Laundry and Water and Cockroaches, Oh My!

Now that I’m all unpacked and settled in my condo, it’s been quite an adventure figuring out how to get services.  First, I inquired about laundry.  Here in Thailand, most folks don’t have washers and dryers like we do in America.  Instead, people take their clothes to laundromats or full service laundry shops.  There is one at the entrance to my condo, so I asked them how much for laundry.  They quoted me a price (I don’t remember exactly how much) for washing.  I asked “what about drying?”  They said no.  I asked them how I was supposed to dry my clothes and they said I could take them up on the roof and dry them.  I wasn’t about to do that, so I asked my friend who lives here how he gets his laundry done.  He referred me to a husband and wife team that will pick up and drop off.  Perfect!  Then lady is very sweet, her name is Sopa.

The front of my complex Next I needed to sign up for water delivery.  The tap water is not safe to drink here, but getting bottled water every day from 7-11 was turning out to be a hassle, so I inquired.  For 50 baht ($1.50 US) I get 20 one-liter bottles delivered to my door.  And the cool thing is they are re-usable.  When I’m done, they bring me a new crate and they take the old ones, sterilize them, and re-fill them so it cuts down on waste.

The big department store here is called Central, and it is located in a mall called Kad Suen Kaew.  There are other malls that are more Westernized but I like this one because it is a mix of Western and Asian shops.  I have bought a saucepan and frying pan along with some kitchen instruments and things like salt, pepper, and olive oil so I am able to do some cooking in my new kitchen.  I am working on accumulating all the sauces and things I need to try some recipes from the cooking school.  I’m not quite there yet but I have been cooking pasta, eggs and potatoes, and things like that.  It’s nice not to have to use a microwave for everything.   I am learning how to get around, and which transportation to take for what.  For the more common areas, I can take a songtaew, which is a red pickup truck that has been modified with a cover over the back and two benches inside.  Those are by far the cheapest.  I can get from my place to the mall for 20 baht, or about 60 cents. Next up are the tuk tuks, they range from 100 to 200 baht, roughly 3-6 dollars.  They can go places the songtaews can’t, so I generally only use them for more out of the way places.  Then there are the air-conditioned taxis, exactly the same as we have in the U.S.  They are about 200 baht, and I take them when I am hot and tired and just want air conditioning!  I also take them to and from the airport.   One little problem I have not solved is cockroaches in my bathroom.  I am grateful that they are not in the kitchen or bedroom.  However, they keep getting in the bathroom, big ones about 1-2 inches long.  I have cockroach spray which helps.  Tomorrow I am going to ask my guy to look into it for me.  There's only room for one in this condo: me.  On another note, I just purchased a mosquito zapper and tonight I had my first opportunity to use it.  It worked like a charm and the mosquito was incinerated with a satisfying POP!  I think that is going to become a permanent addition to my bag.