richardb

Dear All , I have rather late in the day realised that in August Koh Chang is possibly the wettest part of  Thailand.

Time to start my planning this time in a less rainy part ( relatively ) Koh Tao.

All the best Richard 

Fair points ladies and gents .

My post was a bit of a ramble. But amongst the answers I have learned a few things and a plan is coming together .

1. Early morning leave Bangkok to Trat then to Koh Chang.

2. Spend a few nights at Paradise Hill or the Splash resort both on  Klong Prao beach . My 10 yo will enjoy the water park . 

3. Orient ourselves eat out locally.

4. Initially take a guided toor to the waterfalls etc consider a bit of snorkelling.

5. Hire a moped for one or two  days.

6. Consider some of the other hotels but probably not.

7. Ferry to the mainland and off to Koh Kood.

8. The rational is that I reckon Koh Koh will be a bit wilder.

8. Not sure of Hotel yet but something more rustic and most likely bungalow style.

9. When we are not on the beach take boy to some waterfalls and sights.

10. I won't overplan but the basis is now there.

Any comments gratefully accepted.

Richard 

Hi guys and ladies  . So me I got married err my wife remembers exactly a while back . Firstly thanks to the posters on this thread . Whilst DW and DS last went back to  Thailand about 5 years ago covid and all sorts intervened and we did the Mediterranean last few years. I have not been back to Thailand for more than a decade . DW and now 10 yo boy flew out two weeks ago and I will be joining then next week. My boy is currently waiting for me to arrive next week I have promised Beach. Back in the day I romanced my wife in a beach hut at White Sands Beach Resort at the north end of that beach. To sit around at sunset and to wake up and to be right on the sea was magic. We did not need much else. But Trip advisor etc point out its failings that it its at the bottom of the steepest hill and you have to walk along the beach  to get anywhere . And at the time we did not really care. I have after looking on line thinking that Klong Prao is best for us. . Hotels : Geographically the nearest beach to where the family is currently parked up  with mother in law is Da Nang Viet Nam . Wanting to stay married I am not going to propose to my still very THAI Mrs that we go to any beach that is not Thailand . Me ? luxury is great. Wify can tell stories off the old days in the family old house on stilts  etc ( it has not changed much ) and though Mrs now kitted out in Orla Kieily and Marimeko is true to her roots. BOY does not give a dam if he is with me and mama . So Basically if the three of us are together luxury is not an issue. What is important is that we can see the sea  And in no particular order . 1. DW is slim as a rake ( I am not any more )  but has an appetite for food and Thai seafood second to none . local food rocks . I appreciate a carved vegetable in a hotel but my wife wants to get down and dirty with a squillion dishes Thai  style . 2. For my boy. Football on the beach with me and there are famous waterfalls . The waterfalls kook a great daty out. Whats best ? Don't see the need to hire a car Taxis Moto Taxis . I have no clue how that works or costs. 3, My boy is 10 he did a scuba diving thing with the Boy Scouts in a swimming pool. For real in the sea  with fishes? Any thoughts ? 4. For two hours a day we are going to be studying for a UK kids exam called the 11+ .but everywhere has wife nowadays  For rest for the day max fun experiences. 5. Me I will always find a cold beer at the end of the day so no worries . Looking forward to TG916 . Thanks everyone Richard 

Staying tonight in Bang Saen Heritage Hotel one hour drive from BKK, reasonable price very nice rooms and located across the road from a sandy beach with plenty of sun beds and umbrellas 30 baht a seat. Hardly any farangs, lovely seafood restaurants, no ripoffs,would recommend it and the area. A different class from Pattaya and Phuket. Give it a try for a family holiday.

Looks good but out of my price range. At least it will be if the whole family go. Richard

.......You rent a house in walking distance to beach, you (I mean of course your female entourage) can cook the favorite food.............. But of course, you can ride the banana boat.

You want to become, when you are not already, the hero of your extended Thai family, then go to Bang Saen, all for reasonable money.

