I had a booking for a guided tour to the Grand Palace, but it was moved to the afternoon, so I decided to spend the morning checking out a nearby park. It was interesting to watch people there practising Tai-Chi or doing excercises – there were several public fitness devices placed in the park.
When I left again I ran into a guy who claimed to be from the university and who spoke English very well. After some talking he managed to convince me to do a city tour in a tuk-tuk for a fixed price and – how fortunate – a driver (probably his friend) was just around the corner. I had previously decided for myself to stay away from these tourist traps and I really couldn’t believe I fell for it, but I thought, well at least I would get to see the city. No idea where he was going to drive me, but let’s see…
The first stop was at a temple so hidden between houses that I wouldn’t have found it myself. The driver waited outside while I went to take some photos. I donated money and lit candles in front of the buddha statue, Thai culture is fascinating. Back outside, some guy talked to me and explained to me (without having asked him) the traditional Thai wedding procedures – in such detail that my driver started walking around nervously. But I enjoyed the conversation.
After some more driving we stopped at a fine tailor. I knew you can get cheap tailored suits in Bangkok and I also knew the tuk-tuk drivers get commission from bringing tourists to their stores. But I wasn’t in the market for a suit and didn’t feel well going inside with shorts and flip-flops so I refused, but the driver argued I wouldn’t have to buy anything – just looking (of course). So I went inside and it took me 15 minutes to talk me out of the store again. At least I didn’t buy a suit, I simply didn’t need one.
The driver didn’t look happy when I came back without a shopping bag. We agreed to drive to another buddha statue but instead he brought me to another tailor. This time I refused to go inside, argued with the driver and really pissed him off. In the end he agreed to drive me to the ‘giant buddha’ that was marked on my map, but he wasn’t happy at all. He dropped me off at a backyard and showed me the direction to the statue. I had a weird feeling walking along the narrow backyards but I actually found a temple with a giant buddha statue which was very impressive.
When I returned, the driver was gone. I knew he had been angry, but since I didn’t pay him in advance he had left without receiving any money. I didn’t mind, my only problem was now that I needed to get back to the hotel in time for the tour pickup. So I hired another tuk-tuk (these guys are everywhere) that would drive me back to Chinatown at the other end of the city. After spending a ridiculous amount of time in traffic jams I was back at the hotel.
Later I met my tour guide – a nice young girl – and she explained to me that I was the only person who booked the tour so I would basically receive a private tour only for me. I didn’t object… With the air-conditioned bus we drove to the Grand Palace. Outside it was incredibly hot and sunny. Unfortunately I had broken my sunnies the day before.
The tour was fascinating, seeing a whole palace built from gold, porcelain and gem stones is very impressive – a must-see in Bangkok. My guide also tried to explain to me the history but it was so much I didn’t really manage to follow it, sadly. A private tour definitly has its advantages, it was nice. The tour would have included a stop at a gem factory – of course, no tour without at least one gem factory where tourists can invest their money into souvenirs and jewellery no one really needs (now I know why my grandma always brought so much stuff home from her travels!) – but I chose to skip it. My tour guide seemed relieved.
After my experience in the city so far I figured it would be best for me to book more tours instead of walking around the city on my own, I only had three more days anyway. So when we were back at the hotel I booked two more tours for the following days. The price difference between tourist coach and private tour was minimal so I opted for private tours. Later I didn’t feel comfortable with that, I dislike tourist coaches where you meet, well, other tourists, but I also didn’t want to look like the rich tourist who can afford private tours. I was cheap for me, but for most Thai people it would have been a lot of money.
