After this first temple, my sightseeing plan for the day was thrown for a loop. Beware the tut-tut driver!! Outside of the Bangkok temple, I was poached by a tut-tut (three-wheeled covered motorcycle) driver.
“Haa-Do. You want to go to Buddha? I take you see two Buddha – Big Buddha – and Floating Market. Only 40 baht.”
I’d heard that these tut-tut drivers can operate under false pretenses to get your money. 40 baht is pretty cheap for a ride around the city and I really wanted to see the palace while it was still open. I told my friend that I would tour the palace first and then take a ride with him. His reply?
“Palace closed today. Emerald Buddha closed today. Buddhists only.”
Thinking this was a little strange and also lured by the sweet deal of only 40 baht for a ride, I reluctantly agreed to go with my driver “pal.” And yes, he did take me on a ride both literally and metaphorically.
We did stop by two beautiful temples in Bangkok, Wat Benchamabophit and Wat Intharawihan, home of the breathtaking, “Big Buddha”. However, in between these Wats he made a stop at a jewelry store for me to, “just look at the jewelry for 10 minutes.” I was told that if I did this, he would get a free gas coupon. “I heelph you out, you heelph me out.”
I recognize the scam and pretend to be interested a few of the jewelry pieces but didn’t buy anything and return to the tut-tut. The jewelry store, “The Aurora Gems,” was impressive on the inside and out but the prices were not fantastic and I’m not convinced the “gold” is real.
At the next shrine the driver takes me to, I walk through and out the out the other side, flag a taxi and drive back to the palace. Do I feel bad for not paying the tut-tut driver? Not really, especially if I already earned him his alleged “gas card.” When I get back to the palace, I discover that yes, it is definitely open and also is the Emerald Buddha Wat. The tut-tut driver was a swindler with a smile through and through. What a shocker.
Skipping from my taxi to the Grand Palace, I pass by a soi (street) with vendors peddling more delicious Thai food, cheap knock-off designer bags and trinkets. One vendor family feeds their pet puppy from a milk bottle and entices me to pet it, which I do. I’m told that all Thai dogs are friendly because the unfriendly ones don’t last very long … PETA is not out in force here so the Thai often bet on cock fighting and bull fighting matches too.
Luckily I was able to make it into the Grand Palace gates a little over an hour before closing. It was not enough time for an in depth tour but I highly enjoyed my short trip.