Tales from Thailand 1 (Feb 2015)

Backpacking on a Budget

The trip began a week or so before we arrived in Thailand. We visited Singapore and Malaysia where there was a lot less tourist traps in the open than there are in Thailand. Nonetheless we arrived in Thailand and began the Thai leg of the journey to Phuket (Southwestern Thailand). There were many options for us three travellers as we had never made it to Thailand in previous travels. We found immediately it would be much more beneficial to know where to exchange money beforehand we were going to be flying in late. After arriving we needed to get a cab and we realized that foreign credit/debit cards sometimes malfunction in the machines. At least one of us were able to take out cash. We took about a 40 minute or so cab to Bangla Road from the airport to Patong Beach. We headed to our first Hostel in Phuket known as “Cool Backpackers”. Later, (as in after we stepped out of the cab) we found that this was a more seedy and party-like location than most of the other pub streets we had previously been to on this trip.

Some back story to the trip; we three decided to meet up with another friend of ours who would meet us in Phuket Old Town after she flew in. For privacy, we will refer to our fourth friend as Player 4. She wanted us to go somewhere with a beach, but also demanded we wait for her before we hit the Islands. To meet these requirements we made arrangements to stay in Patong Beach for a few days and then head to Phuket Old Town to see what was good, this alowed us time to then catch the ferry to Koh Phi Phi. This was buffer time, she was unsure where she would meet us exactly. Long story short she didn’t meet us until our last day in Phuket Old Town at which point we were departing for Koh Phi Phi. We returned to Phuket after Koh Phi Phi and flew to Bangkok where we stayed for about 2 days and took in the city sights along Khao San Road and more.

In Patong our expectations were severely surpassed when we realized Bangla Rd. was a pub street like no other. Patong Beach had officially raised expectations of excitement and euphoria of any other place we travelled to from here on. We staggered down Bangla Road as we observed the copious choice of bars and watering holes. We made a mistake when we decided to wear our heaviest clothes and shoes to alleviate weight off our backs after a long travel day. Staying at the Cool Backpackers’ was a great choice for location. Trying to find the hostel was difficult to say the least. After two rounds up and down, carefully studying the buildings and establishments along the strip, we realized nothing but beer, women, or “women” would be easily found here. It could have been easy had we known an idea of what it stood near. With a long day behind us, we became quite hungry and wanted food as well as directions. We were at the top of Bangla Rd across the intersection at which point, an older man pointed at Bangla Rd which was nice, at least we knew we were certainly in the right place. The only problem then was trying to figure out where exactly on this zoo of a road we were staying. After a third stumble down the road we missed it again whether it be because of the bright lights, (or maybe it was the beautiful girls walking around). We went to an outdoor massage parlour, purchased a foot massage and then asked if they could call the phone number obtained while using their WIFI.

After the phone call was made an older lady told us “It is across from Tiger Bar”, so again we set out. At this point it was 11pm or so, we were pretty well ready for beers or bed. We wandered back down Bangla Rd once again, looking for the infamous “Tiger Bar”. We did not see signs that read “Tiger Bar”, but we were convinced it must have been the bar with the large tiger over top of its entrance. We stood in front of it scratching our heads. We ignored prostitutes who walked by and literally grabbed at “us” as well as some cat calls made by Tuk Tuk drivers, but in the midst of the chaos I noticed a sign that read “Cabaret”. I joked as I remarked “MUST GO!”, one of my friends replied in assurance. Beneath the Illuzon Cabaret sign, was a small white “Cool Backpackers” sign. Two must do or find locations in this small place of sin is “Monsoon Bar” awesome live music (really great covers by locals); and a large band shell like theatre tucked away to the right when walking towards the beach from Illuzion Cabaret. This band shell was a 3am walk around discovery in which we met some awesome locals and drank with a seemingly LGBTQ community event. One of the most memorable parts of that night was when we were at a table drinking and approached by a band of individuals and had a drink bought for us from a lovely “woman”, soon after Linkin Park “Numb” was covered and we were all at the front of the stage yelling into the microphone. #onlyforeignersaround

After settling in for about three days and spending money on tickets to Muai Tai boxing matches; 250-300 baht tee shirts; expensive spreads of food; and overpriced alcohol. All in all, this place was a young person’s paradise. Money could get you anything if you had enough of it, but what goes further than money here are your wits. If a travel does decide to take an extended vacation in Patong Beach it is extremely recommended they know their budget; they don’t stay on Bangla Road if they enjoy sleeping; and last but not least, learn how to speak Thai. When we dressed and sounded like tourists it literally doubled the cost of everything we purchased, stick to the story “I have lived in Bangkok for three years, close to Khaosan Rd”-Que, a few Thai phrases.

We hear from Player 4 that she will meet us in Phuket Old Town. We leave the next day via Tuk Tuk to head to Phuket Old Town where we stayed at a place called “Beehive Inn”, owned by a local man and managed by some younger staff. There we made friends with the staff; found a good place to shower under the sunshine; meet other travellers; and really take in the real cultural treasures of Thailand.

