Local Bus Bangkok to Kanchanaburi

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GOOD DAY!

I am feeling rejuvenated, almost like I just started my trip despite being on the road ~120+ days. I took the local bus from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi and am now settled in an awesome guest house where I have my own bungalow with a/c, private bathroom for a mere 400 baht a night. They also have a free “plug your computer in” connection. This is great.

Woke up, took a cab to get  my shot, done. I then took a tuk tuk from the hospital the Southern Bus station for 150 baht, that’s the going rate. I sat down and eat some lunch in this small diner, they were thrilled to see me, so much so that the owner asked if I was married, I said no, then he asked me if I liked his daughter. I said she was beautiful but I was leaving for Kanchanaburi in an hour. It was a fun but you had to be there to appreciate it.

I was looking for a cab and asked a man sitting having a coffee how much they cost, he told me a bike or tuk tuk will be cheaper this time of day as the meter will run high with the traffic. I got a ride from the only woman tuk tuk driver I have ever seen, it was quite nice, I love tuk tuks.

Get to the southern bus station, you go upstairs to get a ticket. I asked a guy, turns out he was going there. Get to counter, meet another guy on the same bus, sweet. The ticket cost a 77 baht for the 2-3 hour trip. Half way there the bus is suddenly loaded with a private school and packed to the brim.  I move my bags to give the teacher a spot to sit, as soon as she leaves I am bombarded by questions from the school children. Next thing you know everyone wants a photo, I oblige. It was a rather interesting experience.

Other people pay ~1400baht for a “BS TOUR” booked from Khao San Road which has a mini bus filled with tourists, 1 night and then go pet some tiger or something. Most expensive part of this trip was the tuk tuk, had I been with someone else… Even still it was only $5.

Get to Kanchanaburi, immediately greeted by cabi asking 80 baht to get to a guest house. I’m wiser now, instead I bide my time, go to 7/11, get a drink, sit down at a local stall, check this, those skewers I eat like they are going out of style? 6 baht each, I order 12. Then I eat this most amazing sea food omelet made from the back of a truck for 25 baht.

While hanging out I talk with a local guy and begin inquiring about prices.

TIP: Before you go anywhere, ask someone totally unrelated from the trade the “going rates”, they have NO REASON to lie to you. He tells me it should cost ~25 baht for a motor bike, slightly more for a taxi.

With this new knowledge I hit the streets, a taxi cab asks me where I want to go, I tell him, he says 80, I say 25 he says 40 I say “I’ll take a bike”, as I’m walking away he yells 30, I say sure.

Here I am in a very cool guest house hanging out with the owner, he owns a guest houses and a multitude of other properties around the place. He is a real entrepreneur, I like being around people like this. Had I been traveling with a group, I’d be at some dive bar right now talking to people about stuff I couldn’t care less about.

We start talking web, he tells me his google rankings. I just investigated some of his competition’s link portfolios on google and found some of their strongest links, obviously I just made sure they now link to him. I like this place and glad I could “help a brotha out”.

Listen, when traveling do not be all paranoid because you are in a foreign country, if you were going to go from say Ottawa to Montreal or Boston to New York, you’d go to the bus station and buy a ticket, yes? Do the same in other countries. Avoid the middle man, they bank serious coin based on your fear of the unknown. You will also have a way more memorable trip and authentic experience.

The only times I think a tour is worthwhile is if you do not have the luxury of time or  you have no personality, in which case you will be stuck with people for a period and bound to befriend someone, I hope…

Turns out there are ~10 courses around this place, this place is starting to sound like heaven for this gentleman.

Empties glass, flicks cigarette ash and tips hat,