Bangkok Dec 4, 2010.
I am a bit pissed off with the bicycle shop. Two years ago I bought a Trek 4300 off him and was very pleased with it all. Took the bike home and still have it. 21" frame which was a tad large for me, but I got used to it and often find myself having a lot of power in my legs when I ride it.
Yesterday after landing at dawn and a nap, I went over there to inquire in general on price etc. He showed me this years model Trek 4300 and said I could have it in 19,5" frame, which would be fine. He would throw in a rear rack as a "promotional" thing. 16 000 Baht including fitting my own tyres. I was jet lagged and tired and did not want to place an order, but said I'd be back.
But when I went there today, bringing my tyres and a wad of money he suddenly says the 4300 is only available as 18".
Now I am in a quander whether to take that or shop around. I am lazy and hate going to the awful Sukhumvit area and the bike shops there.
Tomorrow is the King's birthday and I expect many shops to be closed. I will go to the river and take in a floating down the river of barges to commemorate the occasion.
Sukhumvit
I come from a monarchy myself, but in general think of our king as a doofus, whom we tolerate only because he has absolutely no power. Along with many other foreigners here I am sometimes a bit baffled by the total love and respect the Thais have for their king. But then again if you compare Thailand to to its next door neighbors, the Lao and Cambodians, one has to see that they are certainly a lot better off here. It is no doubt free reign capitalism in Thailand. And ugly as it may be, it does actually work.
Everything is available, and tourists are flocking here, spending like mad. Many thousands of jobs are created in the tourist wake, and even though quite a few are no doubt poorly paid, it does at least offer an opportunity to get by.
A few years ago I met an interesting Canadian guy in Cambodia. He was working for an NGO and had been several years in Cambodia.
He said that there is so little economic activity in Laos and Cambodia that it is questionable if they at all deserve to exist as sovereign countries. He said that as for the Thais their eastern economical border is towards Vietnam, and the Vietnamese think of Thailand as their western economical neighbor. Laos and Cambodia are only a few hundred kilometers of bad road.
He said it could well be that within the next 20 years or so Thailand and Vietnam may decide to invade and split the two small and ill functioning countries in between them.
At first the poor Lao and Khmer would of course resist being invaded and "assimilated". But soon they would realize that with better roads, better schools, functioning hospitals, economic growth, and actual elections they would be much better off.
I do love Laos as it is, slow, a bit behind, gentle and friendly. But I do also feel a little sorry for them. I get the feeling that they have always had bad governance. Unwise kings followed by a communist regime that is mostly interested in preserving their hold on power.
I am a bit pissed off with the bicycle shop. Two years ago I bought a Trek 4300 off him and was very pleased with it all. Took the bike home and still have it. 21" frame which was a tad large for me, but I got used to it and often find myself having a lot of power in my legs when I ride it.
Yesterday after landing at dawn and a nap, I went over there to inquire in general on price etc. He showed me this years model Trek 4300 and said I could have it in 19,5" frame, which would be fine. He would throw in a rear rack as a "promotional" thing. 16 000 Baht including fitting my own tyres. I was jet lagged and tired and did not want to place an order, but said I'd be back.
But when I went there today, bringing my tyres and a wad of money he suddenly says the 4300 is only available as 18".
Now I am in a quander whether to take that or shop around. I am lazy and hate going to the awful Sukhumvit area and the bike shops there.
Tomorrow is the King's birthday and I expect many shops to be closed. I will go to the river and take in a floating down the river of barges to commemorate the occasion.
I come from a monarchy myself, but in general think of our king as a doofus, whom we tolerate only because he has absolutely no power. Along with many other foreigners here I am sometimes a bit baffled by the total love and respect the Thais have for their king. But then again if you compare Thailand to to its next door neighbors, the Lao and Cambodians, one has to see that they are certainly a lot better off here. It is no doubt free reign capitalism in Thailand. And ugly as it may be, it does actually work.
Everything is available, and tourists are flocking here, spending like mad. Many thousands of jobs are created in the tourist wake, and even though quite a few are no doubt poorly paid, it does at least offer an opportunity to get by.
A few years ago I met an interesting Canadian guy in Cambodia. He was working for an NGO and had been several years in Cambodia.
He said that there is so little economic activity in Laos and Cambodia that it is questionable if they at all deserve to exist as sovereign countries. He said that as for the Thais their eastern economical border is towards Vietnam, and the Vietnamese think of Thailand as their western economical neighbor. Laos and Cambodia are only a few hundred kilometers of bad road.
He said it could well be that within the next 20 years or so Thailand and Vietnam may decide to invade and split the two small and ill functioning countries in between them.
At first the poor Lao and Khmer would of course resist being invaded and "assimilated". But soon they would realize that with better roads, better schools, functioning hospitals, economic growth, and actual elections they would be much better off.
I do love Laos as it is, slow, a bit behind, gentle and friendly. But I do also feel a little sorry for them. I get the feeling that they have always had bad governance. Unwise kings followed by a communist regime that is mostly interested in preserving their hold on power.
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