An unexpected connection

We headed to Pratunam Market again, navigating its narrow roads on our bike. A young kid approached us, promoting an Indian restaurant. Since I was really craving Indian food, I asked if they accepted UPI, and he confirmed they did, so we followed him in for lunch.

Indian-owned restaurants in Thailand often accept UPI, making it easy for Indian travelers. Inside, the place was filled with Indian customers, all speaking Hindi. While eating, I inquired if they could exchange Baht for UPI transfers. Many did, but their exchange rates were quite high.

While searching for a better deal, we met two Indian guys, Dev and Vinay, who work in Bangkok and vlog on weekends (@DevBhumitoSuvarnaBhumi on YouTube). We instantly connected, and they generously withdrew ฿10,000 from an ATM for us at the normal exchange rate. We transferred the equivalent amount via UPI, chatted for a while, and then parted ways—us heading for shopping, and them off to film their vlog.Read more