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Siam Experience Part 1: Bangkok and Phuket Island, Thailand

Photos and Text by Tab M. Hauser

(home page www.tabhauser.com , e: tab@tabhauser.com )

12-20-07 to 1-03-08

Several months ago we asked our high school junior and our college junior where they would like to go on family vacation, and happily they both agreed that Thailand would be “cool” to see. The thought of going somewhere on the other side of the world with different people, sights and food really appealed to all of us. Our vacation itinerary eventually came into focus as follows: four days in Bangkok (Thailand), three nights/two full days in Seam Reap (Cambodia), and a five day chaser on Phuket in southern Thailand. Originally our plan was to visit Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand, but we changed plans at the request of our daughter, who is an architecture student – and who was excited about the prospect of personally inspecting the structures at Angkor Wat in Cambodia which she had studied at University. With Chiang Mai and Seam Reap (where Angkor Wat is located) both an hour flight from Bangkok we did not see a difference to our overall 2 week limit. The idea of visiting Seam Reap before it is “loved to death” by exploding tourism, and the prospect of over commercialization told us now was a good time to go because it was so easy to get to from Bangkok.

Japanese Bento Boxes For Dinner At Golden Palace The First Morning in Bankok

Make no mistake – it is an exhausting journey to Bangkok from New York for just a two week holiday break. The flight to Tokyo itself is fourteen hours; add a 2 hour layover, and a 6 hour connecting and we arrived at midnight in Bangkok. Between the twenty four hours of traveling and the loss of day crossing the International Date Line, we were a bit disoriented by the time we finally made it to the hotel reception desk. What helped on this trip was that were able to travel in comfort of business class taking advantage of an Amex special. JAL uses lay-flat seats, movies and meals on demand along with power for your computer or Ipod.

We could not have been more comfortable for being in a plane all those hours

Scenes From The Golden Palace

Bangkok, Thailand

On our first day we woke up early and headed down to a wonderful breakfast which was included in our room price. We had the option for a more private breakfast upstairs in the Horizon Club with the sky view but decided on eating downstairs because the selection was larger and we wanted to sit outside by the river. My morning picks were the dim sum, sautéed noodles, beans, fresh tropical fruit and pastries. The omelet and Chinese soup station were popular choices with other members of my family.

After breakfast we met our guide Mee, who would be our valued escort, facilitator, docent and interpreter for three of our four days in Bangkok. (We selected Mee after careful Internet research. Mee is in her late 20’s, speaks perfect English, and understands American culture owing to her experience as an au pair near Boston a few years ago.) Mee arranged a comfortable air conditioned van to take us to Bangkok’s fabled and breathtaking Grand Palace. Construction of the Grand Palace was started in 1782, and it served as the official residence of the King from the 18^th to mid 20^th century. Its structures sit regally adorning the East side of the Chao Phraya River.

Modest dress is required to enter the Grand Palace. Our kids were obliged to don some light weight gym pants over their shorts which would cover their legs, and my wife Maureen covered up with a wrap around her shorts. I had on light weight nylon jungle pants that zipped open to shorts later. In prior years visitors had to have “proper footwear” to enter, but flip flops are now permissible. After getting our tickets we walked around the various ornately decorated buildings bursting forth with many colors and gold domes. Each corner of every structure is full of color, shapes and statues. At the Grand Palace complex there is one temple open to visitors, which is the Wat Phra Keo temple. The Emerald Buddha presides there for eternity, sitting high atop a gilded wooded throne. Shoes must be removed to enter Wat Phra Keo. We were instructed by Mee that, as a matter of culture and respect, the bottoms of our feet must NOT face this 29 inch high by 29 inch wide Buddha. This Buddha is most the revered of all Buddha's in Thailand and was lovingly carved 500 years ago from one piece of semiprecious jade. We were told that this Buddha’s attire is changed every few months, and during our visit he was wearing a gold mesh robe. Amongst all the colored structures in the Grand Palace, there is also a dull gray scale version of Angkor Wat. King Rama IV had this built as a trophy and triumphant reminder that Cambodia was Thailand’s vassal state. We examined the model carefully, knowing that we would be visiting this World Heritage site in less than a week.

