Today’s blog is one I’ve been hoping to write but the time hasn’t been right until now. If you’re expecting stuff about railways, look away now, because that’s not what this blog’s about. I didn’t actually come here for the railway and the river Kwai bridge either (I did all that years ago). I’ve come here for a much more personal reason and to finally put something behind me that’s been bothering me for a long time.
I first came here in 2009 when my first marriage was falling apart. I didn’t realise that would be the outcome, but both Lynn and I knew things weren’t right between us. What neither of us knew is what secrets the other held. Lynn always used to say “you never know what’s going on between two people – even when you’re one of the two people” – and how right she was. We were here with an old Australian friend called Alison whom we’d met in India in 1998. Poor Alison got caught up in our troubles. I can’t forget any of that. A short while afterwards Alison and I briefly came here with Dawn but the memories are mixed. I’m here now because those memories bother me and I need to create new, more positive ones. And I have. Despite my initial misgivings I’ve really enjoyed being here. Stay away from the tourist tat, the bridge and the girly bars and the people you meet are fantastic. Despite the fact as I write this the rain is hammering down and we’re having the most fantastic thunderstorm I actually feel very positive about being here. I’ve met some lovely local people, eaten some stunning food and found a great place to stay. Oh, and most importantly, I’ve made peace with something that’s been bothering me for a very long time…
Streetlife. Tomorrow I’ll tell you about the random washing machines…
Whilst I was hanging around this street corner to take pictures I got chatting to a local guy who was parked up in his scooter taxi, He didn’t want to sell me anything or try and take me anywhere, he was just interested in what I was doing and gave me tips on what traffic to expect coming down the road. I love that. Here in Asia you can smile at a total stranger and get a beaming smile and head nod in return. In most places in the UK they’d think you’re a nutter and eye you with suspicion.
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It’s Sunday here in Kanchanaburi. In fact it’s Sunday almost everywhere depending on your time zone, which is always food for thought – unless you’re a member of the flat-earth society!
Today here in Thailand I’ve been trying to relearn an old skill. That of just being. In the 21st century we all lead such hectic lives. My Asia trip has been focused on doing rather than being. I’ve been preoccupied with the things I want to see and those that I want to write about in the future – plus composing a daily blog, editing pitures and responding to events back in the UK.
Today, I decided to simply sit on the verandah outside my room and watch the world go by, without any lists, tick-sheets or any of the other ‘to do’ things we tie ourselves up with. Plus, it’s Sunday apparently, the biblical day of rest. Not that days of the week mean that much to me when I’m travelling, which is why I sometimes get caught out by events. But today I made the effort.
Whilst relearning to be I realized something. I haven’t got a single guide-book with me on this trip. I’ve a Kindle, but I haven’t fired it up once. This part of the world’s so familiar to me I don’t really need guide-books. Besides, I did most of the tourist stuff 20-30 years ago. I’m here for a different reason now, and part of that involves just being.
Oh, and eating.
I love Thai food. Dawn and I often make it at home but having it made for you in Thailand is hard to beat. Especially some of the regional delicacies like Khao Soi – or what I had for my evening meal today – papaya salad (Som Tum). It’s almost impossible to get a proper one in the UK because the real version uses a very young papaya as its main ingredient. In the UK you can substitute papaya with cabbage but it’s not the same.
It’s now late, I had a Whatsapp video call with Dawn earlier which was lovely following on as it did from yesterday’s mixed call with her parents. This time it was just the two of us. So, as it’s late I’m going to end this blog as I’ve plans for tomorrow. The rain I was hoping for hasn’t arrived here but the river’s at least a couple of feet higher. I know this by the fact the gangplank to my ‘floatel’ is now level to the land. Hopefully this will keep the air less hazy so I can have a day out with the camera. We’ll see…
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It’s a late blog from me, mainly due to the fact I’ve had a sociable evening with Steve Beames and his lovely wife Carol. I’d never met them before but we have dozens of mutual railway friends on Facebook and one of them tipped us off that we were in the same country together. All of us are on more than normal holidays and share a love of travel, food, railways and certain beverages so it would have been rude not to have met up and said hello. We ended up chatting for several hours.
The earlier part of my day was equally relaxed. I’d been up early so that I could sort out more work and edit pictures, as well as pondering and deciding to stay a few more days here in Kanchanaburi. Unlike Bangkok, the pollution that’s been hanging in the air for the past few days has finally begun to clear. Now I can actually see the surrounding hills which have been reduced to a ghostly image until now. There’s a threat of rain tomorrow, which will really clear the air.
