Almost ripped off

Thursday, April 17, 2008 – 11:16 pm

It was something that was waiting to happen for any traveller….getting cheated or robbed or ripped-off ! By virtue of being an Indian, i’m just advantaged by the awareness of its multi-faceted dimensions. But the universal probability should assure that NO ONE is infallible! And i must fall sooner or later, once or severally !?

Fortunately i didn’t fall for those neatly dressed fluent-speaking cons haunting the tourist places or to the illicit offers of tuk-tuk and taxi drivers or the stalking lady-boys. That would have been a big blow to my vanity. Unexpectedly the deceit happened from a recommended trustee and induced at a moment of ease.

It all started with a simple enquiry for directions to the nearest Metro. And the receptionist directed to the travel desk, yeah the necessary evil of any good hotel. So unconcerned could be these front desk people that even answering where you are standing would be irrelevant to their job description and all questions out of their premises would be the business of the travel desk.

And the travel desk guy was pitching with all his brochures while all i wanted was just to get out of the property. Somehow the escape was made for the day and imagine who gave the final proper answer, a security guard at the gate whose communication ability was the least of any!

Another day passed. And i was surfing the internet at the lobby when the travel guy caught me off-guard with his proposal of a boat tour of bangkok. And i responded him rather casually, saying we will see that tomorrow. On the next day morning, the man was waiting for me practically blocking the doors of the hotel exit. As he explained his plan, nothing seems to fit my need. The proposal was a 1hr30min boat ride to visit 3 landmark monuments of Bangkok at a cost of 1500 baht + 60 baht taxi ride to the pier. On my side, i would easily spend half-day at any spot aiming my lenses and 1hr30min was a miserable timing for three great monuments. And the hiring cost for half-day was outrageous! I try different arguments to make a deal but none fruitful, this travel guy was all out to rip me off. When it became clear that he is being unreasonable i diverted our negotiations to different options, just to confuse and exhaust him.

After minutes and minutes of spreading maps, brochures and price scribbles; my determination won ! The confused guy agreed to drive me to the pier and let me check myself the real costs. Not a minute into driving, his sly brain must have smelled his misfortune, for he quickly retreated back to the hotel and put me up into another taxi excusing that he must attend some other schedule. Now this new man instructed by the travel desk guy, drove me to Central Pier, the nearest and southern most starting point of intra-city boat service in Bangkok. Ofcourse, he starts his own sales pitch which is agonisingly, a repeat performance for me. I snap him to just drive.

Arriving at a spiritless and deserted pier, my instinct tells me immediately that this is not the grand “Central Pier“. I ask him again but he confirms. I do not argue but foresee the next free-fall of getting trapped with a bunch of boat operators aggravated by this new guy who would do the needful for his share of commission in a rip-off.

Annoyed at the precious time lost of the early morning and impending rip-off, i forcefully shoo away the agent of the travel guy. With great reluctance and angry, the guy drove away with just 60 baht. I make a quick check with the pier, who do not offer anything better than what the travel guy told me. And it was actually a private pier, called “Peninsula pier“, where i could assume that no normal boats dock.

So off i go in search of the Central pier. After walking around several parallel lanes, i discover a wide lane buzzing with hundreds of local thais navigating in and out. Voila, i have discovered the Oriental Pier !

Ofcourse, it wasn’t the Central pier because i was walking in the opposite direction but it was okay since it was the next stop from Central pier. A helpful old woman in a photolab assures me that boats are available at very low prices and infact thats how most of the local people commute routinely. In the next few minutes, i was crossing the entire of length of Bangkok for a throw away price of 15 baht in a commuter express boat. So much to save the hard-earned money !!