The Emerald Buddha High Up on The Throne. Emerald Buddha Close Up Wearing a Gold Robe and Hat

From the Grand Palace we took a short ride to Wat Po (in English, The Temple of the Reclining Buddha). Here we marveled the 150 foot long by 45 foot high Buddha made of gold plate, with eyes and soles of mother of pearl. All around the Reclining Buddha are scenes of Chinese and Indian rural life. This Wat houses different medical plaques, and housed an Indo-Chinese medical school devoted to the study of massage and yoga. The grounds here are as ornately decorated as the Grand Palace.

The Reclining Buddha In Wat Po

After our visit to The Reclining Buddha we stopped at an appealing Thai restaurant for our very first Thai meal. The kids dove headfirst into the most exotic Thai victual on the menu which we shared -- snake head soup, which resembled a spicy fish broth . This was served with traditional (and more familiar!) Pad Thai, as well as a very spicy beef and coconut dish.

First Lunch of Snake Head Soup & Pad Thai Breakfast of Chinese Soup, Noodles, Steamed Bun, Salmon & More

From here we spilt up. Mee dropped the kids and I off at a Thai Kick boxing event. Mee proved her prowess once again in securing for us coveted ring side seats – rather than the sardine-can, bleacher seating. Maureen was not keen on watching fighters do violence on themselves and took off with Mee to the Marble Temple. The kids and I watched 12 bouts; one of them had a championship on line. This was our first time seeing such a fight, and it was an amazing experience to behold. At the start of each bout the fighters come to the center of the ring and perform a short series of solitary dances with local music playing; this helps them to physically and mentally steel and focus themselves for the fight to follow. The pre-fight warm up lasted a few minutes, and included touching the ropes and bowing at each corner. Each bout is 5 rounds; things get pretty serious from the third round on. Sideline judges declare the winner in consultation with the referee in the ring. We did observe the referee calling off two fights when one of the fighters was too pulverized and thus susceptible to injury. During the fights we saw more kicking than punching. When the fighters lock up they seem to take turns kicking each other’s sides with their knees, with the crowds rendering boisterous “oohs” and “ahhs” each time they land these alternating knee kicks. During all of this the small band played local music timed to coincide with the fights and the down time when fighters collected their severely shaken marbles. We also witnessed vigorous and open betting using hand signals, but we could not figure out what the signals meant, or for whom they were intended. We also saw one man on a stand wearing a vest with 14 cell phones clipped to them. Each had an microphone - ear pieces connected to them with the wires resting on his shoulders taking bets. (By the way, betting is legal on lottery tickets and horse racing only.) If you go, seeing the weekend afternoon fight is a good idea as it lasts about 2 hours and you can escape the broiling midday sun. The other way to see the fights is at night, but this costs more and can last over four hours.

Thai Kick Boxing That Has Got To Hurt...

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Ring Side Seats 1st Round Bowing to the Corners Between Rounds Loosening Up

After the fight Maureen and Mee met us at the arena and we went back to the hotel via the SkyTrain. Here we were instructed on using the train system for the following day, when we were free to explore on our own. We got back to the hotel at 4PM this first day, and Maureen and I headed to the pool to relax while the kids hung out in their room and napped. On this first evening the jet lag, heat, time difference and busy day finally conspired to hit us like a ton of bricks. We were all too tired to go to out to dinner, so we did something we vowed NEVER to do-- and that was to call for room service and watch the James Bond movie “The Man With The Golden Gun.” (We selected this movie because we were going to see where it was actually filmed at the end of our trip.) All in all it was an amazing first day, and knowing our limits at the end of it was wise to conclude our first day.

Click Thumbnail Images Below to Enlarge Them

Chatuchak market. (From feathery creatures, tasty delights and bargains)

On our second day we went on our own to the Chatuchak market. This place is Thailand’s largest market and one of the largest of its type in the world encompassing about 35 acres and over 10,000 vendors. It has been known to attract 200,000 visitors on a weekend. This is a good mix of locals along with the tourists looking for bargains. To get there we took the “sky train” to the last stop and walked a few blocks following the crowd. We thought the Chatuchak was a fun morning trip and a place to visit if you are in Bangkok for more than a few days. At the market there plenty of vendors selling crafts, animals, clothes, food, furniture, pottery, and much more. We probably covered 20% of the place while there. Bargaining here is not like in other places in the world. If you buy one item there is not much they do for you if it is a low cost item. In fact after making some reasonable counter offers for certain items I found many vendors letting me walk. The better discounts occurred when buying more than one item at a stall. One thing we liked here is that they do not stop you in the aisles like in the Chinese markets. After 2 1/2 hours we had loaded up a large soft roller bag with t shirts, wooden goblets, a guacamole masher, hats, back packs and other trinkets and headed back to the sky train to visit the Jim Thompson House.

