Robo Addict: March 2013

This is my first time toy hunting in Bangkok Thailand. My objective was to find Transformers toys but I was sorely disappointed. The shops there hardly sold any Transformers, even if they did the selection was very limited. You can also forget about purchasing toys from the shopping centres (Isetan, Toys R Us etc), toys there costs an arm and leg. Just for reference, the recently released TRU exclusive 'Year Of the Snake' Omega Supreme costs double of what I can get here. But that doesn't mean it's not worth visiting. They do have clearance piles which sometimes contain a gem or two. I managed to snag a rare Queen's Blade Echidna R1 figure at preorder price (if you know what I mean). I tried searching online for places to shop, and found only a few places; namely MBK and Pirom Plaza. MBK 6th and 7th floor has got a few shops (2-3) selling anime toys, Hot Toys etc. Prices aren't exactly cheap. The place I recommend (if you happen to be in Bangkok and are into Super Sentai, R/C Cars, planes, helicopters etc) is Pirom Plaza and the surrounding shops. The place is darn hard to find. It's located at the end of Chinatown and hidden behind shop houses. No one seems to know where Pirom Plaza is, that is until you are near the area and ask someone who works nearby. Once you do manage to find it you'll see dozens of small shops selling Gundam, Zoids, R/C Toys, Game Consoles and *ahem* games, Super Sentai, SH Figuarts, anime PVC figures and a very limited selection of Transformers. I found a shop at the basement of Pirom Plaza that sells Super Sentai toys at very very reasonable prices. Check out my loot below! R/C toys are sold rather cheaply too, an RTR (Ready to race) 1/10 scale 'pro' R/C drift car costs about $150. A shop there was selling a Masterpiece Rumble and Ravage set slightly below preorder pricing, but other than that, I didn't see anything else that caught my eye.