Indeed no fun at all

We are finally in Chiang Mai, but my god what an effort it was...

I detailed missing the plane, but that was only the start of the madness. We got tickets to travel via Munich to Bangkok.. I was trying to save a little money, and figured getting a bus from BKK to CM was a good idea... It wasn't.

But lets start with the flight to Munich, which was the only real unremarkable thing, except that due to them being fully booked the asked if we could check in our overhead bags...you know the small suitcase with handle ones... we said ok, since we had a bit of a wait in Munich anyway and lugging them, even with wheels was a bit of a chore...and it was free... so fine.


We get to Munich, nothing crazy about that, a bit of a wait, but we killed the time charging our phones and watching videos etc...

Get on the plane and we're sat right way back, last row, next to the galley, and a very helpful stewardess is chatting and we explain our plight, missing our flight, stress, delay.. sound like you need a drink, what would you like... oh scotch for me, and even Jirawan is happy to take advantage (she's not normally a drinker)...so out comes a massive double/tripple scotch and wine for the lady..  Just let me know when you want some more...... best...flight ....ever....well it seemed that way.

After taxiing for a while we get held on the runway for quite some time, the Captain apologises, but can't proceed till the tower says. Wait a bit longer the captain reveals that someone has been flying drones around the airport, so they have to wait till they get an ok from tower...

Then finally the plane starts moving, we thought to the take off point...but... no

It has come back to the stad. Sorry dear passengers, due to the drone activity the Airport had taken the decision to close down.....we must as you all to de-plane and await instructions.

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wtf....

ok so we get off, its around 12-30am now.. the airport is deserted. Apart from a few thousand confused and lost passangers from 3 long haul flights the de-planed, wandering around looking for someone to tell them where hotels are..

Eventually we get an announcment that the flight is delayed till 2pm tomorrow, in the mean time people can wait in the lobby, or leave the airport to return tomorrow..

ermm... what.... there's no place to really sleep except the floor, and it didn't take long for the local hotels to fill up to capacity in record time, leaving us, a bit tipsy and tired,.. stuck

We decided to try and get out, but by the time we did, it was clear 100's of others did too, so the taxi rank was utterly filled trying to claim 2 or 3 taxi's arriving every 10 mins, usually by order so unable to pick up from the queue..

Internet was useless at finding a hotel as it kept coming up with the local or 5* hotels on the airport grounds which were actually still full. Calling them put us on hold forever, and still resulted in sorry we have nothing.

Around 2am the queue had cleared and I got to a taxi, and asked the very kind lady driver if she could find us a hotel....15 mins and endless calls later..... she did... and took us there, but it was quite a distance, well over 30kms and over 80 euros. The room itself was snug, but we were tired and needed to sleep, so 152 was a price worth paying...

Next day we have to pay about the same to get a taxi back.

And our flight was now scheduled for 15.00... but, it did go, it did get away and our trip started... stayed off the booze this time though. When we landed the Captain informed us the drones had come back again the next night, but we had taken off before they were sighted..

Anyway....next

We get our luggage ok, thank fuck... but the little fake samsonite case has taken a beating, lost a wheel and cracked its shell so half is hanging on....dammit.. but we have not lost anything.

We get a taxi to the bus station as its across town...turns out the driver took advantage of us since grab took the money themselves, and then he took the money+ tolls via a scan...(they use scans in Thailand) cheeting bastared, but we only found out about 2 hours later when I got a ping from Grab accepting payment.

The bus......we couldn't get a nice cosy VIP bus, only a standard coach....but by now who cares lets get going.

It was quite an old bus...quite old indeed.. But ok, 10 hours isn't the end of the world 
We set off at 10-15am....local time, 10-40 or so, as I am dozing in the chair, the bus breaks down........ yup its an old bus.

We have to wait for a new one, it comes, its newer...but still old.. and still not very cosy, but we get on, we've lost nearly 2 hours by this time... But off we go.

Now...it didn't break down, but it also didn't break any speed records, it was quite a slow bus, and though we had a break mid way for food and toilet, it was a shortend break of 20 mins rather than the usual 30 or so... we rushed the tasy but cheap food included in the price at the stop over..

We get to Chaing Mai around 1am, where Jirawans daughter picks us up, and we finally get to the hotel 2 days later, but lucky I'd sent messages forward we were delayed and our room was still there..


We made it, 4,500euros or so poorer and 2 days later.... but we made it.

Ahthankyew