Welcome,to the wonders of Thailand no matter what you read

Welcome to Thailand

Your thinking, Thailand, but a long flight away and hey how about that political unrest I've read about.

Okay, with regards to flying to Thailand it's always going to be long, around 15 hours to Hong Kong or Inchon, Korea, then a plane change, about 3 more hours to Suvarnabhumi international, Bangkok and then it takes another half an hour to get you into Bangkok.

Though, if you've heard about recent political unrest in Thailand not to worry.  The protest by the Patik Siam, lead by retired general Boonlet Kaewprasit directed at undermining the leadership of prime minister Yinluck, fizzled.  The turn out of 10,000 was no where in size to past protests of a 100,000 plus.  The general, a self proclaimed royalist leader is said to have been so dejected by the size of the turn out he dissolved the organization and walked a way from the movement. 

Meanwhile, the Prime minister Yinluck Shirawatra, the younger sister of exiled prime minister Taksin Shirawatra who was removed from office  in the coup of 2006 is by most accounts doing a great job.  Yinluck running on the Puea Thai party ticket was elected prime minister by a land slide in the 2011 election and became the 28 Th prime minister of Thailand. However, other than having a brother in politics had  no previous political experience. So some were unsure that while in office that she wouldn't be any more than a surrogate for her exiled brother.  All though time has proved her meddle and her leadership abilities and has maintaining a political stable Thailand since election.  She survived a no confidence vote by the Thai Parliament of 308 - 159. 

BTS Sky Train over Sukhumvit

So you still have that long airplane ride but once in the kingdom your life will be safe and that wonderful Thai way is a waiting you.

 

 

 

As always, your hero (Doug)
is here for you.

Odds an ends from Saigon

Linh presenting me with a birthday cake
commemorating my 68 Th birthday
at Thao's in Saigon, where I rent a room.

Always find it interesting reading the "Vietnam News" the only news source in English published in Vietnam.  Gives a guy a look into the governance in action.  

 

Item 1. 

 

Lets take a look at government organizations and there names -  Reading an article on prostitution you have the Deputy Head, HCM Cities, Social Evils Fighting and Prevention Department and as close as I could figure these are the guys who look for prostitutes.  Then you have the "Ministry of labor, Invalids and Social affairs"that track and direct the police.

 

With the net result of 1000 arrested, 700 convicted and 7 that they weren't sure if they had broke the law.  No mention of the time period, the sentences of the convicted and hey what's the deal with the 7 they were unsure of whether they were prostitutes or not.

 

Item 2.

 

Vietnam attended a UN meeting of the "International Telecom Union" in Dubai about Internet control.  Vietnam, along with Russia and unmentioned  other countries are seeking international control of the Internet. 

 

According to the "Vietnam News" most of the Union's ideas are secret but it was leaked that Russia is pushing to give individual countries the rights to control Internet content and accessibility. While the Arab nations are seeking a rule that Internet users are be registered and identified..  On a some what positive note, the US was against all this.

 

Item 3.                                        





                                                                         



Yup, that's a heliport on the side of the middle building
and there haven't been any choppers here since the
US pulled out 30 some years ago.

                                                                                           

 

 

About the slow down in housing sales. I have this quote "Prices (housing) are not high, incomes are low. 

As always, your hero (Doug)
is here for you.

December 2012 Saigon streets

Walking around Saigon's Ben Thanh Ward, Dist. 1 

 




Just add a new wire,
ya, that will fix it.
Poster extolling the evils
of drugs. 



curbside recycling Vietnamese style




 

Ever present street side food vendors

Drive-in fruit market

Always stuff going on



what can be said

 

Pizza to go

Ready to ride, until the white haired guy
with the camera showed up.

fresh sugar cane

Hand pained art, see the artist at work
on the left inside.

and we are out of here 2

We are out of here 1

owner supervised motorbike repair

  OSHA spec. flip flops

You brake em we fix em.
These guys really enjoyed have there photo taken

You dirty them we'll clean em at a
very reasonable price and quickly.

