Sean's parents' flight ended up being delayed a bit. Sean and I sat upstairs and made up stories about the people downstairs again. We saw a lot of "Thai girlfriends" who were meeting up with their farang boyfriends, a lot of Japanese tour groups, backpackers...and then there was a "Ronald McBoyfriend", so called by the Lonely Planet when a greying guy dyes his hair (red) when he is going to meet the girl's parents. Ronald McBoyfriend was with his Thai girlfriend waiting for someone.
Eventually, we moved downstairs when the time got closer. McBoyfriend was quite interesting. He was a very dorky, akward guy with a Dragonballz t-shirt on. He would put his arms around his Thai girlfriend and she would stand there with her arms crossed, seemingly distant. Akward touches, she would never show affection back. He was maybe in his 30's, maybe going grey early - in patches. His hair was dyed very patchily -- like dark brown (natural), and reddish patches of hair mixed in. It looked really awful.
McBoyfriend ended up meeting his sister at the airport. She seemed excited and inquisitive of his new girlfriend. The sister liked how his hair was done (ack!). The three of them walked out of the crowd and out of the airport, with sister asking a million questions about his Thai girlfriend.
Sean's parents took a while to get out. Both of us were exhausted, and ready to go home. Finally, they appeared around 1:20am -- their flight landed at 12:00am. We caught a cab from downstairs, who seemed to take us the long way about town. He would open his door and spit out huge loogies at stop lights. One time, he caught a loogie on the inside of his door, so he used a hankerchief to wipe it off. It was pretty disgusting. But all in all, the fare was not too much higher than normal, so it was no problem. We didn't get to the Atlanta till about 2am...
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Headed off to Sukhothai tomorrow morn...
We've got bus tickets booked to the ancient capital of Sukhothai for tomorrow morning. It'll take about 5.5 hours from Chiang Mai, so not too bad. Should get there around 11:30am. Will spend a few days there...
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
March 15, 2007 - Thurs -- Day 2 of paperwork...
We had an early start today. We picked up Sarah from Suk 11 at 9am. The guy running the Suk got the guard to hail a cab for us, since the street cabs wanted to charge 450 Baht for the trip, and refused to use the meter. We needed to go near the old Don Muang airport, which is actually not horribly far from town (ie. it wouldn't warrant a 450 Baht trip). Best to get a taxi to use the meter and not bargain for a fixed price in Bangkok!
We went to the 3rd floor of the building, which houses the Legalization department. We got a number, got called to the front, but needed another paper to fill out at information. Doh! We went to the info booth, filled out the paper, then got another number. Since we didn't have the time to do it regular (2 days), we did it express (2 hours). We went back up when our number was called, gave the lady our paperwork, and paid the 1600 Baht fee (800 each for express). Then we had to wait about 2 hours.
We decided to do lunch in the cafeteria there, since Sarah accidentally smuggled a knnife into the office building (we would get searched/metal detectored when we re-entered). But that was fine. The cafeteria was good. Like the one from yesterday, you buy coupons, and use them to get food. Main dishes were about 30-35 Baht.
Cafeteria at the Thai Foreign Affairs office
After lunch, we went back upstairs, picked up our paperwork which was ready early, and decided to explore our way back into town since we had time. From the office we started walking to the Lak Si train station. It looked like not too many farang went to this station. All of the schedules were written in Thai script. Plus the area around there were neighborhoods next to a canal.
Spirit house on the way to the Lak Si train station
Houses along the canal
I tried to read the schedule for "Hualamphong", but could not make out any word resembling it. So I went up to the ticket window, used the little Thai that I can speak, and got us 3 tickets for Hualamphong for a total of 12 Baht. The tickets said "Bangkok" on them. Sean pointed out on the train schedule the time. I tried to read the script, and it didn't say Bangkok. Instead, it said "Krunthep", which is the Thai name for Bangkok. I was pretty excited that I actually figured that out.
Train schedule at the Lak Si station -- can you read it?
We had over an hour till the train came, so we decided to explore the area by the canal. It was a neighborhood with small alleyways and a few shops lining the street. It was reminiscent of walking down the alleyways of Stone Town in Zanzibar.
There was so much character to the neighborhood -- life as it is in the outskirts of Krungthep. A few vendors selling foods from the front of their houses, a few people walking around, dogs laying in the shade in the heat of the day, people playing checkers. We continued on in the maze of houses and then worked our way back to the station.
Lak Si train station
The Lak Si station was fairly quiet. A few people on both sides of the train tracks. Cargo waiting to be delivered northbound -- a cart overflowing with wicker baskets, exercise equipment, some electronic equipment.
