Pop quiz: what are the top five nationalities (other than Thai) that fly into Bangkok airport? I bet you can’t get three of them. Answer at the end of the post.
     I chickened out about hitching to the airport. I didn’t like the look of the two possible places to start and I wasn’t feeling risky, so I did the bus-train-bus and played it safe. I made a train change in Strombini, a languid place so sleepy that it felt like I was in an old Italian black and white movie. All the houses has a faded sepia tint with flower pots on the window sills, overgrown vegetation in vacant lots, and a variety of people all slowed by the heat of the day. Italy shows many faces. I can see why it has a pull on people.
     When I bought my ticket for this flight, paying 174 euros, I checked the rate that day and 174 euros equaled $229. On the bill later it was also $229. That’s rare. That’s why I like my Capital One credit card, though less than whole-heartedly because at the same time I intensely hate the rigamarole I have to go through to use it abroad. I shouldn’t have to have their phone number on my Skype list of contacts because I need to call them so much. Same with you, Paypal!
     At Milan’s Malpensa (“Bad Thought”) airport Blu Express/Blue Panorama Airlines (whichever they want to be called) asked if I had an onward ticket, then I was asked if I had already bought the ticket, and I was ready to be asked to show it, but he stopped short. I’m telling you, though, I needed to have the fake onward ticket. They go hand in hand with one way tickets, as I drill home on my website. I had a fake Phuket-Singapore flight on Silkair ready to show in accordance with my rules on this.
     There was too much anarchy on the plane so the flight attendants closed all the toilets. Too many people were sneaking in for a smoke, so it was by request only. The other neat part of this trick is that the seatbelt sign was on for almost the entire flight.
     11 hours to Bangkok not including a short stop in Rome. I always say that if you go look in the mirror near the end of such a long flight, that’s what you will look like 10 years from now.
     Bangkok has a new airport train. I am such a big fan of new mass transit options and avoiding the bus that I took it without worrying about how I can make a connection from the end station. I don’t care where it goes, I’m supporting it. I love it.

     I am in the Khao San Road area just because it is my only chance to meet up with Werner, but I can only handle it one night. Khao San Road gives me the skeeves, but it sucks me in. I ran into Werner last year in Bali and the year before that in Brazil.
     The top five Bangkok airport arrivals come from, in order, Japan, China, UK, India, USA.