Raging With Raja

[mosquitoman]

Handing over a purple one helps reducing waiting time at both Raja and Seatran.

Correct, seen it done

[Heng]

I think it is not at all impossible that in fact the Thais who did get on ahead of the OP's car were advanced tickets or really did have important matters to attend to.

Agree. Either more important matters or simply more important than those waiting (and there are plenty of situations where those waiting and 'passed over' will be Thais as well).

Heng...what a nonsense !

WHO on earth is to decide whether someone has 'more important matters' to attend to? And WHO knows and decide WHAT is more important.........?

Some worker with the ferry-line? Don't make me laugh.

I'm happy these situations do not happen when someone buys a ticket for a plane....

LaoPo

I didn't say you had to like reality (that there is a hierarchy of people in the world, and most certainly in the LOS). But yes, that's often the reality of it. And it happens with airline tickets as well. People usually don't get bumped, but I know of one example of a particular 'Ongamontree' who always demands to be seated in the # 1 seat out of superstition. You'll sure as heck get bumped to another seat if he happens to be on board. You may as well be complaining 'who the heck has the right to stop traffic/block shopping mall/movie theater/restaurant exits, etc. whenever they just happen to want to go somewhere?' Newsflash Laopo, more than a few people have that right.

We are already used to your answers Heng. Never answering a question just giving an answer which suits you.

I'm aware of hierarchy, also in LOS.

Oh, and yes, I'm also aware that (especially also in LOS) there are always people in the world who consider themselves more important than others. I pity them.

Looking in the mirror this morning, Heng?

Let me tell you something:

Modesty shows more style and class than people with high-up-self-awareness and 'I'm-more-important-than-you' behaviour'.

Modesty, Heng......Modesty!

And, about your last sentence:

"Newsflash Laopo, more than a few people have that right."....

...that makes me sick, because these people don't have the 'right' they just take the right to place themselves higher-up (and thus: I'm more important....you-just-have-to-wait) simply because they have more power and/or more money than their fellow people.

It would be a lot more stylish and classy if they would just wait their turn.

What on earth have your parents been teaching you?....Modesty?

I'm almost sure they did.......but maybe you forgot?

LaoPo

Getting a bit emotionally involved here aren't you Laopo? Neither I nor my parents have anything directly to do with this, as far as I know. Although, IMO, I'm sure 'the way folks behave here' does have something to do with what many elders teach many children all over the country, generation after generation: letting particular individuals on a boat before other individuals is not so different than blocking traffic for the prime minister (I'll keep the royals out of this example), or family members clearing a path for the family's elders or serving them first at dinner, or whatever manifestation of displayed respect and reverence that goes on here everyday. Many would say these folks have earned this respect as their right. Everyone certainly has a right to say that they have not -and you'll find many locals who feel this way as well, depending on the particular situation and people involved-.

I'd be happy to answer your question more specifically if you'd care to remind what your question is (if you feel that I have somehow avoided your question).

[LaoPo]

Thanks for the reply Heng.

Who wrote that song again.... The Beatles.... in 1970...

...Let it Be....Let it Be.....

LaoPo

Edited October 18, 2006 by LaoPo

[Heng]

Thanks for the reply Heng.

Who wrote that song again.... The Beatles.... in 1970...

...Let it Be....Let it Be.....

LaoPo

That's your question? The answer is Paul McCartney. I think we're used to your questions by now LaoPo. Always easy peasy.

[unforgiven]

Thats too bad. It could very well have been because you are a farang. But something else to consider is the people behind you could have been returning for a funeral, a seriously ill relative, etc. There could have been circumstances that required these people to get on ahead of what were perceived as "tourists".

Ya OK dream on ,if that where the case ,they should have been told......thai's should stop be jealous of falangs because of our wealth and do somthing about your unjust and corupt society,,,,,,,,,,get labor unions and a decent minimum wage and tax the rich!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LaoPo]

Thanks for the reply Heng.

Who wrote that song again.... The Beatles.... in 1970...

...Let it Be....Let it Be.....

LaoPo

That's your question? The answer is Paul McCartney. I think we're used to your questions by now LaoPo. Always easy peasy.

Have been 'Googling' Heng ?

LaoPo

[LaoPo]

Thanks for the reply Heng.

Who wrote that song again.... The Beatles.... in 1970...

...Let it Be....Let it Be.....

LaoPo

That's your question? The answer is Paul McCartney. I think we're used to your questions by now LaoPo. Always easy peasy.

Have been 'Googling' Heng ?

edit:

one more question Heng:

were you born already...1970 ?

LaoPo

[brizzle]

Sorry to hear about the troubles with the Raja ferry.