Jim Thompson's Living Room View From Jim Thompson's Home Office

The Jim Thompson House was the perfect place to stop after cooking under the sun and in the stalls of the market. Here we nearly collapsed in their air-conditioned restaurant where we washed up in their clean restrooms and then had a wonderful lunch before taking the tour. Jim Thompson was an OSS officer (pre CIA) who came to Thailand and single handedly saved the Thai silk industry. He also bought 6 original and typical Thai homes, some at least 200 years old, and had them moved to Bangkok where he connected them to make one large house and moved in the spring of 1959. After lunch we took a 40 minute tour that pointed out the grounds, main house as well as some smaller houses on the property. There is a silk shop of excellent quality on the premises.

The other big draw to see when near the Jim Thompson House is the MBK building just a 5 minute walk away. This is a large indoor shopping center. Most tourists flock to the 5^th floor where you can buy different crafts and pirated DVD’s if you are inclined to do so. DVD sales are not hidden but in the open where people get to order there shows and movies and pick them up in 20 minutes. If your time is limited in Bangkok the MKB would be a good alternative to the weekend Chatuchak market.

After resting up at the hotel and having getting some food at the Horizon Club we took a taxi to the Siam Niramit Cultural Show. This show is 80 minutes of dance, history and culture on what is said to be southeast Asia’s largest stage. If you go you should know the narration to the show was in English. Also, the grounds are nice to stroll around. There is an “international” buffet offered before the show but based on reviews we read on the net we passed on it.

Morning Laundry In The Canal Large Hand Painted Decorative Fans For Sale On The Way

On our third day we left hotel at 6:40 AM with our guide and driver and headed to the Dumnoen Saduak floating market to beat out the bus tours that do this popular trip. The ride takes just under 90 minutes and arriving 30 minutes before everyone else is a good thing. To actually see the market there are two ways. One is to simply drive to the center of it and see everything from the sides of the canal or from the small bridge above. We, like most tourists, got to a spot where you rent a captain and a long boat. On the long boat we cruised the canal system passing sleeping dogs, birds, people doing laundry in the canal as well as one large 5 foot lizard on a log catching some sun. Eventually we got to the area where locals and tourists mingle on the water and on the sides of the canal.

Grandma Paddling Through The Market With Her Granddaughter Floating Market Ladies Prepping Bananas

The attraction here is all the ladies in straw hats paddling about selling fruits, vegetables and meals cooked on large woks in the middle of there small wooden boats that they paddle about. It was from one lady that we bought the most delicious fried bananas we have ever had. From another we bought a couple of mangostiens. Mangostiens are small purple fruits that you cut the top off to get the sweet white meat on the inside. This market is a photographers place and it was recommended to be here as early as possible so you can photograph the boats and their produce before the canal gets overcrowded with the tour groups.

One Happy Lady Cruising By With Beautiful Fruit One Not So Happy Lady With Today's Lunch Passing Us

To survey the place better we got out of our long boat and took some pictures from the bridge of the locals selling to each other as well as to the tourists. We also purchased a Thai doll from a stall here for a friend back home. After leaving the market we stopped an artist’s wood carving center and shop. Here we saw people carving large pieces of wood. Some were making 5 to 8 foot dioramas that can take 6 to 9 months. Others were carving 5 foot Buddha’s or elephants from a single block of wood. On display in the store were large rocking chairs and 8 foot couches made from one piece of wood. We would have bought the folding bar and had it shipped had we not just got one a few months earlier. We recommend this stop to see how things are made. There is no pressure to buy anything here.

