Message from Holland (1)
On May 1 I left Thailand and on May 1 I arrived in the Netherlands. That was the first time, because previous times I always arrived a day later.
Returning to the Netherlands is fun, leaving Thailand is not fun. But I take comfort in the fact that I'll be back in six weeks. Fortunately, the temperature shock was not too bad and my outfit, T-shirt, shirt, pullover, warm jacket, offered sufficient protection.
Passport control at both Suvarnabhumi and Schiphol went quickly, but a customs officer found it necessary to check my luggage for contraband. And that man did very thoroughly, with the result that my carefully packed suitcase, after digging through it and finding nothing, showed some signs of chaos. The man was not very talkative, by the way; only at the end he thawed out a bit and asked if I spoke Thai.
The second day, while walking in winter clothes, I saw a man on a bicycle wearing a tank top. I thought: what would that man wear in Bangkok at 35 degrees (plus 10 degrees for wind chill)? Fortunately no men were seen in shorts with milky white legs. So that was not too bad. Someone told me it would be warm next week. He was talking about 20 degrees. Twenty degrees, no, that's what we call chilly in Bangkok.
The third day I saw a man in shorts with milky white legs. That was not easy. And a bit further in front of the Hema counter where they apparently sell excellent smoked sausages, I saw another man in the same outfit and less than five minutes later another one on a terrace. Then I just stopped counting and marveled. The motto must be: act crazy, then you are already doing enough.
Since my departure, little has changed in Vlaardingen, where I still have a home. A cinema has been added with five screens, where, according to the first reports, you get a private screening and the operator asks if you need a break. Somewhere in Vlaardingen a take-away Thai must have come. I know it from Facebook, but I doubt whether I taste Thailand when I get something there. I know that from previous visits to Thai restaurants in the Netherlands.
Met many acquaintances. Fortunately no one asks what it was like in Thailand, because I usually don't know the answer to that other than: hot. But those people also follow my daily column on Facebook, so I don't have to say anything more. They told me, among other things, that invigilators sold answers to the written driving test. Reminded me of a similar post on the Thailand Teaching Assistant exam.
The nicest encounter I had was with a paper placemat in a diner. It had a drawing of eight chilies on it. Nicely drawn, isn't it. They reminded me of Thailand, which was nice too. But if there is one ingredient that is missing from Dutch cuisine, it is the chili. And even the Thai and Chinese kitchen in the Netherlands is not very generous with this pepper. A drawing of a salt and pepper set seems more appropriate to me.
…… with me the opposite, for the first time experienced a nice customs officer at Schiphol, only wanted to scan my luggage …. so happened…. the conversation about Thailand lasted a bit longer, had the impression that he wanted to come along next time…. LOL !
I've flown a dozen times, never had to open my bags at customs (once in New Zealand I was asked what the jar was they saw in my hold luggage, a jar of peanut butter from Australia, then they asked if it wasn't honey or fruit product, I confirmed that and stated that I had that jar of peanut butter in my bag without thinking about it, so I could walk through without having to open the bag). Now a customs officer will probably disagree, but couldn't they help you pack your bag again? If they take everything (neatly) out of your bag, it can also be put back neatly... they want to check you as a random sample without reason, right? Doesn't seem so nice to me if you have neatly packed your suitcase and it is put back as a small mess and / or you have to clean everything up again because someone wants to look at your stuff without reason.
Have fun in the Netherlands, have you seen skirts or dolls besides milk bottles?
I agree with you. He who opens a bag or suitcase and makes a mess of it MUST also put it back in order and see that the things are reliably closed again, Especially on departure. When I arrived at Schiphol, I was once treated like the biggest Belgian terrorist. Afterwards I was told that this was because at that moment an EL AL flight had landed. I had therefore said never to fly via Schiphol again, but I will be back soon.
Well, enjoy your holiday and the less warm weather. I am now writing in the air conditioning because it is very hot! Also a note about the milky white legs. Point 1 you will have to expose them to the sunlight before they can get a tan! And you as a Dutchman know better than anyone that that goes a little less quickly in the cold Netherlands!!!!!! Point 2 here in Thailand they kill for milk white legs and spend capital on whitening products!!!
hey dick,
Luckily, I already had withdrawal symptoms :-)
Stay cool!, but that won't be a problem in our cold little country.
