Since I was a kid, I always dreamed about going to Thailand. I was now pretty excited, although a ta

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Hello again � and did you guess where I was headed to from Osaka? Remember, the clue was: �It�s 2,580 miles away (about the same as L.A. to New York), and it�s the only Southeast Asian country never to be colonized by a European power.�
I�ll get to that place in a minute. First I have to pick up where I left off last week , which was on my way to the Osaka airport. The airport has a nice feel to it, probably because it�s only 10 years old so there is plenty of open space and high ceilings. There are also lots of places to eat (35 restaurants, 21 of them Japanese), and tons (110 shops) of spots to buy last-minute rent a car sint maarten gifts. With so many different carriers flying in and out, it�s also great for plane-watching.
Checking in for my flight was an adventure. With all the airline code-sharing going on today, even I get confused. My paper ticket read Thai Airways , but in small writing it said �Operated by JAL� ( Japan Airlines ). Like any intelligent person who looks at his ticket closely, I checked in at the JAL counter . Bad idea! They sent me to the Thai counter, which fortunately rent a car sint maarten was just around the corner. The Thai agent told me I was right: I was on a JAL flight, but I needed to check in with Thai because my travel agent purchased the tickets from Thai Airways. (The travel agents that I use are John Dekker and Sam Hakim from CheapDutchGuy.com . They only do deep discounted International Business and First Class tickets. They can be reached at 800.564.6695.)
The agent handed me a Thai boarding pass, and told me to have a nice flight. I was surprised it wasn�t a JAL boarding pass and said, �Are you sure I�m on JAL, and not the Thai flight that leaves rent a car sint maarten in 30 minutes?� She said yes. But I still wasn�t convinced, because she handed me a Thai lounge pass (a perk for flying in premium class). I was bewildered it wasn�t a pass for JAL�s lounge, yet before I could turn to her again and say �You sure?� she was already shaking rent a car sint maarten her head YES with a smile. I guess that happens rent a car sint maarten often. rent a car sint maarten Talk about confusing.
Of course the Thai lounge was in front of the Thai gate, which was about a mile from my gate. I didn�t have a lot of time, but I wanted to see what it looked like. I was sorry I walked all the way down there, because the lounge (at this airport) was nothing rent a car sint maarten special. It was just a small room with no personality � not even a window. Apart from the free drinks, the best part were the cool (and pretty) Japanese ladies working behind the bar.
When I reached the gate they were boarding my flight to Bangkok. (If you guessed Thailand then you know your geography and history (and become an honorary Johnny Jet). The plane was a DC10 . I had not been on one in years, because most U.S. passenger airlines rent a car sint maarten have already retired them. The only ones I see these days are FedEx � they�ve still got a bunch. I am not a big fan of the DC10, probably because they overhead rent a car sint maarten compartments are so small. (They stopped making them in 1990, before people began carrying their entire lives on board.)
The plane was configured for two classes. Coach was packed, rent a car sint maarten while business was wide open . The seats in business were nice, and the service was excellent. The flight attendants wore different bright-colored uniforms, and were very professional. The colors looked like the ones in the Teletubbies cartoons. When I sat down I was handed a yellow first class amenity bag, and a pair of slippers. I have size 13 feet, so of course they didn�t fit. I put them on anyway, and walked around like I was Bigfoot. Because the plane was older we didn�t have individual movies, but they showed rent a car sint maarten one on the big screen (yes, English was available). I was so tired I fell asleep right after my tasty filet mignon , and slept for three hours of the five-hour flight.
When I woke up I looked out the window, and saw one of the most picturesque scenes ever. It was a hilly shoreline lit up by abundant rent a car sint maarten bright stars and a waxing crescent moon. I have seen so many stars only twice before (Great Barrier Reef and French Polynesia). I also saw a few lights from houses and boats. It looked like a Hollywood set, but it was Vietnam. How cool is that!
Since I was a kid, I always dreamed rent a car sint maarten about going to Thailand. I was now pretty excited, although a tad nervous about going to a new country by myself rent a car sint maarten (especially after this warning: � The State Department is concerned that there is an increased risk of terrorism in Southeast Asia, including in Thailand. American citizens traveling to Thailand should therefore exercise caution, especially in locations where Westerners congregate, such as clubs, discos, bars, restaurants, hotels, places of worship, schools, outdoor rent a car sint maarten recreation venues, tourist areas, beach resorts, and other places rent a car sint maarten frequented by foreigners. They should remain vigilant with regard to their personal security and avoid crowds and demonstrations.�)
As with any warning from the U.S. Government, this should be taken with a grain of salt. Many times they�re just covering there behinds. Still, it�s always good to check with the Canadian , British , and Australian government warnings as well. If they all agree, then there might be something to worry about.