The weekend’s brought an influx of people to where I’m staying but it’s still not busy. This evening was actually quite relaxed and fun. One chap was fishing off the end of the houses – watched by the young daughter of the French family who’ve moved in next door, especially when he caught fish after fish. His colleague was out in a little boat cutting back the water Hyacinth to free up space around the ‘floatel’ for swimmers and boats.
All in all an enjoyable day. I even got to make my weekly video call to Dawn – only this time it included her parents. Oh, and I found a restaurant that sold the classic North Thai dish Khao Soi – so I was well happy. Admittedly, this was the chicken version rather than the pure veg one but even so – it was gorgeous!
Such is the simple life here in Kanchanaburi. Tomorrow (depending on the weather) I’ll be exploring more…
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Amazing the difference a good nights sleep makes. I woke up in a much more positive frame of mind this morning. Mind you, stepping straight out of your door to a wonderful river view does rather help. Here’s where I’m staying.
There’s such wildlife to enjoy here (and I’m not talking about the ‘girly’ bars). The river’s teeming with fish and the birdlife (of the feathered variety) is amazing. I’m quite content to pass the time sat outside my room on the verandah and watch the world go by. I’d only booked a couple of nights but I’ve decided to extend that by a few days as today’s been spent exploring the town and catching up on picture editing. It’s a sleepy place in the mornings. The town doesn’t really wake up until the heat of the day’s passed – apart from around the bridge where the tourist tat stalls are. A couple of bars open for the hardened drinkers, all old Western men who’ve either retired here or take long holidays to Thailand. I passed one such large group of Englishmen tucking into their beers at 10 am!
One place I did visit today is the war cemetery run by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. A group of Thai workers were busy keeping it looking immaculate. A party of Thai schoolchildren on a trip were there at the same time. Each child picked a grave at random and wrote down the details of the soldier contained on the plaque. It’s a sobering place. Each one of these allied soldiers died building the railway, along with an estimated 100,000 Asian forced labourers.
The youngest soldiers (and a sailor) I found were 20. The oldest was 51. The average age would have been mid 20s. Such a waste of life – and sadly it’s still going on today thanks to the meglomania of old men like Putin. We never learn.
Now I’m back at my room, relaxing as the sun sets before heading off to eat. Tonight I’ll be busy finishing off some work so expect more pictures and commentary later. It’s Friday, so the place is beginning to fill up with folks from Bangkok who come here for weekend breaks. This could get interesting…
21:20 (Thai time).
Having had a wander for a bite to eat and enjoyed some fiery noodle soup (my fault, I loaded it with dried chilies) I’m now relaxing at home whilst the town gears up for the weekend. Here’s a couple of pictures taken on the main drag.
Not quite streetfood as it’s cooked in a cafe, but you eat it on the street! One of the main ‘girly bars’. Trade’s slow…
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I’m afraid it’s a short blog from me today as it’s been a busy one and it’s already nearly 23:00. I was up at silly o’ clock (05:30) in order to pack, leave my hotel and find an honest Bangkok taxi driver willing to use their meter. Funnily enough, this issue was highlighted in today’s issue of the Bangkok Post! There’s always taxi drivers hanging around that time of the morning, but they want 200 baht for what’s a 70 baht journey. The irony? I won’t touch ’em with a bargepole, but I will tip the honest ones who use the meter. So you have to factor in extra time for an honest taxi driver to pass by.
I was lucky and ended up at Thonburi station with an hour to spare. I’d been there before but had completely forgotten about the massive market next door – which is where I bought breakfast prior to joining the train. To be honest, unless you’re a rail enthusiast or wanting to get pictures of the redeveloped railway, it’s not the most interesting of trips. It’s not particularly scenic – as far as Kanchanaburi at least, and you pay ‘tourist price’ (100 baht) for your ticket. But, I enjoyed it! I’ve not been back to Kanchanaburi for several years and I have unfinished business here due to my past.
I’m still not sure how I feel about the place. It feels more run-down and also more seedy than I remember it (lots of ‘girly bars’) and I really don’t think most of the tourists here understand the significance of the bridge and the mass of people of many nationalities who died building the ‘death railway’ It’s just another thing to tick off the list and pose for selfies. But, I’m staying in a floating room on the river Kwai, so I can kick back and insulate myself from all the madness.
Anyway, here’s a couple of pictures from today. Expect many more tomorrow.