Bob
Hi Dick, I came back from Thailand yesterday, for the 23rd time and have never been checked in either Thailand or the Netherlands. I'll have my face with me.
Have a nice time in the Netherlands [Rotterdam|
Is there anyone from the blog readers who can tell us why all of a sudden these crazy big buildings are being built in ChiangMai.
No matter which direction you look, you can't avoid one bigger and crazier than the other.
Thank you in advance. I think if you want to walk through ChiangMai in about five years, there won't be much fun to be had anymore.
Greetings, Rien Stam
…… you should not look at a customs officer …. like can I continue or…. ? Then it picks you out. Just look straight ahead…. and walk through!! (Success assured)
Those milky white legs are not so much the point, that is simply inherent to the white race to which many Dutch people belong.
What concerns me more is that when the temperature in the Netherlands has barely exceeded 15 ° C, many immediately think they have to walk around in such hideous shorts and it just stayed in their own social environment in the house, garden or balcony but no, the supermarkets, shops, theaters, cafes, restaurants and the like are populated en masse with uncovered fat and meat products.
As the temperature rises it gets even worse because those shorts will soon be supplemented with a sleeveless shirt, otherwise a shirt with short sleeves where the buttons are not buttoned or it can be even worse with a bare upper body so that the many present fat is clearly visible, often in combination with a crazy cap and socks, the whole of course also in the wrong color scheme.
Although scantily clad, beautiful, slim (Dutch) ladies - even though they are milky white in skin color - can appeal to me, just like their Thai equivalents, the Dutch street scene remains at that and we are not even talking about the many farang who deem it necessary to want to disfigure the Thai street scene...
When I was a young girl and very attractive looking (a Dutch father and Mexican mother) I could never get through male customs anywhere in the world without hindrance. When I realized what they mainly wanted to look at and grab, I put extra panties in my luggage, especially very small, transparent and in lovely pastel colors. I put them on top and their eager fingers almost ripped my delicate things to shreds. The rest was not looked at nor grasped.
Now I rarely get stopped. And if it is so and my suitcase is opened, they first find a Bible. The trunk then quickly closes again.
Dick welcome back to the Netherlands, I also regularly travel the Netherlands-Thailand vv and automatically deal with Customs / Immigration with Immigration in Thailand I have never experienced anything negative. in the Netherlands 1x but that ended with a fizzle.
I was singled out “where are you from?” “from Bangkok” whether I had anything to declare, no, I didn't, but I still had to come along for a check, but I had my suitcase sealed in Bangkok (I always do) and that is stiff stuff that requires you to do it without scissors or a knife. nothing starts. I asked the lady “do you have scissors or a knife for me?” well she didn't have one so I wished her luck removing the layers of plastic and reluctant tape that was wrapped around my suitcase because I'm not that strong I said. I saw that she hesitated for a moment and said to me “well next time, I said make sure you have a knife or scissors.
Scene at customs at Schiphol (true event)
“Good morning, where are you from?”
Good morning, I am from Bangkok, Thailand.
“How long have you been there?”
"2 years". " Two years?".
“Yes, it has been two years since I was in the Netherlands”.
“What are you doing in Bangkok for so long, if I may ask. ”
“I have been working in Bangkok for 6 years and occasionally come to the Netherlands to visit family”
OK, I understand. Then you must have bought some presents for your family here in the Netherlands.” “Yes.”
"Would you like to come with us so we can check your suitcase".
"What's in that case, sir?" “My suit, because the day after tomorrow I am giving a lecture at a conference”. "Can you open the case for me?" "Of course, with pleasure." “Where did you buy this suit sir, in Bangkok?”. “Yes, in Bangkok; had it made by a tailor in Silom”. “May I ask how much that suit cost?” Yes, 7.500 Baht, with two trousers, two shirts and two ties”. “Do you still have a receipt for that?” “No, I don't have that anymore. The suit is also 3 years old”.
chris
The euro was just out.
People in Thailand soon realized that a 10 Thb coin could generate a lot of money in various vending machines.
So I also started collecting them to cover the travel costs at the expense of the owner of the one-armed bandit.
I had never been arrested before but this time it was hit.
I had to give an explanation for 4 helmets for my kart mates, and that they were filled with quite a few coins made the man laugh.
He said you know that you can use it in the parking meter and get cigarettes from a vending machine and also have the change.
As a farewell we shook hands with laughter .