Near the Center of Floating Market The Monkies Here Are Only 2" High

Craftsman At Work Busy Bangkok Scene With Tuck-Tuck and Colonial Style Building

Upon getting back to Bangkok we had a simple lunch near the college Mee went to. From here we walked to dock where a 40 foot long boat was hired to give us the Bangkok Canal tour. Long boats are an interesting craft. It is long and narrow with the engine connected to the tiller and the prop shaft coming out the back. It was interesting watching our captain maneuver the tiller with a converted Toyota engine attached to it. It puts a new meaning to outboard engine. After boarding we headed over to the Royal Barge Museum only to find it closed for the day. The Royal Barge Museum has several very elaborate and ornamental boats used by the Royal Family during special times. From here the boat went into a canal where we were able to see what life is like on the water. We saw boys jumping in the water as well as homes in worn down to excellent condition. We also passed different Wats that people pray at. At one Wat we bought bread to feed the large catfish that would thrash about in front of us getting us wet if the bread was thrown too close to the boat. The monks here say it is a good deed to feed the fish.

Boarding The Long Boat Grand Palace View From Long Boat

Upscale Home on the Canal Home on Canal Needing a Little Work

Kids Cooling Off Under the Hot Bangkok Sun Happy Monk Getting Good News

After cruising through a few different canals we went back to the river and stopped to visit and climb the Temple of Dawn for a magnificent view of the Royal Palace and all of Bangkok from the rivers edge. This temple was beautiful. Each tower was very ornate. We found the climb up the steep steps in the hot weather worth the small effort. From the Temple of Dawn we elected to pay the boat captain a few extra dollars and have him take us back to our hotel pier via river. It was a perfect way to end a perfect day.

Making the Climb at the Temple of Dawn

The Ornately Decorated Temple of Dawn Dan Looking Upward to Its Peak

View From the Top Looking at Golden Palace & Long Boats A Handsome Looking Converted Rice Barge

After resting up for a few hours we hopped a cab to Khoa San Road for dinner and to see what this street is all about it. It is said that this road of 3 blocks was the center of travel for backpackers in Bangkok because there are cheap places to stay as well as and cheap eats. On our visit which coincided with Christmas Eve we learned the street is closed to traffic at night and the place ablaze with people in the mid 20’s to early 30’s walking about, eating or drinking inexpensively while listening to music from some of the pubs there. All about were clubs, tattoo places and shops along with people in the middle of the street selling some trinket or fake ID cards. The place was pretty lively and should be visited by younger and perhaps single people.

Khao San Road

Our last day in Bangkok was broken down to seeing the Vimanmek Mansion a flower and food market. At 9AM after checking out Mee and our driver took us to the worlds largest teakwood home and was built in 1900 by King Rama V. It served as the King’s palace for 5 years until his death. After that the mansion was deserted and Royal family moved back into the Grand Palace. In 1982 the palace was renovated in honor of King Rama V and turned into a museum. The mansion has 2 right angle wings each 196 long by 65 feet high. It is divided into 3 sections known by their colors. The tour goes into 31 rooms, many with period furniture and pictures of the Royal family from that time.

World's Largest Teakwood House Locals Watching A Flower Lady At Work

When visiting Vimanmek Mansion you must wear proper attire. The museum provides green scrub like pants for men and wraps for ladies to cover their legs. No photos are allowed inside and there is a secure place for camera bags. We found the tour informative and worth taking. Our last stop in Bangkok brought us to the ICP flower market and adjacent food market. Photographers beware – for the flower market you are going to need lots of film or spare capacity on your digital media such as the case may be! At the flower market we enjoyed strolling from stall to stall, marveling at the flower market women weaving and prepping their flowers with expert ease and practiced precision. One particular older lady whose only job was to open out the lotus flower; she was so expert that even her Thai neighbors and passersby stopped to admire her handiwork. The food market was not as lively as other markets I have been to in Asia. This place seemed to specialize in produce as well as Thai chili peppers. These small peppers came in different sizes, color and intensity. After seeing the peppers displayed we walked by baskets of various types of vegetables, some fish, a bucket of large water bugs and lots of tropical fruit.

