Thailand in July- Sort of a dismal time

[william3rd]

Well- times are a little tough in Thailand these days. The baht has strengthened against the dollar to levels not seen in several years- about 20% or so in the last 18 months. Coupled with the high oil prices-Thailand is an energy importer due to its reliance on manufacturing for export in recent years- the job market is tough. Thailand has maintained a link to the dollar but increasingly seems to be following the yuan. Anyway- on to a report.

We (my 13 year old son went with me) flew into Suwannabhumi Airport via Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong. Cathay has 2 late night flights out of Los Angeles to Hong Kong and the service and food are usually excellent. Thai Airways now offers a late night non stop to Bangkok from Los Angeles as well.

The advantage to these flights is that you sleep on part of your normal sleep cycle which "shortens" a rather long flight and you arrive in the morning in Bangkok which allows you to get situated in your hotel by early afternoon.

Suvannabhumi sucks as an airport as they are still trying to work all of the bugs out of it. Domestic service has moved back to the old airport at Don Muang and there are serious discussions about moving part of the international traffic back there as well. Best guess is that they will move 17 Asian airlines back to the old airport in the near future. These will include Cathay, EVA, JAL. The EU flights and US flights will all stay at the new airport.

On arrival, we suffered through an hour plus wait in the customs line. Customs has toughened up-requesting that you have your return ticket ready to be presented to the officer as well as your address in thailand. Another 30 minute delay to retreive our bags and it was time to catch a taxi to the other airport. No time to take the bus.

When you are heading out from the customs area, there are taxi representatives inside the customs area. Do NOT use them. Prices start at about 25 dollars and go up from there. Proceed out of the customs area and go to the right. AVOID the next set of taxi representatives that you see and take the escalator down. Look to your left and you will see a line of taxis and a desk with a line of customers in front of it. GO to the desk. The rate is metered fare plus a 50 baht ($1.60). You can not do any better than that unless you haul your suitcase out to the street and wave your hands.

The taxi ride, including tolls ran about 13 dollars. We missed our flight and had to pay a penalty to book onto the next flight to Udon which was 5 hours later.

My son and I ate at the airport restaurant at Don Muang. Talk about Thai style- ten waiters and waitresses standing around smiling but nobody moving to our table. After a wait, our order was taken. Half of it arrived. I told a waiter about our situation and he promised to take care of it.

I knew what was going to happen so I carefully wrote down everything that we had ordered and checked each item off as it arrived.

After three requests, our order was filled. When the bill was presented, there was an additional order for each time we had requested something that they had forgotten. 3 thai omelettes instead of 1, 8 waters instead of 2 , 4 orange juices instead of 2.

They fixed the bill when we pointed it out so it was only 18 dollars instead of 40. HINT- dont eat in the airports!!!!

Inflation is hitting Thailand these days. What used to be 20 baht for a quick meal from a street vendor in Bangkok is now 30 baht. The daily minimum wage is 120 baht now.

We caught our 6PM Thai Airways flight to Udon- flight time is 55 minutes. They served a really nice chicken salad and sliced fruit for the in-flight meal. Yes- all of the Thai flights serve a very nice snack regardless of flight length. No alcohol on board.

My girlfriend met us at the airport and took us to a place called the Nahkaburi Wilderness resort. Located out in the middle of nowhere about 15 km from town, it was very nice but is brand new and still needs a lot of breaking in before it will be a great place. Surrounded by jungle and rice fields, the hotel is a series of A framed bungalows. We stayed in a family bungalow which has one section with reduced door and furniture size which is cool for kids but not for my 13 year old who is almost 5'9.

The weather was very humid and it was not raining which is of great concern for the farmers. The rainy season is important for Thailand farming activities. This would be the second year of drought in a row.

So we settled in for our first night in Thailand-listening to the sounds of the frogs, assorted insects and lizards singing in the night air.

MORE tomorrow-

[sean126]

LOLOL.  wow dude. Not off to the best of starts, huh?

You should have shown them your picture of you winning the annual water festival wet t-shirt contest.   They probably would have given you a discount at the airport restaurant.

I look forward to the rest of your report.  good read so far.

(I'm glad you and your son had a safe trip.)

[william3rd]

PART II- the Odyssey continues-

We awakened at the Nahkaburi Resort to the sound of birds greeting the day. The rather large wasp nest outside our window disgorged its population all at once- sort of like something out of a cartoon.

The toilet facilities at the resort are between Thai style and European. This means that there is a real flush toilet with toilet paper instead of the bowl in the floor with a cistern and bucket.

The bathroom is completely tiled with a shower at one end of the room near the sink. Shower stalls and bathtubs are not used in Thai construction. There is no gas heating in Thailand so hot water is provided by an electric water heater mounted on the wall near the showerand you adjust the temperature via the dial on the heater. It gets plenty hot.

