September 2006 archive

Even paying a bill is different

Wednesday, 27 Sep 2006 | Life in Asia

Ever since the first time I visited Bangkok, I’ve had the same mobile phone number here. It’s with DTAC, which I guess is similar to Vodafone in Holland because it’s not government owned but one of the two major players in the market (the other one being a government owned telco). I’ve always used prepaid, but after arrival this time switched to being billed every month.

So you can imagine my surprise when last night I wanted to make a phonecall and I was told I had gone over my credit limit. I called customer service and they said I had to pay 1000 baht the next day. Upon request, they did re-connect me and an hour later I was again happily yapping on my mobile. It turns out a credit limit is set on each subscription to make sure you will be able to pay your bill. The credit limit can be changed upon my own request, so despite the inconvenience last night it’s actually quite a nice service they provide. Sort of an ‘are you aware of this?’ type of thing. I did get an sms when I was at 80% of the credit limit, now that I think of it.

Anyway, so today I went to experience my first bill payment. In the Netherlands, a company just sends you a bill with a card attached to it which you fill out and drop in the mail and that takes care of the payment. In Thailand, paying a bill is a different process. Internet banking, you would think, might be another interesting option. But alas, since this is still a cash based society, paying a bill can sometimes really mean you have to physically go to a company to give them money. Other options I know about are going to an ATM to pay a bill or doing the same thing at a 7eleven store.

So I ventured to the DTAC shop in Siam Paragon today, since DTAC is one of those places that actually requires you to hand them money. I took a number and waited in line. Ofcourse my line was the ‘english language’ line and there was only one person helping customers in english, so it was quite a wait. I made a 2000 baht deposit towards my bill and upon asking was told how I can increase my credit. The bill will be printed October 10th, but I think the calls due to events last week were the main reason for my bill being so high.

Signed the lease

Almost 2 weeks ago I found a home. It’s a brand new building in the Saphan Kwai area of Bangkok that opened only 6 months ago. I couldn’t move in at that time, because the floor in the kitchen had to be fixed. I didn’t see what was wrong with it, but whatever. Yesterday, Nuy called the owner of the condominium and today we met him for a final inspection.

The floor? It (still) looked fine to me. He said he replaced it and it did look different from before, so I guess he did. He showed us around and we made sure everything worked properly. And it did, the only thing I didn’t check was the internet - I forgot to bring my laptop. But the appropriate lights were lit on the modem, so should be fine. After inspection, came the paperwork. Luckily, it was all in English and so after reading and correcting a few things I signed the lease for 6 months. I paid a 2-month deposit and the first months’ rent. The first month kicks in on October 1st, the owner however was nice enough to give me the keys already and allow me to move in at my convenience.

To the nearest BTS station is a 10 minute leasurely stroll (non-shortcut), but I think I should be able to get that down to 5-6 minutes after exploring the area a bit. As you know, BTS is one of the quickest ways to get around Bangkok and was one of the key criteria for me in looking for a place. Just outside the main gate is a cute little coffee / sandwich shop. And 50 meters down the road a supermarket. On the way from the BTS there are all kinds of little food stalls selling the usual Bangkok streetfood, plus there is a large mall with countless eateries and other shops. Sometime soon I will perhaps try to shoot some photos of the place and the surrounding area, weather permitting. Anybody want to sponsor me a Flickr Pro account, you’ll be my best friend?

Tomorrow I will move in.

To thank Arjan and Nuy for all their help and their hospitality the last couple of weeks, I took them to dinner (well, they were going, I joined and footed the bill) at the Novotel hotel in Siam Square. It’s a buffet dinner (a popular concept here in Bangkok, it seems) with a great selection of sushi, Thai cuisine and some dishes with more of a western influence. The lamb is absolutely delicious, but steer clear of the steak because it was horribly dry.

(I hope I can sleep tonight, the new airport will open tomorrow and Thai Airways is moving over 50 planes there tonight. And they will take off over Arjan and Nuy’s house.)

Leaving Phuket

Monday, 25 Sep 2006 | Journal

While I’m waiting for my flight, which (perhaps because of the heavy rain that suddenly started this afternoon) has been delayed about 30 minutes, I’m happy to inform you all I’ve had great week in Phuket.

The last couple of days were spent mostly in line with the first few. Which means I spent the day relaxing and doing nothing and the nights out in Patong being entertained by all that was going on there.

The trip didn’t quite turn out how I expected it would. I figured I would spend most of my time on the beach and go out a couple of times. I was planning to get some thoughts organized, relax a bit and just do nothing. Well, I did visit the beach a couple of times but just to walk on it. I went out every night and had a great time. And apart from that, like I said before, I didn’t do a whole lot. Eat, sleep, drink and go out. I had a great time.

