Southern Thailand - Pt 2


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February 27th 2011
Published: February 27th 2011
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 Video Playlist:

1: Khanom beach-scape 35 secs
Nakhon Si ThammaretNakhon Si ThammaretNakhon Si Thammaret

Typical 'non-tourist' Southern Thai townscape.

South-East Thailand




This is the second of a 2 part 'travel-blog' describing our time in Southern Thailand. When planning our sojourn to Myanmar, we decided to also include time in southern Thailand as we'd not been to this region before. Generally, as we live beside a globally 'world class' beach, we've not gone searching for beach locations to 'adventure'. That said, so many people give glowing reports of southern Thailand, we felt we'd be foolish to not go visit.


To keep the 'blog' to a reasonable length, we've made it into 2 parts; this part which focuses on the 'south-east' part of southern Thailand; focussing on Nakhon Si Thamaarat.

If you didn't get to read part 1, go click here


As always, if you want to 'see' more detail in an accompanying picture, click it to enlarge.






Tuesday 22 Feb.




After packing up and getting transported back to Krabi (from Ao Nang), we stood on the roadside waiting for the Phuket to Nakhon Si Thammarat bus. We were advised the driver has been alerted to pick us up there. Mmmmmm!! Knowing that not all
Street entry to Thai HotelStreet entry to Thai HotelStreet entry to Thai Hotel

Schemozzle is an apt word.
information 'marries', and that there was no distinct bus stop, we waited on the roadside. Fortunate decision; the bus came careering along the road and both our frantic waving appeared not to attract the driver. By jumping out onto the roadside further, and 'going beserk', we eventually got the drivers' attention. Running to catch the bus, we hopped on for an uneventful journey to Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The bus did not take a main highway route - there is none from west to eat - and there were no typical bus stops along the way. Instead, people just hailed the driver.

We learned very quickly that Nakhon Si Thammarat (hereafter NST), is not on the tourist 'trail' and hence unpretentious. The bus stopped in a street, and thinking we'd be deposited at a bus station, we were surprised when the driver said Stop here, Nakhon si Thammarat. Alighting, we asked directions to the Thai Hotel. Through broken bits of English, we gathered it was down a street and some distance away. We were offered transport on the back of a motorbike, so took the offer. Each on a different bike, we headed into the car clogged metropolis of NST. After being deposited outside the hotel, we each concurred that it was great being back on a bike.

After a visit to the (several different) local information offices, we determined that the 'attractions' for us required a car. We learnt there was only one car rental office in town, and after finding the place down a back street, secured the only car available for the next day; a crusty old Mitsubishi Lancer.

We then had to scour town to find a road-map. After miles of walking, visiting several bookstores - each saying there was no market for same in NST, but try here or there - we eventually secured one at the last bookstore. Phew!!! there were no more options.





Wednesday;.



...to the eastern sea shore.

After picking up the crusty old Lancer, we headed north to look-see the beaches fronting the Gulf of Thailand. Up the road a bit, we turned off the highway at Tha Sala just to see what was there. Being a (small) port, fishing and related activities dominate the way-of-life for the Tha Sala regions' inhabitants. Though we could see that householders were drying fish material (ie. small fish, fishmeal, prawns, etc), it was the smell that more signalled the activity.

Instead of returning to the highway, we followed a narrow coastal road that appeared to service the several villages along the coast. That said, every village had a road going westwards to the highway. But, for us, the 'ambience' was of a rustic coastal scenery; under a continuous forest of aged coconut palms, unpainted wooden dwellings dot the foreshore, each with a contrastingly colourfully painted longtail boat parked on the beach.

Occasionally, the fisher buildings would give way to a a 'resort' of sorts; typically someone's grand economic venture stalled by a lack of customers, and quietly fading back into the abyss of munyana that is this coastal 'scene'.

We eventually found ourselves at Sichon, a larger fishing port, with an even stronger pungent rotting fish aroma.

Wanting to quickly depart the area, we headed back onto the highway. Shortly, we found a roadside foodstand with plenty of cars - a good sign. After a beer and a great stir-fried rice dish, we continued our way north. But, not for long, we soon 'found' a roadsign pointing to another beach area. This time Hat Phlai Dam. This appeared a recent road development as there was little in the way of beachside munyana. The road traversed some lowish ranges and we were 'deposited' at a resort at Hat Phlai Dam. Again, too much money invested for demand, but nevertheless, a really beautiful place.

The lunchtime beer was making us drowsy, and the strategically placed benches under trees along the shady foreshore was just too much. Lying back, with the sweet breeze across our faces, we awoke sometime later. One of us was snoring!!!!

We headed back to NST to a great seafood meal.





Thursday;.



...to the forest.

To the west of NST (about 30k) is a dominant mountain range, with peaks of around 1600m. Being coastal and tropical, these 'mountains' have a series of streams flowing onto the plain. The agricultural 'culture' of the NST region (and the city itself) has grown around these streamflows. NST has a long history, and long ago was even a walled city. Wisely, the city fathers preserved the mountains in the forested state, and this area is now a National Park.