Fresh load of tourists, off to see Vietnam,
by the numbers.

Tourists who broke off from the bus tour
what now?



Police maintaining park rules while having a chat

Park 23-9 rules, on the flip side
in Vietnamese.

Hand and hose watering all day

street side take away

t-shirts



Streets always crammed with cars, buses, trucks, bikes and
what have you.  Even saw an older lady wheeling her self
through rush hour traffic in a chair.
 

Our hero (Doug), I'm outa here.

Election day, California 2012

 
I've never missed voting in locale, national or any other election. When I was young I looked forward to getting my drivers license, graduating from high school and voting.

Today was the closest I've ever came to missing out even with an early morning start and early morning's and Doug don't mix. Hurriedly showered, shaved, pulled on the jeans from yesterday coupled with a carefully     pressed shirt and pushed out the door. In my haste forgot my phone, which would prove to be a problem.

Arriving at the polling place, been voting there for years, to find my name not on the list. They recommend another location and give a phone number for the "Polling place look up" no phone so I press on to the second polling place. No again. I leave mumbling about Republican conspiracies, the staff looks relieved as I left so maybe my words were louder and clearer than mere mumbling.

Head home and try to two locale numbers both with busy signals. So dialed the 800 number and after a 10 minute wait a very pleasant operator advising me of my polling place. The new location, about 2 miles away while the old one was probably less than a quarter mile and the second place I tried was just across the street.

Why did this happen, shouldn't I have been notifies of this change? If I was a conspiracy minded guy I go with those indigent letters sent to my Republican Congressman Dan Lungren and the Republicans controlling my district had something to do with this.  

 

Anyway, after a morning of screwing around I was allowed to vote. 

New air service to Angkor wat (Seim Reap) from Thailand

Angkor Wat - Siem Reap, Cambodia

The story goes that Bangkok Air in cahoots with the Cambodia government conspired to keep the overland crossing from Bangkok to Siem Reap, Cambodia as grueling as possible, and then to seal the deal the Cambodia government granted a monopoly on air service to Bangkok Air. 
                                                                  
A number of years ago I made this grueling over land trip and what a slog it was. The Thailand leg from Mor Chit II bus station in Bangkok onward to the Thai/Cambodia boarder at Paranya Prathetoipet wasn't all that bad but once off the bus the bad roared in like a pack of hungry, angry, tigers in search of a tasty bite.

When the bus landed us in Paranya Prathetoipet we stepped off to be greeted by a wild and woolly mix of motorbike, tuk-tuk and what have ya guys. 

Thinking back the trek across town from the bus to immigrations was a blur so I can't remember how I ended up on the old raggedy bus that carried me onward to Siem Reap.  My memory of the  Cambodian leg is sketchy, except for the frequent stops the bus driver made to dose the front wheels with water (still wonder about that) and the time spent with the bus idling alongside the road, which I’m guessing was to let the engine cool. 

However, now I've read that this stretch of Cambodian road has been upgraded, but guessing it’s still plied by the same decrepit, hot and overcrowded buses of the past.  Anyway, if you take this land route even with the new and improved road you still have the unsavory experience of getting to the border from Paranya Prathetoipet to customs and wondering Poipet looking for transport to Siem Reap.   Though I must add, even though this route, even with a better road is still uncomfortable but is still a cheap and interesting trip. 

Just as a side bar it's possible to hire a taxi in Poipet to Siem Reap but guessing it’s a hell of a lot more expensive than the bus.

So up to date there weren't many options in getting to Siem Reap and Ankor Wat from Bangkok other than the cheap and adventurous land passage or paying big bucks to fly.   Last I checked Bangkok Air with there monopoly to Siem Reap ha a price tag of around $300.00 for a round trip ticket. 

However, there is also the around about third option of flying out of Bangkok to Phnom Penh on Air Asia.  Their are probably numerous other carriers offering service but Air Asia is normally one of the cheaper options to get anywhere in the region.  A round trip ticket is about $110.00. Once in Phnom Penh you then head over to the central market, Psar Thmei and buy a $ 6.00 bus ticket for the 4 or 5 hour bus ride to Siem Reap.

