…to have fun. At least, that’s my plan. If getting here is half the battle, I made it relatively unscathed. Here are the gritty details.
I was a fool when it came to packing. Rather than suck it up and pay for a checked bag, I figured I could squeeze everything into my carry-on suitcase and do my laptop and meds in my backpack. Turns out I had to overstuff both bags, and my carry-on was too heavy, so I was required to check it and was charged 3000 pesos for the privilege. I should have just brought a larger suitcase to begin with. And now the problem is compounded because I’m already getting besieged with requests for pasalubong, the tradition (more like expectation) that a traveler returns bearing gifts from his destination. My plan now is to purchase a larger suitcase here and use it to bring my carry-on, dirty clothes, and gifts back with me to the Philippines.
As I expected it would, Cebu Pacific Airlines sucks. Typical budget carrier, you pay for your ticket, and everything else is extra. Like a checked bag. Or a drink of water. I’ve never been in such a cramped seating configuration either. My knees were jammed against the seat in front of me, and when I lowered the tray table, it landed on top of my belly. A very uncomfortable three hours in the air. I’ll be loathed to patronize this carrier after my return flight.
Another fucked up thing that didn’t affect me personally was the hassle my friend Dave’s girl went through at immigration. This was her first time doing international travel, and the immigration agent almost caused them to miss the flight by conducting a lengthy interview to determine whether she was going to Thailand as part of a human trafficking scheme. She is in her 40s, for chrissake, and has been with Dave for years. The things this government puts its people through are disgusting. Anyway, I was relieved to see them board the flight just a couple of minutes before the door closed.
Getting through immigration in Bangkok was a breeze. A photo, fingerprints, and a stamp in my passport. Yay! Dave had arranged a car and driver for the 100+ kilometer trip from the airport to Pattaya. We arrived about 1:00 a.m., and as regular readers know, that’s the latest I’ve stayed up in a LONG time. I still woke up at 5:30 this morning and went about my internet routine, then took a brief walk around the neighborhood and had some breakfast.
Oh yeah, they drive on the right side of the road here. I was reminded of that when I crossed Beach Road this morning and looked in the wrong direction before stepping out. Oops!
I’m still getting the exchange rate down in my head, but the breakfast above was 160 Bhat which equates to $4.60 US, not bad I suppose.
On the subject of virginity, I ain’t one. I made a trip here back in 2016. Here’s how it started.
Speaking of worst-case scenarios, so far, at least, the breathing seems to be going okay. Wearing a mask on the plane (yeah, the Philippine government still requires that nonsense) wasn’t good, but I survived. I got my nebulizer set up in my room, and I’ll carry my portable one with me on the Hash, just in case.
And what’s a LTG post without a dose of humor?
Tomorrow I’ll have a report on the Hash, and I also plan to get out and see more of the city. So far, I am really enjoying the vibe here. Walking the beach path this morning, I saw more Western-looking folks (mostly men, of course) than Thais. I wonder what that’s all about?
Stay tuned.
Independence Day actually used to be celebrated on July 4, the date on which the Philippines actually became an independent nation in 1946. But then President Macapagal unilaterally declared by proclamation in 1962 that the date would be changed to reflect the date upon which former self-proclaimed president and dictator Aguinaldo had declared aspirational independence from Spain, Macapagal being upset about unrelated matters (read: pera) and feeling a need to publicly stick it to the kanos and salve his wounded ego…
the hassle my friend Dave’s girl went through at immigration
I must have missed that you were not going to Thailand alone. I’ll have to reread your previous posts to see where I went wrong. Anyway, I’m sorry to hear your friend’s girlfriend(?) went through all that nonsense.
160 Bhat[,] which equates to $4.60
So that’s very roughly a 30:1 ratio. (Google says 34.67 as of today.)
Glad to read that the breathing seems to be fine. Good luck with today’s Hash. Activity like that is probably a good way to get into the rhythm of a place.
I hope you try harder to eat Thai food, including yo’ breffus in the mohnin’. You can’t be the sad Korean who beelines to Koreatown, afraid to leave his bubble! I totally understand jonesing for Western food—I do it, too—but you’re here to explore. That said, the menu showing all those “traditional Thai dishes” (ha) did look pretty good. I wonder how expensive such foreign food is in Thailand. In Korea, as you know, you pay a pretty penny.
Happy Hashing!
@Kevin Kim For Western food in Thailand, you will pay western prices. Not outrageous, but you are not going to get the USD$1.50 street meal either.
I scheduled this trip to coincide with Dave and Jo’s travel schedule. I rode with them to the airport and the transport they arranged from Bangkok. They are staying in another part of town, so we won’t be hanging out together much. They are both Hashers, though, so I saw them yesterday.
Yesterday’s Hash trail was mostly flat, but I was still huffing during the hike. I think that is my new normal. I brought my portable nebulizer with me but didn’t use it on the trail. That deep breathing exercise Rascal suggested in the comments helps.
As weird as it sounds, I do not see much Thai food around. This town is full of Western fast food joints (I’ve never seen so many KFCs in such a confined area), but even the regular restaurants seem to cater to Western tastes. I guess that isn’t so surprising when you see the percentage of expats and tourists on the streets.
DS, yeah, I vaguely recall that story about the PI ditching the 4th as Independence Day. Thanks for filling in the gaps in that history. It is so typically Filipino.
Tons of street food if you look up “street food in Pattaya” on YouTube. Happy hunting!