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Gelatonia opened last year in Chanthaburi about 500m from Central; light meals, coffee but most importantly, a range of gelato / icecream flavours. Eastern Thailand: Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Prachin Buri, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Trat

The rocky shoreline of Koh Proet, Chanthaburi, 25 January 2026 This was 'Camp Laem Sing' - home for up to 5,000 Vietnamese refugees in the 70s, later for Cambodians in the 80s In the background is Koh Kwang - there's a small beach there at the south end mid-low tide, good snorkeling. Eastern Thailand: Chachoengsao, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Prachin Buri, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Trat

Temple turtles On the lake at Wat Khao Sukim, inland Chanthaburi January 2026

UPDATED: From the DjKai Facebook page, events he's livestreaming; more info of locations on his page (in Thai) January 24-25 - Pathum Thani February 15 - Trat February 22 - Ayutthaya February 28 - Samut Prakan March 7 - Wat Kalong, Samut Prakan March 8 - Wat Buaphan, Bangkok March 14-15 - Chachoengsao April 5 - Samut Sakhon Only the larger events get livestreamed; ones like the two-day one I attended on the weekend, highway billboards and local Facebook pages.

From Saturday 17 Jan at Na Yai Am. Six boats per race, two laps over a curved oval course of about 2km. Dry and dusty, the onsite temperature gauge was showing 37C by 1pm.

My two years: 24 months and 24,000km. One puncture (can't blame the bike for that). Scheduled services, new tyres and drivebelt. Haven't changed the battery in key fob yet. Many trips to Sa Kaeo, Rayong and Trat, no issues.

One more. 17 and 18 January at Na Yai Am on the border Chanthaburi-Rayong, directions for Google Maps to Samnaksong Yan Yao Thipak Pathibudtham, Na Yai Am, Chanthaburi 22160 https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zfwsp6WYKgVgB1jW9?g_st=ac

From the DjKai Facebook page, events he's livestreaming January 24-25 - Pathum Thani (see pic below) March 7 - Wat Kalong, Samut Prakan March 8 - Wat Buaphan, Bangkok March 14-15 - Chachoengsao

Races at Laem Sing beach, Chanthaburi last Sunday 28 December 2025. This was circuit racing over a 1.5km triangular course, up to six boats per race. Cornering is an art especially in the wake of the leading boat, a few capsizes on the day. As always, the best resource is a Facebook page 'djkai livestream' he notifies events in advance and last year had a calendar of upcoming events (haven't seen it yet for 2026).

Chanthaburi river - Chantaboon bridge, Xmas eve 2025

A day at the races. Laem Sing beach, Chanthaburi, Sunday 28 December 2025

Sunrise fun run 10/5km event at Laem Sing, Chanthaburi on 30 November 2025, course took us over the bridge on the Chanthaburi river

Local 'classic' motorcycles on display at Paknam Khaem Nu, Chanthaburi, evening of 22 November 2025

We were over your way on Sunday morning for the fun run along the canal. Good turnout think that's 5th or 6th time we've run that course, choice of 5 or 10km. I've cycled along there since it was dirt when the canal was under construction, and somewhere along there, a stretch of concrete with mountainbike tyre imprints - that was me. It's a great project and as you say, so much development now on that side of the city. Still on a regular bike route for me, through Nong Bua to Laem Sing then along the coast and inland to home. First pic mine - stopped for the sunrise over the national park hills, second from a drone

Wat Rattanawanaram, in the hills near Bo Rai, on the eastern border of Trat with Cambodia 12 October 2025

That one was partially resolved this morning 8 September when Phillips was chased after attempting to rob a rural store at 2,30am accompanied by one of his children (girl, 12) an hour later his vehicle was road-spiked by police, he opened fire shooting (non-fatal head wound) a policeman, was then then shot dead by a second policeman. Searchers have since located the remaining two children aged 9 and 10.

Reward Victoria Police is now offering a $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest of fugitive Dezi Freeman, who is accused of killing two police officers in August. "Our aim in offering this reward is that it will lead someone out there, who may not have been willing to come forward until this time, to contact police." Multiple theories are being considered by police, including that Freeman is being assisted by someone, is alone in the bush, or is already dead. He was last seen wearing dark green (khaki) tracksuit pants, a dark green rain jacket, brown Blundstone boots and reading glasses.