I think the name �Thailand� is so cool -- something about it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. It sounds so exotic and mysterious. It�s probably because when I was a kid, my elderly neighbor used to tell me all kinds of stories about her trips to Thailand. I thought it was so amazing she used to be able to ride elephants (you still can).
I landed at 11 p.m. local time, and the airport was packed. The tarmac was filled with airlines from all over the world, including a bunch of Phuket Air 747-200 all lined up that needed paint jobs badly. rent a car sint maarten You couldn�t get me on one of those old 747�s without serious tranquilizers.
We had to walk downstairs and hop on one of those low-to-the-ground rent a car sint maarten buses that takes passengers to the terminal. TIP: Always rent a car sint maarten get on the first bus, so you can get in the customs line first. rent a car sint maarten Unlike in Osaka, the BKK airport rent a car sint maarten (airport code for Bangkok ) was filled with Westerners. It�s sometimes nice to see people from your country rent a car sint maarten when you are so far from home, and traveling alone. This was one of those times.
My first stop after clearing customs was the ATM machine (it should be yours too). I took out some monopoly money -- I mean, baht -- which currently exchanges at 1,000 to $24 US dollars. rent a car sint maarten Walking around with 10,000 baht in my pocket made me feel like I was carrying an obscene amount of money, but it was only $245.
Taxis in Thailand are ridiculously cheap. A ride from the airport to downtown Bangkok (20 minutes without traffic) is supposed to cost only 400 baht ($10) -- and that includes the extra 50B ($1.20) for airport service. But of course I got suckered by some slick Thai salesman who was behind a booth that made me think (like a fool ) that he was the taxi dispatcher. After I overpaid by 200 baht ($5) I learned that I hired a private car. That little incident taught me a lesson: Sometimes getting suckered in a foreign country is not a bad thing. I reached downtown much quicker than anyone else, and my driver spoke some English. FYI: Legal taxis are the ones with yellow and black license rent a car sint maarten plates. If you take a taxi and want to get to downtown quicker than normal, tell your driver to take the expressway (Chalerm Mahanakhon Expressway). It costs an extra 40B ($1) for the toll, but it�s worth it -- especially during rush hour.
I wasn�t in Bangkok for business or to visit family or friends (though I did end up seeing some). I was there to get a taste (pun intended � who doesn�t love Thai food?) of the country. If I spent a month in Thailand I still wouldn�t see everything, but I was lucky to have � 3 nights in Bangkok �. There is so much to do and see, but instead of running around like a crazy tourist I took my time, saw a few of the sights and dined where the locals do. Hopefully, I will make it back one day to see the whole country.
Before I tell you all about my trip, here is some background information. The official country name is the Kingdom of Thailand. Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, just like the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister is Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra, and the king is Bhumibhol Adulyadej. Unlike in the U.K., Thais revere their monarchy. I'm serious - you don't want to make negative comments about him (or any member of the royal family). It�s a crime called �lese majeste,� and is punishable by three to fifteen rent a car sint maarten years in prison. It�s also a crime to purposely tear or destroy Thai bank notes , because they carry an image of the king. I prayed I didn�t forget where I was and make some smart-aleck remark about the king.
Thailand used to be called Siam. In 1949 the official name of the country was changed to "Prathet Thai," or "Thailand." "Thai" means "free"; therefore "Thailand" means "Land of the Free� (except if you say bad things rent a car sint maarten about the king). rent a car sint maarten Thailand borders four countries and two bodies of water: Laos to the north, Cambodia and the Gulf of Thailand to the east, Myanmar (formerly Burma) and the Indian Ocean to the west, and Malaysia to the south. The population of Thailand is 62 million. Bangkok is the capital; its population is six million.
rent a car sint maarten The high season is between December and February � that�s when it rains the least, and the temperature is not too hot. Thailand�s climate is tropical, so it�s usually high both in temperature and humidity (and dominated by monsoons). Temperatures are hottest in March and April, averaging rent a car sint maarten between 82-100 degrees. The