Overnight stops (in date order): Songhkla; Pak Phanang – south of Nakhon Si Thammarat; Khao Luang National Park; Khao Lak (x4); Bang Ben Beach – Laem Son National Park (x2); Bang Saphan; Hua Hin; Ratchaburi; ‘Bridge over the River Kwai’; 30km south of Erawan National Park; Ayutthaya (x2); Lop Buri; Tak; Tha Song Yang (x2); Mae Sariang; Mae Hong Son; 60km south of Pai; Doi Suthep-pui National Park – Chiang Mai (x3); Thai Elephant Conservation Centre – Hang Chat; Si Satchanalai Historical Park; Sukhothai (x2); Phitsanulok; Bangkok (x6); Phitsanulok; Phui Wiang National Park; 70km west of Roi Et; south of Khemarat; Pha Taem National Park; 100km east of Surin; Ban Tha Sawang; Phanom Rung;
The crossing into Thailand was straight forward; once we had worked out the order in which we should join the various queues to have our passports stamped, obtain the permit to bring the vehicle into the country and buy third party motor insurance (£9 for three months cover). Once in the country, we soon found that the Thais are a friendly and helpful people; always eager to advise and assist visitors – right down to the dos and don’ts of using public toilets.
From the border we crossed to the east coast on the Gulf of Thailand and travelled north through an area relatively unvisited by tourists (we were giving Phuket as wide a berth as we could!).
At Nakhon Si Thammarat, we experienced our first Buddhist temple – Thai style – Wat Phra Mahathat.
We shared the highway with an assortment of other road users
and I had to learn a road skill I had completely lost in Australasia – the art of overtaking!
At Khao Lak, I had two days diving at the Similan Islands and on Richelieu Rock (the latter was discovered as a dive site and named by Jaques Cousteau) – which are considered two of the best sites in Thailand.
On the beach at Khao Lak
we camped with the first other overlanders that we had met in south-east Asia; including a Swiss couple, Edy and Brigitte, who have been travelling for seven years in the ultimate off-road motorhome.
Continuing north we stopped at a completely deserted beach at Laem Son National Park
before heading up the narrow isthmus,
close to the border with Myanmar, before leaving the coast at Phetchaburi; where we visited a hilltop palace.
Kanchanaburi was a major terminus on the Thai/Burma railway built by the Japanese during the second world war to enable them to supply their troops in Burma. The town has a large cemetery, maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, to commemorate some of the 12,000 allied prisoners of war who died after being forced to work on its construction
(it is estimated that 100,000 Asian conscripted labourers also died). We slept within sight of the nearby Bridge over the River Kwai.
Further up the line is ‘Hellfire Pass’ where POWs, many from Australia, were forced to work 16-hour shifts digging a cutting through solid rock.
We lightened the mood by spending a day at the nearby Erawan Waterfall.
Ayutthaya was the capital of a Siamese kingdom that lasted from the mid 14th Century until it was destroyed by the invading Burmese in the 1760s. The centre of the town is now one large historical site packed with ruined palaces and temples.
The Thais still take their religion seriously
and there are images of Buddha everywhere.
Lop Buri, another ancient Siamese town, was as memorable for its monkeys
as its ruins.
We ate Christmas lunch
at a high-end restaurant
and spent the night at a (very noisy) truck-stop.
After visiting Kamphaeng Phet, and the ruins of another ancient Thai city,
we spent a leisurely six days driving the mountainous and serpentine road
that loops through north-west Thailand. The route follows the Burmese border and on the way we passed a huge refugee camp for people who have fled that state.
This is a beautiful, rural region
of forest-covered hills,
limestone caves
and misty mornings.
The loop ends at Chiang Mai, the capital of northern Thailand, where we camped on a hill above the city at the Doi Suthep-pui National Park, within sight of the extraordinary Buddhist temple – Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.
We enjoyed a day at the Thai Elephant Centre
where Danielle bought a painting by the Pachyderm Picasso.
Si Satchanalai
and Sukothai
are two ancient Thai cities that are now picturesque ruins. At Sukhothai we met a party of cheerful Buddhist nuns, together with some not quite so cheerful monks, who were engaged in an 85-day walk to commemorate the King’s 85th birthday.
