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.
Yesterday went too the Dead Railway (Birma railway) and visit the World War II Cemetery of the soldiers that died by building this railway. After that we make a ride on the train over the railway that has been created in that period. Then we went too a elephant trekking and last stop was a waterfall. Nice location!
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.
It’s a sad moment. I will leave Patong, Phuket now. Been here for 4 weeks, and within those week i had a good time. Seen lots of culture, lots of new things and most of the time see the beach and feel the sun shine on me… But the day is come that i will fly to Kuala Lumpur now, new destination with new things to explore. I’m also gonna see a friend. Chat with him already sinds juli 2014 and now finally we gonna meet.
Phuket was nice, Patong was busy, lots of tourism but after couple of days you get used to it. Tried many different Thai Food! The people are very kind and will help you where they can do. Sometimes you see tourists who don’t have any respect and thats sad. The people here try to get most out of it for a great holiday for the visitor. And when they don’t get any respect back… makes me sad.
The local people i know now, woman who makes every day a fruit shake at the beach, a guy who makes pancakes with fruit, The guys from the parasol and matt. Called them the 100b guys. A Parasol was 100Bath. Then the 2 friendly persons from the restaurantl. The helpers in FamilyMart. Also the guy from Pharmacy who take me inside at moment i got a blackout on the streets and give me the medicine so im feel great day later already! Thanks for that! Finally… the massage guys. After 4 days told them all i’m gay and goto the gay massage ar “The Royal Paradise” complex. After that they make lot of funny jokes and still scream to me “MASSAGE” with a big smile.
I will gonna miss you all, and all of you asked me if i will come back… After writing this blog i have feeling that it will happen for sure. Thailand, you people have taken my heart and give me a wonderful time
ขอบคุณ (Thanks YOU!)
This was really a great experience! The guy who did the actual canoeing for us told me that the water around the rocks is 1 meter deep. He showed us also a place where not many people come. He called it “VIP area”. It was very nice!!! less people, lots of great images. The guy called himself “Men” or something like that. Men thank you to show is this beautiful place!
A 360° image of the mangroves in Phuket. It was a very dry season so we didn’t see it all. But the impression is nice!
360° view of the snorkeling spot near Phi Phi. And learned how to add the map, so you see where this 360° is taken.
It was a long day… Mini-van in, Mini-van out. Walking around for 10 or 20 min then back in the mini-van. Here the list of all destinations:
Most of them where nice to see. Some i din’t like. The money show and Snake show. It seems that the animals like it…. but no. Every hour a person make the snakes angry or afraid to show the tourist how they react. That is not Entertainment. Show a video with this, then walk around and tell something about these snakes. Later the day we went to the Waterfall and Gibbon Project. Gibbon Project is to get Gibbons who used for tourism industry. Strange that earlier the day you see a monkey show, and later the day a rescue project for Gibbons.
For a visual idea of this Sightseeing see the images.
So finally have a nice 360° image of the beach of Patong. You see its not crowed with people. Most of the tourists here are Russian and People from Scandinavian. Sometimes you hear French and i didn’t hear any Dutch.
Every day i goto the beach for some hours and rent a bed include a parasol for 100 Bath (2,60 euro) for a whole day. Around 13:00 i walk to the boulevard and there are the street food motorbikes again. Buy some nice lunch an walk back. Have a nice view with nice food and even more nice weather. Even Patong is very touristic its nice.
Maybe i will move to Kata Beach for 1 week, seems a beautifull beach as well and always good to see other locations.
This is not about the beauty, not about happiness, but a little reflection of a person who live in Thailand.
I was chatting on a gay app called “Grindr” yes, for those who didn’t know. Im gay. but whatever…
I was chatting with a guy and was a nice conversation. We talked about some simple things and he told me he work as massage. I wanted goto a Thai Massage, but around my hotel lots of lady’s ask me: Wanna Massage… Wanna Massage… and it didn’t feel good. So i asked him where he worked.
He give me his location and i went to his salon. I told him i will arrive around 14:00 and outside he was waiting. Off course he was at work, so we went to the room and started the massage.
We talked also, normally you lay down and relax, but we had a conversation, a good one. I asked him some questions and he asked me questions. At a certain moment we talked about difference of Thailand and Netherlands. I asked him what i get per month for this job. He told me around 7000-8000 bath. It depends on how many customers he had. Yesterday he had 2 customers so get 100bath per customer. I paid 400bath (10 euro) for the oil massage. So 300bath goes to the owner.
He also told me that it isn’t enough for living (8000bath is around 204 euro). He send some money to his parents more land inward. They are not able to work anymore. So he has to live from 204 euro minus the amount he send to his parents. For me was that a moment of reflection.
He asked me to sit, so he can do my back and told me i was a very “friendly person” he said: lots of customers are touching me and are rude. After that saying to me i had again a reflection. How can someone rude agains a person who worked hard for his money? Work 6 days between 12:00 – 23:30 and 1 day off.
After the massage was done i thank you him for the open conversation and the nice massage as well. And people think now im crazy, but give him som extra for his family and himself. Because i will survive when i help someone… He need it.
True, its the normal way of living here, but if every tourist can be little more generous then the Thai people can live little bit better.