We went to the hotel buffet. Most hotels have a breakfast buffet and I have never had a bad buffet. This buffet was no exception except that it was all Thai-the resort doesn't get too many foreigners yet so we didn't see the boiled wienies or pancakes. Fare was fried pork in Chinese broccoli, sliced beef in chilies and chicken and egg in brown sauce with rice.

Room rates here were not inexpensive by Thai style. We had the most expensive set up and it was about 45 USD a night with a separate (and private) two bedroom family bungalow at our disposal. Low rates in the main hotel structure were about 22 dollars.

Today we had to visit my house. Construction is getting close to the end and we had to order our kitchen and pantry. IN addition, we had to make sure that the electrical was right for our purposes. I am really impressed with the construction here as I believe I mentioned in my last report. Steel and block filled with cement. The building will certainly out last me and probably my children.

They have been doing a real quality job on the house in part because my girlfriend is out there every week or so and I make a trip out every couple of months. Her relatives also put in appearances every so often.

We found that the tile flooring is in downstairs and the wood flooring is in upstairs. However, the wood treatments will take at least three weeks to finish. The windows were going in last weekend and the doors are due this week.

We went to the recommended designer for the kitchen, who promptly tried to over charge us. Their best price was 555,000 baht for a kitchen and bar area. Divide that by 33 and you see the dollar. This would be a custom built kitchen; however, I did not want to spent that kind of money.

We went to a home improvement store ( about the size of a WalMart) and had them design a kitchen and bar area. The underlying counter will be concrete in the kitchen. Finished price was 272000 baht. Labor costs in the whole process are about 400 dollars of the total for everything-masonry and electrical in the kitchen, carpentry and cabinetry in the pantry area.

BTW- they really treat customers great. Ice cold water served immediately without asking. A  nice airy coffee lounge where they served coffee to you while you thought about your house.

Now the headache- 30% cash down. OK no problem, ran by the bank and got the money. So we thought that was it. NOOO- not quite. We then went through a series of paperwork that would do a realtor proud. And then we proceeded to place deposits on each individual piece of the project as we signed  and signed and signed. Fortunately they kept bringing ice water. . .

Then we went beyond 30% in deposits. Wait a minute- if you want 40% tell us, but we are at 30% already. OOOPS- accounting error. . .  so we had to start ALL OVER AGAIN . And this didn't make the employees happy because it was already closing time and there is no overtime in Thailand. I offered to come back the next day because I was tired but we went ahead and finished.

Then comes the changes. . . .  just because they display it on the floor doesn't mean that they really have it. SO, there were three or four calls from the store and a couple of trips back to reselect tiles and counters and hardware. But-this is Thailand, so be prepared for this.

The kitchen is scheduled to be completed by September 1

The big boss estimates that construction on the house will be completed about 2 weeks late-about August 10 but the little boss thinks about 5 weeks late-about September 1. Either way, I told them to take their time. I wont be back to visit again until October.

Next will come furniture shopping but we plan on shopping as we go. Other than a king sized bed and a couple of lamps, what do we need to work on?

NEXT PART- MY SON IN THAILAND. THINGS HAPPENING IN UDON, BANGKOK AND HOME

[william3rd]

PART III- BACK INTO TOWN

On the fourth day of our trip, my girlfriend decided that we should move back to our regular haunts at the Napalai Hotel. worn 5 star hotel for 17 dollars a night with a killer buffet (buffet available for 1.60 if you are not a guest). They really ought to refurbish this place but you cant beat the price.

THere is a huge beehive on the 12th floor eaves that hangs down about 3 feet below the edge. Since this is Thailand, the beehive will remain there forever or until it breaks off on its own. The bees are not bothering anybody so there they will stay.

We moved because the Nahkaburi was just too far away from everything we were doing. We moved 18 kilometers closer to the house and stores and everything.

I opened a bank account to make future deposits to. A new Thai law requires that all bank accounts opened by foreigners be approved by Thai government officials. Fortunately, I know one so it was only ten minutes delay for him to drop by and sign his certification. Interest rates in Thailand are pretty crappy- about 3% or less- and do not keep up with inflation.

THere was a lot of discontent in Thailand this trip- the interim government is catching a lot of flak over the abysmal economy. Some want the former prime minister back because times were better even though he made out like a bandit. Others are concerned over the age of the King and his health. Many do not feel that the crown prince is fit to be king and that there should be a queen. Some allude darkly to the succession of this King to the throne back in the 40s when the last king had a shooting accident in his bedroom with only his mother present and some hint that an accident may befall the current prince. I have no stake in the politics to thailand so, other than to speak well of the current King-there is a lot to be admiring there- I do not discuss Thai politics or give opinions.

My son was looking for Famous shirts this trip. I had seen them last trip. However, in the interim, The US has been taking action against Thailand for copyright violations. Thus, no bootleg brand shirts. We could get many nice shirts for about $5.00 each in the bazaars.

