Phuket disasters and banking headaches

Hi Internet! I am in Phuket, safely in my hotel room writing this post, but not for want of trouble in getting here. It all started off reasonably well in Bangkok, I left early from my hotel (more on why later) and soon bumped into Gerald (spelling? Yes, no, maybe, sorry if you ever see this..) a fellow traveller, from Australia. He had just left Phuket and was heading home to the Phillipines (he was born there) and we were discussing our Thailand trips and other travels we have made and wish to make. I have to say it is true what they say, travelling, especially on your own, breeds a certain openness of mind and spirit. By the end of the train journey I had convinced him to come to South Africa, I am good tourism ambassador! We parted ways when he headed off to International Departures and I headed off to Domestic Departures.

Now, back to the reason why I went to the airport so early, I am struggling with (read not able to do) online payments. My bank/service provider (talk about an oxymoron!) assures me I am getting my one time pins to email, while I can categorically state that I am not and importantly keep being told on the payment confirmation page that these are being sent to my cell…a South African SIM currently sitting in my travel wallet and not enabled for international roaming. Sounds inconvenient but not too bad, right? Wrong! I can’t load my card for Grab Taxi, I won’t be able to finalise certain payments online and worst of all, I can’t book the rest of my domestic flights online. That was why, getting to the airport early allowed me to pin down my return to Bangkok. Good that it’s booked but stupid and infuriating that I had to do it t the airport and for more money, naturally. That’s another flight down but another to go before the return…dum, dum, dum (queue spooky music).

I flew Thai Smile because they include one check-in piece of luggage, it is billed as a semi-low-cost airline, a low-cost branch of Thai Airways, so think Mango or Kulula in South Africa. But better because they include drinks and meals and are super friendly (unlike some of our South African examples). Also, they had one of those prank, candid camera shows playing on communal screens with no sound which works for all languages, very clever thinking on a short flight. The experience was good and the view coming into Phuket was breath-taking, picture postcard perfect. I didn’t take photos because they had requested all cell phones off for the duration of the flight. And I’m not that person!

It was getting to my hotel when the wheels came off. I had read an online blog recommendation saying to take the minibus taxis from the airport to your destination. It was billed to be 180 Baht and it just takes time to get there what with all the passengers. Sounded very fair. But as a South African, I should have been more wary of minibuses…we know what they’re like. The first company I went to looked at me with my checked luggage and carry-on piece and quickly told me I will have to pay for two seats! I promptly went to his competition across the way and she told me the same thing. Now tired and disappointed, I just paid her for the two seats and went along to their taxi area to wait to be taken. A few minutes later a young couple come along, backpacker types and sit near me to wait. Within five minutes the young woman is angry at the delay and going to ask one of the drivers when we would go. A few minutes later she makes her boyfriend go too. She is an irritated German woman and sends him again. I hear them tell him they have to wait for five people, by this time I have been waiting almost half an hour so I pipe in to point out they are waiting for 1 more person not two because they charged me for two seats for my two bags! Because he kicked up more of a stink, we got in the bus and headed out on the road. But the joy was short-lived as the driver pulled round to the front of the airport and stopped, clearly to wait for more passengers. At least the bus was airconditioned so the wait was less miserable. Nine minutes later (I know exactly as I was sending a blow by blow back home in messages) and three new passengers arrived. I thought we would leave. I was wrong, a minute later three more and then another two minutes later another three more. That’s nine new passengers along with the three of us (four, because I count as two!). This takes up every free seat on the mini-bus and clearly my luggage was not an issue (I said I could have even put my carry-on on my lap, difficult but I could have done it). By now I realise just how badly I have been ripped off, I knew that already but I am quite mad at this point. There was no way these kinds of people would give me my money back no matter how much I demanded it and I was not going to pay anyone additionally and be out the 360 Baht I had already spent.

But it gets worse, it turns out the company are clearly out and out scammers! It is a good hour or more from the airport to Patong Beach where I am staying. But 45 minutes into the journey the guy stops and I am not sure why. Well I was already suspicious about the fact that my destination had not been written down. We are now told that they will be compiling the destinations here. But this is a travel agent and I know what is going on. When it is my turn to give my destination, the woman then asks how long I am in Thailand, what are my plans, and then starts to offer me touring. Well I am nice and easy-going person up to a point but when you are upselling me after I paid for a service I have yet to receive, let me tell you I am not well pleased. At this point I was exhausted, hungry and very, very tired and knew I was running late to check into my accommodation. Now, no one has any right to ask me the kind of questions she did in the first place, other than Thai immigration authorities, and secondly, after all this I was more likely to resort to violence than part with a single additional Baht to this company (I am  convinced the taxi and travel agents are one in the same, not just the driver in league with this travel company). But because I still hadn’t gotten to my destination and had no idea how far away it was, I could not quite express my full ire. I replied that I was in Thailand for a while, had not finalised my plans and because I was very tired and just wanted to get to my hotel, I did not want to think about this at that point. This was also expressed in a rather sharpish manner. If looks could kill, she’d probably be dead, although I was so tired at this point, I was not sure of the wattage of my death stare.

Luckily after this we got back on the road and I ended up being the first one dropped off. I am sure this had more to do with location than with death stares. Probably. Anyway, this was at 4:30PM more than two and a half hours from when I stepped foot out of the airport! And I was the first dropped off! I now feel sorry for the German woman. PSA, I don’t know the name of this company, but if you are heading to the exit of the Phuket Airport, this minibus company is the one directly on the left of the doors. The company on the right was the one which originally quoted me for two seats.

Now I am very late for check-in and no one is there. There is a sign at the desk saying to ring for service or call a number. I ring for service a few times. I am about to reluctantly call, but very reluctantly as my cell package came with 10 minutes but unlimited data, when another apparent traveller walks in with a suitcase. Turns out he is a friend of the manager. He calls him, to no avail and is not sure what to do. The cleaning lady also comes in and is unsure what to do. I ask to pay for my room and go up because I want to use the toilet and have a shower and then get lunch. But neither of them is equipped to deal with payment. I show them my reservation. She finds a single room key and thinks it must be for me. The guy says I can be let in if I leave my passport with him. At this I become outraged! I said no way, I am happy to pay for my room, just let me in. The cleaning lady says, no-no and takes me to the room she found the key for. We find it isn’t clean, she proceeds to clean it, we have to check the key works. I use the toilet, leave my suitcases and go out to get lunch. I am so glad I had only booked for two nights; I want out!

I come back fed and slightly mollified. I see the manager is there, he apologises for not being there when I arrived and advises me to whats app him whenever I need him, he takes my room fee and explains a different room had been prepared for me which was why the one I had received was not clean. I apologise for being later than I indicated and explained the minibus disaster. I go to the room the cleaning lady had given me, not totally sure and find the air-conditioning not very cold. I whats app the manager, he comes, makes a setting change and says it should be cold in 5 minutes. It’s not. I whats app him again, he comes to check and says he will check the air-conditioning in another room. Within about 15 minutes I was in another, just cleaned room on the top floor (not a penthouse suite) with a better view and much happier.

My opinion of the minibus company has not changed, my opinion of my hotel is busy changing (room switching fun!). I was thoroughly exhausted but I am soon off to explore Phuket and organise some tours, hopefully. The red hat is on the move!