Sarah on the train
The train arrived at Lak Si around 1:33 pm. We boarded -- hot and sweaty. We sat by an open window, but we were facing the wrong way to receive the wind. The ride back to Hualamphong was hot, yet wonderful. There is something whimsical about riding trains -- the people, the sights.
Hualamphong train station - Bangkok
We looked around the Hualamphong station, and after some thought, we went to the advance booking station and got 5 tickets for the overnight train to Chiang Mai. With the current smoke situation in Chiang Mai (wildfires cropping up from the slash and burn agriculture, will be declared a state of emergency), Sean thought it best to be in Air Con (the appeal of second class fan was that you can open the windows) -- so we got tickets for second class air con, and got 4 upper berths and 1 lower berth (that was the best available).
Afterwards, I called my dad, who told us to meet up at the hospital. We figured out the subway, and then connected over to the BTS Skytrain to get close to the hospital. The system is very modern and very nice -- similar to subways in Europe (although expensive for the average Thai person).
The BTS Skytrain
Dad is very proud of the hospital, so we took Sarah for the tour. And just like yesterday, we went back to Soi 5 restaurant, pigged out on good Thai food and watermelon shakes. As always, old farang men with Thai girls at that place. But dad likes the food there.
After dinner, we dropped Sarah off and then headed back to the Atlanta. We had about 15 minutes to rest. Then were off again to the airport -- a 3rd night in a row -- to pick up Sean's parents. We asked the receptionist if she could call a taxi for us. Hungry for a commission, she said they charge 450 Baht for a taxi to Suvarnamabhumi airport. Knowing that was a blatant ripoff, we just walked toward Sukhumvit road and caught the first taxi we found...
We went to the 3rd floor of the building, which houses the Legalization department. We got a number, got called to the front, but needed another paper to fill out at information. Doh! We went to the info booth, filled out the paper, then got another number. Since we didn't have the time to do it regular (2 days), we did it express (2 hours). We went back up when our number was called, gave the lady our paperwork, and paid the 1600 Baht fee (800 each for express). Then we had to wait about 2 hours.
We decided to do lunch in the cafeteria there, since Sarah accidentally smuggled a knnife into the office building (we would get searched/metal detectored when we re-entered). But that was fine. The cafeteria was good. Like the one from yesterday, you buy coupons, and use them to get food. Main dishes were about 30-35 Baht.
After lunch, we went back upstairs, picked up our paperwork which was ready early, and decided to explore our way back into town since we had time. From the office we started walking to the Lak Si train station. It looked like not too many farang went to this station. All of the schedules were written in Thai script. Plus the area around there were neighborhoods next to a canal.
I tried to read the schedule for "Hualamphong", but could not make out any word resembling it. So I went up to the ticket window, used the little Thai that I can speak, and got us 3 tickets for Hualamphong for a total of 12 Baht. The tickets said "Bangkok" on them. Sean pointed out on the train schedule the time. I tried to read the script, and it didn't say Bangkok. Instead, it said "Krunthep", which is the Thai name for Bangkok. I was pretty excited that I actually figured that out.
We had over an hour till the train came, so we decided to explore the area by the canal. It was a neighborhood with small alleyways and a few shops lining the street. It was reminiscent of walking down the alleyways of Stone Town in Zanzibar.
There was so much character to the neighborhood -- life as it is in the outskirts of Krungthep. A few vendors selling foods from the front of their houses, a few people walking around, dogs laying in the shade in the heat of the day, people playing checkers. We continued on in the maze of houses and then worked our way back to the station.
The Lak Si station was fairly quiet. A few people on both sides of the train tracks. Cargo waiting to be delivered northbound -- a cart overflowing with wicker baskets, exercise equipment, some electronic equipment.
The train arrived at Lak Si around 1:33 pm. We boarded -- hot and sweaty. We sat by an open window, but we were facing the wrong way to receive the wind. The ride back to Hualamphong was hot, yet wonderful. There is something whimsical about riding trains -- the people, the sights.
We looked around the Hualamphong station, and after some thought, we went to the advance booking station and got 5 tickets for the overnight train to Chiang Mai. With the current smoke situation in Chiang Mai (wildfires cropping up from the slash and burn agriculture, will be declared a state of emergency), Sean thought it best to be in Air Con (the appeal of second class fan was that you can open the windows) -- so we got tickets for second class air con, and got 4 upper berths and 1 lower berth (that was the best available).
Afterwards, I called my dad, who told us to meet up at the hospital. We figured out the subway, and then connected over to the BTS Skytrain to get close to the hospital. The system is very modern and very nice -- similar to subways in Europe (although expensive for the average Thai person).
Dad is very proud of the hospital, so we took Sarah for the tour. And just like yesterday, we went back to Soi 5 restaurant, pigged out on good Thai food and watermelon shakes. As always, old farang men with Thai girls at that place. But dad likes the food there.