We abandoned the truck at Phitsanoluk and flew to Bangkok, ‘the Venice of the East’,
for six nights of comfort.
When we saw the traffic,
we were glad we had not attempted to drive into the city. As with the Singaporeans, shopping is the urban Thais’ main pastime; leaving the sights to us tourists.
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha is colourful
but occasionally gaudy,
the Grand Palace is grand,
the Reclining Buddha is enormous
and the Golden Buddha, which is made of 5.5 tonnes of gold, was worth £191,061,988.24 on the day that we visited it.
We also enjoyed an evening at a traditional Thai theatre.
Back at Phitsanulok we visited a temple that houses one of the Country’s most beautiful images of Buddha
before heading east through Isan, the most rural and undeveloped part of Thailand.
The first dinosaur bones found in Thailand were discovered at Phui Wiang National Park
At Khemarat we had our first view of the Mekong River which is the eastern border of Thailand with Laos and Cambodia.
We followed the river south as far as Khong Chiam; stopping at Pha Taem National Park where there are prehistoric rock paintings on cliffs overlooking the Mekong.
We were there towards the end of the season when the meadow flowers are in bloom.
Heading west again we spent a morning at Ban Tha Sawang, a village famous for its hand-woven silk.
For the more intricately patterned material, four women (we saw no male weavers) operate one loom
(the fourth weaver works in a well below the loom)
and produce no more than 5 cm of cloth in a day. But what cloth!
This shawl was presented as a gift to the 26 queens who attended the Thai King’s celebration of 65 years in the throne.
Phanom Rung is an ancient Khmer temple that has been restored (a taste of things to come in Cambodia).
We were turned away from Khao Yai National Park because the truck was considered too large for the roads. Instead we had to drive around the park – passing a Tuscan village – on our way back to the coast.
We took the (rather rusty) ferry
to Koh Chang Island, south-east of Bangkok,
where I was able to spend a day diving.
We have not gone hungry in Thailand and have eaten some wonderful and varied meals; including fish,
other seafood and
traditional Thai dishes
including more exotic fare such as frog – both in a stew
and their skins deep fried –
and crispy grasshoppers.
After leaving the beaches of Ko Chang
we headed north through Chanthaburi,
which is famous for its market where gems are bought and sold,
and then east to cross the border into Cambodia. After more than 16 months away from England, Cambodia is the first country we have visited where vehicles travel on the right-hand side of the road. In typical south-east Asia style, the changeover happens in the middle of a chaotic bridge between the countries that teems with trucks, tractors, cars, bicycles, tuk-tuks and overloaded wagons dragged by teams of men.
Responses
Simon Mcilroy says: Good to be back on the road? Let me know the details of your Thai insurance broker-I would be interested in a quote for our car. Direct Thais or Thais Direct. Have a great Christmas, wherever you are and we look forward to your next bulletin.
Andrée says: We wish you a happy holidays to you! xxx
Sharon Larsmon says: So, moral of story. a) make sure the loo seat is UP!!! at all times, so that you, or something from you, doesn’t bounce off. If you can get a poster of this, it’d be great for Christian’s houseshare. b) Grecian 2000 works, but gives you a green ring. Take your jewellery off first. Great pics. It’s the first time I’ve been able to get on to this site by myself, as usually it goes to Paul Daniel’s webpage.
Isn’t life strange ? Faith seems to be an universal need, but when it comes to huge, golden Buddhist statues in a shanty town, or, as we saw, honour and celebration of plastic elephants, you begin to wonder, so much, it kinda does your head in.
Happy New Year to you both. I hope you won’t die of boredom when you get back to Blighty. Love ya, Sharon xx
François says: Hello Danielle and Paul! I hope you are well and that you have a wonderful trip. Your pictures are awesome! I wish I could be there!! I want to wish you a very happy new year, with a lot of health, love and great travelling experiences! François xxx
Paul Faithfull says: Loved the pix until I got to the flotsam (jetsam?) in the waterfall. Then in the cave, are you the one on the left or right…? You both look amazingly healthy as well as happy, which is great to see. Living in the back of a lorry obviously suits you. I’m looking forward to seeing you both and hearing some tales first-hand over a drink and meal — but no insects, thanks. Paul xx