kirktastic

Airport. I’m at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, in the Bangkok Air Lounge awaiting my flight to Phuket. Apparently, the new airport had some construction problems. It is immense and I haven’t seen any problems, but I guess a few low cost carriers are moving back to the old airport next week while repairs take place. Free wireless. Not that 12€ a second stuff like in Europe. Since I’m flying domestic today, I’m not subjected to US-style airport security bullshit like no liquids and taking my MacBook out of the bag. Or the only-in-America take my shoes off routine. The final security is done at the gate like I experienced in Moscow, except in Moscow it was old Soviet style lines and whatnot. Here it is much more efficient.

I’m amazed the lounge we get to wait in for a $62 plane ticket is nicer than the $400/year Admirals club in the US. If it wasn’t for the loud Brits and Germans, it would be perfect.

300. So yesterday I went into the heat and quickly decided to take the Sky Train to Siam Center to check out yet another Asian megamall. I decided to see a movie since I’ve heard that some theaters in Bangkok have special VIP seating for a few more baht. At the theatre in the Siam Discovery [a mega mall next to Siam Center] there wasn’t much of a choice to the non-Thai guy. The only American film playing that afternoon was 300, which I heard was a technical masterpiece so I said giddy up. I had an hour to kill so I went down and browsed at the Apple Centre and then went to the Starbucks for an Tazo Lemon Iced Tea and to enjoy the people watching. A few Japanese tourist including a few cosplay girls and boys. You just don’t see that much back home.

The theatre was top notch. And the VIP screening area was quite nice. You are ushered to a chair in the lounge where you are given a drink and cookies as well as a menu for the food items available in the theatre. No hanging with the riffraff and kids squealing. From there you are taken by a host or hostess to your assigned seat. There were less than 50 seats in the full-sized screening room. Each seat was a large leather recliner grouped in pairs that gave you plenty of space between you and the other movie goers. You didn’t have to listen to their small talk or the sound of them swallowing popcorn. The trailers are like the same as in the states except of course the Thai subtitles and the title cards. You just can’t escape that Nick Cage movie. Or that Eddie Murphy Norbit movie. There were the typical Coke and other multinational brand ads done in Thai. The few Thai only ads made no sense to me. Two women in an elevator, a man runs, one woman wants to close the doors but the other one holds it for me. Cut to a logo of a bank. Hmm?

Then there is a video with two kids that say in English, “please stand and pay your respect to the King of Thailand.” And so we all stand and watch a video of smiling Thai people of all ages and religions and beautiful scenery. Then there’s a portrait of the King and we get to sit down again.

I found the movie just “meh”. If I saw it at home I’d probably be disappointed. Yes technically a good film done mostly on Macs. But after a while the fighting got a little old. I get it. The Spartans are badasses and can out fight the Persians. An hour later still more. McNulty from The Wire was a prick politicians. At least he didn’t use a fake American accent. The few shots of boobie were pixelated out so as not to violate Thai standards. Which was odd since I was way more distracted by the pixelation than by the tit and I come from the country that freaked out over Janet Jackson’s boob flash during the Super Bowl.

After the movie last night, I went back to the hotel and waited for the sun to go down. I decided to turn in early since my stomach was upset. There was something about that Starbucks tea that really cleaned me out. I’ve been eating Thai food from street vendors [sorry Hasselhoff, no McDonalds], but this food wasn’t the cause of my problems. Sometimes the tea from Starbucks does that at home.

I woke up really early this morning and had a giant breakfast. French toast, fruit, eggs, thai noodles and Italian pasta in red sauce. I love international hotel’s breakfast buffets. They didn’t have chicken wings and eggrolls like the hotel in Munich but I got to give them props on the Italian.

Next. Since I was worried about the famous Bangkok traffic I got here too early. So the plane doesn’t start boarding for another 40 minutes. The flight to Phuket is under two hours. I’m toying with renting a car when I get there. But people drive on the left here. And I’m really bad about my right/left. I might just taxi it to the hotel and rent a scooter once there. Apparently the taxi mafia can be expensive. My hotel is not on the main drag and so I might need some transport. Tuesday I’m leaving again for another island.