Thailand

Written: Dec 19, 2002
Location: Chiang Rai, Thailand

This entry describes four weeks in Thailand.

Hi All.
It’s been a long time since my last report. So I'll have to catch up, starting with Thailand. I'm currently in Phnom Penh Cambodia.

I arrived in Bangkok on November 21st. On the bus from the airport I was amazed that everything seemed so modern and clean compared to India. There were also a lot more foreign tourists around. I found a cramped room just of the Khao San road and had my first meal of Thai green curry with sweet and sour chicken. It was delicious.

I took a walk down the Khao San road. A place I had read about and heard about for years. It was great to be there. I was expecting a street like those in India but it was a lot cleaner, full of bars, neon lights and street stalls. Western pop music was being played which was so refreshing to hear. Copied CD's were very cheap to buy and loads of stalls were selling T-shirts.

I felt quite scruffy in my Indian travel clothes and bought a new pair of trousers and T-shirt. I had caught a cold in India and it had got worse after arriving. My cramped and hot room did not help matters so I splashed out on a large room with air-con for a few days. This did the trick and in a few days I was feeling much better.

There was a TV at my hotel with ESPN sports. I watched Man Utd beat Newcastle 5-3.

Bangkok was much more humid than India and I often found myself sweating profusely. I found that I could eat pretty cheaply at the local street stalls near Khao San road. For just over a pound I could get a meal of fried rice and a Chang beer (very strong). It was a good place to people watch.

I took a boat down the river. It was a dirty brown colour. The skyline was impressive. We passed several large glittering Wats. Smaller longtail boats whizzed passed us carrying tourists. On my way to the Post Office I passed many antique shops. For 10,000 pounds you could buy four or five Buddhist pieces that looked like they should have been in a museum.

The Post Office was very efficient. There was a parcel packing service and the staff spoke English. It took ten minutes to have two parcels packed and to send all my Christmas mail.

That evening I was sat eating at a street stall when it poured with rain. It was so hard that I had to get a ride back to my guesthouse in a Tuk-Tuk (three wheel taxi).

Bangkok is notorious for scams. I was sat at a restaurant when a local man introduced himself. When he found out I lived in Manchester he said his sister was starting a job at the hospital there in a couple of months. He wanted me to accompany him home to talk to his mother to re-assure her that the sister would be OK. I refused but said I would meet him and his sister at the restaurant the following day to answer any questions she may have. I arrive the next day at the agreed time but the man was nowhere to be seen. It confirmed my suspicions that he was a scammer. Later in a Bangkok shopping centre another man tried the same story but I was ready and said I had heard the story before. He simply shrugged and walked off. I had been warned about Jewellery scams by a woman in India who had lost 2,000 dollars. I told this to a woman I met in Bangkok and by coincidence the next day she was caught up in it and managed to get out at the last minute.

Next morning I'm walking towards Khao San road when a man grabs me saying 'It can't be, It is'. It is Alan the trekker I met in Ladakh four months previously. Its great to see him again and we talk non stop for ages. We went to one of Bangkok's many shopping centres, bigger and more impressive than those at home. There are clothes shops, electronics, souvenirs, a cinema and a great food mall with dozens of different stalls. Alan and I have a couple of good evenings together before he heads for Laos and I head to Northern Thailand.

First stop Kanchanaburi the site of the bridge over the river Kwae immortalised in the film of the same name. The bridge was used by the Japanese to transport supplies to Burma during WWII. It was destroyed by allied bombing but was re-built after the war. It is a very popular tourist destination and during the day was packed. In the evening there was a Sound and Light show. It was an impressive display of film images projected onto a screen of water sprayed into the air. The lights were spectacular and pyrotechnics were used to simulate the bombing of the bridge during the war.

