The final leg of this journey, before flying home, was the over night sleeper train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok.
I've said before that the hardest scams to avoid are the ones that you know are being perpetrated in front of your very eyes and today was a text book example (Day 50: Welcome to Cambodia 19/03/2011).
Nancy was at least 65 and a railway employee. We were booked in a second class upper level sleeper berth. The lower levels are always and inexplicably fully booked, even if they are largely empty when you board the train. Nancy clocked us boarding and was attentive from the start, with just the right level of English to make a deal, but not enough to iron out any ambiguities in the process that might work to her advantage at a later time.
Did we want dinner? Well, yes indeed , unless it was to be crisps and chocolate from the Seven Eleven for the next 18 hours. A menu appeared from the folds of her clothing. 160 baht for dinner or 400 baht for dinner for two with some fruit for afters.
Did we want some beer? Yep! A sharpener at 6pm to whet the appetite sounded excellent. And Coke? Maybe with our meal. Misunderstanding or sharp sales practice, but a steady supply of opened beer arrived, despite our best efforts to call time.
Then the bill!!!
Five times as much as yesterday's meal. It was in Thai and when we asked why so much, her English failed her and the cat got my tongue. Oh, the acute embarrassment and the softening of our resolve after several more bottles of beer than we intended to drink.
The food was great and the beer went down a treat.
And we didn't get robbed, like the Thai Railway Police warned. At least if you exclude being outwitted by a wily old bird.
After a few raised eyebrows, Clare rationalised my mild annoyance with an oft heard response to cash related concerns.
'Will you miss it when you're seventy?'
Unlikely.
 |
| Thai Railway Cartoon Theft Advice For Tourists |
The final leg of this journey, before flying home, was the over night sleeper train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok.
I've said before that the hardest scams to avoid are the ones that you know are being perpetrated in front of your very eyes and today was a text book example (Day 50: Welcome to Cambodia 19/03/2011).
Nancy was at least 65 and a railway employee. We were booked in a second class upper level sleeper berth. The lower levels are always and inexplicably fully booked, even if they are largely empty when you board the train. Nancy clocked us boarding and was attentive from the start, with just the right level of English to make a deal, but not enough to iron out any ambiguities in the process that might work to her advantage at a later time.
Did we want dinner? Well, yes indeed , unless it was to be crisps and chocolate from the Seven Eleven for the next 18 hours. A menu appeared from the folds of her clothing. 160 baht for dinner or 400 baht for dinner for two with some fruit for afters.
Did we want some beer? Yep! A sharpener at 6pm to whet the appetite sounded excellent. And Coke? Maybe with our meal. Misunderstanding or sharp sales practice, but a steady supply of opened beer arrived, despite our best efforts to call time.
Then the bill!!!
Five times as much as yesterday's meal. It was in Thai and when we asked why so much, her English failed her and the cat got my tongue. Oh, the acute embarrassment and the softening of our resolve after several more bottles of beer than we intended to drink.
The food was great and the beer went down a treat.
And we didn't get robbed, like the Thai Railway Police warned. At least if you exclude being outwitted by a wily old bird.
After a few raised eyebrows, Clare rationalised my mild annoyance with an oft heard response to cash related concerns.
'Will you miss it when you're seventy?'
Unlikely.
 |
| Enough Food For Four People! |
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| The Cause of The problem? |
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| The Culprit Caught On Camera |
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