Fresh and Spicy Thai Chilies At the Flower Market

After strolling through the food market with our appetites awakened by all the sights and smells to the river for a Thai lunch. Mee obliged by securing for us a good supply of grasshoppers and grubs which we (that is, the kids and I) were most eager to sample. The kids wanted to try local cuisine and Mee made it happen for them in the form of stir fried bugs. The grubs were first on the menu and with intrepidity, we did the deed. It tasted like salty small popcorn (in anticipation of your question…) (Our perceptual abilities clearly have been supercharged by this experience…) Our son Daniel fell off the cuisine culture rollercoaster at that point, leaving Melissa and I to sample the grasshoppers, which we found crunchy and (imagine this…) “weird”. One grasshopper for each of us pretty much “did the trick” , and we then, with great magnanimity, offered the rest of the bag of these doomed creatures to our waiter who happily popped the little guys down the hatch like peanuts.

Tasting Grubs and Grasshoppers

After lunch we were driven to the Suvarnabhumi airport for our flight to Seam Reap, Cambodia. For details on our travel to Seam Reap and the 1000 year old temples along with other sites, hotel and food descriptions go back to www.tabhauser.com and click Siam Experience Part 2, Seam Reap, Cambodia.

Phuket Island, Thailand

The last segment of our trip was on Phuket Island. Flights leave throughout the day from Bangkok and last an hour. We were coming in from Seam Reap, Cambodia as mentioned above. Getting from Seam Reap to Phuket was straightforward and hassle-free. Each flight segment was an hour with a quick. There was even a sandwich and a smile served on each leg of the journey. Boarding was also easy and fast. It is amazing how in the United States we have all these rigid rules about boarding by row and standing in lines to wait for your turn which never is quick. Here (as in much of Asia) when the flight is announced, people take their place in line regardless of where in the aircraft they happen to be seated and board the aircraft, stow their hand baggage and sit down quickly and efficiently. This proved a much faster way to board than waiting for the airport gate agents to ask 3 times if anyone is still around for rows fifteen to thirty. In our experience was that both our flights left the gate five minutes early and the flight attendants could not be any nicer. I think rather than outsource airline phone reservation agents to Asia, we should in-source these very friendly people who help in the skies where it counts.

Thailand Family Vehicle On Phuket Island 5 To A Small Bike

Our digs were the Katathani Hotel on Kata Noi Beach, hear the southern end of the thirty one mile long island. Happily check-in was efficient and painless and we were off to our room with luggage right behind. The hotel was clean and comfortable with basic bathroom amenities, but was decidedly not five stars compared with other similar lodging in Asia. Curiously, there were nice robes in the rooms, but no alarm clocks. All in all the Katathani Hotel is a nice couples and family hotel with its own stretch of beach. After lunch the bambinos relaxed by themselves and Maureen and I explored the beach and local neighborhood. We stopped at Mr. Topaz Tailoring and chatted with him about his tailoring business. Dinner that night was at the hotel’s Fisherman Wharf, where their mushroom special menu appealed to my wife and son – but the two types of lobster got my vote. We found the food tasty, but a little pricey compared to eating outside the hotel.

After waking the next morning and enjoying an excellent buffet breakfast, we resolved to spend a good bit of the day reading and napping under the shade of umbrella on a chaise lounge. We did roused ourselves every hour or so only for a brief foray into the calm Andaman Sea, and for lunch. Rejuvenated, for dinner we repaired to a restaurant (how very appropriately,) called After the Beach, nestled high up on the hill overlooking Kata Noi. Lilting reggae music drifted through the air, which we considered strange and out of place considering that the birthplace reggae is on an island in the Caribbean some 10,000 miles away. Exactly a year earlier to the date we were relaxing with Red Stripe brew, listening to reggae on the beach in Barbados. Reggae indeed is the world beat ! The food at After The Beach did not prove as memorable as the magnificent sunset!

Exiting Tunnel Into a Peaceful Cove,

Entering the Caves and Tunnels in Phang Nga Bay.

