May 4, 201313 yr Now, we can't all afford first-class air travel - but how about a relaxing sea-voyage to Thailand as a fare-paying passenger on a Cargo boat! Sure it's slow - but not all are in a rush! First-Class accomodation on board apparently, no more than a dozen fellow passengers, dining in the Officers restaurant ......... Most importantly - wouldn't it be fabulously outrageous and a touch of class to arrive in Thailand by boat? Mincing down the gangway holding your parasol aloft whilst your trunk and hat-boxes are unloaded on the quay, and portered to an awaiting taxi to whisk you to your Hotel? This is the way we should live! (I'd be the one with the pink dress and black gloves)
May 4, 201313 yr Better still, brush up and be knowledgeable on a certain subject, polish up your delivery skills and then offer yourself as a lecturer on board one of the plush cruise ships. Not the mega-ones which look like Las Vegas-on-Sea. Far better the smaller luxury ones like Seabourne or Silverseas where all drinks in addition to meals are free and they even pop a bottle of champagne in your cabin fridge - every day! A friend of mine in the US does that for about 8 weeks a year. There's little cash in it, but lots of free trips and free flights to get him and his partner to and from ports of departure and of destination. They were here in Bangkok 2 years ago and enjoyed arriving by sea, although the long drive from the port was a bit of a pain. He tells me that some of the subjects people lecture on are incredibly boring - as boring as those doing the lecturing. One 80-odd year old lady from London with an incredibly posh accent lectured on the Royal Family - including the Princess Diana conspiracies! (True!). When my friend told her he had visited Thailand and had a friend living in Bangkok, she waxed lyrical about having been invited in her youth to spend two weeks on the island of Foo-kay (Phuket!) by the Maharajah! Poor dear must have been losing her marbles and confused the island with a mix of Penang and Jaipur! I expect she actually hailed from Birmingham (UK or Alabama - it would make little difference ) and had brushed up on her accent as well as her subject!
May 10, 201313 yr Believe it or not I was actually going to do this. However, the shipping clerk made such a cock up of the ticketing and routing that I cancelled it. Its not cheap at 100 US$ per day and its is 20 days to Thailand! The other problem is that there are now no ships going from the UK to Thailand (or the Far East) any more so you have to start from Europe (Hamburg or Hook of Holland).
May 10, 201313 yr I'm glad you said that gerefan as I too had looked at that travelling on cargo ships once just for the crack and on investigation it was as you've said expensive for what it was and the accommodation was anything but luxurious and ultimately you ended up dining with the crew ( albeit in the lot to be desired officers mess perhaps), so for the money, the time required and the boredom level that might ensue I decided to forego that particular pleasure.
May 13, 201313 yr Well, I must admit my intital post was a result of being seduced/intrigued by the rather rosy picture painted here: http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-thailand-by-sea but since you guys have checked it out and found it not to be all it seems then I shall keep my crinoline and parasol in my sea-chest for now.
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