Month: <span>December 2024</span>

Date: January 20, 2023

After walking through Khaosan Road for the first time, I booked a Grab bike taxi and decided to head towards Yaowarat Road, the main street in what is dubbed Bangkok’s Chinatown.

Road to democracy monument Bangkok — The bike passed around Democracy Monument

Sao Chingcha Giant Swing Bangkok — We then passed by Wat Suthat Thepwararam compound and Sao Chingcha a.k.a Giant Swing

Sao Chingcha Giant Swing Thailand — Giant Swing is one of Bangkok’s icons

Towards Yaowarat road Bangkok — As I reached Yaowarat road, I got down near a canal

Sharp Mitsubishi Electric Bangkok — I honestly wasn’t sure where exactly I was dropped off

I walked over to Ong Ang Canal (Khlong Ong Ang in Thai), which it turns out, got a makeover during COVID19 and has now become a tourist attraction.

Bangkok Ong Ang canal panorama — The canal was cleaned up and new murals were painted

Khlong Ang canal Bangkok near Chinatown — ‘Khlong’ is Thai for canal

Eateries along Ong Ang canal Bangkok — Along the canal, on either side, are many eateries

Chai Mafiya Indian restaurant Bangkok — There was a surprising number of Indian eateries too, like this Indian snacks shop

Khlong Ong Ang restaurants Bangkok — Across the canal were dine-in Indian restaurants, a few right next to each other

Mamas Indian restaurant Bangkok — This one is called Mama Restaurant, run by a Punjabi

Ong Ang Canal Thais sitting evening Bangkok — There were sitting areas and a school girl was even singing really well entertaining the passerby. I think she was trying to raise money for some cause.

Khlong Ong Ang canal mural painting Bangkok — The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) gave Ong Ang Canal a makeover with mural paintings and lights on either side

Khlong Ong Ang canal is a nice example of how authorities took advantage of COVID19 lockdowns, to make improvements to city infrastructure, before re-opening the city for tourists.

Unfortunately as my phone’s battery drained, I noticed while I was carrying my powerbank, I forgot to take the charging cable!

Yaowarat road Bangkok no traffic — So I went looking for electronics shops nearby, just to get a USB charging cable

I ended up walking into Always One Plaza near the canal but most shops I saw there were shops selling toys, figurines, and collectibles.

Always One Plaza toy shops Bangkok — Geeks into otaku culture would love this place!

Gunpla figurines Always One Plaza — There were stores selling Gunpla model kits and other figurines

Hobby tables Always One Plaza Bangkok — There were tables set up for school boys to play card games or indulge in other hobbies

I didn’t have much time to explore the rest of Always One Plaza since I had to keep my phone’s battery in mind.

Mega Plaza toy mall Bangkok — Right across Always One Plaza is Mega Plaza — Thailand’s biggest toy mall

Mega Plaza houses hundreds of shops across 6 floors, all dedicated to anime and other pop culture figures, collectibles, hobbies, card games, video games, radio-controlled cars, toys, and digital cameras. Basically if you are into all things tech and a otaku culture — you must visit Mega Plaza when in Bangkok!

Warhammer club Mega Plaza Bangkok — Like this is a store dedicated to the Warhammer franchise, but I’m guessing mostly a place to gather and play the card game

Far BB gun store Mega Plaza Bangkok — They even have a few stores selling BB guns

Mega Plaza toy shops Thailand — It was my first time here and I didn’t know what to expect

Mega Plaza floors Bangkok — I just wished I came here a bit early, as most shops were closed by 6pm, or were on the verge of closing shop

Figure showcase Mega Plaza Bangkok — But many shops at Mega Plaza deal in anime and other pop-culture figurines

Figures showcase Mega Plaza Bangkok — Lots and lots of figurines

Lego figures Mega Plaza Bangkok — From the affordable LEGO models…

Large figures display Bangkok Thailand — … to the expensive, detailed models

Demon Slayer figures Mega Plaza Bangkok — Demon Slayer was very popular

Expensive figures Mega Plaza Bangkok — But one can easily find One Piece and other popular characters out of Japan

If you love anime and all things Japanese pop culture, you’ll find a lot of things to spend thousands of That baht on at Mega Plaza.

I managed to buy a charging cable from a 7-Eleven nearby, and felt a bit relieved as I could now charge my phone using my powerbank.

Ong Ang Canal at night Bangkok — By the time I walked past Ong Ang Canal again, it was all lit up

Ong Ang canal night lights Bangkok — It looked even more beautiful now!

Ong Ang canal night mural Bangkok — Even the murals really stood out at night

Khlong Ong Ang kayaking Bangkok — You can even go kayaking here!

I don’t know what this stretch of Ong Ang Canal looked like before COVID but I must say, I like the makeover BMA has given to the canal. The canal water didn’t smell, and the fact you can kayak here shows what can be done to a city’s waterway for sports activities or tourism!

Bangkok Bustaurant Thailand — Ever wanted to get a tour of Bangkok in a bus while dining on great Thai food — inside the bus? Try Bangkok Bustaurant!

After spending a lot of time near Khlong On Ang, I walked along Yaowarat Road towards the main stretch that most tourists know as Bangkok’s Chinatown. That will be the next post.

Previous posts in this series:

Thailand: Visiting Khao San Road For the First Time

Thailand: Capturing Wat Arun at Sunset

Thailand: Hindu god shrines around Sukhumvit, Bangkok

Thailand: Siam Square Walking Street, a good place to find K-pop stores in Bangkok

Thailand: Phayathai Food Center and Bangkok’s Gundam Base

Flying AirAsia from Manila to Bangkok