Long-distance Bus Ride

There are choices to be made when taking a long-distance bus in Thailand. The regular buses stop wherever someone wishes to get on or off, make a halt at every official bus terminal along the route; a time consuming journey cheaper than you, the foreigner, could imagine. My journey would take me from Chiang Mai to Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal. There I would switch to the frequently running A/C shuttle bus to my final destination on the beach, the small town of Hua Hin; a further 235 km and 3 hours away in a southwestern direction.

The local temperature in Chiang Mai at 8:30pm was still an enjoyable 33C. I was looking forward to a relaxing bus journey. I had a good choice of bus companies to select from. All would take me to Bangkok. I chose my bus company with care. The ticket price I paid for the 9 hour bus journey wouldn’t buy a decent breakfast in Europe. My VIP bus had 32 seats; 24 upstairs, 8 down with the luggage compartment and toilet. The seats allow reclining far back, good for sleeping. Head pillow and blanket are provided. Within minutes after departure the young and pretty bus stewardess delivers a snack box filled with a piece of cake, cookies, fruit juice and a small bottle of water. Halfway to Bangkok the bus will stop for an inclusive Thai food dinner break; the foreigners will get off for a toilet run and a smoke, the Thais to enjoy the free food.  Doesn’t the description make you want to ride a bus? Well, read on the pleasure is going to disappear.

An hour into the journey the interior bus lights go OUT. Total darkness. It is then that one realizes the air-conditioning, pleasant until now, is set to about 10C, just above freezing. A few tourists, dressed in shorts and t-shirts, find the blanket not enough and start whining. Previous experience riding long-distance Thai buses had me prepared. I have on a T-shirt, a long sleeve shirt, a sweater, a jacket, a scarf around my neck, a baseball cap on my head; wear long pants, shoes and socks and drape the blanket around me. I am still not comfortable enough to rest peacefully; the air-conditioning draft irritates me as it drifts across my legs. The on-board Thais love the air-conditioning and sleep peacefully; the fist-time foreign bus riders freeze and complain.

Halfway to Bangkok, the bus stops for the dinner break. All the foreigners rush off the bus to soak up warmth up in the local night. When the bus finally reaches Bangkok and I wait for my bag to be handed down from the luggage rack I see many foreigners shivering as they depart.

Hopefully they will prepare for the next journey.