I wish it were so but I am stuck in the UK. I started my own business so it is work work work. Wife and boy are out for 6 weeks. I am merely the finder and organiser of the beach break.

Richard

........ Laem Sing beach itself is not a swimming beach I'd recommend, at any time of the year. As it's located at the mouth of the Chan River it is generally clouded by silted river water, and at times of the year a lot of plastic/branches/rubbish washes down the river an deposits itself along the shoreline

20km further up the coast is Chao Lao; I think better in all respects for a family. At Laem Sadet (2km past roundabout) a Royal-sponsored demonstration farm, aquarium, marine education centre, mangrove walkway, all free entry, cheap eating and a good fresh market with local prawns/fish...........

Sounds practical . I did notice on the map that Laem Sing was at the mouth of a river. I will see what I can turn up on Chao Lao.

Thanks Richard

I don't hope your are paying for the whole entourage.

It's all for the little boy. It is a few years since wify has visited LOS.

Richard

Thanks All

Richard

Oat milk having been successfully procured ( see another thread ) Master C and Mama are in Roi Et. Master C's Thai is coming on nicely. It is hot and agricultural and he has a rash or so. A week by the seaside would be just great.

I am thinking the eastern seaboard is going to be closest?

So a hotel, or maybe better a resort or some kind of place where you have a chalet and can self cater/or eat out near the sea for a Thai family is what I am hunting for.

Something good for Thai families ? I take a guess it will be Grandmama , mama, sister ,maybe sisters hubby, Wife , Master C, teenage cousin and two pre teenage boys.

Budget would be good

I have had a couple of very helpful replies on my thai uk forum. Basically hug the Cambodian border till you get to laem sing.

Looking at the map that seems very sensible rather than going all the way west to BKK then driving south. At least as the crow flies its a shorter distance and the little boy is only 2 1/2

I have been given this website and the resorts do look like they would suite. Pretty reasonable prices quoted.

Anyone have any personal experience of the below listings or a similar link given your more local knowledge?

http://www.laemsing.com/laemsing_chanthaburi_accommodation.html

Any ideas ladies and gents?

Thanks always.

Richard

Hit send too soon. Anyway thanks to the poster on the Bkk forum who spotted it but if you guys are out shopping in my Thai families area could you pass the uht milk section . Any local sightings of oat milk will be appreciated . Thanks all . Richard

Update . Oat milk has been confirmed on sale at villa market sukumvitt Bkk so one of my little cousins will soon be visiting to buy a load and put it on the roi et minibus for collection at my wife's end.

Just been in Villa Market Sukhmvit next to Emporium and had a look while I was there, they have Pureharvest oat milk 119 baht per litre.

Thanks thats great. I just texted my wife to tell her.

Richard

MACRO cash n carry should have piles of it, not? Just a thought...

Can anyone confirm?

Thanks Richard

Ok my boy aged 2 1/2 is currently in the NE.

He is massively intolerant to dairy. Not an imaginary allergy touch his cheek with milk he gets a welt. It is not that rare. Europe and near east domesticated cows and goats for milk maybe 50K years ago. SE asia DNA did it a little more recent.ly

Anyway the little boy loves and is missing his oat milk.

Both Tesco and Villa Market sell Oat milk on line.

The chances of me successfully ( though Thai family think I can do everything ) of achieving ... internet shopping are zero

I am writing to ask if you are out and about could you swing by the UHT milk section.

If you see Oat Milk please post and I will get it bought ( Niece is sensible ) and stuck on the NE mini bus for the little boy.

Basically Spot oat milk please tell me where and when. Thanks

Richard

Do you mean goat milk?

Thanks for replying .

I am being pro active Suwannaphum Tesco seem to have a facebook page to which I posted

** Thai Removed **

Thank you goggle translate.

My wife phoned the number for that Tesco that is online on their facebook but the answerer said it was a wrong number. Maybe it really is not a Tesco real local facebook. Anyway I know it can be bought in BKK Villa M,arket and Tesco have it on their sites, but in the Thai families area...?