On our second full day we opted to do a tour of Phang Nga Bay. This is also known as the James Bond Island Canoe Tour. We were picked up at 7:30AM via van along with other guests from nearby and taken to a dock on Phuket Island’s east side. From there we boarded a 2 story tour boat and headed north for about an hour to what the guide called Mud Cave. We were told we are going to get paddled into a cave and hidden cove and could not figure out how they were going to efficiently get 80 people on kayaks. What we did see when we looked over the side was kayaks and guides coming out of a doorway just above the water line. We could not help but think of the endless line clowns that keep coming out of a small car at the circus. What we found was that were all loaded up 2 at a time and were paddled efficiently through 250 feet of a dark sea cave that opened up into a pretty cove with high walls. After getting back to the boat we were taken to another island for more kayaking. This time we were told that we did not have to take a guide to paddle us around. With that said parents and kids got their own kayaks and headed to a narrow entrance leading to a cove leading to a narrower entrance that tunneled with low ceilings to another cove. This time the kayaking was a bit more crowded. It seemed half the tour boats that left the dock in the morning pretty much converged on this spot once we were in the end cove. Getting in it was easy, but getting out of the cove and into the cave to get to open water created a “canoe jam” with all the other tour boat canoes and kayaks trying to get in. It was one lane in and out, so when we saw someone hesitating for a second in the opposite direction we lunged forward bumping into other kayaks and canoes to egress from the confined area. Others from our boat got the idea and literally clung on the back of the kids’ kayak behind us. After squeezing out we entered the larger bay, and paddled around a large rock avoiding the outer tight entrance that opened up to where our boat was. It took an extra few minutes to paddle around, but it was worth the view and the ease of maneuvering out of the cove. Back onboard we enjoyed a wonderful lunch. While we were cruising and paddling around for half a day, a small team of ladies were cooking up a storm, and served up delectable meal of fried chicken, fish, chicken kebabs, rice and soup.

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Kayak -Jam Exiting Narrow Slot Pretty Bay Outside Hidden Cove

From here we cruised a short but scenic way to Ko Tapu or James Bond Island as it is known. James Bond Island gets its name because it was here that the villain took up residence in the 1974 movie, “The Man With The Golden Gun.” The beginning and the end scenes were filmed here. We watched the DVD in Bangkok a week earlier one night in the hotel knowing that we were going to take the trip here. It was cool to see the passages and cave where the actors walked as well as the tall thin rock island where the weapon came out of. We also were on the beach that James Bond set his sea plane on. The island itself would be a very pretty place to hang out or explore if not for over a dozen vendors hocking their goods. Also because of its fame there is no quiet time here as the long boats pull in and out every few minutes with a load of tourists from the larger boats like ours. After 30 minutes here we were ferried back to our boat that was anchored just off the island for the 30 minute ride back to the marina. On the ride back some of kayak guides and staff put on matching company collared shirts for an impromptu session of choreographed hip hop music. There was even conga line for guest participation. It was light cheeked and fun. The best part was that it made the time go by quickly for the ride back. Our day ended with dinner that night back at the Fisherman’s Wharf in the hotel as we were too tired and hungry to search out a restaurant. After dinner that night we also had our son fitted with for a custom suit and shirt. I had 2 dress shirts made to order as well.

Views on the Way to James Bond Island

Cave Where Assassin and James Bond Walked Through In "The Man With The Golden Gun"

Beach Where James Bond's Seaplane Was Blown Up Small Island Where Solar Panels for WMD Was

The next day we had arranged to take a trip to the Phi Phi Islands. We were picked up at 7:20AM and taken to the Royal Phuket Marina. Here we were joined by 14 other guests and taken to a twelve meter (thirty nine foot) speed boat with two 200 HP outboard engines. While motoring out our guide introduced the captain and mate, and briefed us about our day ahead. Once out of the marina the captain opened up the engines to near maximum RPM’s, bringing the boat up to blistering thirtyfive knots on smooth seas. After about an hour our first stop was at secluded Monkey Bay for snorkeling and strolling. Here the reefs were in very good shape, with lots of tropical fish and nice coral. After snorkeling off the boat the captain repositioned the vessel about a 100 feet or so, allowing us to step down near the sand and walk or swim from the beach. We strolled along this pretty tropical beach, admiring the high cliffs and smooth sand which reminded us of our trip to Kauai five months earlier. At the far end of the beach we encountered two adult monkeys and their baby. These sophisticated monkeys were indifferent to us, and patiently allowed their primate successors to photograph them before finally moving on.

