Thailand Trip - 18th July to 24th July 2007 , ~~~English Version

Since some of my friend don't know Chinese, so I just write another Thailand trip in English, haha, actually I more prefer English also, can practice my English. and I also can type faster. However, my English is very bad, please forgive me if I using the wrong grammar or wrong spelling. sign.....

This is my second trip with my gang to fly outside Malaysia. Badly that Kevin and Rachel still not joining us for this trip again. After the previous trip, Cambodia (December 2006), we have plan for this almost half year. the Flight ticket is booked when the Air Asia have the ZERO Rate promotion, and we directly book for 10 tickets, they are:

• Old man and his wife : Wee Teck and Stella
• Tea family : Gary and Tracy
• The bookstore boss from JB : Kian Ping and Pei Zhi
• Our photographer : Kevin and Rachel
• The 2 lonely guys : Ryan (Ah Bao) and Butt (me)

However, we only have 7 peoples can make this trip at the final, as :

• Kevin and Rachel need to move their new house, so need to save some money.
• Gary don't want Tracy follow, so purposely make her pregnant, haha... just kidding. He miss Tracy a lot during the rip, and I really hope all the gang can go together. also congratulation to Gary and Tracy have second baby soon.

Okay, lets start our 7 days 6 nights journey, with only 7 persons this time~~

Day 1, 18th July 2007
"You have Incoming Message", my SMS rang on the earlier 5:30 morning, it's from the boring KP, they already arrive KL (Vteck, Stella, KP and Pei Zhi coming from Johor). He too boring and wanna disturb us sleep (he also SMS to Gary and Kevin at the early 5:30 morning). However, I only will move from house to Airport at 7am, so I continue sleep again and ignore the message~~

Around 12:30pm (Thailand time), we arrived Bangkok, Thailand. This is our first destination. Before this, I already booked a Hotel call Sawasdee Bangkok Inn, it's locate an Khao San Road. As when I looking for information about Bangkok, this road is famous for backpackers, and the hotels is much cheaper if compare to Bangkok city area. It's have light rain when we arrive Khao San Road. After we checking in, we go for our first meal in Thailand.

Alone the Khao San road, you will notice a lot of western people. As 90% of the tourist are western country. I been so others country before, never since that much western people gather in a place. Khao San Road have a lot of cloth store which very cheap price. However, I not really buy a lot thing at Khao San, coz it's still the first day and need to keep my budget. On the same time, we have to settle the transport to Koh Samui (our next destination). We trying to get the train to there but unfortunately the train ticket is full, so we have to take bus to Koh Samui.

We walk around the Khao San during the afternoon. Around evening, we plan to move out Khao San and go to Chinatown, but all the taxi quote us high price, the reason is very jam at that time. So we decide to back to hotel have a short rest and move again at night time. The 2 couples go for their first Massage at Thailand, as I feel lazy and didn't join them.

Night... We go to the Chinatown, at first I thought its will be a very happening place but it's not. The street just have a lot of chinese seafood restaurant, so we just step into one of them to have our dinner. We order Shark fin, bird nest, and some others. It's a bit expensive as out of my budget (I planning to spend 500 Thai Bath for food each day). After dinner, we walk around the street, nothing much special. It;s just have a lot food store, lot of shop with Chinese sign board. After a while, we decide to move to another night market, call Pat Pong. We took 2 taxi to there again, the night market is very big, and a lot of Disco and pub alone the road. if you look into those pub, you can see a lot girl wearing a sexy cloth, trying to get your attention. However, I not really like these pub, it's noise and feel uncomfortable. we just stay on this area around 30 minutes, then all agree to go back to Khao San to have our beer drinking session.

