25 November  - Health and Safety Advisory for visitors to Koh Chang: Look after yourself, because no one else will.

Last night was Loy Krathong, a fireworks and beer type of celebration. Many hotels had firework displays and some also had flying paper lanterns from the north of Thailand.  The paper lanterns use a candle to generate hot air which then lifts the lantern into the sky, where it blows away on the wind.  Sometimes they come back down to earth where they aren't supposed to as happened last night. If they burn out and come down as the hot air cools, then no problem.  If there's a strong, swirling wind blowing and they come down still burning and land on an area of dry grass and undergrowth then you have a problem . . .

On the right side of the photo above, just out of shot, over 100 tourists were having their Loy Krathong dinner and being 'entertained' by some Thai dancing - oblivious to the large fire burning about 200 metres away from the wooden hotel restaurant where they were dining. 

If you were on holiday and a large fire broke out nearby would you expect the hotel management to a) have erred on the side of caution and mentioned to guests that it might be better to leave the festivities temporarily as there was a large fire burning nearby or b) done nothing.  Anyone answering a) would have upset a lot of guests for no reason the hotel didn't burn down anyway.  And so b) was obviously the correct choice, as if you're going to die in a fire then so it will be, you can't change fate.

The restaurant below was evacuated, or at least all the customers left when the place filled with smoke and it looked like their steaks would be well done instead of rare.

Fortunately the fire department were on hand and roughly 30 minutes after the fire started Koh Chang's two fire tenders arrived.  It took a bit of time as they are based on the other side of the island, a safe distance from any fires that might break out near restaurants or hotels. Another 30 minutes later the fire burnt itself out. 

So in the end the hotel management were proved right - there was nothing to worry about after all.  Tourists visiting this high season can sleep soundly knowing that those in charge of their safety can forsee the future and predict winds and paths of fires accurately . . . . hopefully. 

18 November  - On November 24th, it will be time to grab a few hundred baht's worth of the finest Chinese weapons grade fireworks, a couple of large Beer Changs,  and head down to the local river, ocean or large pond to celebrate Loy Krathong - the Thai festival of something or other.  Exactly what isn't important as it's an excuse to play with fireworks and drink beer if you're  a guy; or to sit with your friends and make decorative floats out of banana leaf, then drink beer and play with fireworks, and then do the washing up if you're a girl. 

Once the beer's been drunk and the child who carelessly lost a couple of fingers when a  rocket blew up in his hand taken to hospital; it's time to go down to the river and place your decorated 'krathong' in the water.  This then gently drifts off on the current, carrying with it your sins from the past year. Obviously, the  symbolism may be lost in locations Loy Krathong is celebrated by the sea where the wind and the waves can conspire to return your krathong to you.  If you held your ancient animist beliefs close to your heart that would be you screwed for the next 12 months.

And where can you experience a cultural feast such as this on Koh Chang? - well pretty much everywhere.  Buy a krathong from the stalls that will pop up by the roadside on the morning of the 24th and your hotel will have somewhere you can float it. 

If you want a bit of a classier Loy Krathong experience, then the Amari Emerald Cove is having a big Loy Krathong party complete with International & Thai food buffet, Thai Dance show, Krathong making, and Nang Noppamas* Beauty Contest. The fun starts in the morning, as do the Loy Krathong festivities, the evening buffet dinner is priced at 750 baht +++, including free transport between your hotel and the Amari.  Call 039-552-000 for more info.

*Nang Noppamas was a royal courtier in bygone days and is credited with the invention of the Krathong, which in Thai eyes puts her up there with Thomas Edison and the Wright brothers.  In her honour, every November full moon, women the length and breadth of Thailand celebrate her discovery by  dressing up in traditional Thai style, applying way too much make-up, constructing  elegant krathongs, drinking beer and playing with fireworks. 

For budget celebrations, a mere 150 baht will get you a plate of food & a drink of some description; plus Thai dancing and a karaoke session in the traditional souvenir shopping village of Bangbao.

The picture below, from the Pattaya Mail's cartoonist, tells you all you need to know about the celebrations.

But for a better understanding of just how to decorate and then float your krathong -  without falling head over heels into the water, read this

Evolution  . . . Koh Chang style.  To celebrate the imminent arrival of a third 7-eleven store on White Sand Beach, this one to be located in opposite Koh Chang Lagoon Resort and catering to people who can't, or won't, walk for more than a few hundred metres in order to buy a bag of ice, bag of mixed nuts and a toilet roll; here's a quick look at the advances taking place in mini-mart signage on Koh Chang.