Maya Bay : From Set For the Movie "The Beach"

Another ten minutes brought us to Maya Bay, where the movie “The Beach” was filmed. We did not stay at Maya Bay, although it was pretty. The problem was the other thirty vessels in the bay and we did not want stay in such a pretty place with 1200 of our new best friends. With this said we circled around, took some photos and departed for more secluded Phe Leh Cove on the other side of the island. In this very shallow water our captain skillfully tilted the engines up so that the props were partially out of the water, enabling us to enter the inner sanctum. Soon we were surrounded on three sides by cliffs and dense vegetation in a picturesque lagoon. We had goofy fun with the seaweed, making beards and mustaches of it. Maya Bay would be a good place to visit for half a day if you were staying on Phi-Phi Island for a few days. The plan then would be to arrive sometime in the middle or late afternoon after all the tour boats were gone. That’s the only time it would be special and not overrun with all those infernal bloody tourists !

Sea Weed Face In Phe Leh Cove Props Up In This Shallow Bay

From this hidden cove we headed to Viking Cave where birds nests are gathered for birds nest soup; and then to Phi-Phi Island’s main beach. First we snorkeled for about 20 minutes about 100 yards from the beach, and then headed in for a non-descript lunch served in front of the hotel on the beach. Phi Phi Island is a good place to get away from it all, as it is a very peaceful place with only a few places to stay. Phi Phi was hit hard by an eighteen foot wall of water two years earlier in which nearly 4,000 people died (out of the 10,000 that were there on the island). After lunch and a stroll we were taken to Khai Island. Here we were given 1 ½ hours to swim, snorkel and lounge on the beach with fruit and soda being served. Then it was thirty minutes back to the marina, and the return drive to the Katathani Hotel. We were glad to be back by 5PM as we were able to rest up a bit in preparation for the New Year’s party that night at the hotel..

Viking Cave Life Under In The Sea

Phi Phi Resort Giant Clam Surround By Fish Zooming About

Fire Works On The Beach Using Fireworks to Bring in 2008 In a Traditional Way

Sending Off Floating Lanterns Over The Sea New Year's Eve Thai Princesses

Our last 2 days in Phuket were down days. The kids the next day missed breakfast and pretty much stayed to themselves only to play ball with us in the pool for a while. For lunch we walked to the south end of the beach where a little shack served good food at cheap price. We shared a sautéed noodle and vegetable dish along with pad tai and a soda water for 190 Baht or about $6. We hung out on lounge chairs near the beach entrance as these were no charge and we were not on top of each other as when we rented beach chairs and umbrellas the first day. Maureen got a manicure at her lounge chair and I had Thai foot massage I heard so much about afterwards by the same lady. In fact, the hotel had massage people walking around the grounds offering their services all day making it easy to relax while you were, well, relaxing. Our big decision that afternoon was what to drink. We enjoy THAT type of decision making considerably more than the similar exercise related to meeting a payroll, retaining customers, and extending/expanding customer relationships and supply chains. At the entrance to the beach was a private food and drink vendor set up.

Looking Out to Ocean From Pool One of 5 Pools Thai Foot Massage

The kids and Maureen selected watermelon frozen drinks, and I opted for the local version of a Mai-Tai served in a large freshly eviscerated pineapple, which featured 3 ½ shots of different rums, orange, lime and pineapple juice and topped with Coutreau to smooth it out. The drinks made by the beach vendors were about half the price as the hotel bar, and were actually better! For our last night’s dinner we decided to go upscale and make it special, so we headed over to Mom’s Kitchen in the Villa Royale up the hill from the Katathani Hotel on the north end of Kata Noi beach. There menu here offered both Thai and Western food. We found the food and service very agreeable!

