Thread: Photothread: short Thai trip.

After a long time getting through immigration, I was on my way to a flight to Phuket, had an argument with check in, didn't really wanna go to Phuket anyways, so headed to Bkk.

Stayed in soi 4, full of horribleness, but after a day or so, mellowed out, spent time at Harrods and nice places, had a great rack of ribs at Hooters, some great Arab food on soi 3 and spent one night at a bar with a kive Thai band playing country music then another night at an African club dancing away with 10 or African 'friends' - and, no, I did not do a Luigi. If I can find these photos then I'll add them.

Then into Portumthani for 10 days of work, decent money but long and hard days, 7am to 7pm and knackering...

Staying about 200 metres away from the Science Park where I was working, but there was no direct route, so that meant a 5km taxi ride. I was gonna hire a motorbike, but my Thai licence was out of date, so decided not to.

Not a lot going on here, middle of nowhere, lots of animals like snakes and lizards, but the locals were friendly (very poor...) and shared a beer with them most nights.

Pretty much everything was closed by 7:30pm, but you could grab a beer with folks and the food was 10 baht for a stick of chicken, so had plenty of those...



Room was clean, shower worked, hot water was fine, air con new and low noise...

Long weekend, mother's day, decided to pop to the house in the country...

Got a taxi, $20 for 84kms.

Into town, decided to stop at my favourite coffee shop/restaurant first:















Just two beers then headed off to check out the house and car; haven't been there in about 4 years...







Beer was really nice, Phuket brewery...

Thanks, Bets.
Lovely, so far.

Yet, needs some spice.

Cheers.

&, through the new road, through our rice fields to the house - the jungle seems to have reclaimed much of it since last I was here...







The bamboo seems to be 6 or 7 metres, we'll probably have that cut down to 3 or 4 metres some day soon.

The cars, not under the garage, hmmm...





It's pretty much Thai jungle/rice fields, as many of you folks know and love.





& here is the shot you have been waiting for, the garage still going strong, but used for farming equipment...

Lots of animals, I forgot just how many animals there are in the Thai jungle!

&, we have some chicks outside my bedroom window to keep me awake, and a wild cat awaiting their first flight...

Got some BBQ chicken and sticky rice from the market, and the FiL made his special friend chicken dish which tastes great.

This bastard was honestly the size of me hand and gave me a bit of a shock...















I'd also forgotten just how much the bamboo creaks during the night...

The next couple of days, I went nowhere, just sat on the porch and read a book - very pleasant it was too.

The roof might need a sweep....



I was master of all I surveyed... As long as I can only see about 10 rai in distance.





We have a really aggressive bangkaew cross (very gentle with me and the family, but not anybody or anything else), and this little cat just ignored it and strolled by as if it wasn't there!





A shot for Stoker - the mother coming back to feed the chicks (I think there were 3).



I saw some the biggest mozzies I'd ever seen - huge, and a few very fat gekkos too.



Didn't much like the look of this one - the earlier Huntsman was ok, but not sure about this one.



I surprisingly enjoyed my couple of days relaxing and doing nothing in my castle.

The car, a 7 year old Honda city runs like new, looks like new, brilliant little motor for 660,000 new.

Then back into work for three more days.

At least they fed me well and paid up, cash on the nose, on the last day as promised - 100,000 baht for 10 days work might not be big bucks, but it paid for the holiday and the gifts I bought back plus put a little in the bank. Met lots of interesting people during the work gig too.

The hotel was under 500 baht per night and decent (although in the middle of nowhere) - I could see the Science Park, but just couldn't get there...







Over 200 Thai channels available...








A nice little restauarant at the end of the road, only open at lunchtimes, so I only went twice - very cheap. The family were nice, and I sat there a couple of evenings drinking beer with them and watching TV.

I like to travel as light as possible, so went with 20 kgs (give or take .5 kgs...), but due to the wife's demands returned to Korea with 40kgs (and she still complained I should have got more stuff...).

I got to know Future Park Rangsit and Big C pretty well.



















There's more; if I can find the pics then I'll add them later.

I knew that plenty of the holiday would be work and rural stuff, so for the first few days I relaxed in 'nice' places with the rich Bkk folk.

Had lunch with a Thai ex-colleague here, The Vanilla Brazerie - good food.




A couple of nice meals on soi 3 suk aswell.






Before long it was time to return to Korea, I did enjoy the break.

