1/31/2014 - Chiang Mai - Getting there is half the battle

Tick, tick, tick.  I felt like I could actually hear the seconds ticking away on the digital clock on my computer screen, even though I knew it had to be my overactive imagination.  It was Friday and time was grinding away before I could hop a taxi for the bi-weekly tradition of heading towards an airport.  This week was different however, this week the final destination was northern Thailand, not Singapore.  What had me slightly on tilt was we had friends travelling through Thailand and Sarah had already arrived to meet them earlier that day.  To cap it off, my flight to Bangkok had been pushed back causing me to have to move my connecting flight to Chiang Mai back as well.  There were flights almost every hour, so not a major inconvenience, but enough to make me feel like Zack and Slater, waiting for that bell to ring.  Finally it was 6 and out the door in a mad scramble did I go.

Phase one started well - taxi to airport and through immigration all in less than half an hour.  Even more amazing was the Air Asia flight was actually at the gate so it looked like we were going to take off on time. When we actually did take off on time, I was even more stoked.  I was prepared to sprint through the airport Home Alone style to try and get through Thai immigration, re-check in and snag an earlier flight.  Instead, we naturally parked the plane a mile from the gate so we had to take a bus to the terminal.  Maintaining composure I skirted the people standing on the escalator and took the steps two at a time.  I kept my gait to a slow jog/fast walk and beat everyone to the lines.  Next it was a massive outdoor loop from the international arrival to the domestic check-in, but I was still sitting good.  This evaporated when I asked the ticket agent if it was possible to get on the earlier flight and the response back was a smiling, "No."


- Is the flight full, I inquired? - No
- Is it too late to clear security? - No
- Can I buy a new ticket (thinking this might only be $30) - Yes
- Ok, perfect, how much? - I don't know, check the next counter (massively long line).

Arggggg.  I conceded.  Or did I?  Foolishly, perhaps optimistically, I thought if I could just get to the gate in time they would let me on the plane if there really were empty seats.  Back to my slow jog/fast walk I went through "security" as fast as my backpack could go through the scanner and then went to the exact opposite end of the airport that I was supposed depart from.  Aha, flight to Chiang Mai, one hour earlier than mine, getting ready to depart.  Even better, smiling gate agents willing to help me.


- Can I switch to this flight? - No
- Is the flight full, now I inquired? - No
- Can I buy a new ticket - Yes
- Where? - Back at check-in

Composure was dwindling at this point.  It looked like there were only about 40 people in the waiting area to get on a plane that holds about 100 people.  A conniving thought popped into my head.... this is Air Asia.  If I try and board the plane with my current ticket, will they even notice?  I mean, if a kid could fly from Minneapolis to Las Vegas without a ticket, I should be able to pull this off in Thailand.  I had a ticket, it was only supposed to leave an hour later.  The boarding announcement came and I made a move, but then turned 90 degrees to head back the way I came.  Live to fight another day and preferably spend the night in our hotel in Chiang Mai, not a Thai prison.

Ultimately, it was the right move.  The plane left on time, I was in the very first row so I scooted right off and grabbed a taxi from the taxi stand.  15 minutes later, or approximately 6:30 hours later from when I left work I was tumbling into the lobby where a round of drinks had just been ordered..... Mai Thais. Sarah, Ben and Alex thought that was fitting and I couldn't agree more.  We toasted our friends from 10,000 miles away, spent the next 30 minutes debating what actually goes into a Mai Thai and then retreated to rest up for what promised to be an exciting weekend.