Phuket is well worth the visit if you are not afraid of (or perhaps looking for) a farang overladen tourist rip-off beach resort. And I guess from time to time, there is nothing wrong with that. Nothing authentically Thai here, the entire island (or at least what little I have seen of it) is about the tourist dollar, euro or yen. If you’re looking to spend time in a real Thai beach resort, I suggest you go somewhere else - I’ve heard Hua Hin is a nice place in this category.

Will I go there? Probably, at some point. But not during this ‘beach trip’ … which isn’t over just yet. I figured I needed a well deserved vacation and one week just aint gonna cut it! So after I’ve moved into my own place, I’ll most likely head somewhere else for another trip. I have no clue what that destination will be just yet.

Tricks everywhere

Sunday, 24 Sep 2006 | Journal

Last night I realised I had done something very smart (by accident, so perhaps I was just lucky?) in ‘befriending’ a waitress at a bar here in Patong. And I think thats a tip for all potential travellers to ultra-touristy places like this, especially in Thailand. It might just save you some money like it did me.

Every day I start my night at the open air bar where I met that drunk australian woman the other day. There’s a nice vibe, good music, and it’s fun to watch some people enjoy a game of pool. One of the waitresses there strikes up a detached but friendly ‘what did you do today’ conversation with me every day. Last night she suddenly came out and gave me her phonenumber. I could call her and she would take me to see some nice spots in Phuket. I thought it was a little weird, as there was really no connection between me and her. But, naive (or perhaps the ever-lasting romantic/optimist) as I sometimes can be in these circumstances, I thought she was being very nice and I appreciated the gesture.

When I told my befriended waitress later she told me not to go and explained to me that I would be taken to a restaurant with inflated prices and the girl taking me around would get a kick-back from it. And we’re talking dishes at 5 times the normal price here. It appearantly happens all over. Foolish me for almost falling for it.

As I was leaving Bang La road for my hotel I was tempted to a game of ‘see who can hit the nail into the wooden block with a pointy hammer the fastest’ … not knowing the loser pays a 150 baht shot of tequila. Ofcourse, I lost. I thought it was smart how they tricked me and decided to stick around for a last drink. As I was observing other customers fall into the trap, I grew an admiration for the cunning of these people. They switch hammers and play with 3 barpeople vs. 1 customers. All is done to increase the odds in favor of the bar, so the loser has to pay for that shot of tequila.

Tricks everywhere.

No Koh for Phi Phi

Friday, 22 Sep 2006 | Journal

Last night was quite a late night for me. Nightlife here is open later than the 1am in Bangkok (woohoo) and so I was having fun with the poolgirls in a poolbar into the wee hours of the morning. When I woke up early this afternoon, I rushed to open the curtains and see bright blue sky waiting for me to enjoy a day at the beach. Instead, I found a hazy sky and a strong wind. Damn. So I adjusted my plans and instead watched some tv in my room and went down for a relaxed breakfast. After that, I walked down the street for a real espresso at some local shop (they did quite a good job!) and I read the newspaper for about an hour and half.

Upon return, I decided to start looking into all those folders I had been gathering about Koh Phi Phi, you know, that island we all know from the movie ‘The Beach’. I wanted to take a daytrip tomorrow. Most of them included snorkling and I’m not much of a swimmer, so I soon started considering just moving hotels to Phi Phi and spending the last few days there. I figured I could rent a longtail boat and just go around the island and see what I wanted to see, instead of doing a pre-packaged tour in an overcrowded boat.

As I was sitting down for a late late lunch I was gazing outside and suddenly realised that the weather might be changing. Checking with the hotel staff and the Nuy Weather Information Hotline confirmed the chances of this happening as considerable. So I decided to hang around Patong for the remainder of the week and just come back here in a few months time to visit Phi Phi.

Oh well. I’m enjoying myself here!

Here for three days already

Thursday, 21 Sep 2006 | Journal

Here in Phuket, one was hard pressed to even find evidence of what was happening in Bangkok. It was life as usual, business as usual, etc. For obvious reasons, I won’t go into any political discussions here but I do want to emphasize that there really is nothing to worry about. And even less so now than was the case the day after it happened.

So I’m enjoying myself here in Phuket. As are the rest of the people staying here for their holiday. What I do exactly? Well, pretty much what I was planning on doing: absolutely nothing. My hotel is right on the edge of Patong and a ridiculously overpriced tuktuk ride of 100 baht from the downtown area. I’ve got a nice view, a nice room, free wifi access. The staff? They could do with a motivational talk. But whatever. I decided to stay here until I leave and not go to another hotel.

