My first trip to Thailand was sparked by attending Devcon, marking my first time abroad. Unsurprisingly, some issues arose that tested my ability to cope...
Left Something Behind#
I had already traveled almost halfway on the subway from home to the airport when I realized I forgot to bring the USB-C charging cable and power adapter for my computer and phone!
At that moment, I had four solutions:
- I immediately get off the subway and return home;
- Ask my partner 🐷 to bring it to the airport;
- Check if there are any available for sale at the airport;
- Look for something suitable after arriving in Thailand.
Since I also needed to pick up materials I brought to Thailand from a SF Express point that only operates until 8 PM, it was highly likely I wouldn't make it in time, so solution one was not feasible.
At that time, my partner 🐷 was on her way to a relative's birthday banquet. Not wanting to disrupt her meal or make her worry, I initially didn't plan to tell her; however, I eventually mentioned casually, "I did make a mistake."
Even after telling my partner 🐷, I didn't want her to skip the banquet to help me—so solution two was also out, leaving only the last two options.
However, upon learning about the situation, she decisively gave up her meal to come to the airport. Even though the problem was resolved and we could spend more time together, I felt a deep sense of guilt...
Beyond Imagination#
As mentioned, I needed to bring materials to Thailand. Before agreeing, I had to check my packing situation—according to regulations, airlines only allow one carry-on bag with a weight limit of 7 kilograms.
Initially, I said I would bring 30 fisherman's hats. Given that the items I planned to bring could fit in my backpack, and with the "low-cost airline gadget" vest my partner 🐷 bought, I thought the hats would fit, so I agreed.
After picking up the package at the airport SF Express point and unboxing it, I found out there were actually 50 hats. Seeing their size and weight, I was stunned—this was almost the size of my backpack and so heavy, how was I going to carry it?!
Those hats weighed 3.6 kilograms, and I thought if it really came down to it, I could check them in. But upon inquiring, it would cost over 360 RMB, which made me hesitate...
Before check-in, I could purchase additional carry-on weight through the airline's website, with 5 kilograms costing only a few dozen RMB; however, I planned to buy it after check-in, by which time it was no longer available—I regretted not listening to 🐷!
The total weight of the items I packed in my backpack already exceeded 7 kilograms, and with the hats, it was over 10 kilograms. With the help of my clever partner 🐷, I managed to transfer most of the items into the "low-cost airline gadget" vest, bringing the total weight of my bag down to under 7 kilograms!
Although the total weight of the bag was controlled to be under 7 kilograms, there were still two issues:
- The number of bags exceeded one—over the limit;
- The actual total weight was still over 7 kilograms, so if they checked the vest I was wearing, it wouldn't be acceptable.
Fortunately, during boarding, just like domestic flights, no one checked the weight of each bag, contrary to what I had read online. I suddenly felt a bit foolish for putting all the heavy items in the vest and stressing over being over the limit... 😂😂😂
Exit Inspection#
Before actually exiting the country, I saw various online information suggesting it would be very strict, such as: needing to show a printed itinerary; being questioned as if being interrogated, etc.
Those who had already exited could choose the fast track, while I, as a first-time traveler, had to go through the manual channel for registration, where the situations I had seen online could potentially occur.
However, in reality, the staff at the manual channel didn't say a word to me. I just handed over my passport and took a photo for registration, smoothly passing through border control—what a needless worry!
Roaming Issues#
I landed in Bangkok around 4 AM Beijing time, and the first thing I did after disembarking was to find a place to swap in a local SIM card.
Once I was online, I received a message from my partner 🐷, one of which was about international roaming with my domestic card, discussing issues with receiving SMS from the domestic card while abroad. Since it was too early for any manual assistance, I planned to deal with it during the day.
After arriving at the hotel, there were still several hours until I received my room key. Bored, I recalled the international roaming issue and followed the method linked by 🐷, only to encounter a series of problems:
- The "guide" mentioned inaccuracies; even if China Mobile forgot the service password, there was no direct manual assistance to help resolve it;
- Whether through online self-service or manual assistance, activating international roaming services required SMS verification, but one cannot receive SMS while abroad, creating a deadlock!
Just as I was about to give up, I downloaded the "China Mobile" app and found "Customer Service" to get in touch with someone.
After detailing my situation and request, the representative said that the normal process requires SMS verification. My case needed to be escalated to technical staff, and I was asked to provide a contact number for someone in China for prompt resolution.
I naturally provided my partner 🐷's phone number, and by that afternoon, the issue was resolved!
Conclusion#
Fortunately, the four issues mentioned above were either resolved or turned out to be non-threatening. If any of them had occurred without resolution, it would have been quite impactful and somewhat troublesome.
At the moment of encountering these problems, I felt a bit anxious and under pressure, caught in a state of mental exhaustion; in the past, I might have been quite restless, but this time I remained remarkably composed.
In fact, I have grown in handling real-life problems—certified by my partner 🐷!
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