My first trip to Thailand was triggered by attending Devcon, and it was also my first time going abroad. Unsurprisingly, some situations arose that tested my coping abilities...
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 while mentally checking off important items in my head!
At that moment, I had four solutions:
- I would immediately get off the subway and return home;
- Ask my family to help me deliver it to the airport;
- See if I could buy one at the airport;
- Check if I could find one in Thailand.
Since I also needed to pick up materials I brought to Thailand from a SF Express location at the airport, which only operates until 8 PM, it was highly likely that I wouldn't make it in time, so option one was not feasible.
At that time, my family was on their way to a relative's birthday banquet. To avoid affecting her meal and not wanting to worry her, I initially didn't plan to tell her; however, I eventually mentioned it casually while discussing other matters, saying, "I did make a mistake."
Even after telling my family, I didn't want her to give up the banquet to help me deliver something—so option two was also not viable, leaving only the last two options.
However, upon learning about the situation, she decisively gave up attending the banquet and came to the airport. Even though the problem was resolved and we could spend more time together, I felt a deep sense of guilt towards her...
Beyond Imagination#
As mentioned earlier, 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, and it must not exceed 7 kilograms.
Initially, I said I would bring 30 fishing hats. Given that the items I planned to bring could fit in my backpack, and with the "low-cost airline gadget" vest my family bought, I thought those hats would fit, so I agreed.
After picking up the package at the airport SF Express location 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 came down to it, I could check them in. However, 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 for just a few dozen RMB for 5 kilograms; but I planned to buy it after check-in, by which time it was no longer available—I regretted not listening to my family!
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 family, 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 really checked and found the vest I was wearing, it wouldn't work.
Fortunately, during boarding, just like domestic flights, no one checked the weight of the luggage one by one. Unlike what I read online, I suddenly felt a bit silly for putting all the heavy items in the vest and stressing over the weight and number of bags... 😂😂😂
Exit Inspection#
Before actually leaving the country, I saw various information online saying it would be very strict, such as: checking printed itineraries; it sounded like being interrogated with inquiries, etc.
Those who had already exited could choose to use the fast track, while I, being a first-time traveler, had to go through the manual channel for registration, which could lead to the situations I read about online.
However, in reality, the staff at the manual channel didn't say a word to me. I just remember handing over my passport and having my photo taken for registration, and I smoothly passed through border control—what a needless worry!
Roaming Issues#
At around 4 AM Beijing time, I landed in Bangkok. The first thing I did after getting off the plane was to find a place to swap in a local SIM card.
Once I was online, I received a message from my family, one of which was related to international roaming with my domestic card, discussing issues with receiving SMS from my domestic card while abroad. Since it was too early for any manual processing, 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. Feeling bored, I remembered the international roaming issue and followed the method my family sent me in the link, only to discover a series of problems:
- The "guide" mentioned was inaccurate; 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 to activate international roaming services, it required operations via SMS verification codes, 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 other party said that the normal process required SMS handling, and my case needed to be forwarded to technical staff. They asked me to leave a contact for someone in China and said they would handle it as soon as possible.
Naturally, I left my family's phone number, and by that afternoon, the issue was resolved!
Conclusion#
The four issues mentioned above were either already resolved or turned out to be not as serious as they seemed. If any of them had occurred and remained unresolved, it would have been quite impactful and somewhat troublesome.
At the moment I encountered these problems, I felt a bit anxious and under pressure, caught in a state of mental exhaustion; if it had been in the past, I would likely have been very restless, but this time I remained quite calm.
It turns out I have grown in handling real-life problems—certified by my family!
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