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Turbulence!
It is beginning to look like it will be the standard greeting for my Bangkok trips. The plane hit terrible turbulence on my 1st trip to Bangkok and it is here again on my 2nd trip. It did not bother me though; I had seen enough documentaries titled “Air Crash Investigations” to keep myself calm (huh?). Dark clouds were seen over the horizon. It was clear that it was going to rain soon – I was just hoping that I would reach the hotel before it starts.
Bangkok, I am glad to see you again. I did not expect to be here after my last trip in February but when my company requested me for another deployment, I was more than happy to jump into the opportunity. You could say that I have fallen in love with this country – the people are really polite, the food is damn bloody cheap (beer goes as low as RM1.20 per can – superb deal for a thirsty traveler) and the environment here is just right for working (safe to walk at 2 in the morning and the right attitudes all around).
In this trip, I had the chance of flying on Thai Airways – my first after the last trip on MAS. Flying on Air Asia is not an option for time being – unless of course, their flying schedule can be improved.
My “stallion” to Bangkok – Boeing 777-200. The plane was new and the seats were clean
My flight was early on a Sunday morning – I know, it is too early to be awake on a Sunday, so I guess I need to catch on sleep once I have arrived in Bangkok. Being a Sunday, the trip to the airport was smooth and hassle free, we reached KLIA in 30 minutes time. Being early at the airport has it advantage though, I was able to choose the seat that I wanted on the plane – window side seat.
The name that says it all – the last time I sat on a “Recaro” seat was on a long haul South African Airways from Hong Kong to Johannesburg. It was damn comfortable despite of the long hours
Unlike the last trip, the crowd for this trip was more manageable. There were plenty of empty seats especially towards the back. I was sitting on the 3rd row from the back and by the window, just the way I liked it. No wings to distract the view. The service by the Thai Airways staff was excellent although they missed out on my request for a glass of Sprite. It’s ok though – I had plenty of fluid (orange juice, water and coffee). The main meal, chicken rice (actually it was a satay chicken with briyani rice) was more than enough to meet my expectation for a good meal on a plane.
Proof that I have the best seat in the house – I had a good view of the clouds and the ground. Butterworth sure looked different from air
I reached Bangkok on schedule despite the heavy turbulence earlier on. Luckily it was not raining when I arrived and my ride to the hotel was smooth and comfortable. I was staying at Swiss Lodge, my 4th hotel that I stayed so far in Bangkok. Swiss Lodge was a nice boutique hotel, couple of meters from my working area. It has all the right amenities and all the channels I was expecting on TV – HBO, Discovery and News. The only thing missing was a coffee making facilities – so, I can forget about having instant noodles in my room.
Nice bottles at the hotel bathroom, nice enough for multiple photo shot. Hmm, it looks like little bottles of blood
Ha, tomorrow is a working day but I am excited to seeing back old friends at the client’s place. After all, isn’t Bangkok the place to be?
Del.icio.us Tag: Other Trips