Maybe it was too good to be true?

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After finally doing a fitness class since nearly a week off, I settled into a wicked lunch and then later got a phone call from the bank.  "Mister, we need you to come back and sign more documents."

Crap.  This scenario was my worst nightmare because my now de-facto home branch could recall me at any time for things such as this.  In case you're wondering if they couldn't just do a signature online, well you're dreaming because this is Thailand.  Banks haven't quite arrived at the 21st century yet.

To make matters worse, the bank would close tomorrow so it had to be done today.  The fastest option would just be a return taxi from Bangkok.  Still it was infuriating.  The whole point of opening an account in obscure places was because they rejected me in Bangkok and Pattaya.  The idea was to get the account going and not have to come back, but c'est la vie.

So the hotel helped arrange a taxi, and I directed him through the best routes as I've cycled this section dozens of time already.  The bank knew I was running late and so they arranged for the security guard to let me in on arrival.

Once there, they wanted me to fill in more information on the forms.  Essentially they wanted to know where I worked.  I wasn't sure if China would fly so I gave them the Canada branch of my company office.  They also passed out a separate form and instructed me to say 'no' to all the questions relating to ties with the US.  The request was simple:  "No America".  Ok, so maybe China would have been fine to say after all, but whatever did Uncle Sam do to deserve this kind of ill treatment all over the world?   The whole thing is ridiculous.

After all that, she bowed and gave me a wai and said "I'm sorry".  I just smiled and said "Mai pen rai" as that's what you do around here.  I was still happy and kept the smile going out the door.  I saw her look back at me in disbelief that I wasn't angry or frustrated about this whole thing.  What can I say, it was still worth all the hassle, including today.  These accounts are notoriously difficult to open.

Next up was a cash deposit of all my excess budget from this trip.  I asked if this could be done at an ATM, but they said no.  It had to be at the branch and they were closed.  However, another banch was still open until 7:30pm in the nearby shopping mall.  So I entered the Central Si Racha mall for the first time.  This was after having passed it dozens of times on the bike in both directions for many years.  The bank was easily found and when the staff saw I had an account and wanted to deposit cash, they treated me like a rock star.  It started with two people standing side by side at the counter and bowing, giving a wai.  Then it was express service, all in English, and the whole thing took less than a minute.

As it turns out this was the main branch in Si Racha.  The one where I opened the account was actually the side branch.  I had no idea at the time, and it was all found randomly.  It was a total stroke of luck how it all happened the way it did.

My taxi driver brother was waiting for me during these stops as we had agreed on a return trip price.  I also bought him snacks and coffee at the 7/11 while he fueled up at the gas station.  He couldn't believe that I took his taxi all the way from Bangkok just for this.  Neither could I. 

Maybe the Thais are onto something after all.  You actually go into a bank, make deposits, then walk to an electricity office and pay your bill with cash.  There is something oddly satisfying about these practices. 

That said, I found this trip more exhausting than biking similar distances.  It shows you can really cover a ton of ground on the bike when car journeys of the same distance are just as exhausting if not more.