Phuket is very quiet at the moment. Ofcourse, it’s off-season so I wasn’t expecting a whole lot of people. But seeing how not-crowded the beach is at the moment, I’m very happy that I made the choice for Patong and did not go to a quieter area. It really would have been dead there. The beach of Patong is a typical tourist place with jetski’s and all kinds of people trying to make you spend money on things you don’t really want to. It does get annoying at times and I was tempted to buy a shirt that said “No, I do not want a dvd, new suit, shirt or massage - now, fuck off” but decided against it. But hey, thats what tourism is all about. So no worries.

During the day (well, I’ve missed all morning hours so far) I have been lounging around in the early afternoon hours and have ventured onto the beach and into Patong after until it got dark. I wanted to check out Phuket Town during the day, but opted against it today after having been told by several people it’s not worth the effort. After dark, I go back to my hotel with the things I’ve bought (food or whatever) and change. Then head back into Patong for some food and then see what happens. I’ve been enjoying myself and chatting with all and sundry in the evenings and have gone back around midnight to watch a movie and fall asleep.

All in all, I’m really enjoying being by myself for a bit. Watching a sunset alone isn’t the most romantic of things, but whatever, I send a message to Kim (i know, i know) and then notice a guy selling some fresh pineapple and order one from him. A very nice and relaxing couple of days so far. Oh and the weather is awesome. Clear blue skies and sunshine all day!

I'm fine

Wednesday, 20 Sep 2006 | Journal

Yesterday, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin took over control of Thailand. I’m sure you’ve all heard about it on the news. I just wanted to let everyone know I’m fine and there seems to be nothing to worry about as this is a ‘purely political’ thing.

How many will fit

Tuesday, 19 Sep 2006 | Journal

The flight with Bangkok Airways was a pleasant one, despite the incredibly annoying guy from Hong Kong sitting across the isle from me. At one point he started asking a flight attendant to give him a massage and then he would give her one later. Maybe in his hotel room. What a gentleman!

But getting to the hotel would turn out to be one of those experiences I filed under the ‘This is Thailand’ category, meaning they are weird or funny or unexplainable or what not. And while I am by no means an expert on Thailand after having been here for 2 weeks now, I feel there are many more of these to come in the future. It’s part of the charm of Thailand, if you ask me.

The hotel had told the prices for taxi and minibus services at the airport, so I exited the terminal looking for the latter. Easy to find one, told her the hotel I was staying at and paid the 150 baht (3 euro) fee. I had to wait for about 15 minutes, but I was in no hurry to get anywhere. Amazingly, they could fit 13 people into a minibus - all but 3 being farang. How this worked? Well, reshuffle until it fits. So get girls to sit up front and pack 4 in a row, bigger guys sit in the back. I could see the faces of the other people getting increasingly surprised at what was going on, which in itself was slightly amusing.

After about 30 minutes on the road, suddenly the minibus pulls into a parking lot and we’re all told to go into a travel office to tell the staff there where we’re going so they could figure out the best route. No problem, it would have been more convenient to do this at the airport if you ask me, but whatever.

Travel agent: “What hotel you stay in mister?”
Me: “I’m staying at the Leelawadee Hotel, here is the address.”
Travel agent: “Ooooh mister, hotel so far. I have hotel better for you, special price for you too, good deal now!”
Me: “Thats ok, I’ll stick to this hotel. If I don’t like it, I’ll give you a call. Do you have a card?”
Travel agent: “Yes. But now you have to pay more for taxi.”

Right. That ofcourse is not going to happen. I told the lady at the airport where I was going, exactly what hotel and so she should have charged me accordingly at that time. But, you can’t blame the guy for trying. It happened to me in Samui too a couple of times. They tried to charge me for suitcases in the taxi on the way to the airport. Anyway, after 2 minutes the travel agent gave up and shrugged and told me to get in.

Arrived at the hotel, checked in. Very friendly staff, nice food (I just had lunch, a little late but whatever) and a great view. It is a little outside the center though. And right next to a busy road. So I’m not sure I’ll stay here. We’ll see. My throat is feeling better because of some spray Nuy gave me. So all is well!

So many malls

Last night I went to Panthip Plaza, which is a mall that sells only computer gear and related tech stuff. I’ve been there several times before, but mostly as a tourist. For the dutch nerds: it’s like having the ‘HCC Dagen’ all year round. This time I actually had a task to fulfill - I wanted to get a large screen to attach to my laptop when I’m at home. I haven’t been able to find what I want just yet, but I’ll return.

Anyway … I wanted to write about malls. Something amazing has struck me in these last few weeks and that is the staggering number of malls in this city. Granted, it is a city with a lot of people living in it. But the number of malls is unreal. Quite a few of them are located in a ‘within walking distance’ (for farang, Thai do not like to walk) area of eachother. Central Chitlom, Erawan, Central World Plaza, Siam Discovery, etc. and ofcourse the latest addition to the collection: Siam Paragon.