After dinner, we dropped Sarah off and then headed back to the Atlanta. We had about 15 minutes to rest. Then were off again to the airport -- a 3rd night in a row -- to pick up Sean's parents. We asked the receptionist if she could call a taxi for us. Hungry for a commission, she said they charge 450 Baht for a taxi to Suvarnamabhumi airport. Knowing that was a blatant ripoff, we just walked toward Sukhumvit road and caught the first taxi we found...
March 14, 2007 - con't -- Paperwork, visiting the hospital, and back to the airport!
We both got a good nights rest last night. An early morning start, and we were in pure business mode. We had to make our way to the US Embassy to fill out our affadavits saying that both of us had never been married before. So we took a stroll down Wireless Road and found the embassy. The security guards were pretty fierce at being gatekeepers and told us to go to the building next door, building 2 on the 19th floor. It took us a while to find the right building for one thing, then we looked at things on the 19th floor. The only thing remotely close was an immigration and travel service. Neither of us were immigration, so I was like WTF? A lady from the office came out, we tried to tell her what we were doing. She wanted us to fill out a form and talk to her boss, a farang lawyer.
- "Tao rai ka?"
- "Consultation fee"
Surely, I think his service would be too much, being a farang lawyer. Plus, we were clearly in the wrong place. So we left and went back to the Embassy, stating our claim again to the security guards who spoke almost no English. We were finally able to convey the message that we needed to talk to someone. The security guard used an outdoor phone to phone someone who spoke English (I don't think "affadavit" translates well in Thai) and was able to tell the guard where to send us.
He sent us across the street to passport services (but we really didn't need passport services, either). It happens that the building across the street from the Embassy is for consular services.
We went through, checked in my camera for security, and had my purse thoroughly inspected. There were a lot of people there for visas. Then there was another area for other consular services. We figure that would be us. We got to the door only to find that they were closed from 11am to 1pm, and we got there at 11:10am (damn the Embassy giving us the runaround!!!). We weren't even there long enough for the guy who checked in my camera to give it to the guy who returns them.
And so we left to find something to eat. We found an office/mall cafeteria called City Mart in the All Seasons building on Wireless Road. I'm sure more expensive than street food, but we didn't feel like trying our luck just yet. Plus, it was freakin' hot and humid outside and could use a break in the A/C.
The food was great. Cafeteria style -- you bought coupons first. There were various vendors selling noodle dishes, curries, and other Thai dishes. We both had a spicy glass noodle soup with pork in it. Very flavorful. And for 35 baht each ($1), can't complain!
A kid's shop at the mall/office building
After lunch, we still had plenty of time till the consular services opened back up. We walked around the mall to discover how Westernized it was -- Burger King, Bebe, and a few more high end fashion shops that we could find back home.
Graffiti in Bangkok
Still with more time to kill, we passed the consulate to discover a nice above-ground bike and walk path. We explored a bit, walked over the expressway, then went back to the consulate with time to spare.
View from the bike and walk way
We re-checked in again, and the guy recognized us. Then we headed down to the consular services building. It was already jam packed with people waiting for them to open at 1pm. 1pm came around, the ticket number dispenser started up, and people were like vultures. Sean sent me in for the kill -- we got #09.
I must say that going to the consulate in Bangkok is quite an entertaining experience. There were a few couples there -- old men with their young Thai girlfriends, old men with their not so young Thai girlfriends, young men with their young Thai girlfriends (hey, like me and Sean..lol!), expats, and people getting extra pages in their passport.
They finally called our number and gave us some forms to fill out. Funny thing is that the form says, "You are eligible to marry a Thai citizen" catering to those certain men out there. They had to cross out Thai on our forms and put US -- to everyone's surprise that I was a US citizen and not some young Thai girl working the bars/streets, looking for a western husband.
We filled out our forms, paid the cashier $30 each, brought it back to the side window, and waited for them to call our names. In that span of time, a few more marriage affadavits came up -- an old American men with their Thai girlfriends. Funny thing is that the Thai girlfriends seemed to know the process pretty well.
The way you can tell that it is a 'Thai girlfriend' (a girl picked up by a farang guy who then gets married) is that they still look like they're hooking. Thai women in general are pretty modest overall. So you can really tell who is hooking and who is not. I already pass for Sean's 'Thai girlfriend' even in my frumpy backpacker clothes -- we get looks all the time. Just think if I were to buy an outfit (think stripper clothes) from a street vendor on Sukhumvit Road..then we'd really fit into the description!
They called our names, we signed the papers. Next stop was to go to a translation service. We went to the cheapest one, recommended by the consulate, and located up the street a bit. It cost 350 Baht each ($10 each) for the translation. The boss man (the guy who does all the translations) was really nice and seemed used to the service. After all, while we were waiting, a couple came in that we had seen at the consulate!
