You experience everything in Thailand (8)
The call to blog readers to send stories about something special, funny, curious, moving, strange or ordinary that they have experienced in Thailand has been successful.
Today a (in retrospect) nice story from Freek Vermolen about a holiday on Koh Chang.
Your contribution is also very welcome, send it with any photos you have taken yourself, to the editors via the contact form..
This is the story of Frans Vermolen.
A tip on Koh Chang
A few years ago, I arrived at the airport in Bangkok with a friend. We took the taxi to Koh Chang, a journey of almost 7 hours including boat trip and trip to resort. On the way I changed in the back of the taxi, wearing shorts and slippers.
The next day it was time to pin. However, I couldn't find my debit cards. Turned the bungalow upside down and searched all the places we had been the previous day and that morning, but to no avail. Eventually we came up with the idea that it must have fallen out of my pants while changing in the taxi.
At the reception we wanted to ask if she wanted to call the taxi company. But they were already ahead of us, the debit cards had been found and the driver would be nearby the next day and bring them along. I told my friend that I wanted to tip the driver 300 baht. He thought I was a stingy miser, so we decided to make it 1000 baht.
The next day the driver was waiting at the reception and I offered him a drink. We spoke a little, as far as his poor English was possible. I hadn't said anything about the tip when he brought it up himself. I tried to find out how much he wanted. For example, if he wanted 500 he would be happy with 1000. But if he wanted 1500 then 1000 would be a bit meager. Finally I decided to ask.
He clearly struggled and felt embarrassed to ask anything at all. He explained that he was on his way to Trat and had taken the boat to Koh Chang especially for me. So he wasn't really close at all. All in all, he must have spent an extra 4 hours to visit us. And then the high word came out. Would I be so good as to pay the 170 baht for the ferry boat. That was all, and he felt embarrassed to ask.
He didn't want to accept the 1000 baht, so I just shoved it in his breast pocket.
Wonderful story by Frans Vermolen. What a nice driver he had met.
There are indeed still enough honest people and they don't want anything for it. We experienced it in Cambodia my friend forgot his backpack he left it outside on the bar stool and when we arrived at the hotel he noticed. he ran back about 2 kilometers and saw from afar that he was no longer on it. When he asked, they said they had put him behind the bar with his passport, plane ticket, and about 2000 euros in it. And she didn't want anything for that either, we certainly made up for it the next day at that bar.
Well. You should always have money, passport and ticket on your body when you carry it with you. In a money bag, for example. And not in your backpack.
Have sent you one of experiences.
Has this arrived.
No, not received
Even with small things… how many times I got a pack of cigarettes with a lighter back the next evening… you forget I remember!
That's a different story than about the MONEY-LOVING Thai. I too have experienced such events. It gives you a nice feeling, as a Thailand enthusiast, that this is also being told. HG.
The post office,
I helped a friend of mine send a letter to the Dutch embassy.
As I always do I brought my own scissors, tape, glue, to stick the address on the envelope.
About half a year later I went to the post office again, and the friendly woman gave all my
Forgotten stuff back, she still had more than 6 months in storage for me.
After I arrived at Chiang mai airport I took a taxi to Lamphun, because I came to Thailand unexpectedly, I dropped off a few hundred meters in front of my girlfriend's address to surprise her, well the good thing is, my phone was fell out of my pocket and was still in the taxi.
I didn't know which taxi I had taken, I had just hailed one, no number written down or nothing.
In the taxi there was a bit of disagreement, I had agreed on a fixed price for the ride to Lamphun, the man thought I should be at Lamphun industrial, but I had to be in the city, which is about ten km away, so I told him we agreed and that's part of the deal, he wasn't happy about that.
The same evening that man called my girlfriend, he had seen a Thai number in my phone, well I must say he was before the IPhone era, so no lock.
He offered to go to the super high way to a car garage, which was easy for me to find and didn't have to drive.
I was very grateful to him and wanted to reward him, are you crazy, may pen ray, nam jay, and more of those cries,
Because I know that if a Thai refuses something for that reason, you insult him terribly by tipping anyway, I thanked him very much.
Can give more examples of the cordiality of the Thai people, run out of gas, get a bottle of gas, don't want to be paid, not even for the gas, on a remote road, motorcycle tire failure, go motorcycle in the sidecar and and km.or six further to the repairman, reward? Mail ray. Some say it's because of my silly helpless appearance, but then more must have that problem, because I hear that more often from the helpful Thai.
Awesome.
Bertus van der Kampen, you say. “There was a bit of a disagreement in the taxi about the price of the ride.” So things weren't going well between you, about money. Because you think you are insulting a Thai terribly by giving a tip, you just thank him very much. I am ashamed of this behavior on your behalf!!!
When PERTINENT tip/tip is refused for kindness or humanity, I always say:
this is for your children.
Then it is always accepted with a grateful face.
me, my wife, an acquaintance and his wife had made a stop at a restaurant to have a drink and go to the toilet because we still had a few hours' journey ahead of us.
After visiting the restaurant and back on the highway we were overtaken by a police car that asked us to stop.
What was going on?
My wife had forgotten her sunglasses in the toilet and he came to hand them over.
To treat myself I rented an extra large and new scooter this time. One afternoon I met up with two friends at Jomtiem's Glasshouse. We had a wonderful time there in lounge sofas in the shade with a view over the sea. After a few hours we went to the parking lot behind the Glasshouse where our scooters were. I broke into a cold sweat when I could no longer feel the key in my pocket.
Fortunately, the scooter was still there, with the key in it. He had even been moved slightly by someone to a vacant scooter parking space. Thailand is a wonderful country when it comes to things like this.
Wonderful story Fran!
Also on Koh Chang … lost a small “wallet” with a copy of your passport, 2000 thb but also Visa card (stupid, I know). I always stay at Kai Bae beach and went to both Lonely beach and Bang Bao that day…
Just a little panic .. had to block Sherlock Homes card after hours ... just counted one hour later message via The Chill resort that my "wallet" could be picked up at hotel X in Bang Bao. A German had found it and handed it over to the reception of his hotel “tel quel” (they had made the link based on a resto note in The Chill). Left that 2000 thb there for that German as a thank you for a "pint" (as we Belgians say) because he was, unfortunately, not present, I would have liked to have given him a kiss, although I am not for the men :-).
And now comes the best part, I was only there for a few days with a girl I had met in Bangkok and this girl spontaneously said “if you want you can use me “kedit” “cad”, I tust you …” … what do you want even more ? Since then we have been together for 4 years, albeit on leave.
I have many more positive stories about Thailand… He or she can say “whatever” “je m'en fou”, I have never felt as supported or safe as Thailand, which I cannot say about Antwerp.
Such a beautiful story. What a service, yes then 1000 bath is not for us and it saves a lot of work to get new cards and that man is happy with an extra tip. He had a good day and they don't look around for a few hours.
It's purely the Western way of thinking that something always has to come in return
if someone else helps someone. Purely sad really. Fortunately, there are still parts of the world where
people think otherwise.
nice story but also educational. Thanks
I experienced something like that in Nong Kai.
I had left (or lost) my money in a restaurant, which I only discovered back at my hotel. I immediately went back, but the restaurant was already closed.
I returned again the next morning.
Sir sir, you left your money yesterday, wonderful.
I sat down for breakfast and left a generous tip.