I’m afraid today’s blog will be short and sweet as my evening hasn’t gone quite to plan. Sometimes news from home can put a damper on the brightest of days. So, I’ll leave you with a few pictures from a day where I got out to explore the phase 2 extension of the Putrajaya MRT line, which opened just a few days after my last trip here.
Tomorrow I leave Malaysia to fly back to Jakarta for a last few days before my plane leaves for the UK. I can’t say I’m ready for that right now, but hey ho…
A Putrajaya MRT train crossing the KLIA airport line on its way into Putrajaya Sentral. The remains of the abandoned and never completed monorail can be seen in the middle.Driverless trains with big windows are fun underground!Tonight we had another major thunderstorm and deluge. These two young Malaysian girls make light of it as they walk through Petaling market in Chinatown.Here’s a video of the storm.
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My day here in Kuala Lumpur started out sedentary – but early. For some reason I always wake up early in this part of the world. 6am is pretty standard. Today I forced myself to have a lie-in until my alarm went of at 7am. After all, I wasn’t travelling anywhere. My day was planned around meeting a Malaysian friend in Chinatown around 3pm which meant I was under no pressure. That was great as it gave me the opportunity to spend several hours editing pictures from my trip and getting them on my Zenfolio website. Most of the ones done today were from Bangkok and Thai railways – including the yellow line monorail. I posted a picture of this on social media a few days ago and it generated a lot of interest. You can find the rest of the pictures (and more besides) here.
The other thing I needed to do was get some washing done. Where I’m staying is fine for rinsing a few shirts, but that’s it, and after travelling so much in such hot and humid weather over the past week or so I really needed to get clothes washed properly before they disowned me, or I them! Now, I’m staying in Chinatown. Old jokes aside, you wouldn’t believe how difficult it was to find a laundry here. There’s a launderette a few streets away but it’s always packed. Finally, after wandering the streets for an hour I found an old backpackers (which I’ve got a sneaky feeling I stayed at 15 years ago) that’s become a laundry. It’s hard to find as it’s set back from the main street and unless you spot the sign you’d never know. After climbing up several flights of stairs I was greeted by a very nice young African lad (who slept on the premises) who confirmed that – yes indeed, they did laundry for RM7 (£1.30) a kilo, and would I like it back today? Winner!
This left me free to potter round at home, edit more pictures and be ready to meet my Malaysian friend (Alan Bligh) at 15:00 outside Pasir Seni station. Alan introduced me to a nearby coffee shop which is really rather funky. Not only is the coffee good but it’s the sort of place where (mostly young people) mix and/or work from via the internet. It’s also completely multi-racial, just like Malaysia itself. You have conservatively dressed Malay Muslim girls rubbing shoulder with scantily clad Chinese or Indian counterparts. The lads reflect the mix – along with a few Europeans who’re either studying here or just passing through.
Alan and I sat talking for several hours. He’s a mine of information on Malaysian railways, politics, the economy and much much more. We also touched on ‘travel’ TV and YouTube (but that’s another conversation) I leaned a hell of a lot, but the hard bit’s retaining it all. As I said to Alan ‘I wish I’d recorded all our conversation’! There was so much to absorb. All too soon it was time to part, but by then the heavens had opened and we were treated to a heck of a thunderstorm. Alan was also very kind enough to bring me a gift (which I’ll post a picture of later).
Saying goodbye (until next time) at Pasir Seni .
Back at ‘home’ I relaxed for a few hours (and edited more pictures) before nipping out to eat. I returned to a locally run stall where I ate last night. It’s got a fantastic array of meat, fish and veg. You just load your plate up of whatever takes your fancy. The cashier takes a look at what you’ve chosen and charges you accordingly (this cost me 12 ringgit, just over £2 but trust me – those plates ain’t small). I’d no idea what some of the stuff was – and half an idea with some, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I love trying food just for the hell of it. Here’s my plate.
You might recognise fish. At the front is Jackfruit. Next to that is beans. Between them is a chicken’s foot – not my favourite but the sauce was lovely. At the top (just out of focus) was the stunner. Tempe with small dried fish in a spicy sauce! You can see it in all it’s glory in the picture below. It’s the 2nd from the bottom. I’ll be back for more…Talk about spoilt for choice. Oh, there’s more food lining the opposite wall, but a lot of that is varieties of fish-head curry!