However, Khao San still the best place for us. It's not that crowd. We simply choose a pub and order a Tower of beer. However, it's around 11 night, it's still young night for us, beside 1 tower of beer, we still order a few big bottle beer to drink. Vteck and Stella was getting tire, so they move back to hotel for rest first. and the rest of us continue enjoying the beer and chatting. The time is passing quite fast, Around 1am, we stand up and walking around the street again. See around the night life here, a lot of lady boy (means a male body become a Female body, I prefer to call them SheMale), they stand along the road and trying to get some "business" from tourist. We stop nearby our hotel, and found a delicious food store, by chinese. He be able to speak chinese with us, so we order 2 soup (鱼鳔). It's really very nice. We sit beside on the street and enjoy our delicious soup. And also enjoy looking all the SheMale harassment those western tourist. Ah Bao want to have a walk to the other site search for more food, he really can eat a lot. At the same time, a SheMale come over and chat with him, once the SheMale knew he's from Malaysia, directly step away. haha... Malaysian tourist not lagu lar.... around 2am, we back to hotel and sleep~~~~

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Day 2, 19th July 2007
I forget what time we wake up, I think around 8 something. Gary wake up more early then me. As he getting old, cannot sleep till late now, hihi. We enjoy our breakfast at the hotel as there provide breakfast also. Then just waiting the 2 couples, they have their breakfast around 9 something and even 10. As we will move to Koh Samui tonight, so we need to checkout the hotel before 12, if not they will charge us for the extend. However, we still extend 1 room, to keep all our backpack, and we can have shower before moving to Koh Samui tonight.

11am, we walk to the Palace where only 30 minute walking distance. On the way, we can see some nice sculpture, and I just shoot some of it. When we almost arrive that Palace, a guy wearing a formal suit, just look like the officer at the Palace. He told that we need to wear long pants to enter the Palace, but some of us are wearing short pants. However, he explain that after 1pm the palace is open to public, so every one can just wear short pants inside (nonsense, we really thought he's telling the true). At that time is around 11:30am, so if this is real, we need to wait around 1 hour plus to enter the Palace. So, he very kind and suggest us to visit other place first, which near by a river. We can took the boat ride the river around 1 hour, and visit a Temple beside the river (300Thai Bath per person). It's sound very interesting, and he help us to call the Tuk Tuk, only 10 Thai Bath, MYR1 only. That time we really think that it's very good deal.

For the river ride, I have been Bangkok 2 years ago, it's actually a very interested place. Along the river, there have some Temple, interest building, even fish. But we don't have a tour guide, so no one can explain us all the history and interest place. We just feel a bit bore about this ride, it's just stop an the "Floating Market", but only 3 or 4 boat selling souvenir there. and a boxing presentation, which need another 200 Thai Bath, so we rejected. Around 40 minute, all of them start bore, coz we supposedly stop at a temple and visit it. Which I come before, and this Temple a bit also. Vteck trying to asking the guy, but that guy like don't know English, but I knew that Temple is the last pier before we going back. So I just told them cool down, and tell them the temple not arrive yet... When I saw the Temple is nearby, the boat didn't stop there, and bring us to the next pier, I though that is the place for us to buy souvenir. After we get down the boat, and trying to go into that shop. The guy stop us, said we need to pay for 20Bath for entrance fee. We really surprise. it's really like stupid, we thinking we just go inside and have drink or food. Why we need to pay for the entrance fee? however, we still paying it to enter. After a while, we thought the boat will come back pick us up, but it's like the boat already disappear from the pier. Vteck go ask the information counter, then we notice we been CHEATED, this is the last station, and we notice the Palace just outside another entrance.

The boat didn't bring us to the TEMPLE.... hai~, nothing we can do now... when we go to the Palace, we still need to wear long pants to enter it, but u can borrow from them which is free, just need to put 100Bath as a deposit. while we line up to borrow the long pants, there have a lot of paper stick on the wall and write "Don't trust the stranger..." but it's already too late for us, WE BEEN CHEATED... We took around half an hour to borrow the long pants, and we notice need to paid 250Thai Bath to enter... However, all of us decide not to go in, as it's doesn't look interesting to us. haha,,, use half an hour to borrow cloth and finally didn't go in also... one of the reason is we been cheated and already feel bore. Again, no place to go now, so go back to Khao San again, to have our lunch...

After lunch at Khao San, we just relax and the restaurant, chit chating. Then seperate, who want shopping then shop. After 2 hour of lunch, we go to Massage. I took oil massage this time, it's really nice, and relaxing. Time is around 6 plus, we need to get ready for Koh Samui now, the bus will come pick us up at 8, so we shower and have our dinner quikly. I took my dinner with the food store, flied mee, it's very delicious and I have 2 of it.. :)

8pm, we get ready to the bus. As we need to walk to another street, the bus will pick us there. and again. 9pm, Koh Samui, we are comming. and this is a long journey. I cannot sleep at all the whole night, not use to taken bus. After the rest station, I change place with Gary, then I only be able to sleep a bit that time.

