Visa Run to Myanmar and Khao San Road – June -July 2005

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 kilometers wide to reach the Burmese town of Kawthaung, where our passports would be stamped. The long-tail took us through rough waters littered with wood and made murky by the heavy rains, through tiny, run-down houses built over the water on stilts, their doors open to public view. When we started the trip, we could see the Burmese mountains and half a dozen gilded Buddhist temples with golden Buddhas on river islands and on either side of the riverbank. Then a driving wind and rain set in and obscured everything from view. Despite our umbrellas, we were drenched in a matter of seconds, and could see no more than a couple of yards in front of us. I was very happy to be deposited safely on the other side!

On the way, we stopped at several tiny outposts that served as Thai and Burmese immigration check-points. Our boat pulled up alongside a narrow dock while the navigator ran inside with our passports.

Our visit to Myanmar lasted for a whole five minutes, but it was still long enough to give us a distinct feel of India. Huge crowds of men and boys stood at the dock, staring intensely as we disembarked, while another small group of teenagers followed us, begging for money.

The ride back was terribly long. We shared the boat with 18 Burmese folk, one of whom seemed to have a problem with her papers at each check-point. The flirting Burmese soldiers in their sunglasses looked like something out of a Hollywood film. When we found ourselves safely back on Thai soil with an extended visa in hand, we settled in for an overnight bus ride back to Bangkok. What an adventure!

Khao San Road
We had prolonged our stay in Thailand so that Stephane could take a course in Thai massage at the Wat Po Temple in Bangkok. This temple is reputed to have the world’s best school for Thai massage, and Stephane was anxious to learn the techniques so that he could ease my forever-aching back. Lucky me!

I was terribly ill as he settled in for his six-day course, so while he practiced his massage techniques on his Thai partner in an air-conditioned room, I tried desperately to sleep in a room that measured an average of over 100 degrees F in the daytime and between 95-97 degrees in the nighttime! So, although the days were difficult, the evenings were wonderful when he faithfully practiced on me!

In order to stay near the temple, we chose a different location of town than we had our first time around. The first guesthouse was quiet and peaceful; the second was anything but. We stayed at Khao San Road, arguably the world’s most touristy road. It is backpacker central, and almost every traveler who comes to Southeast Asia passes through this road (Most travelers who visit Asia start their trip in Bangkok, and about 90% of these visit Khao San Road). It is an international road that sees travelers of every nationality pass through it. The average Khao San Road-er is between 18 and 25 years old.

The relatively short street is overloaded with 7-11 convenience stores, restaurants, bars, clubs, fast-food chains, dive shops, travel agencies, Indian tailors, Chinese merchants, and stores selling clothing, jewellery, and handicrafts. On top of all these shops, hotels, and guesthouses, are street stands whose vendors sell exactly the same things, spreading out amply on the sidewalks. Then there are the street vendors selling fresh fruit, fruit shakes, fried rice, and phad thai noodles – probably the cheapest in all of Thailand. In addition to the food stalls are enterprising Thais who sell fake student cards and press cards. An unbelievable number of people come here to get their hair braided or molded into dreadlocks. CD stands compete with one another, each one trying to outdo its neighbor in terms of volume. This road is definitely “shopping central” for the backpacker, and the street is always busy and business always booming.

In the mornings, public loudspeakers blare the national anthem at top decibel in the street, waking everyone up. In the evenings, bars, clubs, and anyone else that has a sound system blares the song “Zombie” by the Cranberries at top decibel in the street. This song is Khao San’s anthem. After dark, small bars open on the sidewalks and serve drinks to their young customers, who sit on plastic stools in the street. These “bars” all have two young, pretty Thais waving placards in the air: “Strong Cocktails: We Don’t Card!” Some bars operate out of the back of hippie vans.

Young Thais sometimes do break-dancing routines to appreciative crowds. Others sit in groups on the curb, drinking their beer or buckets of whiskey, red bull, and coke. Some arrive on fancy motorcycles, complete with fur seat coverings. Someone is always walking in the streets, selling very large balloons – which only add to the carnivalesque feel of the place. After midnight, Thailand’s ladyboys come out. They stand in groups, working the street. Half a dozen or so hang in front of our hotel every night, often hitting on the men who pass by.

Everything closes on Khao San Road at 1 AM, although the bars and restaurants on nearby roads remain open all night long. It used to be the same on Khao San Road, until the King’s grandson killed a pedestrian in a drunk-driving accident after partying on the road.

We took to eating at a cheap but good restaurant in a narrow alleyway just off of Khao San Road, and as we ate our fried rice or spicy vegetables, I couldn’t help but notice that there were always a few motorcycles that spewed fumes in our faces as they passed between our tables while we were eating. Now here was one thing that we didn’t see at home!

We celebrated our wedding anniversary on Khao San Road and went club-hopping to celebrate. Although some of the bars were cool, the clubs weren’t great. Every club had hip-hop music, mostly remakes, and they cut the songs into 20-second segments so that one rarely heard the beginning or end of any song. The favorite club song seemed to be, “Pick your ass up, and let’s get down! Come on, y’all! Come on, y’all!” We had fun, anyway, and it was nice to see normal young Thai women out enjoying themselves (instead of the usual hookers that we had become accustomed to seeing).

All in all, our Khao San Road experience was a crazy and a fun one, and it was nice after traveling for such a long time to kick back, visit a few bars and clubs, and throw back a few beers!

It was our last celebration of wonderful Thailand before heading to Cambodia….