You experience everything in Thailand (24)

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Yesterday's call to blog readers to dive into their memories and write a story about it has been well received. We have received some nice reactions to it again, so the series continues happily.

But it's never enough, so once again we call on you to share with us and the blog readers your experience of something special, funny, curious, touching, strange or ordinary that you have experienced in Thailand.

It can be long or short, but just fun to tell. Perfect Dutch is allowed, but not required, the editors will help you to make a nice story out of it. Send your message, possibly with a photo you took yourself, to the editors via the contact form.

Today a story from blog reader Jacobus about a car in a mud puddle, terrible if it happens to you, but nice to tell.

This is the story of James.

Car in a mud puddle

Sometime in November last year, my partner (I'll refer to her as Tik later in the story) and I stayed at a resort in Chantaburi. We were with a group of about 10 men, colleagues from Tik with supporters. It was a company outing from her work. The resort is located in a marshy area by the sea, but with inland lakes. So game boating, swimming, fishing during the day and eating, drinking, karaoke and cards in the evening. We had a great time, but all things must come to an end.

On Sunday afternoon around 4 o'clock we checked out. Back to Nakhon Nayok. Through the provinces of Chantaburi, Rayong, Chachoensao and Prachin Buri about 320 km, I estimate. But I had counted on the innkeeper. There turned out to be a couple who had no transportation to their home in Bangkok. How they got to the resort is still unclear to me. Tik, who is very social and collegial, was willing to take a detour and drive to Bangkok via Rayong and Chonburi and from there to our home in Nakhon Nayok. Moreover, she drives a HiLux from her company, so I couldn't make much of an objection. After visiting a restaurant on the way, after all we have to eat, we arrived in a suburb of Bangkok around 10 am. We dropped off her colleagues at home and left for Nakhon Nayok.

Now it was my turn to drive. We turned on Google Maps because we didn't know exactly how to get from this neighborhood to Ranchit Road, the main road between Bangkok and Nakhon Nayok. Finally we ended up on the 4-lane road to Chachoensao. Ok, that's how you can go to Nakhon Nayok. Well a detour, the directions from Google Maps are sometimes inscrutable. Halfway through our ride, Tik had an idea. She knew of a country road that connected this 4-lane highway to Ranchit Road. After half an hour of driving she said: “and turn left here”. I turned the HilLux onto the country road and asked: “How long is this road actually”. “Twelve kilometers,” she replied. It started to rain and not so little. The road became slippery and it was pitch dark. High beams on and slow down. “Shall we turn around?” I suggested. But Tik is the fearless type and said: “No, go ahead, still 5 km to go and then we are on Ranchit Road”. We passed an intersection where a lone truck was parked on the left corner. And then it happened.

Less than 100 meters past the intersection, we came to a halt in a huge mud puddle. I tried everything to get out of the mud pit but we kept sliding to the side of the road. We decided that Tik would get behind the wheel and I would push. Supposedly, so done. We both got out in the pouring rain and in a foot of mud. After 30 steps Tik lost her shoes in the sucking mud and I after 5 steps. Well, we had to keep going. Tap behind the wheel gave a steady throttle and I put my full 10 kg against the back of the car. It didn't help at all. The wheels spun in the mud and the car threatened to end up in the ditch beside the road even more. Tik got out again and we looked around for help. However, there was no dog to be seen. No houses or farms to be seen either, as far as possible in pitch darkness.

There we were, me with rolled up pants and bare feet and Tik in her summer dress. Everything covered in mud. Suddenly a flashlight lit up. Someone was approaching the passable part of the road. Just out of nowhere. However, it turned out to be the driver of the truck, which we had passed. A conversation ensued between the driver and Tik, of course in Thai. I didn't understand a word of it. Did we have a tow rope? So no. “Perhaps you?” I suggested. Stupid question, I realised. The man was thinking how he could help us. Suddenly his face brightened and Tik said, "He's got an old tire in the back of his truck that he wants to put between his and our car and then he wants to push our car out of the puddle." Too dangerous, I said.

But Tik, who is fearless as I said earlier, had already made up his mind with the driver to do it. I had nothing to contribute. The man returned to his truck, started the truck, turned around at the intersection and came toward us with the engine roaring. He stopped a foot behind the HiLux, jumped out of the cab, climbed into the bed and threw a large truck tire into the mud. Together we maneuvered the tire between the back of our car and the front bumper of the truck. Tik got behind the wheel again and the driver climbed into his cab. I was told to give directions to the driver. He turned on the light in the cab and I motioned for him to slowly drive up. Tik had the machine in low gear on 4-wheel drive. The tire got caught between the two cars and I motioned for them both to accelerate. And damn, a minute later our car was back on the passable part of the road.

The driver, who was of very few words, shifted into reverse and started to drive away. Tik motioned for him to stop. “Can you change 500 baht?” she asked me. I could, but I said "no". Ok, she walked up to the driver and tried to give him the 500 baht, but he refused to take it. Then she put it in the breast pocket of his shirt and walked away resolutely.

Every now and then I think: what a great guy. What you don't experience in Thailand