In the beginning there were local minimarts where the friendly local owners would happily rip off their neighbours and tourists alike, selling over priced expired products from a dingy, unlit shop.  These were the kind of places where you could by everything from a replacement turn signal for your motorbike to a pack of sanitary towels and half a kilo of  chicken's feet.  That all changed a few years ago when the first '7-eleven' opened on the island.

Noting that everyone now made  a beeline for this shiny new air-conditioned store, many local mini-marts struggled, supported only by backpackers who insisted in giving their money to the native traders and not to franchises of multi-national conglomerates.  But they soon relented when Lonely Beach became home to this store designed to lure in those adverse to shopping in a real 7-eleven

Time passed and on the roadside in Klong Prao,  pretty much in the middle of nowhere, a new mini-mart opened.  Trade was slow, a remedy was required.  Monks were consulted and a change of name was recommended as the only cure.  And thus the '7 years' mini-mart  was born, but in this case no-one paid much attention as the name's just taking the piss.  

13 November  - Large backpacker hut resort, plus bars, chillout lounge & restaurant with approx 80 metres roadside frontage sitting on 4 Rai (6,400sqm)  of land. 12 year lease.  Price reduced from 12 million to 9 million baht.  All 18 bungalows and 4 houses are full at the moment - 100% occupancy.  Photos & info

Also down that way Sunsail have just opened their office at Koh Chang Marine in Salakphet.   They have eight yachts for charter.  Bareboat charter from just 13,600 baht/day for a 6 berth, 33' yacht. For anyone who's into sailing, you're probably thinking this is an extremely reasonable daily rate.  For anyone who isn't into sailing, you're probably thinking you could buy a racehorse for less - but there again a racehorse doesn't sleep six.  More info on the Sunsail website

The problem facing yacht owners has long been the comparative lack of mooring berths on Koh Chang.  There's Island View pier and Koh Chang Marina both in Salakphet but both are relatively small and well away from the popular beaches and hotels on the west coast.  The good news is that Siam  Royal View have just made details of their new Marina public.  Wet berths are on sale to residents of the development and non-residents alike.  So if you need a spot to moor your yacht this is it.  Berth ownership from 900,000 baht for non-residents.  Marina Plan and details.

What did I do this week?

Take one wooden footbridge in need of spraying for termites, then add one guy with a spray gun walking around under the bridge not looking where he's going, throw in  an old plank of wood with a two and a half inch rusty nail protruding upwards and finally top off with the fact the protective footwear being worn consisted of 49 baht flip flops.  Guess what happened next?

The hole in my foot was about an inch deep but the hole in my wallet was considerably less painful.  The choice was private clinic or local clinic.  Usually I'd advise people to go to the private clinic where you can discuss symptoms of any ailments with an English speaking doctor whilst sitting on a designer sofa in whitewashed surroundings and being served complimentary hot sugary tea and nibbles.  But seeing as it was pretty obvious what the problem was and I was nearer the local place it was there that I went. 

It was  a bit disconcerting to see all manner of sharp metal objects being brought out of sterilised stainless steel containers.  These implements included what appeared to be  a stainless steel knitting needle, but at least I could console myself with the thought that the local anesthetic would be on the way soon and the nurse could then get on with the job of digging the bits of rust out. 

She got on with the excavation quickly which was good, the downside was that no local anesthetic was forthcoming.  So it stung a little as I discovered that the knitting needle was used to wrap iodine soaked gauze around and was then inserted into the hole and wiggled around about a bit. "Jep mai?" ("Does it hurt?") she asked, "Nit noi" ("A little" ) I replied.  Had this been said in a gruff, Chuck Norris, man-of-steel type of manner it might have been convincing, but   when said with watery eyes and a high pitched voice it probably didn't.  She gave me another smile, this one said "Liar", I flashed back a "Yeah, I know that you know this f@*king hurts like hell so why ask me in the first place?" smile in return.

But 15 minutes of digging, prodding and scraping later it was over.  A tetanus jab was given and I was out the door with a small bag of painkillers, a small bag of antibiotics and a bill for 170 baht.  Since then I've been back daily to get more rust picked out and new bandage applied - price 50 baht per visit.  The waiting area is just outside the the main building, with the window of the small treatment area nearby.  So, as I did a couple of days ago, you can sit and wait and hear muffled screams as people get their calf burns from motorbike exhausts cleaned up.

