Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Bangkok, Thailand Da

Bangkok, Thailand Day 3 ***I got up pretty late today after my late night out to the night bazaar so I got to meet the lady who cleans the rooms on my floor. I really have to mention her here. She is so efficient and polite. The mattress is maybe three quarters her weight and yet she effortlessly picks up each corner of the mattress to swipe the sheets in. She’s pretty small, probably only reaching my shoulder but she does her work really fast. And the thing is at the various places I stay at, I always see at least two or three ladies cleaning each room but she’s alone and she takes care of all the rooms on my floor. I’m really amazed at her work ability. If only I could bring her home.Anyway, I’ve been feeling increasingly tired…I think it’s because I’ve been travelling for the past week and a half and just busy visiting places and doing stuff that it’s wearing me down and not to mention the heat. The thought of going out, walking to the BTS in that heat really puts me off. So I’ve decided to stay in again today which I really shouldn’t because of time limitations. Before, I left for this trip, I had already planned to visit Ayuthaya, visit a friend and do some shopping. By staying in today, I had effectively taken Ayuthaya off my plans.So having made that decision, I stayed indoors, did some reading, watched TV and slept. I did go out for lunch though. I went back to the alley near my hotel for some food. At about 6plus in the evening, I decided to venture out for more food. I decided to go to Mahboonkrong (MBK) for dinner and hopefully do a little shopping.The shops at MBK start to close at about 2030 so I didn’t get much shopping in after dinner. I left MBK at about 2100 and decided to head to Patpong to walk. While sitting the BTS to Patpong near Sala Daeng station, I saw the Ferris wheel at Suan Lum Night Bazaar still in operation. It’s not close!! So I decided to go to Suan Lum instead because I didn’t have the chance to do much shopping last night. I got down at Sala Daeng BTS and walked to the Silom MRT station to sit a train to Lumpini MRT station. The MRT is a subway while the BTS is a network. Offhand I think, Sala Daeng and Sukhumvit stations are interchanges for the MRT and BTS. A map of the stations can be obtained at the BTS.Anyway, Suan Lum Night Bazaar is still open, I’m so happy. According to one shop owner whom I asked, she said the date of the Night Bazaar’s closure is not confirmed yet. I hope that they don’t close the Bazaar. I love the place and atmosphere.The Ferris Wheel at the Bazaar.The open air food court at the Bazaar. There is a stage where singers sing to entertain the crowd. Nice atmosphere.A mobile ATM. A very good idea.At about nearly 11pm, I decided to go back to the hotel. I walked outside the Bazaar to hail a cab back. There was a taxi line forming so I opened the door of the first cab. My first question to the taxi drivers in Bangkok are always…Meter? To my dismay, the first four cabs I asked didn’t want to switch the meter on. I was thinking if this carries on, I will have to take the train back. I will never give in to these unscrupulous drivers who are out to cheat tourists. Anyway, finally I found a very nice driver who was willing to take me on the meter. And I think he saw me opening and closing the taxi doors in front because when he was driving off, he started to scold them. He kept calling them mafia drivers and said they were bad. I am so amused by this driver. He was really nice and chatty. He speaks some English so he was asking me where I was from and how long I had been in Thailand etc. After some conversation, he started to scold the mafia drivers again. Such an interesting cab driver. When I got off the cab, I paid him the amount the four drivers in front asked for, which is twice the meter fare. Again I’m not stingy but it’s the principal behind it. The taxi company states that taxis are suppose to be on meter but these drivers don’t follow the rules. They stand on the fact that we are tourists and try to cheat us. They assume every tourist who goes into the country is rich which isn’t true. And even if some tourists are rich, does that mean they can cheat them? And seriously we as tourist have to play our part. Some of us justify the extra by saying it is ok because in our own currency, it’s probably just a few cents. Why haggle or be stingy over a few cents when it means a lot to them. But it’s the principal. And because one or two tourists are willing to pay, they spoil the market for every other subsequent tourist because the taxi drivers get the impression that tourists are rich, can afford and are willing to pay. If you really think you want to give the driver a couple of baht more, do it as a tip. That’s what I do. No matter where I go, be it in Cambodia, Vietnam or Thailand, I always try my best to pay market rate and I never take rides with those who try to cheat me. If after the ride, I think the driver went the extra mile, I’ll tip him.I think those who read my blog think I am an uptight b***h, always complaining about this and that but at the end of the day it’s about making a stand for what I believe in. And I think for too long, a lot of us have given up standing on our principles for various reasons. I once was that way too but a good friend who believes in standing firm on her principles has led me to re look at what my values are, what I’m willing to concede and what I’m not. Thanks J.UPDATE: I chanced upon an article on Suan Lum Night Bazaar. The article said that May 1st is the last day of the Bazaar, however the shopkeepers are protesting against it and have stated that they will not close. The matter is now in court as to whether Suan Lum will get to stay or not. So for those who want to visit the Bazaar, do ask around if the Bazaar is still open before making a trip down. If anyone has confirmation that the Bazaar has closed or is still in operation, please post a comment here for the convenience of other visitors. Thank you for your help.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home