Disasters on your Thai honeymoon...by Casey & Tina
 

Now that the title of this thread has gotten your attention...it isn't really that bad.

Disaster #1: Tina got a Thai massage ( one of many ) on Koh Samui that really messed up her back/neck. She was a trooper the whole way and refused to let it get in the way. our second day in Bangkok we went to Saint Louis Hospital on the advise of the lady at the Blue Elephant. After a doctor looked at her, & listened to what she had to say, he wrote her a couple of prescriptions and said " come back in 3 days if it doesn't get better ". We went downstairs to the Chinese medicine clinc for some accupuncture & herbs and went on our way.

The next day was full with Tong ( Floating Market, Porcelain factory, Snake show, woodcarving place...all VERY cool ) finishing with The Royal Barge Procession...VERY awesome ( details in another report ).

The next day ( today ) was Wat Phra Kaew, Wat Pho, and some shopping for miscellaneous...but Tina's back and neck were still bad, so here we are with Tong in Bumrungrad ( where we should have gone the first time...truly a world class hospital ).
They took x-rays, gave her cortisone, and are starting the physiotherapy as I write.
They say that she has a torn muscle and should be fine with the treatment that she will get.

I will write further later.

P.S. I seriously...and I mean SERIOUSLY can't emphasize the help that Tong has been. She has saved us countless times and the entire Bangkok trip would have been an unmitigated disaster without her. Any one that comes here and has room in their budget to hire her and doesn't is making a HUGE mistake.

L

Sorry to hear about Tina's problems. Hopefully the B. Hospital will get you straightened out. As an aside, we met a Swedish couple at the Royal Orchid Sheraton who wintered every year in BKK because they were there on holiday and the husband had a heart attack. The care they got at B.H. wa so good that they decided to spend every winter in BKK.

Hi Casey - so sorry to hear about Tina's back. I hope it is better in time for her to do her thai massage course in CM.

Glad to hear that you had a great time with Tong - we booked her initially for 1 day when we are visiting and I think now have booked her for about 4! We are in Thailand for 5 weeks for wedding and honeymoon - hoping that I will learn from your tips on honeymoon disasters and not add to them!

Enjoying your on-the-spot trip report!
BB

you are now in the right place...that hospital is fantastic and as you know american certified, so similar to the svc you would get in ny...

BH is the only jacho approved hosp. in asia..You went to the right place. Now you know why I don't get thai massages..The two I had made me feel beaten and bruised. Hope the rest of the trip goes well, and you are feeling better.

Unbelievable service at Bumrungrad...if you need something done that's big it would be worth the air ticket to come here instead of getting work in the states. Better & cheaper. Will write more later to update disasters. Now on the way to Siem Reap.

Thanks everyone

C

I have always recommended it, superb dental too !
Hope everything goes fine.

Tina is much better with the help from BH and we met an aussie Chiropracter on the plane to Siam Reap who helped her a lot... now she thinks it's good that I talk so much !!!

Angkor Wat is awesome, Angkor Thom is wonderful, Ponheary is the best...the heat is crushing, absolutely crushing.

Will write again soon.

C

its been raining in nyc so enjoy the heat....looking forward to more

Today Bantea Srei, childrens school
( the kids are SO cute ), and ballon ride to see Angkor Wat from the sky. Tina is getting a massage at the blind massage, I am writing this. The heat doesn't seem so bad today and Tina's arm is a lot better. Later today we go to the temple in the jungle and fly out @ 7:30 PM ( we decided to go back to Bankok a day early and Bangkok Air changed for us ). Tong saved us again...Asia hotel said that they were booked for the whole week when I called ( our reservations didn't cover coming back a day early ). Tong couldn't get us the discount but got us the extra night. She is amazing...

L

Oh, I forgot...

Hi mom

C

Does this mean you will be coming home a day early?
Dusty is beating Bubba up.

No mom, not coming home a day early. One extra day in bangkok though.

Man am I beat. Cambodia really takes the wind outta yer sails in this season. You won't believe the pics though.

Will write again soon.

C & T

You've piqued my interest. All we got was Disaster #1. Are there more? For those of us that wallow in Schadefreude (sp?), we want more.

