travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part VIII

{Lone Ranger Finding His Loving Wife}

......continued from part VII

I reached my first hotel in Bangkok at (roughly) 2pm. Exactly a common permitted time to check in hotel. However the receptionist shocked me a bit! Yes, she look ok, Thais girl krup; but no, it was not her face that shocked me but she told me that ALL ROOMS ARE FULLY RESERVED! Ya la, mine one also reserved mah; but not, she told me that my reservation was not appeared on her system!! ?? So, then ? What ? Why ?? She asked me how did I book my room, I told her that it was through [Agoda]...then she checked again......and..........given another 'kick' by saying that "Ah, here, the reservation just pop in" What ? then ? How ?? Will I get my room ? She politely answered that "today have too many Singaporean check-in, all have been taken". Singaporean? They pre-booked, ok; then Malaysian ? not reserved ? Then "how?" I asked. She said she will refer to her superior. 
So, I just sit on a bench in front of her counter. 
After (roughly about) 20 minutes, she called me to step forward to her counter and said "everything ok now, you get a room". Oh! Thanks God. However I got little worry, "Please do not give me your hotel 'LAST' room. You get what I mean, normally some hotels will vacant their last room for '...(you guess)'. So, is it the 'LAST' room?" I queried with worrying. And she answered with smile "No! It is not that kind of room" Krrr.... ok la then, have to believe on what she told, anyway she would just denied any suspicious risen with replying positive answer. So, I must think positive too.

Ok..let's check it out then

upgrade my pre-booked room to a larger one

Wow ! I think they given me an upgrade to a larger room & twin bed (for one person ?) . Ok la, think positive.

After I cleared up my backpack & set up essential prevention from thief or robbery, I cleaned up myself throughout the whole body. Off course la, more than 20 hours didn't shower.

Then I taken a short break and heading out. Going where ? Heyhey ......

Tut-tut car complimentary by the hotel

Going to 'wet' lol . Hey hey ~

The hotel provided their tut-tut car with driver as a complimentary service. Not bad. However, the most they can send me was up to the nearest BTS station. I got off from the tut-tut on the main road at Phetchaburi Rd, right in the center of Pratunam district, and not forget to "Korb-koon-krup" the driver with tips.

Map Pratunam center

Pratunam is one of Bangkok's most colourful district, famous with its fashion factory outlets, street markets, bazaars & armies of local vendors. It is a shopping paradise for ladies. Ya lol ! I am a man & I came here to see lady mah ~ Haha! I mean ladies , a lot of lady ~

I just walked around the streets, shuttling inside the bazaars, in & out, here & there, Ho! Lot of people ~ 
I stopped by some shops to ask for price, Hmmm... almost similar with Malaysia's pricing. Then I checked on some backpacks..I need to buy a new backpack, but I am not keen on this. The price of the backpack shown on the photo costs 2000 Thai Baht. Hoo... better check around in another shop, and another...

Until around 6pm..Haha! Time's up. The 'worm' was risen up from my body. ? ? What? Worm ? Yes, alcohol 'worm' which I grow it for 30 years. 

There were many tut-tut car drivers waiting besides the main road. They kept asking pedestrians (or maybe just tourists) to hop in. Before I arrived at Bangkok, I read many articles online that "be caution of tut-tut car", "tut-tut scam" etc. (you may try by typing on "tut-tut car Thailand" on google search page).

Tut-tut Warnings @ TripAdvisor's Forum

Never mind la. Think positive, maybe there are some good one. Alright then, I asked one of them waiting there about price to go to nearest pub area. Mr A (the driver, not the real name) answered with joyful smile that 150 TB to go to Silom. I bargained the price down to 100TB, he agreed.
Then I just hop on the tut-tut. After just 1 minute driving & casual short chat, Mr A asked me to do him a favor, "so I help you (with reducing price), you help me also, k. I go a shop to get 'chop'.. ''chop', 'chop' you know, then I can change some prize stuffs with the chops collected" .. Hmmm..."not far, not far, very near". I replied "ok" with intention to help. Then he handed me a nicely printed piece of typing "bla...bla ..bla (I forgot the exact words, but it's carrying somekind of meaning as - I consent & agreed to this driver to take me to a shop, with no forcing to buy, all purchases are dealing with self volunteering) " Woooo! What a crap! I almost falls into a trap !! So, I spoke out with serous face "Mai-dai (means "NO" in Thais). I want to go straight to my point. To (what) lom", "Mai-dai". And you know what happened then? He did some speed on and almost drifted his 'tut-tut', then changed his smiling (or cunning) face into 'dark' face. I was once intended to jump car, and just keep waiting for good timing.
But he keep on speeding and finally stopped. Then he showed me whereabout the pub area was, just opposite the street. Ok then, I still paid him the fee of 100TB as agreed, without arising any unnecessary conflict.

That was good enough to learn that "Helping other is ok but try not to hurt yourself", even if we have an intention to help, try not to do it in danger。

... to be continued

(back to episode 1) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part I

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(click) travel to Bangkok->Siem Reap from Malaysia by train ..part IX