christianpfc
June 12th, 2013, 17:56
Weekend in Chanthaburi province
Last year, I met two boys from Chanthaburi on Camfrog, we then proceeded to chat on facebook. One of them had plenty of excuses every time I wanted to go to Chanthaburi (тАЬwe cannot meet because I might get a lot of home work and I might be very busy the weekendтАЭ) which is an indication that he isnтАЩt really interested. But the other one really wanted to meet me.
I have never been to Chanthaburi, but last year BaoBao posted about Wat Kao Sukim (р╕зр╕▒р╕Фр╣Ар╕Вр╕▓р╕ кр╕╕р╕Бр╕┤р╕б) and Nam Tok Pliu National Park (р╕Щр╣Йр╕│р╕Хр╕Бр╕Юр╕ р╕┤р╣Йр╕з) which I kept in mind:
http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/09/ ... sukim.html (http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/09/trip-report-pt-24-wat-khao-sukim.html)
http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/09/ ... kim-2.html (http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/09/trip-report-pt-24a-wat-khao-sukim-2.html)
http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/04/ ... tting.html (http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/04/nam-tok-phliu-national-park-getting.html)
My friend lives near the bus station in central Chanthaburi and said I could stay with him, which is a good start!
Friday 07.06.2013 Bangkok to Chanthaburi
I finish work early and take bus and BTS to Ekkamai bus station (arrive about 17:03). I go to the first counter with тАЬChanthaburiтАЭ and am in the process of purchasing a ticket, but then the lady mentions тАЬsmall busтАЭ and in addition, I ask about time of departure (18:00), so I back-pedal and take a look at the buses first. I do not want to wait an hour and then spend 4 or 5 hours crammed in a minibus. There is a big bus, I ask for time of departure (17:30) and name of operator (Chedchai р╣Ар╕Кр╕┤р╕Фр╕Кр╕▒р╕ ) and get a ticket at their booth (205 Baht).
Now I finally understand the system used at Ekkamai bus station: several operators have their own booths, even if they have buses to the same destination. I used to go to the first booth that caught my eye, now I know that the person who sells tickets there will not tell you that there is a more comfortable (big bus versus minibus/van, my opinion) bus that leaves earlier (17:30 compared to 18:00) from a different operator. They all seem to have the same price.
The bus leaves 17:30 in Ekkamai, a bottle of water and a custard cake are distributed for free to all passengers. We arrive in Chanthaburi bus station at 22:09.
I call my friend, he comes to pick me up on his motorbike. Judging on his pictures on facebook, I was not sure if he is my type. Now in real life, I think he is rather not my type. We have dinner on the way back to his place (not that close to the bus station). His room is minuscule (about 10 sqm), but he pays 3000 Baht per month rent and even a joiner fee (He asked me for 200 Baht for staying with him over night). A very basic bathroom (no wash basin) is shared with others. The mattress in his room is small, but we manage to fit on it. I try to sleep, but my friend initiates hanky-panky, followed by rumpy-pumpy.
I manage to fall asleep on that small, hard mattress after some adjustments (change the direction of the fan that I am not in the air flow).
Saturday 08.06.2013 Wat Kao Sukim, fruit garden, Nam Tok Pliu waterfall
About 7am, my friend wakes me up. His teacher is coming and I have to get out of his room and check into a hotel. He takes me there on his motorbike. The hotelтАЩs name is Kiatkachorn Hotel (р╣Вр╕гр╕Зр╣Бр╕гр╕бр╣А р╕Бр╕╡р╕вр╕гр╕Хр╕┤р╕ р╕Ир╕г) on Ta Luang road, close to Bangkok Hospital. The cheapest rooms are all booked out, I get a room with aircon and hot water for 350 Baht per night. Excellent value for money! Large and clean room and bathroom in central location. The only disadvantages are a hard mattress and a window above the door to the floor, so there is light from the floor all night (I cannot sleep well with light). Pictures of my room (contrary to otherтАЩs hotel reports, my stuff is in the picture):
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j412/christianpfc/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6580_zps749092d4.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/christianpfc/media/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6580_zps749092d4.jpg.html)
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j412/christianpfc/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6581_zpsd382ab60.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/christianpfc/media/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6581_zpsd382ab60.jpg.html)
Bathroom has the sink built in kind of tiled table. So I have enough horizontal space in table high to put my stuff on (contrary to Thai friendsтАЩ bathrooms, the sink has only bend surfaces so you canтАЩt put anything there, the tray below the mirror is usually full, as is the cover of the toilet water reservoir, I have to put my stuff on the floor, where it gets wet and I have to bend down).
