It costs 200,000 Bahts for a new tuk tuk, 140,000 for a used one. The tuk tuk driver tapped out those numbers on the calculator. He was driving me to the pier for 80 Bahts but I couldn’t bargain, for the guesthouse was very inaccessible and don’t get many tuk tuks. I agreed instantly with his quoted price, which was 20 Bahts more than the price I paid for my trip from the pier to the guesthouse. Anyway, I had saved quite a bit by renting a bicycle for two days.
That tuk tuk of his can’t be driven in Bangkok, so he said, and I’m guessing that the two cities probably have different traffic regulations. He added that he wasn’t going to sell his tuk tuk anytime soon. Well, it was a good deal. I was really wondering if I could buy a tuk tuk and travel the length of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos one day. For 4000-6000 USD, it’s a versatile way of getting around.
Then, feeling that he needed some challenging questions, I asked him: “Here…Ayutthaya…support Yingluck or Abhisit?”
“Yes.”
Bad questioning technique! I decided not to press on.
I was back in Bangkok after a 2-hour train ride and felt an urgent need for a shower. The windows on the train were open in full, letting in dust, sand and stench. I found unidentifiable black specks on my skin. They smear out when I try to flick them off.
My room was a pleasant surprise. It was properly furnished, had air-conditioning, a TV, a refrigerator, and most importantly, a proper bathroom with hot water and toilet facilities. Indeed, years of making do with super budget travel accommodation had lowered my standards. A much needed warm shower later, I was ready for Bangkok’s Chinatown on the eve of the Chinese New Year. I was leaving Thailand the next morning and Chinatown was the only thing left on my itinerary.
What a crowd it was! I hate crowds, but Bangkok’s Chinatown is quite well spread out that there’s always room for pedestrians. I found it hard to find seats even though street food stalls were in abundance. Oddly, I was hit by a craving for cuttlefish, so I ended up having two sticks of grilled cuttlefish seasoned with Thai chilli sauce, along with other street fare that I could eat while walking. Eventually, I found a stall that served some up broth in claypots. I pointed out to the stall owner that I wanted what the next table was having, and she spoke to me in Thai. I tried speaking simple Mandarin, hoping that my message would get through, and she finally said: “是这个？” (is this it?), pointing to the dish on the adjacent table.
Actually, I still didn’t know what I was ordering. I was hungry and would settle for anything. A minute later, I discovered that I had ordered a satisfying bowl of fish maw soup, which only cost me 70 Bahts.
Over at the Chinatown Gate at the traffic circle…
What seemed like a yearly ritual was taking place. People would line themselves up in a few rows and waved their hands to the commands of an announcer over the loudspeaker.
What was said over the loudspeaker I could not tell — it was all in Thai. After all that was over, they lined up in a single file and swiped their wallets and notes against the stone lion statues.
I was extremely fortunate to visit Wat Traimit. Admission was free for the day to allow devotees to worship there. Fortunately it didn’t suffer from the same sort of Chinese New Year’s Eve overcrowding at certain other temples in Asia. The temple houses the largest solid gold seated image of Buddha. Being a non-Buddhist, I decided not to enter the main chamber. I did, however, cast my 10 Bahts into the wishing bowl. Hopes keep us alive, don’t they?
And yes…the pomegranate juice. I was hesitant to try these drinks from the street-side stalls at first. After the first bottle, I was hooked. The pomegranates were about the size of two adult fists. A number of them were opened to reveal their red pulpy seeds and displayed enticingly at the stalls. Freshly made chilled pomegranate juice tasted so refreshing and so much better than those I find off the shelves of supermarkets. After I bought my second bottle, I asked the stall owner for the price of that handy manual pomegranate juice extractor and where he bought it. It cost 300 Baht and he pointed in the direction of a place called “Sam Phet” (or Sam Phaeng?). Too bad I had to set off early the next morning for the airport.
Someone else has a better picture here.
It was a good trip. I was quite fully occupied, but I was free to take my time as well. 1 or 2 days in Ayutthaya is just about enough, and so was the mere one night in Bangkok. I wanted to catch the Chinese New Year bazaar and nothing else. I was very pleasantly charmed by the grace of the Thais and regretted not learning more basic Thai phrases to soften out awkward moments. The Thais were ever so keen to not offend, so much so that I was at times slightly embarrassed at my brash touristy ways. Thailand is a country I’d like to revisit!
