Visa Run to Myanmar
Our next destination from Koh Samui was Bangkok. Because we had already biked this road on the way south, we decided not to bike it again on the road north, but to take a bus instead. But first, we had to prolong our visa by crossing the border into Myanmar, stamping our passports, and re-crossing the border back into Thailand. This would give us one more month.

From the western town of Ranong on the Thai-Myanmar border, we took a long-tail boat across a river several kil.. Read More »

Jungle Hike in Khao Sok National Park – May 2005

We visited half a dozen national parks in southern Thailand, many with waterfalls and jungle flora. But the most memorable was Khao Sok National Park, situated in the center of the peninsula between the Andaman and Gulf coasts. The last 40 km. leading up to the park from the Gulf coast was a series of sheer-faced cliffs, green jungle plants and vines, palms, and banana plants. The mountains were partially covered by a thick, low-laying mist, .. Read More »

The Lingering Effects of the Tsunami

Four to five months after the deadly tsunami struck near Phuket Island in the Andaman Sea in southern Thailand, there are still reminders of it that pop up, not letting you forget. For example, we sometimes saw photos on poster boards displaying the faces of those persons or entire families that were missing. Others spoke to us of jobs lost in Ko Phi Phi islands, where the tsunami hit the hardest. Many Thais who worked there on a seasonal basis had no more.. Read More »

Island-hopping in the South with Belou!
Stephane’s friend, Belou, arrived in Phuket in mid-May and spent 2 ½ weeks with us. He brought his bicycle with him and we biked around the southern part of Thailand between the provinces of Phuket and Krabi. Swimming and island-hopping was “au rendezvous.” It didn’t take long to get down to business…half an hour after Belou’s plane landed, we were on a tranquil beach in a national park, swimming and snorkeling in the very warm turquoise sea… Read More »

Biking in the South

We left Bangkok with a purpose in mind: pedal hard and reach Phuket before Belou’s plane landed on May 17 at 9:30 AM. It was no easy task, as the unexpected visits in Bangkok with Stephane’s cousin Michel and then his cousins Laurent and Claire had delayed us considerably (But with no regrets! Only good times!). In fact, Thailand had turned into a land of reunions and family get-togethers for us! The visit of Belou was also unexpected – planned at the last minute. Be.. Read More »

Attitudes towards Women:

The U.N. has noted that Thailand ranks 40th among 130 countries on the Gender-related Development Index, putting it into the “progressive” category. It progressed more on gender-related issues than any other country in the world between 1975 and 1995. The 1997 constitution states that men and women hold equal rights, and they seem to do so in society at large. One of the first things I noticed in Thailand was that women run their own businesses, they drive their o.. Read More »

Buddhism:
Approximately 95% of Thailand’s citizens are Theravada Buddhists. It is considered an earlier and less corrupt form of Buddhism than the Mahayana schools found in East Asia or the Himalayas. It originated in the Indian Himalayas in the 6th century B.C. when its concepts were “discovered” by Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.

Theravada doctrine stresses the three principal aspects of existence: dukkha (stress, suffering, disease), anicca (impermanence, transience of all th.. Read More »

Prostitution – Thailand’s Largest Industry

Although tourist guides will tell you that Thailand has an export-led economy made up mostly of agricultural products, such as rice, tapioca, coconut, rubber, pineapple, and prawn products, a closer look will show that prostitution is most likely more significant in economic terms than anything else. Although perhaps not admitted officially, no one in Thailand would privately deny this. Estimates of the gross national product from sex workers range f.. Read More »

Thailand’s Ladyboys

Unbeknownst to me until we arrived in Thailand, there is what is currently called “a third sex” in Thailand. The Thai word for this type of person is “kathoey” and the anglicized version of this word that is commonly in use is “ladyboy.”

We had actually been in Thailand for several weeks before I remarked the existence of the ladyboy. Briefly, a ladyboy is a boy or a man that dresses as a woman and acts like a woman. She often wears make-up, jewellery, lon.. Read More »

Life in the Thai Countryside and Thai Customs and Beliefs:

We took an overnight bus to the northern province of Phayao, where Stephane’s cousin, Michel, lives with his Thai wife and their two children. It was exciting for us, as it was not only our first visit in a town outside of Bangkok, but also the first time that I met Michel. He reminded me in every way of Stephane’s father – in fact, I’ve never met two people before who remind me so much of each other. So it was very comfortabl.. Read More »