the humanitarian slug: the travel blog of a future human rights lawyer: Kanchanaburi Day Tour

Rule number 37 of traveling in Southeast Asia: No one likes an angry western woman. (Back to that in a minute). On Sunday I took a day long trip to Kanchanaburi that was pretty epic. I met a fellow American, which is rare here, you meet a lot of Canadians and Europeans but almost no Americans. Anyways on the trip we went to a WWII memorial, rode a train on the Death Railway, a huge Thai lunch, a bamboo raft ride, elephant rides, and a waterfall.

After lunch the tour people separated me from the elephant group and told me I hadn't paid for that part, which I knew wasn't true. I tried to explain that I was positive I had. My new American friend chimed in and was rudely told "You no speak for her, go with the group." Sooo I stopped being polite. They told me I could pay the extra now then argue with the booking agency back in Bangkok. I told them there was no f*** way I was forking over anymore Baht. I insisted they call whoever they needed to and refused to give them anything. They tried to explain they weren't given enough baht to even pay the elephant people to add me (boldfaced lie). They put me in the van with the non-elephant peeps and of course right after they get a phone call from their boss saying that I had paid for it! So they started apologizing profusely saying they were just doing their job and not to complain about them when I said something to the agency. I smiled and went to the elephant group. Needless to say I complained about them to the agency annnddd I got to ride the elephants! Regardless, the day was pretty wonderful and I got some fresh air and social companionship for the day.

WWII memorial for those who died building the death railway