Across my hotel i saw a Thai Massage Salon. Ok the name was strange for me “Magic Hands”. I chat with a guy and he told me he worked there. So it was ok already and went to there yesterday. I choose a traditional Thai Massage and after oil Massage. Total 2 hours. We went up and the guy was very polite. We had in meanwhile a nice conversation. He told me he work there now for 2 years and started in his 18year. The thai massage was hard, painful but good. He told me that lots of massage salons do massage but soft and when finished the customer goes back to his hotel or home and don’t have any feeling he went to a massage. Thats why this guy do a massage how it has to be, and if its to painful then the customer will tell that.
After 1 hour of pain haha the oil massage started. That was soft, and my whole body become relaxing. Funny because the conversation stopped as well haha. After a while we talked again. He asked me sometimes if i’m ok. When he moved my leg of arm it was so gentle to hold this relax feeling of the body. He used a towel sometimes to give some pressure on muscles.
At the end we get down and get some hot tea. He had a hot towel and did little massage on the face, hands and let me rest for a moment. It was excellent massage and i told hi to check if he can learn for physiotherapist. Bang thank you for this last experience of my journey in Bangkok Thailand!!
It was yesterday morning, woke up and thought i goto the Sathorn Unique Tower. Using the MRT and skytrain and arrived. It is a insane building. Lots of rumors around his building as well. I was there, look up, want go in. But something inside said no. And lots of people know me and overtime i said: I GO IN THERE!!! but that 1 moment that said inside NO. was for me a reason to let it go.
Suddenly a man asked me where i come from, i always don’t say the right city and country. So i said: Im from Antwerpen Belgium. The man was excited. I talk to him so: 1-0. He told me that the building is shutdown completely and you cannot go up anymore since may 2015. In past it was possible you have pay 500bath. But he want show me something else, a buddha. There was also a tuk tuk waiting for his ride. Not a normal ride. This was a plan!!!
He said to the driver to bring me to the buddha after that to the pier so i can get a boat to Kings Palace. I pay 30bath to the tuk tuk driver and thats it. Ok, i already had little feeling this is not right, but ok when we arrive at the buddha and i don’t want use it i pay and walk my own. Arrived at the buddha i go in the building, a guy was on the phone and said: You can make photo. I’ll did that because it was a temple (saw that on the map) and the man talked to me: Where you from my friend? The last part “my friend” was a signal… not good. But again told me where i come from and i goto the pier. Showed im the map and he point me a place where i can buy cheap cheap stuff… The tuk tuk will bring you there he said.
Outside i told the tuk tuk go directly to the Pier. I don’t want see the cheap fashion mall. The driver said: Go its nice, stay 5 minutes and then we go. This conversation was done after 10 min, I said no and he every time yes go… 2 liter gas is 200bath.. you pay me 30bath .. not enough. I knew that when i goto the fashion mall he get money for that. And said: NO. Ill pay you 30bath and i want goto the pier. Or i pay you now 15bath for the ride and i walk.
I agreed with the ride to pier. Yes after 5 min we arrived there. NO normal taxi boat. The normal one you pay 14bath. This one i pay 450bath. I ask where is the normal boat. A woman said very rude: No, you take this one. I knew this is not right. And walked away the alley was long. So walked bit faster. Some tourists walked as well and they paid 500bath per person from downtown to this pier. I said: Your scammed. And they agree, yes we are. But because i talked to those tourists the guys and woman become little aggressive. We all walked to the 7-11 and wait there for while. I checked online the normal pier, that was 1 allay further. So i walked to there. And finally had my 14 bath boat ride. Told the people there what happen, they knew this already but they can’t do anything about it.
Im so glad we have a program in Netherlands called “Opgelicht in buitenland” or “scammed City”. Learned a lot to see those series.
This was the first bad experience in Bangkok. Beside the taxi driver from Airport to hotel … See other blog post.
After my sad moments in airplane because of leaving someone behind i landed on Bangkok International Airport Don Mueang. Everything goes well. Immigration was fast. Bagage pick-up was fast. Find a taxi was fast. The ride to hotel was a worse moment. I always look where the driver goes to by checking on a offline map on my mobile. There was a highway that goes directly to the Sathorn area but he took a other highway and ask him why? The driver told me because of traffic jam on that highway we normal use to the hotel. Ok first moment i trusted this but after a while we went off the highway and came into the city itself. TRAFFIC JAM!!! ohh my.
After we almost halfway he makes a turn, and told me where arrive within 10min. I showed him the map and told the driver, no… We have to go back because there is my hotel. He makes some sounds and Ohh sorry, sorry, didn’t know… bla bla…
So again traffic jam and wait, make turn again and start over again the long street before we finally arrive at the hotel. I dropped first my baggage and photo bag into the hotel. Then walked back and told him i have a image of his paper (some information about the driver and taxi number etc). Asked the price. If it was to high for me i will tell him, otherwise he knew he was wrong and give me a good price. The meter was on 360bath. He said: 420bath. That was a ok price, because at Airport they tell you have to pay toll, and 50bath for something. So the 420bath was ok. He looked at me with his eyes and at that moment i knew that he makes a round to get more money. For me 420bath is still a cheap price to travel 1,5hours from Airport to Hotel. That long did it take because of use a different highway then the one that goes directly into the Sathorn area.
Be careful and tell the driver you already know and find out how to dive and you will watch him on your mobile using Google Maps. Later in hotel a friend told me: Never trust Bangkok taxi drivers. They always make circles to get more money.
Arriving i hotel… one word: GREAT, Nice room in a corner, no rooms around me. Only STAFF area’s.
