Beginning of a New Year

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Still Here...and Rambling about nothing

posted Jan 16, 2008.
It's surprisingly cool here in the evening during the winter months and definitely long pants and a sweater are desirable.

Bangkok Post side article:
Two people witnessed a 37 year old worker at a South African zoo entered the lions cage to
feed them when nine lions attacked and ate him. All that remained was his skull and spinal cord.
You don't see side articles like this in the newspapers back home. Poor guy.

The King's older sister died and the country is in mourning. Tens of thousands of people are lining up at the royal palace in Bangkok to pay their respects.

Three policemen were shot around New Years in Ayutthya, just north of Bangkok.
The killers were targetted and their bullet riddled bodies were found today (Jan 11th).
Quick justice.

I made the visa run to Mae Sai, the closest border point, so I could enter into Burma then obtain a re-entry stamp for Thailand. That's a long day. The bus leaves at 6am and arrives back at the Chiang Mai bus station at 7pm. You can shave off a few hours by going in a mini-van full of foreigners and paying twice as much. For the morning bus ride it's more comfortable if you have a blanket. Not only is it cold when you get on the bus, it gets colder as the bus goes higher. Then when you get in the returning bus at 2pm it is uncomfortably hot especially if your assigned seat is on the sunny side. That's a long day just to get a stamp that allows you another 4 weeks in Thailand.
Even 100 metres across the Sai River into Tachilek, Burma you notice the different customs. The women wear a powdered paste from the thanaka tree on their faces to not only protect them from the sun but act as a beauty secret. The men wear sarongs. There's lots of venders selling stuff made in China including imitation American cigarettes. Also there's kiosks with skins, talons and claws from everything that would make a WWF agent's eyes pop.

Selfishly, I think that these countries are for the benefit of people, like myself, who have dared to break from convention at an early age and travel to far away places. Unfortunately, hordes of young people have made travelling to exotic places " the norm". The travelling to far away places has become part of the right of passage for university graduates into adult hood. Not only that, but all the old baby boomers are retiring and have joined them. When I first travelled here any "farang" on the street recognized each other. Now, I might as well be in downtown Toronto for all the recognized faces I see. There seems to be as many foreigners as Thais as some areas have become popular. Thanks to Lonely Planet.

Bangkok Post on Jan 12 ,2008: Last Sunday 24 year old John Les Del Pinto from Calgary was shot dead, once in the mouth and once in the body, by a policeman in Pai (old travellers spot, now Khoa San Rd of the north).
His 24 year old wife from BC was also shot. They were arguing about her pregnancy with a Thai boyfriend. She is in the hospital in Chiang Mai and the policeman is out on bail. The police want the girl back in Pai. She wants protection from the Canadian Embassy. The policeman said it was an accident.

Tomorrow I'll take the train to Bangkok and decide where I'll go to get a longer visa.

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Photos

Myanmar (Burma)/Thailand border
It takes 30 seconds to walk into Burma. Pay your "visa" fee of $10 and turn around to get a new Thailand entry.

Tribal People
People from the towns come to Tachilek to try and get a little income.

Tachilek, Myanmar
Old lady hoping some fortunes pass her way.

Comments

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i like this photo