Dear Hillary,
Can you help me with accommodation at Xmas? I want to keep enough money so that I can go trekking and I ride an elephant. I only want to spend about five quid a day for a place, is this possible? I know it’s probably a funny question, but I’m serious.
Trekker Thomas
Dear Trekker Thomas,
Don’t worry, my little impecunious one, I have had sillier questions than yours. Not often, but I have had some. When I first read your letter, I thought you were asking to come and stay with me, and I was about to suggest that if you brought enough bottles of bubbly, I might just be able to help you. Then I read the “five quid” line. By “five quid” I presume you are from the UK and this is about 250 baht in Thai money, so you would not have much left over for champers, I fear. Having said that, I must also point out that Hillary is not a travel agency, or an elephant mahout. Yes, you will get accommodation for that amount. Reasonable, basic, clean, but no air-conditioning, which you will probably need, coming from the UK, not known for its blistering temperatures in December.
