Below you will find pages that utilize the taxonomy term “Th”
Ayhutthaya
November 18, 2015
An hour and a half north of Bangkok lies Ayhutthaya, capital of an ancient kingdom (wikipedia knows more about that than me). I hadn’t been before and when local couchsurfer Goi offered me to come along for a daytrip on Sunday, I happily jumped at the opportunity.
For Goi it was a bit of a worktrip, as she earns money on the side with travel photography. First stop in the area was a small temple with a big pagoda.
Silom and Chinatown
November 17, 2015
During the day, Silom is a business district with office workers filling the streets. At night it’s still a business district but the industries have changed. One of the sois is home to the infamous Pat Pong sex tourist haven and the whole main road is lined with small shops selling… pretty much everything. Souvenir t-shirts, fake Rolex, dildos, knuckle-dusters, hand-carved soap, …
I had to ply through there every time I wanted to catch the skytrain (BTS) - which basically means a couple of times a day/night.
Bangkok to Yangon
November 16, 2015
Can’t believe I’ve already left Bangkok again. I had a couple of really good days and (as usually) was reluctant to leave Thailand. But with Myanmar calling, it was much easier to leave. I had an 11:30 flight out of BKK’s old airport, Don Mueang, which in terms of facilities isn’t exactly up to speed with Suvarnabhumi. Still, getting there is easy enough and the longest part of the trip was waiting for AirAsia to check people in at glacier speed.
River Bus
November 14, 2015
Boats on the Chao Phraya river form a vital part of Bangkok’s public transport system.
Bangkok Ferry arriving at Mooring from Pat Nomad on Vimeo.
Noodle Soup on familiar Turf
November 12, 2015
It’s 7:20 when we take off from Colombo, en route for the short 3h hop over to Bangkok. Once arrived, it takes a while to clear the long queue at immigration but finally I’m on the train into the centre.
Seeing the city approach brings back memories. I’ve only visited Bangkok properly twice (I think) but also came through a few times on my way to other destinations. All-in-all it feels somewhat familiar, yet still excitingly unknown.
The Thai Prince
May 9, 2012
During my time in Chiang Mai I learned how different many Thais see the king and his son, the crown prince. Thais absolutely adore their king and his picture is literally everywhere. Apparently the guy did a lot of good things for the people during his reign and he keeps donating money to charitable causes.
Forbes estimates his personal fortune to be USD 30 billion so I guess he has a few Baht to spare.
Thai Monks get high
April 24, 2012
Every now and then I had a chat with monks in SEA and never before have I come across religious persons so easy to get along with. They are curious, friendly and never made the slightest attempt to push their beliefs on me.
Being a monk is not a life-long commitment, many young men leave the temples when they have finished their education. Others join at a later age but are not required to stay till the end of their days either.
Leaving the Land of Smiles
April 5, 2012
This morning I decided to pamper myself and support the local economy by taking a taxi to Phaya Thai station. Yet when I stepped onto Silom, the whole road was jammed. Alas, once again I’m back to carrying my backs through the streets and crowded skytrains.
The Bangkok Post recently reported about delays at the airport immigration, even causing passengers to miss flights. Thus I arrive a bit earlier than usual at check-in and am delighted to see that they have almost no queues.
Another Night in Bangkok
April 4, 2012
Even if one is not into binge-drinking and sex-tourism, a night in Bangkok has a lot to offer. Especially for those with a camera in their hands. The BTS stations are a nice spot because they show the street life from above.
The streets in the tourist areas are lined with make-shift markets but the side-alleys still offer local life (and food).
Bangkok Sightseeing
April 4, 2012
With daytime temperatures in the painful range, it’s worth it to get up early and do the outdoorsy stuff before it gets too hot. Couchsurfer Czharina joined me here in Bangkok and yesterday morning we went to do some templing.
The central pier is just a short BTS ride from the hostel and taking a boat to the temple area beats being stuck in traffic by far. Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river is served by ferries that are frequent, cheap (unless you end up on the tourist boat…) and most of all, not affected by rush-hour.
