My flight landed in Thailand at 5:30 am on 23rd dec 2011. I could find the money changer within the airport before going to the immigration. I approached one and the attendant said "closs". I repeated "Cross???" wondering what she wanted to know. She again said "Closs". I gave her the same blank look again. She asked me "Do you speak english?" - I've never been asked this question before, so it was amusing. I asked her to write it down and she wrote "Close". Another Indian guy near me said "Oh! Close". I just smiled and moved to another money changer nearby. I got 30 Baht for a dollar. Then I went through the immigration and followed the signs to catch a taxi to my hotel. While nearing the hotel in the morning there were a lot of women standing on the pavement and the taxi driver said "boom boom" - I didn't understand then that this word is going to haunt us for the rest of the trip. The taxi counter said I have to pay meter amount + 50 for the road toll paid by the driver. When I reached the Kingston Suites Bangkok in Sukhumvit Soi 15, Sukhumvit area, it was 7:30 AM. My meter amount was 300 + 50 baht for toll and I tipped another 50 Baht to the driver since he was cribbing about the traffic snarls on his way back. When I reached the room, my friends said they paid only 200 Baht for taxi from airport to the hotel.
Had breakfast and caught a taxi to Grand Palace which costed 125 Baht. Went to the grand palace, the guide quoted 500 Baht for palace and Wat Pho. My friends overruled my decision and went ahead with renting audio guide near the ticketing counter of Grand Palace. The audio guide costed 200 baht and was available for 2 hrs. Everyone have to submit the passport as collateral and can be obtained back on returning the audio guide. The entry ticket to the grand palace costed 400 Baht per person. Went to lunch after seeing the grand palace to "Au Bon Pan" outside the palace. That was the only eatery in the vicinity so we chose that.
Went to temple of reclining buddha - 50 baht per person. There was a band of school children playing "the final count down" song and found in the news paper next day that queen regent will be visiting Wat Pho that day. Came out and had one tender coconut for 30 baht. Then we had to negotiate with the taxis who were asking 300 baht citing heavy traffic in sukhumvit area. Some tuk tuk guyz in that area were asking "Boom Boom sir!" - we said "no" and kept speaking to other drivers. Some drivers said 250 Baht and after some time one driver agreed to drop us at the hotel for 200 Baht. Once we reached the hotel, I went out to grab my dinner and some snacks. There was a mall called "Robinsons" nearby and I purchased some snacks there and walked 2 kilometers to get to a Subway shop. got 3 subs for my friends and came back. On my way back there was a tuk tuk guy who smiled in a different way and approached us asking "Boom Boom sir!". We said "no" and kept walking. had dinner, took bath in the amazing shower and went to bed
Had breakfast and caught a taxi to Grand Palace which costed 125 Baht. Went to the grand palace, the guide quoted 500 Baht for palace and Wat Pho. My friends overruled my decision and went ahead with renting audio guide near the ticketing counter of Grand Palace. The audio guide costed 200 baht and was available for 2 hrs. Everyone have to submit the passport as collateral and can be obtained back on returning the audio guide. The entry ticket to the grand palace costed 400 Baht per person. Went to lunch after seeing the grand palace to "Au Bon Pan" outside the palace. That was the only eatery in the vicinity so we chose that.
Went to temple of reclining buddha - 50 baht per person. There was a band of school children playing "the final count down" song and found in the news paper next day that queen regent will be visiting Wat Pho that day. Came out and had one tender coconut for 30 baht. Then we had to negotiate with the taxis who were asking 300 baht citing heavy traffic in sukhumvit area. Some tuk tuk guyz in that area were asking "Boom Boom sir!" - we said "no" and kept speaking to other drivers. Some drivers said 250 Baht and after some time one driver agreed to drop us at the hotel for 200 Baht. Once we reached the hotel, I went out to grab my dinner and some snacks. There was a mall called "Robinsons" nearby and I purchased some snacks there and walked 2 kilometers to get to a Subway shop. got 3 subs for my friends and came back. On my way back there was a tuk tuk guy who smiled in a different way and approached us asking "Boom Boom sir!". We said "no" and kept walking. had dinner, took bath in the amazing shower and went to bed
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