After breakfast I sorted out my luggage and found I had about 5 kilos more than I had paid for (Jetstar Light Saver fares include no food, no drink and no luggage, so I had bought a 20 kg allowance while in Munich. On their website they sounded very strict, and prices at the airport were double those paid in advance, so I called and bought another 5 kg allowance for €45. Then I could pack in peace. Nevertheless, when I checked everything on the very useful set of scales beside the lift on the ground floor when leaving, I was about a kilo over on checked baggage and 0.7 kg on my rucksack. In the event, there was no problem, and my rucksack wasn't weighed.
I caught up a bit on my travel diary, using the good cable internet connection, then set off to Mahboonkrong (MBK) shopping centre by bus 15, 7 baht, where I hoped to buy a dual sim mobile phone cheaply. MBK is a large shopping centre across from a redshirt barricade by Siam Square, near my old hotel. Each floor is devoted to a category of goods, I had bought my new "The North Face" Trolley-Backpack there.
Floor 4 was electronics and mobile, and I had the choice of about 100 small shops and stalls all selling the same thing, often staffed by young women who had not much idea. After asking around a bit and finding that what I wanted was not particularly cheap, I decided to take the plunge and buy a dual sim (but only dual band) phone for 1200 baht (€30), using my visa card. For this we had to take a journey of about 100 metres, winding our way through the alleyways, to a woman who had a visa machine. This service cost 36 baht extra, which I found reasonable compared to the various 4% to 15% fees being charged in Luang Prabang, for instance.
Redshirt barricade of tyres across from MBK:
Food stalls at the bus stop:
Now I had to hurry home to make my 6 pm checkout deadline, and I had been hoping to have a swim in the nice pool too. Lots of buses came, but no 15. I asked a tuk-tuk driver if he woud take me for 50 baht, he said no. After a while I gave in, accepted his offer of 150 baht and we took off with a roar for my last tuk-tuk ride, first stuck in traffic, then tearing down free streets. I took a movie of this, but it probably won't upload.
I reached the hotel at 17:45 and asked at reception if I could extend to 18:30, that was OK, so I raced downstairs in my swimsuit and plunged into the pool, which was, of course, not cool but tepid, but refreshing anyway.
Then a shower and change, putting on long trousers, socks and shoes, and packing a fleece into my rucksack to wear in Melbourne, where it was late Autumn and around 13 ° C.
Many others on the plane were still in shorts, T-shirts and sandals, I don't know how they fared.
I treated myself to a taxi going to the airport, as I had three bags now, even though the Khao San Road Airport Express Bus was just a short ride away.
I joined the Jetstar check-in queue with hours to spare, and learnt that I could take food aboard, but nothing to drink.
In a supermarket I bought sandwiches, then went through passport and security. On the other side there were lots of shops and restaurants, after inspecting them all I bought a second packet of sandwiches and went to "The Mango Tree" for a last meal, Pad Thai Jay, vegetarian. Wine was too expensive, so I drank water.
There was another security check at the boarding gate, all hand luggage was thoroughly searched and any liquids removed. My 10.7 kg rucksack was packed tight with laptop and accessories. The guy opened all external zip compartments and checked contents, then opened the main compartment, took one look, and closed it again, uninspected. I didn't complain.
With Jetstar Light Saver you do not get a choice of seat, but I'd been given what I would have chosen anyway, 47J, right side, aisle, 3 back from middle exit, with one person next to me who fell asleep 5 minutes after takeoff at 22:45 and slept most of the way.
We were given a complimentary bottle of mineral water. When those who had bought meals got theirs, I ate my sandwiches. Later on I decided to invest in a small bottle of red wine, Hardy's Nottage Hill, accompanied by 5 crackers and five slices of tasty Australian cheese, to make it up to the $10 needed for a credit card purchase. Entertainment tablets were being sold but I didn't fancy any of the films on offer. In the early morning I must have slept for about two hours, first time on a plane for me. The plane was packed full, but all the passengers were very quiet.
On this day of my departure from Bangkok, another person was killed on Silom Road, and the government hung a curfew over redshirt areas and started giving soldiers real bullets, not just rubber ones. I do hope they sort themselves out before my next visit.
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