Which now brings us to the recent fourth option of using a new air service from Pattya, Thailand with direct flights to Siem Reap.  Air Hanuman. As close as I can figure is/was an air charter outfit with big dreams for its future so started offering three scheduled flights a week from U-Taphoa International, located a short distance from Pattya and onwards to Siem Reap.  Their inaugural fare, effective October 10, 12, 15 and extended to October 17, 19 and 22 was $ 199.00 round trip. Air Hanuman operates two, 144 seat B737-300’s and one 187 seat B737-500 for charter and I’m guessing these aircraft will be pressed into service for the Pattaya, Siem Reap route.   http://airhanuman.com check it out.

 

That's all I've got for now but always thinking of you...      Doug    

-top 10 dirtest hotels in Asia and some good picks in Thailand by Doug

,

A few places I've recently stayed at in Thailand that aren't scruffy but fit into my "inexpensive but good" category. The rates are what I payed, booking through Agoda. With The exchange rate being around 32 baht = 1 dollar. I keep thinking about the old days, before 2008 when it used to be in the 40's to a dollar,these places were really a steal then. 


Yes, that's the Doug above reading the latest of a series of John Burdedt's detective stores based on the goings on of the fictional Bangkok detective Sonchai Jitpleecheap. Just finished it, "The Godfather of Katmandu" and before that it was "Tattoo" and "Bangkok 8" all of them are the kind of stories that draw you in and make you feel a part of the action.





Bangkok:
Sukhumvit area
St James Hotel 18 Soi Sukhumvit 26
$33.00 without breakfast $44.00 with breakfast Breakfast, which is a tad on the expensive side but excellent and wonderful service that makes you fel like the special person you are.

Bangalapoo - Khaosan Rd/Grand Palace area




Siamese Views Lodge
211/21-23 soi Damneon Klang Nuea
Ratchadamneon Klang Road, Note: Hidden down a short soi have your taxi guy call then at (+66) 2 629 1441 $37.00 - $50.00 including breakfast



Chiang Mai - close to the action and night markets

Raming Lodge17-19 Loikroh.rd.
T. Chanag Klan A. Muang ...............$37.00 including breakfast




Vieng Mantra Hotel
9 Ratchadamneon
Soi 1 Tam bon Sri Phume
Amphur Muang............................$46.00 including breakfast

Note: Check back in a few days and I'll add some photos...

 Tripadvisory.com's -  

 The Top 10 dirtiest hotels in Asia

Beyound Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok

                                                

This morning I figured out I was exactly two years, 5 days and 16 hours away from 70.  Which might seem old but to lessen the impact of this age thing I've decided to start thinking of age as just  an generic marker. For example if your two years five days and 16 hours from 70 and in good health your probably living a youthful existence but while a person in bad health is old, so who cares about the age number. You see I've given this age thing a lot of thought ever since, Dad at 39, died of a blocked heart artery while taking a shower in the next room from me where I was watching TV, so there you have it.  That was when I was 13, but my know-it -all sister says 14, whatever, what’s important is that is the day I decided to pack as many experiences as possible into my life, just in case my fate was the same as Dads. 

Staring out by ditching the bus and instead hitch hiking the 35 miles to school, skipping school and going on mini adventures around town and in the outdoors by our house, spending the summers sailing on the Great Lakes on a big sailboat, winters, skiing and then after getting out of high school (I did graduate) drove my 1959 VW to Aspen and spent my time ski bumming, then there were several failed attempts at college (just took too much time), a year in Vietnam, off road motorcycles, my long fling in the fast paced, newly evolving plastic business ("one word, plastics my boy") and two ex wives, a .com start up that went bust but evolved into a sales rep business. It was about this same time I also picked up an ASA degree and finished off a 10 year stint at single parenthood. My freedom back I returned to Vietnam, 32 years after my first visit when a two week visit turned into a two month stay. Twelve years have passed since and time has brought a lot of changes in the world, Vietnam and Doug.

