Recap: Return Home

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

continue...

On 27th I guess my pocket is going to be broke if I stay longer. I had activated the account but my account would be insufficient while I have no one in the city. So, I decided to withdraw some 3000 bhat (RM300) at Thai CIMB and decided to board a flight to return home as it is more fast. Since I didn't stay for another booked night at the room. The receptionist lady had returned me some 25% of my money. Good, I could try some food out there if I am fortunate to find some halal stalls.

First I walked along Silom road first and finding some breakfast. I could see two Muslim stalls in the morning. So, I approached them and bought a round bread with butter spread and sugar sprinkled in it baked on a charcoal stove for 10 bhat (RM 1). And then I get some cold coffee from a stall ran by two Muslim girls for 18 bhat (RM 1.80). 

I could see some Buddhist ladies offering necessities for the monks who stand along the road and ladies listening to prayers in Bali after made their offerings. I just put some donation at the beggars along the road and also buying a pack of rice from stalls to be given to the monks. I do not offer it as a believer anymore, but as a sign that Allah mercy is boundless. His mercy does not bound only to Muslim but to all of His creatures. His unworthy slaves and servants must also propagate mercy, peace and love amongst fellow slaves.

Chong Nonsi BTS Station in day light. 

Morning activity in Silom road.

Stalls along Silom road.

Near Chong Nonsi area.

To Airport Rail Link heading for airport, haha.

An Asura replica in Suvarnabhumi airport.

Vishnu Kurmavatara churning milk sea which is an incarnation of Vishnu in the 10 incarnations from Thai Brahmanical narration depicted just after the customs check.

Going to the departure to board the flight for Penang.

Gate where I board the flight.

I took BTS line at Chong Nonsi but before that I thought that I wanted to take the train from Rajathamri but I was lost after crossing Henry Dunant. So, I walked again some kilometers back to Chong Nonsi line and from there straight to Airport Rail Link to Suvarnabhumi airport. 

After arriving at Suvarnabhumi I bought a ticket at Thai Airasia counter after a short waiting and instantly paying around RM375. Just can't wait longer in the city or I have to beg beside the road to return. It would be different if I work or live there.

Then at 15:15, I board the flight and around an hour and 45 minutes arrived at Penang International Airport. Thank You Allah for this safe journey. I arrived at my hostel around 19:00 after an hour in the bus because there was so many cars on the road. Then I prayed at Sungai Dua USM mosque and thanking Allah again.

Thank You Allah through this short travel, I had learned a lot. Although I didn't get to cover many places, many mosques, or any interesting area but just wandering around Silom road but I had learned new things. I learned on how Thais feeling confident with themselves and they do not shy although they don't speak English. They keep talking in their national language and forcing foreigners to learn their isolated language. I was forced to speak in a language that I had left unspoken for about 10 years while in the city.

I saw many different cuisines although most of them are non-halal as the cooks are non-Muslims. I had tried public transportation in Thailand. Those rail lines are quite a headache for me even when I am in KL, but very interesting. I also get a new spirit after such a boring time at home and at hostel. At least I had done something meaningful for myself and I engrave this memory in this site to be revised again by myself if I have other opportunities to visit the city again, insya'Allah :)

Fin....

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa ahlihi wa sahbihi ajma'in. Our Lord please be in contact with prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family and his companions and everyone. Sealed with prayers for peace, love, and mercy on everyone, amin!   

Recap: Taking BTS to Bangrak District

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

I wanted to have dinner at night but I cannot continue drinking tea in Chinese restaurants or Thai stalls at Silom road. It is not because I am a racist but I am trying to obey religious commandment, hehehe. So, I end up walking a little bit to Chong Nonsi BTS station. 

The reception lady earlier told me that they would lock their entrance door around 21:30. And I checked the time and it still early around 19:45 after I had performed jama' prayer of Maghrib and 'Isya services in my room. 

I could still unlock the door by swiping the card tied together with the keys if I come back late. We need to always be careful. Even in Kuala Lumpur, we can not just walk alone late at night. Better be careful than sorry. Recite some supplications invoking Allah's protection and tawakkal (dependence) on Him, then off we go.....  

From Chong Nonsi BTS Station, the road is heading to Bangrak district. I can not recall the road name nor I jot it down in my notes.

Cars coming from Surawong road.....

This is how the BTS station looks like... They say "Bee Tee Ehtt" in their slang the same like Northern Malaysian style when saying something ended with the letter "s". Just like in KL people are using public transportation too but it still jammed with cars down there, haha.

To go to Bangrak district, we need to wait at National Stadium side. I had wrongly wait at the other side and I asked the station guard there few times to conform with my ugly broken Thai, ahaha. The guard was quite polite as he thought I am from rural Thailand... Kita cakap bahasa Siam kampung saja, lol.

This is the area of Ban Ou Mosque in Bangrak district. I snapped the picture while rain was pouring down. The mosque is just after the market at the right side. In front of the mosque are random houses, also Chinese community houses could be seen there.

When I arrived at the BTS station near Bangrak district, I saw a Muslim girl wearing hijab there. I tried to greet her and asking her the direction to Ban Ou Mosque. The map and explanation which I jot down in my notes look like confusing. I could see a Chinese temple at the alley but I didn't know that deep down the alley is a mosque. 

