Koh Phangan

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I collected all my things together from my two week home and headed over the the reception area to hand back the key. Sat waiting for the bus to arrive I searched the pages in my guide looking for info on where to go.
The day Im leaving and still not knowing where to, ha, but its now starting to feel like the norm. Get on the bus, board the boat and see where the best spot are from you’re new found map, all in one big swoop when you get there or on the way.
Got talking to two Ozi guys on the coach to the port/peir. They had been staying in a 5 star hotel that they booked from home but was so far away from the beach they had the worst time ever. The whole place filled with couples and wealthy holiday makers they didn’t get to meet anyone and at the same time cost them a fortune! I filled them in on what I had been doing over the past two weeks and they were in fact gutted! In fact they hadnt even seen any sand for the 3 days they stayed.
So off to Koh Phangan.
The port was very busy with the full moon party lingering and the heat saw everyone sat or looking for a cool spot to wait. So much so, people nearly missed their boats and didn’t hear the calls being sat in the shade so far away.
1:30 came and so it was time for my ticket to board. Down the peir and through two boats, everyone dumps the luggage at the front compartment and heads off to find a seat. Me on the other had keep a close eye on my bag as its these in between travels that sees most possesions go missing or looked through. Call it “travelling on your own knowledge“ that maybe a couple or a group could easily miss just by being distracted by a simple conversation.
The engine fires up and sets off. The wind was low today so the water was very calm and we powerd over to my supprise very quickly for a big boat leaving a big wake. The engine note getting higher and higher we make it to Thong Sala in 35 minutes. Happy days.
Before we even got close to docking everyone is up and brawling for luggage, all the babies start crying, the talking noise gets louder,. . . .its was pretty intense and was thinking of pickpockets in a crowded area so waited till the end.
The ropes were thrown to the strongholds and a sudden stop sees people falling over. . Hehe
It goes quieter so I go and retrive my batterd bag. Stepping off, the Thai crew help you over the gap with a big smile and grab hold of you to make sure you don’t fall. It lead me thinking as I walked up the steps to concrete level that people must of fallen in the past. Ha gutted, can you imagion . . . .”No I didn’t even make it off the boat” lol
I got to the last step and looked ahead. . . . .swarms of people like paperazi , holding sighns to various locations around the island. Most were being very forceful in trying to get you into their taxi or whatever it was they were transporting in.
I looked around and still hold that thought of not getting into white number plated taxis as they were the unofficial outfit. Also arriving on an island where I didn’t have any clue about I wasn’t to sure about getting a lift with these people at all. My first instincts were not to far off.
Over to one side were a row Songthiaw all sporting their resorts name and so were all filling up with passangers. “Free lance” Songthiaws if you were were all heading off to different locations to where I was wanting to go so was still looking round.
A guy approached me with a data burst.

“You wan taxi you wan taxi where you wanna go I take you I take you”

“I need to get to Thong Nai Pan beach”

“Ok Ok I go”

“How much, in my guide here look says 200bht and also said that on the internet and tourist office too.”

“200bht” he laughed and turned to his side kick and said something about Ferang . . . . His friend laughed

I started to wander off and not pay to much attention to him after this. . . .just ignore I thought to myself.

“If you want to pay 200bht then you will have to wait till 12 people want to go to the same place as you”

I looked at him and shook my head.

“200bht its not even far”

The next thing he said to me absolutely capped it!

In a pretty aggressive way (as it looked like all the boats passangers were all pretty much sorted apart from a few)

“YOU BOY. . . . WAIT HERE AND DON’T GO ANYWERE!!!” and he turned to go find more people.

I laughed to myself, the words I should of said were “you can fuck right off” but I kept myself reserved and walked off.
I could hear him shouting at me “Hey you hey you come back where you going”

I thought sod it!
I walked down the peir just behind a nice English couple that had come over for a day trip to explore the island. They turned round to me, we all laughed as they had been watching me and this taxi guy.

“What a nice welcome haha”

“You really do have a cool temper” His wife said to me.

Loosing you’re cool in public in Thailand is a big no no but there are times where it is tested to the max.

“You just have to laugh and let it go, Im not confrontational anyhow”

We all looked round and talked about the fact that all the other friendly drivers and trucks seem to be bursting with people and luggage and this guy and his friend driving off without 1.
They were from Blackpool I think they said and were holiday for 4 weeks. I gave them a little info on what I had read up on and then went on my way.

