WE ROLLED INTO THAILAND LATE AFTERNOON – BORDER FORMALITIES HAVE BEEN FAIRLY EASY.  30 DAY VISA ON ARRIVAL AND THEY GOT THEIR GOT THEIR OWN TEMPORARY IMPORT SYSTEM AND AFTER FILLING OUT VEHICLE DETAILS ANS LEAVING A FEW SIGNATURES IT WAS ALL DONE. WISH IT WOULD ALWAYS BE THAT EASY..

WE STOPPED AT A LOCAL MARKET JUST A FEW KILOMETERS PAST THE BORDER AND EXPERIENCED SUPER FRIENDLY PEOPLE THAT LOOKED VERY SURPRISED OF SEEING A TOURIST WALKING AROUND THERE. WE RECEIVED FREE SUGARY DRINKS AND THEY BARELY WANTED TO TAKE MONEY OF US. REALLY ENJOYABLE..

WITH A BIT OF FOOD IN THE BELLY WE DROVE FOR ANOTHER WHILE AND SPOTTED  LITTLE RESORT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE SURROUNDED BY A RIVER..

AFTER A GOOD NIGHT OF SLEEP AND A RUN THROUGH SURROUNDING FARMS WE STARTED OUR JOURNEY FURTHER NORTH TOWARDS  FAMOUS KOH LANTA

YOU NEED TO TAKE TWO FERRIES TO GET TO KOH LANTA

THE POSITIVE SURPRISE – THEY ARE REALLY INEXPENSIVE

UNFORTUNATELY WE HAD TO WITNESS THE AFTERMATHS OF A HORRIFIC SCOOTER CRASH.

JULIUS OUR MED STUDENT TAKING FIRST AID MEASUREMENTS

PLEASE WEAR A HELMET! – THIS GUY HAD A PRETTY SCRETCHED UP FACE – DIDN’T LOOK SO GOOD

WE SPENT A NIGHT ON KOH LANTA LEFT THE CAR BEHIND AND TOOK ANOTHER FERRY TO PP ISLAND

WE DECIDED TO PADDLE TO ANOTHER ROCK FURTHER OUT AND NEARLY GOT TAKEN BY THE OCEAN… BUT AFTER PADDLING FOR HALF AN HOUR AN NOT MOVING A METER WE STILL MADE IT BACK IN TIME FOR SUNSET

WE LEFT JULIUS AND FENNA BEHIND ON PP ISLAND AND WENT BACK TO PICK UP THE TRUCK ON KOH LANTA

HAD TO HAVE ANOTHER COFFE BEFORE HEADING OF – STILL FELT THE BUCKETS OF PP IN BONES ‘N’ BRAINS

WE HEADED TOWARDS KHAO LAK

WHERE I MET THE GRANDSON OF THE VIETNAM KING AND BUDDHA BIKKU DURING MY DAILY WORKOUT ROUTINE

I POSTED SOME PAPERWORK AND STICKERS FOR THE CAR TO SOME FRIENDS OF MY FAMILY IN KHAO LAK

WE SHARED SOME STORIES AND LAUGHS BEFORE GETTING STRENGHTENED WITH SOME HOMEMADE GERMAN BREAD FOR OUR UPCOMING JUNGLE ADVENTURE

KHAO SAK – THAILANDS JUNGLE VILLAGE

 

MONKEY SWIMMING HOLE

WE MET GÖZDE AND SABRINA IN OUR JUNGLE HUTS AND SPENT A BRILLIANT DAY TOGETHER ..

OFF WE WENT AGAIN – AIMING FOR BANGKOK

A BEAUTIFUL ROAD IS LEADING YOUTHOUGH THE JUNGLE TOWARDS THE EAST COAST OF THAILAND

WE DROVE ALL THE WAY TO A PLACE CALLED CHUMPHON WHERE I HAD THESE DELICIOUS HORSESHOECRABS FOR DINNER. THEY CUT THEM OPEN JUST UNDERNEATH THEIR SHELL. THE INSIDE IS ALL LITTLE EGGS. THEY LEGS GET CUT ASWELL AND EVERYTHING IS GETTING MIXED TOGETHER INTO A SALAD. PRICEY BUT NOT A BAD TASTE AT ALL

SOME GERMAN GIRLS TEXTED ME THAT THEY ARE IN THAILAND AND WOULD LIKE TO JUMP IN. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO COME FROM KOH SAMUI BY FERRY IN THE MORNING. JOSEF ANNA AND I GOT A LITTLE BUNGALOW JUST BY THE JETTY TO AWAIT THEIR ARRIVAL IN THE MORNING. WE WAITED AND WAITED…

….TO EVENTUALLY FIND OUT THAT WE WAITED AT THE WRONG PIER… SO WE DROVE ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PROVINCE TO LOAD UP THOSE GIRLS – DESTINATION BANGKOK

