158 replies to this topic

[dixon cox]

Yon beastie looks remarkably like Soulboy...

Same size perhaps

Was the landing smoother then it looked and sounded?

I'd never been in such a small airplane before, but I expected it to be a bit bumpy. What I do remember though was thinking upon take-off and especially on landing was - Wow, he's good!

I was really impressed my old mate from Dartford was flying a plane

[dixon cox]

Bangkok, Thailand

Having spent almost another month in Bangkok with no pictures, no movies and no recollection of what I'd done, it was time to head south for another visa run. There were no restrictions at all on re-entries back then, you could just keep exiting and re-entering the Kingdom repeatedly.

I yearned for some peace and quiet after Bangkok, so we decided to head south for sun, sea and sand, but needed to get the visa done first so we could relax and not be concerned about what day it was.

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[dixon cox]

I like overland travel, so it was back to Hua Lampong railway station in Bangkok to begin the journey south.

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[dixon cox]

Hat Yai here we come...

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[dixon cox]

I remember searching for the border crossing on a hot afternoon, walking and walking while asking my companion to ask the locals for the location of the border crossing. This wasn't the same border crossing I'd been to before.

Having followed several sets of directions and getting nowhere and midly frustrated in the heat, I wondered if I'd got it all wrong and I was on a wild goose chase of some sort. Repeatedly asking her to ask for the big border, we had to be fairly close to it, still nothing.

Then after sitting in a shaded restaurant with a cool drink, I asked her again to ask someone for the border, the big border!- In the end I didn't know whether to laugh or cry as the penny finally dropped for her... She thought I'd been asking her to ask people for the big Buddha - FFS!

Having cleared up that minor confusion, the next person she asked immediately pointed down the road and a few corners later we were there, after more than an hour or faffing about in the afternoon heat. The were no signs in English anywhere but the crossing was substantial and I couldn't believe she didn't put two and two together and relaise that was the reason why we were there. It was funny later, but not at the time.

Within minutes I'd left the Kingdom and was walking the half kilometer of no-mans land between Thailand and Malaysia. She sat in Thailand at a drink's stall and waited for me. I stamped into Malaysia, did one lap of a roundabout while I smoked a cigarette and then left. The border guard looked at me like I'm some wierdo farang as I slid my passport across the counter on my way back out.

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[dixon cox]

Krabi

After the visa run into Malaysia it was across by minibus from Hat Yai to Krabi Town, then a boat to Railay, a peninsular inaccessable by road.

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[dixon cox]

Krabi.

Staying in Railay out on the peninsular leaves just a short walk to arguably one of the most tranquil and beautiful locations in Thailand, at least it was back in 1998.

Phra Nang Bay.

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[soulboy]

Those last two pictures are great a real paradise

[dixon cox]

This place still ranks very highly amongst my best memories as a location which provided total peace, tranquility and absolute beauty. Sheer bliss for those who enjoy relaxing times in the slow lane.

No two-strokes, no jet-skis, no music and no crowds. Only the gentle crash of the waves and the water lapping the sand.

I spent many a lazy day here, cleansing of the mind and soul

[petesie]

Good clip there DC...a swift spot of tranquility to start my day!

[dixon cox]

Good clip there DC...a swift spot of tranquility to start my day!

Your welcome

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[dixon cox]

Hat Nopparat Thara

A pleasant 20 baht long-tail boat ride only 3km further along the coast took us to Hat Nopparat Thara.

At the time, another beautiful and unspoiled piece of the world.

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