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Thailand

My travel experience and tips for this great destination

Thailand: Phayathai Food Center and Bangkok’s Gundam Base

By Mithun Divakaran
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Mar 12, 2024
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Bangkok, Thailand, Travel

Date: January 17, 2023

After arriving yesterday, and resting well, I stepped out for the main reason for coming to Bangkok.

Ratchathewi BTS Bangkok Thailand — 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.

DJI service center inside KSL Tower Bangkok — 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.

Unicorn skyscraper Bangkok Thailand — So I walked back to Phaya Thai BTS

Phayathai railway track under the bridge Bangkok — This was right underneath the BTS metro line

Food stalls by railway track Bangkok — 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.

Continue reading “Thailand: Phayathai Food Center and Bangkok’s Gundam Base” »

Flying AirAsia from Manila to Bangkok

By Mithun Divakaran
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Feb 06, 2024
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Bangkok, Thailand, Travel

Date: January 16, 2023

After spending nearly a month in (mostly) Manila, it was time to say goodbye and fly out.

Air Asia Manila airport morning — I checked in at Air Asia

Ninoy Aquino International Airport morning check-in — This was NAIA Terminal 3 early in the morning

Manila NAIA airport food court — I was upstairs checking out the food court

McDonalds hershey Manila airport — There were some gift shops as well, such as a Hershey’s store

Once I was done wasting time (I checked in early), I went back down and cleared immigration.

Kate Spade Manila NAIA airport — NAIA Terminal 3 is currently the largest airport in Manila but isn’t very impressive by today’s standards

Manila NAIA airport gates Philippines — I moved to my gate after browsing the duty free shops

Manila airport morning Sheraton Marriott — It was gloomy skies as the sun came up as it had rained in the morning

Manila’s NAIA is notorious for delays but fortunately my flight departed on time.

Continue reading “Flying AirAsia from Manila to Bangkok” »

MedConsult Clinic – a ‘cheaper’ private clinic to get RT-PCR test in Bangkok

By Mithun Divakaran
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Jan 21, 2023
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Bangkok, Thailand, Travel

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” »