In Phuket Old Town travellers coming from Patong Beach are often thrown off by the kindness and welcome of locals. After time spent wandering around Phuket’s more touristy areas, there were a countless number of times when vendors and tourist trappers had called people out from crowds. The hand wave turned from a friendly gesture to a sales pitch which put individuals on guard. In Old Town though, the friendly wave is what it was meant to be. The business brought to this peaceful and slow paced life was meaningful and personal. As you paid for things, people gave advice; ask you about your day; and where you are from without carrying about how much money you carry on yourself and how it would be possible for them to swindle you out of it.

We made it to the hostel, it was a short walk from where the Tuk Tuk dropped us off after we had left Patong. We were able to find the place with no difficulty, it was a small inn tucked away by a decent little restaurant. When we walked inside we were immediately welcomed by three extremely kind individuals. Two were quite eccentric and the eldest was a little more weary, but she turned out to be very kind, sweet and a person of interest in terms of travel experience. The staff members were Pupae, Mama, and Little Brother. Pupae was an eccentric, small young woman who had always worn a smile and vibrated with excitement when travellers came through. Little brother was a friendly and quiet individual, but acted like an excited child when travellers came through as well. Mama, was a Filippino travel writer who was staying there at The Beehive a little longer than she expected. Coffee was sold here, tickets for boats, tours to different places could be set up; this was a humble abode with everything to say the least.

The Inn itself was great, a bit dark, but there were different rooms a person could rent. We were suspecting four travellers, (three guys and one girl) so we stuck with a hostel style dorm of 6 beds. However the three of us settled in, went downstairs, spoke to the staff. It seemed like a short time, but it turned out to be an hour we had spoken for, as they shared with us all the different sights in the area, as well as how to get to the ferry to travel to Koh Phi Phi.

After the discussion, we ventured off we walked through town; saw the government buildings; elaborate looking schools; a few temples; and then the most interesting of all was “Wat Kao Rang”. Foreigners call it “Monkey Mountain”. It was pleasant to have a day like this to say the least, and it really needed to be, as it was probably our only day to do anything in Phuket Old Town.

“Wat Kao Rang” was the temple on the mountain but the real interesting thing was the mountain itself. We started up the mountain and soon regretted not taking a cab as they had warned us to do down at street level. Regardless, we made it. We walked and walked up to the top. We did see monkeys along the way, playing with each other and food we fed them. Cute little critters, we were pleased to get some photos with him as well. Along the way we met a German fellow who was travelling on his own and was having difficulty getting to the top of the mountain asking us about a shortcut and then continued on. Later we saw him at the “peak” at which point we were all disappointed as we thought it would be much more grand than a weather station or whatever it was. We spoke and he decided to wander along the same route as us. We eventually found ourselves at “Wat Kao Rang” (temple), where we chilled out and took in some sights along with pictures.

We eventually found our way up to the lookout of Old Town Phuket, where we observed the sunset. This place was breath taking and the food at the restaurant close to the lookout was great! A bit expensive, but really a great evening nonetheless. We had fun, beer and conversations with some locals. We were eventually walking back to the Inn when we asked our German Buddy (Adrian) if he was going back to the club or wanted to stay out for a few more drinks with us. Adrian had stayed at a Muai Thai boxing club and was on a break to travel around for the day, he told us many interesting stories of people he met and things they do for a contracted amount of time (similar to a hostel or Inn), while you are also learning how to box.

After some conversation, and jokes, Adrian was interested enough in our experiences to come back and hang out. As we walked in Pupae looked like she was going to pass out; Mama was writing; and some other travellers were talking at the table. We took seats next to them and dealt out cards, we offered to include them. Pupae, jumped from her seat and immediately collected up the cards and said “I know a game!” No one argued and we allowed her to share the rules, after which the game had begun and people became thirsty. Before we knew it, we drank the Inn out of beer. We took a few foreigners and Adrian to a nearby store where we purchased a case of beer that we did not think to carry in a box, but in a series of small plastic bags. After a few more rounds and a couple different games, what I was later told is that I passed out with my head down on the table.

The next morning, to my surprise, I was not hungover. We wanted to shower, and clean up… especially Adrian. Pupae pointed us into the direction of the upstairs bathroom that was literally located on the rooftop, welcomed by a beautifully warmed morning, and fresh air. We were worried what the bathroom looked like until we opened it up and saw there was no ceiling over it, it was literally a shower with a sun roof. ‘Amazing’ was the only word that came to mind as the speaker played music under the comforting sun.

Later, Pupae told us she was excited and had expected that we would be staying again so she could show us around her village and go to some more local hot spots. I think truly, if that happened, I never would have left. She was a little unimpressed that we had made arrangements to leave but wished we came back soon. She gave me advice before I left, “Thailand has many types of people; some will cheat you; some will help you; but most will love you; always be friendly… but you need to learn Thai!” Later in life, I experienced that learned languages (as minimally as it may be learned) are truly game changers for any traveller.

It was heart breaking for me to wander off now that our travel companion was there. Even though we did have a good time afterwards, I really wish I had stayed even another day to hang out with Pupae and see Thailand through the eyes of someone who lived and grew up there. The perspectives of foreigners who had stumbled around aimlessly are often times very narrow, and lacks what Thailand is really about. Thailand offers so much more to see . I think, in my overall I would not have been as excited to share the tales from this trip as I was if I had stayed longer, but I would have certainly felt a little more fulfillment after the trip.