I had never seen this one as it only recently opened, but have spent quite a bit of time there in the first few days of being here because it was near Arjan’s office and so we would meet in the mall and have dinner there. It is a mall of unprecedented size that even sells cars (the more expensive brands, including Hummer - I wonder who in their right mind would buy a hummer to roam the Bangkok streets?) alongside all kinds of labelwear. It’s a beautifully designed mall with wide walkways and seating areas all throughout. I’ve even spent an hour sleeping in a chair once! It feels calm and quiet … and thats because it is, nobody shops there! Sure, there are some hi-so youngsters ogling the wares and I’ve even been told about tourgroups from the rural areas coming to look at the mall. But the entire mall to me seems like some kind of prestigious status symbol and I wonder what the business case for it looked like. Who can afford to shop there!? Certainly not the average working class citizen of Bangkok who makes an average of maybe 200 euro per month and make up 99% of the people living here. Not the tourists either, they are out hunting for bargains at the Patpong nightmarket. The rich hi-so people? They fly to Singapore and Hong Kong for their shopping.

And that seems to be a problem for most of the malls here. The neighborhood malls seem to be doing ok, they have the supermarkets and foodcourt to keep the people coming and so always seem quite busy to my untrained eye. But most of the malls in the downtown area of this city are awkwardly empty. The one exception to this general rule of desertedness is Mahboonkhrong (or MBK for short), which is always packed. It seems to have struck the right mix of cheap stuff and labelgoods.

One thing I love about the malls are the foodcourts. My favorites are Foodloft at my all-time favorite department store Central Chitlom and the basement of Siam Paragon which offers an unreal selection of foods. Ofcourse, I’d pick the foodcourts at the fanciest malls.

Booked and confirmed

Monday, 18 Sep 2006 | Journal

Woke up with a soar throat this morning and was very annoyed with this, figuring it was due to airconditioning or just a cold from getting soaking wet (walked through the rain for 5 minutes) I thought I would have to postpone my trip to Phuket. But spoke to Simone and she told me to go and try to not party too much … so I will try.

Just booked a ticket on Bangkok Airways, departure tomorrow 11:10 and arrival at the hotel should be about 1PM if I manage to keep everything in a carry-on.

Phuket has several beach areas, just like Samui. I checked out the characteristics and decided to opt for Patong Beach. It is the center of the Phuket nightlife and farang friendly¹ . Other areas were deemed as quiet and like I said yesterday, being the off season now I think quiet means dead at the moment. So I booked a single night at the Leelawadee Boutique hotel, if I like it I’ll stay there the rest of the week too.

This time tomorrow, I’ll be sitting poolside with a cocktail and a book. Perfect.

Phuket it shall be

Since I’ve found an apartment and have to wait another 10 days or so before I get the keys, I decided now would be a good time for me to go to a beach somewhere. The previously discussed holiday. Perhaps instead of going away for several weeks, I’ll break it into two parts and go for a week now. I figure that after returning I will spend some time in Bangkok getting settled and then leave again for a week or something.

I decided that Koh Samet and Hua Hin would be too quiet for me to visit while alone. It’s the quiet season at the moment and so to go to places I’m told are ‘tranquil and relaxing’ normally, they will be deserted now. I have no problem spending time alone, but I do like a chat every once in a while. So I sort off decided that my first destination should be Phuket.

Just now I checked for ticket prices and they seem to be fine at 4500 baht (95 euro) for a return ticket. I’ve asked about the weather and got that it’s about the same as here in Bangkok, meaning nice and warm but with the occasional hour of ‘big rain’ (as they call it here) at the end of the afternoon or early evening.

I think I’ll do a little more research tomorrow morning and then decide. I’ll probably leave Tuesday morning. Pretty awesome huh, to just decide to go to some ‘tropical beach’ for a couple of days like that!?

Found a place!

Friday, 15 Sep 2006 | Journal

It took me 4 days of relaxed searching before I found a place. I could not have done it this fast without the help of Nuy. Like I said before, she has been an incredible help and even more so in this apartment hunt. I posted a request on ThaiVisa.com for suggestions of buildings to check out and got a couple. So these and some random things we ran into were checked out, but nothing suitable among them. Finding a place in Bangkok is quite different from what it’s like in the Netherlands.

Nuy had seen a nice building near the Victory Monument BTS station, so we went to check it out but it was way over budget. The area however really appealed to me and so we checked out a lot of places there. Some really nice ones and almost rented a studio there. The problem with this one was the noise from the construction site nextdoor. I was tempted to rent a really nice place for double my budget, but decided to play it safe for a while. Thanks to everyone who talked some sense into me on this.

