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Published: January 23rd 2009
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This is just a short blog to cover the journey from Ko Samui to Bangkok, going via Ranong/Kawthoung for the visa run itself. There is a lack of photo's because of the annoyance of SONY camera no.2 breaking which we hope to fix in Bangkok. We managed to get a couple, and hopefully the guys we went with will e-mail us some later. Hope you enjoy it!
Monday 05th January Today started with a sawngthaew ride from our bungalow to the port at Na Thon. A taxi driver told us that it was not possible to get a sawngthaew to Na Thon so we'd better get a taxi with him. They only wanted 200B each! We held out as we'd heard of this cheeky ploy before, and what do you know? Two minutes later up comes a sawngthaew for Na Thon, only 60B each. When we arrived at Na Thon we were met by an elderly gentleman in a very smart, official looking, white, naval suit. We only had ten minutes to spare and he helpfully takes us to the ticket counter.
"Where you go?" asks the lady.
"Surat Thani," we reply.
"Then where you go?" she persists.
"Ranong" I
Longboat
similar to the one we travelled in. state. She then goes on about allsorts of different prices for various methods of transport to get us to Ranong.
"No, no no," I say,
"You don't understand. I only want a ticket for the ferry to Surat Thani!" At this point she huffs and puffs and points to another building. Turns out that the old duffer in his suit must be a relative and the woman is on the take with bus ticket scams. We have spoken to loads of people that have come a cropper with this one. Basically you buy a combi ticket that includes onward transport after the boat journey only to find that there isn't any onward transport. But what are you going to do? You're not going to get back on the ferry and sail back to Ko Samui to have an argument with an old dear that conveniently, "No speaky d' Engleech!" So we go to the official ticket office and buy a ticket to Surat Thani for 200B each. In Surat Thani we try a few offices for tickets on to Ranong. Found one for 150B each on a local bus - it's 250B each on a "Tourist Bus." About 30 minutes into the journey the conductor came round to collect money for the tickets - they don't let you buy one in advance. When he gets to us he says "180 Baht." I argue and shout and do my best with "but we were quoted 150B each before we got on" to no avail! Eventually the bus pulls over and they start to remove our luggage. It's a bit late for that! We're in the middle of nowhere! So, they have us by the b@lls basically. So we pay. The sad thing is that had we been quoted 180B each in the first place we would gladly have paid it. It's just the way the Thais feel that they
have to rip you off! Tossers! They're as bad as the Bolivians - they'll do anything to make a few quid! Anyway, in the end it cost us 440B each which compared to a 750B each combi-ticket (that probably didn't even exist) we did quite well. Checked into our hostel in Ranong for 250B a night with private room and shared bathroom then booked a visa run for tomorrow for 400B each.
Tuesday 06th January Quite a day today! First the visa run. We were to be picked up at 0900 at the hostel. Obviously this means 1030am! We then had six of us squashed in a five seater pick-up truck which took us to the Thai immigration about ten minutes away. Their computer system was having a bad day so we hung about for about 45 minutes whilst they switched it off and on again - three times! We got our Thai "exit" stamps then got into a wooden longboat at about 1130 for the journey to Kawthoung. The boat was about 18ft long and 3ft wide, had water sloshing about the bottom, a tractor engine bolted to the back and a propellor on the end of a scaffolding pole which was (dangerously) swung about for control. We dropped off the drivers mum with her shopping at a house on wooden stilts then left Thai waters. As we approached Myamnar (Burma) there was a check-point which we waved at but didn't stop. We arrived in Kawthoung at about 1300. Which is actually 1230 Thai time. How cool is that? A half hour time difference. I've never been anywhere with a half hour time difference before! Immigration here is quick and painless but only if you have a clean, crisp 20$ bill tucked into your passport. Then as you leave to go back to the longboat you get hounded and pestered for a tip by the kids.
"We stay here - you give tip!" We've never even seen them before, nevermind recieved a service which would necessitate the provision of a tip! I reckon it's a ploy to get close and invade your pockets. Back in the longboat it's a choppy journey back where we (especially Aimee) got soaked by the wind/waves. Back on dry land in Ranong it's off to Thai immigration for another "entry" stamp. We then had to hang around for another 40 mins. or so before being stuffed back in the pick-up and returned to the hostel. It sounds like a pain but it actually wasn't. We went with three Scotch folk, Andy, Nicki and Alison who said they were going to the hot springs if we wanted to join them. We kindly declined as we had to shower/pack ready for an overnight bus journey tonight. We'd finished everything we had to do by 1500 so we went for a little walk to kill time. We bumped into the Scotch who were just on their way to the springs so we decided to go with them. We soaked our feet for a while then went back to the hostel and ordered food. Mine arrived, Aimee's didn't! It came about twenty minutes later so she had to (politely of course) shove it down her throat before we headed for the bus. It left at 2030 and was a third class, ten hour journey that cost us 333B each. The overhead lights don't work so we can't read. May as well sleep then! Within the first 90 minutes we get stopped three times by the police doing ID/Passport checks so we can't sleep either! At about 0030 we pull over for a toilet stop. After that, thankfully we were left alone to sleep. Evidently, master criminals and terrorist's don't travel after midnight so why bother ID-ing anyone?
And so to Bangkok. I'll save that for another blog though. Hope you are all well.
(some cheeky info for you. In the future, on about the 9th January, we will buy a new camera so hopefully more pictures on the following blogs!)
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