Miss Deck

Our hotel manager, like most Thai don’t speak English but when they do they find it hard expressing all the way in English. When convenient, we avoid making lenghty conversations lest it may initiate misunderstandings. Our Belgian friend Slyvie, uses a simple yet clever ploy to get past this communication-limitation when booking restaurant/tickets etc. “What is the name under which the reservation will be?” they ask. Slyvie pips, ‘D. E .C. K!’

Rather than engage in an ardous spelling of an alien name over the telephone and then paying attention not to make the ‘x’ sound like ‘ek’, Sylvie’s four-lettered-pseudonym works perfectly. Apparently, other phirangs in some spots of the city use the same ploy as I overheard someone say that they’ve forgotten their ‘reservation name’ and pleaded to be given a place.

Few days ago two shirts sent to the hotel laundry came back with some color stains. Apparently, a shirt color came off and stained the others. We were told that the hotel manager will contact us the following morning regarding the shirt stains. But we were away in the morning and late that evening we received this letter from the Manager:

Dear Mr. Perrot,

I would like to inform about the Laundry that color remove we still trying to repair them. I try to go to see you today but you hang DO NOT DISTURB sign in the morning and I don’t want to disturb you and after that I try to call you again but you don’t stay in the room. I will inform you again, we can remove them or not tomorrow.

With Best regards,

Sutina Pakpunpai

Sweet people, the Thais!