Kanchanaburi, Mae Nam Kwai Road.

[Kan Win]

The expats in Kan tend to congregate in the backpacker's area of town on Mae Nam Kwai road.

How can I put this delicately? Frankly the expat community in Kan seems to be largely made up of the dregs of other expat communities who have made previous places too hot for themselves. For example on my last visit I was dismayed to that see a former character who used to be a menace in Ayutthya was there now.

http://www.thaivisa....50#entry4233850

Your views and opinions are most welcomed

Sawadee

[stander]

I was in Kan last week for two nights three days and frankly you would have to pay me to stay longer.

[Nibor1945]

Just got back (Thursday)from a 3 day visit to Kanchanaburi, stayed in a guesthouse on the Mae Nam Kwai road.

Background, I've lived in LOS for some time now. I have an old friend from UK over on holiday and I'm showing him around. School for my children hasn't closed for end of term yet, so it's given me a chance show him the nightlife first ( he's still single). We did the Bangkok bit, then on down to Pattaya. Still had some time left over so decided to visit Kanchanaburi.

Drove down to Kanchanaburi on Monday and booked into a guesthouse on Mae Nam Kwai Road (500 Baht) excellent value, did the tourist bit, Bridge, Cemetery (both ex services) Tiger temple, Safari park etc. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

My friend was most impressed by Kanchanaburi and enjoyed M N K Road, which after Pattaya was like a breath of fresh air. Now during our wandering around we came under scrutiny of the locals and were duly checked out, as we would have been anywhere else in Thailand.

Long term ex-pats can spot another easily enough, I follow my own rule of staying out of their business as like anywhere there are the good, bad and indifferent characters and I, at 65, have had enough excitement thank-you. Personally I would have no hesitation and in fact probably will, visit the same guest house with my family during the school holidays. I will not be wandering around M N K road late at night, nor would I in any other tourist area.

The point of all this, If you're living in Thailand long term and you don't like "In your Face" tourist spots then avoid them! Couldn't be much simpler. If you intrude on or upset the local and/or ex-pat community then you should expect some hassle in return, remember this is a place which can be likened to the "Foreign Legion" some people join to forget or re-invent themselves. So unless someone is a "Garry Glitter" most people just want to, and do, get on with their lives.

The impression I got from the tourists I saw was that practically all of them had enjoyed their stay on M N K Road.

No I don't have any connections with Kanchanaburi and I'm not getting paid for this, If I was, it would be much longer.

regards, Nibor.

[prodriver]

Just got back (Thursday)from a 3 day visit to Kanchanaburi, stayed in a guesthouse on the Mae Nam Kwai road.

Background, I've lived in LOS for some time now. I have an old friend from UK over on holiday and I'm showing him around. School for my children hasn't closed for end of term yet, so it's given me a chance show him the nightlife first ( he's still single). We did the Bangkok bit, then on down to Pattaya. Still had some time left over so decided to visit Kanchanaburi.

Drove down to Kanchanaburi on Monday and booked into a guesthouse on Mae Nam Kwai Road (500 Baht) excellent value, did the tourist bit, Bridge, Cemetery (both ex services) Tiger temple, Safari park etc. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

My friend was most impressed by Kanchanaburi and enjoyed M N K Road, which after Pattaya was like a breath of fresh air. Now during our wandering around we came under scrutiny of the locals and were duly checked out, as we would have been anywhere else in Thailand.

Long term ex-pats can spot another easily enough, I follow my own rule of staying out of their business as like anywhere there are the good, bad and indifferent characters and I, at 65, have had enough excitement thank-you. Personally I would have no hesitation and in fact probably will, visit the same guest house with my family during the school holidays. I will not be wandering around M N K road late at night, nor would I in any other tourist area.

The point of all this, If you're living in Thailand long term and you don't like "In your Face" tourist spots then avoid them! Couldn't be much simpler. If you intrude on or upset the local and/or ex-pat community then you should expect some hassle in return, remember this is a place which can be likened to the "Foreign Legion" some people join to forget or re-invent themselves. So unless someone is a "Garry Glitter" most people just want to, and do, get on with their lives.

The impression I got from the tourists I saw was that practically all of them had enjoyed their stay on M N K Road.

No I don't have any connections with Kanchanaburi and I'm not getting paid for this, If I was, it would be much longer.

regards, Nibor.

Nice post, Nibor.....appreciated. :jap:

[mrtoad]

Might no be everybodies cup of tea, but there are some decent people up there in Kanchanburi. Like all places, there will always be a few that may be somewhat undesireable, but I have always found it to be a friendly place. Looking forward to a trip up there in May

[IanForbes]

I've been visiting Kanchanaburi twice year for the past 7 years. I can't say I've ever run into the experiences that heavydrinker and his wife had. Most of the time it's a sleeply little town on the edge of some spectacular mountain country. There is more to Kanchanaburi than just the war museum and the famous bridge. I'm a wilderness type of person and Kanchanaburi is right at the start of the mountainous terrain that stretches all the way north to the province of Chiang Mai, and right over to the border with Burma. There are a whole series of huge reservoirs with reasonable fishing, and a few secluded gems I'm not telling anyone about.

I was recently there last January in what SHOULD have been the heart of the tourist season. And, it was on a weekend that should have attracted more of the local drinkers. However, I can't recall it EVER being so dead. I always stay at the VL Lodge next to the 7-11 and across from the River Inn. It's not far from the center of town but away from the lodges along the river.. The River Inn usually has a live band, but not once did we see anybody there. My friend, Scotty, owns the 4 Nines bar on the other side of the 7-11, and he told me the tourism has been WAY down, and getting worse. He's had his place for sale for over a year and can't find any buyers.

For three evenings a friend and I drove back and forth along Mae Nam Kwai Road from one end to the other and hardly found any bars open. We finally found a couple with a few desperate women hoping for at least a FEW customers who would buy a drink or two. We stayed for a few hours playing pool and one lady from Laos even asked me if I would take her back to Chiang Mai with me. There certainly weren't many punters looking for action and definitely not enough that would keep a woman employed. So, I don't know where all these creepy expats are located, but I certainly didn't see any.

I take care of a Thai family in Luk Kae and they always meet me in Kanchanaburi because there is nothing for anyone to do in the sleeply little Thai villages. I just rent a few motorbikes and we tour all over the place. There are some great cave temples in the area. And, a local lake is decent for swimming. I took the family to the lake on a Sunday and there was hardly anyone there. The Mt Erawan waterfalls had the usual number of tourists on a Saturday, but it was far from over crowded. Anyone who hasn't seen Mt Erawan waterfalls is missing a treat. I've posted many pictures of it in the past, and so has Kan Win.

[MHM]

You can vote on Mae Nam Kwae Rd in a poll here

http://kan71000.wordpress.com/polls/