Nakhon to Bangkok
April 3, 2012
Another adventure. Nakhon Si doesn’t have any public transportation to the airport. My friendly helpers at the hotel organised a ‘shuttle bus’ for me but I wasn’t happy with it. It was to leave town at 3 and the check-in for my flight would close at 3:30. No problem they told me, we are small city, everything relaxed here.
Well you can say about SEA what you want, but it works.
Bangkok - once again
April 2, 2012
It must the the 7th time I’m heading to Bangkok from either abroad or a domestic location. My options of getting there this time were diverse and mostly unattractive. Due to the upcoming Songkran festival all beds on the overnight train are sold out and all I could have gotten was a seat in 3rd class. Would have been fun for a short trip but not for 14 hours.
Second worst option was getting on the bus which takes 12 hours plus any delay the congested roads of BKK cause.
Rainy Day and happy End(ings)
April 1, 2012
In the middle of the night I woke up to the sound of thunder and rain hammering on tin roofs. From my room on the 7th floor I got a good view over the city and the lightning-lit sky. It was still raining when I woke up in the morning and it didn’t look like it was going to clear up any time soon.
What better to do on a rainy day than getting a massage.
Ban Khiriwong Adventure
March 31, 2012
Nakhon Si has been a very offbeat experience so far. Hardly anybody speaks English, only some of the hotel’s reception staff do. Yet to get around town and buy food and drinks my Thai is sufficient and it’s actually fun to have need for it once.
The hotel I am staying at is located off a small street that turns into a buzzing little market during day time. They also have a market IN the hotel.
The Deep South
March 31, 2012
Image © Bangkok Post
In Malaysia I came across a traveller (German girl) who wanted to enter Thailand through the southern provinces. I asked her whether she wasn’t concerned about her safety. ‘No’ she said, ‘Thailand is ok’.’ Yes’ I answered, ‘but not the deep South’. I explained the situation to her and she got upset.
‘How come people didn’t tell me about that, that’s so dangerous’. She was a prime example of the mind-less/brain-less traveller.
Offbeat: Nakhon Si Thammarat
March 30, 2012
On the east coast of southern Thailand lies the town of Nakhon Si Thammarat. It is one of the oldest cities around and offers the usual mix of temples, beaches and a national park. Yet for some reason it sees few tourists and that made it even more interesting for me.
This morning I took the trusty old Songthaew for a more than uncomfortable ride out to the bus station. Tickets to Nakhon were not for sale at the station and were only sold on the bus itself.
Rai Leh
March 29, 2012
Between Krabi and Ao Nang is a peninsula commonly referred to as Rai Leh and commonly described as a mighty fine piece of beach. The whole peninsula is cut off the mainland by a series of rocks/mountains that make any road impossible and boats the only way of access.
From Krabi the boat costs a mere 150 Baht but the waiting time can be considerable as the boat man wants to have 7-8 passengers to make enough money off the ride.
Market Food
March 28, 2012
I started my day early with a visit to the local market. They have a speciality here that I wanted to try (Kaow Yum, rice with herbs) and apparently it’s more of a breakfast dish. The market is located centrally in town and just a short drive from where I’m staying.
After making my way through the veggies department and the fish merchants I reached the ‘food court’ area. Before I could hunt down Kaow Yum the market stopped for a minute while the national anthem played.
Krabi: How does it compare
March 27, 2012
For most tourists and travellers, Krabi is just a stop-over on the way to the islands or surrounding beaches. The town itself doesn’t have much of a beach (a small stretch of sand near the river) and thus is lacking what tourists are looking for in this area. The touristy part of town seems to be quite small and just around the corner from my guest house is a Thai neighbourhood with a nice little Thai restaurant.
This place looks nice
March 26, 2012
Hired a scooter, drove around, took pictures.
Beach near Ao Nang, half an hour from Krabi
At the Sai Thai Pier
It was the Year 2004…
The local Landscape
That is one big Squid
Local Politician?
