Laem Chabang

Laem Chabang, Wednesday 23rd May 2007

This is the port for Bangkok and Pattaya. Colin, the Cruise Director left the ship here.
Late start this morning. Our ship docked at Star Cruises own terminal. Markets set up in the arrival hall. Watches for $6 AU or 2 for $10, so I joined forces with another passenger to buy one each (2 for $10) The seller wasn't very happy about that, she wanted us to pay $6 each.
We booked on the transfer coach to Pattaya that departed at around 11am for a 45 minute drive. The tour guide, Bai was very informative and kept us amused during the drive. The Marriott (very fancy and upmarket) was where we got dropped off and we were free to use the facilities here or wander the town until the coach returned to collect us at 4.15pm.
So, of course, we shopped a bit, buying a shirt with wooden buttons for Trevor, 220 baht, a pewter shot 'glass', 200 baht, postcards for 5 baht, another DVD, 100 baht, a stingray leather wallet, 400 baht, and a small leather wallet for me, 300 baht.
Lunch was at Sawasadee in a side street - mini spring rolls, chicken and prawn panang curry and Singha beers, 310 baht. Stumbled across the post office in a side street.
When we first arrived, we haggled a baht bus to take us up the hill to the Big Buddha. He wanted 500 baht, we talked him down to 300.
Seeing many Western men with local girls on their arms got a bit much after a while. Did a bit of shopping at a 7/11 and thought we got ripped off but when we figured it out later, we think she ripped herself off.

Thursday 24th May.
About 5.15am there was a medical emergency. Apparently we turned back to Bangkok but the situation must have improved because we returned to course. Found out later the patient had suffered a cardiac arrest and had died.