Day 21 - Let's Play the Waiting Game

My first stop was going to be the train station so I could get a refund for the cancelled train in Malaysia.  It wasn't too hard to reach using the metro, but finding the metro station was a problem.  Bangkok has multiple types of transportation lines that are independently run and ticketed.  They are supposed to connect in certain stations so you can transfer, but you still have to buy multiple tickets.  Somehow I ended up in the world's most confusing mall.

Why is there a gate?  San Francisco? Huh?

I wondered why there were pilots operating the metal detectors at the entrance.  I also found it strange that flight attendants were handing out flyers.  Then I realized it's a theme mall.  I couldn't find a map inside, but I did find one outside when leaving.



So Tokyo is ladies fashion.  That makes sense...or not.

What a bizarre mall.  When I finally exited the maze, I found the metro station.  That part was easy enough and I ended up at the main Thai Railways station.  What came next was not so easy.

Me: Hello, I need to refund a ticket from Malaysia to Bangkok.
Information: Counter 1.
Me: (walk to counter 1) Hello, I need to refund a ticket from Malaysia to Bangkok.
Counter 1: Counter 20.
Me: (walk to counter 20) Hello, I need to refund a ticket from Malaysia to Bangkok.
Counter 20: Counter 1.
Me: Counter 1 said to come here.
Counter 20: Counter 1 is the Malaysian counter.  I cannot help.
Me: (walk to counter 1) Counter 20 said you were the Malaysian counter.
Counter 1: Yes.
Me: OK, I need to refund this Malaysian ticket.
Counter 1: Counter 20 does all refunds.  I can only sell tickets to or from Malaysia.
Me: (walk to counter 20) Counter 1 says you handle all refunds.
Counter 20: Yes.
Me: OK, I need to refund this ticket.
Counter 20: I can only refund Thai tickets.
Me: OK, so who can refund Malaysian tickets?
Counter 20: You have to go to Kuala Lumpur.
Me: I can't go to Kuala Lumpur.  Besides, this is a ticket to Bangkok using Thai railcars!
Counter 20: I will call counter 1.

After the two counters talked for a while, the man asked for my passport and ticket.  Then he disappeared in the back.  5 minutes.  10 minutes.  15 minutes.  20 minutes.  I walked to counter 19 to ask her to get my passport from counter 20.  She said she was only able to sell tickets to Hat Yai and could not go to counter 20.  It turns out, everyone that works there has a very specific job function and they don't even interact with each other.  What a crazy place.  By this time, I am pretty worried that the guy forgot about me and has left my passport in some back office.

After 30 minutes of no contact (which is a really long time in a non-air conditioned train station) he came back and wanted me to fill out a form.  The form was in Thai, so I had to have him try and translate each line.  After this painful process, he wanted me to sign some forms in Thai.  Then he had me sign a copy of my passport.  Then the rail ticket.  Then he stuffed everything in a big envelope and sealed it.  He addressed it to somewhere (Kuala Lumpur I think) and put it in a drawer.  He handed me back my passport and said that I would get a refund.  I figured he meant after Kuala Lumpur mailed one back, but he actually wanted to give me baht!

I got ripped off on the exchange rate from Ringgits to Baht, but at least I got some cash back to help offset the taxi.  I guess the envelope was so Malaysia can reimburse Thailand.  Who knows?