Update from Thailand

Posted under Thailand 2008

Well we made it south from Chiang Mai to Phuket. Just when I was gloating about our air flights we booked passage on one who was trained by Air Canada. Air Asia must be the local low-cost airline as it was certainly more of what we have become accustomed to. No food, no movie, no sodas, no tiny bag of pretzels, no nuthin’. Oh well, we landed in one piece and on time. Actually had to fly with them twice as we had a connecting flight in Bangkok. Thought that we might find our next accomodation in a Bankok prison as we had to re-check our luggage for our connecting flight and the silly twit in security didn’t believe that the 10 oz. bottles of Bonnie’s special shampoos complied with the airlines 20 ml regulations. He was, however, clever enough to realize from the look in Bonnie’s eyes, that you don’t poke the bear. He finally let her transfer the aforementioned shampoos to smaller containers. On to Phuket.

From Phuket we caught our car to our hotel in Patong. Patong is on the northern end of the west coast beach area near Phuket. Quite busy in Patong as it seems to have one of the higher populations of the beach areas, Also has some shopping. Oh woe is me. They must get a large number of single male tourists in this area, as you constantly see them in the company of young Thai ladies. Have not yet figured out why all the tour guides are young and female. Certainly nice that they will take the time to help these poor old chappies find their way about.

After three days in Patong we moved a little south [about 10 km], to the Karon beach area. This area is rebuilding after the tsunami, and we were fortunate to get a room in a new resort, just off the beach. So new in fact, that it is still under construction and one of the items not yet in place is the elevator. Strange how the luggage seems much heavier having a local lad lug it up three floors to our room. I worked up quite a sweat just watching him. Gave him 40 B [baht] for a job well done.

Now let me explain a bit about the Thai monetary system. Firstly, it is all kinds of funny colours, much like our Canadian funds, and a twenty baht bill is about the same size and colour as a Canadian twenty. At that point the similarities end as it takes about 30 baht to make one loonie. Add to this the fact that you are expected to barter fiercely for an item that is underpriced by our standards, and you can see the difficulties. Never having been particularly good at bartering I had to finesse this skill as we went, and became particularly adept when I self rightiously haggled a tuk – tuk driver down from 120 baht to 50 baht. The last 10 baht he was quite reluctant to part with, but he eventually succumbed to my skillful endeavor. As he was driving us the several kms back to our hotel I figured out that I had slyly dealt him out of amounted to about 30 cents. Enough for now, more to follow.