"A 3rd class train ticket would be a good experience-- riding with the locals on the rigid wooden backed seats"-- I remember thinking this some time ago. What I didn't remember this morning at 5 am was to actually check the class listed on the really cheap ticket I got from the counter. (take it and run!)
But lets back up. less than 48 hours ago, I was in Ko Tao-- scuba diving on the other side of the country.
All the trains from Chumphon to Bangkok were full because it's buddha day, which is a national holiday that surfaces quite a bit. (This is my second buddha day-- the first one was the day I moved into to Wat Doi Stuhep!) So, I swallowed my bitterness and booked the Ferry+ VIP bus combo to get me to Chumphon and then Bangkok. After the 13 hour laos bus ride, I pledged to never take another VIP bus. Oh well. I also pledged to never go back to Khao San Road-- and guess where the bus was set to drop us???
but it wasn't quite Khao San, you see it works like this: hold a bunch of foreigners hostage on a beat up old korean bus overnight then, before the sunrises, dump them out in an indecipherable place into the hands of tuk tuk, taxi drivers, and touts calling "hello, where you go?" to your still asleep face.
Not nice VIP buses, not nice.
I knew I had two options.
The cheap option: walk to Khao San, wait for everything to open up and try to book a direct bus (VIP) to Sukothai-- not knowing when they leave and running the risk of having to stay a full day on Khao San or go to my backup plan too late when traffic was bad.
The option I went with: walk for a while, then turn 90 abruptly and hail a taxi cab.
3 cabs stop on sight. (it's 4:30 am)
All honking and beckoning. I go to the first one.
"Where you go?"
"Huglaphong(really basterdaizing the word) station-- train station."
"Where you go? Phuket?"
Phuket? That's an island. Your a taxi.
Go to the next taxi.
He swears to keep the meter on, we see almost no traffic and make it to the station in 45 bhat-- about $1.30
At this point I'm so proud of myself. I was terrified of bangkok taxis, I walked everywhere before, and now I just mastered that final mode of transportion.
Book a train to Philatsonok and get too busy ADVANCE booking the perfect train back to realize that the morning train is only 3rd class.
And I'm the only farang on it.
Two young lovebird runaways had cuddled themselves up in my seat before I got there and only managed to look confused when I pointed to my ticket and the seat number and my ticket and the seat number.
Lesson learned: get on the train as early as possible. Second lesson learned: playing dumb makes it hard to get to mad at you.
A thai woman tried to explain their situation to me-- mind you she didn't speak english, and gestured that I should sit in the empty spot by her.
Which lasted about 2 stops and someone rightfully claimed that seat. The thai woman acted like she was about to get off the train and gestured to her vacant seat and so I took it-- and then she kept standing and wouldn't take the seat back. I slept for 30 minutes or so, but couldn't bring myself to keep sitting there, so I joined the masses who were standing up and shuffling around as
food and drink vendors yelled and pushed through the narrow aisle. Every thai person in that car and the one in front of ours watched and grinned and gave thumbs up and pats on the back as I gave the woman the seat and joined the people-- on my feet for 3 hot hours. Until I started to fall asleep standing and the woman had me sit down for a bit, then I stood back up when she looked tired and so the swollen ankle dance went. From 7 am until 2:30 pm. But I learned some thai and made lots of friends by simply asking how much a bottle of cold water was "Yin Nam Plao Yai Thao Rii Ka?"
Big grins all around. I love the thai people.
And my smiles are paying off, I'm sneaking into public transport now. not sneaking exactly, but I've finally cracked the system. I made it from Philatsanok to Old Sukothai in a hop skip and a jump. I ate ramen and drank fanta with two thai girls until the bus to sukothai bus station came and they directed me onto it, and I rode in the back, where the luggage goes, because there were no seats, then I found the local bus into new sukothai and then the connection to Old Sukothai.
Essentially I'm finally able to travel thai style. The no worries, bo pgen naii (no problem) get there when you get there and smile the whole way mode of travel. karmically, it seems to pay off. I'm staying in this amazing world heritage town now(the sun just set over some ruins about an hour ago) surrounded by delightful thai people in a lovely guesthouse for very cheap. Compared to Old Sukothai, Phitlansok is kinda a shit hole, so I might be in old sukothai longer than planned and cut back on the Phitlansok time. Maybe I'll just pop up there before I get my 2nd class, airconditioned overnight train to bangkok on the night of the 22nd, which puts me in bangkok at 3:30 am-- the ideal time for taxi travel to the airport. And, while I'm there, hopefully I'll get that souvienir shopping in. Tomorrow though, a bike ride through Sukotai Historical National Park.
Transport Tally:
Ko Tao - Old Sukothai City
Taxi(2:00) Ferry(3:00pm), Mini Bus, VIP Bus(10 pm-5 am), Taxi, 3rd class train to Philatsonok(7 am -2:30) , Public bus number 155 to Sukothai, Public Songthaew to New Sukothai City, Public Songthaew to Old Sukothai City --5:30 pm
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