Back to Bangkok You would have thought that we would have learnt from the first rather hellish experience of the State Railway of Thailand & just got on a plane back to Bangkok. Unfortunately, however, budget restrictions wouldn't allow it and I would have walked back before getting on another frigging bus so round 2 on the rails it was. First of all we had our tickets checked in the usual over-authoritarian manner by the armed guard, and then... *shud...

CHIANG MAI Chiang Mai was reached in the evening after another full day spent on busses. The travel sickness took hold early on this day and after a good 10 hours of wanting to throw up and only managing to consume a 7Eleven version of a Pot Noodle I wasn't in the best of moods and unfortunately the decidedly low spirits would carry over and mar the first day in the city ("Stupid sodding place, it'as just full of friggin temples. And why do people keep t...

UM PHANG Um Phang is the only place on Earth that has ever led me to experience a true feeling of delight at the sight of a Western Union sign. Not because I had an overwhelming desire to exchange some travellors cheques might I add, but because it was the only sign in Roman script and which reminded me that I'd not been mysteriously transported to another planet. Um Phang is the type of place that would make Roysten Vasey, seem positively normal. I felt ...

MAE SOT Transport options into, within & out of Mae Sot would yet again provide the entertainment for the day, which is just as well because none was to be found in Mae Sot. Mae Sot is a frontier town on the western border with Myanmar (Burma) and as such merely exists to facilitate the trafficking of gems, clothing, natural resources & indeed the Burmese people themselves. In other words, and to put it as frankly as possible, it's an absolute s*** ho...

Sukhotai Erm, there's not really a great deal to be said about Sukhothai really. The town itself is a bit grim and only livened up by the fact that the river was the highest it had been for 30 years and was about to burst it's banks. Incidentally we decided to stay in the guest house which was right next to the river and situated a good deal lover than the artificial concrete wall which held it back. As you do. It was a lovely guest house but one did wonder ...