I get off the plane around midnight, and get my bags from the carousel. Everything looks intact… whew. The case I bought for the computer seemed virtually bomb proof, so props to Pelican cases! I cleared customs and got my 30 day Visa for Thailand. I had thought I might fly to Ranong(the Thai city I was headed), but I couldn’t get any concrete costs on the website. I had decided to wait in the Airport until Air Asia’s ticket counter opened. I could just kill the time using the free Wi-Fi… wrong. You have got to pay to use it at the BKK Airport, so I watch a movie on the last of my battery and shuffle around. Each time I go for a smoke on the departures level, I am constantly asked by the taxi touts if I need a ride to BKK. I try to explain that I am waiting for the ticket counter to open to check on a flight to Ranong, and am answered with “Ranong doesn’t have an Airport”, and offers to drive me to Ranong via cab for $200(yeah you can get a cab to drive you anywhere in the country). I politely decline several offers and move to the mid level of the Airport where there are no taxi drivers and some food. I have an OJ and a Paton-go(Thai fritter-like thing) and wait a few more hrs. After talking to the airline, I realize that flying is not an option due to cost, and hire a taxi to take me into BKK to a hotel I have stayed at in the past, the Star Hotel. Everything goes well, until we get to the Soi(alley) that the Star Hotel is located. As we approach, my driver pulls up to a guy to ask for directions. At this pint it is about 6am, and I am tired. The guy on the street tells me that the Star Hotel is closed, something that is not totally uncommon when the person giving the information can earn a commission by sending you somewhere else. I tell the driver to go to the Star Hotel, and sure enough it has been knocked to the ground. My guess is for the valuable real estate. What to do? I decided to try the hotel next door. The driver helps me with my bags, and I ask the desk girl if she has a single room. She tells me yes, so I tell her that I will take it. I explain that I will be taking a bus to Ranong at 8pm, so I will be checking out at 7pm and heading to the Southern terminal. She tells me that the room will be 1000 baht($35can) which is more that I wanted to pay, but given the circumstances and the time, I am willing to pay. She follows up by telling me that check out is at 11am, so I will have to pay for a 2nd night considering I will be there from 11am until 7pm. So that is 2000 baht for what is now 12 hrs. I pass and walk down the Soi until I get to another guesthouse that I have eaten at in the past. I ask about the room, explain my situation to the girl and she tells me I can have a room until 7pm for 400 baht ($12can). I take it. A/C to boot! It’s at the back of the property, through a maze of halls, but it is totally acceptable. I throw my bags in, take a shower, and take a breather after 24hrs of travel without sleep. Once composed, I head to the 7-11 to grab water and smokes, and then get some food at the restaurant connected to the guesthouse. Once I am done, I ask the staff about a bus ticket to Ranong, and they point me to a travel agency down the road which opens in 2 hrs. I take the time to walk around a bit and go to MBK Mall where the A/C is nice. I hadn’t realized, but today was a Buddhist holiday. Everything was pretty dead, and the mall would be opening an hour late. I watched as some Monks and children who were setting up some sort of performance to celebrate the holiday. Today the Thais give up smoking, drinking, and other vices I imagine, so the tents and signs read “STOP smoking alcohol”. Kinda funny. I should have taken a picture, but I didn’t bring my camera out. I hung out for a while, went into the mall to kill some time, and then headed down to the travel agency. Unfortunately, due to the holiday, the agency can not sell me a ticket. I’ve got to go to the terminal and buy one before I want to go. The woman tells me that traffic on the buses should be very light, as any Thais who were traveling this weekend did so at the start of the weekend, and won’t be coming back to the city until tomorrow when the holiday is over. I trot back to my room and finally get some sleep after about 36hrs on the go. After about 5 hrs of sleep, I got up, had a shower, checked out, caught a cab, and made my way to the Southern Bus Station. This is a new one. The old one was a mad house and could be quite frustrating when arriving on an over night bus from somewhere in the early morning hrs. This one is big and new, but still has some of the crazy Thai logic built into it. When you arrive on the main level, you have to go up 3 floors to get your ticket only to come back down again to the main floor and find your bus. They have built a food court and shopping area on the 2nd floor, so I am guessing that this is the reason why. You are a captive audience and must pass by to possibly buy something when you are on the way to purchase your ticket. After getting to the Ranong wicket, I get a ticket for a bus leaving in 10 min which costs 355 baht. A far cry from the 5000 baht I was quoted to fly myself and all of my bags down. I board the bus and start off on my 9hr journey south. The bus is only ½ full and the ride is pretty uneventful. We stop about ½ way for food, and I get a favorite of mine “Kapow Moo”(minced pork w/ chilies and basil) and a side of rice. I board the bus and nibble away at my food for the 2nd 4.5 hr leg of my trip.
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