Good advert for riding motorbikes here. At least there's not a GoFundMe appeal attached to this one. Way back we lived on the road to Big Buddha in Phuket, on the second of two 90-degree bends, regularly attending minor crashes with tourists, one involved two women straight from a beach, bikinis; pillion had minor injuries but the rider had stayed with the bike and slid down the road partially under it, grazes from ankle to eyebrow. Neighbour was out with the medical kit, it was a brief 'highlight' of our otherwise quiet lives.

Day 11, and the funeral for one of the slain police took place today, the second funeral is next week. Despite the efforts of 450 police assisted by specialist military units from the Australian army they haven't located Desi Freeman. Earlier in the week the police claimed locals were assisting Freeman, and today there's speculation he's died somewhere in the mountains / national park - in which case he/his body may not be found if it's down one of the old mine shafts. Sky News 5 September The Oz news has been making comparisons with fugitive Tom Philips on the run in New Zealand for 3 years and 9 months along with his three children in coastal bushland about two hours south of Auckland. He surfaces occasionally to rob a farm or store and is believed to be getting local support. Some strange people out there.

I have a 2024 Click 160, now 19,000km. the original tires - IRC - are fine (if fitted correctly) and I've replaced with a new pair of IRC last month. There's a Facebook group, Click160 Club Thailand has 102,000 members you could try on there (with Google translate if necessary)

Saturday 30 Aug at the Chanthaburi Provincial Stadium for the local League 2 team's second home game of the season; first time we've been seated in the new covered grandstand (100 b entray fee, no reserved seats, get there early), an enjoyable evening out; Chan FC won 1-0: the kick in third photo was the winner.

Been following Oz news on this one, I had friends living in that immediate area, Mt Buffalo Rd and Buckland Valley and have spent a lot of time visiting there from 80s through to early 2000s. All the 'dense impenetrable bush' reports not entirely true, friends were involved in horse trekking, I had an enduro motorbike, tough trails but not impossible, then there were the cleared firebreaks as well. Early 1980s there was already an 'alternative' community around Porepunkah/Bright, bikers, housetruckers/road gypsies, people there for the apple picking seasons and dole the rest of the year. My wild, uneducated guess, he was out of the bush area that same night after the shooting, whisked away in an unlicensed 70s Holden Kingswood. If he wanted to go out as a martyr, death by police, he'd have done it by now rather than freezing in a cave. Intrigued by the beliefs of these SovCits - watched one being interviewed on Oz tv this afternoon claiming the police shot two of their own officers to make an excuse to hunt down these people. Watch this space.

Aerial views of Chanthaburi city 2545/2002 and 2568/2025 showing the rapid growth of the city in 23 years. The canal has a series of dams; water storage and flood prevention to divert some of the river away from the central city area. Never-ending building, we've lived 15km away from the city since 2011 and our town also growing fast, when we moved here the road was two lanes, now a 4-6 lane highway is almost complete, 1km at time and now only 2km from us. Progress, and not such a sleepy place as when we got here. Still a great place to live for us.

I don't go out of my way to meet or avoid farangs; not often seen in our part of Chanthaburi, since Covid I'm now the only one in our town population 9,000. If I go to the city Central or Robinson, I'll always greet with a hello that gets about a 50% hello in response. In terms of actual conversations easy to remember, five in 2023, two in 2024 (Australian in January, German in November). For 2025, it was while traveling out of Chanthaburi, a two-for-one deal, I met two from UK in July, conversation around cycling and motorbikes no mention of the dreaded 'back home' etc and I'd happily meet them again.

As with so much here, different rules in branches/provinces. I already have a long-term Bangkok Bank account from when I got my Non-O, when I went to open a new account with the local Kasikorn in October 2023 the bank manager called either regional or national office and said I now required a yellow house book, fortunately not a difficult or slow process where we live [Chanthaburi province]. Two weeks later at the bank and after a few trees worth of photocopying - I just handed over my clearfile folder of ID documents, passport/Non-O, marriage cert etc they copied a few pages as there's a definite requirement for lots of paper, I got my account OK. Experiences do vary.