I don't often travel by bus. I live near a skytrain station and ride a motorcycle to work, and I rarely go anywhere that isn't near the BTS or MRT. But whenever I do catch a bus, I enjoy it.
Last year I had to visit friends close to the river in Banglumphu. It was a Saturday and the traffic near my house was horrific. (It's always horrific. I live near two shopping malls which cause constant traffic jams). But I had a plan -- I could catch the skytrain from Thong Lor to Ratchatewi station, then take a motorbike taxi for the rest of the way. Easy.
The plan failed. Traffic around Ratchatewi was even worse than on Sukhumvit. The motorbike taxi drivers around the station had decided that, whether due to the bad traffic or due to the fact I'm not Thai, that the normal fare should be doubled today. It would still be the most convenient way to get to Banglumphu but I hate being ripped off, so I politely refused their kind offers.
But how would my journey continue? There were plenty of taxis on Phayathai Road, but they didn't want to take me anywhere. It seemed they'd rather sit in a traffic jam with no customer than make money while sitting in the same traffic jam with me on the back seat.
So what now? It was too hot and too far to walk. Just then a number 79 bus came around the corner. It had air-con and was going to Democracy Monument, and it would get there just as fast (or as slow) as a taxi, but for much less money.
Great. I was now sitting on an air-con bus, but not really looking forward to being stuck in a traffic jam for an hour. Then something surprising happened.
After collecting my fare, the bus conductor opened a book and started reading a story aloud. He was reading loudly enough for the whole bus to hear, and he would do a different voice for each character in the story. Some passengers ignored him and stared at their phones, but for the rest of us it was a lovely surprise and made a boring journey into something entertaining.
I've since found out that the conductor is quite well-known for his performances. His name is Paitoon Samran and I'd like to thank him for cheering me up on that day last year. Bangkok can be frustrating at times, but rarely boring and often surprising.
Gary Boyle
Editor
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