Travels with Rumak

[rumak]

Day two of Songkran.  I left Chiangmai weeks ago to escape the air.   After I left the country went into Covid panic again,  the air in Chiangmai

immediately cleared up,  and the stocks I bought ( thai market)  of course went down.   Anyone that thinks it is always easy to be Rumak should think again. 

Yesterday I consulted my favorite Maw Doo who called me a stupid buffalo and told me to put my original photo back .  I know that I may not look quite the same after years of sticky rice and broken promises ..... but I followed her advice.  "Go ahead,  make my day ! "

Yeah yeah,   I know that was not Steve talking,  but all that is written on these tattered TV pages is not always !00 % true.  It is "based on true events "  though,   as hollywood movies like to say.

Long long drive the first day........ then a few shorter ones and I was in the province of Ranong.  Made famous of course by the emergence on Thaivisa of 2019 Poty winner YINN.   Well,  i could not drive past without trying to make contact.  I was prepared for the engagement, pepper spray in hand ,  as I remembered how tough she could be on " stupid, old farangs".     Hmmmm   

Quite an interesting meeting,  and she allowed me a photo.   Of course the face had to be hidden !   Oh, well..........

[SiamRead]

Your memories of YINN is still excellent after all these years. 

Happy Songkran ????

[CharlieH]

And we wont be discussing other members any further if this is to remain open.

[Paul Catton]

1 hour ago, rumak said:

I know that I may not look quite the same after years of sticky rice and broken promises ..... but I followed her advice.  "Go ahead,  make my day ! "

Yeah yeah,   I know that was not Steve talking,  but all that is written on these tattered TV pages is not always !00 % true.  It is "based on true events "  though,   as hollywood movies like to say.

Steve had far better qoutes.

https://www.stevemcqueensite.com/stevemcqueenquotes.htm 

Enjoy your road trip, stay safe and Happy Songkran. 

[rumak]

The road from Ranong down the Andamen Coast towards Phuket is mostly 2 lanes, with not much in the way of towns.  We slept at a "resort"  ,  the room was ok but the a/c didn't work (it was cool enough at night) and the very vocal roosters in the courtyard started up at 4 AM.   

From time to time i talk about my intention of leaving CM,  having been there for 20 years and IMO  the pollution is worse,  the population has exploded,  and what used to be a cow pasture when i arrived is now the MeeChoke intersection,  with cars backed up for a half km some times at the lights.   Me Choke on the exhaust .....so aptly named

Anyway, I headed South to look at Natai Beach ( NO, not the TV member ! )  ,  though the name did lead  me to look up the place.  

[Natai Beach]

41 minutes ago, rumak said:

Anyway, I headed South to look at Natai Beach ( NO, not the TV member ! )  ,  though the name did lead  me to look up the place.  

If you are still in town and drink beer send me a PM and we can catch up for a refreshing box or two.

You sound to me the type of person who knows too much. Should be interesting. I remember reading that you had been in Thailand for 30+ years? What a great life!

[Natai Beach]

48 minutes ago, rumak said:

having been there for 20 years

Before CM, where were you?

[SiamRead]

2 hours ago, CharlieH said:

And we wont be discussing other members any further if this is to remain open.

Sorry....

Happy Songkran. 

Take Care. Stay Safe????

[rumak]

1 hour ago, Natai Beach said:

If you are still in town and drink beer send me a PM and we can catch up for a refreshing box or two.

You sound to me the type of person who knows too much. Should be interesting. I remember reading that you had been in Thailand for 30+ years? What a great life!

 

aren't you the guy who only wants tourists with 200 thousand baht a month to come stay in Thailand?      I think i spent that........ last year   555 .     Please get some Johnny Walker,  i don't drink beer.    

This thread is going downhill fast.   Could have put some oooomph into TV,  as many are complaining about it.   Oh well,  guess will just show some photos of beaches......... in the Ban Grut area (Prachuap KK )  now.      Nice beachfront with BKK tourists at this time of year.

Did not see any Thai movie stars like at Natai Beach,  but I think the photo i took is Ali McGraw

[Paul Catton]

Thanks for your two photos of the area especially the beachfront shot.

 

Ali McGraw, I thought it was  Lucy Liu. 

Keep posting scenic pictures, especially the minor pit stops in any Nakhon Nowhere.

 

 

[sipi]

1 hour ago, rumak said:

 

aren't you the guy who only wants tourists with 200 thousand baht a month to come stay in Thailand?      I think i spent that........ last year   555 .     Please get some Johnny Walker,  i don't drink beer.    

This thread is going downhill fast.   Could have put some oooomph into TV,  as many are complaining about it.   Oh well,  guess will just show some photos of beaches......... in the Ban Grut area (Prachuap KK )  now.      Nice beachfront with BKK tourists at this time of year.

Did not see any Thai movie stars like at Natai Beach,  but I think the photo i took is Ali McGraw

Happy Songkran Mr and Mrs R.

I clocked on just to give this a "like"

 

 

[rumak]

49 minutes ago, sipi said:

Happy Songkran Mr and Mrs R.

I clocked on just to give this a "like"

 

 

 

Thanks Sipi ......... someone who can't be mentioned says hello to you too !  

Happy Days for you and the Mrs

[rumak]

Wish ALL     some of you members were here as well.   Nice beaches,  not crowded 

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

3 minutes ago, rumak said:

Wish ALL     some of you members were here as well.   Nice beaches,  not crowded 

 

That girl has quite a handful, but then again, so has that fella !!

Interesting choice of water “ weapon “ ????

[rumak]

Just now, Andrew Dwyer said:

That girl has quite a handful, but then again, so has that fella !!

Interesting choice of water “ weapon “ ????

did he just spray that in her hair ?? !!

[Andrew Dwyer]

Just now, rumak said:

did he just spray that in her hair ?? !!

If he had a full load he probably couldn’t help himself, should have saved some for later,definitely a bit premature ????

[rumak]

I should retrace my steps a bit:    I spent a week in Natai Beach and was duly impressed.

Before reaching NB  we passed thru Khao Lak (about 55 km north).   I didn't realize that was where the tsunami hit the hardest .  No signs of it now,  but i took a road down to the beach and looked like bar beers and some massage shacks ,  which seemed deserted ( of course probably due to a year of almost no tourism).    Not a place i found very inviting.

 

Natai Beach is a few km from the town of khok kloi which is smallish but has banks , a lotus,

even a Toyota dealer.  So not that small.

What i really want to say ,  is that this whole trip I have experienced not one beer can thrown out the window at me,  nor any aggression from any source.  what can i say?   This is why I loved the place 30 years ago (actually came here almost 40 years ago for the first time! )

Its amazing that the common people are still as friendly and accommodating as ever. Even more amazing with the world covid ******* going on.  

We stayed in a small resort owned by a retired judge.  He and his wife were great, simple people who helped clean the neighborhood streets,  and charged us way too little for our bungalo.   And i met a young (ha ha   50 is young to me at this time)  Aussie who could actually speak Thai and was incorporating himself into thai life .  A farang with a sense of humor, to boot !  Refreshing.

Also look up a Thai man named Chai if you ever go there.   Practice saying "  Chai , chai mai ?  oh .  Mai chai ?   Chai yoo nai ?  

photo from our balcony , overlooking the fish pond:  NB