Upon arrival at customs we were eventually pointed to the right desk where a woman looked at our paperwork then sent us off for photocopies of various things. When we returned we had a problem. Since the paperwork for the shipping shipping of 3 bikes on 3 carnets was done in my name this would not do. We would have to get the paperwork modified to be in 3 names for 3 bikes with 3 carnets.
Off we went on a 2km walk to the Thai Air building where they didnt know what to do at first, then spent an hour doing what we needed. We then needed to go and get the storage bill split into 3, again they didn't know what to do and spent an hour doing it. In the end nothing was done so we returned to customs where the lady told us it was still a problem. I took the paper off her and put it in my pocket and told her that it wasn't a problem if it didn't exist. This seemed to make her happy and we were able to get a big pile of paper each which we signed in numerous places. No one asked for that piece of paper again.
Then it was time to traipse back off to the holding area to get the bikes. Upon arrival the guy in charge didn't know what to do with us so sent us to the Thai Air office upstairs, they sent us back downstairs where the same guy told us to go to another office where we got lots more stamps and signed the same paperwork again. Now we just had to get the bikes checked.
We now had a helpful guy who sorted out a fork lift to take the crates to the other side of the customs zone 1km away to be checked. When we all managed to get there we went into an office where they didn't know what to do. They told us we had to all go back, with the crates, to the other side of the zone, so off we went. At least I got a ride on a forklift.
Back where we had originally started we now went into another office where a man in a red t-shirt took each of our papers in turn, carefully removed all the staples, reshuffled them, then stapled them together again. We then sat in front of a short sighted old lady with a stamp for 30 minutes. She seemed very reluctant to stamp anything. I was also getting very bored so decided to wizz around the office on the swivelly office chair they had given me. Clearly this idea of fun had never appealed to anyone there and was greeted with much mirth.
Eventually we were assigned a young lad to watch us as we uncrated our bikes and made a lot of mess and noise. Lots of Thai's watched us but unlike the Indians it was a much more friendly atmosphere. We could even share jokes.
With the checks over we could get on with rebuilding our bikes. Marc stood on a nail, Carlos dropped his bike and everyone laughed at my tigers and squeaky toy horn. 3 hours later and we were ready to leave. In all, 7 hours doing paperwork and 3 hours rebuilding the bikes and we could hit Bangkok.
First we got petrol then tried to negotiate the 30km back to the guesthouse without going on any highways or bridges, since bikes aren't allowed on them.
1km from our destination, after taking a wrong turn, we failed and ended up going up a sliproad and onto a bridge. There was a police officer waiting for us. I was a bit miffed since there was no sign saying bridge or no bikes, also he stopped us in, what I thought, was a dangerous place, where cars were coming up the sliproad to join traffic. After playing the 'keep repeating where I'm going over and over again' routine, he demanded my international driving license and wanted us to turn around, again stupidly dangerous. I decided to leg it and made it back to the tourist area unhassled, despite a scare where I thought they had mobilised a couple of big BMW's after me, but I pretended that I was lost and nipped down some side streets. Carlos and Marc had to pay a small bribe for him to let them ride over the bridge.
After speaking to a British ex-pat, the done thing is to always have 100Baht (£2) in your international driving license and just to hand it over. This even works for speeding at 2 1/2times the posted limit and anything else they decide to stop you for.
Here is a sample of things to come with a short clip from 'Helmet Cam's' first test outing whilst on the way back to the guesthouse. It will be better during the day and also when I sing silly songs. Some editing also wouldn't go amiss.
When we arrived in the tourist area on the bikes we were surrounded by Thai girls who proclaimed that they 'loved us long time'. I tried to guess which ones used to be men.
My bike is now at the garage, I have to wait till Friday to go and start work, there's quite a bit to be done, but tomorrow is a Full Moon Party and I have Mr Mastercard to exercise some more as well as some artsy photos to take.
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