HINT- you can get many nice suits, shirts, and expert tailoring in Thailand done very cheaply. However, shoes for the larger sizes must be custom made. Most stores do not have shoe sizes above size 10.

I ordered a couple of suits- a black and a grey for Court appearances with 4 shirts. The suits were custom tailored. The shirts worked out to about 20 apiece and the suits were about 150 each.

My son was invited to speak at a prestigious middle school in Thailand. Funny- all he had to do was walk in and say a few words in English to about 8 classrooms. They will let him go to the next several classes on his next trip. He was a big hit and was actually happy that he went. He was invited to go to movies with several of the 9th grade girls.

Speaking of movies, we saw Harry Potter at the mall. We had a choice of english with Thai subtitles or Thai. We took the English. 12 theaters on the top floor of Robinsons. Dinner at MK Restaurant- a large sukiyaki chain located through out Thailand.

The weather stayed in the mid 90s most of the trip but with typical humidity. I missed the rain, it cools things off. There isnt all that much to do in Udon most of the time, very relaxing. . .

So, after concluding my week plus in Udon. I returned to Bangkok for the last day and a half of my trip.

[william3rd]

PART IV- Back in Bangkok

My son and I flew back to Bangkok on Saturday Morning so I could meet with some friends before flying home again on Sunday Afternoon. We landed at Don Muang on schedule. Meal service was a chicken/spinach omelet on the short flight down from Udon.

It had rained before we arrived- the rainy season has just started in Bangkok. Don Muang airport has the same taxi arrangement as Suwannabhumi. You pay 50 baht plus the meter plus any tolls. The TK Hotel is only a few miles from the airport but the roads require a lot of backtracking before you get there. Total fee with surcharge was about six dollars.

TK is a pretty nice hotel and rooms are freshly refurbished. Thai government officials stay there when they come from out of town. Rates for farang are about 60 dollars a night and up. I get the government rate. They have a nice pool and massage/exercise facility.

Despite the upscale nature of the hotel, sex is available there. I had a very nice hot oil oil massage from an incredibly attractive and talented masseuse when I noticed that she was massaging too close to my wet Tshirt. A couple minutes later, she asked me if I wanted a special massage for about 30 dollars or to *#R#@! for about 60. Temptation was there but I was only interested in massage. I hate to say that I was a little disappointed in that turn of events.

I went to dinner with my son and my friend who is moving back to Thailand at the end of the year. We ate at a  restaurant that he wanted to buy as part of his retirement. Good food, Thai singing, nice restaurant. He then revealed that he wanted me to partner with him for 15K. I jumped at this offer because I can trust him. Conservative estimates would have a return on the money of at least 75% a year. Since that all stays in Thailand, it can fund my future retirement plans over there.

We nightclubbed after my son went to bed. Hate to say that when you have seen one bar you have seen them all. Attractive girls scantily dressed wanting your attention but speaking very little English. Usually from the provinces and looking for money.

They love the high spending foreigners and really try to worm their way into your heart-and wallet.

There is a lot to see in Thailand other than the girls. If you are looking for a Thai wife, avoid the provincial girls in Bangkok. Doesn't mean that they are all bad but they came to Bangkok looking for money and moving a few thousand more miles doesn't faze them one bit.

I like TLL and I am sure that there are other good sites. Remember that good Thai women wouldn't be caught dead at a cocktail party to meet men. Too much of a loss of face and the inference that they are prostitutes. Appearances are everything to Thai women.

SO, Sunday we headed out to the airport to leave. It is much easier to leave Thailand than it is to get there. Ticketing and immigration on departures is accomplished quickly.

HINT- Avoid the Thai duty free shops at all costs. Shop before you get there. Duty free costs are at least 3 times higher than the regular vendors in the city.

[Ray]

Hey William,

You write great trip reports.

Thanks!

[sean126]

It was a good reading trip report, Sir William.

Like you, I was also disappointed at your turn of events with the masseuse.  I had to read it.  I was hoping you'd say something like:  "She said for 75 she'd strip me down naked, tie a string around "it", put a pair of roller blades on me and pull me around like a pull toy. For an extra 10, she'd sing "my ding-a-ling" while pulling me around."

Oh well, maybe next time.

[william3rd]

My disappointment was two-fold. One-that this is hotel procedure now (there is a very nice men's club only 100 yards away. And Two- that I am starting to feel like an old almost married guy and made a conscious decision. I really should drink more. . . . .

GReat massage though-aromatic room and soft music.

I can picture a Thai girl singing that- ma ding a ring, everbohdy sing. . .

[sean126]

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can picture a Thai girl singing that- ma ding a ring, everbohdy sing. . .

[Bear]

I've noticed that the piso in the Philippines has valued up against the dollar.  Last time I was there it was 54 to 1 now its 42 to 1.  It appears Asian countries are getting there act together.

The Bear Family