One year in Bangkok

December 19, 2005 7:10 AM

Foreign tchotchke filter: Bangkok Bank gives banking customers a nice illustrated calendar each year as a gift. A friend received the 2005 calendar as a gift/souvenir while visiting Bangkok last year and would like to obtain a copy for 2006. Unfortunately, not being in Bangkok and not being a Bangkok Bank customer has made this task rather challenging.

Any advice for procurement? (already checked eBay, though it is doubtful something like this will ever make it onto eBay) The folks that respond to emails for the bank haven't been helpful and/or clearly don't understand the request. Any ideas on a specific department to contact? Anyone here speak/write Thai? Should she try and find an internet friend in Bangkok who just happens to have a Bangkok Bank account? She's willing to pay for the associated costs (shipping, etc.)

posted by shoepal to grab bag (15 comments total)

I am in Bangkok for the next few days. If Bangkok Bank'll give one to a walk-in non-customer I'll try to pick one up for your friend.
posted by blueberry at 7:36 AM on December 19, 2005

Thanks for the offer/attempt blueberry! I doubt they'll just give you one, but we've got our fingers crossed that being there in person might negate the need to be an actual banking customer. The 2005 calendar is fairly simple in design and not very big (smaller than A4, I believe). It stands on its own as a sort of A-frame and is coil bound with a drawing for each month. Not sure what the 2006 calendar looks like, though I imagine it is very similar. Chock dee!
posted by shoepal at 7:56 AM on December 19, 2005

I can write Thai well enough to sort you out if blueberry doesn't come through. I also have a Bangkok Bank account, which may help. Unfortunately I won't be back in Thailand for a few months, so we would have to try to work this out long-distance.
posted by soiled cowboy at 3:01 PM on December 19, 2005

Thanks soiled cowboy! I really appreciate the offer. I'll email ya if blueberry gets denied.

Out of curiosity, as a Bangkok Bank customer do you know the calendar I'm talking about?
posted by shoepal at 3:49 PM on December 19, 2005

Shoepal: No, I don't know the calendar. I just opened the account two weeks ago and the only gift I received was a shiny vinyl sheath for my ATM card.
posted by soiled cowboy at 6:26 PM on December 19, 2005

I just read your post again, I didn't understand at first that the calendar was a gift sent to customers, I thought it was given to those opening new accounts. So perhaps at this very moment there lies deep within a dusty Bangkok warehouse a calendar destined for my mailbox. Unfortunately it would go to my Thailand mailbox, which I won't be opening for a few months. Hopefully we can get one delivered to me here in Florida. If you do email me drop me a note on this page to remind me to check my inbox.

And... nice title.
posted by soiled cowboy at 6:41 PM on December 19, 2005

We're not really even certain if it is every customer that gets this calendar or just "special" customers. Communication with BangkokBank via email seems to indicate that it isn't reserved for specific folks, but it is reserved for Bangkok Bank customers (and hopefully blueberry walk-ins!).

The woman that gave hers to my friend last year was an office lady (a sweet one at that!) and she indicated that she could easily pick up another by swinging by the bank, which is why we're guessing that they aren't hard to come by around this time of the year.

Anyhow, I'll definitely drop you an email and leave you a note here after I hear from blueberry. Thanks so much, you two!
posted by shoepal at 7:34 PM on December 19, 2005

Oh, and here is the site for Bangkok Bank in Thai. We obviously can't read it, but maybe someone can. (does it say anything about a calendar?!)
posted by shoepal at 7:37 PM on December 19, 2005

I picked up two calendars today at the branch on Soi 8 near the Nana SkyTrain station. Just walked in, and went upstairs to the customer service area. I told the nice guy that my friend was wondering if she could get one of those nifty calendars like she had last year. He asked me how many I wanted so I said "two please".

He came back a minute later with two big wall calendars — a large portrait of King Rama IX with tear-off months at the bottom. Um, actually, do you have the desk calendar flip kind? He reached under a nearby desk and grabbed two of those.

Now, before you get too excited, they're not the same as last years. Gone are the minimalistic watercolor/colored pencil drawings; they have been replaced by photos of kakuttapan (กกุธภัณฑ์) — royal objects — (the Sword of Victory, the Royal Staff, the Royal Fan and The Royal Fly whisk, the Royal Upturned Slippers, and various other golden pieces) against a plain colored background.

I was hoping to be able to post a photo of the calendar so you could say yea or nay but I don't have a digital camera close at hand; perhaps later.

I checked at the post office and the cost to send one to the US would be roughly $6 (217 baht for air mail postage (1-2 weeks) + 15 baht for a padded envelope). Anyway, I'll hold on to them till I hear back from you. It might make better sense (and be faster) just to send it from the states once I'm back (next week).
posted by blueberry at 12:25 AM on December 20, 2005

Blueberry, you rock!

There's absolutely no rush and the US postal system here is bogged down for the holidays, so if you are really going to be in the US next week, just hold on to them (if you don't mind carrying them in your luggage.) I will gladly paypal you postage and the associated costs, etc. I'll email you my info.

Thanks again for taking the time to visit customer service. I'm glad to hear they were so generous with the calendar.
posted by shoepal at 12:40 PM on December 20, 2005

BTW, your response is unbelievably above and beyond what I would ever have expected. It is entertaining, informative in addition to being the bearer of good news. Thank you so, so much!
posted by shoepal at 12:52 PM on December 20, 2005

Wow. Meta filter is amazing.
posted by gergtreble at 10:15 PM on December 20, 2005

I wholeheartedly agree, gergtreble.
posted by shoepal at 10:30 AM on December 21, 2005

Shoepal, as promised, here are a couple photos of the 2006 calendar. Excuse the poor quality of the photos — I'm new to my friend's little digital camera.



From left to right the photos show

- King Rama IX on the cover,
- the December page,
- the page on the other side of the 'A-frame' when the December page is shown, and finally
- a photo of the royal up-turned slippers.

Again, most of the photos are like the slippers; one or two objects on a colored background.
posted by blueberry at 12:28 AM on December 23, 2005

blueberry, check your hotmail. (and maybe the spam folder if you don't see anything from me in your inbox.)
posted by shoepal at 10:58 AM on December 27, 2005