Bangkok –> Phuket
November 4th, 2008I took my seat (we were herded in with no seat assignments on AirAsia), memorized one lesson from my Chinese textbook, took a nap (critical to allow the new vocabulary to sink in), and touched down in Phuket before I knew it.
The taxi into town cost 300 baht, with an additional 100 for the driver, who has registered his car with Phuket airport. This was still 150 baht cheaper than the “official” cars for hire (by suckers) inside the airport, but 280 baht more expensive than riding in the back of a pickup truck.
For the extra three bucks for a registered car you get a postcard to mail in to the airport taxi association with a handy checklist for the ways you have been ripped off:
- “Overcharged fare metered rate”
- “Switch off the meter”
- “Drop off passengers before reaching destination”
- “Others”
I thought the “s” after “Other” was less limiting than our convention of leaving it singular.
I booked an overpriced (1700 baht) hotel from Bangkok, but only stayed one night. I found a guesthouse directly across the street for 800 baht, or about $25. My food costs are running about $10/day, which means I can stay here basically forever.
The guesthouse is clean and quiet, but the staff are loopy. When guests check in, the manager gives them a fruit, but it’s an unripe, bitter, nasty-tasting fruit (How do I know, you ask) that looks like a kumquat. I saw several guests eat them and disguise their reaction to be polite, but she liked the ones who made a face; she laughed and shrieked, “I joke you!”