We (my co-traveler Chris Driver and I) arrived in Bangkok on Friday evening after a 17-hour flight that went about as smoothly as a 3/4-day trip could, probably. There we met with our trip leader, Tim Bunn, who arrived earlier in the day.
If you ever come to Thailand, Thai Airways provides excellent service and was the best deal fare-wise when we comparison-shopped.
What servants the Thai people are, and alert as well. One small anecdote that illustrated their diligence: About halfway through the flight I had my meal plates cleared away, but held on to my coffee cup and requested a refill. The flight attendant politely obliged and also handed over the sugar I requested. But since my dishes had been taken, I was left without a spoon to stir with. Only a few moments afterward the attendant placed a spoon on my tray ? without me having to ask. A little thing, but there were a lot of them and they added up to a pleasant experience despite my fatigue. Oh yeah — I was flying economy too. Great service for all.
Pat Stith and company at The News & Observer, currently harping on the lax enforcement against speeders in North Carolina, ought to travel to Bangkok to get some real perspective. Just for kicks a couple of Raleigh reporters could take a taxi ride from Suvarnabhumi Airport to downtown, and hang on for their lives. Our driver zig-zagged down city highways, (barely) dodging annoying impediments (i.e., other drivers), and ignoring the speed limi?oh wait, that’s right, I didn’t notice any speed limit. In fact, his speedometer did not work. I know in America we talk about aggressive drivers, but these folks are good at it and drive like maniacs in a surprisingly inoffensive manner. It is accepted practice. Traffic jams were ubiquitous, but were not caused by any collisions that I noticed. This was during Friday afternoon rush hour.
Also if you visit Bangkok, you will get a laugh at other American traffic laws like mandatory helmets for cyclists (motorized and otherwise). We saw several young ladies riding on the backs of scooters, “side-saddle” and helmetless, amidst all the aforementioned traffic activity. We also saw several pick-up trucks with riders sitting in the back, on benches on both sides in the truck bed, with no tailgate. Danger? What danger?
Inside our cab, which was a Toyota “Limo” that looked nearly identical (structurally) to my Corolla, our driver understood limited English and needed repeated looks at our map to get us to our destination, the Bangkok Christian Guest House. He still did a great job getting us there, despite our white-knuckle experience. I saw no American-made vehicles during our hour-long ride from the airport. On the dashboard were a mini-statue of Buddha and a photo of the King of Thailand and his wife (I assume she’s a queen). The king is revered.
Advertisements adorned the cab both inside and out. Hanging from the back of the passenger seat someone advertised an “urgent new condo for rent,” fully furnished. I think everything is urgent here.
All photos by Chris Driver:
Cutting in in downtown Bangkok
Waiting, waiting, waiting…
Scooter patience
Local delicacies
A friend we made at the lake in the city park
Off to Cambodia early Sunday morning for the beginning of our mission work, to church leaders, teaching them the importance of strong family relationships and its crucial role in strengthening the body of Christ. More reports to come as the Internet is available!
