Mai pen rai

[DNPBC0]

Recently I went to Thailand – on a whim and the back of a dream. It was all that I fantasized about – the people, the countryside, and the organized chaos of traffic. Perfection - until 3 days before my itinerary said I must get on a plane and leave. Now when you travel with only one credit card and no travelers’ cheques, I know (I’m not stupid!) you always have money to spare somewhere, someway. Borne along by the apparently carefree influence of the Thai people I was meeting, I allowed myself to run out – a state of skintness sort of crept up me - and I had to use an ATM at a bus station on my carefree way to Laos. You know what happened, don’t you? I can see that superior smirk. Yep, the machine ‘captured’ my card (technical phrase supplied by the Bank of Thailand who owned it).
No problem (‘mai pen rai’, as every Thai says – often). I borrowed a cell phone from one of my Thai friends and rang the bank to ask for my card back – not unreasonable, you might think, since their machine ‘kidnapped’ it (my preferred phrase). With the help of my pocket phrase book (by now very dilapidated and heavily stained in red curry sauce) I managed to arrange for someone to come along and release my card from custody. Two hours later I rang the bank again to be told it was against international banking regulations to return cards captured by machines. Great, so now even though my card was stolen, the machine appeared to have gained some moral high ground – I was sure it was grinning at me triumphantly – ATMs can do that.
‘Mai pen rai’. I just ring the credit card toll-free emergency number and get a temporary replacement - easy when you happen to be in a country that is allowed to be a member of the toll-free-international-calls community. Thailand as I subsequently found out is not such a member. So, with my borrowed cell phone I ring the number anyway, and after pressing various additional numbers prescribed by an electronic voice I finally get on to a live person with an North American accent. Now, please don’t think what follows in any way reflects some deep seated prejudice (some of my best friends are American), but the conversation went something like this: “Helloo, my name’s Barb, howudoin?” “I want to report the loss of my credit card and arrange for temporary replacement as soon as possible, please.” “Hey, thazzbadman. Where are you, darlin?” “I am in Thailand.” “U where?” “Thailand.” “ Which country’s dat in, hun?” “It’s not IN any country. It IS a country.” “Oh, right. Where’s dat, hun?” “ Thailand is in Asia.” “Tort u wuzin Tayland. Aza, wherz dat?.” And so it went on and on while I tried to explain my plight to a string of confused consumer service personnel with various different accents –Indian, African, even Irish. Meanwhile I could almost hear the meter running on my borrowed cell phone. Two hours later and by then about NZ$1,500 in debt to its owner, I managed to get someone to arrange an emergency cash transfer to a Western Union Office and was told to ring back in about four hours to get the transfer number.
Mai pen rai’. I ring back later on another borrowed cell phone – the Thai owner of the other one having now completely her confidence in my solvency, if not my sanity. An electronic voice tells me the number I have just dialed is now unobtainable. What could I have done? Have I severed Thailand’s last remaining thread of contact with the rest of the world? Another Thai friend (and the number of these was by now noticeably thinning out) offered to take me to the headquarters of Thai Telecom (and I suspect abandon me there). I went, they rang for me (anything to appease the mad farang), and I got the transfer number.
Mai pen rai’. On arrival at the nearest Western Union I was told by the clerk that the six digit number I had been given was four digits short of kosher. I offered to give her four more digits of any sort she wanted, but I could tell that her Thai restraint and that of my last remaining friend were perilously close to breaking point and, of course, 'mai pen rai’ – I return to Thai telecom where..........you remember Gerard Hoffnung and the bricklayer story? Finally I get a 10 digit number, return to Western Union and leave with my cash – ALONE. ‘Mai pen rai’?

[rcalaimo]

DEPNCO Wow, that was an interesting story! Do you write books by the way?
Glad you were able to get your cash after a few grey hairs.

[DogoDon]

Welcome to the forums, DNPBCO! Sorry to hear about your predicament, but glad you made it through!

I enjoyed your story. You are able to express yourself very well in writing--your wit comes through clearly. I hope you'll stay around here and entertain us with some more stories from your trip.

DogoDon

[Marie]

Dear DEPNCO,

I am sorry to hear what happened to you. You seem to have been a victim of Murphy's Law. LOL I can imagine your frustration! I think we all learned a lesson or two from your experience. Thanks for sharing it.

[trangam]

I am sorry about all this, but I really liked how you said story! If all is well now... allow me to say it was very funny in a nice way.... If you could animate it all it would be cool...

[nam phyyng]

Hi DEPNCO
When I had my card stolen in BKK by an unscrupulous taxi driver I went immediately to the NZ Embassy where they allowed me to phone the National Bank HQ in Wellington who cancelled my old card and made sure that my wife's card (same account) would still work. The embassy were very helpfull and refused to accept payment for the toll call.

[Thaiger]

Travel insurance is a must when visiting another country. One phone call to the toll free emergency phone number would have sorted out your problem.
A quick story.. myself & a friend had arrived at BKK airport, we where in line waiting to pass through customs only to find out my friend had lost his passport & credit card. obviously left on the plane somehow & never to bee seen again.
It was our turn to be processed, the customs officer basically said you cannot come into the country without a passport & proceeded to organise my friend on the next flight back to Australia, saying you will have to go home & get another passport & return.
While this was all happening i suggested he ring the emergency number of the travel insurance company( fingers shaking that much i had to ring for him) within 30 minutes the whole situation had turned around.

He was allowed to stay, within an hour money was delivered to him at the airport & an interim passport was ready to be picked up from the embassy
the next day.

Happy Days

[DNPBC0]

I am sorry about all this, but I really liked how you said story! If all is well now... allow me to say it was very funny in a nice way.... If you could animate it all it would be cool...

Thanks for your comment, Trangam. Can't animate it, but the attached pic conveys something of my private contemplation of despair.

[nam phyyng]

Hey DNPBCO hope you continue posting here, as with posts like that you would be an asset to the forum. Another Kiwi would also provide me with moral support when I sometimes (usually unintentionally) tread on the toes of the Yanks.

[DNPBC0]

Hi DEPNCO
When I had my card stolen in BKK by an unscrupulous taxi driver I went immediately to the NZ Embassy where they allowed me to phone the National Bank HQ in Wellington who cancelled my old card and made sure that my wife's card (same account) would still work. The embassy were very helpfull and refused to accept payment for the toll call.

I regret to say that my experience with the NZ Embassy was less positive. I rang them at one stage to see if they could confirm the apparent impossibility of make international toll free calls from Thailand. Admittedly it was late Friday afternoon, but the consular officer on duty gave me a stern and somewhat patronising lecture on always having more than one credit card and told me to go the back-backers' quarter to make my phone call. I didn't dare admit to not knowing where that was. Still don't, but I will have more than one card when I return in couple of months time.