However, if do something stupid like I did, get mauled by a gecko or fall off your bike then head to one of the local clinics, point to the problem and they'll fix you up very cheaply and also do a good job.  It's been less than a week but my wound has healed over fine, no infection and I can walk around pretty normally now. Just remember to bring something to bite down on if you think the nurse might need to dig into you.

6 November  - The oldest person on Koh Chang? 80? 90?100?  Try 108 years old and still active.  At least that's what she reckons her age is, but as there's no official record of her birth, she was born on Koh Chang, no-one is quite sure.  However, family members are certain she is over 100.  The elixir of life can apparently be found in her daily ration of Thai whisky. You'll see her pottering around Kai Bae Hut Resort.

New Pool Villas at Siam Beach Resort.  Get your Romantic Vacation Wish List ready:

*Privacy - Check
*White sand beach right outside your door - Check
*Your own secluded sun deck and plunge pool - Check
*Huge flat screen TV with home theatre - Check
*Jacuzzi bath for 2 (or 3) - Check
*Dungeon full of lingerie, French maid's outfits, assorted whips, chains, vibrating electrical equipment and furry handcuffs - Unfortunately not . . . . which just goes to show you can't have everything.

However, if you have got around 10,000 baht/night to spend on accommodation there aren't many better ways to spend it. More photos at www.kohchangpoolvillas.com

A new game called 'Koh Chang Construction Roulette'.  Take a look below at who's building what where.  Did you just book two weeks on a palm fringed paradise beach or a fortnight on a building site? 

K.C. Grande Resort, White Sand Beach: The construction of a new hotel building is well underway, due for completion in April/May 2008, construction site is an eyesore, but there again so is most of White Sand beach.

Koh Chang Lagoon Resort, White Sand Beach: New hotel building by the roadside almost completed.  I'm still wondering where the Lagoon actually is unless it's the Thai word for 'small swimming pool'.

Paradise Resort, Klong Prao: Started construction of 12 Jacuzzi Villa’s next to the restaurant - but away from existing bungalows.  Hopefully completed by  September 2008 if the local builder's merchant stocks the correct kind of nails, 2010 if it doesn't.

Koh Chang Resort, Klong Prao:  New conference building will be completed in late November. It's taken them long enough and in keeping with the rest of the resort it looks a bit of a train wreck.

Tropicana Resort, Klong Prao: Started the construction of 100 more rooms to the south of existing resort and around the front entrance.  Huge project but it's outside the resort, there will be some noise in the reception area and some bungalows on the south side of the resort.  They'll finish banging around sometime in mid-2008. 

Baan Rim Nam, Klong Prao: We're planning to fix up the old outside toilet.  You know, give it a lick of paint, add a western toilet, a few plants, move the washing machine a couple of feet and maybe add a few clear roof tiles for more light, that kind of thing.  Completion date "Up to you" according to our builder.

Cliff Beach Resort, Kai Bae:  Started the construction of a hotel building up on the cliff, completion due in Q1 2008. They're also responsible for all the crap shop units by the road  - but that's another story.

Bhumiyama Resort, Lonely Beach:  New Spa building is going up in front for the Superior Garden View rooms. Should be completed by December when presumably the rooms will be renamed 'Superior Garden and back of the new Spa View'.

Dusit Princess Resort, Bailan:  Open as of 1 November but still some construction work ongoing until end of 2007.  No pithy comments as I'm holding out for a free meal here at some point in the near future.

Nisa Cabana Resort, Bailan:  Pool Villas still under construction until January 2008.  This is a new resort you have never heard of - don't worry about it, you won't have booked rooms here unless you left your travel plans to a tour agent.

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Another treat for lovers of luxury accommodation.  If pool villas aren't your thing, here's a sneak peek at the interior of a Sea View Deluxe Room at the Dusit Princess Koh Chang Resort.   

