One week in Bangkok made us humble

Manila, Philippines - It is no secret that Thailand, Bangkok specifically, is a shopping mecca for us Filipinos out on a style hunt. So when TAT or Tourism Authority of Thailand called me to represent the Philippines for its Shopping Challenge, a regional gathering of people whose main goal was to out-shop each other, I put on my shopping shoes (which is any pair actually) and flew on the first Thai Airways flight onwards to the kingdom.

First night in Bangkok and the TAT people knew fully well how to entertain its Filipino guests. Food, culture and shopping — not necessarily in that order. The perfect welcome for any foreign visitor — in this case, us — comprised of spicy food, sassy shops and enchanting puppets. And that’s only on day one.

The following day, Team Philippines, composed of Solenn Heussaff, Pepper Teehankee and yours truly set out for Hua Hin with the goal of having some good R&R before the actual shopping battle. The calm before the storm — of course there was so much pressure — we had to prove to all of our neighbors that we Filipinos are the shopping champions, not just within the region, but the world!

After side trips to Phetchaburi (Summer Palace of Rama IV) and Cha-am (Palace of Rama VI) that were both fun and enlightening, we found a great nest within the confines of Hua Hin, once a royal getaway (back in those days, the common folk would go to Pattaya, while the royals would go to Hua Hin — in that way it was like the VIP portion of the Thai beachside culture club) and now a favorite destination for resort and wellness lovers. There at the Sheraton Hua Hin, Team Philippines recharged via spa sessions that erased any stress that we might have packed all the way from Manila. The evening was reserved for some night shopping. Okay, we sound like total brats what with the spa-shopping and eating challenges, but that is really the way Thai people take care of their guests.

After some trips to an elephant farm and some more shopping, we were ready to go. I met up with my Events Incorporated (my QTV show) crew and started shooting our strategy to make sure we bag the championship. Yes, this was just a friendly competition, but hey, our team was fiercely competitive. We even went to all the stores the day before to earmark the goods, to make sure we would pack in the points, and had a detailed check list for everything. Career!

Shopping challenged

The challenge went like this. We were given a map that had six shopping malls and we had to get one item each per mall. The more brands you get to buy, the higher the points. Double points for every Thai brand — gotta love their sense of nationalism! We were given more than three hours, 30,000 baht and a Thai liaison officer named Toon (as in Cartoon) who had the credit card for all the purchases. You can buy sooo much with that money, and I am an avowed fan of Thai designer brands — so this was gonna be a cinch! And so shop we did, without having anything dropped. Well, almost.

Something funny happened on our way to the forum shops, as our trusty plastic wasn’t so fantastic. An hour and a half to go before time was up, our credit card all of a sudden didn’t work. And Pepper got injured and could not walk.

Times like these we needed more than a Juicy, but Pinoy humor and Thai hospitality more than made up for it. Based on points we really would have won had our credit card not malfunctioned, but in these times, it really is always about the lesson. I love Solenn for keeping her cool all throughout — wherever she went, the cameras always followed her, and people would go up to her randomly and ask for a picture! Box-office hit!

So what did we learn in this shopping challenge? One, love thy country like the Thais love theirs. Two, when things go wrong as they sometimes will, smile and think of Thai people respectfully greeting you with “Sawasdee krub.” Three, always be ready for a rainy day, just like the resilience of the Thai people —through economic and political ups and downs, they remain focused, patient, hard working and happy.

And last but not the least, always bring extra cash.

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(The annual Amazing Thailand Grand Sale runs till end of August. Prizes up to 70% off-amazing! Special thanks to Tourism Authority of Thailand for “The Bangkok Shopping Challenge” and “72 hours in Hua Hin,” Trikaya Tours and Thai Airways Royal Silk Class whose Royal Orchid service is incomparable.)