Date: January 17, 2023
After arriving yesterday, and resting well, I stepped out for the main reason for coming to Bangkok.
Back in 2019, I picked up my DJI drone just before leaving the city on that trip. Unfortunately, since I picked it up just a day before leaving, it was only once I landed back in India, did I get a chance to properly test the drone and everything that came with it. Upon testing, I found the two batteries that came with my pack were dead upon arrival. Fortunately DJI support managed to ship new ones to me before COVID hit — but I always wanted to go back to Bangkok to see if the service center could try to revive the two dead batteries.
So after nearly 3 years of COVID lockdowns, I managed to return to Bangkok and went to the DJI service center at KSL Tower on Chaturathit road, which was a 10 minute walk from Phaya Thai BTS.
Unfortunately, the technicians took a look at the battery and since it had been more than 3 years since I purchased the drone, they said there as nothing they could do. They could not replace them or even try to repair them as it could have been dead for so long. I was disappointed but there was nothing more I could ask from them.
But just under Phaya Thai BTS station was a food court, chock full of food stalls.
But there were also vendors serving Japanese and Korean dishes, and other types of food — including Halal food run my Muslim vendors. Here’s a brief video:
I found vendor selling some Japanese food.
The katsu was nice and crisp but since everything pre-cooked and served, the food was room temperature at best. I would have tasted a lot better if the dish was served hot or fresh.
After my inexpensive lunch, I headed back to my room.
Disappointed I could not repair the DJI batteries, I had no choice but to throw them into the dustbin. What was the use of carrying dead batteries back to India? I looked online for solutions to fix them myself but it required soldering work and taking apart the casings — but all that’s too risky for me to work on.
After doing some work, I decided to step out again. But instead of taking photos, I chose to a shoot a walk through down Phetchaburi Road.
I had to stop recording video as my phone was getting hot.
As I walked through Bangkok, one key change I witnessed since my last visit was seeing how many marijuana shops had opened up since its legalization in 2022.
But smokers must note before rushing to fly to Thailand, this may not last long — the Thailand government is thinking of reversing the legalization of cannabis for recreational use.
See my Manila post about prices there but just for comparison, a kilo of similar white prawns cost ฿165 per kilo, around ₱257 or ₹380, which is about the same in Kerala (my home state). But in Manila’s Robinsons supermarket (an equivalent to Big C), the same costs ₱818 — or ฿520! And unlike Bangkok city, Manila city is right by the sea!
And mind you, Thailand is an ASEAN nation much like the Philippines with similar demographics and geography. But the difference in prices between the two nations is alarming!
After making a list of things to buy, I left Big C and walked over to CentralWorld mall.
After making a quick stop by ZARA, Uniqlo, and H&M at CentralWorld, I made my way to Siam Paragon mall. I headed down to the food court to have an early dinner.
Not to keep comparing, even the KFC I had at this Bangkok location was better quality compared to the KFC I had from a Cubao franchise in Manila. The chicken there was… disgusting, for some reason :/
Also outside was…
Turns out, Thailand recently got its first exclusive GUNPLA (Gundam Plastic a.k.a Mobile Suit Gundam plastic model kit) store in Bangkok. The Gundam Base Thailand is located in Siam Center mall, which is adjoining Siam Paragon (Siam BTS station for easy access).
You read through the instructions manual, cut out each piece and assemble the parts to create the model of the robot character.
I had bought three HG sets from Tokyo back in 2015. The HG range — or High Grade — are perfect starter sets.
Maybe Japan is still cheaper but I picked up mine in Tokyo way back in 2015. Obviously, prices would have risen by now.
Of course, if you want to see the life-size Gundam robots, you’d have to go to Japan.
Since I walked a LOT today, I craved a body massage.
Feeling relaxed, once I took a warm shower… it didn’t take long for me to fall asleep.
Next posts in this series:
Thailand: Siam Square Walking Street, a good place to find K-pop stores in Bangkok
Thailand: Hindu god shrines around Sukhumvit, Bangkok
Thailand: Bangkok’s Wat Saket and the Golden Mount
Thailand: Capturing Wat Arun at sunset
Previous post in this series:
Flying AirAsia from Manila to Bangkok