Khao San Road, this is really a nice place. In future, I sure will come again. I like the evironment, not that crowd. and cheap... Good bye Bangkok, we should stay another night, but just worry that Bangkok will have revolt, coz the politic in Thailand not stable right now.

Day 3, 20th July

We took almost 15 hour to arrive Koh Samui. Around 5:30am, we arrive the pier, but the Speed Boat only start at 7am, so we have to wait for it. At the same time, Gary, KP and me was play Mahjong... even it's short while. From Bangkok to pier, it's use almost 9 hours, then we still need to take 5 hour to Koh Samui by speed boat. when the time we reach Koh Samui island, it's already 1230pm. However, the transport company send us to the Chaweng Beach too. we separate to 2 cars, coz we have too many people and the car is already full. Me, Ah Bao, KP and Pei Zhi was in the same car. We reach Chaweng first, and ask the driver to drop us at the Pizza Hut, so easy to meet with the others 3. When I there, I see the have a budget hotel just next to Pizza Hut, so I just step in and ask for the rates. It's 500Bath for double and 900Bath for triple. The price is reasonable, just this not a beach hotel.

When Vteck, Stella and Gary arrive, they said the driver can bring us to look for beach hotel. and it's free. So we just get into the van and let the driver bring us look for hotel.

First hotel, Gary and me didn't check for the hotel. We let Ah Bao, Vteck and KP decide. commend from them, this hotel got a lot of fly. even the price is around 700Bath, and really cheap. However, the driver bring us to another hotel again, this time, their commend is the 2 rooms have renovation beside, not nice and small, and it's cost 1400Bath... a bit out of our budget. however, the driver a bit frustrated. So I just suggest him to bring us to a resort call Ever Green Resort, which when I doing the research, this hotel is cheap and nice. Bad this is a bad luck for us, the hotel is full.... beside this hotel have a hotel call B.B Garden Resort (it's have swimming pool and around 1400bath, we found out it later), but the driver didn't suggest us, and bring us to another hotel. This time, the hotel rate is 1800Bath, more expensive, but all us already hungry. So we just decide to stop here, and stay for 1 night first.

After putting all our luggage, we go to a Indian Restaurant, but all of us taste Thailand food, haha... funny... We discuss what we need to do next here, So, Gary, me and Ah bao will go look for the hotel for our second night. Then Vteck will look for our snokerling trip for the next day. Since this incident, we all decide to book the Phuket (our last destination) hotel first, so it's my task to do it, and I also need to book for flight ticket to Phuket. It's cheaper we book online compair to the travel agent.

Gary, Ah Bao and me, looking around and get cheap hotel for our following night. Finally we found a guesthouse call Mody Dick guesthouse. After that I just step into one of the internet cafe, to do my flight booking and hotel reservation in Phuket. Yeah, finaly it's done, so I can start shopping this time. However, the shop here not as friendly as Bangkok. Their price is much expensive and canot bargain much. The time is getting late, almost 5pm. It;s time to go back to hotel to enjoy the beach :D

We have our dinner in Mc Donald, :) I tried the pork burger, as in Malaysia is imposible to get it. Shit.... it;s rainning outside, and a very very heavy rain... we cannot enjoy the night life here, so we just bought some beer and go back to hotels and drink. and around 12 plus, all get back to rooms for rest....

Day 4, 21st July
We wake up around 6am, we need to get really for check out, have our breakfast in Mc Donald. Then check in another hotel (Mody Dick guesthouse) around 8 am. The agent picking us around 8:50am (Should between 8 to 8:30am) .... Yeah, finally can go snorkeling....

We stop at a sea side, and just jump into the water from the boat. The water here not really clear, not much fish, the coral not that nice if comparing to my previous snorkeling trip. However, since we are here, we sure need to enjoy it. Snorkeling....feed the fish... taking photo... we only stop at here around 45 minutes, and move to the next place.

