Tuk Tuks Are Like Kittens (Compared to Motorcycles in Bangkok)

Tuk Tuks Are Like Kittens

Well, if it wasn’t for excitement, it’d be an obvious state of non-stop boredom.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, we were scheduled to leave the train station in Bangkok on Monday night at 7:30pm to head to Surat Thani.  We purchased our tickets in advance and in regular form, Molly wanted to make sure we were at the train station in plenty of time.  We arrived at the station at 5:30 for a scheduled departure of 7:30.  Upon arrival, I sought out the only lit sign in the joint that provided information on the trains running.  Though our tickets said our train was scheduled to leave at 7:30pm, the lit sign claimed that the train was scheduled to arrive in the station at 7:45 for departure.  Lonely Planet books have been a phenomenal resource for us thus far, providing insider information on everything from tipping to taxis to negotiating in markets to where to spend your time.  The books on Thailand claimed that trains very rarely run on time and if there are delays, not to get bent out of shape.

Knowing that we had 2 hours to kill we decided to sit at a restaurant/patio overlooking the main train terminal and have a few beers and an appetizer.  We sat until 6:45pm and got up about every 15 minutes or so to check the lit sign for any updates on our train.  The sign provided little, just saying that the train was to arrive at 7:45pm with no gate or delay information at all.  At around 7:20, we finally decided to use the restroom before lining up in front of the sign to await further information.  I went first but was told by the bathroom attendant that without 2 baht, I couldn’t use the restroom.  Unfortunately, I had given every last penny other than a 1000 baht bill on our check at the restaurant.  Rather than spending ten minutes in a conversation that was sure to sound like Yosemite Sam arguing with Charlie Brown’s teacher, I decided to just wait until I got on the train.  I walked back upstairs and watched the bags while Molly went.  Molly, suspicious of the information sign stopped to talk to someone to find out what the situation was with our train.  She was told that the sign we were looking at was strictly arrival trains and that the departure train sign had burnt out.  She quickly walked up, begging me not to freak out and asked that we go down and speak to the information desk.  I immediately got into planning mode, desperately searching for answers as to how to handle this conundrum.  Not only had we already booked and paid for the train, but also the high speed catamaran and our hotel.  If they wouldn’t help us, we not only had to re-buy everything, but also find a hotel and spend another night in Bangkok, just not really in a nice area. 

We got to the ticket desk and after a brief exchange, the 2 desk clerks told us that we could re-buy tickets, or hop on motorcycle taxis and fly to the next station where the same train would be arriving in 20 minutes.  We made a split second decision to rush to the motorcycle taxis and hop on.  Molly informed her rider that there was no way she was getting on without a helmet (atta girl) while my rider and I figured out how to carry my enormous backpack as well as the backpack housing the computer, books and all other electronics. 

We finally took off on a150cc motorcycles, zipping through traffic.  If you’ve never ridden a motorcycle before, a 150cc engine is about 1/20^th the size of a 6 cylinder car engine and is not designed to handle a lot of weight, nevermind 2 grown men, plus a 40 lb. bag and another 20 lb. backpack.  A station worker had come out with Molly and I to explain to the riders how urgent it was that we get to the next station.  They took this very seriously, riding like I’ve never seen before (albeit at a speed no greater than about 30mph).  I think in a 50 yard sprint, I would have beaten this bike 10 out of 10 times on foot and 6 out of 10 times while running backwards.  The lack of speed certainly didn’t mean that this wasn’t frightening.  These guys are fearless, taking advantage of every inch of the road.  Drivers here are unreal – it seems everyone has their head on a swivel and thankfully NO ONE talks on a cell phone while driving.

We made it safely to the station with about 7 minutes to spare and thanked the riders,  They charged us quite a bit, but it was well worth it and was one of the craziest things I’ve been a part of.  My 130 pound rider toting around my 210 pound rear end must have been a sight for sore eyes.  We’re alive and are on our way to an island tropical paradise.