Out of kindness to my reader I'll skip Doug's view of the changes in the world and Vietnam and stick to youthful Doug approaching the generic marker of 70. As you may have guessed I'm the type of guy that has put a lot of faith in leeway pulling me through some good and bad times but as time goes on I’m finding leeway isn’t what it used to be. For example, at 20 when I got drunk, fell down the stairs maybe I would end up stumping around with a cast for a few months, now if got into the same liquored up state I would be lucky to make it to the stairs.  Anyway, hope you get where I'm going.

Also, I'm finding out that now sickness is not such a big concern in it's self because it has mostly been replaced by having a condition.  It has been my experience that conditions aren’t normally medicated a way, like the dose of the clap my buddy was treated for back in the day.  Bad example, how about chicken pox?

Another recent example of the condition thing is my stomach problem I had in Saigon that the Columbia Asia clinic diagnosed as a arterial blockage to the heart (just like dad), not stomach gas but a condition, though unlike Dad I would survive but the condition will always be part of my life.

Then there is that money thing, back in the day I never took money seriously but my ex did and now the aging Doug realizes that he should have been paying closer attention. While thinking “why is it I'm always the last to know these things”. Then there was that great plan that corporations pushed through which resulted in the  closing out of my retirement plan and allowing it to be invested on Wall Street in a 401 k and we all know how that worked out.

Two years, 5 days and 16 hours away from a youthful, generic 70 puts me way ahead of my dad, which is a very good thing. Then there is my condition but I still ran/walked 15 miles this week as I do most weeks. with no ill effects.  Money, yup a lot harder to come by now but with a bit of finagling I’ll still be able to spend the winter in Asia bumming around no matter how Wall Street conspires against me.

Thanks for listening.

.

Bangkok, Vietnam and a German Biker Bar in Phnom Penh

Returning to Vietnam in 1999 after being away for 30 years and like the Lemming kept coming back, staying a little longer each time. After a while I felt the need to see more of the region and headed to Thailand and a couple short trips into Lao.  Meanwhile, there sits Cambodia, ever so close but always just below my radar. However, in those days Cambodia was still a pretty raged place but had heard it was starting to change. It was becoming more assessable with a stronger and more stable government but still with an the edge of a developing country and ripe for a visit from Doug.

Though, always in the back of my mind were the stories of my Cambodia born friends in California. They told of the forced labor camps and harsh times their families endured under the Khmer Rouge rain. They were just children but very brave and much older than their years, fleeing on foot across Cambodia to Thailand, enduring the hardships of life in the Thai immigration camps.  Then one day their luck changed and the opportunity to immigrate to the states opened up to them.

Along with those accounts, Cambodia had gained a reputation among expats as a pretty rough place. The Khmer Rouge did more than kill millions but destroyed the previous government and killed most of the leadership along with any potential leaders.  All this in their attempt to recreate their vision of the utopian agrarian society of Cambodia’s past.  So in the 80's when the Vietnamese toppled the Khmer Rouge they left behind a country in shambles. Inn turn Cambodia garnered a reputation as a place where the rule of law could be flexible, depending on how many guns and how much money was involved.

It was about 6 or 8 years ago when I made my first visit. One day on a whim I booked a bus trip to Seim Reap from Bangkok.  Which turned out to be one of the harder bus trips I’ve ever taken, spending the morning on a crowded un-air-conditioned minibus to somewhere across the border from Poipet, Cambodia.  Where after floundering around with bag and baggage I found the border crossing and was passed through the chaotic and disorganized Cambodian immigrations.  
                      Welcome to Cambodia!

Once across the border I located the booking office for the second stage of my bus trip to Siem Reap. After a tense wait for the bus, "yes, soon bus" - hour later, "soon" boarded ah, ha, a full sized bus. Full size yes but a bad sign is when only after a short time our bus was already having mechanical problems requiring quick  repair stops. However, I came to look forward to these little mystery stops as a welcomed break from the pounding of the rough and bumpy road.  Then there was that bridge, so decrepit that the driver and his helper laid planks over the holes so we could proceed. The buses movement over the bridge created an eerie creaking sound as though the bridge was trying to warn us not to cross. Meanwhile, the water was rushing in torrents below us. OK, not sure of the torrents of water but I guarantee that even through closed eyes the bridge was very high and the water below was treacherous.
Oh ya, and it didn’t help being stuffed into a cramped seat holding my bag on my lap with no air-conditioning in very humid 38 degrees temperature.