Tourists jostle for position to get a shot of a train on the famous bridge.Bloody typical! I spent a couple of hours sweltering in the sun outside am amazingly decorated Chinese temple to get this shot – then the clouds arrived!
Now It’s time for sleep – and I’m surrounded by the frog chorus. It’s like being back in Bali – or a certain Paul McCartney video…
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I’ve certainly got my exercise in today! I was up very early as I had some UK work to do that I wanted to complete before I headed out. Having finished this by 07:30 I was wandering before the day warmed up and when many locals were still at home or on their way to wok. The streets around Banglumphu were quiet but my travels took me through the old town and Chinatown, which was anything but. It was a bit ‘mad dogs and Englishmen’ as I was walking to Hualamphong station which is nearly 3 miles and an hours walk away from my hotel. Most sensible folk would get a taxi or tuk-tuk but the beauty of walking is that you get to see so much stuff you’d normally miss. OK, ignore the fact the air pollution there and back’s probably the equivalent to smoking a pack of fags. I can understand why Thais still wear masks all the time – and it’s nothing to do with Covid!
My route took me through several districts which were especially interesting. Bangkok is similar to India in that trade guilds tended to congregate. The first place I passed was where you’d go to buy all your royal accoutrements. Need a large framed picture of the current king (or his late father) or any of the royal wives and princesses? Flags even? No problem. Here’s where you’d go -and there’s lots of shops to choose from.
The next area I passed through was the woodworkers district, full of businesses selling handmade doors, architrave and beading and all manner of decorations. As most shops don’t have fronts you get too look in (and take crafty pictures).
I’m sure he has a system and knows where everything is…
Another part of the street was full of engineering workshops, crammed with lathes, milling machines, drills and cutters. It’s a world we just don’t see in the UK anymore and it really took me back in time to my father’s workshop in the outbuildings at the bottom of my parents garden. He was an engineer, as was his brother, who had a little foundry in the backstreets of Southport. I’ll add more about that later…
This street was lined with small engineering firms like this. No job is too small. These are the skills the UKs lost as few young people want to make things, they want to be a millionaire and ‘social influencer’. SE Asia doesn’t buy into these fantasies and gets on with making things – and making money. There’s a reason China has become the workshop of the world.
Oh, there was another little artisan group I passed near journey’s end. The coffin suppliers. I suspect they’ve had a good couple of years..
Dead wood…
Eventually – after lots of detours to take pictures – I ended up at Hualamphong station where I booked my ticket back to Malaysia and then spent a couple of hours taking pictures. The loss of most long-distance trains has meant the station’s far quieter than it was, but there’s still a lot of activity out on the platforms and in the adjacent loco depot. Thai trains have always been serviced at Hualamphong, which can mean anything from a wash and clean to changing brake-blocks, fans and other minor repairs. It really is very much ‘old railway’ .
Still plenty of life at the loco depot at the station, including the derivative of a train that will be very familiar to UK viewers. The engines known as ‘shovelnoses’ were built by General Electric whilst the twin windowed engine is from Hitachi. 3rd Class coaches getting a wash and brush-up. The Chevrons on the steps are new. These are fold down steps to allow level (ish) boarding at the modernised stations where platform heights have been increased.
Being a glutton for punishment and wanting to get more pictures I decided to walk back the way I’d come – and discovered this delightful craft beer establishment (and hotel) en-route. Bed and brews. It was like an oasis after the hustle and bustle of Chinatwon, so I couldn’t resist popping in to have a small beer Lao IPA and rest my weary bones and swill the pollution out of my throat before walking the rest of the way home. As much as I enjoy Bangkok, the air quality is shit. Wandering the streets as I did I soon noticed it.
Now, 31,000 steps and a shower later I’m writing this blog before packing as tomorrow I leave the smog of Bangkok behind for a few days to catch the train to Kanchanaburi and take a break by the River Kwai. Yes, that river and that bridge – made famous by the David Lean film starring Alec Guinness. It really does exist.
Expect some more relaxed blogs (and lots of pictures) soon…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
I’ve had a relaxed day here in Bangkok after a busy day yesterday when I caught up with an old Thai friend I hadn’t seen for several years as Covid got in the way of my travels out to Asia. My chats with Chrissorn were wide-ranging but a lot focussed on Thailand and how a country so reliant on tourism is recovering from the world shutting up shop for so long. I’d realised what I’ve seen of Bangkok is far quieter of old but Chris filled out some of the details. Bangkok is normally crowded and not the place to be in a pandemic so many people returned to their home towns. Some of them set up businesses there, made them a success and realised there was no need to return to the capital with its high rents and cost of living. So Bangkok’s population has dropped (for now).
