At security it’s very noticeable they’re checking everyone by race. The only white guy that got checked was someone who thought it would be a good idea to go through a metal detector in cowboy boots with a two-inch metal heel. He got through security but was shortly carted off by the fashion police instead, who but a blanket over his feet rather than head to spare the shame.
Plane ride went well. I accidentally checked in at the first class counter, who must have been used to fulfilling requests as they assigned me the bulkhead door seat. Got onto the plane and reclined into 5 feet of empty space in front of me, when to my horror a cot was placed on the other side of the aisle. The occupant briefly stretched upward, smiled at me and promptly fell asleep for the rest of the flight.
Bangkok, Thailand
Incapable of sleeping on the plane* so having been awake for upwards of 40 hours arrived in Bangkok at 0730 and headed straight to the markets. I’d been before but the others were keen to look round and I was happy trying to get them to eat bugs and worms. Very little seems to have changed in the last 4 years, so it was the usual array of wood and paper-craft. Only thing missing seems to be the stalls selling supposed antiquities, stuff like metal Buddha’s, which I thought were banned by the government, but maybe they just ran out of old tat.
By 2pm we all flaked and headed back via the Skytrain to the hotel, but were so tired it all went a bit awry and took far too long. After 4 hours and varying amounts of sleep we all got up again and headed out for our first Thai food, and the first meal of the day. We shared a few dishes at a street stall then retired to a typical travellers bar for a lot of Chang beer to put us to sleep until the next morning.
* Should have had some of whatever the baby had – probably brandy.
