A Day Trip to Bangkok

Sunday, 29 August 2004

Christy and I went to church this morning, and then we decided to go into Bangkok. We called her friend Janelle, who is preparing to move from Bangkok to Laos to homeschool a family of five boys. We got tips from Jill on riding the bus to Bangkok, then we both jumped on a moto (both of us with skirts, so I had to hike mine up, and I was smashed between her and the driver, which was almost too close for comfort). We figured out what bus to catch, where to stand on the street, and rode for about an hour to the Southern bus station. Then, we caught a taxi to the BTS subway, and called Janelle to arrange to meet her at Ekkamai Major, a shopping mall nearby. We found books for the classroom at a bookstore, then waited by McDonald's for half an hour for her friend. I noticed the Ronald McDonald wai-ing, so decided to take a picture of Christy, but that was a no-no as we got scolded by the security guard.

Finally, as I was beginning to get enticed by 19 baht french fries, two women came up to us and asked if we were waiting for Janelle. Amy and Patteya were her friends who led us upstairs to the karaoke room/bowling center. We started singing these American tunes with two complete strangers we had just met, over sausages and french fries. We talked about our jobs (Amy has been living and teaching at an international school in Bangkok for three years now, and Patteya has lived in Thailand her whole life, but is not of Thai background.) It was fun getting to know them and other friends who joined later. We now have a place to stay in Bangkok if we ever want to, and know people who can speak Thai and English well. After going to her friend's apartment, we headed back to the southern bus terminal by taxi.

The cab driver started talking to me in Thai, but I told him I didn't speak Thai. He said, "Highway 40 baht". We were unclear of what he was trying to say. We had a long distance to go, and we weren't sure if he was trying to bargain with us, give us an extra charge or what. With no cell phones, and little knowledge of Thai, with just our Lonely Planet phrase books, it being dark out at 8 pm, we were a little hesitant. But, he was insistent, and then we decided, well, it would be quicker I suppose to go on the highway, and we soon realized that what he meant was we had to pay an additional toll for 40 baht to access the highway. All in all, our whole taxi ride cost about $3.50. Then, we figured out how to buy tickets the bus station, and headed back on the 40 minute bus ride to Nakhon Pathom (the bus is 34 baht each way, less than a dollar). Once I saw the fire station by Soi Sawng, I knew we could take a shortcut, and asked to get off the bus.

As we walked into the school grounds at around 9:45 pm, my friendly neighbor/teacher friend Tik yelled out my name. Jill said she was beginning to wonder about us. But, we traveled safely. It was nice to make new friends and have some contacts in Bangkok. Christy and I talked travel plans for the future, to Laos, Cambodia, among other countries, this year. We are both glad to be living away from the city, so we can learn the language better and be able to learn more about Thai people and culture. We can still catch a 40 minute bus ride and travel around the city for a few dollars to watch a movie, shop, or hang out with English speaking friends in Bangkok for the more "Seattle" city feel.