1. Tuk Tuk driver quotes some ridiculous price
2. Agrees reluctuntaly to a more reasonable fare...
3.`Ah- today the Grand Palce and Wat Arun are closed- theres a ceremony that the King will attend'
4-Sujjestion- `let me take u to an alternate place- a gem store, sitting buddha, sleeping buddha, marble buddha, old buddha, young buddah'........... ooof
5- Me - `No way - just take me to those places i asked for. After much debate- he says this to me frankly- `come with me to the gem store, they give me 5 litres of fuel for every customer i bring' i didnt have to buy anything he also added...
6- First instinct- no!! Then perhaps it was curiousity, or just the frank talk, or maybe some kind of a journalist curiousity- i said ok.
7- Job done- he is waiting outside- smiling.
8- At the Palace, theres another man waiting to pounce and tell me the very same stuff, Palace closed etc- go here instead- i walk on
9- Soon, another guy - same thing.
10- I decide to take a Tuk Tuk to the ferry terminal to try and get a ride, plus Wat Arun is on the other side.
11- Ride complete- anothet man finds me- same dialogues. I take a Tuk Tuk again- to the Palace.
12- Before i know it- Tuk tuk driver is taking me someplace else- `sitting buddha' he says- then u will be back in time for palace opening- takes me some place- nothing there!! I ask him qeustions- his english speaking abilities have suddenly diminished- i threaten- he drops me to some place...
13- Reach the Palace- its open- had been open all day... 3 hours wasted- doing pretty much nothing!
14- People tell me thats a common thing- a well known scam to Bangkok people... hmmm
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on Nov 29, 2006
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