FOUR CHICKS IN THE BACK NOW – THEY CAN TALK A LOT – JOSEF IS ALREADY TAKING OFF THE SEATBELT – READY TO JUMP OUT

NO AIRCON IN THE CAR SO IT GOT SWEATY – TIME FOR A SWIMBREAK

MEANWHILE – JOESF FOUND A SHELL

BACK IN THE CAR AND – YOUNG PEOPLE THESE DAYS AFTER A LITTLE SWIM – EXHAUSTED – SO THEY HAD A LITTLE SNOOZE

MEANWHILE – I WAS PLAYING -CATCH- WITH SOME BUSDRIVERS

BANGKOK IT WAS – LATE AT NIGHT – SOMETHING CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT

WHAT’S THE LAST THING YOU NEED AFTER A BIG DAY OF DRIVING – POLICECHECK – ONLY 2 MINUTES AWAY FROM KHAO SAN RD

BUT HE MEANT THAT HE DID CHECK EVERYTHING AND WE ARE GOOD TO GO – ‘I CHECK EVERYTHING’ – THINK WE LAUGHED FOR A WHILE AND STILL DO

WE STAYED FOR A NIGHT IN BKK – THE RECEPTIONIST WAS A LADYBOY – WHAT ELSE – THE NEXT MORNING – PARKING IN FRONT OF THE RESTAURANT WHERE WE HAD BREAKFAST – TO USE THEIR WIFI TO LEAD THE MAPS FOR  OUR ROUTE TO CAMBODIA

AND SADLY WE HAD TO LEAVE ANNA BEHIND – I MISS YOU A LOT – SHE WAS LIKE A DAUGHTER TO ME – A MONTH IN THE CAR AND SHE WAS DEFINITELY PART OF THE FURNITURE – THANKS FOR COPING ALL THE BULLYING – LOVE YOU

WELL AND WE REACHED THE CAMBODIAN BORDER

CAMBODIA

CROSSED AT THE SOUTHERNEST BORDER INBETWEEN KOH KONG AND HAT LEK

BEST BORDER I HAVE BEEN SO FAR.

THE CAMBODIAN SIDE WAS EASY – JUST A FEW LITTLE SHACK’S – HAD MY PAPERWORK DONE IN 3 MINUTES. DROVE TO THE THAI SIDE. THAT BORDER POST WAS A BIT BIGGER BUT STILL VERY TINY. GOT THERE AND SOME PEOPLE PLAYED BALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. WE JOINED IN AND TO FIND OUT LATER THAT THESE GUYS ARE ACTUALLY BORDER OFFICIALS. VISA ON ARRIVAL AND CAR FORMALITIES ARE EASY AS ASWELL. HALF AN HOUR LATER AND WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE THROUGH

WE DROVE INTO THE NIGHT – STOPPED AT A FEW 7/11 ALONG THE WAY TO SNACK OUR WAY TO BANGKOK

IT WAS LATE AND I COULDN’T FIND ANY PARKING. TRIED TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION

WAKE UP TO THIS!

IT HAPPEND OVER NIGHT – SOMEWHERE JUST AROUND THE CORNER FROM KHAO SAN RD. IT WAS A MASSIVE DAY TRIP DRIVING ALL THE WAY FROM KAMPOT – CAMBODIA TO BANGKOK. I GOT NO CLOU ABOUT THERE PARKING RULES SO I JUST PARKET AROUND THE  CORNER FROM MY HOTEL. THE NEXT MORNING – WHEELCLAMPED – SOME LOUSY PAPERWORK WRITTEN IN THAI PATCHED TO MY WINDSCREEN. GUESS I HAVE TO TAKE A TAXI TODAY.

HAD TO GET TO THE MYANMAR EMBASSY TO SORT A VISA OUT FOR MYSELF – LEFT MY CAR CLAMPED – THOUGH I MIGHT ASWELL USE FREE PARKING FOR THE REST OF THE DAY 😉

I WAS JUST WALKING AROUND IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD TO GET A COFFEE AND SAW A POLICE OFFICER – HIS MOTORCYCLE EQUIPPED WITH A SADDLEBAG FULL OF WHEELCLAMPS – I THOUGHT THAT MUST BE THE BANDIT THAT CLAMPED MY CAR – I WENT UP TO HIM  AND TOLD HIM THAT I BELIEVE THAT HE DID CLAMP MY CAR TOO. HE DIDN’T QUITE GET IT AND THOUGHT THE CAR IS CLAMPING AT THE MOMENT IS MINE – AFTER SPENDING A FEW MINUTES USING HAND AND FEET HE UNDERSTOOD – I OFFERED HIM 200 BAHT (5U$) TO GO AND FREE MY CAR – HE AGREED AND I TOLD HIM THE LOCATION – THOUGHT HE WOULD AT LEAST OFFER ME A LIFT ON THE BACK OF HIS BIKE BUT THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. I SIGNALISED THAT I HAVE TO WALK TO MY CAR AND HE’D COME OVER IN A BIT. SO I WALKED TO MY CAR AND JUST A MINUTE LATER HE ARRIVED AND TREID TO OPEN THE CLAMP WITH ONE OF THE THREE MILLION KEYS THAT HE HAD ON HIS BUNDLE. HE SAID SOME OTHER OFFICER HAS GOT THE KEY – ALRIGHT – HE SAID ‘WAIT’ AND DROVE OFF – WHO KNEW IF THATS GONNA WORK OUT. I STARTED GETTING MY TOOLS OUT TO FIX A FEW MINOR THINGS ON THE ENGINE – AND MEANWHILE IT DID HAPPEN. ANOTHER OFFICER ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND UNCLAMPED THE CAR FOR ME – JUST HELLO AND GOODBYE – NO EXTRA CHARGE – THAT’S SERVICE – MY CAR WAS FREE AGAIN! 🙂

