Patrick Dowd » Thailand

Grand Palace, Bangkok, photo

Patrick — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 20:15:17 +0000

at Grand Palace

The Beach, a novel

Patrick — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:29:42 +0000

I read a novel, The Beach by Alex Garland. I had previously seen the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. It is an easy, fun read, good for a long airplane ride. What struck me is that I followed the same route from Bangkok to the islands. Train, pickup, ferry. The characterizations of the travelers were all too familiar.

Bang Rajan, movie

Patrick — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:24:46 +0000

Watched the movie, Bang Rajan, subtitled The Legend of the Village Warriors. The movie, in Thai with English subtitles, tells the story of rural resistance to Burmese forces in 1765. Two separate armies of 100,000 each were dispatched to attack then Siamese capital, Ayutthaya. In American English, we would say it was a “B movie.” The historical context was interesting.

Hellfire, photo

Patrick — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:11:57 +0000

A Buddhist monk walks through Hellfire Pass. I visited Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum. The museum and this walk commemorate the deaths and suffering of Allied prisoners of war while building the Siam-Burma Railway (aka Death Railway) for the Japanese military. The name Hellfire comes from the glow of lanterns at night.

Thailand summary

Patrick — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:35:06 +0000

For me, a highlight of my visit was seeing a friend from college days. As a bonus, I traveled with him in his car throughout western Thailand and visited his wife’s family. I visited temples and monasteries, mountain vistas, rivers, reservoirs and many popular tourist sites. The hustle, bustle and congestion of Bangkok and its river life were interesting.

Some observations:

Photographs of the king are everywhere. The king is now in his 80s but he is revered throughout Thailand. Most homes and businesses have a least one portrait. All public buildings and town squares have many. Some are new, but many are faded to almost black-and-white from the sun. The king is pictured in a gold tunic, in military dress like an admiral, in a business suit, and in a sport jacket with a camera. Sometimes he is pictured wearing a sword with the Queen by his side.

Obama–when I tell a Thai, I am from America, USA, he invariably replies, “Obama.” If he can’t speak English, he might add, “Hope,” and if he can, he adds, “Obama is not only the hope of USA, but Thailand as well.”

Hats–men wear ski hats and masks outdoor, I guess to keep cool in the heat.

Language–Thai is curious. The language changes depending on the gender of the speaker. If a male asks, How are you? the ending is different than how a female would ask. It doesn’t matter who you are speaking to.

Buddhism–is the national religion practiced by the king and 90% of the population. Monasteries and temples are everywhere. The vernacular practice appears to be focused on alms-giving, burning incense and visiting temples. The newspapers point to an uncertain future, however. Historically about 6 million men have entered the monk-hood each year, but that is now down to 1.5 million for 2008. Also, a methamphetamine scandal erupted when an undercover investigation revealed large numbers of monks were regular users and allegedly sold to children.

Travel–is easy in Thailand with a well-developed tourist infrastructure for transportation, lodging, eating and sightseeing. Most tourists appear to be Europeans on long holidays (3 to 5 weeks). they generally are focused on vacationing with their tour group. There are lots of Swedes who are uniformly friendly and interesting

Women sweep

Patrick — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 08:19:45 +0000

Women sweep
leaves from road
White sun rises
Misty hills
Pink lanterns
red and blue.

Island Hopping

Patrick — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 08:14:50 +0000

Took a speedboat with five big Honda 225 outboards to Ko Lipe. Took a longtail to get on the island. Then took a long tail to get off the island to another speedboat to Pulau Langkawi where I went through immigration into Malaysia. The following day, I took a “Super Fast” Ferry to Georgetown, Pulau Penang

Ko Lipe

Patrick — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 08:12:59 +0000

Spent an afternoon at Ko Lipe. It is more laid-back and hip than Ko Samui–no tailors asking if you want a new suit (the kind with a tie and shirt, not a bathing suit). If you like the scene, there are plenty of restaurants, bars, dive shops and cute places to stay and hang out. Me, I really liked Ko Tarutao.

on leaving Tarutao National Park

Patrick — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:58:58 +0000

On the way to Ko Tarutao National Park, I met a German who said he went to Ko Lipe, one of the islands, five years ago. He planned to stay five days, but stayed five weeks. He has visited every year since, but now stays two months. We stayed in a duplex bungalow on Ko Tarutao and met a young Swedish woman. She said she had been “here” for five weeks. I asked if she meant in Thailand; she responded “here” as in that bungalow. It was her second year spending five weeks. I met a senior Belgian man with an inflatable kayak; he said he has been visiting these islands for twenty years.

By the end of six nights, I understood what they meant. I did not want to leave and think I will return. It’s quite, peaceful, natural and enchanting. Maybe the gentle lapping of the small sea waves, or the breeze in the palm trees or the singing of the birds. Maybe because there really is nothing to do–swim, take a walk, visit the next beach. Maybe because each beach only has one restaurant and the accommodations are identical. Snorkeling among the rocks and coral reef was my favorite.

Maybe next time, I will go in a boat around the island or camp out on a remote beach or go fishing or climb a mountain, or….

Tarutao National Park

Patrick — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:04:02 +0000

A marine park with multiple islands, the largest being Ko Tarutao, this is a great place to relax and kick back. We first stayed at Au Phante Malaca, where the ferry stops at the pier. Then we moved four kilometers to Ao Moelae. Both bungalows were spacious and comfortable. The one at Moelae was right on the beach. One day we took a longtail taxi boat to a coral site on the northestern side of the island; it was top-notch. Another day, we took kayaks along the sea cliffs and snorkeled among the rocks. Another day we hiked through the jungle to a beach and snorkeled there. The food isn’t fancy, but the overall experience is wonderful. A tropical paradise with few people and lots of fish, crabs, monkeys, birds and a few wild pigs.