Leaving Bangkok, Oman Air Lounge at BKK, and flying over Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Date: January 22, 2023

I woke up earlier than usual because I had to get to the airport by 10AM for my 1PM IndiGo flight back to Bangalore.

Retro39 hotel room view Bangkok — It was time to check out of Retro39

Mochi ring banana flavoured donut Bangkok — I had bought this banana cream doughnut from the Lawson convenience store downstairs

I didn’t eat much of a breakfast as I had plans to eat at an airport lounge before my flight.

Phrom Phong area apartments — I liked the area I stayed at this time. I might come back to this side, near Phrom Phong BTS station.

Inside Toyota Corolla Cross Bangkok — I booked a Grab taxi to take me to Suvarnabhumi airport

Toyota Corolla Cross Bangkok airport — It was a Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid — a popular crossover here. I really like its simple design!

Suvarnabhumi airport departures new terminal Bangkok Thailand — My flight was with IndiGo Airlines, whose counters were at the far right end of the terminal

VAT refund counter Suvarnabhumi airport — The VAT refund counter for tourists is here — right opposite the IndiGo counters

Remember, you need to show the filled out VAT refund form from the shop you purchased the goods, show the inspector the purchased goods at the VAT refund counter, and then get the papers stamped from here before you pass through security. The actual cash refund you get in hand is from another counter after immigration and security.

Thailand overstay warning sign airport — Foreigners overstaying in Thailand is so common that overstayers are routinely banned from returning for a number of years

VAT refund cash counter Suvarnabhoomi airport — It’s from counters like this where tourists can get the cash refund as per the VAT scheme

The VAT refund scheme for foreign tourists shopping in Thailand is a 2-step process. First go to the counter before checking-in, declare the items and get the VAT form from the shop stamped, and then after immigration go to the above VAT refund counter to receive the cash refund.

Suvarnabhumi Bangkok duty free liquor — Suvarnabhumi airport got an interior makeover during COVID19

Suvarnabhumi airport glass design — I had nothing to buy from the Duty Free, so I made my way to the lounge

Since I was flying IndiGo, a budget airline with poor meal choices, I decided to check which lounge I could access near my gate using Priority Pass.

Oman Air lounge Suvarnabumi BKK airport — Oman Air’s lounge was in the Priority Pass list for concourse E

Oman Air lounge BKK entrance — I faced no issues at entry

Oman Air Sindbad lounge Bangkok airport — The lounge isn’t the biggest or anything but there were enough chairs available for the number of guests I saw

Oman Air lounge buffet Suvarnabhumi airport — The buffet comprised of both Arabian and Thai dishes

Alcohol drinks Oman Air lounge Suvarnabhumi airport Bangkok — Enough choices for liquor and soft drinks

Check out the video below for a brief tour of the Oman Air lounge at Suvarnabhumi (BKK) airport:

Food at Oman Air airport lounge Thailand — I ate very well and realized this is a much better meal than I would get in an airplane’s economy class

Suvarnabhumi airport BKK concourse — When it was time, I made way to my boarding gate

Pagoda Bangkok airport terminal — This is all new

Indigo 6E76 Suvarnabhumi airport — Indigo 6E76 was delayed by 30mins

Indigo 6E76 BKK to BLR flight — The flight was mostly full

Bangkok aerial view city planning — Bye bye Bangkok

Bangkok smog brown sky aerial view — One can see the layer of smog as you depart Bangkok

Bangkok aerial view leaving Suvarnabhumi — Bangkok is not a coastal city

Bangkok V shape aerial view — The outskirts of Bangkok are largely industrial and agricultural land

Fields outside Bangkok aerial view — We were now flying over Myanmar

Aerial view Myanmar villages — I don’t know where in Myanmar we were flying over

Thailand shoreline Bangkok window seat view — But it wasn’t far from Myanmar’s coast

One of the reasons for booking this IndiGo daytime flight was that fact we would flying over the Andaman Islands.

Island off Myanmar coast — An island off Myanmar’s coast

Flying over Andaman islands BKK to BLR — An hour into our flight, I could see Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Here’s a brief video I made while we flew over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands:

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A post shared by Mithun Divakaran (@mithunonthenet)

Flying over Andaman island coast — Andaman and Nicobar Islands are actually closer to Thailand than they are to Tamil Nadu/India

Outside Bangalore aerial view — 2.5 hours later, we were near Bengaluru

Nandi hills aerial view from airplane — Nandi Hills?

And that’s it. A brief stopover in Bangkok on the way back from my month-long stay in the Philippines. I never get tired of Bangkok and Thailand in general, and I cannot wait to visit the Land of Smiles again.

Previous posts in this series:

Thailand: Jatujak Weekend Market and Mixt Chatuchak Mall

Thailand: Toy malls of Bangkok – Mega Plaza and Always One Plaza; Ong Ang Canal at sunset

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