But last night I found a place near the Saphan Kwai BTS station. It’s a tiny, tiny, tiny 1 bedroom apartment at about a 10 minute walk from the station. The entire apartment would fit into my old livingroom easily! Nicely decorated with a nice bathroom, small kitchen, bedroom and livingroom. Phone, electricity and water are direct charge, which is the best deal you can get when renting here. I’ve even got my own washing machine! The building is huge and inhabited mostly by Thai people. There is a swimming pool, a patio area and a gym for communal use. Everything is very clean and I’m only the second person to live in the place. I can move in two weeks from now and will sign a 6 month lease for it. It’s slightly over budget, but within reasonable limits.

Read the rest of this article

Go to the (Thai language) site of Lumpini Ville for a 3D view of the apartment. Mine doesn’t look as good as this place, but just so you get an idea of what it’s sort off like.

Lumpiniville (the name of the building) is a great find. The area is not the Victory Monument area, which I sort of fell in love with, but a nice area with all I could wish for in the vicinity. After I’ve got some more security regarding an income, I’ll perhaps move to another area or into a bigger place. But for now, this is my home and I’m quite happy with it.

Finding an apartment in Bangkok

Finding an apartment in Bangkok is easy. But, like everything, the more you demand of your new pad, the more it will take for you to find it. I was on a budget and so it took me a couple of days to find something that suited my needs. If you have a budget of over 20.000 baht, this article is not for you because it should be fairly easy to find something nice. I’ve looked for and found a cute little apartment with all amenities required included for less than that.

First thing you do is determine what you feel is necessary for you to be comfortable in an apartment. Here are the things I required and some information about them to keep in mind.

• Internet access Some buildings offer their own version of hi-speed internet, sometimes wireless. When viewing an apartment, be sure to check if they offer any service and if so - what kind of service it is. And ofcourse what you’re going to pay for it. If they do not, ask about getting your own phoneline (you pay the telco about 100 baht per month for this) but be surfe it is a direct line for which you get the bill and which will run outside the building switchboard. This is important, switchboards have a tendency to either cut off calls or distort the high frequency DSL signal over the line. DSL service from for instance True of about 1mbps are available for around 1000 baht. Before you sign the lease, check to see if the internet works. Appearantly, landlords have a tendency to promise more than they are actually providing. So bring your laptop, connect and test the speed.
• Television The options to look for as a farang are either satellite tv or UBC cable tv. Both have a lot of options. Many apartment buildings order a set number of satellite tv options, so make sure the channel listing is to your satisfaction. Some apartment buildings offer UBC service, but beware, these are usually very limited versions of the real deal. The best option is to get UBC yourself, I suggest the silver package (at 900 baht per month) as the minimum.
• Electricity/water These are usually billed to you on a per unit basis. These charges vary wildly and can be double, triple of even more from one place to the next. The best deal to get is direct billing from the company, but this seems hard to find - your best chance for this I feel are if you’re renting a condominium. Some buildings charge a minimum for water of a few hundred baht. Airconditioning makes up for the bulk of energy use, so the final bill varies wildly on both your usage and the per unit charge.
• Maid service Lazy like I am? Make sure the building offers a made service and ask what the charge is for it. If you’re not lazy, try to have it taken out of the rent - but there is little chance of that happening if you ask me. This again can be anything from ‘included in the rent’ right up until several thousand baht per month. Some buildings don’t offer a maid service. In your budget, I’d set this at a 1000 baht at first.
• Renting tv/fridge/etc. Sometimes an apartment comes without a tv and fridge and what not. They usually do offer them for rent in that case. Figure out the per month charge and based on the length and security of your stay you might want to consider buying something instead. While checking out apartments, keep an eye out for notes of people selling stuff. Getting something second-hand might be worth while.
• Furnished Most apartments will come furnished. The level of furnishing varies wildly. Keep in mind that this will be your home and even you don’t plan on spending a lot of time there, some level of comfort would be nice. If there is hardly any furniture at all or the place strikes you as feeling impersonal and cold, consider that you might want to spend some money on making it feel a little nicer for yourself. Divide the price for this over the number of months you expect to stay and add that to the rent. It can make a difference when deciding about an apartment - it did for me.

Set a budget for yourself which includes all of the above according to your requirements. When looking at apartment, check the list and ask for the prices. If something is included in the rent, take it out of your budget. This allows for a higher rent. Ofcourse, if something is more expensive than it is in your budget, this effects your possible rent too. Once you have the budget set, it’s time to start pounding the pavement.

