Thailand – Geoff's travel blog

Yes…. All bags now here!

January 12, 2015January 23, 2020Posted in Thailand

Finally all bags here so no more emergency visits to shopping malls!
There are a host of good things about Bangkok, and shopping places abound everywhere, and the city is truly vibrant.
On the other hand, there are some downsides, like arguing with taxi drivers. All the taxi drivers, to a man (and I have never seen a female taxi driver), refuse to use the meters, with special rebukes saved for Westerners that request the meter. Everything gets negotiated upfront and a huge discount is available for those that agree to a “short 5 minute stop” at a jewelry or gold shop, but such a shop will not be near your requested destination so you are then held hostage – its a mistake people usually only make once!

Jean relaxing on a boat on the Chao Phraya River.

Kids the world over enjoy a bouncy castle or slide. Here is one outside a Bangkok shopping center.

Its always busy on the river!

And also in the shopping mall.

Having hopefully overcome the jetlag, we are headed to Penang tomorrow, to see some sights in this old colonial city.

Sunset over Bangkok and city view

January 10, 2015January 23, 2020Posted in Thailand

The baggage success rate is now 75%, so just one bag to come. This has been a saga, but we nevertheless have had some time to get about, and met up with an old ARCO friend by the name of John Hon, coincidentally on a business trip from Hong Kong. We had a great dinner.

Dinner with John Hon

Arrived in Bangkok Minus Baggage

January 9, 2015January 23, 2020Posted in Thailand

Yes, really, just as on the last trip to Asia we arrived minus checked bags.

Not the most interesting start, and the darnedest thing is that we both had completely different flight schedules, for reasons too complex to explain.

Philly/Newark/London/Bangkok and Philly/Frankfurt/Oslo/Bangkok – but same outcomes, two bags lost on each itinerary. Oh well…

So we have spent most of our time researching lost bags, buying emergency supplies etc. It all makes for a rather dull start, we could have stayed home and gone shopping, although its a tad warmer here at 90 degrees.