Diary "Thailand - 2019"

Part 1 Kho Samui

27.02.2019 – 20.03.2019
Our program: islands Kho Samui – Kho Phangan – national park Khao Sok – Phuket.

Preparation
Tickets of my favourite airline Emirates were bought 5.5 months in advance, Newcastle –Bangkok (via Dubai, return) for £423pp. On Emirates website the price already jumped up to £1000, so we used TravelTrolly.

As well on the site BusOnlineTicket we have bought following tickets (price per person, plus small commission from this site):
1) Train tickets Bangkok - Surat Thani, 2d class for THB 838 pp
2) Suratthani Train Station-Samui Nathon (Bus + Ferry Donsak) for THB 280 pp
3) Koh Phangan - Khao Sok (Ferry + Bus) for THB 500 pp.
4) Air tickets PHUKET - BANGKOK SUVARNABHUMI THB 1090pp on Thaiairways and booked all accommodation in advance.
5) SIM Card voucher for Thailand on the Klook website with free cancellation and Pick up from the BKK or DMK Airport just for £ 3.15. So called DTAC Happy Tourist Super 4G 8 day SIM card has 8 days of unlimited data usage and THB100 call credits.

We went then to a specialist dive shop to buy snorkelling sets (all the masks we have bought before in Thailand, near beaches, were a poor fit and leaked) and also beach shoes to protect the feet from sea urchins and other marine fauna.

Flight
Why do I like Emirates? Well…Really yummy food, very interesting set of TV & entertainment programs and creative interior. Look at this night sky they turned on after a big dinner with lots of vine! I bet you can find familiar constellationsif you try to:

I spent the flight time learning Spanish with Emirates' lessons and watching a documentary “Galapagos and my family” and several good films. Last time I flew with Emirates 13 years ago, I'm not disappointed again!

Arrived in Bangkok at 12:30. In couple of hours already reached a railway station HuaLamphong (metro station with the same name).

Train
We had to wait for our train till 19:45, a bit difficult after sleepless night. Roger went to a shower for 10THB, but water was cold. We ate on a cheap food court and began to nod off. Suddenly at 6pm the whistle of the station attendant sounded and music played, obviously a hymn. All people got up and Roger jumped up as a soldier, though he was clearly sleeping before. Amazing patriotism.

Still, I would prefer to fly from Bangkok, rather than sit half a day on this station.

Finally we had a chance to sleep in the train. Of course, Russian trains are more modern and much more clean, especially Moscow's trains, but for sleeping, Thai trains are more comfortable.

First, there are curtains near each bed, to hide you from any eyes and keep you warm from air-conditioning. For me, it was too strong, and the blankets were too thin. Train guard brought a menu and we ordered fish soup for 85 THB and spring rolls for 150 THB. Second, bottom bed is much wider and longer, than in Russian trains and there is enough space for mom with child.

Ferry
Train arrived to Surattani 40 minutes late (7:46am). Bus departure to the pier, according to the tickets, was at 7:45. However it was also delayed 40 min. The ticket office is situated just near to the exit from the railway station. About 40min waiting on the pier and at 11:00am we were sitting on a ferry, exactly according to timetable.

On Samui
We stayed on Lamai beach, in Bulin Residence. It's only 3 min to the beach, just to cross the road and a hotel.

Immediately went to the beach. Strange, but there was nobody in the sea, nobody was swimming. It was just about 3pm. Sometimes we could see sunbathers, mostly in the shadows.

Suddenly, I realised: probably, the tide is out. We stepped to the water, and, yes, in the deepest place about 60см approximately. And for several km into the sea the same situation. And there, very far, waves are running on big boulders, more dangerous probably.

We lay down as in a bath, water+29, and walked up to the northern end, really nice beach. Only not possible to swim... First I did at home, - I found a table of tides at Samui on the internet. That's true, around 15:00 tide is out, and tide in is at 6am and after 9 pm, and this is for the whole week we are on the island. Thank God, I found that the northern part of island is swimmable, even during tide out, the bottom is steeper there.

Next day we went to the north straight away and swam a lot. The bottom is more pleasant, more sandy, less stones and more people. Half a day spent walking to the north end, half a day back, with the stops for swim, shakesand photos. Our apartment is close to the south end.

3.03.2019
We bought a whole day safari tour around the island, costing about 1400 THB including lunch. It was great! However, sitting on the top of car was very-very scary. It wasn't necessary though.

All other people in our group were French. Generally, this is somehow a French island. Except French, we met only some Russian and German, no English at all. Maybe BREXIT swept them out ;(

With this tour we were taken to see Big Budda, Buddist temples, elephant camp, waterfall.

Bathed in a waterfall, rolled up on elephants, entertained by monkeys and Thai boxing (absolutely unexpected for us, this wasn't in the program), driven all around the huge island, we went for a lunch.

Tasty lunch was served just on this view point with amazing view on the island.

At the end we were taken to see two famous rocks, grandma and grandpa, which resemble genitals so much, that I was too embarrassed to make photos. Instead we ate one coconut ice cream for the two of us:

5.03.19
Finally we tried our new new snorkelling masks on Silver beach. It took about 15 min walking from our apartment along the road to get there. Along that way we made several nice photos, just turn 5 meters off the road:

Silver beach is absolutely beautiful, clean, with white sand, crystal clear water, sandy bottom, big boulders, a bit of coral and pretty fish. But, also lots of peoples, so difficult to find any shade. Finally, we met British there. It became clear: they browse on best beaches…Though, there were also Russians there.

There are lots of children, great place to teach them snorkelling, what actually many parents were doing. On the way back we turned to Lamai, there still very shallow, swimming is still not possible, however we sat under a giant tree shadow, only us, and made photos.

About food
We had our dinners every day in the same restaurant, Imchai Thai food, just near to our apartment. We liked it for good price to quality ratio, as well as a cheerful hostess, who is always in a great mood, turns on the music and sometimes dance. Dishes from 90 to 120 ТНВ, authentic Thai cuisine, huge selection. This fish came out 300ТНВ, but huge, we ate for two, and the taste is amazing, in tomato sauce with all sorts of spices. Plus a plate of rice for 10THB, we were full. Never ate more delicious fish in my life for all 50 years ...

6/03/19
We went on a boat trip to Angthong National Marine Park (1500 THB pp including light breakfast, lunch and drinks). We loved it.

Things we did: kayaking, snorkelling, climbing to the cave, and to the viewing point.

And from there we could see gorgeous views of the islands on one side

and on the saltwater lagoon from the other side. This lagoon is in the centre of a rocky mountain and we first had to climb, and second to go down along the metal stairs.

Everything was great, even there was a very good English-speaking guide. The only problem, there were too many people, not less than 120 on the boat.

7/03/19
The girl from a travel agency agreed to take us to a Buddhist temple, where you can see the body of a monk who died in 1973. His body has not yet decayed and is still sitting in a pose of meditation under a glass cap.

On the way, I asked her about life. It turned out that she has three children, but no husband. There were two husbands, the first was Thai, the second was a foreigner, but both turned out to be lazy and did not help her raise her children. She has to work every day without days off. From the temple there is a beautiful view on the nearby beaches:

Then, our agent brought us to another temple, the Snake Stone Pagoda, where everything is red, both outside and inside.

The same girl sold us tickets to Phangan, 200THB per person for the ferry +150 THB for a taxi to the pier from our apartment. Ferry starts at 11:30.