Travels in Thailand

This map tracks the areas of conflict in Bangkok. The red lines are streets/areas held by the protesters, the green are the Thai army. Jim lives off Thanon Sukhumvit, on Soi 23. On this map it is just southeast of the Thanon Sukhumvit and Thanon Ratchadphisek intersection.

Close-up of the map above showing Jim's location. Also the (in)famous Soi Cowboy...

The political situation here has gotten worse. I am fine and don't feel threatened, but here is my limited understanding of what's going on.
- about 17 people have been killed in the fighting in the last 24 hours, several hundred more have been wounded.
- the skytrain and subway have been shut down, but buses and taxis are still running.
- apparently the US embassy is evacuating family members of its embassy personnel and  the Swiss embassy is closing
-my area (Sukhumvit Soi 23) is quiet. The violence is about 2 kilometers away
-one member of our office was forced to leave his apartment due to its proximity to the fighting
-right now the conflict seems contained to central Bangkok 
- there may be some Austrailian tourists are trapped in a hotel in the protest area

On a positive note, the unrest here did not prevent a little beer drinking last night with some work colleagues  ; )

more to come ... 
  

One thing that impressed me about the beaches was the number of stray dogs lounging around. There were probably five resident strays at the hotel in Rayong.
They were well mannered and politely walked around the dining area asking only for seafood treats during our evening feast.  They spent most of the day snoozing in the shade and only came out for a stroll and snack after sundown. They seemed well fed and contented so I think this may be the ultimate R&R spot for Thai dogs.
Another impressive thing were the lizards - they were large and plentiful. At least one or two were close to a foot long. However, they minded their own business and did not ask us for treats.
Finally, it was blast furnace hot at the beach with lots of intense sun - but on the positive side I am starting to brown nicely.

Click on a picture to view the slide show.

I am going to the beach again this weekend - this time to Rayong and with a different group of Thai work colleagues.  I will update the blog on Sunday. Stay tuned - don't touch that dial! 

Micah and I went in search of the Jim Thompson House museum today - we took the skytrain from Asok to National Stadium. After wandering around some back alleys we finally found it, but unfortunately it was closed due to the national holiday.
We went to get some ice cream and then went to get a Thai massage. Later, I went to my favorite restaurant in Thailand and ate a very tasty bowl of Thai noodles and chicken. The restarant looks run down but the food really hit the spot and it cost 55 Baht - about $1.50.  This is one of the reasons I love Bangkok.
 

My Thai visa is only good for three months, so I will need to get it renewed in June. The catch is that I have to leave Thailand and then re-enter the country. A lot of ex-pats here have to do this and they have a name for it called "the visa run".  I have a wide variety of choices but I an thinking going to either Cambodia,  Laos, or Vietnam - Tibet is probably out.
This is where you come in. I will let you guys help me decide where I should go. Please post a short short essay on "Why I think Jim should go to ..."  -  I will judge the entries and the writer of the winning essay will get a special gift from Thailand.
Hurry and get your essay in today!

How long do you think it would take to cover 120 kilometers in Thailand? For us Americans that is about the same distance from Kansas City to St Joe, Missouri. So, you are probably thinking "I realize Thailand is a crowded country - so I will say 2 hours plus a fudge factor of 30 minutes. Make it 2 1/2 hours".
Well, multiple that by three and you will get an idea of how long it took us to travel from Hua Hin back to Bangkok. Admittedly, there was some stopping and snacking/shopping but the real problem was the horrendous traffic. We left at 11:00 AM and arrived about 7:30 PM. So 8 1/2 hours to go from KC to St. Joe - US drivers would be apoplectic - but the Thai (and by extension me) just took it in stride.

Click on a picture to open the slide show.