Another thing I learned was that many of the people who work in the tourist industry aren’t Thai. They’re from Myanmar, or Laos, or even Nepal and India. Indians have always been present here – providing most of the tailors you see around areas like Banglumphu, but the Nepalese were a surprise. When you get your street massage for 150 baht it’s unlikely to be from a Thai. The locals don’t want to do such arduous, low paid jobs. It’ll be an ‘economic migrant’ who fills that role. The same people the English despise and was one of the causes of Brexit. It’s one of life’s ironies. Go to most countries with a large tourist or hospitality industry (Greece is another example) and it won’t be the locals doing most of the work. Yet the UK, in its arrogance and dislike of foreigners has thought it can buck this trend and Brexit will mean more jobs for local people. The result? We now have a huge labour shortage in the UK and suffer the economic damage that flows from that – as newly released statistics show. The UK’s the only developed nation where the economy’s predicted to shrink next year. Even Russia, despite its international pariah status and awful war with Ukraine will grow faster than the UK. Of course, the hardcore Brexiters still claim any amount of economic damage is worth it to regain ‘sovereignty’ – something we never lost except in their overactive imaginations. I wish I could pay my bills with their fictional ‘sovereignty’…
Massage beds line Rambutri. A 30 minute session will cost you 150 baht, but the chances are the person massaging you won’t be from Thailand but Myanmar or Laos.
Another thing I learned from Chris was that the Banglumphu area, being crowded and full of foreigners pre Covid, suffered more Covid-related deaths than other parts of Bangkok, which could help explain some of empty shops I’ve seen and the lack of some old faces.
My time in Bangkok’s been rather sociable, partly because I’ve been going out more and also because there’s far more travellers and tourists here than in KL. Yesterday I ended up in conversation with a retired nurse from Darwen in Lancashire, a retired engineer from Heidelberg in Germany and a retired photographer from the UK who’s moved out to Asia and has a house in Pokhara, Nepal. You can spot the theme, can’t you? There’s a lot of retired people here! To leaven the mix, today I ended up sharing a table at my favourite food stall with a young lad from the Netherlands who’s been travelling around Thailand for a month.
Tomorrow life will return more to normal as I’ll be resuming my travels and exploring more of Bangkok – and making sure both camera batteries are with me! For now, here’s a few more images of life in Bangkok…
Today’s 50 baht dinner. On the right is a superb deep-fried and crispy fish with Thai basil that’s mixed with palm sugar. The dish on the left is vegetable with egg.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Having spent several hours this morning immersed in paperwork and picture editing my stomach reminded me what time it was and encouraged me to go eat. In Bangkok Monday is the day when all the street stalls have an enforced day off due to local ordnances. This means the streets are deathly compared to the reat of the week. It also forced me to find a new place to eat. I found a little cafe on Chakrabongse Rd away from the usual tourist hustle and bustle which looked quite inviting. It served the usual Thai staples including a signature dish I haven’t sampled on this trip (Pad Thai) so that’s what I plumped for, only with prawns. It was both delicious and filling.
Pad Thai, well it’d have been rude not to!
Having stuffed myself my plan was to walk across town to Hualamphong station in order to book a train ticket. It’s a 50 minute walk but you get to sample a lot of Bangkok. Plus, the weather’s warm, but it’s not sticky the way it gets in a few months time. So, I set off, with the idea of getting pictures on the way. Then it all went a bit ‘Pete Tong’. I dug the camera out to get a shot and found the thing was dead as a Dodo. Problem was, I didn’t have my spare battery with me as that was recharging, back at the room. There was no option but to hoof it back to the hotel and pray that the problem really was the battery and not something more serious. I’d been taking pictures last night and thought I still had a few bars life left in this battery. Once I swapped them over the camera sprang back to life – much to my relief! Now I’m hoping the second battery will recharge. By then it was too late to head to the station so I’m having another day exploring locally. I’ll try to get out to Hualamphong early tomorrow as I have a ‘teams’ call with the UK later in the day regarding some work.
Anyways, I’m out with Chris tonight, so pottering locally isn’t a problem. In the meantime, here’s a couple of phone pictures.
It’s a dogs life! These ‘strays’ are actually well looked after by the shopkeepers in this particular Soi – as are their puppies…Living in a gilded cage? Sometimes local architecture makes you do a double-take…At least this hotel around the corner from where I’m staying has tried to go for green. I must admit, I’m envious of the swimming pool…
I’ll add a blog update later.