Dodging the rain on my way home I saw this. ‘Merdeka 118‘ is the 2nd tallest building in the world. Tonight, because of the weather it looked like the tower of Sauron. Earlier, because of the low cloud, the top of the tower had been lost completely.
Tomorrow’s my last full day in Malaysia before returning to Indonesia. I’ve got a lot planned. I won’t have time to do a rolling blog but expect future pictures of the expanding rail network around KL and the Klang valley soon…
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My sojourn in Georgetown was all too short, but I’m running out of time. Today I’m moving on to Kuala Lumpur. I was awake and out early to make the most of that time, although Georgetown sleeps late. Nothing much is open before 10:00. That said, it’s lovely and cool and a good time to explore the empty streets and take pictures – just not shop!
The first part of today’s trip was getting off Penang Island and back to the mainland. That’s a lot easier now the new ferries are running from the old terminal in Georgetown. It’s just a few minutes away on a bus from Lubuh Chulia (around the corner from where I was staying). The ferries run every 30 mins so I connected with the 11:00 sailing. At Butterworth I discovered a fantastic (but deserted) space that’s been built where the old ferry ramps were. There’s great views back to Penang, and you can ship-watch or just enjoy the breeze. Oh, it has free WiFi too – hence this blog!
A classic view. One of the new ferries passes mine as it heads for Georgetown, with the Komtar tower in the background. This was the first ‘skyscraper’ on the island. When it opened in 1985 it was the tallest building in SE Asia! Goodbye Georgetown. For now…The view back to Penang. Here’s looking the other way. There’s various shop units here but few seem to be occupied. That said, the one nearest to the camera opened up at lunchtime, serving food to a dozen or so local people who helped make the space useful. I’m sure that when more units are let this could become a busy space.
Another good photographic vantage point is the rooftop parking levels at the massive new shopping complex that’s been built at the back of the ferry terminal. This was where I was shooting pictures from in 2023, but where I am now is far more pleasant!
My train leaves at 13:05 and arrives in KL just over three hours later. I’ll update this blog from there. Here it is – an ETS set built by CRRC of China in 2018 but assembled in Malaysia.
15:45.
Wow! There’s working wifi aboard this ETS trainset. Well, in coach C where the buffet is – which is where I’m sat enjoying a coffee (made with coffee bags, and really rather good), checking in with the world and updating this blog. This train’s sold out. Whenever people get off en-route their seat’s been rebooked. The train’s one of the 2nd batch of ETS sets and it suffers from the same issues as earlier ones, such as blown windows that are almost impossible to see through and a lack of exterior cleaning. It’s all a bit careworn too. Even so, it can still hit over 140kph, not bad for a meter-gauge railway.
A busy Coach C, looking along from the buffet portion.The buffet area of coach C. There’s a good selection of pre-prepared local food such as Nasi Lemak. There’s also a small selection of sandwiches for those who prefer plainer fare. Hot and cold drinks are also on the menu. There’s two small tables which seat two apiece next to the counter for those who want to linger.
21:50.
I’m settled here in KL so it’s time to bring this blog to a close. We were a few minutes late into Kuala Lumpur (old station) which is where I disembarked. It’s a much handier location (within walking distance) for Chinatown than the new KL Sentral. Whilst I was there several trains passed through the magnificent trainshed. Sadly, the whole edifice is showing lots of signs of neglect. The hotel which took up part of the main building and kept it alive was closed down in 2011. Since then, the place has been in a slow decline as no plans have materialised about what to do with it. A railway museum was established, but that didn’t last long. The erratic nature and history of the commuter services through KL hasn’t helped – but more of that in another blog.
The vast trainshed and four platforms of Kuala Lumpur station, with the main part of the building to the right. The station was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback in Indo-Saracenic style which was much in vogue at the time.The sad signs of decay in the largely empty main building. A KTM Commuter train calls on the way to Batu Caves.Another SCS EMU passes through the 1986 addition to the station. This was built to allow greater access to the Pasir Seni area and new commercial district. Only now, commuter trains no longer stop here as they’ve reverted to using the main trainshed, leaving it all a bit of a white elephant, although the escalators and walkways are still rather useful to get through to Pasir Seni.
