Day 13 - Thursday 19 January 2017

Transportation........Typically on the day I return to Bangkok at the end of a tour there’s precious little to write about. It’s time to sweep the floor, put out the rubbish and close the shutters. Although my flight isn’t until late afternoon, I’ve ruled out any activity, yet instead of just taking it easy I concentrate on finding out the best way to get to the airport. In case you think that’s should be easy, it’s best to understand that the airport lies 55 kilometres south of KL at Sepang. It’s so far out that it’s odd that it’s called Kuala Lumpur International Airport at all as it lays nowhere near KL territory. So what are the options? Well there are three; bus, train or taxi.
Of the three options a taxi is, of course, the easiest if you have luggage. From a taxi rank you may be able to get to the airport for 65 ringgit but more typically from your hotel it’s about 80 ringgit. If you’re looking for a cheaper option then take the bus. Surprisingly the KLIA Express or commuter trains are more expensive than a taxi. From KL Sentral it costs 55 ringgit per person. From Bandar Tasik Selatan it’s nearly 40 ringgit. Not surprisingly the bus is by far the cheapest and therefore most popular option. If you can make it to KL Sentral or Pudu Sentral (Puduraya) you will save a shed load of cash. The latter is situated north of Jalan Sultan in Chinatown where most of the budget accommodation is. The cost is just 12 ringgit for the 1 hour journey to KLIA or Klia2. The nearest metro station from Pudu Sentral is Plaza Rakyet (400 metres). You can see the line from the bus station.
KL departure........The discovery of Pudu Sentral, just 250 metres from Swiss Inn, has simplified matters considerably. In fact as check-out is 12 noon we now have too much time. I also have 100 ringgit deposit refund and some of that is used to buy a sports T-shirt. Next we shed some of the time at MacDonald’s which is next to the bus station but there’s no point in hanging around in the heat after that so we jump on the next bus. Klia2, which is the terminal for low-cost carriers, is the first stop. At check-in there’s no queue at all but we are three hours early. The rest of the currency is used in the Duty Free shop. It’s then an agonising wait. During this time we check the boarding cards and realise the booking clerk has given us individual seat numbers rows apart. As this is one of AirAsia’s budget flights, individual seats can be booked in advance for a fee. I can only assume that this gives staff poetic license to defy logic.

Air Asia flight AK0892........On board the Air Asia A320-200, I try to resolve the seating issue but have to wait till all passengers are onboard then incredibly Katoon has a spare seat next to her. So I guess that all you need to work for Air Asia is to have a pretty face. The Air Asia fight departs on time at 5.15pm and touches down two hours later ahead of schedule while gaining one hour. At Don Mueang there’s quite a queue at immigration but we’re clear by 7pm.
City bus 554........The options to return to Kubon are by taxi, passenger van or bus. The vans aren’t practical as there’s no room for luggage but the bus is fine if we are prepared to wait. 15 minutes is neither here nor there and gets us near the residence well before 8pm. My favorite restaurant is still open and mighty glad I am too, not to have to worry about what’s left in my wallet. Bangkok is a noisy, smelly, frantic place in relation to the other places I’ve just visited but for me it’s the devil I know and where I feel at ease. The final leg of this tour is the three kilometres by taxi, then as I shut the gate behind me, I declare that this 15 day tour is now history.