thelasthurrahsite

Returning to the cultural (and other) differences between Thais and westerners (farangs) as mentioned in a previous blog, I was fascinated to learn the other day that many Thai ladies prefer gold jewellery to diamonds as evidenced by the amazing number of gold shops in every town and city. Actually, I think these outlets are more traders in this commodity as one of the given reasons for preferring gold is that it is easier to sell or pawn than diamonds when the cash flow going gets tough as it frequently does.  So whereas diamonds maybe for ever, it seems that gold certainly is not, irrespective of the emotion behind it’s giving and receiving. Strange to us westerners but seemingly quite normal here.

Of course, not all Thais need such financial help. There is plenty of money around for the privileged few. This bottle of Chivas Regal (branded Alexander McQueen for some bizarre reason) sells for just under £5,000!

And when you’ve had enough fun spending exorbitant sums on alcohol, you can always indulge in a Porsche with a fancy personalised and sparkly number plate.

For most, though, the humble – and far more practical – scooter is the preferred form of transport.

Talking about the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’, it must seem to the locals that I fit into the former category judging by the way Fairhurst’s Folly is progressing. The landscaping of the garden has begun

which begins to make the place look very grand indeed – far grander than I ever imagined, I must say!

I have to keep reminding myself that I’m getting all this for more or less  the same price as a 2/3 bedroomed semi in darkest Aylesbury. Crazy!

So all is coming together nicely for my planned occupancy on 20th December except for one small thing……

No kitchen!! So unless the situation improves dramatically over the next 12 days or so, it’s cold turkey for my sister on Christmas Day!!

Another option might be, of course, to eat out ‘on the day’ and there are plenty of places to do that as the Thais just love their eating as we all know. In fact, any excuse for a party seems to be the order of the day here and with Father’s Day falling in early December in this country, a couple of days ago there was yet another opportunity to party with music, food and

copious amounts of beer on tap!

Or if all else fails, I could always follow the example of these small sparrow like birds who quickly build  these extraordinary nests out of what look like fishing nets but which are, in fact, merely twigs and other bits and pieces from the hedgerows.

Maybe I should give the kitchen fitter their number!

Phileas

 

 

The ‘visa run’ trip to Malaysia was uneventful but tiring, not so much as a result of the predictable hospitality of my nephew, his lovely South Korean girl friend, Jay and their friends but more because of the long journey to and from Langkawi. Rather than take the slightly circuitous  flight route between the two points, we decided to go in as straight a line as possible – i.e. by train from Hua Hin to Hat Yai near the border and then take the short ferry ride to Kuah in Langkawi. And to make it a little more intriguing, opting for the overnight train.  In theory, a brilliant idea but……. The accommodation on the train was of good quality, compact and inexpensive so totally acceptable.

But, oh dear, the track! And Thailand is a deceptively big country. So, for 11 sleep deprived hours going south plus another 11 sleepless hours going north 4 days later we clanked, rattled and swayed our way through southern Thailand often at impressive speeds of almost 50 mph!! Hardly the romance of an Orient Express but it did the job.

Hat Yai station shortly after dawn is nothing to write home about

but the sukiyaki in a nearby restaurant was!

Absolutely delicious and much needed fortification for the remaining journey.

A short-ish taxi ride to the Tamalang ferry preceded a tedious 6 hour wait for the crossing to Langkawi with little to fill the time other than a bit of bird watching in the cafe (loosely called a ‘restaurant’),

gazing at the fishing boats setting out in search of marine riches

and to study the rather curious, one armed local ‘art’!

The back and forth ferry crossings themselves were totally uneventful although a bit of a scrum on the return journey with flowing Muslim attire getting entangled in the offloaded luggage.

I was immediately struck again by how little has changed during the many years I have been coming to Langkawi.  It’s a little like the land that time forgot – and not always in a good way. There has been some investment but clearly only in fits and starts, a perfect example being the unfinished landmark leisure tower which remains exactly as it was 2 years ago and will now never be finished as one side of it has started to sink into the reclaimed land on which it was built!

 

In short, the whole place looks a bit tired.

Having become so used to the ease of shopping in Thailand – especially for food – finding anything other than the most basic foodstuff on the island is quite a challenge!

All in all, though, a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting 6 days but with around 45 hours of travelling involved and not enough sleep, I think I’ll give the train a miss in future!

Before leaving for Langkawi, I checked up on Fairhurst’s Folly again hoping that great strides had been made since the last visit. I was, therefore slightly alarmed to find a digger making big holes when I thought it was nearly time merely to be adding the finishing touches!