Our next stop would be to have the document recognized by the Thai government, which meant a trip to the north of town to the Thai Ministry of Foregin Affairs department. The translator also did that service, but he said it would take 3 business days for 800 Baht each, and we would be in Chiang Mai by then. So we decided to pass on the services and would figure it out ourselves.
No one ever said getting married would be easy..now throw in another country where you don't speak the language...
We dropped by Bumrumgrad Hospital -- the Horizon International Cancer Center -- where my dad works. We were just going to drop by to say hello, and have my dad help with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (call them, ask the hours and how to get there). But then he took us on the hospital tour -- to the doctor's lounge to eat a snack and meet everyone, to the mezzanine where there was a Starbucks and McDonalds, to the staff recreation center where there were exercise machines, 2 karaoke booths, and a ping pong table. We played ping pong for a bit -- dad took it easy on us since he seems to be a ping pong hustler.
Sean and dad playing ping pong
After the tour, we headed back to dad's office. It was about dinnertime after all was said and done. Dad wanted to take the shuttle bus from Bumrungrad to the Nana BTS station because it was free. But the shuttle was full, so we walked it (dad says he's lazy to walk, but it's really not that far). He doesn't eat out much or know much about Bangkok, so he didn't know where to go. We snuck into a Thai seafood restaurant called Soi 5 on Sukhumvit Road and pigged out on foods that I have not eaten in years. It was so yummy!
Dinner at Soi 5 restaurant
We said our goodbyes for the evening, then Sean and I headed back to the Atlanta for a quick rest. And then we were on the go again, off to the airport to pick up Sarah, arriving from Austin via Narita.
We caught a taxi from the Atlanta, which ended up costing 300 Baht including tolls. We waited in the arrivals lobby for her. Also waiting for a passenter was a lady all made up and dressed up in tight white see-through pants and high heels. We wondered if she was waiting for her western husband or boyfriend to come -- maybe an Internet arrangement?
At the airport again
Sarah was one of the early people off the plane, so we didn't get to see who the lady was waiting for. We caught a taxi from the first floor. Our taxi driver was crazy. He was talking about all the touristy things to do and making fun of backpackers on Khao San Road. He also poked fun at the tuk tuk drivers who charge a lot to go 1-3 km, and he kept saying, "Fuck you tuk tuk, fuck you!" He took a shortcut throught the city and showed us some hookers and pointed out some ladyboy (kathoey) hookers as well.
When I originally asked for the taxi at the airport, I told them where we needed to go, and he said, "I know, I know". So assuming that, we drove past the Ambassador Hotel (which is across the street from Suk 11), made a few more turns, and ended up at Sukhumvit Soi 3. Then I showed him the map, and he's like, why didn't you show me before, this no good! All of a sudden, our fun loving, crazy taxi driver became silent, breaking really hard, and weaving in and out of traffic -- he went from fun to completely psycho!
We finally got back to Suk 11, and dropped Sarah off, then walked back to the Atlanta. The Suk looks like a really cool place with a lot of character. Already booked out till March 26th.
- "Tao rai ka?"
- "Consultation fee"
Surely, I think his service would be too much, being a farang lawyer. Plus, we were clearly in the wrong place. So we left and went back to the Embassy, stating our claim again to the security guards who spoke almost no English. We were finally able to convey the message that we needed to talk to someone. The security guard used an outdoor phone to phone someone who spoke English (I don't think "affadavit" translates well in Thai) and was able to tell the guard where to send us.
He sent us across the street to passport services (but we really didn't need passport services, either). It happens that the building across the street from the Embassy is for consular services.
We went through, checked in my camera for security, and had my purse thoroughly inspected. There were a lot of people there for visas. Then there was another area for other consular services. We figure that would be us. We got to the door only to find that they were closed from 11am to 1pm, and we got there at 11:10am (damn the Embassy giving us the runaround!!!). We weren't even there long enough for the guy who checked in my camera to give it to the guy who returns them.
And so we left to find something to eat. We found an office/mall cafeteria called City Mart in the All Seasons building on Wireless Road. I'm sure more expensive than street food, but we didn't feel like trying our luck just yet. Plus, it was freakin' hot and humid outside and could use a break in the A/C.
The food was great. Cafeteria style -- you bought coupons first. There were various vendors selling noodle dishes, curries, and other Thai dishes. We both had a spicy glass noodle soup with pork in it. Very flavorful. And for 35 baht each ($1), can't complain!
After lunch, we still had plenty of time till the consular services opened back up. We walked around the mall to discover how Westernized it was -- Burger King, Bebe, and a few more high end fashion shops that we could find back home.
