^^ I did it on a bus from Ekkamai once, seemed like a long journey. When I arrived, as it was probably too late to get the ferry, I went to Cambodia instead; just something to do over a long weekend; KokKong or something, some really wierd and saddo foreigners there; didn't feel to safe walking around at night either. I never had any problems with the locals, but it feels safer (rightly or wrongly) this side of the border. Surprisingly crap food. Different beer offerings, which was nice for a few days. Interesting enough trip.

^ They know, they just don't care: cash now, cash, cash, cash. This is what instituitionalized corruption brings. Nobody does their job, their too worried about pissing off the money men anyway; none of these places would get permits, pass the local and national environmental laws, etc, if it wasn't for the system in place where PuYai and cash are all powerful.

In the last 20 years, the damage done to the environment here is quite incredible... We all remember our first trips, 20 odd years ago (or more for many posters) when you got your banana pancakes in a leaf and went back to a wooden hut. Now you get about 15 plastic bags to throw on the floor and go back to your concrete monstrosity - and this is progress???