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Photos and stories from many of my travels in the past 5 years

Thailand: Checking out ICONSIAM mall — and leaving Bangkok

By Mithun Divakaran
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Jun 20, 2022
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Bangkok, Thailand, Travel

When: November 2019

I’m clubbing a bunch of photos from my last few days in Thailand into one post since there really isn’t much that deserves its own post. From my hostel, I switched to a hotel for the last three days in Bangkok. One of my clients lent me a discount voucher she wasn’t using and I used it to book three nights at the Holiday Inn Express at Sukhumvit 11.

Holiday Inn Express Sukhumvit 11 was a bit of a walk to the Nana BTS (metro) station

Electric tuktuk Bangkok Thailand — But the hotel offers shuttle service (for guests only) back and forth to the metro station every 30 minutes

Holiday Inn Express Sukhumvit lobby — The hotel is a 3-star property. Breakfast is complimentary but don’t expect a grand buffet.

Holiday Inn Express Sukhumvit room — But the room was spacious, clean, and modern

View from Holiday Inn express Sukhumvit 11 — The views were nothing special given the location

The area I was in was mostly small hotels all around but there’s a 7-11 within walking distance. Since it rained, I pretty much stayed inside the hotel until it stopped. I then visited the IKEA in Bang Na as getting there is pretty cheap with the free shuttle service to the mall.

IKEA lunch Salmon — I had quite a loaded late lunch (that’s salmon if you’re wondering)

The next day, I continued my search for the DJI Mini drone. I read ICONSIAM mall had a DJI dealer and since I hadn’t been to the (then) new mall, I decided to make a trip out of it.

To get to ICONSIAM mall from the Sukhumvit area, take the BTS metro train to Saphan Taksin station. Follow the directions to Sathorn Pier via Saphan Taksin BTS Station Exit 2. It’s a short walk.

Under the bridge kids swimming Bangkok — Kids were taking a dip in the river streams

ICONSIAM mall provides free shuttle boat rides every 10 minutes across the Chao Phraya river to bring you to the mall

The rides are quite frequent so even though there are lines, you don’t have to wait long

Chao Praya river boats Bangkok — It’s not much of a river ride anyway

Chao praya river apartments — A lot of high end apartments line Chao Phraya river

Barely takes 5 minutes to get to ICONSIAM Mall, on the other side of the river

ICONSIAM is largely a luxury-focused mall, kind of like Siam Paragon mall in Sukhumvit. But it does have more affordable stuff like H&M and ZARA too.

The mall is pretty both inside and out!

The Veranda is one of the multiple food hubs at the mall

Despite all the well-known brands, I was drawn to the Sooksiam area on the Ground floor. Sooksiam has stalls selling clothes, souvenirs, and food from all the provinces in Thailand. It is trying to replicate a street market experience but in the comforts of an air-conditioned environment.

You have restaurants and shops too

Makes for a nice spot for photography

The interiors were really well done

The prices were not that high for the “street food” stalls

Just like I mentioned in the previous post, fruit-shaped scented soaps are a top seller in Bangkok

I went up to check out the rest of the mall

Bangkok is the only city from my travels (so far) where I’ve seen luxury car dealers having showrooms inside a mall

I find it funny how H&M and ZARA are always close to each other. In ICONSIAM’s case — right next to each other.

The electronics stores are mostly on the 4th floor

Visiting the DJI booth did not yield anything desirable. So I continued exploring the rest of ICONSIAM.

Iconsiam mall Porsche Thailand — I saw a massive line outside a familiar logo

Iconsiam Apple store Bangkok Thailand — There was a massive line to get in to the official Apple store — the largest in Thailand

Iconsiam mall floors Bangkok Thailand — I must say, ICONSIAM sure is a pretty looking mall!

Iconsiam food court Bangkok Thailand — The interiors are very well designed

Iconsiam 4dx cinema multiplex Bangkok — You still have your mall staples, such as a multiplex at the top floor

Suralai hall Iconsiam Bangkok — Even a large hall for events

Iconsiam Fendi Louis Vuitton — The high end brands are up front, closer to the entrance

Iconsiam mall front Bangkok Thailand — ICONSIAM is one of the better malls to visit in Bangkok

Bangkok has a lot of malls, especially in the Sukhumvit area. While many of the brands at ICONSIAM can also be found at malls in the Sukhumvit, the interior (and exterior) design makes ICONSIAM mall a worthwhile visit.

