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Published: November 11th 2009
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Welcome to Thailand
CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR LARGER VERSION Video above: Thai dancing during Loy Kratong and
Loy Krathong Parade excerpt (turn the volume down) Unless you have a particular interest in the text, just CLICK on the video frame above then scroll
through the photos below
Otherwise, go to My Travel Blogs and scroll through a couple of years of travel Click on any photo to enlarge Back to Thailand
The first week of October I used my Aeroplan miles to fly from Toronto to Bangkok.
From Toronto to Tokyo I flew an Air Canada 777 then from Tokyo to
Bangkok with All-Nippon Air.
All-Nippon Air was an hour and a half late to leave Tokyo but
the service was first class. Unfortunately because of their late arrival
I missed the last airport bus at 11:50 pm to the city.
Oct 12, 2009, Daily Express: re: All-Nippon Air; I just read that they are
doing a pilot program for 30 days where they are asking all passengers to pee before
boarding the airplane in order to reduce weight of the airplane. No Joking! Is the world
going nuts? I spent a
few days Bangkok Demonstration
The Red Shirt demonstration at the Democracy Monument
brought back memories of last year when the yellowshirts closed down the international airport. in Bangkok just getting over my jet-lag.
It's good to have a brief trip within North America before returning. You can't believe that what you pay for
a dormitory bed in a hostel in Canada/US can get you a room with cable TV, swimming pool and all amenities in South East Asia.
Although to be fair, the best deals I've gotten have been in Las Vegas. Sunday I returned from a trip to downtown Bangkok. The bus dropped me off prematurely because it couldn't get by Democracy Monument. Hordes of "redshirts" had gathered. The "yellowshirts" had shut the airport down last year around Christmas objecting to a government in support of the exiled prime minister, Thaksin. The international
news reports of these demonstrations could be the reason that tourism is down this year in Thailand.
That situation could come about again because just recently Thaksin has been made economic advisor
Hun Sen causing tension between Cambodia and Thailand. Each country just called back their ambassadors (early November).
I took an overnight sleeper train from Bangkok to
Chiang Mai. It was two and half hours late. Perhaps it had something to do with the railroad strike in progress.
But its nice to be back in Chiang Mai and say hello to people I've known.
I took a room for the month in a familiar Guest House who supplies cable TV, refrigerator and Wi-Fi .
Then I joined my old health club / swimming pool to help establish my routine for the coming season.
Loi Krathong Festival takes place November 1st and 2nd this year.
It's always on the first full-moon of the twelfth lunar month. Holidays that are marked by the full moon
are good because it keeps away a lot of backpackers who go to the infamous full-moon parties on the islands.
Thais pay respect to the goddess of the waters by floating candlelite offerings on any and all waterways around the kingdom.
The floating of a Krathong and a banana leaf cup is intended to float away ill fortune as well as to express apologies to Khongkha or Ganga, the River Goddess. Some believe that the ritual is meant to worship the Buddha’s footprint on the bank of the Narmada River, while others say that it is to pay respect
Loy Krathong Parade
Beautiful floats with beautiful women travel the route for hours. to Phra Uppakhut, one of the Lord Buddha’s great disciples.
Khom Loys” (paper hot air floating lanterns) fill the air. They take away the misfortunes on earth.
Thai Airways adjusted its flight schedules for the Chiang Mai route during the Loy Krathong festival to
avoid the hazards posed by the floating lanterns.
Beauty contests: At each festival there seems to be a beauty contest. Beautiful women contests, overweight women contests,
child beauty contests and transexual / transvestite beauty contests.
In the Bangkok Post a photo of the winner of the Transexual Beauty Pageant in Pattaya.
All contestants must have been born a man. A Japanese transexual won the title. Interesting sideline is
that the Chinese contestant had won a regular beauty pageant in China but when it was discovered the
winner had been a man, he/she was forced to return the title. see photos below They have an overweight women beauty contest.
However this is topped by a beauty contest in China where they have a beauty contest only for women who have had cosmetic surgery. It's been 29 days and
time to get a new visa at the Mai Sai / Tachileck Burmese border point.
Summary of Visa Renewal Day: Out the door of the hotel at 5:00 am. No song taews so I walked to the Arcade Bus Terminal. At 5:41 I have a bus ticket in my hand for the 6:00 am bus to Mae Sai, For 165 Baht($5.25 Cdn).
There's a new bus terminal in Chiang Rai. The old one was in the centre of the city. This one is a few kilometres outside. Five hours after leaving Chiang Mai the bus arrives at Mae Sai bus terminal and a
15 Baht (50 cent) song taew ride takes me to the border. Ten dollars US payment at the Burma border and after a brief stroll through the town market I bought some duty free liquor and repeat the same bus routine to return to Chiang Mai by 7pm that night.
The return bus is either the same bus I came on or a first class bus. Two first class bus-tickets are available. One for 220Baht ($7) or 330Baht ($10). When I got on the bus I found out
Loy Krathong Parade
Elaborate Floats travel the streets for hours the difference was that for $10 you
got a "business class" type seat and a sandwich instead of a cookie.
Tachilek, Burma is a favourite place for animal contraband,
see photo. Good thing about the border is the duty free shop. Wine in Thailand is not cheap. Cheapest is about $14 a bottle. Duty free in Burma you can get a bottle of a Monet from Chile for $6.00. Special prices for Burmese
Dark Rum and
Burmese Scotch Whiskey? European Film Festival is in town before it goes to Bangkok.
A plus is that the films are only a couple of dollars.
One of the films I saw was from Luxembourg starring Marianne Faithfull (remember "As Tears Go By?").
It's a relaxing experience to watch a movie with no monsters, explosions or other special effects.
Take a look at my previous blogs by going to and scrolling down through the last 40 entries
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Elmars
non-member comment
....++++
Thanks for the Travelogue, John. Very interesting.