Tomorrow I’ll be having a slow day around Chinatown in order to catch up on a few things in the morning before meeting a Malaysian friend in the afternoon, so expect more blogging and picture updates.
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Surprisingly, I had a really good night’s sleep on the train last night. It wasn’t that it was undisturbed as the track quality can make it a bit of a rocky ride sometimes. Plus, early in the morning, a large Chinese family got on somewhere to occupy the berths around me – but when I slept, it was deep. This is a very familiar journey to me in both directions, stretching back to 1998, so I feel very comfortable with it. It’s familiar.
Not long after 6 am, the train reaches Hat Yai, where it’s shunted and split. Our two sleeping cars plus a day coach are chopped off and parked in a platform awaiting a new SRT loco to take us forward (pics later). Meanwhile, morning ablutions take place in the toilets and washroom aboard, and the process of packing away beds begins.
10:50 (Malaysian time).
Well, that was painless! We arrived at the border crossing of Padang Besar on time and detrained straight into the queue for immigration. Both getting out of Thailand and into Malaysia was easy as you go through one set of controls after the other. There’s around 90 minutes to wait for the connection to Butterworth. Plenty of time to sort out an onward ticket. The KTMB office accepts Thai baht and there’s two ticket machines which take foreign credit cards to pay for the 11 ringgitt 40 sen ticket (around £2).
The 10:35 is worked by a 6-car, Chinese built SCS Electric unit so there’s normally no problem getting a seat – especially as most people crowd together at the entrance to the platform. Head to the rear of the incoming train and you’ll probably find it looks like this!
Don’t assume it’ll stay that way though, this is a local stopping train, and at Arau (the 2nd stop out of Padang Besar), it quickly fills up with people.
14:30.
By the time the train had got to Butterworth it was packed – but fine. People are well-behaved here. Well, unless you count mobile phone etiquette but the UK’s just as bad nowadays only with added levels of stroppy entitlement.
The new passenger ferries have started running since I was last here (2023). I’ll post pictures and an initial verdict later. The bizarre thing is they no longer take cash, but the kiosk at Butterworth accepts Mastercard or Visa. All for a fare of 2 Ringgit (less than 40p).
Thankfully, the buses do still take cash, so my RM1:40 trip to Lebuh Chulia was paid for in ‘slummy’ from my last trip here!
I’m now having a breather before it’s time to check into my hotel in Jalan Muntri. Cheers!
17:20.
Having had a break at the room to download the camera I’m adding a few more pictures from the trip before venturing out now the day is cooling down. It ‘only’ got up to 32 degrees today with Humidity of 64%. I’ll add captions later…
Our train from Bangkok was split at Hat Yai where the last 3 coaches were taken forward to Padang Besar in Malaysia. 5226 backs onto the train to do the honours. Checking tickets in the 3rd class coach from Hat Yai to Padang Besar.One of the new ferries that ply between Butterworth on the mainland and Georgetown on Penang. Call me a nostalgic if you will, but I prefer the old ones.
23:20.
Time to wrap things up. Georgetown is one of my happy places in the world, and I can’t believe I’ve been mad enough to only give myself less than 24 hours here. Plus, I was gutted to find that the really good travellers bar is closed for a holiday. When I say bar, it’s really a shop that spills out every evening, taking over the backstreet outside with tables and chairs. I’ve met some really interesting people there in the past.
Instead, today I stopped to buy a beer from a local shop on Lebuh Chulia (and that shop has a history!) where I met a local who was missing the same place. We ended up chatting for ages.
Meet Eric. A local chap born and bred here but with an international interest. One of those really nice people whom you bump into by chance and one of the reasons that I love travelling. Here’s where we should have been sat outside
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It’s 09:00 here in Thailand and I’m savouring a last few hours around a quiet rooftop pool. I’ve picked an unfortunate day to be on the move as temperatures are forecast to hit 37 degrees by early afternoon. Just when I’ll be on the move!
Right now, it’s a balmy 27 but rising. There’s only a handful of guests up here, making it very peaceful with just the sounds of the birds and gongs from the Buddhist temple below where they’re celebrating ‘Big Buddha’ day. Many businesses will be closed today as a consequence – and no alcohol sold.