29 October - Tripadvisor.com listed it's Top Ten World Destinations for 2008 recently.  Two were in Thailand, neither of those was Koh Chang.  The couple of places that will be ruined by the sudden influx of tourists over the next 12 months are at the Phang Nga area, between Krabi & Phuket and Koh Pha-Ngan, near Samui, which come in at 3rd & 7th places respectively in the Top Ten.  Koh Chang is slowly gaining in popularity and not just with Russians who are heading here in ever increasing numbers both on package tours and travelling independently.  I only mention this as I've just finished a bottle of Dagestan's finest brandy, no idea of the brand as the writing is all in Cyrillic but it was extremely drinkable and if anyone from any of the 'Stans' or Russia is visiting - stick a  bottle in your suitcase for me.  Thanks.

Last update I mentioned that the Miss Thailand contestants were heading to Koh Chang for a couple of days.  It wasn't as though their time on Koh Chang was wasted, they took time out from their intensive skin bleaching sessions to do their bit for the environment.   In case you ever wondered how many beauty pageant contestants it takes to plant a tree the answer is here, as five of them are pictured below getting up close and personal with a sapling on Koh Chang.  Next time you see these girls they'll probably be wearing a shiny silver miniskirt and draped over a new model Camry at the 2008 Bangkok Motor Show.

More and more people are emailing about finding good quality long stay accommodation on Koh Chang, if you know of any nice, furnished small houses / bungalows in quiet areas but within easy reach of the beach, let me know. 

If you want  a quiet, laid back place on a river estuary about 100 metres from a good beach,  try Blue Lagoon Bungalows, Klong Prao - friendly local owners, been going for over 10 years and they have just repaired & renovated all the bungalows - fan rooms from 500 baht/night, AC for 1000 baht/night, walking distance to shops / ATM and easy to get to Kai Bae or White Sand beach if you want to party.   Some bungalows are built right next over water.  Their website:  www.kohchangcookery.com. But a Google search will also find more details and photos.

This week's riveting addition to the ever growing list of tourism related websites covering Trat and Koh Chang  is www.trattourism.com. Three factors which may count against it becoming a 'must click' site for millions of tourists are 1) it's only in Thai and 2) it only contains information relating to various meetings held by the Trat Tourism Authority and 3) it's only in Thai and only contains information about tourism meetings. But if you like seeing photos of local officials standing in lines and engaged in discussion then this is the site for you.

We're always on the look out for new places to eat and this week found a couple, both good value - as they aren't on the beach and so you don't pay the sand in your food premium.

Khun Mee's Restaurant, Klong Prao
Forget the silk clad waitresses, celadon tableware, carved fruit centrepieces on the table and Royal Thai cuisine.  Real Thai food comes from places built of wood and corrugated iron where there's no menu, no decor other than a dozen cases of empty beer bottles and a few fading posters of Thai monarchs past & present, the drinks list comprises consists of Water, Coke, Red Bull and Small or Large Chang Beer and the staff are the owners children or an aging relative who moves at glacial speed.  Also at busy times customers have the choice of wandering into the kitchen area and cooking their own food if they want it quickly, or waiting for the owner to get round the their order in due course.  Suck a place is Khun Mee's small restaurant just south of Chang Chutiman Elephant Camp.  No sign of any kind but there's usually some kind of meat being BBQ'd outside.  Really good food, large portions and very cheap. 

Baan Captain, Klong Prao
But for those of you who aren't willing to risk an increased chance of catching any one of a number of communicable diseases in an effort to be as one with the Thai people, have  a look at another new restaurant 'Baan Captain' 100 metres south of the turning for  the Amari Emerald Cove.  Good value Western & Thai food served up in a spotlessly clean, if not very exciting, restaurant by the roadside.  How do you know you'll get good food?  Simple - until recently the owner, Khum Prem, was a chef at the Hilton Hotel in Adelaide, so she can make Thai food as good as you'll find in any local Thai restaurant and western food as good as you'll get in a 5 star hotel.  Well worth a meal or two if you're staying at the far south of Klong Prao beach and value English speaking owners, good service, and food you can recognise.

Someone wanted a photo of a ferry - I think they were nervous about the crossing from the mainland to Koh Chang.  It's also interesting to note that there isn't a word in the Thai language for 'unseaworthy'.  Below is the pride of Centrepoint Ferry Company that operates ferries between the mainland and Koh Chang.  These run on a need to know basis, problem is that their customers aren't included in the list of those who need to know when the next boat may come along.  However, the sleepy girl in the ticket office will be more than happy to let you know that the next boat will be leaving in 15 minutes.  An hour and a half later you realise this may have been guesswork on her part and that she too isn't on the 'need to know' list either.  