I think it had something to do with the drainage – or, rather, lack of it because as fast as the digger dug, the holes filled with water.

I just have to hope that it will be alright on the night!

Phileas.

At around this time every year on the night of the full moon, Thais celebrate the festival of Loy Kratong, literally meaning ‘Float Lantern’. Little ‘boats’ made of banana tree trunk decorated with flowers and banana leaves and topped off with 3 incense sticks and a candle are floated on rivers, lakes, canals and the sea as a way of thanking the Goddess of Water for letting us use this precious resource and even apologising for sometimes polluting it.

The build up to Loy Kratong starts many days before.  

In the middle of one of the biggest shopping malls in Hua Hin, a competition was held with hundreds of schoolgirls vying for the prize for making the best float!

But if you don’t care to make your own, there are plenty of local vendors selling them by every waterside.

After a suitable prayer offering or two, off they go, creating the most magical and almost mystical sight.

In many ways, I felt that that  should have been it. But wherever there’s a crowd, Thais like to party. So directly adjoining this ethereal scene  and in the grounds of the local temple, it was party time,

complete with dancing girls plus any member of the public who wanted to get on the stage for a charity donation of around £2.50. It was all splendidly noisy, chaotic and seemingly largely unscripted but clearly enjoyed by a very happy crowd

with not a drop of alcohol in sight but, of course, plenty of food on offer including some of my least favourite snacks!

I can see no joy in devouring locusts, beetles and all manor of squirming bugs but that’s no problem as I’m certainly not a contender for I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’!

If the on stage melee is not to your taste then, next door and clearly competing for the ‘who can make the loudest noise’ award, a giant movie screen had been erected

blasting out a decibel defying noise, showing a few cartoons followed by some quite violent action movie. Just great for the kids and all within a few metres of the tranquil serenity of the river with all its delightful floats!

The entertainment ended on a more traditional note, however, with a display of Thai dancing which I felt was much more in keeping with the spirit of Loy Kratong. But then again, I’m not Thai so what do I know?

It’s now only 3 days until my visa expires and immigration authorities don’t take too kindly to visitors outstaying their welcome. So it’s almost time to move on for a few days.

Phileas.

Almost 48 hours to the minute after it started, the rain finally stopped and the floods are already receding. The 2 days that I’ve been more or less confined to barracks has given me time for a bit of paperwork catching up plus some quiet time to reflect on this country and it’s people.

Everyone who has been to Thailand (and even some who haven’t) knows, or should know, that you don’t point your feet at anyone when seated, you don’t pat people on the head, you don’t blow your nose in public and if you want to avoid incarceration, you certainly don’t make any disparaging remarks about the monarchy etc etc. Apart from that, you could be forgiven for thinking that Thais, especially those who speak English, are really ‘just like us’. Wrong! The more Thais I meet – especially those who haven’t had  much exposure to westerners (farangs)- the more I am aware that there’s a huge difference between the Thai and western way of thinking  much of which revolves around money and status. For example:-

1. Loose change. It is quite common for a farang to want to get rid of his loose change when making a small purchase e.g. buying a newspaper, can of Coke or whatever. In Thailand, however, buying something with anything other than paper money is often seen as an indication that you are poor! And make sure that all the paper money you have in your wallet or purse has the monarch’s head at the top!
2. Financial planning. I’m not sure if this is a cultural difference or merely limited education but, apart from the Thais I have met in business, the vast majority are completely hopeless when it come to financial planning (and if I think about it, forward planning about anything!). A lot of this is down to a strong belief in Buddhism which, apart from being quite a fatalistic religion (i.e. whatever will be will be) teaches that you bring nothing into this world when you arrive and you leave with nothing. In short, if you’ve got a few bob, go out and spend it now, never mind what may be coming over the hill!
3. Buying a round. If you are out with a Thai who wants to ‘splash the cash’, just let him and whatever you do don’t insist that it’s ‘my round’. This could infer that he can’t afford to buy drinks all night if he wants to, thus suffering a total loss of face.
4. ‘Mate’s rates’. How many times have we used this phrase when negotiating a price for something with someone we know? Many Thais, though, think that suggesting a ‘mate’s rate’ deal is tantamount to an admission that you can’t afford the full price!
5. Bargaining. Similarly, although price bargaining is expected, if you bargain too much you could be seen to be too low class/poor to have enough money for the purchase.

All that and more. So it’s all much more complicated than might appear at first glance but as long as you keep smiling, you’ll be OK!