I got to a line of Songthiaws.

“How much to Thong Nai Pan?”

“If you wait here there are two girls coming in a moment that want to go there too 700 for the 3 of you”

That will be 233bht then . . . Ha . . . . . Fate finds its way J

After a 5 minute wait two English girls turn up and try to haggle a little more off the price. Not to be though and we were on our way. The road started off smooth but wasn’t to long until it became an off road experience. The Songthiaw was bouncing around all over the place and we were shooting around in the back, heads visiting the roof every 5 minutes.
This thing was nakerd, the exhaust note was so loud and the amount of smoke it produced could have had the roadside trees dieing in seconds.
I got there . . .well somewere.. Pens bungalows.

I headed into reception and asked for a bungalow. It looked nice from the outside and the bed was big and deep. . .but the rest was very erm. . .rustic!! 200bht a night so I couldn’t exactly complain.
I dumped the bags and wanderd down to the beach. There was silence, nothing but the waves yet again.
I was laying my towel when suddenly out of nowere two little black puppies arrived.
What is it about me attracting dogs?
One grabs my towel and starts dragging it across the sand.
Playin away for a little while they go of to roll around.

Sat there like Tom Hanks in Castaway looking out over the bay. There was nobody!!!!
All the bars were shut, the every night bbq’s that the guide told me about were boarded up there was nothing. The beach was empty aprat from a little washed up rubbish. Instantly I thought I cant stay here for long. One night I was thinkin in fact!
I looked down the beach and saw someone else sunbathing.
She came wandering down the beach looking for shells looking rather bored . . . . . . . . .Please talk to me.
Hiya!!
Her name was Anna, a pretty Dutch girl.
She sat and we got chatting away as the puppies came wandering back.
That night we went out for dinner to wherever we could find and stumbled across a resort not to far down the beach from where we were both staying. We talked all night long and I thought we got to know each other quite well. We both agreed to head down to the full moon party together rather than going it alone so the next day we headed down to Haad Rin for a bit more goings on. We saw the two girls I got the ride with going up aswell so we all agreed to head out together as they too were shocked how quiet it was in the area.

Still without a clock Anna came to knocked me up in the morning.
We headed into our resorts resteraunt overlooking the bay and had breakfast. Well tried. . . Lets just say the kitchens supplies were running very low ha.
We headed out to Haad Rin.

Passing land marks on the map, well as much as I could remember we passed to elephants at an elephant centre where you can go through the rainforest for a ride. They looked nakerd the poor things and not in the best of health at all! Seeing this instantly crossed off my wish to do an elephant treck within my time in Thailand.
We bounced down the road and passed pretty much every other car on the road. . .we were soon there.

The town was very lively with people everywere. Something refreshingly new for me.
We got dropped in the centre of town. The two girls instantly jumped at the sound of a guy offering accomodation nearby. I think they were very scared about not having anywere to stay. Anna and myself didn’t really worry as something would come up. We wanderd down a street (odviously new arrivals) and Anna headed into a place to check out some prices. I got talking to a French Canadian girl outside who was called Michelle. She said she was staying in a resort just a few metres away and said it was good and away from the party to be (All thinking about break ins). We headed down and got the last two bungalows.
From street level the bungalows cover a hillside with steep steps to the top. Many had really nice views out to sea but mine was right in the back corner tucked away. Not bothering as accomodation is getting more and more in demand ready for the Full Moon Party. 300bht an night . Sorted.
The rest of the day we head down to the beach. It was packed but very nice! Soft fine white sand and a bay not to different to Thong Nai Pan it had a really chiilled vibe. People playd frisby, some guys were playing 5 a side, dogs were flat out asleep and a few people handing out flyers.
Flyers to the Muay Thai. J
Anna had mentioned it before when we were up in the “Quiet zone” that she fancied going to see what it was all about so was an opportunity not to be missed.
We headed out along with Lee who I met on the Bangkok bus (randomly saw him on the beach with Aga)to find some tickets. Asking a few locals as we went we walked to the stadium of where it was going to be held. 150bht tickets bought ha. . The were trying so hard to flog the ringside seats for 500 but upon seeing the venue, it was all close enough to the ring.
Anna and myself headed out for dinner again that night and found a nice place called The Lazy House. It was really nice food but the staff were something else. Upon ordering, they wouldn’t even look at you and when we asked for shakes he told us the machine is broke, just because he couldn’t be arsed to make them.
Not impressed, so didn’t leave a tip. We headed to the meeting point where we would meet everyone. Got there late so we just headed up to the stadium. Arriving 20 mins premature, we thought we might of seen someone, nobody in sight! So went a scouted for a local bar for a quick drink along with two guys Anna knew/we got to know called Chris and Manny. We talked about previous travel experiences and what to do and where to go,Chris told me about a few places in Laos he had been to before so Il be sure to check them out.