Iconsiam boat pier Bangkok Chao Phraya river — I waited for the free shuttle boat ride back to Sathorn Pier

Old customs house Bangkok Thailand — That run down building was the old Customs House

Fumi Japanese restaurant ramen Bangkok — Back in Sukhumvit, I had ramen for lunch at Fumi in Siam Paragon mall

While soaking up the air-conditioning in CentralWorld mall, I just happened to drop into a PowerBuy (a major electronics chain). I asked them about the DJI Mini and was told that it would only release a week later. But they just happened to have the DJI Mavic Air, heavily discounted. I really didn’t feel like spending so much for a first drone but at the same, the price on offer was Rs. 30,000 less than what the Air cost back in India. That was quite tempting… and I caved. I swiped my credit card and headed back to my hotel with my very first drone.

DJI Mavic Air unboxing — I unboxed the Mavic Air but did not get the time to fly it while in Thailand… something I’ve wanted to do for many years

For dinner, I headed to the part of Sukhumvit full of Middle Eastern restaurants.

Nana Little Arabia Bangkok Thailand — I had a Pide and a shawarma for dinner

That was pretty much it. The next day, I headed to the airport in the evening by taxi.

For the first time, I was flying back to Bangalore from Don Mueang airport since Air Asia uses the old airport for the Bangalore flights. Don Mueang, which got replaced by the much larger Suvarnabhumi International Airport, got a new lease of life — thanks to budget airlines — and is now a major hub for domestic flights and some international destinations.

Customs inspection for VAT refund Don Mueang airport — Before I checked in my bags, I went to the VAT refund counter

Since I purchased my drone from Powerbuy, I was eligible for the VAT refund scheme (tourists get 7% of the bill value back in cash). You have to submit the bill and VAT refund form the store provided, and show them the item your purchased. Once the officer stamped the VAT refund form, I then checked in my bags and finished the security process.

VAT refund cash Don Mueang airport — Past immigration, near the duty free areas and restaurants, you will find the VAT refund cash counter

I collected a few thousand baht in cash as my eligible refund and felt happier knowing I got my drone for quite a steal!

Lounge Don Mueang international airport — Using my Priority Pass card, I made my way to the lounge

Don Mueang airport lounge food — They had a buffet and complementary drinks

When it was time, I made my way to the gate and boarded my Air Asia flight, which was on time.

Chicken penang curry rice Thai omelette — I had pre-booked a Chicken Penang curry rice with Thai omelette, which was alright. Yeah, I ate a lot that night!

Even as I write this, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my chance to travel right before COVID shook the world and shut down travel and tourism. I cannot imagine how much it must have impacted a city like Bangkok. It would be nice to go back to Thailand before the pre-COVID crowds come back, especially with a drone now.

Until then… thanks for reading!

Previous posts from Thailand:

Thailand: Flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok

Thailand: Ratchada Night Market (Rot Fai 2) — what it used be

If you have not checked out my Vietnam leg of this journey, the links are below.

Vietnam series:

Flying from Phuket to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Vietnam: Ben Thanh Market and Mariamman Hindu Temple, Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam: Independence Palace and Norodom Palace Exhibit

Vietnam: War Remnants Museum, Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam: Bui Vien Street — Ho Chi Minh City’s nightlife area (for tourists)

Vietnam: Vinh Trang Pagoda in Bến Lức

Vietnam: Bến Tre canal boat ride, Tien River (part of Mekong Delta tour)

Vietnam: Coconut sweet making factory, Bến Tre

Vietnam: Cao Dai temple in Tây Ninh

Vietnam: Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, Ho Chi Minh City Central Post Office

Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City’s Book Street, Opera House

Vietnam: Nguyen Hue Street and Saigon Riverwalk

Vietnam: Taking bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne

Vietnam: Po Shanu Cham Towers, Hindu temple near Mui Ne

Vietnam: Mui Ne Sand Dunes Sunrise Tour – visit to Bao Trang desert (White Sand)

Vietnam: Mui Ne – Red Sand dunes and Fishing Village

Vietnam: Mui Ne’s Fairy Stream (Suoi Tien)

Vietnam: Leaving Mui Ne, returning to Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam: Tan Dinh Market and Pink Church; night ride to District 7, Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam: Views from Bitexco Financial Tower observation deck

Vietnam: Saying goodbye to Ho Chi Minh City

Thailand: Ratchada Night Market (Rot Fai 2) — what it used be

By Mithun Divakaran
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Apr 04, 2022
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Bangkok, Thailand, Travel

Date: 2 November 2019

After spending some time at Chatuchak Weekend Market, I took the MRT (Bangkok’s subway) from Chatuchak to Thailand Cultural Centre station. I came here to visit — what was then — a increasingly popular night market.

