Post a pic of where you are now

[tikay]

Oh my, classic Red. Classic Mrs Red, too...



"I just can't sit still for 10 hours plus" I wailed.

"You seem to manage alright at the poker"  Mrs Red observed pointedly.

[typhoon13]

I know I said no waffling but I just want to tell you this bit, I'll keep it short.


The flight to Bangkok was a nightmare for me, sat as I was in the cheap seats.

"I just can't sit still for 10 hours plus" I wailed.

"You seem to manage alright at the poker"  Mrs Red observed pointedly.

Anyone who has seen me playing poker knows that what I do in my chair can't be called sitting.
Lounging, kneeling, straddling, standing behind it, standing in front of it, and mostly, long before 10 hours have passed, vacating it.

To make matters worse loads of people were reclining their seats but I couldn't find a way to recline mine.

"Ask the stewardess" Mrs Red advised.

As if I would. Here's me, practically an aeronautical engineer, unable to recline my seat and there were all the other  plebs with probability no qualifications at all reclining all over the place.

Staring straight forward so as not to give the game away I nonchalantly felt every part of the arm rests. Nothing.

All the rest of the seat. Nothing.

I leaned forward and felt under the front edge of the seat.

It's surprising how easy those life-vests are to pull out and how difficult they are to put back, especially when Mrs Red is hissing at you and digging her finger nails into the back of your ear.

She flagged down a passing stewardess. "Excuse me, could you show my husband how to recline his seat please?"

"Oh this row of seats back on to the emergency exit, they don't recline".

The bloke in the seat in front of me sniggered and reclined his seat until it was about 4 inches from my face, meanwhile I was forced to sit bolt upright amongst all the loungers. I felt like a bloody meerkat.

4 or 5 hours later I noticed something on my fingernail. It may have been a bogey, who can say?

The bloke in the seat in front of me had fallen asleep and the back of his head was lolling in to view between the seats every  now and then.

To my absolute shame I flicked the unidentified substance at the head as it came into view. Unfortunately I misjudged it's adhesive qualities and it clung to my nail for a fraction of second too long and left on an unintended trajectory, missing it's intended target and sticking to the wrist of a dapper chap in the seat directly opposite.

I held my breath but he obviously didn't feel a thing. Eventually though, he did notice it and assuming it was his, proceeded to roll it between his thumb and forefinger for the next half an hour until it became too dry to stick and fell to the floor.

Sorry. Proper update next time I promise.

 Priceless Tom

[celtic]

I know I said no waffling but I just want to tell you this bit, I'll keep it short.


The flight to Bangkok was a nightmare for me, sat as I was in the cheap seats.

"I just can't sit still for 10 hours plus" I wailed.

"You seem to manage alright at the poker"  Mrs Red observed pointedly.

Anyone who has seen me playing poker knows that what I do in my chair can't be called sitting.
Lounging, kneeling, straddling, standing behind it, standing in front of it, and mostly, long before 10 hours have passed, vacating it.

To make matters worse loads of people were reclining their seats but I couldn't find a way to recline mine.

"Ask the stewardess" Mrs Red advised.

As if I would. Here's me, practically an aeronautical engineer, unable to recline my seat and there were all the other  plebs with probability no qualifications at all reclining all over the place.

Staring straight forward so as not to give the game away I nonchalantly felt every part of the arm rests. Nothing.

All the rest of the seat. Nothing.

I leaned forward and felt under the front edge of the seat.

It's surprising how easy those life-vests are to pull out and how difficult they are to put back, especially when Mrs Red is hissing at you and digging her finger nails into the back of your ear.

She flagged down a passing stewardess. "Excuse me, could you show my husband how to recline his seat please?"

"Oh this row of seats back on to the emergency exit, they don't recline".

The bloke in the seat in front of me sniggered and reclined his seat until it was about 4 inches from my face, meanwhile I was forced to sit bolt upright amongst all the loungers. I felt like a bloody meerkat.

4 or 5 hours later I noticed something on my fingernail. It may have been a bogey, who can say?

The bloke in the seat in front of me had fallen asleep and the back of his head was lolling in to view between the seats every  now and then.

To my absolute shame I flicked the unidentified substance at the head as it came into view. Unfortunately I misjudged it's adhesive qualities and it clung to my nail for a fraction of second too long and left on an unintended trajectory, missing it's intended target and sticking to the wrist of a dapper chap in the seat directly opposite.

I held my breath but he obviously didn't feel a thing. Eventually though, he did notice it and assuming it was his, proceeded to roll it between his thumb and forefinger for the next half an hour until it became too dry to stick and fell to the floor.

Sorry. Proper update next time I promise.

 

[RED-DOG]

Bangkok. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

It's Marmite City. You will love it, or you will hate it.

As soon as you step out into the street, you are hit by the heat, the fumes, the smell, the squalour, the traffic, the harrasment...

Your first thought will be, "This was a huge mistake".

Just strolling around is an art form, the pavement is used for everything except walking on. There is a stall selling unrecognisable and often indescribable food every two yards, and the bits in-between are a minefield of chairs, bowls, carts, motorcycles, dogs, fires, infants and people, endless numbers of people all asking,
"Where are you going?"
"What are you lookin for?"

They will wait patiently while someone asks you if want to ride in a tuk tuk, listen to you saying no thanks, and then ask if you want to ride in a tuk tuk.

