Good to be Back in Thailand!

Can you hear Gary Glitter singing "Hello,Hello,Good to be back....."?! Mmmmmm well maybe I should not mention Mr Gadd but his 70s hits were always characterised by catchy riffs, lyrical and/or musical, and if I am not mistaken you can still catch them at US baseball games and the like. Leaving convicted paedophiles to one side it is only on returning that I come to understand how much I missed some of the very simple things that make life in Thailand so appealing. Good to be back indeed....

Really it is the people, first and foremost. The steward on the train, trying to sell everybody beer. She did the same the whole way down to Malaysia. "Ao gin bia mai?" Do you weat to eat beer? Literally! I reply I don't and would like tea and she says ok, and comes back 5 minutes later and asks me all smiles "Ao gin bia mai?" and it is fair to say she asks everyone this same question. Thai people, (careful, generalisations and stereotypes coming!!!), seem to generate this energy....the first level crossing we pass the motorbikes, crammed with people, wait, everyone seems to be talking to each other, people checking their looks in hand held mirrors, if not their wing mirrors, ( men as bad as the women!), lots of smiling happy people and then we pass a small, bustling street market, everything is lit up as it is dark, and everyone is rammed in, with lines of motorbikes and pick up trucks parked near by and it is just a hive of activity and colour from the fruit and vegetable. This appears to be near universal in Thailand.

The food....God what a difference. I ate some delicious green curry as we headed north, standard rail fare, but it could not have been more different to most of the food in Malaysia.

We got into Hua Hin at about 0715 and it was deserted. A taxi tout wanted to charge me 150 baht to take me to the car and was most put out when I started laughing at his price. Probably at least 3 times the normal amount. Now I am not going to haggle with someone like this even if he voluntarily brings his price down. I will not even engage him in any further discussion. It is over buddy between you and I. I don't trade with crooks! You lost the job buddy we'll walk! So we walked, my taxi tout losing any prospect of any income from us which I hope will learn him to be more respectful! I would suggest you do this if you are not happy about a price especially if you think it is obscene, just walk away, you are under no obligation to haggle, and if it is with tuktuks and the like, and you really need one, you'll get a straight one soon enough at a reasonable price. The competition is watching!

Looked as if the locals had been giving it large in Hua Hin for the New Year.Completely dead

Caught news of a major fire in Bangkok killing 59 people. No real details but no doubt a major tragedy......how dreadful going out to revel and celebrate the New Year and getting torched or suffocated.

We decided to head to Cha am for breakfast, about 25 kms north. A mistake. At 0745 Cha am was full on, you could hardly move on the street as the Thais were out getting on with their New Year celebrations! The thing is the Western New Year is increasingly a big holiday in Thailand and with the second day of the New Year being a Friday then a lot of people have turned it into a long weekend. Cha am was thick with people. Thai style, start early!

A further sad note is the carnage on the roads. I think there were 143 killed on New Years Eve and 85 killed on New Years Day. Drink and overladen motorbikes feature prominently in these casualties.....same story at most festivities, especially the Thai New Year in April.

So we made it home and once more what joy to eat lovely food with delicious sauces and dips and we had some pineapple that was ripe and juicy and quite different from everything we had in Malaysia. I had some beautiful red pork bamee nam last night. The best, at 25 baht! You see the girl that runs the noodle stand understands I am a good customer so she charges me what she charges the locals as she wants my business....I eat there three/four times a week. It really is a no brainer. I learned this in the taxi game. Charge everyone the right price, if there is any problem settle at a lower rate, for instance if I could not give the customer change settle in their favour to get them out the car and the next customer in. People threw money at me. "Oh don't worry, keep the change and look here's a fiver have a good Christmas!"

Good to be back indeed! I have another 90 days stamped into my passport.

Trust you all had a good New Year.