I sleep some more hours and get up around 10am. I call my friend to join me for a daytrip to Wat Kao Sukim. On the internet, I found information about a minibus that drives past the Wat.
http://www.kookgiggstour.com/wat-khao-sukim.html
I ask my friend to take me to the market (Nam Pu) to inquire about minibuses, but there are no buses in that direction (he asked a driver, I asked a passenger). My friend takes me to another place where he had organized a driver (that was his original suggestion, but I had to check if there are public buses) for 450 Baht. My friend will be busy studying all the day, so I have to go alone. I thought he would be free for the weekend and join me, but I am prepared for sudden changes in plan and as he is not so much my type, I donтАЩt mind travelling alone. Now that I can make myself understood in Thai, it even has some advantages.
It takes 30 minutes (10:45 to 11:15) to drive to the wat. I stay there until 13:05 and have lunch at the market around the car park while my driver is waiting at the car park.
Entrance area
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j412/christianpfc/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6528_zps62f6aaab.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/christianpfc/media/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6528_zps62f6aaab.jpg.html)
Main stairway to the wat (314 steps, you can take the train instead)
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j412/christianpfc/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6549_zps67e0619e.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/christianpfc/media/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6549_zps67e0619e.jpg.html)
View from a nearby pavilion onto the existent wat (right top, covered by trees) and the construction site of the new building (left top)
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j412/christianpfc/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6548_zpsf881da28.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/christianpfc/media/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6548_zpsf881da28.jpg.html)
This is what it will look like when complete (from the watтАЩs website):
http://www.watkhaosukim.com/sara/images/p1.jpg
(according to a poster I got there: Burapha Thitha Wiriya Pracha Samakkee pagoda 99 meters wide, 99 meters long, 119 meters high)
Last year, I met two boys from Chanthaburi on Camfrog, we then proceeded to chat on facebook. One of them had plenty of excuses every time I wanted to go to Chanthaburi (тАЬwe cannot meet because I might get a lot of home work and I might be very busy the weekendтАЭ) which is an indication that he isnтАЩt really interested. But the other one really wanted to meet me.
I have never been to Chanthaburi, but last year BaoBao posted about Wat Kao Sukim (р╕зр╕▒р╕Фр╣Ар╕Вр╕▓р╕ кр╕╕р╕Бр╕┤р╕б) and Nam Tok Pliu National Park (р╕Щр╣Йр╕│р╕Хр╕Бр╕Юр╕ р╕┤р╣Йр╕з) which I kept in mind:
http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/09/ ... sukim.html (http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/09/trip-report-pt-24-wat-khao-sukim.html)
http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/09/ ... kim-2.html (http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/09/trip-report-pt-24a-wat-khao-sukim-2.html)
http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/04/ ... tting.html (http://khunbaobao.blogspot.com/2012/04/nam-tok-phliu-national-park-getting.html)
My friend lives near the bus station in central Chanthaburi and said I could stay with him, which is a good start!
Friday 07.06.2013 Bangkok to Chanthaburi
I finish work early and take bus and BTS to Ekkamai bus station (arrive about 17:03). I go to the first counter with тАЬChanthaburiтАЭ and am in the process of purchasing a ticket, but then the lady mentions тАЬsmall busтАЭ and in addition, I ask about time of departure (18:00), so I back-pedal and take a look at the buses first. I do not want to wait an hour and then spend 4 or 5 hours crammed in a minibus. There is a big bus, I ask for time of departure (17:30) and name of operator (Chedchai р╣Ар╕Кр╕┤р╕Фр╕Кр╕▒р╕ ) and get a ticket at their booth (205 Baht).
Now I finally understand the system used at Ekkamai bus station: several operators have their own booths, even if they have buses to the same destination. I used to go to the first booth that caught my eye, now I know that the person who sells tickets there will not tell you that there is a more comfortable (big bus versus minibus/van, my opinion) bus that leaves earlier (17:30 compared to 18:00) from a different operator. They all seem to have the same price.
