| Southern Thailand |
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| After getting out of Bangkok, going to a beach sounds pretty good, so I went to the island of Ko Samet on this occassion, and this is your basic typical island bungalow for 200baht (5USD) complete inside with a mattress and a roof and a hole in the floor for a toilet. |
| This is another day at the office for people on White Sand Beach on Ko Chang (Elephant Island) near the Cambodian border. The water was so warm it was like a bath, but tiny fish kept nibbling my toes and there are occassional sea lice - small biting parasites (see inset picture) that sting you lightly. Just enough to make you come back to shore until you're too hot to stand it again. It's a small price to pay for life in paradise. Ko Chang is a gorgeous island, but I fear it will become another Phuket in the next few years, as it is close enough to Bangkok to attract weekend warriors, and new construction is constantly underway. |
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| On another previous visit, I went with a group to Khao Sok National Park, in Southern Thailand, for a few days of trekking, and stayed at the park headquarters the first night. That's where I met these two cuties, who were happy to pose for the camera. Photographs of children are usually the best. |
| After a long day of trekking through tropical forest, we took a longtail boat across the massive Chiaw Lan Reservoir. It's over 160km long at the widest point and some of the surrounding peaks rise over 900 metres. |
| This was our home for a couple of nights on the edge of the lake. The water was very clean and comfortable. That was until we learned that this is home to the Mekong Catfish, which is the largest freshwater fish in the world - up to 2.5 metres (8ft.) long! Fortunately they won't dream of going near a human and they don't even have teeth. But you could let your imagination get the better of you. |
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| Mekong Catfish |
| This was at sunrise of New Years Day, 1998, looking out my window onto the Chiaw Lan Reservoir. It's a pretty special place. |
| On a flight out of Bangkok to the south as we pass over the mouth of the Chao Praya River. This slightly enhanced photograph reveals the massive outpouring of river silt and mud and the shrimp farming which dominates the area. |
| Arriving over Southern Thailand along the limestone peaks of the Phang Nga region en route to Phuket airport. |
| The view of Ko Phi Phi from the Ko Nai (eastern) side of the island, looking down to the relatively deep southern bay of Tan Sai and shallow bay of Lo Dalam where the water is so clear all you can see from here is the sandy bottom. Aside from the gorgeous views I remember that it was very hot weather for trekking and I fell into the sea when I got back down there. |
| This postcard view of Ao Maya on the tiny island of Ko Phi Phi Leh shows why it was selected for the setting of the somewhat disappointing film called "The Beach". It was the scene of much controversy during the making of the film, and we received reports of this from members of the crew who would come to Phi Phi Don and Rah Lay Beach for a break while we were staying there. Let's just say that the finished product which I finally saw in New Zealand a few months later was somewhat anti-climactic, especially after enjoying the book so much, but hey they took away tons of rubbish from the island and Leo made 20 million for his trouble, and Phi Phi Leh is still gorgeous. |
| I was with this group on a tour of some small islands to the northwest of Phi Phi where we had our own secluded cove surrounded by sheer cliff walls. The shallow waters bake in the sun all day and so once again it was like a warm bath. |
| On this tour around the many small islands there were scattered villages of sea gypsies where we stopped to get bananas and petrol, and I had a short conversation with one of the well-weathered gypsy cats. The people here make most of their income by collecting bird nests (Swiftlet nests mainly) which are sold as a delicacy to Asian (mostly Chinese) shops and restaurants. |
| View from my hammock on the tiny island of Ko Hong, where we spent one night. It was visited by other tourists by day, but they all disappeared in the evening and we were left in peace. |
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| Awaking in hammock to a sunrise on Ko Hong...happy moment. |
| Two views of longtail boats and the gorgeous scenery around the Krabi coast. Nearby Rah Ley Beach is still one of my favourite places, despite its increasing popularity. |
| Rubber tapping is one of the biggest local industries in Southern Thailand. It is common to see row upon row of evenly-spaced rubber trees with coconut shells attached where the bark has been cut away to collect the raw material. This is then combined with chemicals to produce raw rubber which is pressed into large rectangular sheets and left hanging to dry. The smell of the rubber is pervasive in the region. This man gave us a lesson in rubber tapping and posed with the finished product which he will sell to rubber manufacturers where it will turn into Michelin tires and baby bottle nipples. He was quite worried about the plunging value of the Thai Baht, explaining that his income this year would be half of last years. |
| Catching a lift out of Krabi town. |
| On a flight over the island of Ko Phagnan. The big scene is at Hat Rin Beach, the long strip of sand on the right side of the point nearest. It is the home of the famous Full Moon parties, which have become a symbol of hedonism and backpacker conquest in Thailand. I was there once and it was enough, but Ko Phagnan remains a beautiful place when you get to other parts of the island and avoid the full moon scene. I spent a very long day trekking across the peaks and ridges beyond the beach, and found tranquil settings and small dwellings hidden back there where people can still have a piece of paradise. |
| Typical daytime scene on Hat Rin Beach, where the masses of backpackers flop onto the sand and re-fuel on iced coffee and banana pancakes after long nights of raving and consumption. It's not uncommon to see people still dancing on the beach in the morning, or bodies crashed out on the sand who never made it home. |
| Street scenes at Hat Rin Beach, looking past the internet cafes and shops down to the sea. I watched "The Beach" on a video screen in one of the restaurants, which portayed this exact location as paradise lost. I guess it all depends on what you're looking for. |
| Back on Ko Samui, it was time to visit the "Big Buddha" and seek redemption for my encounter with Hat Rin Beach. It's an impressive figure perched on a hill looking out over the sea. |
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| When you enter or leave a dwelling in Thailand, you will often see a small "spirit house" like this. You are meant to salute the spirit house (palms pressed together in a "wai") in asking permission as you enter and thanks as you leave. So now time to give thanks as we leave Thailand until next time... |
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| I have way too many pictures of southern Thailand. Below are some from 1997-2003. Also see my more recent pictures. |
| Fishing boats at the town of Ban Phe, the departure point for the island of Ko Samet. This is the closest place from Bangkok for great sandy beaches and clear swimming waters. |