This is a beach site now... we have our kayaking here. Gary, Ah Bao and me have the same kayak. and trying to go far away but they not allow... too bad. Between the 3 kayak, Vtech and Stella is the best, they really good on it. 3 of us, trying to play with others. and make our self fall into the water. And really hard to climb back to the kayak... after a while, we back to the beach and enjoy our lunch. Honestly, the lunch look terrible, but it's the best taste meal during our whole trip... After lunch, I lie on the beach, and trying to have some sun tan... haha... only a while. Then start to shoot some photo around the beach.

This time, me and Ah Bao kayaking again, we just discuss how we fall in the water just now. and trying to play again.. But this time.. it's really hard for us to climb up to the kayak from the water again... we tried more 10 times. I climb up first or even Ah Bao up first, fall into water again when the second people trying to climb up... finally both of us give up and just swimming back to the beach. Gary and KP keep on laughing at us,... hai~~~.. then both them take the challenge, they said our balancing is bad... so I was asking them to try, I sat on the kayak and Gary to climb, it's very easy for him, then KP try, it's easy for him too.. then Ah Bao want to try again. OPSSS.. I fall into water again.. haha... me and Ah Bao really cannot work together. :P

Me getting tire already... the just swimming near the beach, and get back to the boat, it's getting hottest outside... around 1pm, the guide said that the other side have more pretty coral and fish. but I really tire, just sit on the boat and smoke, they all go there for snorkeling and they told me it's much better.

1:30pm, we move back to our pier and getting back to hotel again.. around 3, we get back to our hotels, we take turn to shower. and go out to shopping again. some go massage... around 7 we meet up again to have dinner. After dinner, we just have our beer on the Pub below our hotel ...around 11, we decide to go 7-11 to buy some beer and back to hotel room drink again. Some funny thing happen, Vteck start getting drunk, we thought he just kidding, coz he only drink 1 glass Gin Island cocktail.. But it's true, he direct back to his room and sleep. So we continue our drinking....then sleep....

Day 5, 22nd July
Again, 5:30 am we already wake up. coz we need to take the flight to Phuket at the early morning, the flight is 8:15am, so we need to arrive the airport around 7 to check in. 630 the taxi will be waiting us, we ask the hotel to arrange the tansport for us last nite. FREE? nono... we need to paid for it, they use Toyota Hilux to pick us, so me, Gary and Ah Bao have to sit behind... It's nice, can enjoy the morning air...

The Samui Air Port in much better then what I expert, you need to checkin in the counter first, then will have bus to transfer to the boarding place. And guess what, we really admire their toilet. It's have very nice design and comfortable, even have a fish tank inside the toilet. haha,, we even shoot the photo inside.

Around 9++ we arrive Phuket, this is my 4th time to phuket. However, previous 3 times I just came here for work. Not really explore the whole Phuket, expecially Patong Beach (the most happening place in Phuket).

We took a Van to Patong Beach, our last destination. I have make the reservatoin when at Koh Samui. Using my company website, http://www.latestays.com/, when you want get cheap hotel, can login this page to book.. Haha,, advertise for my company first. :)

the hotel I book is cheaper then others. And the have a swimming pool too. We all like this hotel, as the environment is nice. it's call K Hotels... After Check in, we go for our lunch, Stella is tire this time, so she have a short snap in the room. We walk along the Patong Beach, see around and try to get interesting food to eat. and we found a special food, BBQ Flog... it's very disgusting. However, Ah Bao still bough 1 to try, I have tried a bit too... IT'S REALLY SUCK..... after the lunch, we just back to hotels again. Me, Gary and KP was start out mahjong at the hotel's garden. however, I lose to both of them... Both them "tipu" my monay .. :(

After mahjong, it's around 2, I also cannot remember what time is it, too tire and lazy to look at the watch. We go out to look shopping again, with Gary, KP, and Pei Zi. Again, we look for massage center also. I took Foot massage this time, but not really enjoy this time. Coz I feel the massage girl just simply massage only, not really have good skill.

