Thailand Log

Note that the new year edition is now 2019.htm

There's conflict.
Some would prefer me to be in Bangkok!
But I do not like Bangkok... How can any human being accept a long commute over a short distance an hour or more of life expended sitting in a traffic jam or squeezed between others all more interested in the screens on their mobile phones each end of the working day.
Same in Vancouver, sitting waiting to go through the tunnel or over the Port Mann Bridge, breathing engine fumes, worrying about being on time for work.
Extra money maybe, but is it worth it?
I opt out, I've always opted out of this... If I can't walk to work I don't want to be there.
As a freelance flying instructor I had to do a lot of driving between airports, looking after diverse customers... Charged a rate, but this can never ever pay for the fuel, and wear and tear on car and person.


Kad Suan Kaew Shopping Mall with Kevin, pilot from Boundary Bay

Thailand is BC West at the moment with visitors from there coming here to escape the wind and rain and snow of the BC winter.
I am both a host and a travel guide to people who come for a visit.

Sunshine and sea

The objective was to go for a sunshine and beach break to Chumphon.

First I flew on Thai Lion Air from Chiang Mai to Bangkok Don Mueang.
I paid 1,195 Baht for a flight on 7th December, the earlier you book the cheaper it is.
The aircraft took off on time and arrived on time, 09:10.

Thai Lion Air will not accept foreign credit cards on their website. This is a problem with Thai Air Asia too.
So what I do is select counter payment and pay cash at a 7-eleven or Tesco Lotus.
Immediately the payment is made you receive a confirmation of your flight on the phone and via e-mail.

Nok Air, Thai Airways, and Bangkok Air all accept foreign credit cards on their sites. Not sure about VietJet.
Foreigners here are upset when their credit cards are denied, and become very concerned, but there is seldom a problem with the credit card, just with the airline.
I find it easy to book Thai Lion Air, they take a bit of baggage for no extra charge, and lately they have been on time! So I am happy with them, and I tend to stick with companies that I'm happy with.
Not happy with Thai Air Asia, their posted price is not what you pay when you check out, and baggage is extra.

Seaside flight
Nok Air had a special fare, 700 Baht each way, Q400 from Bangkok Don Mueang to Chumphon, and so I booked two return tickets.
2,800 Baht return for two people. Let's go for some sunshine and sand!

I booked the resort through Agoda... I had amassed a few pounds (£) bonus with Agoda, and so when this was applied to the two nights at the resort with breakfast included, I paid a whole 810 Baht (£20).
Total cost so far (£90, or $150 CAD).


The weather has been very wet this season... It doesn't rain in December here, but now it does!

The 700 Baht per person fare did not allow for checked baggage on Nok Air, but that was fine, 'did not need much for a two night stay. I did remember my swimming shorts this time.

We were early into Chumphon, 07:30 off the aeroplane ahead of schedule. Followed the flight on the phone using the Air Nav Pro application above the rain clouds... Selected the HSI and set it for the anticipated 24 arrival.
Now to find transport options...
There are three options, Fame Tours has a minivan, there are taxis, and there's a public bus.
Took the little blue bus.
They like manual transmission buses here, and they put extenders on the gear shift lever to muscle through the crash gearboxes... Crash gearboxes in modern buses???



We arrived in the rain at the railway station.
The approach road attracted my attention with three old steam locomotives in the median, to photograph and to climb all over.
I am a very naughty boy, I crossed the fences and climbed into the driver's cabs much to the chagrin of Khun Gun who was with me, and who assumes chain link fences to be no go areas.
But what's not to like about the history of railways?

The rain was too much for photography when we arrived, and it was breakfast time (though we did not leave without having early morning hot oatmeal porridge back in Bangkok).
So we walked into town and had dim sum before returning in the occasional drizzle to get the pictures you see above.
I rued the fact that as I left my apartment in Chiang Mai, I did not pick up an umbrella, but why would I? It never rains in Thailand this time of the year.

Photographs done, next was to go and catch a sorng taew to our resort.
14:00 check in meant a pause at Starbucks for a hot chocolate before walking to the police station to get a sorng taew to Nana Beach Resort.
The Welsh policeman confirmed that the sorng taew would pick us up at the stop by the police station... I am not surprised by anything here in Thailand. Swansea is not too different from Chumphon, it's just along the coast in't it?
There might be a delay he told us, as there was to be a cycle race through the town via the road we would be going out on.
Indeed we saw a lot of bicyclists lined up ready to go as the sorng taew took us to the resort, about a thirty minute ride, and 30 Baht each, (yes thirty baht).