The area where you as a farang might want to live depends on your work, habits, transportation requirements, etc. If you’re not going to have your own car, taxi and public transport will be your means of transportation. While taxi’s might seem incredibly affordable, taking 5 taxi rides a day will become rather expensive still. So try and find something near a BTS station - preferably the Sukhumvit line BTS. A lot of farang opt for the Sukhumvit Soi 20-40 area. I’ve personally fallen in love with the Victory Monument area. The area near Victory Monument up until Mo Chit BTS station is also popular with farang and offers a better deal. But if you’re planning on partying a lot, Sukhumvit is probably better for you.

Make sure you write down the requirements that have no effect on the price. Such as, do you require the building to have a pool, mini market, restaurant, hair salon (I don’t know, some do!), etc. and ask about them when checking out a building.

Do some research on the web first. Mr Roomfinder, Thai Apartment and ofcourse Google are your friends here. An off-beat source with slightly more expensive apartments is Craigslist. Sending emails is a futile exercise, little response will follow. Calling or better yet, visiting a place will yield better results. Expect to be spending several days checking out places.

If you have one, BRING A THAI FRIEND. This made my life a million times easier. But make sure s/he is a real friend and someone you trust, I’ve heard and read many stories about farang being ripped off because their ‘friend’ decided to make some money off their back.

And then … well … common sense! Judge the book by it’s cover, if the building looks poor on the outside, don’t bother going inside. It will be worse. If it looks good outside, give it a go. During the day, some buildings turn down the lighting so save energy. I think it makes them look rather bad, but whatever. Check the elevator, hallway, etc. too. Not just the apartment itself. These are usually indicators of building maintenance. Mr. Roomfinder has a nice checklist for you to use. It’s not complete, but a start. Scribble down additional observations on there so you can review your notes and compare buildings later.

And finally … don’t just accept the first place you check out. I suggest you review at least 10 places before making a decision, just so you know whats out there. Don’t be pressured into a place, ‘someone is coming to sign the lease tonight’ is just a sales trick. If the case, fine, there are other places out there.

I live here, I'm home

Sunday, 10 Sep 2006 | Journal

September is the peak of monsoon season here in Thailand. That means it rains on average once a day for about an hour. And when it does, it pours. Afterwards, people are making their way through streets that sometimes are flooded with several inches of water, their trousers rolled up as if taking a walk in the park. I’m safely at home, listening to water coming down, as I write this. I figured it was time I briefed you all on what has been going on in the 4 days since my arrival. Which is not much at all, but I’ll write it anyway.

I arrived in Bangkok on September 6th at about 4:30 in the morning. EVA Airways had delivered as always and had made the flight a very pleasant one. Everytime I experience this flight, I can’t figure out why people would fly any other way. I was right at the door that opened into the terminal building and as the flight attendant said goodbye to me, I stepped into that long trunk leading me towards it. It smelled familiar. I was the first to arrive at the immigration people, my arrival card was already filled in so she checked my visa and took a photo of me. And with a big stamp in my passport, I was allowed access to Thailand. As I was waiting for my luggage, I started chatting with someone. In the conversation he asked me where I lived. I thought about it for a second and then said “I live here, I’m home now”.

Arjan and Nuy were waiting for me. The poor souls got out of bed in the middle of the night to meet me at the airport and take me to their home. It had been a while since I had seen them, but I felt right at home immediately. As we walked up to the departure floor¹ and out into the night air, I was greeted by a blast of hot air when the doors opened. I smelled Bangkok. Bangkok has a distinctive smell that is hard to describe. It’s not a pleasant smell, but after a few minutes you don’t notice it anymore. I always like smelling it, but thats probably because I like Bangkok. Sort of the same as how a girl you’re madly in love with can fart all she wants, it all smells like roses. A quick ride in the taxi and we’re all having a drink and after go (back to) sleep. Nuy wakes me up around noon and suggests meeting Arjan for dinner later. She and I have lunch together and hang out at a coffee place² near his office. That place would turn out to be a place we keep coming back to over the next few days and I’m sure many times in the future.

Early on I decided to postpone the apartment hunting until next monday and just relax and do nothing for the rest of the week. And so that is pretty much what I did. That means I’d wake up and hang around the house with Nuy for a bit in the morning, in the afternoon we would go into the city to run some errands and then later meet Arjan for dinner. We tried to open a bank account, but I need some additional paperwork for that. This afternoon we changed my mobile phone from prepaid to a subscription so I don’t need to worry about having to run to the nearest 7eleven every time my phone needs new credit. And by we, I mean Nuy and me. She really has been a great help and very patient with my constant chatter and endless stream of questions and comments. And although he ofcourse has to work during the day, it has also been really cool to see Arjan again. He is one of my best friends and we’ve been chatting a whole lot - mainly in the evenings ofcourse.