Another massage for Tina - hope more gentle thatn the last !
Good luck this time around !

can't wait for the full trip report...

first trip to thailand, i spent the nite in a hospital on a morphine drip(the thais are very very generous with their morphine) from a massage gone amok (ruptured ovary) ouch...

i now stick to foot massages

In MBK now ( that's a shopping center mom...shopping from hell... ). The disasters range from Tina's neck/ back, to getting taken the wrong way in a taxi, to getting caught in traffic jams from hell because of visiting royalty, to skipping a restaurant we should have gone to in exchange for dreck ( because we were too lazy and got a bad case of the cheaps at the wrong moment ).
Ponheary was cool, and we had a good driver too.
We're definitely planning to come back to Thailand but will probably spend much more time in Bangkok and it's environs ( Petchburi etc. ) rather that going about ( except for a trip to Krabi...that's way too tempting ) There's just too much to see and do here !!! Great places, great food, great entertainment, great people, great prices. Now I understand why there are so many ex-patriots !!!

Off to find my wife ( it's still very hard to get used to saying that ).

One bad note...I have totally neglected my note taking. I planned on an extremely detailed trip report, but got so caught up in the day to day that I could't manage. I hope that I don't get too many demerits from Bob.

Will write again soon.

C & T

It sounds as if you're having a really special time on your trip. That's exciting. I'm sure you can appreciate why we are drawn to return again and again. Demerits from Bob are a superb item. It shows you are are a thinking person.

casey---once you start writing your report you will be surprised how things flood back into your memory...we will enjoy all and everything that you can bring forward...

how is the asia hotel??...my wife was concerned that you would not like it..

8 AM Sunday morning, back at Bumrungrad hospital. Tina's neck back flares up on occasion and she is getting a treatment and some additional meds. She is headed to Chiang Mai for 1 - 2 weeks for a Thai massage course ( how's that for irony? )and is going to ask for a referral for a doctor there. BTW could someone give me the contact info for Seargent Kai and a couple of alternate guides in CM? Tina has been completely sold on the idea of guides in SEA. She did Europe as a blitz tour on her own before we met...what I call " drive by touring ". Rome in a day, Paris in two...etc. That was not my style because I like to actually see and experience a place. I'm really glad that I talked her into getting Tong and Ponheary.

I know that I will have no problem remembering stuff to write, it's just that I knew that there was going to be so much that I really wanted to take notes.

We met 2 or 3 couples that we were able to pass on our " seasoned travellers advice to during our last couple of days here...meters on the taxis, where to go, etc. It's funny though. While waiting for Tina one day I took 45 minutes to write Lucilla an e-mail with detailed instructions about what to do with the one day that we thought we weren't going to be here. She followed most of my advice, but, she was so tired from the trip though that she didn't get a metered taxi and paid, now get this, 700 baht to get the Majestic Grande Sukhumvit !!! Robbery, pure robbery.

Bye for now,

C & T

you can reach poon through rat:

[email protected]

i do not know stg kai but others will answer...

gpanda knows it, but he is stuffing his face with thai food in boston tonight...he will chime in i am sure..

when do you come home??

I depart BKK 06:50 Monday AM, Tina has another week or two ( In CM ) depending on her back. I will check back tonight for contact info. Phone #'s would be cool so that Tina can call direct when in CM, but e-mail addresses will do.

Thanks,

C & T

Thanks Bob.

I just shot off an e-mail to Ratt with a forward request to Poon. I haven't read anything about Poon, Is she good and does she have decent English skills?

Thanks,

C & T

Hi Casey - Sergeant Kai has emailed me recently from this address:

[email protected]

He also has a website:
http://www.chiangmaitours.com/index.html

We haven't been out with him yet but have read many good reviews of him on here - just do a search and they will come up.
BB

Sergeant Kai is super. You have the correct E-mail for him.

poon's english is not fantastic so i understand but she is a very nice person fodorites have reported...

Poon is a wonderful human being. Her English is adequate but far from fluent. I had absolutely no problem communicating with her and she is one of the finest people I have met in thailand. I recommend her highly.