Our friend (Enter: Player 4) showed up at the Inn ready, bags in hand fresh from the Phuket airport, she showered, and took a power nap as we looked for hostels on Koh Phi Phi. Yes, we later found out she didn’t want to book because she was still unsure if she wanted to go to Krabi Island or Koh Phi Phi and thought if we show up that something would have a vacancy. We were able to get cheap ferry tickets through the Inn’s owner who has a friend with connections. From there the owner actually drove us to the ferry and explained that when we arrive at the island you can expect an entrance fee of a small amount. Twas true when we arrived there was an entrance, but we did not understand exactly why until our first night there.

Koh Phi Phi was one of the two possible destinations, the other being Krabi. Needless to say, we left from Phuket and took a ferry that lasted a few hours and left a nasty sunburn on those riding on the roof top. The ride ended at the pier of Koh Phi Phi where we were welcomed with an island entrance fee. Small fee to pay for a grand adventure but we were there and weren’t going to turn back. The search for accommodation was horrendous, Player 4 had been told it would be easy to find accommodation upon arrival. Unfortunately our friend’s naivety led us wandering around (bags and all) for two hours in the sun while tourists were enjoying themselves. We eventually found a place and settled on the price, not a very trustworthy looking place (but it provided a locking door and bed).

The first evening there we spent wandering around, a friend got a tattoo; we had dinner and drinks with a coworker who met us there and then got into a fight at the Raggae Boxing Bar. This is a warning, the bar offers a “bucket” to the participants along with a medal of participation. “Bucket” is a different term than the way it is used in Bali and Malaysia. Normally my understanding was a bucket of say 4-6 beers. This bucket was a sand pail of watered down Jack and Coke; after the fight it was the last thing I wanted to accompany my concussion. When you walk in you can choose a fight or randomly join a bout. Its Maui Tai boxing, full gear and shorts are provided. No requirement for previous experience, its one of those types of fight clubs. Most of the time you will see huge Australians (to me they are, I am 5’7), and buddies going for a tango. Three rounds, one minute long, unlimited participation (within reason). If you get hit as many times as I did though, maybe once is enough. After my friend and I participated and spectated, we found pizza down the way. Our other friends took off and we wandered around the beach concussed and proud as we wore our participation medals with drunken smiles through all the dance parties and bright lights.

The next day was fun, we spent time walking around trying foods and enjoying the beach weather. We were fairly sauced by noon and began searching for a bar to perch with live music. Before we realized it we spent the entire time soaking up sun and filling our bellies with Chang. By the time we came to our senses to dive with whale sharks, it was already quite late and we literally just missed the boat. In summary, Koh Phi Phi could be best described as a place for spring breakers and honeymooners. The Island is fairly well divided and maintained but after a full moon party, the hostels around the beach completely destroy the tranquility one may hope for at a beach. The decision makers to visit this island are quite obvious, the whale shark diving; luminescent tour; and sunrise taxi boat ride to the film spot of “The Beach” (starring DeCaprio). All these very cool and interesting things are found here.

After the boat back to Phuket and then a tuk tuk to the airport, we were prepared for Bangkok. Expectations high, funds were low, a place booked and we were ready to go. Badaka 99 was the hostel of choice and a reasonably priced one for location and trustworthiness I’d wager. There are better but at the time it was another last minute booking. We were on the corner of Khaosan Road and the main road at which the bank and police station are located. The short walk was crucial for the reason of drunken stumbles back in the middle of the night. For a day and a bit, we checked out the Grand Palace; River Ride; Presidential Office and the Laying Buddha. One friend suffered from heat exhaustion and ended their walk early while the rest of us carried on. Over the years, it seems like one way or another there is a bot of bad luck that encircles those heading to Bangkok for a short time.

Bangkok is extremely accessible and more than friendly. There were many tourist traps, you should always have a map. For how bad you may be ripped off by taxis or vendors, the overall feel of Bangkok is pretty safe as long as you don’t put yourself in situations that would otherwise lead you into harm’s way anywhere else in the world. I’d recommend it as a travel hub and stop to shop point. As far as long term visits go, its similar to what you would find in Malaysia, Singapore, Jakarta, etc. A word of advice, always discuss a price with the Tuk-Tuk driver in English and Thai before boarding and departing, possibly even show the money on hand and say “good?”, but pay once you leave the Tuk-Tuk. Best bet is to ask the hotel or hostel you stay at, how much is recommended price from A to B. Most things are within an hour’s walk; if you try taking a stroll through Bangkok on foot be sure to pack water and prepare for the heat.

By the end of the time spent in Thailand, we still had about 2 weeks left to travel and had been traveling for a week already. My friends and I had felt we had spent a month there in Thailand alone, when conversing and reminiscing about everything we saw and the things we had learned. Thailand offers so much more to see. I hope that future travelers are fortunate enough to witness a fraction of the amazing things that the country has to offer, and experiences at least a bit of the things we did.