Riding in the taxi from the airport last night I asked the driver his opinion of Taksin, the prime minister who was deposed by a military junta a year ago. True to form he reflected the prevailing opinion of city folk that Taksin was corrupt. After he had expounded on that for awhile he shifted the topic to American politics. He was very fascinated with the possibility of a female American president. That has been repeated from every Thai who has engaged me in conversation. Not so much interest in Obama but I've never encountered anything like the interest in Hillary. Of course Bill was very popular here. In the past seldom did any Thai engage me about politics.
In my quest for an airline ticket to Vientiane on Friday I engaged a Tuk Tuk, the three wheel taxi. Cheaper you know....though I forgot about the heat and smog. Bkk is really trying....all car taxis run on natural gas, but the have a ways to go on the buses. My ticket on Lao Arline cost $200. one way. When asked how I'd like to pay for it I said "credit card". "That will be 3% more". Conveniently they had an ATM on the premises. I'm planing to take the chicken bus back to Bkk through Laos....that should cost me about $12.
More from the Traveling Curmudgeon later.
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