The oriental fruit Durian is often called the King of Fruits on account of its claimed aphrodisiac power. I have never put this claim to the test largely because it stinks. I mean really, really smells disgusting. In fact it is one of the very few products that is forbidden on planes and most hotels in this area have large ‘No Durian’ posters much in evidence. So I was amused to see that this pizza company has added the Durian to it’s menu!

Each one to their own, I suppose!

The biggest statue of Buddha in Thailand is a huge 92 metres high and the most valuable weighing a mighty 5.5 tons of pure gold. Elsewhere there is a multitude of big Buddhas, small Buddhas, fat Buddhas and (relatively) thin Buddhas. This fairly modest fellow sits at the bottom of the steps up to the temple at the top of Chopstick Hill – so called as it has absolutely no resemblance to chopsticks at all as far as I can tell!

The 128 steps to the top are fairly challenging – especially on a hot day but there is always something colourful to look at while you take a rest on the way up.

The temple at the top is hardly inspiring

but the view of Hua Hin  makes the slog worthwhile.

What I like so much about almost all  the temple areas I have visited (and that’s quite a few!) is that it never stops at just a temple and a few Buddha statues. There’s always something else to catch the eye. Here, there are statues that blend well into the environment – this one a reminder of how Buddha protects people from falling rocks and all manner of other things.

Unfortunately, though, even Buddha can’t protect people from the naughty monkeys. Despite many signs warning the public not to leave anything in easy reach of our furry cousins, some people never learn,with the inevitable consequences!

This one initially found (and devoured) some fruit and then, in search of further morsels, pulled some kind of blanket from under the motorcycle’s seat

which he then wasn’t too sure what to do with!

The look of total bewilderment on the face of the driver and his passenger on returning to his vehicle was a joy to behold!

A few kilometres south of Khao Takiab is Khao Tao lake, complete with mini temple, strategically placed in the middle so that nobody can get to it!! Is it just me?

And is it just me who wonders why a Thai taxi driver would wear an afro wig?

It’s a wonderful world!

Phileas

The rainy season is supposed to finish at the end of October and, blow me, it did; almost to the minute and the ensuing days have been by wall to wall sunshine. So everyone has been out and about enjoying the first days of the dry season. The Huan Hin – Pattaya ferry started again,

 camera phones have been recharged for endless picture taking

and golfers have deserted the 19th hole to play on the Black Mountain course – recently voted the best in Thailand and one of the Top 100 golfing spots in the world.

Even the second or 3rd best courses here are fairly spectacular

with awesome views of the mountain range between Thailand and Myanmar.

If the beaches or the golf courses aren’t to your liking, there’s always some sightseeing to be done. 

Rajabhakti Park, on the outskirts of south Hua Hin was built by the Thai military a few years ago in honour of the monarchy of Thailand. The centre piece consists of 14 metre high statues of 7 of the most famous Thai kings from the 13th to the 20th century. All very impressive but lacking in much shade. So it’s HOT there!

Unfortunately I’m not able to cool off in my own pool yet but it’s coming along very nicely and should be ready for me to enjoy a cooling Christmas dip.

So, all in all,  everything was looking good. Or so I thought. Then the heavens opened and it rained.

and it rained and it rained. After 18 hours, it’s still raining and more is forecast for tomorrow.  Not the  namby pamby drizzle we  often get in the UK you understand but proper drenching, stair rod stuff.

So, there’s nothing for it but to forget the beach, the golf course and the sightseeing and settle down for some gentle indoor activity.  A beer or two, perhaps a game of pool

followed by some typical English wet weather food!

Quack quack!

Phileas

 

Things seem to be progressing well with my Portakabin (or Phileas’ Folly as someone has kindly renamed it!) up to a point that is. Visiting a couple of days ago, I was concerned that the chosen tiles for the bathroom

made the room look a bit dark until I realised that the planned windows had not been installed. Oooops! I am assured, though, that rectifying this minor problem will not delay the planned completion date of 20th December. We shall see!

The countryside around my folly is packed with wildlife and vegetation including, I am somewhat nervous to say, snakes’ Luckily (or sadly for him!) this one suffered the steamroller treatment

before it got close! I couldn’t get quite close enough, though, to catch and befriend this gecko

as did the detective in the Death in Paradise TV series. Did you know that Geckos don’t have eyelids and therefore don’t blink. They occasionally clean their eyes with their extraordinarily long tongues. It’s amazing what you learn!