19 October - It's official - the sun is shining, the sea is calm and the hotels are empty here on Koh Chang . . So what are you waiting for?, other than a cheap flight and permission from the boss to take time off work, as apparently some people work in small cubicles in concrete office blocks in city centres which can't be much fun.

Koh Chang is awash with restaurants, for example, here's a recommendation from a visitor to this site for a place most people wont ever find:

" ...there's a place I'd like to recommend, for food or just "falling in love with"... 'Blues and blues arts and food'...the guy who runs the place is amazingly friendly, so sweet, and the food is simply great. The best tom yum I've had till now...its not only the food but also the environment of the place.  Since he's an artist, he decorated the place himself. To me its really a work of art. If you're on Koh Chang, do go check it out..."

No idea if it's any good or not, but she seems to like it - it's located on the road to Baan Kwan Chang elephant camp in the north of Koh Chang. 

Other restaurants make a point of advertising  just how good they (think they) are. e.g The Spa Resort in Salakkok that likes to mention that a magazine chose the restaurant at their parent resort in Samui as one of the 'Top 50 Restaurants in the World'.  Obviously,  this means absolutely nothing when it comes to the food at The Spa Koh Chang.  The good news is that if you stick to the salads & western food then it's pretty good, but don't go near the Thai food and don't expect service to be any different than in any restaurant anywhere i.e. pretty bad.  But it's well worth stopping there for lunch if you're in the area and want something healthy, otherwise  go a few kilometres further to Salakphet Seafood. But you can at least console yourself with the great views from The Spa restaurant as you're waiting for the kitchen staff to ease themselves into life . . .

If, like me, you're old enough to remember when ONE MILLION DOLLARS!! was an unfathomably large amount of money, then you might be surprised to learn that it won't be enough to buy you a posh house at Tranquillity Bay on Koh Chang.  You'll need to stump up a minimum of 44,000,000 Baht to be able to afford a villa  there.  But if you have got a little bag of blood diamonds sitting in a Swiss bank vault; elderly parents with equity in their mini-mansion that was bought for 27 new pounds and a bag of coal in 1971; or are simply a poor person who likes to watch 'Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous' on TV and can only dream of having George Hamilton's tan, take a look at these amazing homes.   This is a single, Type C villa with almost 600sqm of living space which means you can live in the same home as your in-laws but never actually see them:

10 October - Woohoo . . . more houses being built on Koh Chang. 

Logans Thailand, a Scandinavian owned company have just launched their 'Sunshine Villas' development on Koh Chang in Salakphet Bay. This follows on from their previous developments in Bang Saen & Rayong on the eastern seaboard which have attracted a lot of interest from Scandinavian home buyers in particular as they combine functional but aesthetically pleasing design ina  quiet location, with a high standard of construction and  place a high priority on preserving the environment in which the developments are located.  Prices from 4.9 Million Baht (105,000 Euros). More details, prices and plot plans etc.

The above banner was recently erected at the Koh Chang 'Entertainment' Complex. At first glance a 'Miss Thonglor Centre Bare 2007' competition looks rather interesting and I'm sure quite a few people will have made enquiries about attending the event.  However, the Thai language makes it clear that this is some kind of event for ladyboys only.  Hopefully, in light of the news that it will be shemales and not females on display, the 'Bare' is a misspelling of Bars, Beer or even Bear.

New page of photos of the interior of a completed condo unit at Tranquility Bay Residence, Bangbao . . .and very nice it is too, and will be even better when they figure out an aesthetically pleasing and yet ergonomically friendly location in which to place the  where to put the towel rail and tissue holder in the bathroom.

Guys in search of a better class of real, and not man made, Thai totty will have more luck if they loiter as inconspicuously as possible around Aiyapura Resort & Spa on 23-24 October when the 18 finalists of the Miss Thailand World pageant will be strutting their stuff; banally answering banal questions and generally spending 2 days sheltering out of the sun in order to preserve their lillywhite skin, in an effort not to derail their chances of a Top 10 finish and therefore achieving their goal of landing a dream job as a Thai Airways trolley dolly once their 5 minutes of fame is complete.

'Upper Crust' is now open in Klong Prao - opposite the temple.  This is the deli / gourmet shop / epicurean training centre follows on from the success of Crust bakery.  All manner of bakery items, cheeses, cold cuts, dry goods, spirits, hard to find beers and wines are in stock.  Well worth a visit if you are in the area and have a love of good food and it's fast becoming the meeting point for the expat community on Koh Chang.

