Return Home From Thailand

Hello Everyone,

Well, I am back from Thailand and again a changed person.

Now to answer the exactness of that last part will to be fair take a few blogs. Rather than one that will take a week to write, ha ha ha.

First there is the trip up, arriving, the hotel, the massages, the new hotel, walking and walking, the food, the people, the trips, the food, the sleeping, late night partying, the book, "Thai Fever", and starting to get a glimpse of understaning it all, the return . . . see way too much for one blog.

I had determined from an adventure a couple of years ago that it is not good to arrive into a strange city after dark. So, I scheduled myself through asiarooms.com into the suggested motel "Regency Park". Unfortuanately I had not read the email or maybe a previous one correctly and booked my entire stay at this hotel. I was supposed to stay here one night only. Instead I booked the full 10 days here at US $59 per night.

So after a couple of emails back and forth with my Nephew Steve, I emailed Asia Rooms again and cancelled 9 days at a cost of $125. So, one night ended up costing me $184. I was sort of in shock at many of the up front expenses that kept adding up. Getting my Tetnaus Shot and Typhoid was around $160. Mosquito repellent $16., Electric adapter $20 and there were a few others that I have forgetten now. Well, like paying rent for 3 weeks while gone and one extra . . . it all adds up to quite a chunk.

Finally, the day arrives of my departure. To arrive early in Bangkok, means leaving Perth late. 22:35. It costs a fair bit to get a Airport service to take me to the airport. And since I was leaving on a Wednesday evening most of my friends would be occupied at another friends "Oneness Blessings" so I didn't wish to ask them to take me. I set it up with my land lady to take me. That however seemed to turn into a drama as her van needed servicing and she didn't feel comfortable traveling after dark. Next, friend Jacqueline wished to take me to the airport and go to Isha's gig. Well, that is what eventuated and I put in for a very early drop off so that Jacqui could make it. Also, I figured that my airline would be open, I could get checked in and pass time walking around the airport.

Wellllll, I was to fly Tiger Airways. It is a fairly new air company to Perth and it is a budget airlines. So, of course they don't show up for check in until 1 1/2 hours before the flight, ha ha ha. I was first in line so, no worries.

Did my wondering, did some buying, and suddenly realized that, "Oh my Buddha" I forgot to bring the Thai Baht money that I had exchanged from home, duh! I bought $50 at the airport, 1 for 22 same as in Fremantle. Also, about that time I realized that I had my toothpaste container with me and that it was too large for the less than 100 grams limit. It became a tosser.

Once inside the immigration, and security lines, I purchased 3 600 ml bottles of water (forgetting that I couldn't take them all the way to Bangkok, ha ha ha.) I did a walk about to see what was purchaseable.

One interesting thing that I learned is that since this was an international flight, i could buy GSTax free inside this area at up to $900 total value of return products and not have to pay GST on my return. This may be aplicable to many of you that read this and you could find a savings this way. Mostly all that was available was booze or perfumes. I did purchase an Australia T-Shirt to give to Steve. and I found a picture book of Perth. I flipped through the pages and recognised many things, Hay St Mall, Freo Mkts, The Indiana Tea House, the Cottesloe coast line, to name only a few. It brought me close to tears as I realized that I really loved WA and wanted right then to return to WA . . . and I had not even left yet, ha ha ha.

I do not remember why, yet for some weird reason I had booked my seat into the last row of the airplane against the window. Now this is a budget airlines and there was not enough room for me to get my long legs into the seat and actually sit down. With legs splayed sideways I was able to squeeze in very uncomfortably. Eventually I traded seats with the little girl in the aisle. Then I lost my head rest and couldn't lay my head to sleep for the 5 hour flight YIKES! It was rugged to say the least.

Other than that mistake, I had a good flight to Singapore. At Singapore, check through was a breeze. If I had anything to declare, I went through one line, if not another and walked right on through after the immigration stamp. I then walked next door to the departure terminal. Now for those of you that fly into Singapore through use of the regular airlines . . . I have heard of the glory of the main Singapore terminal. I as mentioned was flying a budget airlines and at Singapore that means we landed at the Budget terminal. it was a huge warehouse, well lit and well airconditioned with one place to eat and the baggage counter, that was all. Once through Immigration and security, there was more available. Free internet, coffee shops etc. I took the time to reposition my long skinny legs for my return flight to Perth out of the rear seat into an Exit Aisle seat, YEHAH!

The flight to Bangkok was uneventful. I managed to get a whole row to myself with a simple request. Unfortunately the front row seat dividers didn't fold out of the way, bummer.

At Bangkok, Immigration and security was fairly fast. Then entering the outter regions I was assailed by the masses. The first first first is a group of people in my face offering taxi rides into the city for $1000 Baht. I didn't know what was fair, but didn't a lot of Baht on hand and mentioned that I needed to go on for more. This was misunderstood and the price was immediately dropped to 850, hmmmm very negotiable. Well, I took that amount because I just didn't want to hassle as I was very tired after my near sleepless journey. I got a front seat of a nearly brand new van with me as the only passenger. It was rush hour. In my quest to be early in daylight I put myself into Bangkok at the worst possible time of the day. It is normally a one hour drive, took 1 1/2 hours.

Now this drive is worth talking about and the hotel check in in my normal long winded way, so I am cutting this letter off for two reasons. One is that this blog is long enough and it is 3:20 AM and I need to sleep some.

Love you all

Best wishes

Peace

gene

may you all be well and happy