TrongpaiExpat
March 8th, 2007, 11:44
It had been almost 20 years since I last set foot on Ko Samet Island. It was 1989 and after a few weeks in Pattaya, I was getting bored. The Thai boy that I found wondering along Jomtiem was with me for the stay in Pattaya and he suggested we go to Ko Samet. We took a mini van to Banphe, and boarded an old wooden boat that held maybe 12 people and slowly chugged our way to the island.
The present trip started out in Bangkok. The BF and I went to Ekamai bus station and found a bus company called Cherdchai has direct buses to Banphe, Nuanthip pier, for 151 B and 40B per person for the boat. We left at 10am and got to the pier at 1300. We boarded a boat that held about 25 persons but was packed with 40. I counted 15 life jackets. It was a little faster than the boat 20 years ago. There are speed boats too, but we were not in that much of a rush, this boat took about 20 minuets. This trip I booked via.http://www.precisionreservations.com/Precision Reservations (http://www.precisionreservations.com/)
and I picked the Sai Kaew Resort. I went with the deluxe bungalows at 3,800B. The deluxe bungalows are set over in a very quiet section near a rocky section of the sea side. I booked several weeks ago and did not release that I was in the middle of a three day Thai holiday but this place still had some vacant deluxe bungalow but all the lower priced rooms were full. The bungalow was very nice, excellent bath and every thing worked. I was lucky in that they gave me a free upgrade to a sea side bungalow. Everything was very nice with the exception of the food at both the buffet breakfast and we tried lunch there once, overpriced and horrible. A short walk down the beach and there's much better food at half the price. We especially enjoyed PloyTalay where there was a nice fire show on the beach by good looking Thai guys. The sea side restaurants take up the beach chairs at dusk, put mats on the sand and little low tables with comfortable pillows, all very romantic. The music at farang volume.
If your adventurous and not into planning, and you go to Ko Samet during the week, finding a nice room should be easy. Just beyond Sai Kaew is a nice little place called Pineapple Resort. I did not make any inquiries, a little further down scale from Sai Kaew but the bungalows had AC and many good sea views. No swimming pool like Sai Kaew but only a short walk to the main beach.
20 years ago, we stayed at someplace now long gone in a AC bungalow near the beach. I paid 400B, and added electric and a TV for 100B each. What I did not know was that the electric comes on at 1800 and is shut off at first light, 0600. The bath was Thai style and the water came out rusty. The island back then was also infested with mosquitoes. Now, there did not seem to be a big mosquito problem. There were these tiny wooden rectangular shaped structures not much bigger than a coffin with pitched roof, people actually slept in these things. Now, they are all gone. It took me a day to began seeing that this was the same place. The shape of the beach and the rocks did not change.
On my first trip, laying on the beach, I was greeted by this strange Finnish man wearing a double sandwich board that said come to Roger's bar. He was strange in that he was wearing only the sandwich board. We spent every night at Roger's what was not much more than a single open garage with three tables. The road was dirt and had deep ruts and one side was under water. Now the road is paved and there are shops and bars on both sides. I was really surprised to come across a the now new Roger's bar. Still just a hole in the wall but new decor and he offers cheap rooms. Unfortunately Roger was in Pattaya and I did not get to meet him again but the Thai guy that was tending bar told me the Roger is now a very old man. There is a photo on the wall of the Roger's that I remembered.
Besides Rogers, where there is a sign, "massage by man", there is another gay bar called Cheers. They run a full page add in Thai Phuen, I could not find the place, but I did not look very hard. The add should have included a map. I don't if they have bar boys for off'ing. I did see a few PLU with Thai BF's and several Farang ladies with Thai boy escorts.
Once Monday rolled along, many of the Thais on a three day holiday left leaving the usual retired crusty Euros stuffed in speedos on holiday getting too much sun. There are still a lot of inexpensive lodging, mostly along the main road. The entrance fee to the park is 400B for Farang and 40B for Thai. I got the Thai price by showing my Thai DL. I noticed Thais just taking a right turn just before the park entrance avoiding the entry fee and then walking along the beach to get to their hotel.
We hired a boat for half a day of snorkeling on a few of the reefs that are near the island. The reef was ok, but not as nice as the ones around Krabi.