The bus leaves 17:30 in Ekkamai, a bottle of water and a custard cake are distributed for free to all passengers. We arrive in Chanthaburi bus station at 22:09.
I call my friend, he comes to pick me up on his motorbike. Judging on his pictures on facebook, I was not sure if he is my type. Now in real life, I think he is rather not my type. We have dinner on the way back to his place (not that close to the bus station). His room is minuscule (about 10 sqm), but he pays 3000 Baht per month rent and even a joiner fee (He asked me for 200 Baht for staying with him over night). A very basic bathroom (no wash basin) is shared with others. The mattress in his room is small, but we manage to fit on it. I try to sleep, but my friend initiates hanky-panky, followed by rumpy-pumpy.
I manage to fall asleep on that small, hard mattress after some adjustments (change the direction of the fan that I am not in the air flow).
Saturday 08.06.2013 Wat Kao Sukim, fruit garden, Nam Tok Pliu waterfall
About 7am, my friend wakes me up. His teacher is coming and I have to get out of his room and check into a hotel. He takes me there on his motorbike. The hotelтАЩs name is Kiatkachorn Hotel (р╣Вр╕гр╕Зр╣Бр╕гр╕бр╣А р╕Бр╕╡р╕вр╕гр╕Хр╕┤р╕ р╕Ир╕г) on Ta Luang road, close to Bangkok Hospital. The cheapest rooms are all booked out, I get a room with aircon and hot water for 350 Baht per night. Excellent value for money! Large and clean room and bathroom in central location. The only disadvantages are a hard mattress and a window above the door to the floor, so there is light from the floor all night (I cannot sleep well with light). Pictures of my room (contrary to otherтАЩs hotel reports, my stuff is in the picture):
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j412/christianpfc/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6580_zps749092d4.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/christianpfc/media/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6580_zps749092d4.jpg.html)
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j412/christianpfc/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6581_zpsd382ab60.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/christianpfc/media/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6581_zpsd382ab60.jpg.html)
Bathroom has the sink built in kind of tiled table. So I have enough horizontal space in table high to put my stuff on (contrary to Thai friendsтАЩ bathrooms, the sink has only bend surfaces so you canтАЩt put anything there, the tray below the mirror is usually full, as is the cover of the toilet water reservoir, I have to put my stuff on the floor, where it gets wet and I have to bend down).
I sleep some more hours and get up around 10am. I call my friend to join me for a daytrip to Wat Kao Sukim. On the internet, I found information about a minibus that drives past the Wat.
http://www.kookgiggstour.com/wat-khao-sukim.html
I ask my friend to take me to the market (Nam Pu) to inquire about minibuses, but there are no buses in that direction (he asked a driver, I asked a passenger). My friend takes me to another place where he had organized a driver (that was his original suggestion, but I had to check if there are public buses) for 450 Baht. My friend will be busy studying all the day, so I have to go alone. I thought he would be free for the weekend and join me, but I am prepared for sudden changes in plan and as he is not so much my type, I donтАЩt mind travelling alone. Now that I can make myself understood in Thai, it even has some advantages.
It takes 30 minutes (10:45 to 11:15) to drive to the wat. I stay there until 13:05 and have lunch at the market around the car park while my driver is waiting at the car park.
Entrance area
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j412/christianpfc/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6528_zps62f6aaab.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/christianpfc/media/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6528_zps62f6aaab.jpg.html)
Main stairway to the wat (314 steps, you can take the train instead)
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j412/christianpfc/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6549_zps67e0619e.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/christianpfc/media/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6549_zps67e0619e.jpg.html)
View from a nearby pavilion onto the existent wat (right top, covered by trees) and the construction site of the new building (left top)
http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j412/christianpfc/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6548_zpsf881da28.jpg (http://s1084.photobucket.com/user/christianpfc/media/Chanthaburi%20June%202013/DSCN6548_zpsf881da28.jpg.html)
This is what it will look like when complete (from the watтАЩs website):
http://www.watkhaosukim.com/sara/images/p1.jpg
(according to a poster I got there: Burapha Thitha Wiriya Pracha Samakkee pagoda 99 meters wide, 99 meters long, 119 meters high)