And so the time has come to go to Savannakhet in Laos to get my new Non 'O' visa based on marriage. The journey from Bangkok starts, as many within Thailand do, from the eigth wonder of the world, Mo Chit 2 Northern Bus station.
Mo Chit is bus bedlam, where thousands of people catch thousands of buses all over the mainly North and North East of Thailand. There are a few buses that run south from here, my wife and I regularly ride down to see the in-laws on Koh Samui from here. Thankfully, regularly doesn't necessarily mean often!
My trip tonight is going to take me North-East from Bangkok ro Mukdahan bus station, from where I'll get a shuttle bus to the Thai border, pass immigration then across the Friendship Bridge 2, through Laos immigration, getting a visa on arrival, then directly to the Thai consulate in Savannakhet at about 9am. That's the theory anyway!
Now, Mo Chit bus station is great, there are food courts, banks, left luggage, 7/11s, hundreds of ticket booths and tonight, TVs eveywhere showing Sweden v Korea (We love you Pontus, we do)
As I left it till the last minute, the only tickets left were for this 9.15pm,slightly older bus run by Thaisanguan tours at just 457baht ($14 USD) for the 650km, 10 hour trip, including a bottle of warm water and a chocolate chip cookie!
To be fair, travelling by bus around Thailand is very easy. There are many buses running each route from these very basic ones, to first class and the VIPs some of which have business class airline style fold flat seats with full entertainment packages and hostess service. U like Karaoke bars which mention VIP, you won't be getting a pretty young lady stroking your leg and telling you you're a handsome man...or maybe you will, being a perennial tight arse, I've never travelled on one of those!
I usually book in advance on www.transport.co.th this is the governemnt owned bus company and the buses are usually quite new, have seat belts and a relief driver onboard. There is food included when they stop at the service area, and like all the buses, have free snacks and a blanket, which trust me you need. These things turn into mobile freezers at night. They also show a movie and some Thai 'comedy'......an oxymoron if ever there was one but I've just realised one huge advantage on my thrift bus, no TV. Not that this is going to aid my sleep, there will be phones ringing all night and people constantly banging the toilet door which Im sat at the side of. Seat 38, which I'm does however have the advantage that its right at the back with an emergency exit at the side so I get massive legroom.
Fluffy teddy bear blankets and pink tassley curtains....hmmmm
I've taken a gamble on the toilet door not swinging and banging all night, and the thing not stinking like a bum's undies which many often do. So far, so good. Despite three old women using it before we'd even left the bus station, after thirty minutes, me and my fluffy teddy bear blanket are doing OK. There are also only four small kids onboard, so I might actually get forty winks!
Toilet door, complete with no smoking sign and Che Guevara stencil.....cos all toilet doors should have one!
Ok, next update at the service area !
Serious travel tips
If you're getting to Mo Chit from downtown, take the BTS to Mo Chit BTS then get a A1 bus on the south side of Phahon Yothin Road, its 35Baht and travels between Don Mueang airport and Mo Chit 2.
Book tickets for governemnt buses at www.transport.co.th , other operators at www.busonlineticket.co.th or the really flashy ones at www.nakhonchaiair.com
Right, lights are off. Time to jam the fucking toilet door closed..........
