Transport capers >> Travel: Isan, Northeast Thailand 7

Day 5: Night, 10.25 pm, Bangkok (humid!)

A bespectacled Chinese woman selling pau (steamed buns with fillings) along the street of our hotel in Khorat spoke to me in Teochew, a Chinese dialect. She said she had relatives (surname Wong) in Singapore. We bought two piping hot paus filled with minced pork and bamboo shoots for breakfast. They tasted different from those back home -- rather sweeter with different ingredients (the bamboo shoots for instance). Annie didn't like the taste; I thought it was OK.

When we got to the station, we went to the ticket counter to find out the platform our train would be arriving at. The friendly official manning the ticket counter told us to go to Platform 2. As we were walking towards said platform, a train began pulling away from that very platform. Being inexplicably nervy that day, we immediately thought we had missed our train! Good thing we didn't just dash madly up the train because it left in the opposite direction (away from Bangkok, our destination). Actually, our train finally appeared on Platform 3 -- much later. One of the train officers helpfully checked our tickets to confirm we were boarding the right train before he waved us on board.

People stared when they heard us speak English. Those in front turned back to look. Everyone, both locals and foreigners, thought we were Thai and most of the local people spoke to us in Thai before they realised (with a little startled amusement) that we were foreigners who could not speak their language. On our part, we took more note of locals speaking Thai in our vicinity after we realised that we had probably walked past people addressing a friendly word or two to us without acknowledging their goodwill.

Strange, we didn't have this problem on previous trips. Very few people assumed we were locals then. On this trip, only one Chinese man from Phimai guessed we were from Singapore, once he realised we couldn't speak Thai.

When we reached Hualampong, we decided to splurge on a taxi ride to our guesthouse. As usual, we had trouble with the taxi driver. First, he didn't switch on the meter until I reminded him. Rather absentminded, wasn't he? Then, after stopping at the first traffic light, he didn't move his cab; he bent down in his seat and seemed to be searching for something. As the meter ticked away, I told him to get moving. After all, we were the only car left at the green light.

At this stage, we were going to hop off if he tried anything else. He didn't and we reached Soi Kasemsan 1, a lane with budget accommodation just behind Siam Square. When we paid, our cabbie claimed he had no change. Instead of telling him to keep the change, we took the note back and paid him the exact amount -- to reward him for his antics on the way. Such a chore taking a tuk-tuk or taxi; overcharging seems to be de rigeur among these drivers everywhere.

Being budget-conscious, we did a little comparision:
(1) A plate of rice or a bowl of noodles costs B20-25 in the Northeast and B35-50 in the air-con foodcourts in Bangkok.
(2) A cup of coffee costs B25 at Swensen's in Khorat while it costs B30 for something similar in Bangkok.
(3) Generally, portions for food seems rather small. Or maybe I should sup like some Thais. Eat less each time, but eat more often? Is that the secret to so many beautifully-proportioned locals we see on the road?

Budget (for two in Baht)
Chinese pau >> B11
Coffee & toast >> B50
Taxi from Hualampong to White Lodge >> B45
Room at White Lodge >> B400
Dinner >> B174
Shopping: sundries >> B124

Next blog...
Day 6: Highrise shopping, multi-tasking guards and more in bustling Bangkok