I’m going to turn this into a rolling blog and update it through the day, so feel free to keep popping back to see how my travels go…
12:48.
I checked out just before, which gave me time to have a saunter and get something to eat after leaving my case with the hotel conceirge. Dozens of others have left today, which probably explains why the pool was so quiet. Mind you, the streets are too. Many stalls haven’t bothered opening. Still, I managed to find a tasty meal. Shrimps Thai style (Still in their shells).
Now I’m enjoying the cool of the hotel’s lobby whilst waiting to see if Chris can give me lift to the station or whether I grab a Grab!
14:30.
In the end, Chris couldn’t get out of a meeting, so I booked a Grab taxi. The app is very useful out here in SE Asia. An almost brand new MG badged EV arrived and the driver expertly manoeuvred his was through the lighter than normal traffic to deposit me at Krung Thep Apiawat staion with over two hours to spare before I depart for Malaysia.
This station doesn’t have the majesty or history of the old Hualamphong. But what it does have is scale. The place is vast, on multi levels and swallow completely the people using it as it’s been designed with a far bigger network in mind.
That said, it is slowly improving as more shops move in. Now it’s possible to buy freshly cooked food and hot drinks rather than just junk and snack food.
The problem with the station is it’s run like an airport. You’re kept corralled and not allowed onto the platform until 20 minutes before your train departs.
Steamed buns and pork dumplings were just some of the things on offer and the prices were normal, not inflated.
16:20.
Despite the usual confusion from people who’ve never used a sleeper train before everyone settled in soon enough and we left on time. Mine is one of the older sleeper coaches so it’s missing a couple of refinements, but nothing major.
17:20.
We’ve left Bangkok behind to head out into the fertile Thai countryside. It’s also a chance for me to observe the railway being rebuilt as part of the double tracking scheme. Now, little stations like Nakon Pathom have become huge, with raised platforms, footbridges, and substantial staion buildings. The surrounding roads now pass under or over the railway, abolishing all the unsafe level crossings and the traffic congestion they caused. The railway gas installed fencing along its length, but this is suffering mixed fortunes as well worn paths to sections that have vanished betray the fact some locals aren’t happy with losing their traditional shortcuts! The pace of change seems patchy. Some areas I passed through in 2023 seem to have hardly changed. I’m not sure when the project’s due to be finished, but it’s not going to be for a while…
19:20.
Most people in my coach have retired to their bunks now their beds have been made. Mostly for the privacy. Hawkers are still passing through the coach, their melodic (if raucous) cries shattering the quiet, but I doubt they’ll stop me being rocked to sleep by the motion of the train.
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Yup, there’s another day’s blogging gone missing, but that’s mainly as there wasn’t anything to report other than the fact I was lying around by the hotel’s rooftop swimming pool catching some rays whilst I have the chance.
Today was a much more interesting day as I ventured out and finally had a trip on Bangkok’s new ‘yellow line’ monorail which only opened in 2023. It was certainly an interesting experience. The size of the engineering is impressive as the route towers over the streets it runs along the centers of. But, it’s also disappointing. The ride is far rougher than conventional metro systems and the speeds are nothing to boast about. I’ll talk about it more in another blog, but for now I’ll leave you with these pictures from the trip.
All the trains are four-car sets, running on a frequent service. There’s few seats and lots of space taken up by equipment inside the monorail cards.
This evening’s my last in Bangkok. Tomorrow I catch the train South into Malaysia, so it was lovely to meet up with my old friend Chrissorn for a meal and a drink, especially as tomorrow is a big day in the Buddhist calendar so nowhere will be selling alcohol. This was our last chance!
I’ll be spending most of tomorrow afternoon (and all of the night) on the train tomorrow, so I’ll have more time to blog then.