Going to Krabi
March 25, 2012
After more than two splendid weeks, it was time to say goodbye to Malaysia. The country is a fierce contender for a top spot on my list of favourite countries. It is easy to travel in but is significantly less touristy than Thailand (at least concerning western tourists). The locals have been open and friendly and the food was as diverse as good.
I wanted to spend the second half of my trip in Thailand and my stay in George Town was meant to be just a stop-over on the way there.
Bargaining
February 12, 2012
Still no news on the job-front, the idea of leaving this country becomes more and more appealing. Doing business with Kiwis has been no fun so far. How different Asia is in that regard, here’s my collected know-how on getting good deals in SEA.
Everybody knows that in Asian countries bargaining is common and locals often try to charge foreigners ridiculously high prices. So how do you bargain successfully, how do you get a price you know is not completely hilarious?
In Hindsight
December 10, 2011
Still no news on the job front. The agency apparently had a bit of trouble and I had to call them twice to get things going. By now all my referees have replied to them and hopefully they’ll provide some feedback to the company early next week.
Can’t stand this waiting around without anything to do. The job is so attractive that I’m not seriously interested in applying for other offers and thus there’s not much to do other than wait.
Gone already
November 22, 2011
Getting into Thailand from Houay Xai was dead easy. We walked down to the ‘immigration checkpoint’, got stamped out and took the ‘ferry’ over to Chiang Khong.
A seven hours bus ride brought us into Chiang Mai. That town feels a bit like home by now, after all that travelling it’s nice to come to a place where I now the hotels and eateries. I had a bit of time to catch up with Samart and Palm and then it was already time to go again.
Long Distance Travel
November 17, 2011
Back in Thailand after two days on the boat and one day on the bus. More details later.
Women Shoes
October 5, 2011
Recently I met with Chiang Mai based couchsurfer Palm, who runs a shop selling handmade shoes in her own designs. She mentioned that she’d be visiting a new shoemaker to see if they could do business together and I had asked her to take me along.
Thus on Monday I joined her mum and her for the drive to nearby Lamphun. The shoemaker’s place is just a small shop in the outskirts of the city and had a very rural feel to it.
Thai Time coming to an End
October 2, 2011
It’s been almost a month in Thailand again. Can’t believe how fast time is flying. On Tuesday I’ll leave Chiang Mai to get on a flight from BKK to Phnom Penh on Thursday.
My stay in Thailand has been very different this time. Rather than just having a look at the country, I got in touch with the Thais (and Karen) and they have been amazingly friendly, helpful and open. They answered my countless questions and gave me insight into their culture, their thinking, their lives and worries.
Struck
September 30, 2011
Once again I’m down with some kind of fever - that’s the third time or so in Asia. It’s not too bad though and I’ll hopefully be fit in a couple of days. My next station will be Phnom Penh, Cambodia, but I won’t leave Thailand and it’s good medical system until I’m sure I’m ok.
Here in Chiang Mai a lot of people have worse situations to deal with. The ping river flooded and set neighbouring parts of the city under water up to 1m deep.
Muay Thai
September 29, 2011
In Thailand Muay Thai or Thai boxing has a role similar to that of soccer in South America. It is a way for children from underprivileged families to become famous and earn loads of money. The sport’s Mecca is the Lumpini stadium in Bangkok where the highest prize money is paid and tickets cost up to 2000 Baht. But with Muay Thai being the national sport there is events in every city.
A little Trek
September 27, 2011
Being surrounded by lush rainforest and picturesque valleys I was eager to do a bit of walking. On Saturday I joined forces with Tom and Cathy to explore a waterfall roughly an hour away from the bungalows.
The first part of the way is a ‘road’ that is used by local farmers. Road means it’s wider than a footpath and firm enough to drive it with a motorcycle. After roughly half an hour we reached some rapids that we followed into the jungle.