Today's Bangkok Post, and the Thai papers,  carry a story on the perils that can be faced when trying to sell your small resort on Koh Chang 'Briton, wife lodge CSD complaint over alleged assault' covers the story of the British & Thai owners of a small resort on Pearl Beach who were (allegedly) beaten up last weekend by the would-be buyer and his gang of hired hands when they refused to lower the selling price, matters weren't helped when they were then refused help by the police on Koh Chang, according to the story.

BUT . . it's worth bearing in mind that the article doesn't include any comment from the Koh Chang police, unlike the articles in the Thai language papers, which present a slightly different view of events. Get your Thai to English translator out from in front of the TV and ask her to read the article in today's Matichon newspaper.

3 October - Been on holiday for a few days as I needed some sunshine and there wasn't much on Koh Chang.   This time it was south to Hua Hin, Ban Krut & Chumpon.

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In the news . . . a biogas plant is supposedly due to open at the end of the year on Koh Chang.  Full Bangkok Post story.  As with most stories concerning the development of Koh Chang minor details such as where the 100 tons of waste that are required daily will come from and how it will be delivered to the plant aren't addressed.  "Details, Schmetails" as Koh Chang's Yiddish community would say - if there were one.

But it's a nice idea, the biogas plant that is, not the Yiddish community, and ties in will with the multi-coloured garbage bins that now adorn the roadside in numerous spots on the island complementing the island's natural beauty.  The Black bin is for recyclable garbage; Yellow for organic matter and Red for Hazardous materials - obviously not intended for the disposal of anything too hazardous as the red bins are only emptied once a week.   And there I was thinking that the bins were just pretty colours and wondering where to buy red & yellow plastic garbage bags to match.

Anyone planning a holiday in Rayong?  No, I didn't think so, but for anyone who gets stuck there, Soren is in the process of putting together a new site with all the info you need about the town, beaches and places to eat. See www.rayonginfo.com.  Laem Charoen Seafood & Society House are two places that are definitely worth a meal if you're in the town. 

View from the new temple overlooking Ban Krut Beach, Prachuap Kiri Khan.  Ban Krut should be on the tourist map in the coming years.  Several resorts are under construction now and there are already a couple of very nice places to stay.

What the beach lacks in sunset views it more than makes up for with lots of powdery white sand even at high tide.  Photo taken at Rachavadee Resort  - a very good deal at 1,800 baht/night.  (Beachfront land for sale nearby for only 3.5 million/rai Chanote title.)

No holiday would be complete without a visit to an old wooden palace. This is part of Mrigadayavan Palace, Hua Hin which in addition to being built by Rama V is also worth around 79 points in a game of Scrabble.

19 September - Koh Mak related stuff in this update as that's where I just spent a couple of days.  The speedboat service is currently running three times a week from Laem Ngop - Dan Mai (Koh Chang) - Koh Mak.  Within a month or so the service will revert to it's daily high season schedule.

The island leaves Koh Chang well behind when it comes to getting things done.  The most recent example are the new mountain bike trails that cover Koh Mak.  Also coming soon are public tennis courts, a high speed passenger catamaran service and a western standard kindergarten for local kids where holidaying parents will also be able to take their children to play and leave them safely if they want to escape the clutches of their little darlings for a couple of hours 

The Kindergarten renovation is part of a project that has just been launched to provide kids on the island with the best standard of education that is possible.  This  starts with the kindergarten and then will progress to improving the classrooms and facilities for school age children. The developer of GoodTime Resort provided the initial funds to start renovation of the 25 year old kindergarten building and now other local resort owners and expat home-buyers on Koh Mak are also chipping in and offering to provide funds to buy uniforms, desks, chairs, classroom equipment, books, toys etc for the kids as well as providing them all with a healthy meal at lunchtime.   At present this consists of chicken & rice plus a carbonated soft drink five days a week, no milk, fresh fruit or vegetables.

The plan is for the kindergarten to re-open in late October. Work has already begun, but as the two photos below of the dining area and toilet show, there's still a lot of work required. 

The local government can only provide one teacher to look after all the kids, so money raised will also be used to pay for assistants to help take care of the children.

A play area will also be set up.  Every afternoon this will be where families visiting Koh Mak will be encouraged to bring their children to play with the local kids.

