Luggage collection, watching them circle around and around I regretted having not placed some kind of extravagant decoration upon it, now unsure of which was mine, until finally it appears, still in one piece, I heave it off and watch the others chug on by, awaiting owners. I needed a cigarette, I’d been twelve hours in the sky and whilst I hadn’t suffered the urge to smoke too badly whilst up, now grounded strong cravings kicked back in, locating the exits I dragged my suitcase behind me, expectant as I made my way on through.
Perhaps I was famous here I thought as I neared the terminal doors, flocked around a small turnstile a hundred or so Thai’s attempted to catch my eye, waving signs and pleading to be heard. I rushed through quickly head down, needing tobacco, unknowing of what was expected from me. I hadn’t prepared for a welcome quite like this, and I wasn’t ready for it quite so soon.
Rolling a cigarette I pondered my next move, I’d decided against a package deal, opting for just the flight, but had pre-booked the first four nights at a hotel in Bangkok via the internet to gain bearings before deciding where to move onto later, which meant that now; there would be no special bus here ready to whisk me away to my place of lodgings, I would have to navigate my own way there.
Within seconds of inhaling my first puff of smoke, I found myself in conversation with a man I couldn’t understand and who clearly couldn’t understand me either, offering to take me somewhere for just five hundred baht. Trying to explain as best I could that I wanted to finish my cigarette unrushed and uninterrupted, he wandered off a little, lurking nearby, never taking his eyes from me as I finished my smoke. Stubbing it beneath my shoe, I wheeled my suitcase past him and down the ramp towards the main road and found another tout willing to take me to my hotel; again the price was five hundred baht. This time I agreed keen to be settled, needing of a hot bath, a short kip, and some food and beer, before trying to figure out some kind of agenda.
Led towards an unmarked grey car, and ushered into the back, my new friend got inside, introducing me to his colleague who would be doing the driving, kicking the engine into touch, we drifted away from the curb and off into the chaotic traffic on this road to Bangkok. Handing the tout my hotel information, he sighed, “very expensive” he informed me, “not very good”. ‘Oh well’, I thought uncaring, ‘as long as there’s a bed I’m happy’. Pulling from his pocket a glossy flyer, he opened it, pointing to the pictures of rooms and a pool, he grinned wide; “very good” he said, “my brother own”, “very good price”. and it did look nice, his brother had no doubt done well for himself, it looked like a fine place of lodgings and a business to be proud of, but I’d already paid for my first four nights in advance, and unwilling to lose money on this, I insisted in being taken to the ‘Manora’, it was from here that my holiday would begin.
Visibly unhappy with my decision, the tout and the driver mumbled briefly between themselves, but the tout quickly returned his attention back to me. Reaching under his chair, he passed me a blue ring binder; it was full of coloured brochures, for museums and tourist trips, and for temples, etc. They looked beautiful for sure, of blue seas and mystical monks, the tout explained in fragments half understood that he would be willing to arrange such excursions. He then Reached over and turned the pages to the back, the final pages held photos of beautiful young Thai women, posing provocatively, the tout grinned wider still; as my eyes grew larger taking in the silken flesh and gentle smiles of what the tout now seemed to be offering me.
“You like?” he questioned knowingly…