City Intermezzo
September 26, 2011
The two nights at the bungalows were simply amazing, thanks to a great location, a gifted host, friendly locals and a pleasant group of other guests. We headed back to the city as Samart had some business to take care of (no wifi in the countryside) and I had offered to help him with his websites and other computer stuff.
When the work was done we went for another local food experience (Chiang Mai food is very different to Thai food) and on the way got caught in the usual evening shower.
Heaps of Fun
September 25, 2011
After returning from the waterfall it was time to prepare dinner. It was very interesting to give Samart a hand with that and see how a hand full of garlic, chillies and some fish turn into a tasty paste.
Us couchsurfers were also introduced to ‘holy water’, blessed by the monks and with a spirit within. Actually it’s just the distillate of rice, chillies and herbs and is produced by the villagers.
Samart's Bungalows
September 23, 2011
On Sunday morning Samart picked me up near my guest house. Being a tour guide he rides one of these trucks with two benches in the back, just like the red taxis here in Chiang Mai. There was dire need for space as he was taking five other couchsurfers as well.
Our first stop was about 45 minutes outside of Chiang Mai where we went to get supplies at a local market.
Chiang Mai FC
September 21, 2011
After getting back to the city I got in touch with a local couchsurfer, Samart. He works as a tour guide and is extremely active in the community. I met him shortly before my temple adventure when he treated me to a nice northern-Thai food dinner and we had a good time chatting.
On Saturday he was taking a couple of people to a soccer game. Local club Chiang Mai FC was playing a team from the Bangkok area.
In the Countryside
September 20, 2011
A few impressions from some very interesting but also very exhausting days.
Back in the country tomorrow for a couple more days. When I’m back, I have a couple of stories to tell.
Too much religion
September 17, 2011
To make things short: A Buddhist Temple is not the right place for me.
On Thursday I made the journey up to the temple, helping a group of Dutch tourists not to get ripped off by the taxi drivers on the way. At the temple I checked in and was told that the welcoming would be at 2:30, which left me with about three hours to kill. By the way, carrying 20kg of luggage up these steps is pure fun.
Prepared for the Temple
September 14, 2011
Modest white clothing, personal items, insect repellent, an umbrella, I think I’ve got what I need for the next ten days. I hope I won’t be surrounded by too many of the people that a local Thai described as ‘smelly hippie people’.
There is always a fair share of them around in Chiang Mai as the city has a reputation for being the ‘alternative’ centre of Thailand. Most of them are nice people yet some make me look like a republican and have a grasp on reality that is more remote than the shores of a Pacific island.
Chiang Mai Stopover
September 13, 2011
After a 17.5 hours train ride (3.5 hours delay due to floods) I’m back in Chiang Mai now. I didn’t expect to be here again that soon but the city is a stop on the way to my next adventure. Quite an unusual adventure that’ll be, a ten days meditation retreat at Wat Phradhat Doi Suthep.
I’ve been interested in learning meditation for a while but never really got the hang of it.
Bangkok with the Locals
September 10, 2011
Yesterday and earlier today I got to experience Bangkok with local knowledge by my side. Two Bangkok-born couchsurfers, Sara and Oh, showed me around their parts of the city and told me about Thai everyday life. Now I know that Thais really love their king, they don’t like the prince and the police is corrupt to the bone.
It was an interesting encounter each time and both Sara and Oh have their own opinions on Thailand and westerners so I got to hear more than one side of the story.
Bangkok's buzzing
September 9, 2011
It’s business as usual. Bangkok is smelly, smoggy, crowded, hot and humid. In the beginning I always wonder why I’m staying here again and again but the answer comes with the first stroll through the streets: It’s interesting. Getting bored in Bangkok is almost impossible.
I started yesterday evening with a massage. There isn’t any places around the guest house but the lady at the reception recommended to take the subway to Silom Road.
Back in the Heat
September 8, 2011
Wednesday morning starts early for me. I don’t want to take a gamble with the railway and decided to take a train that takes me a couple of hours early to Berlin. All connections are on time though and I arrive in Berlin around noon. The central station in Berlin is impressive, trains on two levels and heaps of shopping possibilities.