At the airport, DM, just through the departures, straight ahead, down a few steps you're into a lounge that's 800 baht for eat and drink as much as you like - I thought it was decent value, open in the early hours, pleasant staff, decent food, nice beers, had various wines and spirits, good wifi, comfortable seating and almost empty...











Suitably bladdered, I hardly remember the flight back to Seoul.

Nice. Thanks for the photos...puts things into perspective.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

& here is the shot you have been waiting for, the garage still going strong, but used for farming equipment...

Ah, at last ... the money shot

Good thread, Boo...Izzat you in the orange t-shirt up there?...A happy looking guy...

Cheers...

Great pics.

What about it Betty? Does the your jungle house seem more like home than Korea?

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Ah, at last ... the money shot

It is the finest shot in the thread, I agree.

Originally Posted by BaitongBoy

Good thread, Boo...Izzat you in the orange t-shirt up there?...A happy looking guy...

I went to Laksi (awful traffic...), spent an enjoyable hour at a guitar shop where the fella makes amazing guitars at great prices - R A N G K A G U I T A R S - (would have bought one, but the wife used up my luggagae allowance...), then met up with a friend for dinner and finally into a coffeeshop for a couple of hours of yakking away; it was an enjoyable day (except the traffic). Bangkok traffic is really really bad.

&, I am sometimes happy, sometimes less so... ) (

Originally Posted by misskit

What about it Betty? Does the your jungle house seem more like home than Korea?

Hmmm, good question. Both are nice, but neither feel like home.

Almost all the folks I met with and chatted to were nice, I kinda wish my Thai was a bit better.

It was kinda an allround mixed trip; some lower Suk/Paragon, standard work in a local community and some country living. So, it almost felt the same as when I'd lived in Thailand for 10+ years. I disliked things far less than I thought I might - I probably got more irritated with mouthy Teakdoor members than any Thais (excluding AirAsia - and funnily enough at least half a dozen folks I met ranted on about how the airline had caused them problems... I reckon the premium flatbed is good value, so I would fly that again, but the airline really is set up, like most other low cost airlines, to rape every penny from you at and around your journey - not unusual for any airline, I suppose, but flying is just a horrible experience for me, hate it...).

Nice report. No T & A shots though.... Some TDers will not be pleased, but the rustic life looked good.

I assume that somebody, wife's family (?), live nearby & turns over the motors for you on occasions? 4 years vacant in a remote part of the country seems to invite interlopers of one sort or another, not including the arachnids.

Originally Posted by grasshopper

I assume that somebody, wife's family (?), live nearby & turns over the motors for you on occasions? 4 years vacant in a remote part of the country seems to invite interlopers of one sort or another, not including the arachnids.

The MiL lives in the house, and the FiL has a house/land next to us, so he drives the car at least once a week and keeps the servicing up to date - I was very happily surprised that: 1) he had actually been keeping the car in good order as asked (I bought him that little Izuzu pickup for his general help, and we try to help him out in many little areas such as we pay the total electricty/water bills (tiny really...)); 2) the car was in such good condition. The internal plastics, handles, everything were as new, and the car isn't young any more. Look after a Honda or Toyota and they will go for years.

Looks like a good trip, bettyboo. Lots of food and drinks...
I often visit Seoul, hope life is good for you there too.

Originally Posted by David48atTD

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

& here is the shot you have been waiting for, the garage still going strong, but used for farming equipment...

Ah, at last ... the money shot

Yep.
Nothing wrong with a little jungle rustic.
Real.

Thanks for taking the time to post your adventure. Looks like you had a pretty good time. Nice garage, I like the idea of not having a tool box. Ah some day I'll get there.
Cheers, the fishes.

Originally Posted by bnice2me

Looks like a good trip, bettyboo. Lots of food and drinks...
I often visit Seoul, hope life is good for you there too.

Yeah, Seoul is nice. &, if you took the traffic out of the equation than Bangkok is very nice too although I still feel it's a better city to visit (or maybe a 3 month work visit?) is better than fulltime living there.

Originally Posted by HuangLao

Nothing wrong with a little jungle rustic. Real.

Yes. &, despite Somchai and Somsak building the house nearly 5 years ago, and the total build being well under 1 million, everything still works and it's pleasant enough to stay in...

Originally Posted by fishlocker

Nice garage

Thank you, Sir - that is the pièce de ré·sis·tance...

I'll add, even though Korea is pretty good for food, Thailand (and especially Bangkok) is fantastic for eating/restaurants.