Much of the vegetation is there for the taking if you can climb high enough

or if you know what you’re picking.

Closer to the sea it’s all about sea food, both dry

and wet,

most of which tastes delicious.

I’m not sure, though, about these horseshoe crabs. Not only do they not look remotely like a horseshoe, from certain angles they look more as if they’ve had large plastic Tupperware bowls stuffed onto their heads!

Somewhat bizarrely, it appears that the blood from these creatures is used to test intravenous drugs and equipment for the presence of bacteria.

It really is a very strange world indeed !

I must stop constantly talking about food. There is so much more to this country than that which meets the stomach!

Phileas.

 

 

 

 

 

Economically, October is the worst month for many in Thailand – especially for those who rely on tourism for their income. It’s coming to the end of the 4 month long rainy season so tourist numbers are still very low. Of course, this is good news for visitors who like a more tranquil holiday

either jogging along the beach, just strolling or merely taking endless photos

but not so good for those trying to make a living either selling beach food

or merely just catching it.

The eternal optimism that ‘things will pick up in November’ – the official start of the dry season-  will somehow get the locals through these difficult times. In the meantime, a bit of creative marketing brings a smile with some fine copywriting

(“Please do not touch. These are not boobs”) even if it doesn’t greatly increase sales.

The last 3 days have been yet another ‘Buddha Day’ celebration, this time a fund raising event for the upkeep and maintenance of temples.

The ever inventive Thais rarely miss a trick when it comes to spotting a money making opportunity not only for their place of worship but also for their own family.  In this case, as soon as the religious ceremonies are over, a night market begins in the grounds of the local temple

where a few clothes stalls are inevitably outnumbered  by the omnipresent  food sellers.

And if you wait until the market is closing, there are some bargains to be had.

I’ve absolutely no idea what this vegetable is called but all this and more was purchased for £0.40

which when boiled with an obscene amount of chillies, ginger and a few other Thai delicacies made the most mouth watering (albeit a bit tear jerking) soup!

Buddhism is the official religion in Thailand. Eating, the unofficial one!

 

Phileas.

 

October is the wettest month in Hua Hin with an average of 200mm rain falling over the 31 days. By contrast, app 75mm of rain falls in London over the same period. But at least here it’s warm rain with the daily temperature rarely falling below 30c. And often the rain falls in the late afternoon or overnight so there’s still quite a bit of sunshine around as well. Nevertheless, it’s  the low season so the locals who rely on tourists have a lean time.

Even the beach horses look depressed!

Daytime on the beaches is very quiet. But it’s all change after sunset, especially at the weekends where, once again, the Thais’ obsession with food becomes apparent. I’ve been to many night markets during my travels where probably 90% of the space is usually devoted to selling product and 10% to food. In Thailand, though, it’s the other way round.  The Cicada and Tamarind night markets in Hua Hin are totally dominated by food stalls with literally thousands of Thais (plus a few foreigners) munching their way

through all kinds of local provender with, naturally, a strong emphasis on sea food. These marinated squid were astonishing

and the crushed and flattened variety tasted a lot better than I expected.

And when you’ve had your fill of such delicious snacks, there’s always a coconut based dessert to round things off.

If ever you get tired of eating then there are a few product stalls to entice you, hardly any selling the sort of tat that we’ve come to expect in similar environments in the west. This guy was totally absorbed making his little glass ornaments whilst his wife seemingly preferred watching a Thai game show!

Almost next door, this artist was close to completing a splendid artwork destined for T shirts

whilst the local school band provided some musical entertainment.

In short, a great evening’s entertainment both for humans and even some animals  although quite why a little dog was being pushed around in a buggy was quite beyond me!

What a wonderful and varied world it is!

Phileas.

Although many foreigners’ image of Thai cuisine is based on experiences of southern Thailand cooking where coconut milk is freely used, the reality is there are many regional food styles to choose from other than the old favourites (green chicken curry, Tom Yam Kung soup etc).  Coconut milk is rarely used in the more northern provinces where vegetables form the basis of many of the culinary delights. And there is an abundance of these healthy foods not only in the ubiquitous fruit and veg markets but  also, if you care to go foraging, in the hedgerows – free of charge!

Slowly boiled bamboo is especially delicious and the seeds in these Thai bean pods are nibbled in vast quantities as an accompaniment to many regional dishes. Throughout Thailand the fruits of the tamarind tree

are used extensively as a flavouring agent for many Thai dishes and can also be found in both Worcestershire and HP sauces as well as being good for polishing metal or so I am told! Tamarind trees are everywhere and the fruit easy to pick – another example of how cheaply it can be to live off the land if you only care to look.

