Lemondropkid

Latte almost too good looking to drink.

Was just about to order, till I realised @Nightcrawler was in the kitchen 😝

7 hours ago, Butch said:

I'm inspired to throw this topic up as after reading @Lemondropkid 'srecent experiences whereby an Indian guy approached him, I thought it might be an idea to put up any experiences we've had or even advice on how not to get scammed either leaving or being inside the Airport, as they are ripe areas for pickpockets and scammers. All credit for this Topic goes to him! 🙂

I've got a few anecdotal experiences to share. Bombay airport exit area is full of guys looking for new arrivals to scam. Basically they offer to help, get hold of your trolley and won't let you push it, so they then expect a tip or direct you to a friend who has a taxi. Same applies going in, guys will say they're free airport service, grab your trolley and expect a tip for pushing it 20 yards.

Manila airport also has helpers, (NAIA), but these guys actually do help. If the Queue outside the terminal is long, for the rough amount of 300php (£5 or so) depending on the amount of cases you have , they will bypass the queues, put your luggage through the scanner and get you to the other side. Not a scam, more of a premium service option.

Careful in the smaller Airports of the PI though, one trick is for someone to get close to your luggage and hide a bullet in it (live). It gets picked up by the scanner, where the Policeman is part of the scam, and a "settlement" is asked for.

I've been approached twice , once in Singapore (Changi) back in the 90's picking up my luggage. A young guy asked me if I could help him put his case on top of mine on my trolley as he had hurt his back and couldn't push one. I told him that there's plenty of Policemen and security to help him through customs, but I'm not one of them. Second time was at Kuala Lumpur, again in the 90's, a Russian guy asked me if I wanted to change his leftover Ringgits for USD at what was a really favourable price. I just ignored him. notes were probably fake.

My strangest experience was being pulled in for a search at LHR in '91. Guy said he was from the Airline and flashed a HMRC badge!, took me into a room with 2 coppers and asked me to empty my luggage. Nothing was said when I offered all my ID. I knew he was lying so gave him a bit of an attitude, doing my "resisting interrogation" routine but with extra added cuntishness, I started asking awkward questions, making life difficult and generally giving him a headache, making disparaging comments about how the collective IQ of the MET was less than the average farmyard etc etc. After the search, I got no explanation, no apology as I was clean, and just told to f**k off. Still to this day I've no idea why I was pulled in.

Had 2 weird airport experiences yesterday, the second one more worrying.

I had my boarding pass for Bangkok Airways on my phone.

At the bag drop I was given card one didn't even look at it. Went down the gate and for the first time I can recall at BKK airport there was no passport check before you entered the gate.

As I was getting up to board I noticed my seat number had changed from 20C to 24D. Didn't think too much of it, odd but maybe they had a large group to sit together.

I'm then sat on the plane, and there a passenger announcement of my name!

Identify myself and a security lady appears, and ask for my boarding pass. She looks it at it, and then asks me why am I carrying another passagers boarding pass!!!

I looked at it, the surname was mine but a different first and forename, I was stunned 😯

She wasn't happy, luckily I had my phone, and was able to show my "real" boarding pass.

However she was then grilling me on my baggage tag, that also wasn't in my name!!

After a couple of minutes of the walkie talkie, she nodded and walked off. Didn't tell me things were ok, I was just relieved I wasn't hauled off the flight.

Luckily on landing there was no boarding pass check, or I'd have been screwed with immigration.

Thankfully my bag was there on the carousel.

I took photos later of the real, and wrong boarding pass. I privately shared them with a fellow BM, in a did that really just happen moment.

To top the day I then got a taxi to the wrong hotel.

Somehow I never suspected that since I was last in PP, my hotel had opened a second branch.

Can't make it up😛

4 hours ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

My first thought was that he was going to enquire your flight details and ask if you could check in a suitcase for him as he had excess baggage. Perhaps all his baggage was elsewhere with his family ..

It has happened to me multiple times over the years at different airports ..

 

Fair point, and I can understand in a different scenario I might have been more amenable.

But he was a conman.

He'd made a semi effort putting a shirt and trousers aside from the red flags I'd mentioned above, his shoes were absolutely filthy.

Mud caked around them.

About my only lucid moment of the day mind you. Dropped my guard after that and did multiple daft things!!

20 minutes ago, Glasseye said:

Almost every day I am reminded that making the decision to move here was the right thing to do. I will do some really stupid things from time to time, but relocating to here is not one of them.

Brilliant, you can't wish for any better. I'm starting to feel the same way. Enjoying life in Thailand 😁

Just discovered there are two Sun & Moon hotels in Phnom Penh?!

Sun & Moon Urban, and Sun & Moon riverside.

The former is in an area known as the Riverside!!!

