Early Friday morning the salesman from the Toyota Dealership called with the good news that our new truck tags had arrived and that he was sending a man over right away to install them for us, retrieve the red temporary tags and return to us the red tag deposit.
Now I though to myself, this is outstanding service. In my lifetime I have bought ten new vehicles and never once has the dealership send someone to my house to put them on the vehicle for me. Good deal, right?
As the misses had made plans for the day, and thinking that I could tend to this simple chore she took the motorcycle and left, leaving me to deal with Somchai (read Dilbert) the tag installer.
Upon his arrive, the first thing he needed to do was borrow a screwdriver. This request was accomplished by sign language as he spoke little English and I less Thai. For the world of me it continues to amazes me that Thai’s don’t plan things in advance, even though I should know better by now.
Anyway, luckily, I had one, and I say luckily, because after living in a condominium for nine years with a maintenance staff, I am tool poor. Two screwdrivers and a pair of pliers fill my toolbox (plastic bag).
After the red tags are removed, he reinstalled the tag frames and at this point I suspect something is amiss. He then gives me the deposit and starts walking towards his truck to leave. Whoa…pointing and say si khao (the Thai word for white, one of the few that I know) he finally gets the idea that I have realized he has not installed the new white tags.
This is then followed by the look and the grin. If you have never been to Thailand this cannot be explained, but for those that have you have all seen it and know it. It means, I have screwed up, he has noticed, I don’t know what to do next but a lie will make things better.
He finally manages to come up with the English word “forgot” and in Thai repeats one hour over and over until I nod my head that I understand. I'm also not sure, but I think he mentioned that he now had to go eat. That's always a good excuse. He then departs.
Well you guess it, the day passes by, I am stuck at home with no truck tags and I cannot call the dealership due to my limited Thai.
About 6:00 P.M. the wife returns. After I related the above to her she calls the salesman and of course he has no idea what we are talking about. You see it’s a Thai custom to avoid any thing that may cause you discomfort. So Somchai tells no one of his misadventure when he returns to the dealership. If he does, someone may holler at him and he will be in trouble. He knows they are going to find out at some point, but why take a reprimand now, later is always better, and there is the outside chance, that no one will notice. Yeah…right.
Happy ending. Saturday morning, the salesman arrives, with Somchai in tow, the new plates are installed with their screwdriver, the salesman apologizes, Somchai grins a lot, wai’s and they depart.
Free again to travels the roads of Thailand with legal vehicle tags that don’t involve a scam by the police, unless of course they can see my white face shining through the window tinting. Then they will think of something.
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