Around 5, we just go to Swimming, surprising, the swimming pool is very deep. I almost cannot touch the bottom. However, I like it, better then just normal swimming pool. When the time is dinner, we just come up and direct go for dinner first. We took our dinner just next to the hotel, it's quite reasonable price. So we just plan to have shower so can go enjoy the night live there... I very tire that time, so just a short sleep... I guess around 8 pm something, I hear there raining outside, haha,, it's really a bad luck , the rain like never stop. so I just continue sleep... until the next morning... a bit waste for the whole nite, but it's rain, nothing we can do also....

*Note: I didn't take my shower that day... haha...

Day 6, 23rd July, Didn't take photo for the last day
We not need to rush to anywhere today, so all of us just can sleep until anytime. Gary is the first person to wake up... I think he wake up ar 7, he old liao, cannot sleep much too... haha.. then I around 8 wake up. then go out to walk walk alone, as Ah Bao still sleep there and Gary already went out to cari makan. I just walk to the other side of the hotel, notice the 7-11 just next to our hotel (yesterday we went to another shop a bit far away to get our beer, we always buy a beer while walking at the street... haha), Feelling hungry already, so I get back to the restaurany where we have our dinner previously. Then saw Gary having his breakfast there also.. haha... Then I just join him

After breakfast, we back to hotel. As today is free and easy, we just enjoy our self. Around 10, after KP and Pei Zhi finished their breakfast, we start shopping again, it's time for me to get some surviner. As I not really buy any thing previously.... So time to spend money.. haha, we just walk the big round of the Patong Beach, and I success to bought some gift too, as some shell, and begs... Vteck and Stella meet up with us around 12, as it's time for us to take lunch also. While we still shopping, Vteck and Stella go look for some interest restaurant first. Finnaly they found a restaurant which at the beach site, and we enjoy the lunch over there. After lunch, we are thinking to read the novel or have sun tan beside the beach. But I didn't really bring anything out. so have to go back to hotel again. haha.. when we back to hotel, Gary and me getting lazy to walk back to the beach, so just call Vteck that we not going and reading at the pool site only. :) and we also swimming at the some time...

Around 6 pm... we go to look for massage again. Gary suggest to go place which a Big Building that provide massage service. Guess what, when we step in the building, it's not really a massage center, we just see a big glass, got a lot girls sit inside there. There wearing very sexy, and have number on their cloth.... I just look a bit then direct turn back to walk out.. haha... not use to this kind of place.. so we just continue to find another place for our massage.

While massage, me and Gary at the some room. he really like to talk, go and kacao the massage girl, and make us unstop laughing, and the massage girl also very enjoy chating. :D After massage, we need to back to hotel again, as Ah Bao not join us for massage so have to back there to meet with him.

Since this is the last night, we decide to choose a good environment restaurant to enjoy it... and we have our steak there... while having our dinner, it's raining again, and very heavy.... Really a bad luck for us, 2 nights in Phuket also rain. around 10, the rain still not stop, so we decide to move also. it's boring to just wait for the rain stop. We decide buy beer and back to hotel enjoy it. While walking back, the rain getting smaller, I see the opposite site still have selling something, So I just over to enjoy my last minute shop again.:)

While in the room, we bough some beer, and Stella have bring a bottle of ShouJiu from Korea... Ah Bao was drink alot this time, as when I pass to him the ShouJiu, he just drink it... and also, all of us just pretent drink it only, Finaly, almost half bottle of the ShouJiu drink by Ah Bao. So keng, we just have chit chating in the room the whole night, until 2am, we are getting tire. and they all back room to rest. Gary said he still awake, don't want to waste the last day in Phuket. So me, KP and Pei Zhi also go out again with Gary, Ah Bao want to go also, but he really drunk.. :P

The night is a bit late, around 2 am, some of the disco and the pub already closed, we just wake for half hour, and back to hotel... I really tire this time.. just fall on the bed and sleep..

Day 7, 24th July
This is the last day, Vteck and Stella already back to Singapore, as their flight is at 8am, so before I wakeup they already go to Air Port. the morning have nothing special, we just have our breakfast separately (as I wake up late today) haha... around 11, we check out and moving back to KL....

~~~~End~~~~

Of course not.. haha...we took tuk tuk back to airport... the tuk tuk use the small road to the air port, really make us worry, we thought we will be rope this time.. but finally we still arrive airport safely... haha

Can view my Thailand photo here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10755942@N02/sets/72157601121785681