Ok, so we got into Bangkok at lunch time on 7th November and went to find some way of getting down to Koh Phangan.We soon found that our only choice really was bus due to the train station being flooded.Couldn't help feeling we were escaping Bangkok just in time, the travel agent had a rubber dinghy in the office in preparation for the floods that were on the way very soon.So we booked our tickets on the VIP night bus and went off around Bangkok for the afternoon.We had a look around the MBK shopping centre, if only we'd discovered this before, it was great!.. Although its probably just as well we didn't or the budget would have taken even more of a hit!Tom eventually dragged me away from the shops back to the travel agents to get our bus.Not a sleeper bus but fairly comfortable seats all the same, I thought we'd got lucky with the 'vip' bus this time but I thought too soon!Wont go into too much detail here but basically the next morning we were dropped off an hour away from the ferry port in the middle of nowhere and discovered that everyone that had valuables in their backpacks had been stolen from.Tom and I had the equivalent of about £300 taken which was nothing compared to some who had passports and bank cards stolen as well as money.Another bus came along later to take us to the boat and we finally arrived in Koh Phangan at lunch time.

Our accommodation was already booked, a basic little bungalow on the beach in Baan Tai, the view and location more than made up for the fact we only had a cold shower!The resort had a pet monkey, it seemed friendly and people were going up and petting it.It did look cute but it tried to kick me so didn't go near it again!(Tom will tell you it was my own fault for panicking but this is so not true!!)Anyway, we spent the afternoon at the police station getting a report (about the stolen money not the aggressive monkey!!!) from a very helpful police man, so that hopefully we can claim our money back on the insurance.

Next day Tom and I hired motorbikes with Tom and Lisa and went to have a look around Haad Rin and the beach where the full moon party is held.In the evening we went to the local food market and were spoilt for choice with what to have for tea.All of the food looked so good!Had the best donut I've ever had at this market! On full moon party day we did as little as possible in preparation for the night ahead. Went and bought some luminous body paint and some red bull, I was going to need a lot of that to stay up all night! That evening once we'd all painted each other up, Kiwi Tom got the prize for best/funniest design work, with his own hand prints over his body!!We arrived at the beach about 9pm, it was packed with people and there was so much going on including a big skipping rope of fire!!We had a great night and left the party as the sun was coming up, leaving the more hard core partiers to carry on!

For the next few days there isn't too much to report.The weather turned a bit and it rained at some point on each day.Also I started to feel a bit unwell (blamed it on a hangover for a while but after 3 days was starting to think it must be something else!!).

On Sunday 13th we took the 15mins speed boat ride to Koh Samui.I know this is a really popular place to go and Tom had a great time there the last time he came to Thailand but our experience this time wasn't so great.We only stayed for 2 nights and it rained almost the whole time!!Also the guest house we stayed in on the first night was right in the middle of the noisiest and seediest street in Chaweng.I didn't sleep that first night (I have no idea how Tom did), we may as well have been sat in the middle of a club trying to sleep!!!Even when we went for breakfast at 9am the music was still pumping out!We moved down the road for the second night and it was a lot more pleasant but because of the rain we decided to cut our losses and get the bus to Krabi the next day.I left without even seeing the beach!

Fingers crossed for sunshine in Krabi!........