Still with more time to kill, we passed the consulate to discover a nice above-ground bike and walk path. We explored a bit, walked over the expressway, then went back to the consulate with time to spare.
We re-checked in again, and the guy recognized us. Then we headed down to the consular services building. It was already jam packed with people waiting for them to open at 1pm. 1pm came around, the ticket number dispenser started up, and people were like vultures. Sean sent me in for the kill -- we got #09.
I must say that going to the consulate in Bangkok is quite an entertaining experience. There were a few couples there -- old men with their young Thai girlfriends, old men with their not so young Thai girlfriends, young men with their young Thai girlfriends (hey, like me and Sean..lol!), expats, and people getting extra pages in their passport.
They finally called our number and gave us some forms to fill out. Funny thing is that the form says, "You are eligible to marry a Thai citizen" catering to those certain men out there. They had to cross out Thai on our forms and put US -- to everyone's surprise that I was a US citizen and not some young Thai girl working the bars/streets, looking for a western husband.
We filled out our forms, paid the cashier $30 each, brought it back to the side window, and waited for them to call our names. In that span of time, a few more marriage affadavits came up -- an old American men with their Thai girlfriends. Funny thing is that the Thai girlfriends seemed to know the process pretty well.
The way you can tell that it is a 'Thai girlfriend' (a girl picked up by a farang guy who then gets married) is that they still look like they're hooking. Thai women in general are pretty modest overall. So you can really tell who is hooking and who is not. I already pass for Sean's 'Thai girlfriend' even in my frumpy backpacker clothes -- we get looks all the time. Just think if I were to buy an outfit (think stripper clothes) from a street vendor on Sukhumvit Road..then we'd really fit into the description!
They called our names, we signed the papers. Next stop was to go to a translation service. We went to the cheapest one, recommended by the consulate, and located up the street a bit. It cost 350 Baht each ($10 each) for the translation. The boss man (the guy who does all the translations) was really nice and seemed used to the service. After all, while we were waiting, a couple came in that we had seen at the consulate!
Our next stop would be to have the document recognized by the Thai government, which meant a trip to the north of town to the Thai Ministry of Foregin Affairs department. The translator also did that service, but he said it would take 3 business days for 800 Baht each, and we would be in Chiang Mai by then. So we decided to pass on the services and would figure it out ourselves.
No one ever said getting married would be easy..now throw in another country where you don't speak the language...
We dropped by Bumrumgrad Hospital -- the Horizon International Cancer Center -- where my dad works. We were just going to drop by to say hello, and have my dad help with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (call them, ask the hours and how to get there). But then he took us on the hospital tour -- to the doctor's lounge to eat a snack and meet everyone, to the mezzanine where there was a Starbucks and McDonalds, to the staff recreation center where there were exercise machines, 2 karaoke booths, and a ping pong table. We played ping pong for a bit -- dad took it easy on us since he seems to be a ping pong hustler.
After the tour, we headed back to dad's office. It was about dinnertime after all was said and done. Dad wanted to take the shuttle bus from Bumrungrad to the Nana BTS station because it was free. But the shuttle was full, so we walked it (dad says he's lazy to walk, but it's really not that far). He doesn't eat out much or know much about Bangkok, so he didn't know where to go. We snuck into a Thai seafood restaurant called Soi 5 on Sukhumvit Road and pigged out on foods that I have not eaten in years. It was so yummy!
We said our goodbyes for the evening, then Sean and I headed back to the Atlanta for a quick rest. And then we were on the go again, off to the airport to pick up Sarah, arriving from Austin via Narita.
We caught a taxi from the Atlanta, which ended up costing 300 Baht including tolls. We waited in the arrivals lobby for her. Also waiting for a passenter was a lady all made up and dressed up in tight white see-through pants and high heels. We wondered if she was waiting for her western husband or boyfriend to come -- maybe an Internet arrangement?
Sarah was one of the early people off the plane, so we didn't get to see who the lady was waiting for. We caught a taxi from the first floor. Our taxi driver was crazy. He was talking about all the touristy things to do and making fun of backpackers on Khao San Road. He also poked fun at the tuk tuk drivers who charge a lot to go 1-3 km, and he kept saying, "Fuck you tuk tuk, fuck you!" He took a shortcut throught the city and showed us some hookers and pointed out some ladyboy (kathoey) hookers as well.
When I originally asked for the taxi at the airport, I told them where we needed to go, and he said, "I know, I know". So assuming that, we drove past the Ambassador Hotel (which is across the street from Suk 11), made a few more turns, and ended up at Sukhumvit Soi 3. Then I showed him the map, and he's like, why didn't you show me before, this no good! All of a sudden, our fun loving, crazy taxi driver became silent, breaking really hard, and weaving in and out of traffic -- he went from fun to completely psycho!