On to Phnom Penh where I faced the historical sites that gave credence to the stories I had read and heard about, Tuol Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek.  I was blown away and kept thinking what a tragedy this was, with so much killing and destruction, how could this happen?  Furthermore how is it that the USA or any western country never came to the rescue of the Cambodian people.  Just how is this possible?

To think that in just  three years, eight months and 21 days the Khmer Rouge killed upwards to three million babies, kids, adults, grandparents, teachers, doctors, attorneys, visiting foreigners and anyone wearing glass (yup, you read that right, glasses)..   

The converted school compound of Tuol Sleng is where people were photographed (detailed records were kept), tortured then sent out to be murdered and ultimately to be buried in mass graves.
  

To save on expensive ammunition, hoes and pic-axes where turned into killing devices and used to bash in skulls, throats were slit with knives and the gruesome practice of swinging a baby by its legs and smashing its head against a tree was used and you can still see the tree.  

I've visited numerous times since and still find it emotionally upsetting but never on par with the the intense emotions I felt on my first visit.  Tuol Sleng is about the same as then but the killing field has been redeveloped to make it more tourist friendly. When I first visited it was if I had just found it, stacks of human bones piled against trees, fabric from the clothing of the victims poking its way out of the earth, the strange sight of a locale kid bathing his water buffalo in the pond which now is fenced off to the outside and has a walking path around it.  

During this first visit I learned how the executions were carried out mostly by young people.  This really got my mind working and being this nervous guy I am couldn't help but think if killers survived they would now be around my age. So that normal looking Cambodian walking down the street could be in fact one of the killers. However, most executioners were killed off by executioners so that none gained any power, allowing the Khmer Rouge in there paranoid leadership style to keep the killers in check. However, now that the international war crimes tribunal has been created to ferret out these criminals and put those criminals on trial. I'm guessing these murders if they still are still walking around will probably not fall back ito their old habits and will be keeping a very low profile.

Cambodia has changed a lot since my first visit and is now coming into its own with improved roads and with and most bridges not requiring you to bring your own decking. The bulk of this is a byproduct of Cambodia's recent opportunities in international trade, bringing a slew of new condos, restaurants and some very nice hotels, while leaving Cambodia as a place that is still interesting but with still a little edge to it and an inexpensive destination to visit.
 
One thing that still hasn't changed much, is that Cambodia, Phnom Penh in particular still offers a no holds barred night life. Bringing us to Phnom Penh’s, German Biker Bar, which in name is the Lone Brother Bar.   The place is an open air affair, with big guys in leathers, even in the 35 c degree heat, big bikes out front and friendly ladies at the bar inside.   $3.50 for a girl drink of rum and coke at the bar and you become the most interesting and sexy man in the world.  Anyway, with the girls at the bar. 


 

That's all I got for now but always thinking of you... 

     Doug    

 

Saigon Thao's to a German Biker Bar in Phnom Penh by Bus - part one

Pham Nu Lao - across the street from SAPACO office

Thao is the Thao of " Thao's Rooms for rent" on Le Thi Rieng in Ho Chi Minh City where I've been renting a room for my monthly plus visits to Saigon over the past half a dozen years. Thao is a lovely Vietnamese lady who has also become a good friend and a great help in dealing with stuff I can’t get done on my own, including getting a good seat on the bus to Phnom Penh.