What a lovely evening. I met up with Chrissorn and the two of us spent several hours catching up after so many years that were interrupted by Covid. As usual, I learned a heck of a lot about life in Thailand and Bangkok. It certainly won’t be our last meeting of the trip.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
I’ve had another fairly relaxed day here in Bangkok, insofar as I’ve not really moved out of the local area where I’m staying. I’m still exploring and trying to reorientate myself in an area I knew well but that’s undergone a lot of changes due to the pandemic. Tourism was such a vital part of the Thai economy it’s hardly surprising that the world shutting down for so long would have a major impact. The good news is that now tourists are starting to return it’s having a positive impact on economic activity. Even so, it’s sad to see what’s been lost. I spent several hours just wandering the streets earlier and found that an upmarket hotel on the river which I stayed in several times is now derelict. The Navalai was a great place to stay because it had a rooftop swimming pool and was right next door to one of the water taxi piers. Hopefully, it will reopen under a new guise. Today I wandered down the Khao Sarn Road for the first time. This was the original backpackers street which I first stayed on in 1992. It’s changed a bit since then. I wouldn’t dream of staying there now as it’s got far too hedonistic and crowded – and that was 10 years ago. It’s a lot quieter now. Even so, I prefer the Soi’s to the West where I’ve been staying these past few years as they’re much more relaxed.
In between wanderings I’ve been holed up in my hotel, busily editing pictures. I’ve now got all my Malaysian pictures online. You can find the travel ones here and the railway ones here. I’ve still got to edit all my Thai pictures, but you’ll find railways here and travel shots here. One little project I have planned whilst I’m out here is to rationalise the galleries on my Zenfolio website. I’ve far too many from previous travels which are a mix of rail and travel shots, which makes finding stuff messy. Maybe when I find a beach somewhere next month…
It won’t be soon because some work came in on Friday and it looks like I’m going to have to change plans slightly in order to deal with some UK stuff. I’ll know more at the beginning of next week. Tomorrow’s going to be another busy day sorting out bits and rejigging my trip, but in the evening I’m meeting up with an old Thai friend. I’ve not seen Chrissorn since 2017. I’d been planning to come out this way again but then Covid put the mockers on that idea. Where does the time go?
In the meantime, here’s a couple of pictures from todays explorations. Expect more tomorrow…
Here’s something I’ve neglected to mention. Cannabis is now legal in Thailand. Well – ‘ish’. The law’s actually rather confused as it was meant to be about medicinal use rather than recreational use. But that hasn’t stopped an awful lot of places springing up to bring dope to the masses! There’s also some excellent and imaginative pop-up street bars if alcohol’s still your poison.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Well, it’s one night of several really, but the old Murray Head song sprung to mind as I was thinking about a title for todays blog!
After travelling all this way I’ve given myself a day off today and just enjoyed being back in the city. There’s certainly been some changes due to Covid but what I realised today is that a lot of it has been a shuffle, Places I knew are (mostly) still here, they’ve just moved around the area a bit! A bit like me today. I moved hotel this morning, but literally just moved next door. There was nothing wrong with the old place – it’s somewhere I’ve stayed many times under its different names but the crucial factor for me was the fact the wifi was so slow it didn’t allow me to do what I needed to. This place is far better. That I had to move was another reason for giving myself a day off, along with the fact that I’ve been so busy it’s been really nice just to chill, drink a few beers and reacquaint myself with Bangkok after all this time. Oh, and enjoy the food. There’s a wonderful street food vendor at the for end of Rambutri which is still here, despite everything. Rice and two main dishes costs 50 baht (£1.25), the demon chili pickle is free – and not for the faint-hearted!
Anyway, here’s a couple of pictures that show the changing face of the railways which I took when I first arrived. Here’s how Hualamphong station looked yesterday now that it’s lost most of its long-distance services. Just the other week this place would have been buzzing.
However, the new station at Bang Sue, with the catchy name of Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal, opened on the 19th January. It’s impressive – and vast, but also quite empty and it lacks the character of the original. However, it’s far more suited to the future of rail transport in Thailand.
Tomorrow I’ll have all the pictures I took on the way up here edited and online. Plus some new ones. I’m probably going to have another easy day tomorrow (well, it is the weekend after all) as I’ve lots of stuff to catch up on now I’m sort of stationary again. Even so, there’s plenty to blog about!
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Paul Bigland 