We finally got back to Suk 11, and dropped Sarah off, then walked back to the Atlanta. The Suk looks like a really cool place with a lot of character. Already booked out till March 26th.
Monday, March 26, 2007
March 14, 2007 -- TOUCHDOWN!!!
Twenty-nine hours later...we made it to Bangkok.
Flight path almost over to the Arctic ice cap
We got into Bangkok at around 12:05am this morn. Sean slept pretty well on the plane. As for me...I just couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep. Our longest leg was a 15 hour and 40 minute flight from Atlanta to Seoul, Korea. But even though I couldn't sleep well, the flight wasn't that bad. Huge plane and TONS of good food. Korean Air rocks!!! It's amazing how much better the service gets when you go international with a foreign carrier.
The plane we took from Atlanta to Seoul
Customs and immigration at the new Suvarnabhumi (pronounced Soo-vah-nah-bhoom) airport was not too bad either. It seemed like most people queued at a few stalls, yet there were many with about only 3 people at them.
My dad and girl cousin met us at the airport and took us to the Atlanta Hotel. We got to the Atlanta Hotel around 2:00 am. A lady opened the door and looked pretty mean. It was Sean and 3 Thai people, so maybe we looked a little suspicious -- like my dad was a pimp and Sean had 2 Thai girlies...
Sean's parents made the reservations and were supposed to get a faxed form back for confirmation. They never got a confirmation fax, so his parents ended up calling and the hotel said they got the reservation. Plus, they also told the hotel that we were a couple -- white guy and Thai(American) girl.
Let me tell you a little bit about the Atlanta Hotel...It prides itself on its uniqueness...let me rephrase that as quirkiness. This German? guy opened it over 50 years ago. When you walk in, you feel like you are set back in time with all the retro furniture. The atmosphere is somewhat dark. Also, it prides itself on having no sex tourists allowed, since Sukhumvit Road is notorious for it's sex tourism.
The sheets on our bed
So we arrived there and told them that we have reservations. The lady refused to speak English and demanded our faxed confirmation. After quite a bit of bickering back and forth, we told them that we never got a fax confirmation, nor could we because Sean's parents booked the room, but they do not arrive for 2 more days. All this done in Thai, thanks to my cousin and dad. Needless to say, if we showed up in a taxi, I think we would have had to sleep on the street that night...
I can only guess that my own heritage is to blame for the trouble. Surely, Sean looks like a sex tourist with his Thai girlfriend of the night (ie me) showing up at 2 am, even though I only speak a little bit of Thai, and the Thai I speak is with a heavy farang (foreigner) accent, and I speak English like an American...Such a great experience after over a full days of flying and transit!
From the very beginning, I am in no way impressed by the Atlanta Hotel. But Sean's parents wanted to stay here in the family suite, and said they would pay for it. We were all up on that even with the quirkiness of the place. But with that said, I personally would not stay here ever again due to the treatment we got (I still feel like I have unfriendly eyes on us), nor would I recommend this place to another traveller. Isn't Thailand supposed to be the land of smiles???
Our bathroom at The Atlanta Hotel
The room is what I would expect -- a small common area, 2 bedrooms, and a bathroom. I concur with the Lonely Planet guide, which says that the rooms could use some updating. They seem a bit sterile and lack the quirkiness of the lobby. And for 1550 Baht a night...it's a bit pricey for Bangkok, in my opinion.
Common area of our suite in the Atlanta Hotel
We got into Bangkok at around 12:05am this morn. Sean slept pretty well on the plane. As for me...I just couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep. Our longest leg was a 15 hour and 40 minute flight from Atlanta to Seoul, Korea. But even though I couldn't sleep well, the flight wasn't that bad. Huge plane and TONS of good food. Korean Air rocks!!! It's amazing how much better the service gets when you go international with a foreign carrier.
Customs and immigration at the new Suvarnabhumi (pronounced Soo-vah-nah-bhoom) airport was not too bad either. It seemed like most people queued at a few stalls, yet there were many with about only 3 people at them.
My dad and girl cousin met us at the airport and took us to the Atlanta Hotel. We got to the Atlanta Hotel around 2:00 am. A lady opened the door and looked pretty mean. It was Sean and 3 Thai people, so maybe we looked a little suspicious -- like my dad was a pimp and Sean had 2 Thai girlies...
Sean's parents made the reservations and were supposed to get a faxed form back for confirmation. They never got a confirmation fax, so his parents ended up calling and the hotel said they got the reservation. Plus, they also told the hotel that we were a couple -- white guy and Thai(American) girl.