9oclock came so we headed back to the ring.
Its was pretty full by now and met up with Lee and a few of his friends.

The Boxing.

On having a descussion with Lee before the fight. . .we noticed that there wasn’t any locals in. This was the first thing that arroused suspicion.lol Second was the announcer came up with “Theres only two reasons that allow people to gamble in Thailand, the first one I don’t really know. . . .but the second one is Muay Thai!!!!! So come on people come down to ringside and place you’re bets now”

Me and Lee look at each other and laugh knowing gambling is not allowed at all in Thailand.

Thinking away. . .this is just gona be totally fixed.

Ding the bell goes for round one. . . .a little tipsey so couldn’t remember the round but a punch that just didn’t seem strong enough to me knocks out and ends the first fight. Ha
First 4 fights with 4 knockouts! Hmmm none of which seemed hard enough hits to me although one guy got a well bad knee to the face and created a huge cut and blood everywere.

The half time attraction was pretty impressive though!
A little boy aged 11 put on a fire show which really was impressive!
Il put video up asap

The rest of the fights finished with ko’s and one going the 5 round distance.

Not really convinced. . .Im gona do some research and maybe visit a stadium in Bangkok and get to see some real competition, not some that the corner crew are all smiles between each rounds.

Muay Thai for tourists I think you can call it. Especially when they plug the pool party that’s gona happen just after the fights and cut the final round short so people don’t start to leave to early.
Anyhow. . . . .
We headed down to the beach soon after (11:30) and got a bit of a taste of the party. J
Body paints, fire shows, music booming, platforms to dance on. . .the place was rockin with around 5000 people.
A mere fraction that was going to turn up the following night.
Drink buckets. . . . bottles of vodka,red bull shot ,a mixer, whisky, rum with different mixers, all available between the line of bars from a row of white stalls for 150bht.The sellers are so competative. They are all stood side by side and are so eager to get you in to buy. Screaming out, dressing up, coverd in body paints, anything that will get you’re attention. I bought one from Batman as he seem to of made the most effort haha.

Like now. . . . .the Full Moon Party Night, Im sat typing listening to the Huge speakers on the beach blasting out Robert miles and Tiesto tunes. The beach is a good 15 min walk away.
So many people were turning up today and there is a huge pre tention atmos around the place ready to erupt as soon as the night comes.
And its here!

Party on baby!

I thought Ibiza was going to be the best party island I had ever been to. . . . . . . . How wrong could I be.

The Full Moon party.

As much as I get in the grove and write these notes. .. . . . Im struggling to figure out how to describe it. So I wont. Haha

Theres pictures and hopefully videos soon for all to see so you can judge for you’reself how it was.
Hopefully Il make it to another one, Maybe in this same trip ;-) hehe

Youtube search . . . . andyofaceness

Right now . . it’s a few days after the party. . . I don’t know how many . . Cant remember, everythings kind of being merged into one at the mo. But I went from Had Rin today to Thong Sala in a Sonthiaw with Anna and we said goodbye at the port. She was heading off to Bangkok for her last few days before home, my party partner has now gone. L
I set off to a place called Ao Mae Hat and Koh Ma. I got in another taxi from the port and asked to go to The Island View Cabana. Its resort in the north West of the island. Thought Id find a nice quiet place for a while to chill. I got here about 1 today and found that the bungalows are pretty nice (well nicer than what I have been in) and the surroundings are v peacefully. Koh Ma is linked with a sand bar to the beach right infront of the resort and will look ace in the pics when the sun gets out (hopefully tomorrow).
Had a bite to eat on the dining terrace too. . . .The food is amazing!!!!!!!!! Just had a simple hot Chicken sandwich but I have to say it. . . . . .TO ALL OZIS!!!! It totally put Oporto to shame!! Haha
Loads of people are in and out of the water with snorkling gear so there must be a huge reef just off the beach too. . . . Can this place get any better?? Il have to give the underwater camera a try and see what I can produce tomorrow. . .. . . . .



HAPPY DAYS!!!!!!!

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