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Leaving Again
September 1, 2007 |
It was the end of yet another trip to Thailand. However this time I was not to take farewell with Nan at the airport, leaving her standing there looking small and vulnerable, while I shuffled trough emigration with the biggest lump in the world in my throat, trying hard to fight back a tear or two.
This time she was flying out with me. And that had made the last couple of days quite enjoyable. The ghost of me leaving was simply not there. So we packed our bags. Nan stuffed her suitcase with very little. In fact we could probably have packed everything into one suitcase. Imagine that, a female who does not bring all her possessions for a 3 week trip to a foreign country!
What she made sure was in the suitcase though, was a sizable jar of pla ra, and a huge papaya. Thai girls are Thai girls after all.
So we drove down to Bangkok, and handed over the rental car at the airport. We where not flying until mid day the next day, so we jumped into a taxi and made a huge mistake. We told him to take us to a hotel near the airport. So we drove off, and where soon speeding towards the city.
Well, we were also soon off the highway, and he pulled into some neighbourhood in the middle of nowhere. I inquired where he was taking us, and Nan translated. But no definitive answer came from our driver. But it was soon evident that the dude did not have a clue himself, as he stopped every ten meters or so to ask for directions.
But we eventually parked outside what looked like me like a derelict building in some wasteland. I did not even get out of the Taxi, and told the bugger to take us to a good hotel in Bangkok. The driver just looked confused, and pointed at the “hotel”.
Well, we finally manged to convince him we where not staying there, so back to the highway, and we were soon speeding towards bangkok again. We where then dropped off outside something that had a remote likeness to a hotel. By now I was just laughing, as I pulled our suitcases out of the taxi, paid him, and watched his shocked expression as I simply loaded it into another Taxi.
This Taxi driver appeared to know his way around however. And I said take us to a Centre Point hotel. I distinctly heard Nan say “Centre Point”, so I relaxed, and enjoyed the trip. Until we were parked outside yet another shack of a hotel, somewhere near Nana Plaza.
“No no, Centre Point hotel” I said. But the driver was stating that the Centre Point hotel was to expensive. This was much cheaper. Well the dude was certainly right. It definitely much cheaper. I could smell it from where I was standing.
“Taxi!”
The third taxi eventually brought us to a hotel where I was fairly certain that the cockroaches would not have us for supper. Where it was I have no idea, nor the name of the establishment. We got a room, and went out for some shopping…
Did I mention that I hate Bangkok!
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Comments
6 Comments so far
Hello, I am sorry to hear the horrible experience for you both.
And i like the way your expression being honest.
I was born and study in the angels city. I do not enjoy the taxi scamp too,especially take advantage of farang,even the thai who do not know about BKK . My suggestion will be “call the police” when anything going wrong.Act like you know the city and take it series command, not allow them to play around with you and do not pay if you do not get what you want!( on the agreement in the start). Good luck to you next time. Have a good trip and nice vacation.
best regard
Hello! I am a guy from Sweden who also have a wife from Thailand. We live in Sweden. I have just found your blog, it is very interesting I will come by here again for sure.
I am sorry you didn´t like Bangkok. I like it, at least for a few days. Have a good vacation.
I agree with Path, one time I was in Bangkok and there was a huge flood down sucemvet rd(I know it aint spelled right)I asked the Taxi to take me to Nana rd, we got half way there and he said no way, so I said No way I pay, I got out, no problem. I was half way to Nana rd didnt pay, waited about a half hour for the flood to go down and off I went.
Thanks for the comments folks.
Path, I just have a loathing for big cities in general, and Bangkok is like big city on stereoids. I am sure for someone who grew up there, or actually like the big city life it’s a great place. But for my it’s just a polluted, noisy, hole in the world where it’s impossible to find anything.
Well, actually I like Bangkok. Having been onhao San rd in the late 80′ies, the queues, fumes, chaos etc were the same. But still, the only things I still remember clearly were the Grand Palace, the K S road itself, chili and rice bowls, guest house with a fan and a bed, incredibly cheap EVERYTHING and some beautiful people. One month, eating out, travelling everywhere, we spent a shocking 20.000 baht as a couple… Man, I was nearly bankrupt
Now only stay BKK if need to. Like getting Kai a visa, or registering marriage. Guess I’ve been lucky. Since arriving for first holiday when friend and I booked rooms from a kiosk at Dom Muang to last trip to get Kai’s visa not had bad hotel for the money.
Can recommend:
Cheap: Bangkok Inn, Sukhumvit.
Dearer: P.J. Watergate, Pratunam.
Expensive (for me!), Windsor Suites, Sukhumvit.
Feel same as you about cities. Last went to London in ‘87 when Halifax won Challenge Cup, and not exactly missed the place.