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.
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.
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.
ICONSIAM mall provides free shuttle boat rides every 10 minutes across the Chao Phraya river to bring you to the mall
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.
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.
Visiting the DJI booth did not yield anything desirable. So I continued exploring the rest of ICONSIAM.
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.
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.
For dinner, I headed to the part of Sukhumvit full of Middle Eastern restaurants.
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.
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.
I collected a few thousand baht in cash as my eligible refund and felt happier knowing I got my drone for quite a steal!
When it was time, I made my way to the gate and boarded my Air Asia flight, which was on time.
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