Kiwi On Tour - Thailand Pt1

23/06/2023

Please slide over to Kiwi on tour - thailand pt2 plus

11/07/2022

Well that was my last day in Bangkok.
I had my guide take me to the 40 year old food which was fantastic and so busy we had to eat and leave so others could sit down.
We then went to the Bangkok weekend market which is the biggest in Bangkok and has a lot of everything.
We then revisited my tattoo lady for some colour 😀.
Then a 250 baht awesome pedi.
After a rest I offered to take my guide for dinner being the last night in Bangkok.
We headed to Sukhumvit 4 and the Nana Plaza area. We decided to eat at Ho***rs as Thai people generally do not go there, so something different. That's when it all went South. The food was over priced crap and the beer tasted watered down and horrible. After dinner I walked outside for some fresh air and instantly became dizzy and almost fell over. I rushed to the loo and disposed of dinner and beer.
We left and started walking back to the hotel. That's when my legs started giving way and my eyes felt swollen behind the eyeballs.
We made it back to the hotel and a cold shower later it wasn't so bad.
My drink or food had been spiked. They typically do this to male foreigners and then rob them. Maybe their timing was off as I didn't get robbed. Sometimes they get the dose wrong and people die.
Nasty.
Still recovering in the eye area.

09/07/2022

08/07/2022

Well another day in Bangkok done. Tomorrow is my last full day here.
Started off with some Pad Thai and then on to a market/mall. You may think I shop a lot but I don't. The air conditioning in malls is great and there is always something to see.
If you are coming to Thailand you seriously only need to bring 2 changes of clothes. If you go to this Mall you can stock up for only a couple of thousand Baht and if you go to Patong the same applies and you will have room for other stuff you might want to get (do not buy wooden stuff or shells).
Terminal 21 good court for dinner. It's clean and has a great selection and is comparable with street food prices. The meals are not huge but at about 40 baht a plate you can try 2 dished for 80 baht ($3) and be full.

Tomorrow I'm off to try food that has been simmering for over 40 years 😋

08/07/2022

Just some plane pics etc. Flew from Phuket to Bangkok yesterday. Nearly home time.

06/07/2022

Well this was the last full day on Phuket Island as I'm off to Bangkok tomorrow for 3 days then home.
The picture of the spring rolls is more for the hand-made flower. Pretty cool.
Anyway, so I hired a van and driver for 5 hours and off we went. It was a great experience as they stopped at places I wouldn't have thought of.
We headed to Old Phuket first and I would highly recommend this to everybody as a day trip or stay there. We then went on to Rawai Seafood Market where on one side of the street you buy your seafood cheap and on the other side of the street they cook it for you cheap. A lot better than buying seafood in the tourist areas.
We then went down to the cape lookout which was lovely and probably better an hour later.
We then went to the lookout over Karon Beach.
We then meandered back and I was dropped off at Kan Shop. I had been there the previous day and she had the best deals on gear I had found in Patong so comes highly recommended to save you the hassle when shopping for bits. You can still bargain though. She loves to bargain 😜
Then ended the evening letting fish nibble on my feet again.

05/07/2022

Here are some pics from last night, then today and tonight.
I really wanted to see the monkeys but came away angry at how they are kept and treated.

04/07/2022

Well there isn't much to do in Phuket when it's torrential rain other than:
Eat, drink beer, have a massage and get a tattoo.
Just have the beer to do and it's all ticked off.

04/07/2022

That's the beach across the road. Not bad for under $40 a night.

03/07/2022

Well tonight I escaped Udon Thani to never return and landed in Phuket.
It already feels so much better and so much hotter.
The fish helped.

03/07/2022

I have had a lot of 1 baht coins. They are useless until you get a pile of them. Then I was shocked to have what I thought must be the most useless coin in Thailand, the 1/2 baht coin. Well well well then I came across this little completely useless sucker, the mighty 1/4 baht coin. Just why? You can't even spend it.

