In the morning I spent an hour on the Internet trying to find some pointers on where to go in my search for a new rear tyre. It didn’t take too much time to find a website that lists many motorbike and motorbike parts shops around central Bangkok (http://www.geocities.com/bkkriders/shops/ ). This list contained a central Kawasaki office address and map so this was immediately my favorite of course. They apparently have great stock of genuine Kawasaki parts so I thought they would surely have a spare tyre. After more than an hour spent in the horrible Bangkok traffic trying to move myself by only about 10km and after some asking I finally found it (N13.75560 E100.57159). My happiness was to be taken away very soon… :( It took only few moments to find out from the non-English speaking guy behind the counter of the spare parts department that they have no stock for “the big bikes”. He didn’t know where to go either. It was a disappointment as one would really expect a little more from the Thai Kawasaki headquarters. On the other hand it is kind of understandable since import of “the big bikes” (understand bikes over 125cc) is prohibited in Thailand.
After the disappointment in Kawasaki I went back to TAZ Motorcyles (N13.74936 E100.57741) that were on my list as well and that I saw during the process of looking for Kawasaki. They sell big street bikes there so they didn’t have the tyre I needed but they told me they would try to get one. While I was waiting the French owner of this shop arrived on his sports bike. He is a very nice guy and after his employees found out that they would not be able to get a tyre of the exact size I needed he referred me to Siam Superbikes where he told me they might be able to help me. Following his directions I found the shop 20 minutes later.
Siam Superbikes (N13.72185 E100.58424) is owned by a retired Kiwi mechanical engineer with a love for motorcycles. He got his employees to get the exact same Dunlop tyre as I had on the bike at that time, however the result of the phone call to the supplier resulted in the answer of “Out of stock, available again next month.”. The next option was a Bridgestone tyre a whole 1000 Baht more expensive than the Dunlop. As I didn’t seem to have too big chance of finding another place that could help me better I accepted. The tyre was to arrive about 2 hours later. I didn’t feel like waiting “maybe 2 hours” so I went to fight the traffic back, this time even heavier then before. In a “mere” 1.5 hours I was at my guesthouse again (8km far from the bike shop…) thirsty like a camel again. I had a little rest and set off to see The Grand Palace on foot.
Behind the first gate to The Grand Palace (N13.75261 E100.49237) I heard Czech language so I said “Hi” to the guy talking to his mobile phone. He was there with his wife and this was their first trip ever outside of Europe and they were loving it. They were about the age of my parents. We talked for good half an hour after which I found out that the Palace had been closed for an hour already and that it re-opens next morning at 8:30AM. If I can get up early tomorrow I would go and see it inside.
I have spent the evening working on the website and then 4 hours on the Internet catching up with the upload of my articles to date. I didn’t feel like going anywhere since yesterday was enough and it seemed that there is not much to see in the time I had and with the money I had left to spend (which was exactly 3 hours of internet + some drinking water). I met a Dutch guy (yes, a Dutch again – where are all the other nationalities) that evening who was later going to have a look at night China town. He invited me to join him but although it sounded like fun I was already in process of working on the website’s new feature – a photo album - , which I wanted to finish that evening (didn’t managed to), I politely refused.