I say ‘was’ because… look at the date I was there. Just two months later, COVID hit the world. Thailand’s tourism sector came to a halt. And for a city like Bangkok, that sees nearly 40 million(!) visitors annually, needless to say, the lack of tourists had a massive impact on the footfalls flowing into Bangkok’s popular night markets.

Now, the site in Ratchada district where Rot Fai 2 market used to be looks like this now:

That said, according to a video by Coconuts Bangkok, uploaded in August 2021, the Ratchada Night Market will make up a comeback… eventually. Unless a property developer is already eyeing the land for another luxury development in Bangkok 🙄

Rot Fai means ‘train’ in Thai. The night market used to be located by the train tracks in the Chatuchak area but later moved to the Ratchada district.

Anyway, if the Ratchada Rot Fai market does return to the same location, here’s how to get there and what the market offers.

Once you exit Thailand Cultural Centre MRT station, head towards a mall named Esplanade.

Esplanade mall Bangkok Thailand — The Rot Fai night market is behind Esplanade

If you search for Rot Fai night market online or look it up on Instagram, you will most likely see a photo of an over head view of the colourful tents at the market. To get that iconic shot, you don’t need a drone.

Continue reading “Thailand: Ratchada Night Market (Rot Fai 2) — what it used be” »

Thailand: Flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok

By Mithun Divakaran
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Feb 14, 2022
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Thailand, Travel

Date: 1 November 2019

After 11 days of travelling, I was now on a VietJet flight to Bangkok. I began my trip in Phuket, where I spent two nights on the island before landing in Ho Chi Minh City. I spent nine days in Vietnam, and now I’m flying again.

Clouds over Vietnam sea — We were flying over the Gulf of Thailand

VietJet lands at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Arriving Suvarnabhumi airport Bangkok — I always feel nostalgic whenever I land at Suvarnabhumi 🙂

Whenever I take the travelators at Suvarbahumi (of which there are many to get to immigration), it would always remind me of my first visit to Thailand in 2009, which was my first international trip, and how this blog got started!

I had booked my stay at In A Box Hostel for my arrival in Bangkok. The hostel is just a 1-minute walk from Ratchathewi BTS station. I chose to stay in a hostel because I would be moving to a nicer hotel later, and also, it had been a while since I experienced a hostel. The last time I stayed in a hotel was back in 2015.

I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to find any photos I took of the dorm, and I thought I did. That said, In A Box Hostel looked fairly new and had very nice rooms with clean, comfy beds for 300 THB (₹670/$9/€8) per night in the shared dorm. But this… was pre-COVID. As of this writing, they don’t offer shared dorm rooms, only private rooms.

I don’t blame them. Even if I were to travel again soon, I don’t think I will stay in a shared room (for safety reasons).

Anyway, I had to visit a DJI service center to get my brother’s gimbal repair. Another reason for staying at In a Box Hostel was because the DJI service center was a 10 minute walk away.

I went there and the people were generous to fix the gimbal at no cost! 🙂 That was one of the things I needed from DJI. The other was a drone, something that had been on my bucket list for years. I was waiting for the DJI Mavic Mini, which would have been a great starter drone for me, but the DJI staff told me they weren’t sure of the release date, even though it would be soon.

Indian restaurants Bangkok Thailand — I walked all the way to a shopping center called Indra Square, which had a bunch of Indian restaurants opposite to the mall

Thai KFC spicy chicken rice bowl — I ended up eating at KFC. They had this spicy rice bowl that I wanted to try out!

I always try the local menu at major fast food chains, just to sample dishes I won’t find back in India. The Thai KFC spicy rice bowl was a tad too spicy for my liking.

Ryo camera Indra square Bangkok — Indra Square was filled with tourists from South Asia, buying every thing from clothes to chocolates… even from a camera shop?

Market bangkok shopping complex — The Market Bangkok mall

Whenever I am in Bangkok, I usually try to stay in Sukhumvit and near a BTS (metro station). It’s a very convenient area to be in and the food choices are very diverse. Although BTS fares have risen, I avoid taking taxis to get around Bangkok.

Continue reading “Thailand: Flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok” »