I needed 3 days to get over my jetlag. My body was clearly shook up and more so this time than in the past. I guess all the adrenaline of this being something other than a holiday trip made my body respond in a somewhat more intense way. It was mostly just being sleepy and hungry at odd times, a few very intense sleepy moments where I felt I was going to pass out sleeping in the middle of the day. A little vertigo at times. But I think I’ve gotten past it now.

After a very emotional departure and flight, the strongest emotions of leaving Kim and Given behind have now subsided. I miss them both a lot, Kim and I send messages and talk on the phone a lot, but it’s not as intense as it was previously. I’m sure over the next few weeks we’ll both learn to accept what is a new reality for us and find a way to redefine our relationship. I’m looking forward to hearing from Given tomorrow, I’ll get to speak to her for the first time since my departure.

As a welcome, Arjan and Nuy took me to have dinner out on the patio of the Peninsula Hotel by the Chao Praya river on friday. It was a gorgeous friday evening and we indulged in some amazing foods. From fresh oysters to lobster and sushi and tempura spicy vegetables and another one hundred different appetizers, we made our way through the main course (someone walked with us as we pointed out what we would like to eat, it was then prepared and served at our table, ah, life is great) and ended in pure heaven with a huge dining table full of desserts that you could just pick from. It was a dinner fit for a king. And a great welcome to Bangkok. Tonight, saturday, we went to Sirocco. A very hi-so³ place it is on the top of the State Tower, a very expensive apartment building that also houses (one of) the most expensive hotels in the city. A dome serves as the entrance to an outdoor restaurant and cocktail bar on the 64th floor of the building (see my website for a photo) with an absolutely breathtaking view of the city. On the other side of the dome there is a small lounge area with nice leather couches to lay down and relax on, good tunes in the background and a very pleasant atmosphere. The view is a little less dramatic, but stunning nonetheless.

It still feels a little strange to think that Bangkok is now where I live. And I’m pretty sure it will take another few weeks before it settles in. Everything does feel very familiar to me and I do already feel right at home.

Flying from Amsterdam to Bangkok

Thursday, 7 Sep 2006 | Miscellaneous

Years ago I used to write restaurant reviews on the internet. Something I loved doing. A couple of months ago, I thought it would be nice to repeat that on my blog. But in order to keep it linked to Asia, I decided it would be all the countries I’d fly over on my way to Bangkok. I would find a restaurant in Holland that serves the cuisine of that particular country, visit it and write about it. It never came to fruition. Perhaps due to time constraints, but mostly because I just didn’t know and could never find a globe where I could plot out the route the airplane would most likely take.

So, in the spirit of utterly useless information (and perhaps for future reference), here is the list of countries I flew over on EVA Airways flight BR76 from Amsterdam to Bangkok:

• Netherlands
• Germany
• Czech Republic
• Slovakia
• Hungary
• Romania
• Bulgaria
• (Black Sea)
• Georgia
• Azerbaijan
• (Caspian Sea)
• Turkmenistan
• Afghanistan
• Pakistan
• India
• Myanmar (Burma)
• Thailand

I had to jot down some city names and look up some of the countries on the web this morning, because the map on the flight information system in the plane was horribly outdated and I think it used USSR-era maps. I was surprised to see I didn’t fly over Turkey and Iraq. In my memory I did.

No more question mark

Wednesday, 6 Sep 2006 | Journal

Hurtling through the night air at a speed of about 940 miles per hour, I’m finally on my way to Bangkok. It’s been quite a ride getting here, but I’m finally embarking on another chapter of my life. I’m still processing all the emotions I’ve experienced the last couple of days and especially this morning. And at the same time I’m filled with anticipation of what is to come. It’s finally here. It’s finally happening. I’m excited, thrilled, scared, anxious and releaved - all at the same time. We shall see what happens. Time will tell.

The question mark from the banner at the top is no more. Until now, it was always “sixtysix: my new countrycode?”. It’s no longer a question. It is now.

Penalty for smoking

Tuesday, 5 Sep 2006 | Miscellaneous

As I was just walking to see the stewardess for another cup of coffee, I passed the toilets where a little crowd had gathered. The (another) stewardess standing there was talking to some dutch guy. She was telling him it was a very serious matter and that she would notify the captain. I wondered what was going on, until I smelled cigarette smoke. Why would anyone do that, we all know there are smoke detectors in the toilets!

I just gave him ‘a disapproving glare’ (I’m sure he was not very intimidated by it) and shook my head when he was making macho remarks in dutch about the stewardess.

It made me wonder - will he get fined for it? Does anybody know?

Saying goodbye

During the last 13 months, I’ve been dealing with ‘to do’ stuff mostly in preparing this departure. You know, the action items I could do and then take of my list. Something that I have been experiencing for the last couple of days mostly, is the emotional side of at least part of the consequences my moving to Asia has. And it turned out I thoroughly underestimated them.