I selected the wrong one, now the Passap driver is cheerfully taking me to the correct one!

The fare is the dreaded up to you!! 

Have checked the correct fare, will give him a decent tip, nice lad and good to be back in Cambodia.

2 hours ago, boydeste said:

Enjoying a coffee in a new place to me recommended by @Lemondropkid

Very friendly staff and very nice coffee. 

There goes the neighborhood 😁

2 hours ago, boydeste said:

Did you have that alluring after shave on again? 😊

I was smartly dressed, most of the other customers were more back Packers.

Sachin I'd say had me  down as the mark most likely to have a few baht

2 hours ago, Glasseye said:

 

That is an interesting scenario. I say this because I am thinking how I might respond with a similar circumstance.

Many of those folks travelling are completely out of their element. In otherwords frightened about something, or even feel it as abnormal to eat alone.

If I was in a position where I had time I might actually of said yes. More for purpose of self entertainment to see what was going through his head. 

I almost always eat alone. Never give it a second thought. Some people come close to having a nervous fcuking breakdown without being able to eat with others. Partly cultural, partly habit, and maybe partly pure stupidity. 

Sometimes people just want to "pick your brain" because they are too ignorant to figure things out for themsleves. I used to hate being "used" for questions to answers that were right in front of their noses. A legit question, I would bend over backwards to help someone. When they are just being lazy they can fcuk off.

This was the basement of the airport, near the metro station for airport.

He had no luggage, not even a small rusack. Unlike every other customer around me who had luggage.

Long odds on it was a sob story with a request for money at the end of it.

Occam's razor.

Just passed through Swampy departures at 11.30AM

Zero queue at Bangkok Airways, but some of the other lines I walked by were long and chaotic, Vietjet notably.

Only 10 people in front of me at immigration. Queue moved at glacial speed, possibly caused by the finger print scanner.

I'd hate to leave on a really busy day. Clearing immigration to exit the country would take forever.

Automated gates were there but only for Thais, people were passing through them in seconds.

Having a coffee in Swampy basement.

Indian chap comes up to my table, asks if I speak English and then wether he could sit with me.

There were 4 empty tables next to me.

I declined his offer, he span back around walked off.

At least he didn't try to sell me a "vatch" or want to read my fortune 😛

Really sorry to hear this news Gal. 

Rest in peace Jan.

46 minutes ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

Let's hope Palmer grabs 9 points to drag @Lemondropkid over the line into the 1,000 club .. with everybody else soon to follow next game week !!!

Thanks for the thought. Have backed Wolves, draw no bet so am happy to wait a week😁

Cool with a strong breeze in Hua Hin, air quality doesn't look great though, looking back to the Hills. 

5 hours ago, Stillearly said:

I remember drinking that a lot , in the late 90's , the whole top used to come off the can , so it was more like drinking out of a glass .. 

Had heard of the company Sapparo but had never seen the beer. Would certainly have remembered the fancy can.

Late 90's I was living in Hull, ordering something that fancy would have been suicidal😛

14 minutes ago, richy65 said:

Sapporo 

Never had that. Japanese restaurant?

21 hours ago, Butch said:

Anyway, it's an odd name for a bar and an unusual concept with the colour scheme.

Both are so weirdly awful you wonder if it's an elaborate joke.

A bar version of Springtime for Hitler.

Stout, it's ok an acceptable 6/10. 

On 12/16/2023 at 6:23 PM, Derek Dangleberries said:

I would definitely be looking at their wine list to go with the pizzas there ..

Vesuvio wine list is 8 pages long! Grabbed a photo of the last page that shows wine by glass. 

Car showroom 2nd floor of the Emspace Mall Bangkok 

29 minutes ago, Krapow said:

Yes, but i started from a very low (far left) bar, Crass, anarchists, Stop The City etc.

I used to make Corbyn look centre right 

Think we all get more conservative as we age. Large and small C from a UK perspective.

Had a very good old friend mark my card  2 years ago about how angry I could get, and it not fitting with my age.

He was right, what real friends are for.

Am getting calmer in Thailand but have had my moments. Not easy for you in London , sources of annoyance everywhere.

24 minutes ago, Derek Dangleberries said:

 

I'm considering visiting my daughter for NYE ..

Do either of you two (or anybody else) know a cheap charlie hotel in that vicinity , please ???

There's On8 that's diagonally opposite that's inexpensive.

Almost directly opposite there's one I think called Royal Express that I'd guess might be cheaper.

Edit.

Just checked online, the latter is called the Royal Express Inn. It's under 1k a night, and has been refurbished. So some of the old bad reviews can be ignored 

Just observing begging high season on Sukhumvit. Passed 4 beggars going from Soi 10 to Soi 8, all on the main road!!!!

The one with the worst pitch was shouting out and rattling his collection tin.