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  1. #1
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    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return

    Well this has taken a bit.

    My phone had a brain fart and I thought I would never liberate the photos from it with which to do a thread but a whizz at work couldn't resist the opportunity to make an old bloke look.........old, she'll regret the smirks and giggles. She's sync'd my phone with onedrive whatever that means and assures me my future will be easy and I have assured her that hers won't be if she tells everyone what a dunce I am. I may make her upload the photos onto TD to bring her down to earth.


    Anyway to the point.


    After a 2 year hiatus, the reasons for which we are all familiar with I got back across to Thailand. The trip wasn't exactly relaxing as we had a list of things as long as your arm to tick off, mainly family stuff; some admin, land to purchase, family to visit and try to fit in some down time.

    The trip turned into a road trip with me doing most of the driving, which I don't mind as I am a terrible passenger and its a freebee when you can speed and your Mrs carries the can. We didn't have an exact schedule to stick to so we stayed at a combination of family houses and hotels, no need to book as the only tourists we saw were Thai.....heaven..... and i've no doubt the next visit will be blighted by the great unwashed.


    This post won't be a 5 minute job so if you are of an inpatient disposition I will apologise now but I have a feeling I am just about to run the gauntlet of TD photo vagaries.


    First up the airport which was a little chaotic as the check-in ladies were still getting used to the paperwork verification. I was second in the queue and it still took 35 minutes to get my baggage tags. Once through straight to the lounge and breakfast

  2. #2
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    well this could be a really short thread, i've not managed to upload one pic in 5 minutes ffs

  3. #3
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    Was tempted but Norvern people were i there and it was breakfast time

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-dfgsdgs-jpg

  4. #4
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    instead I moved to more civilised surrounds for brekkie

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-dfgdg-jpg


    i had a few, great combo.

    The moved on to the plane, left was full so i pleb'd it in the cheap seats

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-335-jpg


    an old hat, liberated 5 pillows and 3 blankets and you have yourself a 1st class pillow, two more blankets, 5 glasses of wine and a seat belt extension guarantees 6 hours sleep

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-f-jpg


    landed safely at the ASQ hotel and i won't bother you with the details as i posted my experiences already.

    Next day was COVID cleared and off to Chanthaburi ... Eastern seaboard for the uninitiated or visiting reader...part of Thailand annexed by the French, contains a small Vietnamese community and probably my favourite ambience in Thailand.

  5. #5
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    We stayed 3 nights in Chan is the locals call it, no complaints from me as i love the place, its chilled.

    Met up with the family.

    Essentially all the Mrs' Dads family come from this province. Love meeting the family, they are really friendly and predominantly fruit farmers with some middlemen businesses and shops in Chan City, generous to a fault, embarrassingly so but they have the dosh and i try not to be offended.

    The olds all drive pick ups as they don't "need" anything else, the younger gen have decided the odd Merc or Beemer is more appropriate, we stick with the olds, and old they are. Her dads side of the family regularly do 90 YO+, sadly he wasn't one of them and i really miss the old fella.

    They are a mix of Buddhist and some are Christian which is common in this part of Thailand from the French influence. AO posted a pic of the Cathedral in his last travel thread, its a lovely building. Here is a copy

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-v-v-v-jpg
    Last edited by malmomike77; 13-02-2022 at 01:00 AM.

  6. #6
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    Right so this is a road trip, it will be a bit disjointed as we stayed in 3-4 places and short stops between so most of the pics are of the longer stops and i won't bother yo all with the admin / business days.

    First up we visited Chantorn Potchana, its a "old" resto in Chan from he 50's and one we always stop at. During the visit it became apparent that resto interpretation of alcohol rules was lets say inconsistent, Chantorn served morning til they closed.

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-mm-m-jpg

    not my pic, i forgot to take some

    but the food....

    soft shell crab

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-4-jpg


    Pork and Chamung Tree leaf, not spicy and a bit sweet. It seems to be a Chan thing to eat tree leaves, the Mrs makes curries from about 5 different trees.

