Ferries, Trains and Buses
Trip Start
Aug 17, 2008
1
9
14
Trip End
Jul 10, 2010
Surat Thani, Thailand
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Well we have finally made it to half term, nine weeks in Bangkok gone in the blink of an eye. As a special treat and in order to add more pins to the map this half term will be broken into a few entries.
Now it might seem odd that I am going to dedicate this first entry solely to the journey to Ko Pha Ngan, but I feel it deserves it.
In order to save a bit of cash we had decide to take the night-train/bus/ferry trip to Ko Pha Ngan. We arrived at Bangkok station early to try and orientate ourselves with the trains and platforms, this was our first time to the station as our tickets had already been purchased by a friend of our, Jo, who along with her hubby Ali would be joining us on the trip. We had all opted for the second class air-con sleeper option. After meeting Ali and Jo at the station we enjoyed a quick dinner and board the train.
Then we waited. And waited. And waited some more. In fact we waited so long that me and Ali were able to consume more than a few beers. Eventually we set of merrily, some more than others, on our way. Unfortunately it had already begun to get dark and once we got beyond the Bangkok suburbs there was very little to see.
That said, there was something very pleasant about standing in the open carriage doorway with a bottle of beer and a cigarette, letting the warm air wash over you as the darkened Thai countryside whizzes by unseen.
Around ten the guards come around and make up the bunks, two tier affairs running down both sides of the carriage. With their little curtains and warm blankets they are surprisingly snug, although the top ones definitely have a bit of a light issue as they don't quite reach the ceiling and the main lights aren't turned out at night. Apart from that the trains were surprisingly agreeable and reasonable modern. The train was undoubtedly full but not over-crowed in the way that you envisage most Asian countries public transport to be.
I had strolled down to the second class non air con carriages to say 'hi' to some other friends who were slumming it down there. I will admit there was a bit more of a sense of adventure about their accommodation, with the open windows and the hot night air blasting through the carriage, although I think when it came to sleeping the heat would have got on my nerves.
After an okay nights sleep we finally arrived in Suret Thani, only an hour and half late. From there it was onto a rather dilapidated old bus and off to the ferry port for the final leg of out journey. Annoyingly, unlike most of Thailand the ferry service runs a rather more efficiently than the train. We arrived at the port to find we had missed our ferry by twenty minutes. Not to worry, as I said the ferries are efficiently run and go regularly. Regularly at 10 am and 2pm everyday. Now ferry ports I've visited in the past aren't generally a hive of activity and often offer very little in the way of entertainment, and that is in civilised old Europe. Ferry ports in remote provinces of Thailand offer... well... less would be the best way to describe it.
Anyway after two and half hours of playing Uno we were grateful to swap the hot humid port for the shady upper deck of the ferry. We got ourselves settled into our seats with their panoramic sea views and splendid shade, laughing at how we had trumped all the other passengers, and not just fellow farangs but locals also. With great satisfaction we felt the engines shudder to life. And finally we were off. And then the ferry turned around, so as to flood our seats with scorching sunrays and leaving us with a view of the port we had just been sat in for over two hours.
Despite everything it is difficult to be annoyed or disappointed in Thailand. After another two hours plus on the very and a short but sketchy taxi ride we were sat outside our beach side bungalow, twenty foot from the sea, sun beating down and a hush we'd rarely heard since our arrival in Bangkok.