We ventured
Khao Luang National ParkKhao Luang National ParkKhao Luang National Park

Amphoe Phrom Khiri
to the Khao Luang National Park forests via the village of Phrom Khiri to visit some of the waterfalls. Being tropical, the cool forests not only offer a wonderful temperature contrast but also reveal a cultural aspect to a country that is different to the urban 'picture'. That the government has a A$7 'farang' entry fee, we decided to visit as many as we'd manage in the one day. We don't mind paying the 'farang' fee (farang is the Thai word for foreigner), but as the Thai so often litter freely, we feel the gov't should also impose a small fee to 'educate' the Thai as to the cost of 'cleanliness'.


At the first waterfall, we befriended a German couple who'd arrived on the back of a motorbike (with no return plan) and we offered them a lift to the next waterfall. We enjoyed their company for the rest of the day. It is good to meet others, and enjoy collaborating, etc.

The second waterfall area was outstanding. One pool was particularly enticing and as we were a bit hot and sweaty, we enjoyed a dip. In the pool were a carp-like fish - some up to
Going for a dip and...Going for a dip and...Going for a dip and...

Not only did we get a cool down, the fish (look closely) came to nibble our skin.
a foot long - that once we were still, would come and nibble our skin. So, not only did we get refreshed, we also got a 'cleaning'. The cleaning 'power' of these same fish has been harnessed by entrepreneurs in large cities throughout SE Asia offering 'fish cleaning' spa pools for well heeled tourists.

On the way back to NST, we stopped at a roadside stall for BBQ chicken. Yu-uummmmm!!!




Friday;.



...back to the beach.

Having enjoyed the beach-side north of NST, chose to drive and look-see at the southern aspect.

What an anticlimax. We headed for Pak Phanang, a largish fishing town. There, the town is split into two by a tidal river, with the dominant (and wealthier) administrative part on the westbank, and the more densely habited side on the east side. Like all coastal 'port' locations in SE Asia, there is a large Chinese population here. We grabbed some fruit and ventured onwards towards the coastline (another 10k).

The large estuary of Pak Phanang is 'protected' to its north by a cape or peninsular. Being sandy and with poor vegetation, there appears to not have been much long term population. Nevertheless, there has been much recent 'development' into fish farms. These now occupy much of the coastal dune line.

The beach zone hads been denuded to facilitate the fish &/or prawn farms. Generally, where there are villages, they are dirt poor, and filthy. We hunched that affluent 'investors' have developed the seafood farms, and brought in labour to work for a pittance.

On our return from the cape. we stopped at Ban Chai Thale beach, and enjoyed a most fantastic prawn and fried rice lunch.

On our return to NST, we relaxed before finding a great seafood restaurant which served us the most fantastic Thai seafood. Hot, spicy, salty, sour, sweet - it was all there.






Saturday;.



...more beach.


We'd been finding that NST and it's environs so totally non-touristed. That said, the city and locality is (generally) delightful. We consider NST to be 'honest'; that is, lacking pretentions. We feelt that we are enjoying Thai culture without the 'marketing' found in other destinations.

Given this, we noted on our map that a town far to the north had many 'H' signs -
Khanom beach areaKhanom beach areaKhanom beach area

This southern end is called Hat Nai Phlao
indicating hotels. We surmised that this suggested that that area had been 'developed' for tourism. So, we drove the hour up the highway to get to Khanom.

What a 'find'! Yes, there are many hotels; albeit most being resorts. But, they are mostly so far apart as not to convey a tourism 'feel'. And, we learnt, the tourism market here is not 'farang' but Thai's. Clearly, there was a smattering of 'farang', but only a few. Currently, it is not the Thai holiday season so the place was largely deserted. The beach area is as good as anywhere we've encountered, and the services - while minimal - adequate for a beach-side holiday.

We headed south from Khanm along the scenically beautiful coastline, past resorts, open 'spaces' and rustic dwellings towards Hat Nai Phlao. This end of the coastline is more upmarket, and with more expensive resorts 'popping up'. We felt this end will draw international tourists, and signal the end of this sleepy beach hideaway.

Venturing further south along a concrete 'track' we arrived at Ao Thong Yi - to an almost hippie ambience. One 'homestay', a delightful little beach sandwiched between two rocky headlands, and a restaurant. Being lunchtime, we treated ourselves to more prawns and fried rice - this time without the beer. Again Yuu-uuummmmmmm!!.

Having 'booked' the car for a 6pm return, we bid our 'farewells' (metaphorically) and returned to NST.





Sunday;.



...to Bangkok.

Today we head to Bangkok, merely to catch another plane tomorrow to Rangoon. And, that will be the material for another blog.


- - - -

An overview

The contrast between the west and east of southern Thailand is immense.

The west (as per our part 1) is decidedly tourist focussed. Though Thai in 'flavour', the culture is really a form of Thai oriented western. And, in serving the tourist dollar, the Thai we met were doing their darndest to 'satisfy' the needs/wants of the western clients.

In contrast the east is decidedly locally focussed. The 'interests' of the tourist is not well catered for, and when it is it is not on tourists' terms (as in the west). Instead, the tourist must (largely) adapt to the Thia ways of life. In our view, there is nothing wrong with this.

The western 'experience' was great. We undertook good adventures, each of which was satisfying. That said, we were largely doing 'our' thing in the area.

The eastern 'experience' was also great, but different. Our adventures were no less godd. But, they were more about us adjusting ourselves to the Thai way of life - which was instructive for us.

Both have been fun, but our 'education' of Thai life and association with Thai culture has been furthered by the eastern experience.



😱


Cheers






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