Let me tell you a little bit about the Atlanta Hotel...It prides itself on its uniqueness...let me rephrase that as quirkiness. This German? guy opened it over 50 years ago. When you walk in, you feel like you are set back in time with all the retro furniture. The atmosphere is somewhat dark. Also, it prides itself on having no sex tourists allowed, since Sukhumvit Road is notorious for it's sex tourism.
So we arrived there and told them that we have reservations. The lady refused to speak English and demanded our faxed confirmation. After quite a bit of bickering back and forth, we told them that we never got a fax confirmation, nor could we because Sean's parents booked the room, but they do not arrive for 2 more days. All this done in Thai, thanks to my cousin and dad. Needless to say, if we showed up in a taxi, I think we would have had to sleep on the street that night...
I can only guess that my own heritage is to blame for the trouble. Surely, Sean looks like a sex tourist with his Thai girlfriend of the night (ie me) showing up at 2 am, even though I only speak a little bit of Thai, and the Thai I speak is with a heavy farang (foreigner) accent, and I speak English like an American...Such a great experience after over a full days of flying and transit!
From the very beginning, I am in no way impressed by the Atlanta Hotel. But Sean's parents wanted to stay here in the family suite, and said they would pay for it. We were all up on that even with the quirkiness of the place. But with that said, I personally would not stay here ever again due to the treatment we got (I still feel like I have unfriendly eyes on us), nor would I recommend this place to another traveller. Isn't Thailand supposed to be the land of smiles???
The room is what I would expect -- a small common area, 2 bedrooms, and a bathroom. I concur with the Lonely Planet guide, which says that the rooms could use some updating. They seem a bit sterile and lack the quirkiness of the lobby. And for 1550 Baht a night...it's a bit pricey for Bangkok, in my opinion.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
A sneak peak at wedding pics
So, I thought I would end up blogging more, but that was not the case...we've been super busy, especially with family and friends in town. But soon enough, we'll be on our own and I'll have a bit more time to blog. Lot of stories to tell!
For now, here's a teaser of a few photos that the photographer at our wedding took:
Wedding photos
A ladyboy show tonight, hopefully it'll be fun! Stay tuned for more...
For now, here's a teaser of a few photos that the photographer at our wedding took:
Wedding photos
A ladyboy show tonight, hopefully it'll be fun! Stay tuned for more...
Thursday, March 15, 2007
I'm here, I'm here!
Just a quick note that I'm here, landed safely, and have been busy like crazy. Constant dealings with the government -- no one said getting married was ever easy...throw in a foreign country and it gets all screwy!!!
Anyways, off for now since the internet place is closing and this is the first time i'd had a chance to check emails! Will put on some updates later...it's been interesting already!!!
Anyways, off for now since the internet place is closing and this is the first time i'd had a chance to check emails! Will put on some updates later...it's been interesting already!!!
Monday, March 12, 2007
Packing List
So I'm packing a bit more than normal on this trip...some things I'll send home when Sean goes home...Here's my packing list for 6 weeks in Thailand:
CLOTHING
- 1 bra
- 1 strapless bra (for the wedding)
- 3 sports bras
- 14 pair underwear (they pack small so I can justify it!)
- 6 tank tops
- 2 short sleeve shirts
- 2 short sleeve button down shirts
- 1 long sleeve shirt
- 1 long sleeve button down shirt
- 2 pairs travel pants
- 1 pair capris
- 1 pair lounge pants
- 1 pair board shorts
- 1 long skirt
- 1 sarong
- 1 pair low socks
- 1 pair hiking socks
- 1 pair liner socks
- 1 bathing suit
GEAR
- poncho
- 2 bandanas
- travel towel
- waterproof outer shell
- 1 set of iodine tablets with neutralizer
- water filter bottle - Katadyn ExStream
- mosquito repellant
- small flashlight
- headlamp
- earplugs
- alarm clock
- camera
- batteries (camera and headlamp)
- multipurpose tool
- silk sleep sheet
- binoculars
- sewing kit
- passport
- yellow health card (just in case they need to see my Yellow Fever vaccination)
- Lonely Planet - Thailand/Thai phrasebook
TOILETRIES
- 1 roll toilet paper
- baby wipes
- SPF 55 and 60 sunscreen
- SPF lipbalm
- nail clippers
- shampoo/conditioner
- face cleanser
- lotion
- toothbrush/toothpaste/toothpicks/dental floss
- tampons
- anti-bac hand lotion
- Q-tips
- soap
- small mirror
- small hairbrush
- tweezers
FIRST AID/MEDICAL
- bandages/gauze/bandage wraps
- moleskin
- iodine
- anti-itch/bugbite (hydrocortizone) cream
- triple antibiotic cream
- glucose tablets
- immodium
- doxycyclen (antimalarial)
- xifaxin (severe diarrhea)
- benadryl/sudafed/claritin
- aspirin/tylenol
- knee braces
- cough drops
Bachelorette fun
My coworker, Sarah, had set up a low-key bachelorette evening for me on Wednesday. I told her to surprise me...
