Escape

http://www.bangkokpost.com/140705_News/14Jul2005_news02.php

I was thinking I might rent a car and driver and go down to Hua Hin to visit the Thai International pilot training facility, so I started the day going to the travel desk. As I was discussing the price and time involved, one of the drivers at the travel desk said I looked familiar. I felt the same about him and after discussion we decided that he had been my driver at previous stays at the hotel, 33 or more years ago. Pretty amazing, on several levels. Ultimately I decided not to spend the time or money to visit another flight school and to escape Bangkok and start my travel in the North as soon as possible. I called for an airplane seat and arranged for my old friend to take me to the airport.

On the way to the airport, we drove past the site of the former Siam Intercontinental, a beautiful hotel owned by PanAm that was torn down a few years ago in favor of a not-yet-completed office building of standard boring architecture. “Progress” can be sad. We also drove by the Indra Regent Hotel, where Saisamorn worked as a telephone operator during our months of living in this busy metropolis. On the way to the airport the driver and I exchanged updates on our families and he brought me up to speed a little on local politics. A taxi driver made a u-turn in front of us near the Indra Regent and my driver said he should get a ticket. I remarked that I had once made a u-turn in nearly the same location and was caught by the police. I bribed him $5 and was on my way. Apparently that doesn’t work any more as the press has been pretty successful at catching government officials taking bribes. The culture of corruption that was so rampant years ago is now greatly reduced. “Progress” is not always sad.

Bird Air http://www.nokair.com/html/about/planes.html

I escaped Bangkok on a cheap airline appropriately named Nok Air. Nok is Thai for “bird” and the aircraft are painted to resemble various birds, all with a big yellow beak covering the entire nose. When I was here before, there was only one airline. Now there are at least a half dozen to choose from.

The terminal at Chiang Mai International Airport is now large and built to accommodate all the travel into and out of this great city. The “old” terminal, where I once worked to set up the first international flights into this airport, now belongs to the Thai Air Force. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to visit it before I leave.

I’m staying at the Viang Bua Mansion, a new place designed more for long-term stays. It’s very nice and a bit off the beaten path. http://www.viangbuamansion-chiangmai.com/
This is both good and bad. As I walked around the neighborhood in the afternoon in the POURING rain, people took it for granted that I could speak Thai. Clearly no tourist would be lost in this neighborhood so this guy must belong here. That was the good part. The bad part is that there are no taxis that frequent this neighborhood so it’s hard to get one. I write this as I wait for my rental car. My first purchase in the neighborhood was some lychee yogurt. It was great!

My rental car has arrived. To be continued…..