I needed to go to Bangkok to get a new Aussie passport so I hopped on the plane from Ubon at 7.05 am.
I got into Don Muang about 8. I must say that they've cleaned up the taxi chaos now but it would help if the personnel at the desks at a bit more English skill for an international airport. Anyway, I had the address of the Aussie embassy written down to complement my oral instructions (didn't think about writing the address down in Thai as I thought that it wouldn't be necessary) but I was met with quizzical looks - South Sathorn Road is a major road in the Silom/Lumphini area but it caused problems.
They called a taxi-driver over and we got the same looks - South Sathorn Road - mmmm... not sure...
Anyway, away we go. I'm immediately advised by the taxi-driver about "traffic jams... must take tollway." I'm not in a great hurry so I said "No." I now realise that this decision influenced the amount of air-conditioning that the driver was going to allow me to have, until I eventually told him to turn his a-c up so the person in the backseat could get some.
Maybe I should have taken the tollway!!! Two hours later, after trips to the Austrian Ambassador's Residence and a few other places beginning with "A," we finally got there - 290 baht + 50 baht airport charge!!!! Take it for granted that the driver did not get a tip!
Embassy business was done, so I had plenty of time to get back to Don Muang for my return flight so I was not going to take a taxi. I knew that there were a few stations not far from the Embassy (Lumphini and Sala Daeng) but asking people was a complete waste of time - security guards referred me to motor-cycle taxis, business person said just up the road to Salang Daeng, which turned out to be Silom!
Anyhow, I made it back to Hualonmphong - I must complement Bangkok on its metro service but maybe it's a bit too expensive for many people to use.
Still with plenty of time, I decided to catch a train up to Don Muang. Guess the fare - 5 baht!!!! Five baht for a journey of about 25 km!!!! But it's a good job that I had plenty of time as this 25 km took about 90 minutes! The train journey is another world and there's lots of construction going on. I think I saw a few thousands workers, all with yellow safety helmets on, sitting waiting to do something.
I arrived at Don Muang eventually. In past times, you waited for the train to leave and then crossed the lines, but now there's a fence down the middle of the tracks that stops you doing this. So you have to negotiate a difficult track away from the airport through building materials, motor-cycle taxis, and food sellers to access the overpass - the backpackers that I walked with had never seen anything so challenging.
All I had to do then was sit and wait for my flight back to Ubon.
Thank goodness that I only have to do this once every 10 years!