02/07/2022

Udon Thani
Hmmm it's a bit different and more like a wild west town. It's rough and ready.
I just had a walk and almost got caught in the most amazing thunder and lightening storm.
The streets around where I am staying is filled with bar girls, beggers and the offers of hard drugs.
I looked up Udon Thani top 10 attractions and it didn't come up with much except to visit a lake, so I did.
I am seriously thinking of getting an earlier flight and getting out of here.
It was on my list and I have been here...tick.
That's about all.

02/07/2022

Hi,
I haven't posted for a few days as I have been relaxing and not doing much in Chiang Mai. Sadly I left there yesterday and flew to Bangkok and then Udon Thani. I miss Chiang Mai already as it is a great place to visit and so much to see. The locals are friendly and it is very easy to get around. I will be back for sure on the next trip.

28/06/2022

Pt 3

28/06/2022

Pt 2

28/06/2022

I didn't get any pictures as I didn't want certain pictures on my phone with borders to cross etc.
In NZ we grow thousands of acres of maze each year visible from the road. In Northern Thailand it's thousands of acres of w**d visible from the road. Yay them.

28/06/2022

Pt 1
Well today was always going to be an epic journey and it was.
14.5 hours and over 550kms.
2 Temples, 1 art installation, 3 tribes, 3 cities and 3 countries.
Enjoy 😉
Oh, whoever finds the Ninja Turtle made of concrete first I have a Thailand souvenir for you.

28/06/2022

Pt 1
Bit late but hey.
Yesterday was another lazy day and I tidied up some bits and pieces.
Added on 4 nights accommodation and 3 days scooter hire.
Went to a cat cafe, had bacon and eggs (I was craving toast) and found the best of the best authentic Thai massage (very highly recommended).
Oh there was also a pet store visit and people watching.

26/06/2022

Well as you all have probably figured out by now I am putting everything on here and being very open.
So, today was lazy day and laundry day followed by the biggest and most amazing night market I could have imagined. If my wife said not to buy wooden stuff I would have half a suitcase of amazing pieces. If God let me think like a woman I would have another 2 suitcases full of all sorts of weird junk and some cool stuff.
I came out with a full tummy and a t-shirt.
That's all 😀
Oh and Thai playing the Didgeridoo?? Is it from here also? If you know then please do tell.

25/06/2022

Well another day out on the scooter and some interesting places to visit.
Enjoy 😉

25/06/2022

Don't ask yet how I know and no I did not fall off the scooter.
Check out what a foreigner in New Zealand has to pay at the emergency department to see a doctor and get a script.
Here it is 400 baht and 300 baht.
Somebody is doing it correct and it's not New Zealand with too many taxes, red tape and just all out greed.

Oh and to top it off they start processing you within a couple of minutes and you are with the Doctor in under 20 min. Last time I waited in Waikato it was about 5 to 6 hours before we gave up and went home.

New Zealand is meant to be a 1st world country. Yeah maybe not.

Just sayin

24/06/2022

Pt 1
Hi all,
Anybody who knows me well knows I love Scooters, so today started with hiring one and doing a random ride. Rules here are simple. Ride it like you stole it most of the time and all is good.
I'm a bit over Temples at the moment because it's a big sales gimmick. Hence unless something amazing pops up I am avoiding them.
Signs lie - I got lost in the village for over an hour trying to follow roads that didn't exist.
Finished the night with street food, a massage and a Southern and Coke.

23/06/2022

The short flight and a little of Chiang Mai.
It's midnight here and I just went for a short walk to take night photos of the old city walls. No hustle and bustle like in Bangkok.
It might be nice here. I will hire a scooter and see what else is about and further afield.

23/06/2022

That's my plane casually rolling in after 4pm for a 4:25pm flight out.
Oh I took the photo so if it goes down I went out in a plane painted like a bird that couldn't fly.
Fingers crossed lol.

23/06/2022

Well today this Bangkok Pt1 leg of the trip ends.
Bangkok is huge and I barely scratched the surface. They do have amazing street food and huge variety.
People who are scammers or just there to rip you off are at every turn. As long as you are cautious you will be fine.

22/06/2022

Part 2

22/06/2022

Another day out today and a couple of Temples. Part 1