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-5-jpg


    Chan noodles and prawn, spicy and sweet

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-6-jpg


    lastly, morning glory with garlic

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-7-jpg


    the whole lot for 5 people less the £15 with drinks, and i had a couple.

    We chilled and went to the family in the evening but the next day went to Chanthaboon....

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by malmomike77 View Post
    We stayed 3 nights in Chan is the locals call it, no complaints from me as i love the place, its chilled.

    Met up with the family.

    Essentially all the Mrs' Dads family come from this province. Love meeting the family, they are really friendly and predominantly fruit farmers with some middlemen businesses and shops in Chan City, generous to a fault, embarrassingly so but they have the dosh and i try not to be offended.

    The olds all drive pick ups as they don't "need" anything else, the younger gen have decided the odd Merc or Beemer is more appropriate, we stick with the olds, and old they are. Her dads side of the family regularly do 90 YO+, sadly he wasn't one of them and i really miss the old fella.

    They are a mix of Buddhist and some are Christian which is common in this part of Thailand from the French influence. AO posted a pic of the Cathedral in his last travel thread, its a lovely building. Here is a copy

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-v-v-v-jpg

    I remember that place from taking the bus from Bangkok to Koh Chang. I always did think it looked rather incongruous.

    What are the beaches like near there? I toyed with the idea of a couple of nights there but never got round to it.
    Last edited by hallelujah; 13-02-2022 at 01:33 AM.

  8. #8
    Isle of discombobulation Joe 90's Avatar
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    Nice Nammers, a proper thai travel thread on TD at last.
    Could eat that food right now!

    You could have had a pint of Holts bitter at Manchester airport instead of that soft southern ponsey red wine, when Rome and all that...

  9. #9
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    Chanthaboon?

    the name of the river community and one of a few historic areas in Chan that survive and have retained much of the sense of community and some of their buildings. If you go there taka a walk along the road and speak to the locals, they are really friendly and quite genuine some of them and are proud of their community.

    Next is a load of shots taken walking along and back up the road, it was early by Thai standards, we'd been many times but the lack of tourists both Thai and Foreign was striking.

    the walk

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-fh-jpg


    we walked between the numbers

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-vkjkjfg-jpg


    an old pic on a wall of the river, the walk is on the left

  10. #10
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    Right i'm stopping, the last pic which didn't appear took 10 minutes for this post above. I'll try tomorrow but its going to take more time than i can be bothered if this keeps up. Like the knocking shop (as Dill likes to call it) pics which probably took me 7 hours in total.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by hallelujah View Post
    What are the beaches like near there? I toyed with the idea of a couple of nights there but never got round to it.
    Not of the Andaman quality but you know its the gulf,i have always liked the lack of Whities and that stands for the other side Bang Sapan and Bang Krut. Its quiet and that suits me, no whales on the beach and just Thai families with the kids having a swim with their clothes on.

    Quote Originally Posted by Joe 90 View Post
    You could have had a pint of Holts bitter at Manchester airport
    as would I but i had a lounge pass and that gave me 1 1/2 bottles of red, brekkie and lunch and a nice chat with a Dutch guy who i helped charge his phone off me battery pack as he bitched about KLM

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joe 90 View Post
    Nice Nammers, a proper thai travel thread on TD at last.
    Hmm i am also finding photos 90 degs off what the look like, sigh................

    Laters

  13. #13
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    Nice story patience the pix are great a place I've never seen, You've whetted my appetite plan a trip when "normality' returns

  14. #14
    Thailand Expat DrWilly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by malmomike77 View Post
    Hmm i am also finding photos 90 degs off what the look like, sigh................

    Laters

    screenshot them and upload. You’ll reduce the size of the photo that is probably taking 10 minutes each time plus the 90 degree left turn thing

  15. #15
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    Nice pics & stories, toots. Looking forward to more. Cheers on a cloudy Sunday morning here in PH.

  16. #16
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    Good luck with it Mike- looking forward to this.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by malmomike77 View Post
    Hmm i am also finding photos 90 degs off what the look like, sigh................
    Laters
    So its later, chores done, kids au revoired and only Eng v Italy or Leepool to divert myslf for the job at hand, oh and a merlot - i'm looking at the time i have left at work and the idea of growing old disgracefully is starting to appeal. The real question is will i retire before snubs liver retires?