On the last day in Phuket we had a 4PM check out time, so we were able to relax on lounge chairs again on the lawn, and alternated between the beach and pool. Lunch was a mix of Thai and Western food served directly to our lounge chairs. After finishing lunch and going to the pool again, I realized it was time for this trip to come to a conclusion and I was obliged to begin emotionally disengaging from this paradise. On the way to the room I realized that our 5PM pickup meant that we would be home in 29 hours, facing the Long Island winter. Our return home went without a hitch, easing our transition back to reality. Bangkok Air checked our luggage all the way through to NY, and our flight left on time. We rushed to go upstairs in the Bangkok airport to get our boarding passes from JAL from our gate and got snagged by the world’s slowest Customs agent who had to clear us for our departure. From here it was a six hour overnight flight to Tokyo. In Tokyo we arrived before the JAL lounge was open, but the JAL ladies noted our tired faces and allowed us at 7AM to enter the lounge, all while apologizing for not be able to serve us anything until there official 7:30AM opening. (I have never had courtesy like that when arriving at a lounge early in the U.S.) In the lounge we all had a good complimentary breakfast and I took a steaming shower. We passed the five hour layover by reading, napping, strolling the shops and using the club’s free wi-fi. Another nice thing the club did was notice was that our boarding passes placed us on separate sides of the plane on the lower level. On their own initiative they put us on the upper deck of the plane, with the kids in front of us. This was really nice because sitting upstairs in a 747 gives you the wondrous feeling of being on small plane with only 26 seats. On any final twelve hour flight home ANYTHING that makes you more comfortable is welcome! Upon arrival home, we enjoyed another bonus, which was that was that our luggage all came out in less than 10 minutes. Amazingly, we were home in our beds 1 hour after touching down at JFK. Our twenty nine hour trip home from hotel door to our home front door was one of the smoothest, on time experiences we have had in many years. All in all our family agreed that our trip to Thailand and Cambodia was incredible experience!

Sunrise At JAL Business Club With 5 Hour Layover Opening Up Paintings From Seam Reap At Home

(Extra pictures below If You Go and Minor Warnings Section )

IF YOU GO:

Bangkok References:

HOTEL: Shangri-la Hotel www.shangri-la.com/bangkok

We upgraded to the Horizon Club rooms. This is a treat as the club always has a gourmet happy hour spread each evening

with cocktails and water and soft drinks through out the day. They also have breakfast served with their river views. Internet is free

in the club and if you are lucky to get a room underneath or near the club the wireless reach saves you from paying for it.

GUIDE: Siralak Khetsoongnoen (Mee to her friends and clients)

Mobile 66 (0) 85 072774 e: meesililak@yahoo.com or

letstourbangkok@gmail.com (they are also a full travel service)

$66 per day

Services: We found www.lets-tour-bangkok.com to be very helpful to us when in

Bangkok. They helped us book last minute plane tickets from Phuket to

Bangkok when we realized that we did not have any bookings for this. They also

booked one of our day trips in Phuket for us.

Cultural Show:

http://www.siamniramit.com/

Phuket Island References:

HOTEL: Katathani Hotel http://www.katathani.com/

Note: We were not allowed to book our room direct during the holidays and

had to use www.turismoasia.com to get our rooms.

Day Trips: Phuket Siam Sea Canoe (for the James Bond Island and Canoe Trip)

This was booked through www.lets-tour-bangkok.com or call 076-280678

Phi Phi Island Trip: www.phuket-tropicalmarine.com 076-273404

Please note that you there are plenty of places to book your day trips from in Phuket. My recommendation are that when ever possible call the source direct instead of using store front agents. This way you are dealing with the company direct and if you ask them, they may take 10% off the rate. One option we could have done was rented an entire speed boat to either destination. This is a good idea if you have at least 8 people in your group.

Tailoring: Mr. Topaz Collection 076 333357

1 custom double breasted suit $180

3 custom Oxford Cotton white shirts $23 each

(price various on quality of material you pick)

Getting There: Thai Air http://www.thaiair.com has direct flights from many cities

including New York. Most major carriers have connecting flights.

We flew JAL as this was the best deal at the time on the 2-1

AMEX Platinum Card deal. Cathay Pacific came in second place only

because of the price was higher.

Flying to Seam Reap, Cambodia is only on Bangkok Airlines.

There are low cost carriers going to Phuket and other places in the area.

You would need to do a search on the net to see the latest fares on these.

My Minor Warnings:

There are people in Bangkok who have been successful in convincing tourists that a certain tourist sight or shopping area is closed for the day when approaching it. They do this to offer their guiding services. (sometimes for free) What this means is that they taking you to shops where they make a commission. If you are approached just ignore them and follow the guide books as to what is open and closed on any given day.

The other issue to brought up in Seam Reap was Malaria. We opted not to take any malaria prevention medicine after doing research on the topic. If we would have traveled into Cambodia’s jungles I would have consider it. Smart advice is to use bug spray in the evening or cover up exposed areas with light weight clothes.

Special Thanks to My Editor Gary Lehman

Click Thumbnails Below To Enlarge Pictures