I had been in Thailand for a few months and now in Saigon close to a month and found myself in need of a vacation from my travels so Thao booked me a seat on one of SAPACO's buses to Phnom Penh at a cost of $ 10.00 us. Eight or nine years ago their wasn't many choices of buses to Phnom Penh from Saigon, especially ones that carried you through the boarder with out a bus change. Now there is a gaggle of bus companies offering buses to Phnom Penh and all carry you through the boarder. SAPACO  was one of the first to ply this route that offered a comfortable buses and reliable service and  is still a good choice even with all the competitors. However, their travel office on Pham Nu Lao isn't the kind of place where you will find your new best friend but  is where you don’t go to get one of their clean, safe and efficiently run buses.  So what you do is, ticket in hand that you had someone buy for you, skip the office and head across the street to where their big red buses are and ask around or just be cool and stand by a bus and let them find you.

Saigon traffic

Back a few year ago bus schedules to Phnom Penh were comprised of a bus leaving at 7:00 AM and another at the late hour of  9:00 AM.  Though "the times they are a changing" (Bobby D.) and yup the first bus still leaves at 7:00 AM but after that their are buses leaving every hour through the morning and every couple hours in the afternoon until 5:00 PM.  However, let me pass along this suggestion  you all that have your heart set on a front seat, like the premo A1, front left allowing you too shoot photos of the countryside as it bounces by the window or maybe your a little anti-social  like me and like your stuff close, make a reservation a couple days in advance and book two seats.  Then again if you’re the laid back sort who is just glad not to be walking, just show up and they will find you a place for you or maybe I'll sell you my extra seat. 

Cambodia boarder bus stop

Don't forget take along your 

into Cambodia

passport and you'll  need a Cambodia visa.   The required visa can be got many different ways, travel agency in Saigon,  the internet through the Cambodian Consulate website or the easiest way is to have the bus drivers helper take care of it for you at the boarder. Buying a visa direct from the Cambodia Consulate is $20.00 (US) or once aboard when they come around to collect your passport - stick $25.00 (US) in it and the bus drivers helper will handle filling out forms and move your passport with your new Cambodian visa inside through immigration while you wait.

Welcome to Cambodia

However, when you arrive at the boarder you  have to leave the bus taking your bags with and walk through immigration and customs.  You and your bags head into the building and wait for your name to be called.  Then retrieve your passport with Cambodian visa added and  properly stamped. Moving through immigration/customs leaving Vietnam and entering Cambodia .  Oh, but here is a new twist, you now have to have your fingers scanned and according to the attending official this devise is part of a 10 million dollar US supplied system.  Note: 60 year olds and older get a pass, guess we old guys are not thought to be a danger.   Anyway, the whole boarder process takes about an hour and a half - decent rest room just inside the building and people treat you pretty good so it's a nice break.

Then you re-board your bus and your on the road again, not a bad road but it's Cambodia and good by Cambodia standards but not as smooth as the Vietnam portion then it's a lunch stop. It’s not you when you feel confused in ordering your food because the reality is that there is no rhyme or reason to the food service it’s just every man women and dog for themselves. Open Khmer kitchen with waiters wondering around but never seem to see me, so I normally just go to the kitchen and point at some things, eat and leave some money (55,000 dong this time, about 2.50 us) on the table.  Open air restrooms in the back, clean and basic.

on to the ferry

the ferry

Half an hour later we are back on the highway again and all we have is one ferry ride and then we are on the home stretch to Phnom Penh. You stay aboard for the crossing while being entertained by the colorful vendors selling all sorts of eats outside your window.

mango lady

junior egg vendor

 - Ferry vendors -

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh traffic as we approach

As we pull into Phnom Penh after 6 plus hours on the road and climb off at the SAPACO travel office we are greeted by bevies of  moto and tuk tuk guys vying to  haul you across town to your lodging.  Bargain with them but be nice, this should end up as a win, win kind of deal - a good starting point is to offer half their starting price and work up from there. Sometimes I just hang back or walk of on my own and wait for better deal.   Have a price set and your destination with the address before you climb aboard and don't let them take you anywhere else.  I write a destination with address and phone number on an index card and say it and show them the card  to minimize confusion.

Ok, we know about Thao and the bus ride to Phnom Penh but hey what's with this German biker bar in the title, my apologies but I need a rum but promise it will all come together in part two.