Category: <span>Thailand</span>

Date: 21 January, 2023

I write this one day after taking my COVID test (my results came back negative) and the night before I head back to India. I was in the middle of my vacation in the Philippines when the news broke late December that the Indian government announced those visiting Thailand, would have to show a negative test results from an RT-PCR test and fill out the Air Suvidha form as a requisite before landing in India. (Children under 12 years of age are exempted; see rules)

Considering I was going to be spending 6 days in Bangkok — not transiting — I had no choice but to find a clinic from where I could get an RT-PCR test done. I thought of going to a government hospital but when I tried making some calls, the answers or voice recordings were only in Thai, so it didn’t help and I had little time to run around.

I was staying near Phrom Phong BTS station but the private clinics near me were charging obscene amounts of money for RT PCR tests. Pulse clinic, 3250 baht (Rs. 8k!), and Pathlab, 2800 baht (Rs. 6940). I had no inclination to spend that much for a COVID test, so I searched on Facebook and a few Indian travelers in some groups suggested a private clinic called MedConsult. And as my luck would have it, they were located just 1.2kms from my hotel!

Their website was advertising RT PCR test for 1000 baht (Rs. 2400). Still not as cheap as the prices we pay back in India for the same test but way better than paying three times more elsewhere.

Even though their promotion rate says 1000 baht until January 21st, as of this writing you can still book an appointment for the same rate

If you are taking the BTS metro service, you need to get off at Phrom Phong station.

It’s a 15 to 20 minute walk, or a short taxi ride

I decided to walk it after booking my appointment online. By the way, you don’t have to pay anything online. You only pay at the clinic on the day of your visit.

Continue reading “MedConsult Clinic – a ‘cheaper’ private clinic to get RT-PCR test in Bangkok” »

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