I visited Erawan falls on a day trip arranged through my guesthouse. We travelled in an air-con minibus. I smiled as we drove along listening to Robbie Williams and other pop songs on the radio. It was fun to be travelling in such luxury after India. There were seven separate falls in total spread out over a km or so. The trail passed through forests. The water was turquoise cascading over limestone rocks. The rocks added a grey colour to the water, softening it. On the way down I swam in a couple of the falls, a nice way to cool off. We next visited a section of the 'Death Railway' which was constructed by allied POW's during WWII. Many British, Australian and Dutch men died during the construction of the bridge. There graves are held in two cemeteries in Kanchanaburi. We were meant to take the train back to Kan but there was an accident on the line so we had to drive back instead.

Next day I hired a bicycle and visited the WWII/JEATH museum. It contained lots of old bombs and weaponry from WWII. There were some interesting and harrowing photographs showing the building of the 'Death Railway' and POW camps. One gruesome exhibit showed human skeletons excavated from a mass grave near Kan. One of the skulls contained gold plated teeth! There were also exhibits of semi precious stones and textiles made of Thai silk. The colours of the latter were stunning.

I cycled to the Allied War cemetery. Rows and rows of plaques arranged according to Nationality. The gardens beautifully kept by the gardeners. The epitaphs written by the soldiers loved ones were very touching. Many were written by wives and mothers of the soldiers. I also visited the Chong Kai cemetery along a quiet road out of town. It was very peaceful at this cemetery. I thought I was alone until I noticed two Thai gardeners working quietly. The cemetery was immaculately kept with rose bushes and trees. Next to the cemetery was a river. I sat on the bank watching a fisherman bale out his boat then paddle out to check his nets. A disco barge blaring out music passed by and made an absurd contrast with the fisherman.

My next stop was Sangkhlaburi in the West near the Myanmar border. I took a seat in an air-con mini-van for the three hour journey. We passed through thick forests of bamboo and passed an enormous lake surrounded by low green hills. I had been recommended the Burmese Inn, a series of rooms built out of bamboo situated on a small inlet off the lake. There was a veranda to sit on that looked out over the water. In the evening the sound of frogs croaking and other wildlife was quite deafening.

Next morning at 7am I boarded the long and wide kayak that had been dropped off for me. It was very difficult to steer. The boats nose would veer off in one direction and when I attempted corrective action it would overshoot completely. Many times the boat went round in circles not making any progress. Still I managed to row out a good distance into the middle of the lake. I had to avoid some wooden platforms being used for fishing. I was also cautious as I heard there was a submerged village out there and didn't want to hit anything. It wasn't too hot as the sun was behind mist and clouds. I made my way back. My arms ached but it felt good to be out there.

In the afternoon I walked over the bridge across the lake in the searing heat. I visited a Mon temple or Wat. The Mon people originate from Burma but there are several settlements across the border in Thailand. The wat's central prayer hall (wihaan) was surrounded by golden Buddha statues. I continued to a large Buddhist monastery. The Wat here had brilliant shining pagodas, covered in coloured tiles. I had the place to myself. It was very quiet as I walked around the outside in the cool shade of the roof. There was another wat used for general worship by the public. This contained a large golden Buddha statue. Inside a couple of monks sat chatting.

I visited the monastery where the monks lived. It was a large two storey cavernous building. The monks were quite eager to talk to visitors. I met Ton, a Burmese Mon, living in Canada as a refugee for the last 10 years. His family had badgered him to return to undertake the Buddhist spiritual training. It is common in Thailand for young men to spend some time in a monastery even for as little as two weeks. Ton was spending nine days there. Another monk who was smoking and had a walkman showed me the second floor of the monastery. The huge room contained three golden Buddha. There was a very peaceful feeling there, my mind emptied.

It was the King of Thailand's birthday. There was a large procession of schoolchildren and locals all dressed up in traditional costume. A group of men were hammering on large leather drums.

My next stop was New Sukhothai to see the World Heritage listed temple ruins. To get there I had to return to Kanchanaburi, take a local bus to Suphanburi, another bus to Lopburi and then a train up to Sukhothai. It was a tiring journey and my first experience of local buses in Thailand. They were in quite good condition but with no air-con it was baking hot.