The trip back took a little longer, 3 1/2 hours back to Bangkok. These buses are pretty decent, a few pegs up from the ones used on the Bangkok/Pattaya route.
The present trip started out in Bangkok. The BF and I went to Ekamai bus station and found a bus company called Cherdchai has direct buses to Banphe, Nuanthip pier, for 151 B and 40B per person for the boat. We left at 10am and got to the pier at 1300. We boarded a boat that held about 25 persons but was packed with 40. I counted 15 life jackets. It was a little faster than the boat 20 years ago. There are speed boats too, but we were not in that much of a rush, this boat took about 20 minuets. This trip I booked via.http://www.precisionreservations.com/Precision Reservations (http://www.precisionreservations.com/)
and I picked the Sai Kaew Resort. I went with the deluxe bungalows at 3,800B. The deluxe bungalows are set over in a very quiet section near a rocky section of the sea side. I booked several weeks ago and did not release that I was in the middle of a three day Thai holiday but this place still had some vacant deluxe bungalow but all the lower priced rooms were full. The bungalow was very nice, excellent bath and every thing worked. I was lucky in that they gave me a free upgrade to a sea side bungalow. Everything was very nice with the exception of the food at both the buffet breakfast and we tried lunch there once, overpriced and horrible. A short walk down the beach and there's much better food at half the price. We especially enjoyed PloyTalay where there was a nice fire show on the beach by good looking Thai guys. The sea side restaurants take up the beach chairs at dusk, put mats on the sand and little low tables with comfortable pillows, all very romantic. The music at farang volume.
If your adventurous and not into planning, and you go to Ko Samet during the week, finding a nice room should be easy. Just beyond Sai Kaew is a nice little place called Pineapple Resort. I did not make any inquiries, a little further down scale from Sai Kaew but the bungalows had AC and many good sea views. No swimming pool like Sai Kaew but only a short walk to the main beach.
20 years ago, we stayed at someplace now long gone in a AC bungalow near the beach. I paid 400B, and added electric and a TV for 100B each. What I did not know was that the electric comes on at 1800 and is shut off at first light, 0600. The bath was Thai style and the water came out rusty. The island back then was also infested with mosquitoes. Now, there did not seem to be a big mosquito problem. There were these tiny wooden rectangular shaped structures not much bigger than a coffin with pitched roof, people actually slept in these things. Now, they are all gone. It took me a day to began seeing that this was the same place. The shape of the beach and the rocks did not change.
On my first trip, laying on the beach, I was greeted by this strange Finnish man wearing a double sandwich board that said come to Roger's bar. He was strange in that he was wearing only the sandwich board. We spent every night at Roger's what was not much more than a single open garage with three tables. The road was dirt and had deep ruts and one side was under water. Now the road is paved and there are shops and bars on both sides. I was really surprised to come across a the now new Roger's bar. Still just a hole in the wall but new decor and he offers cheap rooms. Unfortunately Roger was in Pattaya and I did not get to meet him again but the Thai guy that was tending bar told me the Roger is now a very old man. There is a photo on the wall of the Roger's that I remembered.
Besides Rogers, where there is a sign, "massage by man", there is another gay bar called Cheers. They run a full page add in Thai Phuen, I could not find the place, but I did not look very hard. The add should have included a map. I don't if they have bar boys for off'ing. I did see a few PLU with Thai BF's and several Farang ladies with Thai boy escorts.
Once Monday rolled along, many of the Thais on a three day holiday left leaving the usual retired crusty Euros stuffed in speedos on holiday getting too much sun. There are still a lot of inexpensive lodging, mostly along the main road. The entrance fee to the park is 400B for Farang and 40B for Thai. I got the Thai price by showing my Thai DL. I noticed Thais just taking a right turn just before the park entrance avoiding the entry fee and then walking along the beach to get to their hotel.
We hired a boat for half a day of snorkeling on a few of the reefs that are near the island. The reef was ok, but not as nice as the ones around Krabi.
The trip back took a little longer, 3 1/2 hours back to Bangkok. These buses are pretty decent, a few pegs up from the ones used on the Bangkok/Pattaya route.