Goodbye Thailand ... see you next year

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Geo: 51.8667, -2.24867

Not much sleep last night and I awake when the alarm goes off at 05:30.Out to 7/11 for a coffee and croissants for breakfast whilst I pack up again.Check-out at 06:30 then have the quickest journey I have ever had to the airport arriving at 07:10 with 4 1/2 hours now to wait. I've known the taxi ride to take up to 2 hours so always allow myself plenty of time but ...Way too early for the flight check-in to be open so find a seat in a quietish corner and get a book out. It already feels as though it has been a long day and there is still about 22 hours to go till I get home ... deep joy !I check-in as soon as the counter opens then make my way through security and immigration to the departure lounge. Everything seems to be very quiet today for some reason and I am sat near to Gate G4 with 2 hours to go before BA0010 is due to depart.Jai phones to say a final goodbye - or perhaps just to reassure herself that really am leaving !!Out comes the book again for an hour before the Gate open and things start moving again.As we board the flight it soon becomes apparent that even the plane itself is reasonably quiet and I move across the aisle and get a block of three seats all to myself. Although we leave the Gate pretty much on time it is a further 45mins sat on the tarmac before we finally depart. Once we have taken off and had something to eat I stretch out across the seats to try and get some sleep. It is only midday though and I cant persuade my body that it is time for nap. Also, as soon as I get comfy we hit some turbulence and the seatbelt sign comes on and I have to sit up. Eventually I get comfy and think I probably dropped off briefly a couple of times. All in all not a bad flight but they do really drag these days.One chap appeared to have too much to drink and was being abusive to pretty much anyone who was sat near him, thankfully I wasn't. When we get to Heathrow we are asked to remain in our seats with belts on and the police boarded and took him and his wife away. He will probably be flying sober next time !!The hold up means that it is going to be touch and go whether or not I can catch my coach to transfer to Central Bus Station but make it with about 5mins to spare. About a 1 hour wait till National Express 444 arrives to speed me along the M4 and back home - knackered.

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