Trouble in Thai Paradise
Flew into Bangkok from Yangon to be hit by sickness that several of our tour group had suffered in the last week in Myanmar. Or was it the fact that we ate at a resto called Hemlock in Bangkok. Spent a very quiet weekend in our hotel room!!! Well it should have been quiet but could hear very bad karaoke despite being next door to The Buddhist Association of Thailand!!! Managed tot leave our passports at a travel office offering an Indian visa service. Told it would take 5 working days (excluding weekends) and as the next week had a holiday we would have to return 9 days later!!!! Slightly concerned to be passport less for so long in a country with so much political unrest but we had no option.
We booked a minibus transfer to Koh Kood or Kut near the Cambodian border. The 5 hour journey was comfortable and we then had a 2 hour speedboat ferry journey to the island stopping at Koh Mak on route. We arrived on the island with turquoise waters and white sands in brilliant sunshine. Our hotel, Cham House was nearby and we had a lovely room with a jacuzzi on our balcony!!! Tried this out only once as it took about 2 hours to fill and was a bit worried about the weight ( even before we got in) of all that water!!!!
The next day was glorious so we spent the day on sun loungers, swimming and reading. The beach was lovely and we felt that we had made a great decision to while away some time at the beach. The hotel was pretty isolated so had to eat there but the food was good Thai and all was fine with the world. Woke up to heavy rain. How was this possible? Oh well, will clear up in an hour or two..... Oh no, it didn't. It rained all day plus off and on for the next 2 days. Felt we couldn't complain as everyone back home was dealing with heavy rain and flooding. However, it got very boring as we spent hours reading indoors. The drains started smelling and the Internet wouldn't allow us to send or receive. Managed to walk to a local resto but it wasn't that great so back to the hotel food. We did enjoy the hotel's beach bbq on St Valentine's Day as the rain stayed away for a few hours. However, it was with some relief that we went back to Bangkok although a 7 hour journey became 9 hours as it was so busy on the roads. The island would have been great if the weather was better although the hotel was a bit too isolated for us.
Stayed in the same hotel , Navalai River Resort on the river, as we like the location. Caught a tuk tuk over to Jim Thompson's house as we had been unable to reach it in the autumn due to demonstrations. All quiet on the roads except around some protest sites with tents and banners. Had to walk last 2 hundred metres as the road was closed off. A protest leader shook our hands as they want tourists to keep visiting the sights.
Last visited the house nearly 30 years ago and it is still lovely and full of interesting antiques. The whole operation is more slick as the brand is now so famous and has revitalised the Thai silk industry. We walked to the nearby Skytrain stop and caught the train down to Central Pier to take a ferry back to our hotel on Phra Arthit. The moment of reckoning had arrived as we went back to collect our passports and they were ready with brand new Indian visas!!! So excited that we had to go for a Happy Hour drink which always is a bad idea!!! Finished off the evening in very local noodle bar. Again, a bad idea as they pile the soup full of chilli!!!
Time to return to Penang for 10 days and prepare for our 7 week trip to India. In the taxi on the way to Don Mueang airport, we saw hundreds of police vans and police in riot gear sitting in a huge park. That day, 4 people died and many were injured as the police tried to clear some protest sites. Thankfully, we didn't see the mayhem but we feel for the people of Bangkok caught up in an impossible struggle.