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.
I liked the area I stayed at this time. I might come back to this side, near Phrom Phong BTS station.
I booked a Grab taxi to take me to Suvarnabhumi airport
It was a Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid — a popular crossover here. I really like its simple design!
My flight was with IndiGo Airlines, whose counters were at the far right end of the terminal
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.
Foreigners overstaying in Thailand is so common that overstayers are routinely banned from returning for a number of years
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 airport got an interior makeover during COVID19
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’s lounge was in the Priority Pass list for concourse E
I faced no issues at entry
The lounge isn’t the biggest or anything but there were enough chairs available for the number of guests I saw
The buffet comprised of both Arabian and Thai dishes
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:
I ate very well and realized this is a much better meal than I would get in an airplane’s economy class
When it was time, I made way to my boarding gate
This is all new
Indigo 6E76 was delayed by 30mins
The flight was mostly full
Bye bye Bangkok
One can see the layer of smog as you depart Bangkok
Bangkok is not a coastal city
The outskirts of Bangkok are largely industrial and agricultural land
We were now flying over Myanmar
I don’t know where in Myanmar we were flying over
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.
An island off Myanmar’s coast
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:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands are actually closer to Thailand than they are to Tamil Nadu/India
2.5 hours later, we were near Bengaluru
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.
I bought Binggrae melon-flavoured milk the night before. It’s some BTS edition. The musk melon flavour was actually quite yum!
Everytime I visit Bangkok and it’s a weekend, I try to visit Asia’s largest street market — Chatuchak weekend market.
I took the BTS to Mo Chit station
I visited Chatuchak market for the first time during my very first visit to Thailand back in 2009. This is probably my fifth or sixth time coming here — it’s like a ritual whenever I am in Bangkok
Why?
Because this place is awesome — it has something for everyone!
So many food stalls selling everything from Pad Thai…
After checking out Ong Ang Canal and Mega Plaza, I walked up Yaowarat Road to the section that is widely showcased as Bangkok’s Chinatown. This being mid-January, Yaowarat Road was decorated to usher in the Chinese New Year vibes.
Bangkok’s Chinatown area is in the Samphanthawong district
Chinese have been migrating to Thailand for over 200 years. Initially for trade/business, then later waves of refugees fleeing the civil war era of the 1900s, and then the Mao era post 1950s. Mostly from southern China, first by way of border nations like Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia — and then making their way to more prosperous Bangkok.
Many businesses traditional Chinese goods
Even to this day, Chinese are trying to migrate to Thailand using various means. Mainland Chinese are the largest group of foreign buyers of real estate in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Many come to study in the international schools, and use education visa as a foot through the door to stay long-term.
I was getting near
The crowds were already thronging road-side stalls
Cheongsams were available for purchase if you wanted to get the ‘Chinese’ look
