Bad day

Today is just so fucked up.Too many problems happening at the same time.

First, I lost my ATM card. I know it's not a big deal as long as I have the card cancelled promptly, but I am actually flying to Chiang Mai in a few hours. That means I'll be traveling with the few remaining bucks in my wallet- a measly 200 baht. My mom usually tells me
to always bring cash with me, and unfortunately she has a point. She usually tells me, Si ya puede bo pisa tomates de tindera na calle, que laya bo paga? (If you step on some street vendor's tomatoes, how are you going to pay?)

I found out that I lost my ATM card just as I was about to pay for my dinner in a resto. When I feel like I need some loving, I usually treat myself to an expensive (expensive for me, at least. Die, you rich people) dinner and this time the bill was for 500 baht. I frantically fumbled for some cash when I realized my card was missing. Good thing that I have enough left in my wallet, I was already seriously thinking of giving the waiter my cellphone. Or my body.

From this point more problems arose. Seeing that I was going to travel without cash and was running the risk of being a headless chicken in a foreign place, I decided to rebook my flight to allow myself some time to go to the bank and get a replacement card. So I call up the airline and ask for the rescheduling. And guess what, they tell me I need a credit card for this transaction. I don't have a credit card in Thailand and have no plans of getting one (I cannot be trusted with a big credit line) and now it's proving to be an inconvenience. Could I use my Philippine -issued card? Yes, the airline agent on the other line tells me. But I need to fax them some document before they can charge the rebooking fee to my account. I don't have a freaking fax machine and apparently, it's the only way besides having to go to the airport and pay in cash. And I don't have freaking cash.

So I call up my friendly neighbor and shamefully asked if I could borrow some money. Good Samaritan neighbor was truly helpful and lent me 500 baht. That should be enough.

And then suddenly I realized I actually have money in my Equitable bank account in the Philippines, I could just withdraw from the ATM. I triumphantly fled to the ATM for a cash withdrawal. Then the third problem happened. The machine fucked up and decided not to give me my money but deducting the amount from my account just the same. I didn't have my phone with me so I had to borrow the security guard's mobile phone to call the bank (I gave him 20 baht afterwards). After discussing with the bank agent for a few minutes, she tells me it's okay, the transaction has been reversed. I make an account inquiry and see that my money is still uncredited. What do I do? I ask the agent. She tells me that I may have to get in touch with my bank and instruct them to check on the problem because from their side the error was already reversed. And it might take some three weeeks to have the problem fixed. Jesus H. Christ. I made a few more account inquiries to check if the system has updated and then realized some 50 baht was being charged against my account everytime I made a balance inquiry. And I made a lot.

This was actually the same money that I have waited for 3 whole months to be credited to my account. This was my last salary check from Shell Philippines and I had difficulty encashing it because in case the bank hadn't noticed, I'm in Thailand now and couldn't sign the check. I had to get in touch with the bank manager from Equitable Bank and ask for help from my friend Jefrey in Manila to find a way to get my money. And now this.

What is wrong with the world? What is wrong with my world?

And just when I thought I had enough, a mouth sore develops on my lip. It just doesn't get any better than this.

Filed under everyday, thailand |