More odds ends from the road

To and from Pattaya-

Taxi from Bangalapu area of Bangkok to the eastern bus station (Ekemai) – costs approximately 300 BT and takes about 40 minutes. They rush you through at the ticket window, so ask for that primo seat quickly and check your ticket to see what you’ve ended up with.

Buses to Pattaya and other southeastern cities leave from Ekemai station Pattaya ones leave every 20 minutes at a cost of 113 BT. They are clean, modern and comfortable so it should be a very pleasant 2 hour ride. Note: use the toilet before boarding.

I needed to get to Suvarnabhumi International airport in Bangkok on my return from Pattaya and had a couple options. Option One, private bus leaving from the Pattaya bus station – 2 hours and I’m thinking around 250 BT. Option Two, 850 BT for a taxi, hotel pickup and directly to the airport in 2 hours, my taxi guy said “if needed he could do the trip in an hour, maybe less”.

For a taxi to pick you up on arrival at Suvarnabhumi or to get you there from Pattaya contact Pang supat_200022000@yahoo.com she is in Pattaya phone 083 555 4578. She is not only a dependable business women but very cute.



Word on the street in Saigon is that cyclo’s have a month till they are history. The government has been messing with them for years. Originally cyclo guys were comprised of South Vietnam ex military officers who had their citizen rights pulled by the Communists after the war and to this day are an independent lot.

Saigon now has a franchised Hard Rock café. This is the real deal too, not like the other one where an enterprising beer bar owner stuck a picture of a guitar and a name board with the proclamation “Hard Rock Café”

The sidewalks they were rebuilding in Saigon are just about all done but are all being used for motorbike parking – so walking is still an adventurous pursuit.

Saigon, is not Saigon any more, just too many changes, so maybe Ho Chi Minh City works now. Though I've got a feeling uncle Ho wouldn't appreciate the direction his name sake city has taken. From what I know of Ho's life he wasn't much of a glitz kind of guy and the city centers sole is being lost to glitz and conspicuous consumption. Simple restaurants and shops are being pulled down to make way for designer's name stores and expensive western style eating establishments. The hostess bars and Saigon's infamous taxi girls are but a memory as establishments like the Hard Rock café swing into action.

Facebook is not assessable from locations with in Vietnam.. However, it can be assessed via proxy server but postings aren't passable, anyway I can't get it to work.

Exchange rate official rate is 18,000 head for a jewelry store (gold shop) with units of 100 dollars and get 19,000 plus. Note: Bills have to be in great shape, no cuts, marks, etc. Whats up with all that?

odds and ends from the road

Arrive at San Francisco International on a Delta commuter flight from Sacramento, you know one of those 30 some passenger, turbo prop jobs. Anyway, there we sit, terminal with in shouting distence, 40 minutes pass - "a few more minutes and we will have a gate" we hear again over the pa, as the stewardess flits around making busy. Keep in mind, our flying time was less than we now have spent waiting to get off. Meanwhile, all I can think about is missing my connecting flight and having to wait a day or so for another one. Along with that I'm rehashing the news story, where a plane load of people were held captive for days or years - ok, maybe hours, aboard a plane in similar conditions. Also remembering from an old movie, the main character after being pushed around by the system, stopped and shouted for all to hear "I'm mad as hell and I'm not taking it any more." and so was I.

I decided, one hour, that's my limit for sitting here. We are parked close enough to the terminal that I can see inside. So even with out a gate to park at they should be able to arrange for us to deplane, pull our bags, and escort us into the terminal.

Called the stewardess over and informed her, "I wasn't concerned about missing my connecting flight", she smiled but it soon faded as I went on to say "the boys (pilots) had 20 more minutes or I was taking charge and letting my self and the rest of the passengers off".

She was shocked, looked at me unbelievably and asked if I was new to flying, threatened to have me arrested, told me not to talk so loud, requested my name and finely with a head flip headed off to the cockpit. In the end we got to a gate with in my time frame, though a far flung one, so they probably got me after all.

I'm not sure if I would have really had the cajonies to pull that aircraft door release but I do know I am as the man in the movie "getting mad as hell and not going to take it any more", or just another crazy old guy, you judge.



Cool thing to do in Bangkok visit Jim Thompson's house and if your coming from the Kho San Road - Bangalapoo area or the Central shopping district use the cheap but interesting river taxi on Klong Saen Saep to get there.

Cheap but good rice wine but not for the faint of heart - I test drove some iced "40 degree" with Jack a new friend I made in Bangkok.

Internet rates at a Internet shop in Bangkok - around 30 baht an hour - min 20 minutes.

The Bangkok to Chiang Mai flight is a little over an hour long -air fare Bangkok - Chiang Mai via Air Asia 2,340 baht(approx 32.us=1 baht)+good seat fee 250 BT, insurance 74.90 BT, not sure about this one - convenience fee 50 BT and also a baggage fee may apply.

air fare Chiang Mai - Bangkok via Bangkok Airways Special rate 2,255 baht Classy airline, passengers get the use of there lounge and all and all they are just nice to the passengers.

air fare Bangkok - Saigon via Air Asia 2,195. baht = good seat charge 250. BT luggage overage (up to 30 kg) 1285. BT, insurance 90. BT, combo meal 80. BT, convenience fee - still don't know what this one is 50. BT = total cost 4650.BT

Full body Thai massage Chiang Mai an hour and a half 400 BT - double that if you want a happy ending - guys only.. Recomend Darlin's Massage, close to Tha Phae gate - 29 Kotchasarn Rd

A passing bus had an advertisement for this Nokhonchair Air what seems to be a super VIP bus running from Bangkok to Chiang Mai 02 936 009 BKK number

Taxi fare Suvarnabhumi airport to downtown Bangkok between 350 and 400 BT unless you driver gets lost and it costs you 700 BT