I should have known, I’m an emotional guy. So I should have seen this coming. But I didn’t. And really, there is no way to prepare for what you’re going to feel when saying goodbye to people you work with, your friends and your family. ….

Last tuesday I had dinner with a whole bunch of people from work. There was no budget for a big farewell party, so instead the project team organised a little dinner and I invited a few others around too. It was a nice dinner, a great speech from my boss and a great way to end 4 years of employment with this company. The last 2 weeks could not have been better at work.

On friday, there was a little get-together with Kim’s (my?) friends. All the girls wanted to say goodbye to me before I left and so Kim invited all of them over to her place. We had some food and drinks, I told them about some of my plans, we exchanged email addressess, kisses all over … and off they were. It was nice. Particularly cute was the phonecall of Chevanté, the 5 year old daughter of one of Kim’s friends. She adores me and she was crying on the phone because she was so sad I was going away. I promised her that when I’m back next time she and I were going to make pancakes together and that cheered her up.

On saturday, I had dinner with some of my friends. Thai, ofcourse. Dinner was great, the atmosphere at the table was awesome and I think everybody had fun that night. Sitting there, I realised what great friends I have and how sad I was to have to say goodbye to them. Not forever, I know, but still.

The day after, I had dinner with my parents and brother. I saw my grandparents during the afternoon and my mom picked me up to go eat Thai food (yes, again. yes, i know i’m moving to thailand) together. This again was a great night. It was a nice relaxed atmosphere and we chatted about what was coming for me but also for them and just enjoyed the evening together. Upon departure, I said goodbye to my father and brother - who were not going to be at the airport today (my brother decided to come anyway). I’ll see my dad soon, he is planning to visit Thailand later this year. And I said ‘see you tuesday’ to my mom. I got home at about 30 minutes past midnight. Kim was asleep.

Today, the day of departure, was one of the most difficult days I’ve ever had in my life. Over the last few days, Kim and I have been incredibly sad. Mounting thoughts of ‘what the hell are you doing leaving your girls like this’, ‘think about what this means for them’ and the like. I never expected myself not to cry, but I also never expected my departure to be this hard. Given has been the light of my life for almost 3 years now and Kim the object of my affection. I was inconsolable at the thought of having to leave them. Rationally, I know it’s a small world and I know we’ll stay in touch and I know I’ll see them soon and I know they were all emotions due to circumstances and I know we will be accustomed to the new reality in a few weeks. But somehow, my brain forgot to tell my heart. And so my heart took over this morning. And I could not stop sobbing.

I was seen off by a lot of friends. And I really appreciate everyone who was there, the calls and text messages I received, etc. It showed me what great friends (and family) I have and how much they love me. And I’m very happy about that. It’s an amazing feeling to have.

But it really, really, REALLY sucks to say goodbye.

Cold feet

Friday, 1 Sep 2006 | Leaving the Netherlands

The last couple of days, basically since I stopped working, I’ve noticed a change in how I feel about this trip. I guess the change is a result of me having my head cleared of all things to do with work and my departure being the main focus of my day now. But yeah, it happened, despite the extra socks and what not, I got cold feet!

I’ve been having thoughts along the lines of “what the hell are you doing”, “how on earth can you leave given”, “you’ve prepared next to nothing, despite what everyone says”, “what are you going to do with yourself”, “it’s not THAT special over there” …. classic case of cold feet, eh?

I don’t think you can really prepare for this or do anything about it. It’s just a matter of sitting out the doubt. But I’ve known this was going to happen to me for quite a while now. So it was no surprise. And I’ll be fine, I’m sure.

Work is over, school is out!

Since December 1st of last year, I’ve been co-heading a project at work. It’s been a hell of a job, but one I have loved doing. Tuesday was my last day at the office. The other project manager is taking care of the last details. And things could not have ended better in any way.

I’ve spent the last 9 months working non-stop. Not that I mind, I’ve always been somewhat of a workaholic. A little more sacrifice this time, I think I’ve been away from home more than I have been there! But it was all worth it. Not just any project, it was the largest of it’s kind in this country ever and one with considerable political risk for the big boss and a member of the cabinet. So I’m really proud of having been given the opportunity to work on it. And I’m even more proud of the results we’ve booked. It was not always easy to get things done, not everything went according to plan. But that is what I’m paid to deal with. Last week saw the final presentation for the board of directors and during that presentation the way we ran our project was called “an example for how projects should be run within this organisation”. Combined with the countless compliments from people down the ranks and on to the workfloor, I couldn’t be more proud of the team.

Looking back on 4 years with the organisation, I’m very happy I’ve been able to work there. I feel I’ve really developed both professionally and personally. Should I ever want to look for a job in Holland again, this will be the first place I’ll look.