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Off on a visa trip and I thought Id start at the beginning. This was brought forward by a month due to the impending closure of the Perth consulate and caused some dramas in itself. Having got the flights arranged for B13.5k in March re-booking and the increase in fares closer to the date raised the costs by B10k. this was exacerbated by a new Air Asia computer system and promotion making it almost impossible to re-book. Everything sorted, hotels booked etc so here we go.
Drove through Patong at 6am avoiding the final drunks wending their way home and had no probs parking in a relatively quiet airport, chatted to a very nice flight attendant in the elevator who was on the same flight. Parking is B200 per day, some people moan about the increase but for an International Airport its fine to me so long as the taxi drivers don€™t give me a flat tire on return again!
It€™s worth noting that Air Asia is now closing their check ins 1 hour before departure, not 40 minutes as before. The new self check in works OK but you€™ll still have to queue if you have anything more than hand luggage. If you€™re lucky there wil d an Indian family with abut 5 generations of excess luggage ahead of you, all peading ignorance and hardship, to no avail. A quick document check and virtually straight through Immigration. The usual pause whilst my passport is re-checked- the perils of losing the last one 2 years ago. I always keep it light with the immigration guys and smile a lot, thanking them for being so thorough- pays to keep them on side. Through and into the departure lounge where there€™s still no free wifi in this day and age.
Quick, slightly bumpy flight down to KL, only spoiled by the young Bogans travelling in wife beaters and flip flops yakking and swearing at the tops of their voices totally oblivious to the women and children around them. As I€™ve said before though- budget airlines = budget people. They all tried to rush to get off the front of the plane as I quietly slipped out the back ( not like me!). They should have known with the Indians in front of them they had no chance- these guys are past masters at being first. The long march to immigration , then more annoying Indians. One guy in front of me- suddenly they were four. Each member of the family had staked out a queue so the first one to the front could call the others across- cunts!!!
Got the bus across to KLIA from the budget terminal at a cost of R2.50 and all I could hear behind me was €˜wadda ya mean oi€™ve gotta poi€™in that beautiful nasal twang. €˜strewth mite, I thought it was free and got no money, waddami gonna do?€™ One whip round later and he was as happy as a kanga in a roo. It€™s a 15 minute ride from the LCCT to KLIA in a clean aircon bus. Lunchtime so a lovely mutton curry for 8 ringgit downstairs in the airport and on to the Concord Inn. 7/11 type shops downstairs but they don€™t sell beer. At R12-18 per can in the hotel though I€™d rather go without.
With a 12 hour layover no way was I stopping in the LCCT and the Tune hotel was booked. I€™m in there on my return so we€™ll see what it€™s like then. It€™s cost me just over B2k for the Concord and they didn€™t have an issue with me booking in early. It€™s a shame I didn€™t do my research though as they have a pool and I could have dossed beside it. No free wifi in the room, which these days I€™d expect n Malaysia, but it is nice to see brew kit again- something sadly lacking on Thai hotels. Their bus heads back to the terminal every hour and half our on the hour and its back to the LCCT from there. Shuttle busses run every 20 minutes from 5€™30 am to 1150pm daily at R2.5 a trip.
Drove through Patong at 6am avoiding the final drunks wending their way home and had no probs parking in a relatively quiet airport, chatted to a very nice flight attendant in the elevator who was on the same flight. Parking is B200 per day, some people moan about the increase but for an International Airport its fine to me so long as the taxi drivers don€™t give me a flat tire on return again!
It€™s worth noting that Air Asia is now closing their check ins 1 hour before departure, not 40 minutes as before. The new self check in works OK but you€™ll still have to queue if you have anything more than hand luggage. If you€™re lucky there wil d an Indian family with abut 5 generations of excess luggage ahead of you, all peading ignorance and hardship, to no avail. A quick document check and virtually straight through Immigration. The usual pause whilst my passport is re-checked- the perils of losing the last one 2 years ago. I always keep it light with the immigration guys and smile a lot, thanking them for being so thorough- pays to keep them on side. Through and into the departure lounge where there€™s still no free wifi in this day and age.
Quick, slightly bumpy flight down to KL, only spoiled by the young Bogans travelling in wife beaters and flip flops yakking and swearing at the tops of their voices totally oblivious to the women and children around them. As I€™ve said before though- budget airlines = budget people. They all tried to rush to get off the front of the plane as I quietly slipped out the back ( not like me!). They should have known with the Indians in front of them they had no chance- these guys are past masters at being first. The long march to immigration , then more annoying Indians. One guy in front of me- suddenly they were four. Each member of the family had staked out a queue so the first one to the front could call the others across- cunts!!!
Got the bus across to KLIA from the budget terminal at a cost of R2.50 and all I could hear behind me was €˜wadda ya mean oi€™ve gotta poi€™in that beautiful nasal twang. €˜strewth mite, I thought it was free and got no money, waddami gonna do?€™ One whip round later and he was as happy as a kanga in a roo. It€™s a 15 minute ride from the LCCT to KLIA in a clean aircon bus. Lunchtime so a lovely mutton curry for 8 ringgit downstairs in the airport and on to the Concord Inn. 7/11 type shops downstairs but they don€™t sell beer. At R12-18 per can in the hotel though I€™d rather go without.
With a 12 hour layover no way was I stopping in the LCCT and the Tune hotel was booked. I€™m in there on my return so we€™ll see what it€™s like then. It€™s cost me just over B2k for the Concord and they didn€™t have an issue with me booking in early. It€™s a shame I didn€™t do my research though as they have a pool and I could have dossed beside it. No free wifi in the room, which these days I€™d expect n Malaysia, but it is nice to see brew kit again- something sadly lacking on Thai hotels. Their bus heads back to the terminal every hour and half our on the hour and its back to the LCCT from there. Shuttle busses run every 20 minutes from 5€™30 am to 1150pm daily at R2.5 a trip.
With only 5 days away I'm sure I can keep it zipped til I get back!! Local talent is nothing on Phuket but I did see a couple of Thai girls wandering around yesterday. How did i know they were Thai- typically they were talking about Gin Khao!!! 
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