I noticed that if you have selected AWB, automatic white balance, on these digital cameras you get a blue hue!

So much for Sun and Sand, it was either rain or overcast... But I did manage a swim in the pool, and we did have a good break for a couple of days.
Plan was to get a sorng taew to take us up the coast nearer to the airport and see some more of the local area, but the resort is not on a regular 'sorng taew' route, so the only option was to take the sorng taew back to town, 30 Baht, and take the 100 Baht bus back to the airport after lunch.
Lunch was awkward, and I have never been able to organise my time to ensure the Thai person I am with gets fed at the correct time. This is very important in Thailand, meals at specified times, and farangs like me get into trouble if a meal is late, or serious trouble if a meal is missed.
Walked through town, looking at restaurants, 'this one?', no, 'that one?', no... Oh dear, I can't get this right... In the end we end up in disaster of disasters, a noodle soup shop! I did try, a I really did try, honestly!


Using the big lever to crash through the gears back to the airport

The bus took us back to the airport for the on time departure to Bangkok Don Mueang.
At Chumphon Terminal I met up with some people from AAA, Asia Aviation Academy, who have set up a training base here. They had had a meeting with Aero Thai (ATC and Airspace), and so there was a few things to talk about and new contacts to be made.


Scheduled departure, 18:10

Eastern Air Park cat

I'll go crazy if I stay in Bangkok and so on Thursday 13th I had a ride to Bang Son Purple Line station to catch a train to the Tao Poon station and on to the MRT (underground railway).
I joined the morning squeeze Tokyo style into the crammed railway carriages for the commute to Phetchaburi station to connect with Makkasan station and the airport link rail to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
38 Baht, plus 35 Baht, and then 120 Baht for the bus to Jomtien from the airport.
Couple next to me on the Jomtien bus were from Blackpool, staying at a hotel in Pattaya, and so I recommended getting off the bus to get a sorng taew from Sukhumvit Road. This was quicker as the hotel was not far. I also had to go to the nearby Central Shopping Mall where I would meet my friends for lunch.
On a regular route the sorng taew would be 30 Baht per person, but the driver tried it on, "four hundred baht" for the four of us... I objected, and we dropped him to 300 Baht though this would still be a bit above the going rate, but never mind, we got to where we wanted to go.

The objective for me was to meet up with Alasdair and Gill, and catch up on their travels, Europe (airlines), Australia (by DA42), and Mae Hong Son (Ekolot).
There was a grand plan for them to go to Phnom Phen, Cambodia, in the Ekolot. But the authorities had other ideas... Permission and permits were applied for well ahead of time, but in the end it wasn't until the last minute, aeroplane fueled and packed, that permission was finally granted.
Then there was Immigration to deal with at U Tapao... Immigration did not have the documents to process the departure of private aircraft, and so the crews had to obtain the proper immigration documents and present them. Thailand is not used to or prepared for private light aircraft to do flights into neighbouring countries... But at least two of the five aircraft originally set to go managed to complete the journey.
Private flying is in a continuous struggle for its existence here, but some are willing to put the effort in, and this will benefit future pilots.


The delay at U Tapao made the flight to Cambodia against a 42 knot headwind too risky.

Meanwhile I was offered a lift back to Suvarnabhumi from whence I could make my way back to the apartment in Bangkok where I spent the weekend.

I booked a flight back to Chiang Mai on Tuesday, departing Bangkok at 09:30. I paid 1,560 Baht for the flight, and a 30 Baht counter fee at a 7-eleven.
Scott, a former student of mine for PPL, and Seaplane, was here with his wife to see Chiang Mai.
After arrival at Chiang Mai Airport I decided to walk to the Airport Plaza shopping mall. I needed tea, PG Tips from Tops Supermarket, but I also had an idea Scott and Karen would not have gone there the night before to get a sim card for the phone, but perhaps be there now. They were not answering my messages...
So on arrival I went to AIS on the third floor and caught them there. Sometimes my sixth sense is spot on.

We took a sorng taew to my apartment, where I dropped my case, then started the car, and drove them out to the San Kamphaeng Hot Springs. Might as well get on with being a tour guide.
On Wednesday they went to play elephants.
On Thursday I took them up to Pu Ping Palace, and Doi Suthep... This morning they flew to Bangkok.
Also here was Dan, a student of mine from 16 years ago or so, here with his Thai family from Fort Nelson. So there's been a gathering of flying friends from British Columbia this week.
I always do my best for my visitors.


I'll go a long way out of my way for my visitors

This morning I went to Immigration in their new building near Chiang Mai Airport and extended my visa for another 30 days. This was very efficiently done and I was finished in less than 45 minutes.

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