Day 26, Nakhon Phanom – Bangkok

Today it was back to Bangkok on Asia Air rather than NOK Airlines which we had flown on when we traveled up to the northern part of Thailand from Bangkok..

We had a scramble to get to the airport on time because the King’s sister was coming in at the same time and most of the streets were blocked off. Luckily our shuttle driver knew all the back streets and used them to parallel her course. We jogged in and out of back streets and alley . . . it felt like a Jason Bourne movie chase scene!!!

. . . but we made it in time and as we crossed the tarmac to our plane, there sat the four helicopters she and her encourage had flown in on from from Bangkok. Rank DOES have it privileges!!!

Of course our ‘patient’ had all the attention he needed to deal with what ended up being: 3 cracked ribs, a punctured lung and a cracked pelvis. He kept a stiff upper lip through the whole thing!!!

. . . a couple of hours later we walked into the lobby of the Novotel Hotel where we would stay for our last night of the trip. Big hugs all around as we said goodbye to Woodie and his staff. They had done a super job!

The hotel was quite a place and, similar to the Hilton Hotel at o’Hare Airport, is right across the street from one of the main terminals of the Bangkok International Airport . . . and there is a tunnel you walk through to get there. Easy . . . Peasy!!!

But first . . . one last night of sleep before the grueling 26 -30 hour transfer back home.

We picked one to the five restaurants in the hotel for a ‘last supper’ . . .

. . . which really did last a loooong time, I had long ago finished my pizza when the waiter informed us they had ‘forgotten’ Tom’s ‘Spring Chicken’ entree and it would be another 30 minute wait on top of the 30 minutes he had already waited. I think to make up for it they served him the whole chicken.

They got the last laugh though, as there was a 15% automatic gratuity added to the bill!!!