Blogs from Thailand, Asia - page 2909

General observations of the Samui Archipelago: 1 - If Thai folk generally drive like madman then the islanders need sectioning. 2 - The long haired locals are suspiciously laid back. 3 - If bungalow construction continues at the rate it is then in 10 years time that is all there will be. Ko Samui is Ko Phangan's older and bigger messed up brother. If Phangan was Jonny Depp, liked to binge but essentially too cool to warrant problematic, then Samui is a drunk from the old school, someone like William Holden or Oliver Reed. Lamai for example is made up of Hua Hin rejects, tattooed skinheads and lascivious men with a penchant for Thai girls. It's only marginally eased by a steep beach that induces impressive waves abetted by the sudden storms that often creep in ... read more

Day Two - December 1, 2002: Bangkok After only four hours sleep I awoke to the noisy rattle of the air conditioner above my head, the first motorcyclists of the day starting up their shitbox bikes, and the locals down at street level deciding that the crack of dawn was the perfect time to wake the dead by clanging their pots and pans together. The pumping dance tunes from the swanky nightclub only 30 metres from my window had finally subsided and it was time to drag myself out of bed, limp into the bathroom, and try to make myself look like I hadn't just spent the past 48 hours in a coffin, even though it felt like it. Tony bashed on the door on his way past to yelled out that he would meet me ... read more

Sanut Thani is a return to the polluted ravaged mindset that is Bangkok but without the fun. Its only real use is as a stop off point prior to getting the ferry to Ko Phangan or Ko Samui. You can't even really get drunk in Sanut Thani such is the shortage of bars or suitably inspiring vistas. It does however lie upon a river and the opposing bank seems to be made up off nothing but palm trees. This low rise scenery is actually quite impressive as it gives the impression that for about a 1000 miles there is nothing at all but vegetation. Then you turn around and realise that you are in one of the most mundane towns Thailand has to offer. Thailand is a dichotomy. The people are extremely warm and friendly and ... read more

There is nothing to do in Prachuap Khiri Khan except get drunk. Unlike Berlin-on-Sea though, it is not without its charms. The town looks out onto a bay flanked by two imperious mountains and just sits there doing nothing. There is an abundance of gloriously healthy 50's functionalist architecture, a stark contrast to the scarred counterparts that make up most of Bangkok. Platoons of monkeys hang out on the waterfront giving this sleepy town a decidedly renegade edge. And seeing Thai schoolgirls three to a scooter sipping drinks through straws as they hurtle along the esplanade is the sweetest thing. General observations about Thailand: 1 - Everyone drives like madmen. 2 - There are so many palm trees that, the odd hill aside, the landscape is actually pretty dull. 3 - All the dogs here seem ... read more

Vel, saa sitter jeg her paa flyplassen i Bangkok og venter paa flyet mitt til Hanoi. Det er merkelig hvor mye tid som egentlig gaar med paa aa vente naar man er ute aa reiser... Man tror at man er ute aa reiser, men egentlig sitter man bare paa forskjellige flyplasser, togstasjoner, buss-stasjoner, kaier, cafeer-cum-holdeplasser, og venter paa at noe skal komme, eller at noe skal gaa. Vel, ankom Bangkok i gaar (eller i dag) to timer forsinket. Skulle ha ankommet 23:15, men landet heller 01:00. En noe forvirret flykaptein annonserte at lokal tid var onsdag den 21ste november (jeg visste ikke at Bangkok hadde et annet tidssystem enn resten av verden, for saa langt jeg vet saa var det i resten av verden torsdag 21ste november). Men, men. Var veldig troett, og fikk lastet av ... read more

Hua Hin - or should that be 'Berlin-on-Sea'. There are divisions or hairy Germans everywhere. Jerry has certainly got one hell of a stronghold on this town. I haven’t mentioned the war. As a holiday resort it stinks but as a place to recover from the impact of Bangkok it serves a purpose. With a Hilton hotel dominating a high street composed of mostly restaurants and European fashion boutiques it nestles against the hills and presides over the gulf of Thailand like some sort of Aryan retirement home. Relief from this distinctly Bavarian order can be found in smaller bars and the 'All Nations' hostel that is run by a friendly Canadian named Tim. A bonus is the restaurants. Here you can eat the best Sea Bass you will ever taste although it comes at a ... read more