No it's Oat milk.

I suppose its like rice milk ( a suspension of the ground stuff)

Cow, goat, sheep etc just touch him with it on his cheek leaves a red mark for a while. Basically milk producing critters got domesticated in Europe and the near/middle east maybe 50K years ago. The boy inherited light brown hair but no milk gene. Tesco and Villa Market do Oat milk on line.

Richard

My little boy and wife are visiting family. The little boy is seriously milk intolerant. He is not liking soy milk. I can see Tesco Lotus do oat milk on line but they do not deliver in Roi Et.

If anyone is visiting a Big C, Tesco etc in that area could you have a look for oat milk please and if found post a reply.

Oat milk is normally in the UHT milk section rather than the chiller fresh milk area.

Thanks

Richard

Hi I wondered how you are getting on with the project.

Any info appreciated as I may be going down that route also in the Yasothon Area

Richard

email http://www.backstreetbooksiam.com/ and ask them - they are a wealth of information.

thanks I will do

I have since posting got these links the book definitely exists

see here from 2003

http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=934

and here ( link to the actual book no longer works )

http://www.thaipro.com/z1034b/686_thailand.html

Richard

The book definitly exists

see here from 2003

http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=934

and here ( link to the actual book no longer works )

http://www.thaipro.com/z1034b/686_thailand.html

Any more recent sightings/where to buy

Richard

Ok in search of cheese ( and bread to make toast to put my cheese on ) i travelled to a Big C in Suwanapoom, Roi Et and had a look in the book shop. I saw a book . It may have been called Mr Paul. It had a pic of a fallang on the cover .

It was a bookof fallang jokes . Just jokes about fallang.

On each page it had a joke in english like "a fallang walks into a shop and asks for a coconut." The thai assistant says " yes coconuts are lovely how many children do you have!!!!"

Then the joke was in Thai ( script ) then an explanation in english as to what the joke was / why it was funny ( to a thai person/or an english speaker ).

I meant to buy it on the spot but delayed and never saw it again in BKK or PTY despite asking.Back in town the bookshop had no knowledge of it.

Was I on the Lao Kao mak mak or does this book exist?

ps the " joke" i quoted was for illustration purposes only.it is not a real Thai joke or funny ( so far as I know )

Richard

The Big double decker busses do take a while 7-8 hours. You could shave about one or one and a half hours off in a taxi. Cost is about 4500-5000 Baht.

Richard

Ok in search of cheese ( and bread to make toast to put my cheese on ) i travelled to a Big C in Suwanapoom, Roi Et and had a look in the book shop. I saw a book . It may have been called Mr Paul.

It was fallang jokes . Just jokes about fallang. It had a joke in english like "a fallang walks into a shop and asks for a coconut." The thai assistant says " yes coconuts are lovely how many children do you have!!!!"

Pages of "jokes "

Then the joke was in Thai ( script ) then an explanation in english as to what the joke was / why it was funny ( to a thai person/or an english speaker ).

I meant to buy it on the spot but delayed and never saw it again in BKK or PTY despite asking.Back in town the bookshop had no knowledge of it.

Was I on the Lao Kao mak mak or does this book exist?

ps the " joke" i quoted was for illustration purposes only.it is not a real Thai joke or funny ( so far as I know )

Richard

Thanks Raro . Having just done Roi Et to BKK and hour and a half is easy peasy. I'll check some taxi prices too though.

Richard

A year ago I hired a very nice taxi guy to take me to the Camillian ( HIV kids ) Centre in Huae Pong Rayong near Ban Chang. I cant remember where I hired " Mr Elvis" is he known to anyone? Alternatively can anyone tell me how I get the bus. As its on the main road out of pattaya to Rayong via Satahip and Utapao I am guessing buses are doable. Googling Pattaya bus only really giveds me info to and from BKK\.

Thanks Richard and Sea