RoadRunner,

I never use a credit card at an ATM. Regular ATM cards have no fee and a 1% markup over the interbank rate.

Bangkok overnight

We got up late and had brunch at Jasmine Rice, a Thai restaurant just steps from Sand Inn across Soi San Sabai. I had green curry chicken, which arrived spiced for Thai taste buds—somewhere between surface of the sun and thermonuclear war. I ate it anyway and tried to enjoy the afterglow of hot food without feeling the compulsion to immerse my tongue in a bucket of liquid nitrogen.

We checked out, paid in cash to avoid the 3% surcharge for MasterCard, and soon the minibus we had hired showed up. Mike needed to transport his bicycle back to Chiang Mai, given that he had ridden it down here over the course of 17 days and didn’t care to ride it back. The driver nimbly strapped the bike to the roof of the bus, loaded our bags into the back, and headed off right on schedule. It was quite a rig, midnight blue with a (non-working) TV, lots of can and bottle holders, and ashtrays at every seat. We made the airport in a quick 39 minutes.

We had spent about an hour yesterday at a travel agency calling Thai Airways to see if it was really possible to check the bike through to Chiang Mai. After several lengthy conversations we were assured it was possible but were worried nonetheless that we upon arrival at the ISO 9002-certified Phuket International Airport we would be required to disassemble the bike using tools we didn’t have and pack it into a box that was only available from Bangkok. But the Thais were all smiles and Mike just lifted the bike onto the conveyor where the agent attached a baggage tag and someone carried it away. We got Business Class seats across the aisle from each other and were directed to the new lounge upstairs.

The Thai Royal Executive Lounge was in the back of a new restaurant above the check-in counters. We got a complimentary snack and drink, served by a waiter. I ordered spring rolls and a Piña Colada and then glanced over and saw Rachel from the dive boat sitting at the next table reading Angela’s Ashes! She had coincidentally booked the very same flight and even more coincidentally been assigned the seat next to mine, which upon reflection was really not all that surprising since I’d noticed the Thais like to seat all the white people together.

As usual we waited and waited to be called for boarding but when it got to be 15 minutes before flight time we lost the chicken game and headed to the gate on our own. We got a cold towel and welcome drink on this Airbus 300 and then taxied and took off right on time. In flight we got another drink and then a snack of either sesame honey bars or crispy baby clam. There was no choice; you just got one or the other.

We landed in Bangkok on time, taxied by the busy golf course, and docked at a Jetway gate. The bags took only minutes to come off the plane and of course our Royal Executive luggage came off first. Who should be there waiting for bags but Jim and Ellen, also from the dive boat! I told them I would see them on my flights home to LA tomorrow. Mike escorted me to the secret place to get a taxi-meter, I gave him a passionate belly-hug goodbye, and I was off to Sukhumvit.

There was no traffic until we got within a kilometer of the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit but when we did we sat for 25 minutes, inching our way up. “Evening traffic,” said the driver. “Yes, traffic,” I replied. Finally we arrived. The fare was 183 baht ($4.35) plus 70 baht ($1.65) in tolls. There was a short line at the checkin counter but once I was there they informed me I was Platinum and hence would be upgraded to a Premier Suite. They collected my United 50% off cert, which saved me $55, and escorted me up to a nice two-room suite. There was already a fruit bowl and a plate of peanuts in the room and a butler brought a tray of hand-made chocolates a moment later.

I decided to spend the afternoon doing a little shopping at MBK, the giant mall, so I took the SkyTrain for 25 baht (60¢) each way and browsed for an hour or two, buying a couple more expensive gifts for friends before returning. A flyer in the bedroom announced Eldee Young had flown in from Chicago to play jazz downstairs so I went to check it out and had a couple Manhattans and a hamburger for dinner at the near-American price of 880 baht ($21). He had an electric bass and played some nice standards along with his piano and drum trio, singing a couple of numbers too.

It was late so I watched the impalas mate on the National Geographic channel for a bit before packing it in early for my long travel day tomorrow.


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