Blogs from Ko Kret, Central Thailand, Thailand, Asia

Some friends and I took a trip just outside the city to a little island called Koh Kret. An hour's bus ride away, it's in the middle of the Chao Praya river and feels like it's a world away from the noise and chaos of the city. It's only open for tourists on weekends and public holidays, so the island still retains its traditional charms. We arrived at the water's edge and took a very short ferry ride across the river. There's quite a bit to do and see: wats, shopping, eating, and exploring. Since many in the group wanted last minute Xmas presents, we spent quite a bit of time shopping. After the shopping, we ate a lovely meal, saw some traditional pottery in the making, and then did some exploring of the island and ... read more

I bought the best book yesterday. It is called "Very Thai" and it is small essays on all of the things that make up Thai culture. There are quite a few things that I have seen and definitely asked myself about as they seem to be distinctly Thai and this book covers all of them, such as: - why some men have long fingernails; - the popularity of foodstalls especially food on a stick (I have had quite a few things on a stick ... quick, easy and quite good) and drinks in a bag (Jana was quite excited to have Coke in a Bag and Orange Fanta in a Bag in Ayutthaya); - the traditional thai tattoos (a lot of men have them and I have seen many women with tattoos on their fingers, wrists, ... read more

Koh Kred is a small, carless island in the middle of the Chao Phraya river known for its beautiful pottery. We enjoyed visiting the island on our last trip and so decided to return for our last afternoon in Thailand. Shortly after arriving on the island by ferry, J stopped to take a picture of a passing long-tail boat. The driver slowed down, then stopped in front of us. He wanted to take us for a ride around the island, that much was clear even though he spoke no English. He ended up calling someone on his cell phone that spoke barely more English to negotiate a price and length of time with J. Once that was settled, we were whisked away in the fastest long-tail yet for a quick race around the island! Once we ... read more