I spend some time with my cousin and his wife at their place and it’s nice to see them again.
Sunrise
July 17, 2011
Here’s to the land of the rising sun. Well done, 日本.
Birdie Beach, NSW
Birdie Beach, NSW
Birdie Beach, NSW
Birdie Beach, NSW
Cape Tribulation, QLD
Yass, NSW
Chumphon, Thailand
Back in Town
July 5, 2011
After three times in Bangkok all my visits have been quite unique. This time it was mostly the life after sunset that made the streets very interesting. The wild mix of families with kids, hookers, touts, pimps, merchants, food stalls, moto drivers and Muslim tourists with women dressed up like tents. Here’s a video of the small lane where my guest house was.
I spent my last day walking around, sitting down every now and then and just watching the show.
Koh Tao to Bangkok, the Journey's first part
June 23, 2011
The day before my departure was an uneventful one. I did some final travel planing and tidied up my stuff, getting rid of gear I never used in hopes to make my backpack a bit smaller and lighter. It’s the third time I did that in Thailand but every time I end up with a heavy and bursting backpack not much later. No idea how that’s physically possible, must be some special backpacker law of physics.
Koh Tao accompanied my evening beer with a nice sunset. After all that time on the Aussie east coast I saw the sun rising over the ocean countless times but never did I see it set there.
In the morning I have to leave my room at 10:00 which is quite early for Thai standards. I asked them if a later checkout would be possible and was told I’d have to pay 100B per hour. Considering that the bungalow cost me 500B for the whole day that’s a blatant rip-off.
They do offer to store my backpack though and as I trust them I gladly accept. Carrying 20kg of luggage on a 35°C day is something
Is Thailand a safe Country?
June 22, 2011
The Thai tourism industry is at a weak point at the moment. The devastating Tsunami in 2004, the political unrest in 2010 and ongoing bombings in the deep south scared a lot of people away. Yet those are not really strong reasons to avoid Thailand. Tsunamis hit other countries as well, the protests are long over and staying clear of the unrest in the south is easy enough.
That being said, Thailand is still a developing country.
About to leave
June 21, 2011
For the last couple of days I mostly rested my lazy bum on the beach and when I moved it, it was to go to the restaurant, to the 7-eleven (ice cream and cold drinks) or the massage house. As much as I enjoy doing that it is unfortunately burning my funds much quicker than expected.
For the rest of my time in Asia I have another adventure on my list: Cambodia.
Thoughts on Thais
June 20, 2011
One of my favourite places on Koh Tao is a small food shop on the main road.
It doesn’t look like much but they serve really nice and authentic Thai food. By my experience those places often have the best deals, the food is good and the prices are low. The regular restaurants catering more for westerners usually have mediocre food for two or three times as much money.
Anyway, I don’t just like the place for the food but also for the friendly people.
Slacking around
June 18, 2011
When the diving was finished Hiro and I moved to the southern part of the island to have a couple of relaxed days. We got ourselves a bungalow overlooking Shark Bay. Getting to the beach was a bit of a pain in the lower back but the view from the veranda was very nice (it was one of the huts on the hill).
All in all I’m a bit disappointed by Koh Tao.
Advanced!
June 16, 2011
Day 2 of the diving course started deep. The boat took us out to the diving site and we went down to 28.4m. At a depth like that the colour red almost vanishes, making an object that is red at the surface appear black. The pressure is at 4 bar which means that a plastic bottle full of surface air is flat like the Netherlands. We just stayed for a couple of minutes at this depth and continued the dive in shallower water.
Diving Thai Style
June 13, 2011
The sea around Koh Tao has a temperature of 31°C and the visibility is 10-15m at the moment. Not the worst conditions for diving although the visibility could be a bit better. Compared to the reef in Cairns the dive spots here have one big advantage. The scenery when you get out of the water is simply stunning.
The advanced open water course requires me to do five so called ‘adventure dives’.