In return the families of local children will provide Thai language lessons, cookery classes, Thai dance displays etc for visitors and to those who donate to the project.

If you plan on visiting Koh Mak and would like to make a donation, or would like to offer any help whilst on the island, please contact Kerstin  < kclausenius@web.de >. She will be back in Thailand from October 4th onwards.

11 September - Been a while since my last update as I've been on holiday again and then had my laptop die roughly 5 minutes after the warranty period expired.  So whilst that's being fixed here's a travelogue and a few holiday snaps.

Finding a place quieter than Koh Chang in the (not very) rainy season isn't easy to do.  But for anyone wanting to really get away from it all you'll be pleased to learn that there is an area of Thailand that can be easily reached from Bangkok by car, or bus if you have a thing for public transport, and where you are over 200 km from the nearest 7-eleven mini-mart.

Sangkhlaburi - near the Thai-Burma border was our destination.  Just over 220km east of Kanchanburi which was the starting point for our trip.  Kanchanaburi is famous for having a bridge which people walk over with contemplative expressions on their faces.   But at the end of the day it's just an iron and concrete bridge that happens to be built near the site of another bridge that was destroyed in WW2 and so is historical only in a round about way. So we moved swiftly on.

Not too far away is Muang Singh (Lion City), which is a far more interesting and far less visited tourist attraction.  It's a very well maintained Khmer ruin, a mini Siem Reap, and one of the 27 ancient cities of the old Khmer empire.  10 Baht entry for Thais, 40 Baht for fat-walleted foreigners for whom money is no object.  Not a great deal to see but well worth a stop if you're in the area.

After the obligatory clambering over temple walls it was back in the car and on to Saiyoke Noi waterfall.  (There is another much larger waterfall Saiyoke Yai - but you have to pay 400 baht to get into that and it falls into the category of 'waterfalls that aren't worth paying 100 baht, let alone 400 baht, to see'.)  Saiyoke Noi is a small, free,  roadside waterfall which is a popular spot for picnickers and where you can swim in a couple of pools.  Not far from here is Hindad Hot Springs which despite being well-away from civilization has now been discovered by Russian tour groups.  There are a couple of large public pools where you can swap communicable water-born diseases with strangers and several private cabins where you can get your kit off and bathe away from the monks' prying eyes.  Can't remember the entrance fee but it was around 20 baht for Thais and more than that for me.  

Another couple of hours drive through scenery of farmland and limestone hills, very reminiscent of the Ao Nang area of Krabi and and we got to Sangkhlaburi. A town made significantly more interesting following the building of a dam which causes the valley to flood and therefore look picturesque.  The town's only attraction of any kind, aside from a couple of temples and the fact it's quiet and full of nature, is the 800 metre long wooden bridge that stretches from one side of the valley to the other.  This was built by the 'Mon' people who inhabit the western bank of the river to allow them to reach the Thai, eastern side.  Interesting to note that the inhabitants of the eastern side were seemingly in no hurry to find away to reach the wooden shanty town on the opposite bank. 

The locals around here comprise Mon & Karen tribes.  The Karen tend to live in the jungle and are the type of folks you want to run into if your plane crash lands in a remote mountain area as they know more about living off the land than any TV survival expert.  The Mon make very cheap teak wood souvenirs and sell them along with imported Burmese items such soap, quarter size guitars and semi-precious glass beads and so have integrated well into Thai society.

We had a couple of nights in Sangklaburi, one in the finest hotel by the lake, the 2 star Pornpailin Resort, where an AC room complete with TV, fridge, 2 double beds, ABF and about a metre away from the water goes for 1,300 baht/night. The second night we headed to P.Guesthouse which is probably the best known of all the places to stay.  here we splashed out 600 baht on the best room in the place, (Room 17) which has an uninterrupted view across the lake. Another 800 baht/head went on a day of elephant trekking, rafting and travelling around by longtail boat.  At this time of year the boat can head up the Runtee river to the elephant camp which is an amazingly scenic trip.   

Heading back towards Kanchanaburi we did a quick detour up to Burma border at Three Pagodas Pass to see if the three pagodas were really as insignificant as they are made out to be, they are.  Absolutely no reason to go here at all unless you are in the market for teak furniture. Way cheaper than in Bangkok and all the shops will send large items on a truck to Bangkok for a few hundred baht. 

More photos in the aptly named Sangkhlaburi Photo Gallery