Shouting Match

Krabi, Thailand

A number of things have gone wrong today. I still can't get used to the fact that people here try to squeeze as much money out of tourists as possible. The "foreigner pricing" is only one aspect. Another thing that happens here is for mini-buses to drop off tourists somewhere in the middle of nowhere or somewhere inconvenient and then adding an additional fee to where you want to go. For example, you may get dropped off at a travel agency near your destination to choose a hotel but the rest of the transfer is not included. On my way to Railay Beach I witnessed some German tourists argue with the staff about this. In Krabi while going to Kho Lanta it was my turn to see Thai people, who are usually known to be polite, from a very uncharacteristic side. I don't deny that my own attitude was to blame, too.
At the hotel at Railay I thought I had paid for a transfer all the way from Railay Beach to the hotel I had had arranged on Kho Lanta. When the boat set us ashore at Krabi a woman at the travel agency there politely asked me to pay for the rest of my trip. I was surprised, told her about my arrangement but she denied. I had only paid a trip to Saladan, the island's major town. To be taken any further would cost more. I refused. I insisted that my arrangement should have included that, too. She also persisted.
Then things got heated. I don't know what got into me. I felt that after the incident with the other German tourists days back the same thing was happening again - to me. I felt cheated and was furious about it. So I shouted at her. That this was unacceptable. That I had paid for the whole trip and demanded to be taken all the way. She was shocked but still refused. After a short, noisy exchange a man came in. It was probably her husband. She said something to him. He asked me what was going on. I repeated my demands. It doesn't happen often that I blow my top, so I was on an adrenaline high. I don't actually remember much of the exchange until he tore up the payment receipt I had brought, came forward quite menacingly and told me I was not in my own country here. "Shut your fucking mouth", he snarled. At this point I realised that if I didn't back down it would probably come to blows. Was I up to that?
Fortunately, then a new load of young tourists filled the empty office and the confrontation was over. Not another word was said. When the minibus to the island pulled up outside the driver waved me over, too. I got in the back with the other travellers but I was not in a mood to talk. When we got to Saladan the driver stopped but made me understand in a conciliatory tone he would take me further, I just had to pay for it. Even some of the others asked me if I was sure. But my pride was hurt, so I got off and started walking.
Eventually I did let a tuk-tuk driver persuade me to take his ride. It wasn't far and I paid almost as much to him as I would have had to pay to the original driver. But when the sun is down and you don't know the place you haven't got much of a bargaining position. Some great start for this island. Maybe I should just have stayed at Railay.