| Page Views: 802 Last Visit to Bangkok: November, 2005 | Bangkok - Second home by JonnyVN - last update: Aug 9, 2006 |
The start In 1984 when I was 19, I moved to Hong Kong, after about 2 years decided to take a couple of months hanging out in Thailand. Not exactly backpacking as I had a fair amount of dosh. An incident happened that made me think and proved to me the inner depth of Asian culture.
I was staying in the Koh San Road, very quite in those days, in the temple at the top of the road. One late night sitting in the Hello 1 restaurant I started talking (and drinking ) with a german backpacker. By about 3.30am we decided to go to the night market round the corner to get something to eat.
We sat down ordered some food and a bottle of Mekong, before the "waiter" left the German chap asked how much the total would be, it came to about $15. So the food arrived, we ate, we drank, we had great fun with the owners. Come nearly dawn, we asked for the bill, which came to $15.75. The german then started arguing that he was being ripped of, the owners explained that the waiter added up wrong. Nope, my new friend wouldn't have it (or me chipping the extra 75cents in) claiming that he was poor and Thais always try to cheat people.
Sidebar here: Anyone who can stop work for a year (or any ammount of time) is not poor, especially when your talking to a 60 year old man that works all night in a rat invested market next to an open sewer.
I gave up, snuck round to the Kitchen, with many wais (not sure the spelling) handed them about 2 bucks, and appologised about my rude friend, told them to accept his money. Then we left.
Now as it happened a journalist friend of mine arrived the next day, his first trip. Again ended at the Hello 1, got hungry and went to the night market. On arrival we were greated like family, we ordered food, some Mekong, we ate, we drank, we laughed and talked with the owners, we drank more mekong, then asked for the bill................this time there was no bill, the owner refused to take any money, he said that there should be more people like us. I tried endlessly to pay, finally realising that to continue would be rude.
The moral: As you will see from my slogan on home page; Be Nice. |
Filming This is why I'm here so often. This time filming a TV ad for bottled water from Vietnam |
Royalty Wife and clients at the one of the Royal Palaces |
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| In A Nutshell: | "Great city, great people and they have shops!" |
JonnyVN's Bangkok Travel Tips
 Comments for JonnyVN about Bangkok | | | | |
DennyP Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:12 UTC
great page John..great advice ...and must agree with other post ...but some people just don't have the brains to leave at home in the first place...cheers... | BillNJ Tue Jan 20, 2009 03:31 UTC
Thanks for the helpful tips and commentary. | Greggor58 Wed Dec 31, 2008 23:16 UTC
Hi Johnny.....Great Vietnam pages!! Interesting story about the Night Market...Thanks...kind of reminds me that what we sow we reap...what comes around goes around...and we get what we give!Thanks for sharing here!!Happy New Year to you!! | ruffen Mon Aug 20, 2007 12:42 UTC
Too many tourists leave their brain back home when they go abroad. Too many times I have been ashamed over my nationality abroad, but as you say; the locals do see the diffrence between tourist and tourist! |
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