My 2008 Travel to Singapore, KL and Thailand

The American introduced me to one of the motorcycle drivers who can speak English well. For an agreed fare of 200 Thai Baht, he drove me to a hotel which has a money changer then to the Phuket Youth hostel,12 kilometers away with my luggages placed in front of him.

The motorcycle ride was very exciting! We did not have a crash helmet. I kept my eyes open during the 15 minute ride to be sure that I could still save myself in case of an accident!

It was already 11:00 when I was finally settled in my room in the Phuket Youth Hostel, in Chalong area. Spartan but clean with split type aircon for only 450.00 Thai Baht. After dropping my bags, I went out to a restaurant which is more of a beer house located beside the Hostel. I was so hungry. Again, we had a communication problem with the local Thais in ordering for my food . The fresh shrimps with vegetables in the menu had actually raw shrimps! I had to do a lot of sign language with the cook to fry the raw shrimps!

I slept soundly after the long trip! My LBM was gone thanks to the Cico (Chico), banana and mangosteen I ate in Kuala Lumpur.

The Phuket Youth Hostel’s complimentary American breakfast was a relief after the not so filling dinner I had. I immediately took another motorcycle ride to the Bus terminal to buy VIP bust ticket for Bangkok. The motorcycle driver charged me 80 Thai Baht for the ride from the Hostel to the Bus Terminal. The VIP Bus for Bangkok costs 1,120.00 Thai Baht. I took the 6:00 p.m. bus schedule.

In going back to the Hostel, I asked for directions to where the terminal of the bus that would pass by the Hostel. It was only a 10 minute walk. The bus are those that plies from Phuket town to Chalong Bay. Its terminal was near the market and it is not actually a bus but a pick up truck that is being converted into what looks like a passenger jeepney. Just like in the Philippines, the length of time that the bus will wait for passengers was “alas puno” meaning it will wait for passengers until it will be filled up. Good enough, the driver decided to leave after 20 minutes even with only three passengers! The bus ride was only 25 Thai Baht for a safe and comfortable ride compared to the 80 Thai baht that the motorcycle driver charged me for the same distance.

I packed up my things and left it in the Hostel lobby. I took the same bus to Chalong bay. Chalong bay has a pier where sailing boats are anchored. There are sailing boats for rent which would sail to the Islands near Phuket, the most popular of which is James Bond Island which was named after it was used as a set for a James Bond movie. There were several decent restaurants and I chose Kan Eang @ Pier which serves Japanese food for my lunch. The dining area was beside the sea and the trees provide shades that give a comfortable feeling. The food was good and reasonably priced.

After lunch, I went to the queue of the taxis waiting for passengers nearby. I made arrangements for a taxi rental for a sightseeing trip in the Kata Beach, Karon beach and Patong Beach. The taxi drivers offered very expensive rent for the tour. After a failed negotiation, the bus (more appropriately the passenger jeepney) driver who was all the while observing my negotiation with the taxi drivers, offered to provide me his service for the sightseeing ride to beaches of Kata, Karon and Patong, then back to the Hostel to pick up my baggages and take me to the VIP terminal for only 800.00 Thai Baht! That one I could not resist! So off I went to the beaches!

Kata and Karon are both similar to our Boracay with its powdery white sand. The only difference it that they have not constructed the bars and restaurants and other commercial establishments close to the beach but are instead located in areas farther from the beach. The beaches are left for sunbathing and swimming alone. The driver took me to several Buddhist temples too. Indeed, my sightseeing tour was a great bargain!

When I went back to my Hostel to pick up my baggages, I asked the man at the counter if he knows of a hostel in Bangkok. I have not made any booking in Bangkok because my Bangkok leg was a very short one: if I will arrive Bangkok early morning, I would just need a room to leave a baggage while I go around shopping and leave for the airport early evening for my Cebu Pacific flight at 12:00 midnight. He referred me to Shukumvit Hostel in 25 Shukumvit, Bangkok.

(to be continued…)

Nagmamahal,

Edgar Sandalo