Where the heck is Ko Tau?

[Pushka]

I did think of taking on maestro DrRon.

Currently on a ferry where signal is good. This ferry ride is so smooth. Just one night in Bangkok. Soo fast.

More about what happened on checkout later today when in Bangkok. Ridiculous story to tell about the morning.

But full moon last night in the meantime.

 

[Pushka]

Off the Ferry and a quick taxi to the airport. Nice and early which is great with the free lounge here.

Koh Samui is a genuinely lovely airport. Like a tropical resort.



Great lounge and most don't seem to know about it.



Nice selection of food and every soft drink.

 

[Pushka]

Coming into Samui was way better this time as we berthed in the main area and not at Mae Haad which is a torturous 50 minutes by bus to the airport in the stix.

 

[Pushka]

Food from sons Birthday dinner last night.

MrP three Thai taster. (he asked for it spicy and that's what he got. )



I just needed a burger and it was wonderful with scotch fillet meat not minced.



Son who is going to The Philippines tonight wanted a steak as he hadn't had one in 2 months. He got it!

 

[Pushka]

We pulled into Phanghan on the way to Samui. These ladies were really clever and did a great trade.





50 baht for an almond magnum. Bargain of the year.

We were closely followed by this cat which is the ferry we arrived on from the other port. So glad we took the longer boat ride this time as it was calm and the bus ride awful

 

[Pushka]

So what happened this morning?
Well, first thing is that sons room ran out of water and at 3am had a tummy upset. Still not back at 7am so used our shower which of course was fine but a few rooms away. Reception not answering.

We'd booked a trolley to get the luggage up the hill at 8am. Another family has already waited for half an hour for one so we all piled into it when it came.

Then checkout. I struck a new girl. I agreed on the extra charges and was going to pay. Had my card out. She said no, we check the mini bar. 20 mins later I am still sitting there. Asked the manager in to get things moving as the bus to the pier was leaving in 10 mins and we had to catch that and then a plane. 25 minutes and the clueless manager didn't make her move. Finally another clerk charged the card and I was off. They held the bus for me as by this time MrP had come into reception. Others checking out had come and gone. Not me.

Ok. We are on the ferry now with 10 minutes until departure. The ferry port is about 20 mins by car from the resort. And then we see the hotel manager in a lather of sweat charging toward me. He's maybe Dutch? And said I hadn't paid for the rooms (about AUD $2500). I said I didn't know what he was talking about and that I'd asked him to sort it all out anyway and had told him what I had to pay. But the girl had processed it wrong somehow.

He said I had to get off the ferry and go to the bank and pay him in cash. As if. Besides my limit is $1000 anyway. He said if we didn't pay then he would stop us leaving Thailand tomorrow. WTF!

I told him that flights were full from Samui to BKK (we'd checked yesterday and someone else said they were booked out for weeks) and that I couldn't miss this ferry to catch our flight so I would not get off the ferry.

Finally I said to him if I gave him my credit card details could they ring it through. So after so much stress he finally agreed. I was sweating and shaking so much and was so, well, pissed off with this hotel's incompetence. Others said they been charged for things they didn't consume. The Thai manager just kept saying "sorry sorry" and the Hotel manager said the girl was new and learning. I just told him not to let it happen to anyone else and she should not be on her own.

Trip Advisor report I will do might need sensoring though.

I have called the Bank and the charges seem to have been done.

 

[love_the_life]

What is it with you, so many scrapes????? Somehow things on this holiday have had a habit of going a* up. (Think your booking, the name change, the OLCI for starters). You seem to have been blessed with getting the most incompetent staff looking after you :mrgreen:

Hope you made it to BKK in one piece and the CC has been correctly charged. Now settle back with a cool (alcoholic) drink and relax!

 

[Pushka]

Arrived into Bangkok just now. Staying in a club room at Crowne Plaza which is lovely and delightful welcome. Plus a gift of fruit and this:



MrP is rather worried about the toilet however.



And because it's sunset -

 

[Pushka]

And now off to the club for one or 10 drinks. . How many can I get through in 90 minutes.

And Emirates have already contacted us about the chauffeur pick up tomorrow. On a good roll now Dame.

 

[Pushka]

The club is rather nice.

 

[love_the_life]

Arrived into Bangkok just now. Staying in a club room at Crowne Plaza which is lovely and delightful welcome. Plus a gift of fruit and this:

View attachment 40244

MrP is rather worried about the toilet however.

View attachment 40245

It took me a while to work out that the gift was a little elephant- thought it was a pile of ribbons at first but of course I do need new glasses!

Does MrP have a PhD in toilet operations?

Safe trip home and hope the EK service is better.

 

[Pushka]

It took me a while to work out that the gift was a little elephant- thought it was a pile of ribbons at first but of course I do need new glasses!

Does MrP have a PhD in toilet operations?

Safe trip home and hope the EK service is better.

I seem to have pressed a couple of buttons on the loo. Every time I sit the seat warms up.

Very pleasant dinner last night. We stayed in the hotel. Boring I know but we are winding up for work. Have already sorted out ordering and installing an extra SSL layer on our website on the wharf at Samui. Ain't technology grand. But there's no escaping now either.

Some photos from the dinner:

A (pretty much consumed) wheel of Parmesan cheese



And an excellent seafood selection. Shame I don't like it.



Our pick up is at 3.30 and we have checkout until then. So a nice end to the trip.

Flight back looks rather full and we aren't sitting together.

 

[Pushka]

I've had fun shopping today while MrP gymmed and swam in the pool.

I'm such a gadget girl. There's a shopping mall full of market stalls. Fourth floor is the techno floor and that's where I headed.

I've pimped my phone. It has two new covers (I like covers like a book that have a strap - saves me dropping it when travelling); a power cable as I'd given mine to MasterP yesterday, a power pack for quick charging, but best of all is a clip on telescope which zooms x8! For the pricely sum at this stall for less than $100.

Also purchased a new wallet as mine is ripped in the card slot area. I need lots of card slots for all the credit and membership cards I seem to have. It's made of stingray skin (?) and is fashioned in Thailand. Also a multicoloured leather belt. Plus had a photo taken of MrP and me in Koh Tau in a hologram desk weight.

A good 2 hours shop.

I'll do photos later.

We are being picked up in just over 2 hours.

 

[Pushka]

More shots from the hotel lobby. It reminds me of Adelaide IC.





I'm trying out the phone lens. This is without it.



I haven't got the focus sorted yet but this is with it.



I'm curious to see what it looks like blown up on a computer.

 

[Pushka]

Mmmm. Someone got upgraded to FIRST! Not me though.

He's going to let me go there as long as crew agree. They can't change at checkin. We weren't sitting together anyway and I'm hardly complaining about J.

I've told him he can take the leather compendium in the desk. I'll post updates as we go.

 

[love_the_life]

You reckoned MrP would get an upgrade!

 

[Pushka]

You reckoned MrP would get an upgrade!

I did. And I also commented to MrP before we left home that one niggling worry for me was bushfires where the cat was boarding even though it's only January. And as I drove him up there I was looking for bushfire risk!

 

[Pushka]

Emirates has a lovely lounge in Bangkok.

 

[love_the_life]

I did. And I also commented to MrP before we left home that one niggling worry for me was bushfires where the cat was boarding even though it's only January. And as I drove him up there I was looking for bushfire risk!

And you were right on both fronts, though Puss is safe by all accounts. You won't be happy until said cat is safe at home.

 

[Pushka]

Oh my God. They upgraded me to FIRST. Dom Perignon. My first!