Ko Phayam

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After a unnecessarily long journey from Bangkok we arrived in Ranong on the Burmese border. From there it was a three hour boat ride to Ko Phayam, a small island with no cars, just motorbikes and bicycles. We stayed at Mountain Resort which was simply five small bungalows and a small covered-patio restaurant. There is only electricity from 6pm to 10pm. It is a place to just relax on the beach and enjoy silence.
The family that ran the place was really wonderful. A middle aged couple with two children an a grandchild that lived with them. At night we would talk to them over dinner and the wife, Mae Phen, would sing us traditional Thai songs while her husband, Kaneung, would use the table as a drum. The songs were strange and beautiful. As she sang, the sound of the waves crashing on the beach 20 meters away created a wonderful mood. It was really moving.

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