Although pineapple is the main fruit grown in this province (most of the production going to Del Monte!)  a dazzling array of other fruity delights are to be found on the numerous roadside stalls.

The Gulf of Thailand is a veritable treasure trove of sea food and so fishing is still a major industry here, most of it seemingly done at night.

 

Apart from sleeping and generally relaxing, daytime is for mending nets and preparing for the evening’s work ahead.

 And once the evening draws in, it’s off to work we go.

In the countryside it’s impossible to go more than 500m in any direction without finding some kind of eating establishment most being small, family affairs. In the towns and cities, street food is readily available but so also are larger eateries.

This one fills the entire basement of a large hypermarket where you can find every conceivable regional Thai dish as well as many other international favourites.

Occasionally, though, a foreigner yearns for an old fashioned western BBQ which my good friend Bob was happy to supply with a slightly less than old fashioned method of getting the fire going!

His wife prepared, amongst other delights, some astonishingly tasty kebabs

all washed down with copious amounts of Singha beer. BBQ-ing is thirsty work and unfortunately, Bob was so busy cooking he forgot to eat!

It was a memorable evening!

I enjoy trying as many of the local specialities as possible and have to say that I have liked most of them. On the minus side, though,  I’m too enamoured with locusts,

considered a delicacy by many locals. Each one to their own, I guess!

All this talk of food and I’m feeling hungry!

Phileas

Once out of Bangkok’s traffic, the trip to Hua Hin (dubbed the centre of Thailand’s riviera)  is easy and the difference between the wealth in the north and the south is quickly apparent with good quality roads, international resorts, restaurants, bars and shops covering all price ranges.

A foreigner is not allowed to own land in Thailand although there is currently one (perhaps dodgy) way to do this via a company formation. However, I couldn’t really see the point of this when a 30 year land lease is available for foreigners, automatically renewable for 2 x 30 years. My thinking was that a total of 90 years would see me out. So in March this year, I acquired the lease on some land about 10-15 minutes drive west of Hua Hin towards the Myanmar/Burma border in a gated development of around 60 planned properties.

In many ways, my decision to take this plunge was instinctive, based largely on my love for a country I have been visiting for more than 40 years and my increasing dislike (and discomfort) of northern European winters! Add to that my current divorce roller coaster with the inevitable uncertainty about the future, the idea of regaining some focus in my life with a building project became ever more appealing. How this will all end up is anyone’s guess but my current plan is to hibernate here in the winters.

Despite having good feelings about such a decision, committing to such a project was daunting to say the least. Not only am I not very good (and have had little recent practice) at coming up with colour schemes, design layouts etc, doing all this at arms’ length back in the UK was quite scary! Add to this the inevitable concerns about the construction company’s legitimacy and financial strength and it’s little wonder that some might think that to undertake such a project (especially at my age) was proof positive of the early onset of dementia! All such concerns were initially exacerbated by little evidence of any construction activity taking place despite me having stuck to my side of the bargain with the financials. And then suddenly I received a photo

which  didn’t prove much but partially set my mind at rest that at last something was happening!

Since then, I have received regular photo updates

which gave me some confidence that my project might not, after all, be the result of a deranged septuagenarian’s mental aberration!

Now I am here in Hua Hin, with a touch of trepidation it was important that, as a priority, I took a look for myself. And…… Wow!

It’s coming along just fine but, blimey,  it’s BIG!! All for little more than the price of a small  2 1/2 bedroom 1970s end of terrace semi in Aylesbury – unless, of course,  sterling declines further!! Completion is scheduled for sometime in December. So I need lots of visitors to fill the space in 2019, please!

I am told that all the plots in the Woodlands development (where my little hut is located) have now been sold so, hopefully, the finishing touches will be added to the project soon.

The construction company building  Woodlands seem highly professional and the builders themselves seem to be a happy bunch.

The area, set close to the foothills of the mountain range separating Thailand from Myanmar/Burma is rural, the main agricultural crop being pineapple,

readily available for purchase by the roadside

at the exorbitant price of around £0.23 each!

Less than 15 minutes away, though, is the bustling town of Hua Hin populated by around 60,000 Thais and a fair sprinkling of ex pats; full of good food, good bars, good beaches, good shops and only the occasional traffic jam.  So it’s all looking good, so far.

It’s been hot today so I’ll be glad when beer o’clock comes around!

Phileas.