Koh Tao
June 11, 2011
The train to Chumphon was scheduled to leave Bangkok at 7:30 in the evening. We were still on the platform 45 minutes later. Thai railway makes the German one look like a clockwork.
In this case a delayed departure wasn’t a bad thing though as it means a later arrival and thus more time to sleep (scheduled arrival was 4:15am). A mere 1.5h late we pulled into Chumphon station and a bus took us to the ferry terminal.
Train to Bangkok
June 10, 2011
After our adventure in the north it is now time to go south. Destination is Koh Tao, tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand. Hiro will stay in Chiang Mai for a couple more days to settle her stuff but I left town yesterday evening.
This time my transport of choice is the train instead of the bus. Oddly enough the trains take much longer than the buses but they also offer additional comfort.
Far North Thailand
June 6, 2011
This weekend Hiro’s visa was about to expire and we went to get an extension at the border to Burma/Myanmar. Extending a visa is rather easy (if you’re a citizen of the right group of countries), leave the country, come back half an hour later and get another 15 days (or 30 if you enter the country by plane).
The border crossing that is the easiest to reach is at Mae Sai about five hours north of Chiang Mai. We couldn’t get a bus ticket directly to Mae Sai so we went to Chiang Rai instead to catch a bus to the border from there.
From Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai it’s about 3-4 hours and once again I was amazed by the Thai bus drivers. So far I’m unable to tell on which side of the thin line that divides genius and insanity they are to be positioned.
They might be masters on four wheels, using every inch of the road (including the oncoming lane of course) and getting the last bit of power out of their aged vehicles. They might as well be plain mad, unaware of what happens when two heavy loads of steel collide at high speed. Frankly the fact that I haven’t seen a single accident yet let’s me think of them as masters of their craft. That thought is also more comforting when you’re at their mercy.
The reincarnation-express delivered us safely in Chiang Rai and we had a look around for the bus to Mae Sai. Now while the long distance coaches are somewhat close to what you’re used to from western countries the local buses are a bit different.
Ever wondered where the old buses go that no-one wants to have on Europe’s roads any more? I know that now. Have a look at the top notch air-con.
There was up to thirty people in that bus and I was the only one with blond hair. Gives you quite a feeling.
The ride to Mae Sai takes roughly an hour and a half and as the roads are close to the border there is frequent police checkpoints. The police is - as far as I know - mainly looking for illegal immigrants from Burma so when they board the bus to check IDs
Crossing the Road
June 3, 2011
Imagine you want to cross one of Chiang Mai’s busiest roads during the rush hour. Without any help that endeavour is bound to fail. Traffic is so dense that you would have to force your way through it, risking accidents and severe injuries.
Fortunately every now and then there are pedestrian crossings with traffic lights. They look the same as in Australia, they sound the same but they work differently. As this is just a pedestrian crossing and not a crossroads one has to consider the basics of Thai traffic law.
Moving Pictures: Chiang Mai
June 1, 2011
Not much going on at the moment. Here’s some impressions from the streets of Chiang Mai.
Sick - again?
May 26, 2011
On Wednesday I woke up feeling weird and almost having to throw up. Releasing my bowels was most unpleasant and with all signs of a fever coming up I decided to go back to Chiang Mai - not keen on getting ill in a mountain village where I don’t know a single soul.
By now I’m feeling a bit better with the fever almost gone. I still don’t have a clue where I caught that gastroenteritis or whatever it is.
More of Pai
May 24, 2011
Decades ago Pai would have been a very dangerous place for tourists. Back then it was a hub for drug trading in the golden triangle. That changed in the 1980s and the area became an option for tourists. From what I’ve heard these people still had an interest in cheap opium and cannabis.
From that something of a hippy culture developed in Pai and until the early 21st century it probably was a very relaxed place.
Pai
May 23, 2011
In the last weeks I spent a lot of time in cities. Time for a change. This is the view from my Bungalow near the river in Pai.
Pai is a small town three hours north-west of Chiang Mai just 30km from the border to Myanmar/Burma. The road that leads there is famous - it has 762 bends on 90km.