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/
Really? I’ve been here a week already? Time flies as Bangkok is one of those cities where I feel very at home – despite all its pollution and other travails. When I’m here I just slip back into its life without any stress. Bangkok is one of the world’s major and cosmopolitan cities. There’s few like it. London and New York are in the same league, but after that…
Today I moved hotels for the final time on this trip and I’ve gone ‘upmarket’, transitioning from a windowless fan room to a place with a window and a view (a double-edged sword), a fridge in my spacious room and a rooftop swimming pool. The last one matters the most. When I leave Bangkok I’m going to be constantly on the move, so this bit of the trip is the chance to kick back a bit. That said, there’s a lot to fit into the last few days. I’d hoped to meet up with my old friend Chrissorn today but he’s under the weather. Instead I enjoyed a few hours soaking up the sun by the pool. Then I nipped out for a beer at the Gecko bar (another old haunt) after having a quick video call with Dawn which wasn’t great as I was out in the street and poaching off a previous hotels internet. Cheapskate? Me? Actually .no. My hotel wifi asks far too much detail so I’m limiting what I use it for.
Remember I mentioned a monorail (or two)? I still haven’t had time to visit either of them. That’s the plan for tomorrow and tomorrow’s looking like another busy day..
Meanwhile, here’s a couple of pictures for you.
More fantastic food. Crispy fish and pumpkin with egg (plus rice) off my favourite streetfood stall – and all for £1.10. The rooftop pool at my latest hotel. It has fantastic views over this part of Bangkok. Plus, it’s a good place to catch some rays.
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It’s another short blog from me tonight as it’s late and I’ve only just got back to my hotel after a lovely evening spent with an old Thai friend, Chrissorn. The two of us were racking our brains over when we first met and all we could work out was that it was at least 20 years ago (more likely 25 plus). My plan to explore one of the new monorails took a back seat because of our intention to meet. Plus, it’s been a hot and sticky day here in Bangkok, so you don’t go out in the evening without a shower first. I did venture up river via the Chao Praya water taxis then the metro to Bang Sue for a spot of exploring, which is when I found this. A battery electric locomotive supplied by CRRC in China back in 2022. You can learn more about it here.
Interestingly, the PR material doesn’t mention the vehicle which the loco is coupled to – which I’m assuming is the battery pack! The loco supposedly has a range of 200km, which is tiny compared to traditional diesel-powered locomotives. Plus, that assumes there’s charging facilities at the other end…
Anyway, normal service will be resumed shortly. I’ve a vast backlog of pictures to edit and some work to do before the next blog. In the meantime, here’s Chris and I…
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/
Today’s been another one where I’ve not travelled far as I’ve been too busy sorting out everyday stuff. I was awake by 07:00 when I caught up with the news – all the stuff that’s fit to print, allegedly – and some more expert and intelligent analysis that you won’t find in the mainstream media. For example, if you want considered and fact-checked information about the war in Ukraine. there’s no better place to look than the daily updates from the Institute for the study of war.
Of course, there’s plenty of ASEAN and other European news to trawl through too. After which, it was time to pack my bags and leave my cell – sorry – hotel room. To be honest, for £7 a night it wasn’t bad -it was just like going back 30 years. Well, apart from the wifi access, obviously! My only real complaint was how weak the showers in the shared bathrooms were. There was a gap of several hours between checking out and checking in, but the place I was leaving as happy to store my kit so I went for lunch and a wander. Here’s today’s first course of street-food.
My staple (squash and egg) only this time combined with chicken and bamboo shoots.
By 14:00 I could check into my new hotel. I know the Khao San Art Hotel of old. I think I first stayed here around the mid 1990s. In those days it was called ‘Happy House’ which eventually morphed into ‘Happio’. It became an ‘art hotel’ before I last stayed here in 2023. The place has been refurbished and redecorated, and for what it costs it’s a pretty good cheap-range hotel. As long as you don’t mind the fact there’s no lift – just a labyrinthine network of stairs! On the bright side I now have air-conditioning rather than just a fan, a double bed (nice but not essential), plus my own bathroom with a shower that actually showers rather than just pisses on you!
Budget luxury – as long as you don’t try to swing a cat..
So, I’m all set for the next six days of exploring Bangkok and catching up with an old friend. Oh – hang on, I’m only booked in here for three nights. Maybe I’ll go upmarket and find a place with a rooftop pool for the last few days, especially as I’ve had to cut some places out of my itinerary.