Interestingly(or perhap's not?) my experience with Raja was very positive for exactly the opposite reasons.

After travelling from Phuket myself and a friend arrived at the Don Sak port with about an hour and a half to go before the last ferry departure.We stopped at the Raja office just off the main road before you make your way to the port proper to enquire about buying tickets.We were then told that we could go and queue with everyone else(and the queue was a mighty long one) or we could wait for our ticket to be issued at the office approx one hour before departure and once received we could then drive past every one else in the existing queue and wait in a priority queue.

For the life of me I don't know how these things work but from our point of view this was a "no brainer".We waited for our tickets to be issued and then as instructed drove past all the people who had been queuing for ages(almost exclusively Thai) and ended up third in line in a mini "VIP" queue. When they opened the hold to the ferry we then just smoked in with no questions asked.The Thai's in the main queue didn't even raise an eyebrow to all this.

Obviously we were a tad confused concerning are apparent good fortune but we certainly weren't complaining!.

I did get to ask the only other farang (an Italian living on Samui) what it was all about and why all the Thai's hadn't cottoned on to this but he admiitted that he wasn't really sure himself...just that the majority of people were unaware that this could be done and since he travelled to the mainland quite regularly he was happy with things that way.

Basically we discovered this "quick route" by accident but was wondering if anybody anybody else has got any input or information regarding this?

[Rooo]

Brizzle,

If you read back to earlier replies,you will find your answer.

[brizzle]

Brizzle,

If you read back to earlier replies,you will find your answer.

Yep you're right...I did read through the subject the first time but somehow missed that post...must be what comes of working too many nightshifts in Blighty.

Still I feel quite lucky that I discovered the quick route on my first Don Sak-Samui crossing-it was looking like a night sleeping in the pickup for us!

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction Rooo.

[southbot]

Can you please enlighten us all as to how you buy the advence tickets (for vehicles) , I have tried many times, and have been told that it is not possible.

With Raja I allways have to wait in line until a guy comes round (about 1 hour before the ferry is due to depart) with a card that I then exchange at the ticket office for a boarding ticket for my car.

Yup, Raja is not really reliable. Sometimes I have gone to their office on Samui at their pier past Nathon and they sold me a ticket for the next day. 15 minutes wait and on the boat.

Then next time I went to get the same ticket I was told "mai me, mai dai". So?

Seatran on the other hand, just go to their parking lot in Nathon, there is a little booth in there where you can advance purchase tickets for BOTH directions. They always sell them now.

On the Donsak side, Raja sell them from their office at their pier, when they feel like doing so.

Seatran, again, are reliable. When you get to the Donsak side, go to the incoming ticket booth and you can purchase a dated ticket for the next day, the next week, whatever.

I used to wait hours, now we only ever wait minutes.

But for sure, forget Raja, they do sell 'em but only when they feel like it.

cheers

PS: On Samui you can even purchase advance Seatran tickets via most Bank of Ayudhya ATM machines, no bull!

[Heng]

Thanks for the reply Heng.

Who wrote that song again.... The Beatles.... in 1970...

...Let it Be....Let it Be.....

LaoPo

That's your question? The answer is Paul McCartney. I think we're used to your questions by now LaoPo. Always easy peasy.

Have been 'Googling' Heng ?

edit:

one more question Heng:

were you born already...1970 ?

LaoPo

Well no, not yet. 1975 was when I made my debut. But I am well aware that McCartney was in another band before Wings.

[mafaso]

Handing over a purple one helps reducing waiting time at both Raja and Seatran.

Correct, seen it done

Excuse my ignorance but what is a "purple one"?

[Beachedwhale]

Handing over a purple one helps reducing waiting time at both Raja and Seatran.

Correct, seen it done

Excuse my ignorance but what is a "purple one"?

look in your wallet and check out the colour of the Thai notes

[mafaso]

Handing over a purple one helps reducing waiting time at both Raja and Seatran.

Correct, seen it done

Excuse my ignorance but what is a "purple one"?

look in your wallet and check out the colour of the Thai notes

Got it.

I thought maybe you were talking about a xanex as they are purple and would definitely ease the pain of waiting in line.

[Beachedwhale]

Handing over a purple one helps reducing waiting time at both Raja and Seatran.

Correct, seen it done

Excuse my ignorance but what is a "purple one"?

look in your wallet and check out the colour of the Thai notes

Got it.

I thought maybe you were talking about a xanex as they are purple and would definitely ease the pain of waiting in line.

that shows my ignorance as I did not know what Xanex was and had to do a google search on it. My version is in liquid form and generally in a green bottle ....