As for why there are so many shrines for Hindu gods in Bangkok, it’s historical. Thailand used to be part of the Khmer empire, which was heavily influenced by Indian culture and Hinduism. See my Cambodia series and visits to Angkor Wat to know more about that.
I had bought some pastries the night before, to have as breakfast
I only stayed this side of town only because I had to visit DJI’s service center (see previous post). I moved to a hotel in an area that I had not stayed in before. I took the BTS to Phrom Phong, in Watthana district, which is not too far from the core Sukhumvit stretch.
I had booked at Retro39 which is a very shot walk from the Phrom Phong BTS station. That’s a Mercure Bangkok Sukhumvit 24 across the road, if you want something more luxurious.
There’s a Lawson convenience store right next to Retro39, and it’s open 24/7
Retro39 is a simple hotel. No breakfast buffet on offer and little in terms of amenities. Just a small hotel that isn’t too old, with clean and well-kept rooms, just a few steps away from Phrom Phong BTS station — which is just one stop after the Asok/Sukhumvit interchange stations. So a very good location as far as I am concerned.
My Superior Double Room cost ฿3,381 (₹7,792/$93/€86) for 4 nights, which was a pretty good price given the location
The only thing I did not like was the bed. Not that it lacked comfort. The mattress was very nice to sleep on and the sheets were clean — but the bed was on wheels. So as I sat on my bed to work, with my back to the cushioned wall, the bed would move forward slowly. It was annoying for someone who often sits on the bed to work!
There are two eateries serving the ‘essentials’ of Thai food at affordable prices right near the BTS station
This seafood fried rice was quite yum. Cost ฿90 (₹207/$2.4/€2.2)
Just a stone’s throw away from Phrom Phong BTS station is EmQuartier, a new mall housing ZARA, Uniqlo, H&M, Sephora, and other major brands
I’m stunned to see how many malls still keep coming up in Bangkok! The Sukhumvit Road stretch must have some 10 malls by now.
And across the road is Benchasiri Park, a nice green space to go jogging or just sit on grass for a while
I decided to explore the area a bit more as this was my first time in this part of Bangkok.
After arriving yesterday, and resting well, I stepped out for the main reason for coming to Bangkok.
I took the BTS from Ratchathewi to Phaya Thai
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.
This image is a screenshot from Google Maps. I thought I had taken a photo on my phone. Anyway, the red arrow points to where the DJI service center is.
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.
So I walked back to Phaya Thai BTS
This was right underneath the BTS metro line
There were a bunch of small eateries by the train tracks
But just under Phaya Thai BTS station was a food court, chock full of food stalls.