That's the Bangkok that the haters hate, and who can blame them?

[typhoon13]

Bangkok. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

It's Marmite City. You will love it, or you will hate it.

As soon as you step out into the street, you are hit by the heat, the fumes, the smell, the squalour, the traffic, the harrasment...

Your first thought will be, "This was a huge mistake".

Just strolling around is an art form, the pavement is used for everything except walking on. There is a stall selling unrecognisable and often indescribable food every two yards, and the bits in-between are a minefield of chairs, bowls, carts, motorcycles, dogs, fires, infants and people, endless numbers of people all asking,
"Where are you going?"
"What are you lookin for?"

They will wait patiently while someone asks you if want to ride in a tuk tuk, listen to you saying no thanks, and then ask if you want to ride in a tuk tuk.

That's the Bangkok that the haters hate, and who can blame them?

And what do the lovers love?

[RED-DOG]

Ah Trevor....

The Thais are without doubt the most smiley, friendly, helpful, happy people you could ever meet.

Yes they try to get you to spend your money but they are never pushy and they never take offence when you say no. They are entirely non-confrontational.

Strangers look you in the eye and bob their head as if to acknowledge that you are another human being and as such, deserve respect.

It rubs off on me. It makes me smile and nod my head in respect too.


The only angry word I heard the whole time I was there was in a McDonald's.
I was behind two other customers waiting at a till when a waitress opened the next till, a bloke who had just come through the door sprinted across the floor and stood in front it.

"Excuse me" I said, assuming that he spoke English because he was white and well dressed, but pointing at the people in front of me in case he didn't. "There's a queue here mate".

He immediately got right in my face.

"What's your problem buddy?" (American) "The fucking till just opened up and I got here first. ALRIGHT?"

"No problem" I said, "It's not a big deal".

I turned away but he wouldn't let it go. "Well if it's not a big deal why not keep your mouth shut?"

I ignored him but he kept ranting and the Thai staff and customers were absolutely cringing with embarrassment, it was as if it was their fault. They looked like they might burst into tears.

What seems like chaos and squalour is actually just the infrastructure that allows a vast number of poor people to support themselves. Everywhere you look people are using ingenious devices, or should I say using everyday devices in ingenious ways to make a living.

Everyone works.
Some, most, doing menial, repetitive tasks. They may not have much but I'll tell you what they do have, dignity.

Not far from one of the hotels we stayed at was a tiny old man who sat beneath a roadside tree selling vegetables from a small selection on a table. Both the tree and the man were blackened and wisened with age. We would pass him in the morning on our way out, perhaps on a day trip or some such, and we would pass him again on our way back ten or twelve hours later. He would look me in the eye and nod his head with a smile just as warm and genuine as he had that morning, and it absolutely made my day to return his smile and nod back.

On the flip side, there is a burgeoning middle class in Thailand, people with good jobs and good educations, but the ethos doesn't change, they still have the same happy, friendly polite disposition.
It's particularly noticeable among the youngsters, perhaps that's because we don't expect young people to be bright and friendly.

I have to say the young women are a bit disturbing. (I'm not talking sex workers here, just everyday girls)
They are all my type, dark and pettite, and they all dress like they just stepped out of a fantasy.

[Kev B]

BKK definitely marmite. I love it. The chaos and the madness. I have stayed in parts of the City that have been disappointing but in general have enjoyed my stays there. Tours do it for me and always with a guide or you miss so much. The Grand Palace is awesome full of mind blowing architecture and history. China town at night is a vibrant spectacle and full of great restaurants and street food.

Thais are just the loveliest people. Their Buddhism upbringing has a lot to do with their outlook and non confrontational behaviour. The same all over the country.

Chiang Mai further north is a favourite of mine. The second biggest City but being further north it is cooler than BKK and more laid back. More temples than you could ever imagine.

Keep posting Tom I love trip reports of this country and it's people. BTW WTf are you doing in a McDonalds 

[RED-DOG]

Couldn't agree with you more about the Grand Palace.

It's become almost a cliche destination now, "Suggested visit time, one to two hours".

We spent an entire day there and were blown away by the sheer size and splendour of it all.

It's difficult to believe it was all done by hand. It's like looking at a piece of Faberge jewellery that's the size of a village.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[RED-DOG]

China Town street food is on another level, in fact the whole place is on another level.

I think Mrs Red was on something too...

Click to see full-size image.

[RED-DOG]

McDonald's?
We stumbled across this guy and he lured us in.

Click to see full-size image.

[Kev B]

Fantastic photos Tom. Mrs Red looking radiant. Where are you off to next?

[booder]

Fantastic photos Tom.

[celtic]

Bangkok. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

It's Marmite City. You will love it, or you will hate it.


Why do people use the Marmite term then explain it?

[RED-DOG]

Bangkok. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

It's Marmite City. You will love it, or you will hate it.


Why do people use the Marmite term then explain it?

The first time I heard it used was in reference to a stand up comedian. My friend said "He's a bit  Marmite".
I didn't understand so I asked for an explanation.

I take your point though.

[Doobs]

Bangkok. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

It's Marmite City. You will love it, or you will hate it.


Why do people use the Marmite term then explain it?

Some people love to have it explained to them, others will hate it.