Lost wallet...

For the first three decades of my life, I managed to avoid ever loosing my wallet (other than, say, within my bed room...). When I finally do loose it, it is in Bangkok, the night before I board an international flight. Ugh.

I had it when we stopped around 1am for the seemingly obligatory meal at odd and unappetizing hour, when I fished 3 baht out of it to pay for the toilet. I distinctly remember returning it to my bag, but perhaps I didn't push it down in quite as far as I thought. Generally, when disembarking, I give a thorough check to my surrounding before departure. When the bus rolled in to Bangkok at 4:30 am, however, I was mostly focussed on staying awake long enough to get to our guest house.

I realized its absence at the guest house, when I was asked to pay for the room. It did not take long to confirm its disappearance. The receptionist was both friendly and proficient in English, so I got him to call the bus depot for me. Hopes were raised when they dispatched someone to check the very bus I had come in on, but dashed twenty minutes later when they called with no finds to report. I suspect the 4500 baht (~140 USD) in the wallet encouraged someone else to make it disappear before the bus attendant ever got back to check for it. I had more than usual on me to pay for travel costs and some work errands. Sigh.

Thanks to free wifi, skype, and 24-hour customer assistance, I was able to immediately call my bank and cancel my credit and debit card. Really, there wasn't much in there: cash, one credit card, one debit card, my health insurance card, driver's license, pledge of life (stating that if I were to die in a violent crime, I ask for my assailant not to suffer the death penalty), and Hazel coffee card (I was so close to a free drink!). Nothing is too much of a hassle to replace, but the confounding factor is that I was booked on a plane to China the next morning, and wouldn't be back to my house in Thailand for 6 weeks. So, leaving on an international work trip, followed by a personal vacation, with no cash, and no way of getting more.... Ha. Fortunately I was traveling with Jade, who was able to spot me baht, and I was separately carrying a wad of yuan for work, which will cover my China work expenses, and enable to take a loan from GHAP to cover my travels until I return. (At the training center I haven't needed cash, since room and board are provided, and there really isn't anything else to spend money on.)

This happened nearly two weeks ago, but I thought of it tonight because in checking my account, saw that my debit card had failed to be reissued. So I called my bank, and I must saw, given the _extremely_ patchy nature of my skype connection, my assister was extremely patient and helpful. So, I should have new cards waiting for me in Mae Sot by the time I get back, and without even paying any fee or shipping. Thank you USAA! Hopefully I have enough cash to make it back there...