After work, she gave me my veil to wear. It was hilarious. There were four playing cards of naked men of varying sizes. They looked like someone who had responded to one of those ads in the back of the Austin Chronicle -- 'models wanted - all types'...I'll let you do all the imagination on that part. Thinking that it was still daytime, and we were heading to Central Market, we decided it would be best to cover up the penii. I had my other coworker, Aaron, cover the penii with yellow sticky notes. He misjudged one guy who was quite endowed, so his head was poking out from the post it note.
Aaron putting the yellow sticky notes over the penii
Sarah and I went over to Central Market to pick out a cake. The lady (an older lady) at the bakery asked if it was my birthday. I told her that it was my bachelorette. She came up to me to look at the veil, saw the naked men with post it notes, and said, "Oh my!" The other lady in the bakery had a look, and they just laughed after that.
Me wearing my veil with naked men, condoms, lube, mini handcuffs, and bells
Sarah took me to ZTejas down on 6th Street. We met up with Dixie, Nealia, Natalie, Sarah E, and Susie. They put us way in the back room in the corner, ironically, next to a table with a few small children :p
Tassel pasties..will be fun! ;)
I got a few outfits for the honeymoon, a great (and big) book -- The Guide to Getting it On, and a massaging neck pillow. The book proved for great entertainment at the party -- the illustrations were pretty interesting..is he missing a leg? where is his leg..oh..sex for the disabled!
We sucked on hard willie candies and blew up penis balloons. Actually, there was a balloon contest -- who could blow it up the fastest...we had the waiter videotape the event...Natalie's seemed to be in the lead, her penis was quite endowed...then it got loose, flew around in the air to slap me in the face! It was so hilarious!
We ate cake covered with penis pencil toppers, had some good laughs. Sarah K popped a penis that startled the whole restaurant.
Sarah, Susie, Nealia and I went to The Gallery after dinner. It's a place where bands play, a small venue above the Continental Club. It was pretty cool...we ended the night with a wild game of ping pong upstairs...
After work, she gave me my veil to wear. It was hilarious. There were four playing cards of naked men of varying sizes. They looked like someone who had responded to one of those ads in the back of the Austin Chronicle -- 'models wanted - all types'...I'll let you do all the imagination on that part. Thinking that it was still daytime, and we were heading to Central Market, we decided it would be best to cover up the penii. I had my other coworker, Aaron, cover the penii with yellow sticky notes. He misjudged one guy who was quite endowed, so his head was poking out from the post it note.
Sarah and I went over to Central Market to pick out a cake. The lady (an older lady) at the bakery asked if it was my birthday. I told her that it was my bachelorette. She came up to me to look at the veil, saw the naked men with post it notes, and said, "Oh my!" The other lady in the bakery had a look, and they just laughed after that.
Sarah took me to ZTejas down on 6th Street. We met up with Dixie, Nealia, Natalie, Sarah E, and Susie. They put us way in the back room in the corner, ironically, next to a table with a few small children :p
I got a few outfits for the honeymoon, a great (and big) book -- The Guide to Getting it On, and a massaging neck pillow. The book proved for great entertainment at the party -- the illustrations were pretty interesting..is he missing a leg? where is his leg..oh..sex for the disabled!
We sucked on hard willie candies and blew up penis balloons. Actually, there was a balloon contest -- who could blow it up the fastest...we had the waiter videotape the event...Natalie's seemed to be in the lead, her penis was quite endowed...then it got loose, flew around in the air to slap me in the face! It was so hilarious!
We ate cake covered with penis pencil toppers, had some good laughs. Sarah K popped a penis that startled the whole restaurant.
Sarah, Susie, Nealia and I went to The Gallery after dinner. It's a place where bands play, a small venue above the Continental Club. It was pretty cool...we ended the night with a wild game of ping pong upstairs...
Saturday, March 10, 2007
T minus 3 days...
After over 6 years of being together, Sean and I have decided to get married. Of course, being the person that I am, I couldn't have a regular white dress, American wedding. We're running away to Thailand and having a northern Thai (Lanna) wedding in a small Buddhist temple just outside of Chiang Mai.
A while back ago, we made a website for our wedding -- mostly so that our guests can get the information and keep track of us...
http://seanandmarisa.wikidot.com/
And here I am now...March 9th...still a lot of things to do...leaving for Bangkok on March 12th...
A while back ago, we made a website for our wedding -- mostly so that our guests can get the information and keep track of us...
http://seanandmarisa.wikidot.com/
And here I am now...March 9th...still a lot of things to do...leaving for Bangkok on March 12th...
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