Today I booked onward rail travel through Malaysia through the KTMB (Malaysian railways) app on my phone. Mark, ‘the man in seat 61’ doesn’t recommend it but I’ve been using it for years. The app is really easy to use and lets you choose your seat, which is something many private booking companies don’t. My timetable looks rather different now. I’ll only have one night in my ‘happy place’ (Georgetown, on Penang Island) before getting a train to Kuala Lumpur, where I’ll stay three nights. I’d have preferred it the other way around, but there’s more rail stuff to see in KL. Plus, there’s a friend whom I’d like to catch up with.
My original plan was to continue South by rail to Johor Baru (so I could have a look at the rebuilding of the mainline railway and the LRT between JB and Singapore. That’s out of the window now. To my chagrin I’m having to take another (longer) flight – this time from KL to Jakarta. At least that gets me back in the country I’m flying home from! I’d hoped to fly to Surabaya and make my way back to Jakarta by rail, but that wasn’t to be either. At least now I can concentrate on pictures of the Jakarta rail network and take a spin to Bandung on their high-speed trains. After all, I’ll always come back to Thailand and Malaysia – with the odd side-trip to Indonesia.
Now I’ve all the planning/moving out of the way I’m going to have a day out tomorrow and check out the two new monorail lines that have been built in Bangkok. It’s not a technology that’s really caught on worldwide, although there is one in KL which I’ve travelled on a few times.
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/Or – you can now buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/paulbigland68312
The Prussian General Helmuth von Moltke has a saying attributed to him, which is that (and it’s paraphrased) ‘no plan survives first contact with the enemy’. It’s the same with travelling. I’d planned to leave Bangkok on the international train to Padang Besar in Malaysia on the 9th. Only it’s full. The first available berths are on the 12th. Having checked online I’d a sneaky suspicion that I was going to be frustrated, but a trip out to Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station (aka Bang Sue Grand Station) to book a ticket confirmed things. As station names go, it hardly trips off the tongue. But getting there was fun. I’ve no guide book for Thailand, I don’t really need one as I’ve been here so many time before, and the advent of the internet has eaten into their market. The fact ‘Lonely Planet’ guides are so crap they’re a waste of money is another issue (I’ll blog about that another time – honest!) There’s lots of ways of getting to Bang Sue (no sniggering at the back!)
The best way is the Chao Praya river taxi from nearby Phra Arthit pier which took me up river and delivered me at Bang Po. From there it’s two stops on the skytrain, but me being me – I decided to walk. That way, you get to explore and peer into Thai life. Like small businesses like this, which I spotted whilst passing. I haven’t got a Scooby Do what it is they’re making, but I find these places fascinating.
Having secured my onward train ticket at Bang Sue (now what did I say about sniggering?) I had a wander and found the new locomotive depot, which was full of old crocks like this.
I then paid the princely sum of 2 baht to catch a local train to the grand old terminal at Hualamphong, which is just as much a museum as a mainline terminal nowadays. All the long-distance trains have disappeared, along with a lot of the life. Instead, the tracks once used by trains to Chiang Mai and Malaysia are full of relics like this.
Still, there were some great pictures to be had – and as trains are now so infrequent I had time to pop over to and old restaurant opposite the station I know of old. I ordered a beer and the Papaya salad (Tom Sum). The cook asked me if I wanted it ‘spicy’ so I told him yes ‘Thai spicy’. ‘Kin hell – I’m very used to spicy food and regularly ladle the local chilli condiment onto my food, but this was weapons-grade! My tongue was on fire for a good half-hour!
Looks innocuous enough, doesn’t it? This Som Tum was nuclear!
My tastebuds re-appeared just before I caught the 16:30 train back to Bang Sue. Initially it seemed a fairly quiet train on departure. I was in for a surprise! One of the reasons Hualamphong was replaced as the main station is the number of level crossings in the way to Bang Sue. Trains stop at them all – and commuters know this, so stand in the tracks waiting for their train! Like this.
Oh, then there’s the poorer Bangkok residents who simply utilise the railway for recreation…
There’s so much that I could blog about today but the evening’s wearing on and I’m moving hotels tomorrow as well as working out a new itinerary. Hopefully, I’m meeting up with an old Thai friend in the evening, but a blog will still be in the offing…
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Paul Bigland 