I'm not sure who but I flew via KL. I can only imagine it was cheaper, I do tend to do my travel planning when I have had a couple of glasses of wine so it could well be that after a couple of glasses of wine I could not get my head around the complications beyond A to B and back. Looking at it now it seems ludicrous that I did not go from Hong Kong to Bangkok and miss out KL altogether, or was I being subconsciously being drawn towards that KFC restaurant I knew so well!
Anyway, after Baltic temperatures of HK it was a pleasant change to get off the Air Asia flight and enjoy a few hours of tropical heat once again.
I did have a couple of hours to kill so aside enjoying the temperature I also enjoyed a KFC.
The flight to Bangkok left around 6 ish and although a couple of hours you gain an hour, so I landed at 7 o'clock. I wandered to the bus stop intending to get a bus into town. I had once again booked into a Silom hotel and the bus went straight there. There was an hour wait for the next bus so undecided ton take a cab. It wasn't that much more 150 T Baht versus 400. In no time I was at the hotel.
The room was OK though after a week in HK and my rabbit hutch of a room, I was quite looking forward to a window. There was not a window in sight. I was a bit tired, but that did not stop me from wandering down to Patpong for a drink and a bite to eat. I was entertained for an hour by a very camp guy who was working for Balcony, one of the bars. He had secreted a bag full of skewered meat, obviously his supper, on the chair next to me and every so often was grabbing a mouthful. He then had the idea that if he put them on my table, he could pretend they were mine. He did this and also proceeded to feed me from time to time by coming to sit me and doing a cleopatra impression....
The first evening and the first day in Bangkok were warm and sunny. Early the next morning, map in hand I set off for the Myanmar embassy. It was not far and I arrived there at around 8.45. I have never been to an embassy abroad before, indeed I have only ever been to one embassy which was the Australian one in Portland street, Manchester.
My plan for the following day was to go to the
Myanmar embassy and apply for my visa. The lonely planet had recommended doing it yourself, even though it was possible to pay a travel agency to do it and just fill in the paperwork. It did cost you for the service obviously, around 6000 Bht. This was compared to the 800Bht do it yourself version.
The were a few people in there, quite a lot of Thai people but not that may westerners. You took a form, completed it, attached one photo ( a prit stick was provided) and the took t to a counter. A chappie checked it the , if everything was in order gave you a ticket which had a number on it. You then just wait for your number to be called out. Within 30 minutes I was at the counter being 'processed'
One of the questions on the form is about your occupation . For the purpose of this exercise I had decided I would adopt the baking profession, this is not dishonest, I had worked for Paula for quite a few months. I thought it was much easier than stating I was retired and going throughout the 'you are not old enough' routine.
I was asked what I did (even though it was on the form, I was asked why I was wanting to go to Myanmar, (even though it was on the form) I was asked if I had been to Myanmar before, (even though it was on the form) and I was asked when I was going . That wasn't on the form.
" Are you a journalist."
" No" was my answer, a baker!
" come back Friday afternoon"
It was Monday...
" can I have it any earlier please"
" no, we have things to check"
This was one of those "no's" you know not to challenge so I bobbed off leaving my passport and forms with this charmer and taking my receipt.
This sort of fucked up my plans. I had hoped to get the passport back by Wednesday and then go over to see Kipp in Ko Tao. Never mind, I would stay in Bangkok and do a few touristy things. I would also meet my dad at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Friday as he transits to meet Lesley and the kids in Ko Samui.
That was decided although the trip things didn't happen. I spend the next few days in bed with a shocking bout of flu. I did meet dad and collect my Visa but other than that I was confined to my bed. I did change hotels moving from backpacker to flash packer. I was feeling so sorry for myself I needed some creature comforts and the Siam Heritage was just the place, plus it had a window, hooking right into another building, right enough but that isn't the point!
Aside from the fact that i was not at all well, the weather in Bangkok was not at all nice. Cold and Wet, really not normal for that time of year. Plus, we had a small earthquake, I thought t was one of my sneezes but it was in fact a 6 ish with an epicentre in Myanmar, my next destination !!
Meeting dad was nice, a surprise, he actually surprised me. My attention must have been wandering and I heard a 'what are you doing here' it was fairly obvious dad, I'm here to meet you.....
We had breakfast and a chat for a couple of hours. He was leaving for Ko Samui early evening, to coincide with Lesley arriving there. I needed to go to the embassy to get my visa so I left him around midday after he had checked his baggage in. I admire him. At 74 he has some energy. He had travelled by overnight bus to Gatwick to fly to BKK via Dubai. He would not have slept for at least two days.... I would have been knackered and he said he wasn't tired.
Collection of the visa was straightforward, apart from getting soaked. I spend the weekend in bed......
I was flying to Phuket on Monday to meet Mr Nic and it promised to be pretty heavy........
As an aside, if I had got my visa earlier and had managed to get to Ko Tao I would probably have missed my Phuket holiday and Myanmar as torrential rain cut the island off for nearly two weeks. It caused a change of plans for Lesley too!!!
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Location:Silom Road, Bangkok,Thailand
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