It feels nice to be in the countryside again and even though the ‘down-town’ here is a bit touristic the place has a very relaxed atmosphere overall.
Saturday Adventures
May 22, 2011
Towering on a mountain over Chiang Mai is Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, sacred site to the Thais and known among visitors for its views over the city. The temple can be reached by private transport or with the common red taxis (Songthaew).
As always, travelling on the road in Thailand is an impressive proof for the deep religious beliefs of the people. Only somebody convinced of reincarnation can do what they do.
Cooking Thai Food
May 20, 2011
As a tourist in Chiang Mai one can learn a lot of things. Thai massage, Buddhist meditation, Muay Thai and cooking Thai dishes. After feasting on all the delicious stuff for the last couple of weeks I decided to get an idea of how to cook it myself. The cooking school I chose is a small family run business close to town and the owners picked me up this morning.
Thalat Warorot
May 18, 2011
In Chiang Mai one of the markets where locals buy their stuff is Thalat Warorot. People sell everything there. Groceries, spices, herbs, clothes, garment, household needs and appliances, jewellery, hilltribe souvenirs - everything.
The market is a 15 minute walk from the appartement where we are staying. A cheap alternative to get there is a red taxi. These taxis are basically utes with two benches in the back and a roof over them.
Relaxing
May 15, 2011
Thai massage, herbal ball massage, herbal sauna - this was a bit of a wellness weekend. Thai massage is very interesting and unlike other forms of massage I knew before. It involves a lot of stretching, pulling limbs and quite often I had a foot or knee in my back. It sure was effective, felt like butter in the sun afterwards.
Other than that food is still my main point of interaction with the Thai culture.
Crazy Asia
May 11, 2011
If I had to describe Asia I’d say I can’t. It looks different, it smells different and it feels different.
Coming to Australia was a change for me but the difference between Oz and Germany is minuscule compared to the difference between Thailand and Germany. And Thailand is the most western of the south-east Asian countries.
The differences make Thailand very exciting but also exhausting due to the sheer amount of impressions.
Chiang Mai
May 9, 2011
On Saturday Hiro and I left Bangkok to go to Chiang Mai. It’s an 11 hours bus drive up into the mountains and a nice opportunity to see a little more of Thailand. Of Thailand and its roads as well, what I saw there is a bit exotic to say the least.
The bus stopped a couple of times to allow for toilet visits and buying snacks and at 1:30 am we arrived in Chiang Mai.
The modern Bangkok
May 6, 2011
Despite the fact that I don’t know the slightest bit of Thai I got along well enough with the people in the streets. With people in the streets I mean the food stall owners. When I want to order something I simply point at it and when I have to pay they either write down the amount or show me the banknote I have to pay.
As there are only few tourists in the area I’m often the only westerner and get a lot of looks.
Wat what?
May 5, 2011
Wat is the Thai word for temple and being a Buddhist country Bangkok is full of them. Today I had some of the most famous ones on my list. In walking distance from the hostel is Wat Phra Kaew, home of the Emerald Buddha and part of the Grand Palace.
While walking there I constantly had to get rid of tuk-tuk drivers. A common scam in Bangkok is a very cheap or even free ride to some allegedly famous Buddha or temple.
Bangkok in Daylight
May 4, 2011
During the day Bangkok is as overwhelming as it is at night. The streets are full with taxis, tuk-tuks, scooters and buses and simply crossing the street becomes the first adventure of the day. The area around the hostel isn’t a major tourist destination so most people in the street are actually Thai. Which means I stick out and not just because I’m roughly one head taller than the average Thai.
Asia
May 3, 2011
My journey to Asia started somewhat rough. The airport bus that was supposed to pick me up at eleven ran late and didn’t arrive before 11:20. The driver did his best to get us to the airport in time and an hour before check-in closure I was at the terminal.
The domestic terminal, cause that’s what it said on my ticket. Turned out to be a printing error and my flight was leaving from the international terminal as one would expect.