Thailand Part One 17th April to 19th April

17th April Krabbi

Once again the border crossing has been easy and trouble free! The Carnet is stamped and endorsed out of Malaysia and into Thailand at the other side. In Thailand, we are met by our guides for the few weeks it will take us to travel up Thailand to Laos. The guides are full of enthusiasm and smiles.

We were expecting one …. we got two. Looket is the main guide and she has a young driver who’s name we didn’t catch! She has done all the paper work and forms for the entry into Thailand. No carnet is required but the paperwork (which I cannot read!) covers all import duties and ability to drive through the kingdom. Including special permission granted by the King. Our 30 Baht tourist tax is paid and we are on our way. We explain that Fred is old and slow, and we only go at 80 km/hr…Looket says; “100 yes”? We follow their car for about 300 to 400 kms to Krabbi where there are ‘The Emerald pools’. I guess the Thai version of “Pupu springs”?

It is a natural spring that is warm and flows from upper pools (‘blue pools’) across the forest floor to the ‘Emerald pool’ and then on through the forest/jungle in natural streams for about two kms. There are plenty of people there, which kind of spoils the tranquility of the setting. Our first night in Thailand is at the Nattha Waree Hot Spring Spa. A quick dip in the ‘cold pool ( which is actually very warm) and then to supper. There we meet a delightful family from Norway who chat for a while about what they and we do etc. after dinner the father of the family again asked about our trip and invited us to stay at his home in Norway when we get there. every where we have been, people are genuinely interested and a bit in awe of our trip.

18th April Chumphon

The guides car travels at some speed, and weaves in and out of the lanes, often way off in the distance. The speed limit is 110km/hr, so we make an effort to keep up, but actually we have come to a conclusion that this is our trip, and they will have to realise that we will be travelling at 80 kms/hr only! We drive for 345 kms and arrive at a hill with unbelievable views. To get to “Mutsea” view point we have to go in first gear all the way up. At the top are views of all of the Chumphon Province. the river below is a hive of activity. Ban Pak Nam Chumphon. Fishing boats and small houses, people just getting on with life. At this point of the peninsula it is very narrow and we know that in one direction is India and in the other is Cambodia. A quick coffee served in a plastic cup with lid and a plastic bag to carry it! and we off to the next location.

Thung Wua Laen Beach. Translated means “Ox running fields”. At one time oxen wandered across this area. It was also the location where in 1941 the Thai army and youth soldiers from the local school (Sriyaphai Secondary school) successfully repelled the Japanese army, who attempted to invade them. You could imagine the soldiers from ships and craft at the beach fighting. A truce was signed and Thailand agreed to allow Japan to use it as a base to invade the rest of the peninsular. Shortly after this Thailand declared war on The US and Britain. Now there are nets and signs warning of jellyfish for swimmers. The beach is made up of course sand and large lumps of dead coral bleached by the sun. We write down and learn new phrases each day. It was a good opportunity to get the driver to write down her name. A cunning ploy I thought to find out what her name was? Rung.(aka lead foot Lucy)!

19th April Hua Hin

Good Friday

Once again Looket and Rung arrive from their accommodation early to meet us and depart on the next leg of the journey. Thailand is a very proud country. They are proud of their king, their country, and all that it offers. There are elements like any country that actually don’t care. They are the ones who scrape a living and just want to earn an honest dollar, and others who strive to get ahead and embrace the future. We continue to find that drivers move and merge where and when they like. I’ve learnt that a toot on the horn is not rude but a warning that they are coming through! At each of the main tourist attractions a busy and growing community springs up.

At Hua Hin, at Rajabhakti Park, there are bronze statues that are fourteen feet tall, of the previous seven kings, dating back from as far back as 1279 to 1910. They honour the great kings of various eras in Thai history. (Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Thonburi, and Rattanakosin.)

The park was opened in 2015 and is a testament to the loyalty of the Thai people to their royal family. The park is like a huge parade ground. I can imagine the army and military parading and showing dedication to the king on a large scale.

Onwards to Mrigadayavan. This is an elaborate summer residence, the palace of King Rama VI. It is a teak wooden mansion by the sea shore. Corridors of fret work and raised rooms make up the palace. It’s under reconstruction using traditional methods, and so much of it it under wraps. In order to visit the palace I have to hire a skirt or wrap that covers my legs( my shorts are deemed to short and show too much knee!)

Today my speedo cable broke. I knew something was wrong when the needle went mad and swung around all over the dial then died. I had at the point no idea what speed or distance I was doing. Fortunately Julia had an app on her phone that gave 5his information. I have a spare cable in box four so I should be ok!

At the hotel that night I strip out the old cable and re-fit a new one. The Army had obviously refitted the last one which had been clamped down rather than screwed in place. Thankfully I have packed a set of “oily clothes” for this purpose. The route the cable takes, is logical, but lacking fore thought means sliding under Fred and reaching up and over the transmission tunnel. Not an easy task in 40+ degree heat, and we are dealing with a Rover, so there’s plenty of sticky oil! In Along the chassis through the engine bay and up into the back of the dash. The dash panel is a maze of wires, so I pray that I don’t damage anything fitting this. It takes about an hour to do from getting the tool kits down from the top box, to wiping the oil from any where I had touched. A quick trip round the block confirms that I now have a steady speed indication rather than a frantic “anything between 20km/hr and 100km/hr! and a distance reading on the odo.

I had to complete this task before I could change and clean up for a trip to the night markets and dinner. We wander through the markets which are lined with smoky stalls selling fish, and meats of all types. Fruits and vegetables. Including the famous Durian. And “stuff”! Clothing, trinkets and goods made from local materials. Coconut, bamboo and teak as well as the usual plastic souvenirs.

At dinner, we are propositioned by a bandy legged old lady, all of three feet tall, wearing some traditional gear. Bright and colourful. You hear her rasping frog, before you see her in the crowd. Julia buys an elephant key ring to “help her out”!

The way home takes us through a series of streets with massage lounges and bars. We must be early as there is a distinct lack of people, except for women, loitering at each bar! We wonder what kind of area this is?