tuktuks which fits 3 passengers per vehicle. It's just like riding a tricycle, actually.

After a day of roaming the temples, its time for our company dinner. Before the sun set that day, most of us were already dying to go back to the hotel to freshen ourselves. For dinner, we went to this one of a kind restaurant named Once Upon A Time. It was just a few blocks from where we are staying. This restaurant wasn't the usual because it would look like a residential area. The guest tables are located on its garden and we were able to dine under the night skies, with some of Bangkok's skycrapers when you look up. The food was typical Thai food -- spicy. HAHA! I think I was only able to enjoy the Pad Thai noodles.







Saturday was spent on our own, no team activities. We went out with some of our closest colleagues and roamed the streets of Bangkok. From the hotel where we are staying we walked all the way to Siam Paragon. We've known Bangkok as a shopping haven for inexpensive goods so we've made it a goal that day. Some of the boys checked out the Wax Museum. We girls on the other hand proceeded to the shopping area. The shopping experience can be compared to shopping in Baclaran or Divisoria. Haggling is a must try if you want to save. Since most of Thais don't know how to speak in English, we talk and understand each other through the help of calculators -- thanks for numbers being universal. Hehe.





A view of a Bangkok street at daytime.

Bangkok street at night time.

Food Trip in Bangkok

I'm honestly not a fan of Thai food because I'm not into spicy food. I've tasted a Thai food before in the US which they locally call in Thailand as satay. It's a skewered meat with peanut sauce, it isn't spicy. Too bad, I was not able to taste it again on this trip. We however went to this kainan which displays fresh seafoods outside its store. They served I think one of the spiciest food in Pratunam. I've had enough just tasting the sauce. Haha!



After day of food tripping, walking and shopping which resulted to tired feet and aching body, we decided to try the famous Thai Massage. The hotel where we stayed have massage accommodations so we just waited for the masseuse in our room. What a relaxing way to end our day.



Sunday came and it was time to go back home. With our bags full of pasalubongs and things shopped, we walked our way to the train station which will drop us directly to the airport. We are now allowed to check in luggages by the way. However, we didn't know that it was a pretty good walk to the station and most of us had a hard time, considering the weight of our baggages.


All in all, we had a fun time in Bangkok. It was special because we got to bond with our officemates which I've only met and interacted with inside the office before the outing. I also had the chance to form a friendship with the dayshift people whom I rarely see.Very big thanks to our boss who gave us the opportunity to experience Bangkok and nourished our relationship with the company.