 I stayed overnight in Lopburi and arrived at the train station the following morning. There were no seats on the express train so I had to wait two hours when the ticket master found me one spare seat on the next train. At 293 baht it was not cheap, but we did get a free meal thrown in. The train was comfortable and contained mainly middle class Thai's. The train stopped at Phi-Lok and I had to get a bus from there to Sukhothai. The bus station was across town however and I had to get another bus to it. I had no idea how to get there but I tried out a bit of Thai and said 'Bus station' to a tourist policeman and he pointed me in the right direction. By luck more than anything I arrived and was shown straight to the correct bus.

The next day I visited Sukhothai Historical Park. The home of many ancient Wats from the 12th-14th century, the 'Sukhothai period', one of the first Thai kingdoms. The park contained Buddhist monuments: stupas, Buddha statues, temples all set in a beautiful park with lawns, palm trees and lakes. I hired a bike to ride around the park. Despite the many people (mainly school kids), there was a sense of peace. The monuments were very impressive particularly the Buddha statues, (see pictures above). In the afternoon I visited the museum home to artefacts found around Sukhothai. I was followed around by a teacher with a loudspeaker and hordes of schoolchildren. I could not escape them. Wherever I went they seemed to follow with the teacher blasting away on the loudspeaker.

Next up was Chiang Mai the capital of Northern Thailand. I wasn't over keen on it as it was very touristy and I stayed only two nights. The night market was impressive however, an oasis for shoppers. I wanted to get out into the countryside though and decided to do a trek out of Chiang Rai as I thought it would be quieter.

I headed for Pai a place that had been recommended to me. I took a small local bus up there that was full of backpackers. The scenery was great, jungle forests and misty hills. Rain in places made everything seems alive. I took a bamboo bungalow on the small river running through the village. It was the first time I had had to use a mosquito net.

The following day I hired a motorcycle which was a good choice as the sights were quite spread out. I visited Maw Paeng falls. I rode the first 6km then walked the last two km. I passed through a village on the way and all the locals tried to sell me Opium. It used to be grown in large quantities, the so called 'Golden Triangle'. The Thai government cracked down on it however and the trade has retreated across the borders to Myanmar and Laos. The falls were nice but not as impressive as some I have seen. I'm pretty waterfalled out now. I fancied a swim but the rocks were very slippery and I was totally upended into the water. This was a bit embarrassing but funny afterwards.

In late afternoon I drove back down the valley to the Tha Pai hot springs. I passed a couple of places offering elephant rides. At one, two elephants were feeding on what looked like thick chunks of sugar cane. It was fascinating to watch. The elephants crushed the cane with their feet to soften it up, then tore strips off with their trunk, which they battered against their legs to soften up still further before eating. The hot springs were hot but not very deep, situated in a wood. I found a pool deep enough to sit and lie in. There were leaves and mud in the water but it was very pleasant. The first hot bath I have had since starting my trip.

Pai has several bars and I hit the Be-Bop club where a blues band was playing. They were very good, an Aussie and a Thai shared guitar and vocal duties. The Thai bloke was incredible on guitar and had a low drawl for a singing voice. The Aussie was bopping up and down like BB King.

My next stop was Tha Thon as I wanted to do the boat trip down river to Chiang Rai. I had to get a bus to Mai Malai and then change to another bus. I was dropped off on the main road and had to flag down a bus using the Thai hand signal. This is done by moving the arm up and down with the palms facing down. It worked and a new and comfortable bus took me the rest of the way. As I got of the bus in Tha Thon I dropped my sunglasses without noticing. I went back an hour later to the road and local people had picked them up and kept them for me. I was very pleased.

Tha Thon is dominated by a large hill containing two large Buddha statues, one higher than the other. The view from the top Buddha over the valley with the river winding was spectacular.

