"We love farangs!" (what Thais call foreigners) or Bangkok Day 1

Budget airlines’ trade secret revealed:

1) Use the same staff at the check-in counter and have them walk quickly over to attend to you at the departure gate after the last passenger has checked in. 2) Arrange for assigned  departure gates to be in most desolate corner of airport so that travellators do not need to be turned on. Savings on electricity then transfers from airport to budget airline. 3) Delay flight till the latest possible moment so that the highest possible number of seats are filled. 4) Do not serve food onboard; instead, sell cup noodles and drinks at prices that are higher than usual and profit from the sales. Also, when passengers enquires about payment in other currency, quote them a higher exchange rate than normal e.g. a 30baht drink would translate to SGD3.00 when the the exchange rate is S$1 : 25 baht.

Our 20–dollar ride rolling in, about an hour later than scheduled take-off:

The non-too-shabby interior of AirAsia Boeing 737, no complaints at all, in fact, I found the PVC leather seats more comfortable than the usual which gets scratchy and hot after a while:

Two hours later, we arrived at Bangkok International Airport and set off to find the public busstop only to realise that there were only locals waiting there (many of them too, and it had seemed impossible to be able to find a place for us and our backpacks should a probable bus come by) and that there didn’t seem to be a sign telling you what buses stopped there. We didn’t want to take a cab from the airport (high airport surcharge on top of usual flagfall)neither did we want to take the airport bus (100 baht each) so we took a cab from the main road just outside the airport, happy that we didn’t have to pay the surcharge. On metered fare, we found ourselves at Phra Athit (Banglumphu) nearly 45 minutes later and paying 165THB.

We greeted Four Sons House _{[you can email them here]} with open arms finally being able to find respite from our ridiculously heavy backpacks (I don’t remember packing much!) and killer camera bags. With 20% discount, we managed to secure a double-room with airconditioning (A/C) and private shower for 440baht (about 18SGD).

A little crammed, but really comfortable after you settle in:

It almost feels like home already!

There’s a cosy cafe next to Four Sons House called Take-A-Sit which serves food at nearly roadside prices (30baht for rice with beef) Banglumpoo turned out to be a pretty fun area with lots of pubs and roadside stalls along Soi Rambutri and Soi Chakkrabong to spend the night out at. Colourful cocktails for only 60baht and fruit shakes for 15 and 20baht (all yet to have tried though. Tomorrow!). Other various interesting stuff:

A TATTOO SHOP-IN-A-VAN

“RICE+FRIED PROBABLY WITH CRISPY PORK” AT TAKE-A-SIT CAFE NEXT TO FOURSONS HOUSE

A sumptuous dinner for two all for only 85baht (30baht for rice with garlic and pepper beef, 35baht for rice with chilli squid, 10 baht each for coke). Less than SGD4.00!

THAI SATAY, SWEETER AND WITHOUT THE PEANUT SAUCE LIKE BACK HOME. OR WHAT THEY CALL “CHICKEN STEAK”.

And then it is to bed, Kanchanaburi awaits on the morrow.