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.
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.
But the hotel offers shuttle service (for guests only) back and forth to the metro station every 30 minutes
The hotel is a 3-star property. Breakfast is complimentary but don’t expect a grand buffet.
But the room was spacious, clean, and modern
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.
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.
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
It’s not much of a river ride anyway
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.
I saw a massive line outside a familiar logo
There was a massive line to get in to the official Apple store — the largest in Thailand
I must say, ICONSIAM sure is a pretty looking mall!
The interiors are very well designed
You still have your mall staples, such as a multiplex at the top floor
Even a large hall for events
The high end brands are up front, closer to the entrance
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.
I waited for the free shuttle boat ride back to Sathorn Pier
That run down building was the old Customs House
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Using my Priority Pass card, I made my way to the lounge
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.
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.
After spending some time at Chatuchak Weekend Market, I took the MRT (Bangkok’s subway) from Chatuchak to Thailand Cultural Centre station. I came here to visit — what was then — a increasingly popular night market.
I say ‘was’ because… look at the date I was there. Just two months later, COVID hit the world. Thailand’s tourism sector came to a halt. And for a city like Bangkok, that sees nearly 40 million(!) visitors annually, needless to say, the lack of tourists had a massive impact on the footfalls flowing into Bangkok’s popular night markets.
Now, the site in Ratchada district where Rot Fai 2 market used to be looks like this now:
That said, according to a video by Coconuts Bangkok, uploaded in August 2021, the Ratchada Night Market will make up a comeback… eventually. Unless a property developer is already eyeing the land for another luxury development in Bangkok 🙄
Rot Fai means ‘train’ in Thai. The night market used to be located by the train tracks in the Chatuchak area but later moved to the Ratchada district.
Anyway, if the Ratchada Rot Fai market does return to the same location, here’s how to get there and what the market offers.
Once you exit Thailand Cultural Centre MRT station, head towards a mall named Esplanade.
The Rot Fai night market is behind Esplanade
If you search for Rot Fai night market online or look it up on Instagram, you will most likely see a photo of an over head view of the colourful tents at the market. To get that iconic shot, you don’t need a drone.