  18. #18
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    The ADHD members might want to get back to TDH as this is just a load of pics as we wandered down a street.

    a look at the road ahead, then the houses

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-25-ubiwyhf-jpg


    its not a through road so no real traffic apart from locals, mainly motorcys with the odd car.

    There was a major fire in 90 i think and unfortunately it took out quite a few of the wooden shop houses, the locals built back largely with the ubiquitous concrete but its retains most of its character and some of the concrete has a sense of humour.

    There are some photos on a wall of the fire and before but sun faded

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-38-bb1pkjz-jpg


    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-39-w6q3yw2-jpg

  19. #19
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    The place was incredibly quiet with many places shut which was a shame but i'd still encourage anyone to have a walk down and back again. There is a museum devoted to the community which is acknowledged as the first chan settlement, a mix of Thai, Viet and Chinese. I suspect most don't make their living from their residences and you get the impression that they leave a lot of the older ladies to run small businesses to keep these occupied and provide a few baht, part of the charm.

    Anyway back to it

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-4-bxucfu2-jpg


    i love seeing the old places which are disappearing fast but you get the impressing the places here will be retained as long as they can.

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-13-zd4qqnn-jpg


    even where they modernised they tried to keep the tops trad.

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-21-cgzc61a-jpg


    The french laundrette
    Last edited by malmomike77; 13-02-2022 at 10:15 PM.

  20. #20
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    You can't beat getting a rocket up ya as Tezza would say, local ice cream



    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-60-jbmpgon-jpg


    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-50-igbwxy0-jpg


    The locals were drying medicinal herbs, help yourself

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-44-sijzlt4-jpg


    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-30-3yjnjyp-jpg



    in the background you can see the pics on display from the fire and pre-fire pics, it was obviously a painful event for them to lose so many cherished buildings and their memories.
    Last edited by malmomike77; 13-02-2022 at 10:20 PM.

  21. #21
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    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-5-q3vxity-jpg


    here you can see local home security measures

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-10-pyv0xou-jpg


    modern measures are less aesthetic. Most of the houses that alight the river are not accessible but there is the odd café cum resto bar and hotel and they are lovely to while away some time in.

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-20-1axualk-jpg


    the place below doesn't seem to have been built on or back upon

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-17-4eow0ct-jpg
    Last edited by malmomike77; 13-02-2022 at 10:26 PM.

  22. #22
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    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-31-gkh0ksg-jpg


    the aftermath.....out of season Durian

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-18-eizuvag-jpg

    one of the few places you can get a coffee and a sit by the river

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-61-wyeigvq-jpg


    there are two noodle places toward the end of the soi. One does a seafood noodle with crab and although its outrageously priced at a whole £2.50p for a large bowl we stopped and showed how Hi So we were by ordering 5 bowls, we didn't even share. The lady even remembered me from 4 years before, i guess looking like Joseph Merrick has its advantages

    suitably refreshed it was a walk back.

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-63-qf9tb2j-jpg


    random shots

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-29-9mrzzsp-jpg


    hotel
    Last edited by malmomike77; 13-02-2022 at 10:34 PM.

  23. #23
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    No matter where you are there is always a motorcy repair shop, coupled with an electrical appliance repair shop

    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-3-axu0lc3-jpg


    A garlic and pepper shop, lots of pepper grown around chan, in fact Chathaburi provide is like the Thai version of Kent - the garden of Thailand which some of the best fruit growing in Thailand, much exported especially Durian.
    Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-41-m2gax7x-jpg
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Trials and Tabulations - a quiet return-6-hq05fpj-jpg  
    Last edited by malmomike77; 13-02-2022 at 10:42 PM.

  24. #24
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    i'm getting messages i'm uploading too much....time for a break

  25. #25
    Thailand Expat helge's Avatar
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    Yes
    They are not showing up to me

    Have a nice trip

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