FREE PARKING IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE – NO MORE CLAMPS PLEASE

HEARD YOU CAN CLIMB UP THE STAIRS THAT ARE LEFT TO CHECK THE OUT VIEW FROM THE TOP OF THIS ABANDONED SKYSCRAPER

AS WE ARRIVED WE MET SOME OTHER TRAVELLERS TRYING TO FIND THE ENTRANCE TO THE TOWER – SURROUNDED BY BIG METAL SHEETS – TRESPASSING FORBIDDEN – WILL RESULT IN ARREST – OBVIOUSLY NOT ALLOWED TO GO UP THERE ANYMORE – I DIDN’T REALLY WANT TO GIVE UP ON THE IDEA AND CHECKED THE FENCE – AS I KICKED ONE OF THE METALSHEETS OPEN – SCREAMS FROM THE INSIDE – SOME GUY SCREAMING I SHOULD FUCK OFF – I THOUGHT HE IS SOME METHHEAD LIVING IN THE ABANDONED BUILDING – WE HAD A BIT OF AN ARGUMENT AND HE TOLD US THE POLICE WILL COME AND GET US – ANYHOW AFTER A WHILE HE AGREED TO OPEN A GATE FOR US SO WE COULD GET IN TO SEE FOR OUR SELVES THAT THE STAIRS ARE BLOCKED OFF AND THERE IS NO CHANCE OF GETTING TO THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE TOWER

SO WE KEPT ON EXPLORING BKK’S NIGHTLIFE

AND THEN

I HAD NO CLOU WHAT IT WAS – THE SECURITY GUARD GAVE ME A CARD – HE DIDNT SPEAK ANY ENGLISH – BUT IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE WELCOME. WE DROVE THROUGH THIS STUNNING AREA, NO RUBBISH, BEAUTIFUL GARDENS, A LOT OF POLICE AND SECURITY AS WELL AS EXPENSIVE FIRE EMERGENCY VEHICLE PARKED EVERYWHERE. NO PEOPLE ON THE ROAD! SPOOKY

AHEAD OF US; MASSIVE BHUMIBOL DAM – I DIDN’T KNOW THAT THIS PLACE EXSISTED..

WE GOT FILLED IN LATER; THE PLACE IS SO NEAT AND CLEAN BECAUSE THE KING USED TO VISIT THIS PLACE A LOT (PROBABLY BECAUSE THE DAM IS ALSO NAMED AFTER HIM)

THESE DAYS KING BHUMIBOL IS IN A BAD WAY AND IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE HIS LAST VISIT – EVERYTHING IS STILL IN PERFECT ODER THOUGH

I SPOKE TO AN INTERN WHO IS WORKING INSIDE THE DAM’S POWER STATION – MAINTAINING ONE OF THE 8 TURBINES PRODUCING HYDROELECTRICITY WITH A CAPACITY OF 750 MEGAWATTS – HE TOLD ME THAT THE WATER LEVEL IS ON IT’S LOWEST PIONT IN HISTORY – YES, DUE TO NO RAIN THIS SEASON. TO NOTE THOUGH THAT LAST YEARS WET SEASON FILLED THE LAKE TO IT’S MAXIMUM LEVEL. THE OPERATOR’S OF THE DAM GOT SCARED AND TOOK PRECAUTION AND DRAINED A LOT OF WATER PRE WET SEASON TO AVOID THE LAKE OF OVERFILLING – THE PROBLEM THERE WASN’T ANY RAIN THIS YEAR

SCHOOL KIDS ON THE WAY TO CHIANG MAI – IN A TYPICAL CHIANG MAI CAB

FINALLY  WE MADE IT TO CHIANG MAI

DEFINITELY AN AWESOME SPOT – AND ONE OF MY FAVOURITES IN THAILAND

IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO MAKE MY WAY TO THE MYANMAR BORDER – HAD TO MEET SOME PEOPLE

THAILAND SIDE WAS SUPER EASY – THEY CHECKED THE IMPORT PAPERS AND I HAD TO GO TO A FEW DIFFERENT WINDOWS BUT IT WAS SUPER EASY – I LOVE THAILAND – IT JUST SUCH A STRAIGHT FORWARD PLACE – NOT TO MUCH BULLSHIT