Host family

I am still looking for a host family, as I believe it is the quickest way to get the feel for Thai people. A hotel manager I happened to talk about it knew immediately what I wanted: South of Thailand is a wrong part of the country for this purpose, go up north. Here people are bent to make big bucks out of rich foreigners.

So, my plan is to stay in this house one month (I paid upfront), till then I will be fit again to hop around.

A human body never stops fascinating me, so versatile, with self repairing mechanism build in :)

I visit medical centre daily to change bandages, initially I had 7, now are 2 left, in a week the last one (right elbow) will have gone.

But I continue riding a motorbike, its a mass transportation system here.

On this island one does not need a driving licence, children are on the road as well...

Isn't he cool? :)

Internet access in Thailand

1° Free Hot Spots ~ They are often not where you want them to be. Either advertised or you just try to connect to some hotel and it works.

2° Internet cafes   ~ 1 Baht/min   They are everywhere, haven't tried rural areas though...

3° (Some) places you stay ~ you pay 50 Baht, get receipt with username, password and 2 hours, which you can use through the day.

4° 3G: buy sim card for 50 Baht, load it with 350 Baht, insert it in your netbook (mine has 3G module built in, alternatively you need usb dongle). Metered on volume, good for checking email and light surfing only, should last for 5-6 hours. Or you can put sim card in your phone and have a local number.

5° 3G: got to phone shop, buy sim card for 50 Baht, choose a monthly plan, there are several, (I have chosen 100 hours for 350 Baht), unlimited for a month costs ~ 1000 Baht.

6° In many areas there are commercial wi-fi providers: you see a strong signal, connect, type http://1.1.1.1 and you will be presented with different plans: daily, weekly, monthly. (unlimited monthly ~ up to 2000 Baht)

3G connection (5° and 6°) is VERY slow, not for Skype or uploading pictures. (I am using AIS provider, have not tried others).

The rest is bearable, ~ 2 MB/min

Fruit

Fruit on this picture, with prices:

Grapefruit - 25 sweeter and less acidic than I know it

Tangerines (0,5 kg) - 10

Bananas (29 Pcs) - 15 taste is slightly different, and note the size :)

Papaya (1.2 kg) - 55

Never seen bananas with pips (stones) before,

only some of them have them:

Imported fruit is expensive, i.e. grapes 100 Baht.

Rented a house

Map is here

Looks picturesque. Quiet. One hears only waves and birds. Inside is very simple, if not substandard. But who cares, here one spends a day outside. Will stay here for a while and see for myself rainy season and tropical storms.

View from inside:

Myanmar

Was lying on the beach, watching two small guys trying to park a huge motorboat. Helped them a bit and then I had a little chat with this guy, Min. His brother and their uncle came here from Myanmar on one year visa to work (things are not that good on that side of the boarder). They are working on these two boats ferrying tourists to and fro. They are paid 4500 Baht a month + three meals + a place to sleep. Locals get more.

Then the second boat came, and when a group of 20 or so tourists were passing by, I asked: "How was the trip?" An Australian guy answered: "They know how to get from us money for nothing..."

That made me laugh.

Yet another change of plans :)

Change of plans

It turned out, that wet season is about to begin.

It would last till mid-(end-) December.

I did not know that seasons differ on mainland

and islands... This is how it looks like right now here:

Which means I have to make new plans. Initially I wanted to go

direction Malaysia-Indonesia, but weather wise it the same there

as here.

It is fine in Philippines, but its too expensive to fly. Though, a

traveller from previous post knew it and bought a ticket long

time ago, cheaply. He is already there.

I am thinking going back to Bangkok, like 18 hours again

on the road. Get there a Vietnamese visa, (for Laos and

Cambodia one does not need it). And move on to there.

Spend 2 months there and then head back to my Koh Phangan.

China and Cambodia don't appeal to me at the moment.

One little tip from someone though - and I might be heading

somewhere else, I am not fixed on anything...