i heart thailand

Im back from thailand! It was a blast.

9th june. Night flight to bangkok. Gay shit steward onboard. Reached Bangkok around 1am local time. Just in time to see Germany beat Costa Rica 3-2. Plan was to sleepover at the airport, but we were all so freaking tired by then, we didn't mind getting a budget hotel in Khao san. 180 baht per person for the night. Which is like S$7.50. (S$1=24baht) Gan cheap. But the room was also gan fucked up. Settled for my first pad thai, had 3 bottled cokes, and concussed for the night.

$7.50 a night. noise pollution from adjacent room included

10th june. Roamed around Khao san the whole day. Got a first taste of thai roadside stall. Bought some chang beer shirts and singlets. Check out the hair extensions done by terence and gill for around 400 and 200 baht.

Omelette with pork and rice

terence's ugly hair

Gil did a better one at half the price

Took an overnight train to suratharni (just excuse me if i spelt all the places wrongly). Quite an experience. For around 30 sgd, you get transport, a comfy bed, and freezing air con. And how will travelling be complete without bridge, dai dee and scrabble? (we have become damn pro in scrabble).

the scrabble gang at work. More pro one coming up.

taken upside down from the upper bed.

xiaoni ah nua, nua-ing on the bed.

11th June. Reach surathani early in the morning. Breakfast at this place which boasted the worst noodle soup with pork and soya milk in thailand, some say cambodia. Followed by a 2 hour suffocating bus ride to the ferry terminal. Then a 3 hour ferry to Koh Pha ngan. Got a stuffy-and-the-aircon-is-just-for-show room to dump all our bags and headed for the beach straightaway.

big and ugly slow ferry

Lunch at koh pha ngan

Its a sauna in there.

Beach volleyball and waterpolo by the beach whole afternoon. Freaking place flooded with ang mos. Can't believe i was in thailand. Holland v Serbia match that evening followed by lotsa booze and dancing at the full moon party. (no pics of these cos we're all partying). They have these buckets of booze (eg vodka +redbull or jack daniels + sprite etc.) going at around 200 baht each. Still too many ang mos. Got knocked out pretty quickly after a few buckets. No more alcohol with an empty stomach. So ashamed of myself.

12th June. Another 3 hours boat ride to Koh tao. No pics available. Everybody's stoning from hangovers. Finally got a decent room after 3 days of haggardness. 5 peeps a room (actually meant for 6). At last the aircon is working, i cant hear shagging noises from next door, and the toilet is actually big enough for me to stretch out my arms. What more can i ask for?

ah, decent room at last.

Food's quite cheap and good. Each meal costs like 100+ baht and the ambience is great. Think restaurant beside the sea, plenty of breeze, waves breaking just in front of you, candlelight lanterns across the beach, chillout music, comfy cushions and beanbags. Enough said.

freshies

lao jiaos

lanterns across the beach. gorgeous.

13-14 June. The divers went diving. Lazed around the pool then went snorkeling. It's really damn nice. Reefs, oysters, fishes, sea cucumbers. Couldn't get enough, we went to this secluded beach on the east of the island. Took a 4WD pickup truck half an hour navigating through 45 degree slopes flanked each side by 10m drop ravines (almost overturning)to get there. But it was worth it. Let the pics do the talking.

ride of our lives. really damn steep

More snorkeling pics coming up!!!

A word of advice for those going in the future. There are motorbikes for rental at a very affordable rate. Say, 150-200 baht a day. But make sure you're confident of your bike riding skills before renting. Cos if you buang, good luck to you. They count even scratches. Damage costs range from a few hundred to thousands of bahts. (scratches to the under carriage costs 2500 baht, i know cos my friend kena) And make sure you check carefully for scratches throughly when you rent, as there are bound to be arseholes out to cheat your money.

15th June. Bye bye koh tao. Last meal at D.D. hut and off we go. Ferry back followed by a 7 hour bus ride back to bangkok. thank goodness there is scrabble and bridge.

chang brothers

and more chang

scrabble gang, less xiaoni

told you we are good.

15-18th June. Bangkok. The hotels are getting better. Shopping, and good food again. Tshirts going at around 100-150 baht. Chatuchak is heavenly. See the shopping

siam centre, not too different from kl's times square.

We're on TV.

Now for the food.

Some italian restaurant

sharks fins. very sumptuous for 300 baht only.

Thats all i have right now. Too tired to blog on. More pics to come!!!