The girl is quite helpful and she told me the direction to the mosque. I just cannot continue speaking in Thai with the girl because it would end up like a kutu (thug) talking to a girl and she is quite polite. I speak Thai in its rough form, hehehe. I guess not only her but most people there talking in polite manner and I do not know where exactly the specific place to use that frustrating "khraap". It seems like in every sentence we say, we must say khraap or kaah for female and I found that it is so not natural. Besides, their tone of accent is quite different and weird too.

There is also a shopping center like Macy at the left side of the motorcycles from front view....

I could hear the bang or adhan which is the calling of prayer for 'Isha' when I reached the mosque. I had already performed the jama' but I just joined the congregation again. Feeling so relieved to find our community there although we are of different countries. There were few Tabligh guys in the mosque and I guess they are not local but might be from Bangladesh based from their appearance. After the prayer, I approached the janitor of the mosque and telling him that I am not a local. I come to find some halal food and seeking the assistance of community to show me the place. 

Khao Mok Kai. It is served with Nam Tom Kai, the Chicken Stock Soup and some sweet chillies dipping which I have no idea on what they call that thing.

Then he walked with me to the food court just close to the market and ordering me a plate of khao mok kai which is a kind of rice with chicken hidden inside the rice. It seems a bit like Biryani but made by Thai Muslim. Then I had a conversation with the stall owner in broken Thai. He seems like trying to invite me to his house in Yaowa but I just politely turned his invitation down because I had already have a room in Silom and I feel it would be a burden for him.

However, I had to return to the mosque and luckily they did not lock the gate. I had forgotten my notes in the prayer hall. It is very important for me because I jot down everything in the notes and I also have some guides in the notes. I returned before 21:30 anyway and managed to buy some mineral water from 7E. Their 7E have no gardenia bread and only serves noodle and rice just like in Japan they serve sushi, udon, and those stuffs.  

Interestingly that I noticed most of the people there love to eat varieties of salad but rarely eat rice at night. They just take side dishes and not rice. They also have foot massages everywhere for 25 bhat (RM 2.48) per hour. I did not try it anyway. Hope that I could try it out in the next visit, hehe.

to be continued...

Recap: Bound at Silom Road

Assalaamu'alaikum wa Rahmatullah!

On 26th the day I arrived and wandering around, I bound for Silom by taking MRT. Checked the time, it was around 15:32. Then, walking quite distances here and there to see where to safely load my stuffs and get a place to sleep. Rugi je, kat Bangrak ada Masjid Ban Uu where we may stay for a day or two there after informing mosque administration. 

Just a bit walk from Saladaeng Metro Station.

I walked in Silom Road and branches of the road. Than I sat for a moment in front of a shopping center there and snapping some shoot to avoid forgetting the area that I had came across. After that, I had seen a signboard showing that there is a hostel down the road which is called as Bangkok Downtown Hostel. 

So I quickly go there to check for the price and it's quite cheap although I was disappointed since I could stay in more cheaper room in Khaosan Road while the problem, I wasn't clear about the roads in Bangkok. The room costs me about Bhat 457 per night and I lodged in for two nights because I just want to be safe so terbanglah dalam 914 bhat (RM91.40). Next time maybe we could take a shared room with other travelers as it costs only 30 bhat (RM30) per night. The owner of the hostel is a Thai Chinese and the receptionist is a Thai lady who is quite friendly and speaks little English. 

Along Silom Road with stalls selling food such as fresh sticky rice, moo yang (grilled pork), fruits, cheap clothes, and others.

Signboards that I had stumbled and I decided to get accommodation details from Bangkok Downtown Hostel.

Stairs to fifth floor for budget single room which is slightly pricy to budget shared room.

This is how the room looks like, quite simple and with fan. No aircond. The size of the roam is approximately the size of my room at home but it's longer than mine, lol.

Scenery from above Bangkok Downtown Hostel, the rail is connected to Chong Nonsi station.

Bangkok Downtown Hostel at the row, it's in the middle of a Chinese tea shop which looks like a temple and a drug store.

Thao Thep Brahma or Sanggar Datuk Dewa Brahma at the end of Silom Road where there is a junction for Surasak-Naradhiwast Road. Quite weird because Brahma cult is not really popular in India, but it's shrine can be seen in some places in Thailand. It has four face which representing directions while the other face above representing central part of the direction. I had learned about this deity before.

What I had observed in this road, it seems like it is a commercial center with farangs (caucasians) and others working in the banks and offices there. There are also locals selling food and they are cheap but we can't eat those nice looking and nice smell food without asking them what are they, hehehehe. 

Moo yang (skewer pork) is quite cheap only 8 bhat (80 cents) for a skewer and 5 bhat for a bag of khao niao (sticky rice). There are also random restaurants and stalls serving food but we have to be extra careful with what we consume there.  I can't eat like before anymore because I had made promise and repent to Him.

I didn't stumble at any mosque yet at that time. I had bought a wrapped phadprik fish rice from 7E and I can't remember how much it costs me. And the rice is put together with pork phadprik rice, hope Allah forgives me :'( 

I was like almost passed out and I walked like non-stop due to that I can't stop by at any stall there in the beginning. Still surveying the place at that time. I had the rice beside a cobbler and of course reciting prayers for birkah (blessings) and asking forgiveness before eating the food because I had no choice, wishing that my flesh won't be burned in fire for violation of the promise and covenant. I had also have my meals at several random stalls after that but trying to minimize meat by telling them that I am a follower of ahimsa (non-violence) movement, hahaha.   

to be continued...