I took a boat the following day at 12.30. After a few minutes the boat ran aground on a sand bank and we all had to get out in a foot and a half of water to push. The sun was shining and the rest of the four hour trip was pleasant and uneventful. At Chiang Rai Manfred, a German guy from Bavaria, and me went looking to arrange a trek. We talked to the guesthouse we were staying at and they had a trek starting tomorrow which we took.

That night me, Manfred and a 38 year old German management consultant called Philip had a few drinks in the bar. Manfred and I retired around 12 but Philip stayed up all night drinking with a German couple, playing music in the bar. I could hear the music through the floor and it was a sleepless night. I did not feel fit for a trek the next morning.

We were a group of six: A Dutch couple, Katya and Sara from Germany, Manfred and myself. After half an hour by jeep we started walking. The path was mostly through forest with quite a lot of uphill. We all sweated a lot. I was feeling pretty rough from the night before. We spent the night at an 'Akha' village. I walked around the village, the villagers ignoring me getting on with their activities. I did not feel comfortable taking photos although we had been told it was ok. I took a couple of background shots. Some of the villagers were replacing the bamboo roof of their house.

The only other tourist staying in the village was an Italian girl who was trekking with her female guide. That night Kim, our guide, cooked an awesome Thai meal for dinner. We were offered rice whiskey which the villagers made themselves. It was good, quite smooth for a local brew. There was also a supply of beer available from the head man of the house. We slept in the village house as the villagers do on the wooden floor. After the exertions of the day I don't think anyone had a problem sleeping.

We were woken early by the sound of cockerels calling, pigs snorting and various other animal noises. A great breakfast of coffee and toast revived me. The walking was through thick bamboo forest. I felt a lot better and enjoyed the walking. In the afternoon we crossed a stream and Roff the Dutch guy toppled over on a rock and broke his wrist. Luckily his partner was a nurse and she patched him up with the help of a bamboo splint cut deftly by Kim. The Dutch couple returned with Kim to the previous village to get a ride back to Chiang Rai and the hospital. The rest of us continued with the second guide to the village were we would spend the night.

The guide led the way through deep undergrowth. It was a short cut apparently but we wondered if he knew where he was going. We were all a bit worried and a little down after the accident. The walk was much tougher than we had expected. We eventually reached the village where we would spend the night. We were a little unsure whether to sit down at the entrance to the house unasked. We were a little lost without Kim our English speaking guide. We were motioned to sit down however and it was still light when Kim arrived having walked military style to catch up. The Dutch couple were safely on a truck to Chiang Rai.

Facilities were basic at the village. There was an open toilet. You could go where you liked. Basically find a bush somewhere. It was an experience to take a shower. It was actually a stand pipe in a stream half a km down the hill. All the villagers used it to bathe. I was last to get a shower out of our group. It was almost dark as I crouched under the pipe, the water cold but not freezing. Just as I was finishing a group of villagers arrived laughing. I was a little embarrassed and made a hurried exit.

The sunset was spectacular, the sky a deep red against the clouds and hills. We had another lovely meal cooked on a fire in the main room where we slept. All the members of the household were present including children, the women and the men. It was a very cosy atmosphere.

The last day we only had about two hours walking to do. We walked along a valley past fields with cows and buffalo grazing. We arrived at a large Karen village (another tribe) where we were due to catch a boat but it had gone to the wrong place. Instead we walked across a wooden bridge over the Kok River and took a truck down an incredibly rutted dirt rode to the national park and hot springs where we finished our journey. We had to hang on for dear life to the sides of the truck and avoid overhanging bamboo from battering our heads. It was a tough half hour journey. We were rewarded with a meal of Pad Thai washed down with Sangsom (Thai whiskey) on ice. Afterwards we sat in the hot springs relaxing. The water was the temperature of a hot bath, perfect for bathing after the trek. We were pretty relaxed as we rode in the long tail boat back to Chiang Rai.

After Chiang Rai I took a bus to Chiang Khong on the Thai border and then crossed over the Mekong River by ferry to Huay Xai in Laos. More on this part of the trip in the next instalment.

Until next time. Best Wishes from Phnom Penh. Simon