Don’t Mess with Thailand

2015-12-15 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

I will say for the record that yes, the following scenario was pretty much 100% my fault, and no, I don’t recommend anyone else to follow in my footsteps (as the ending results may vary greatly!!).

When I first arrived in Thailand in December of 2014 I didn’t bother to look at my passport stamp before leaving the immigration desk. Instead it was probably the next day, after I’d slept for several hours catching up on lost sleep, that I bothered to look (out of curiosity) at the stamp in my passport.

It was then that I’d noticed something interesting about my stamp… The entrance date was correct, but the “valid until” stamp said December, 2015…

A year later??? That can’t be right!? As I started to research information on tourist visas for Thailand, I quickly realized that a mistake had been made. Tourist visas if entering by plane are ONLY valid for 30 days. If entering by land I believe it is only 15 days. To get more than 30 days, extensions must be made and paid for.

Well, at first I was a bit panicked about this incorrect stamp but nothing online seemed to address my issue. All the visa problems were related to stamps giving LESS than the proper time allotted, never once did I run into anyone saying they were given MORE.

Perhaps that was due to people not wanting the outside world to know they had been “granted” longer than legally allowed… In any event, I was still worried about what to do in the several weeks that followed and almost did a border run within the 30 days, but the more I spoke with fellow tourists (some who had been there for months on end with proper extensions) it seemed that it really wasn’t a big deal. There was no special stamp for 30 days vs. extended stays, so I thought no biggie!

Everyone (seasoned Thailand travelers) seemed in agreement that there wasn’t even a special visa stamp for year applications. So needless to say, I simply blew off making border runs and figured I would deal with it whenever I was ready to leave Thailand.

So the day came, about 9 months later, that I was ready to leave. Up to the border patrol in Tammalang Pier I strolled with my ticket in hand for Langkawi, Malaysia. I passed over my passport to the seasoned employee… All seemed well for a few seconds… Then his eyebrows furrowed.

I was asked to step out of line and into the back where I was basically scolded for my mistake. I tried to reason with them saying it was one of their own people’s fault for giving me the wrong stamp, but really when it came down to it (and I knew this already) it was my own fault. So I was given two choices. A) Pay the maximum fine for over-staying my visa (20,000 baht) or B) Go to the Police station.

Needless to say I picked A!! I wasn’t even going to test choosing option B, lol!! But the only problem then was that I needed cash! I only had about 70 baht on me, so I basically begged for and borrowed a motorbike, drove myself into town, got the max allowed out of an ATM (20,000 baht), drove back, paid my fine, got a lovely full-page stamp in my passport outlining the infraction (stating boldly my mistake in full detail), finally got my exit stamp, and boarded the ferry to Langkawi Malaysia.

It was kinda humorous at the end there as when I had to return to the main immigration desk hours later (after paying the fine) I ended up with the same officer who caught my mistake. When I approached, he just gave me a jovial smile and shake of the head. I had to chuckle at that and smiled. No hard feelings 🙂 At least I wasn’t asked never to return to Thailand! I paid my fees and got straight with the law.

So I’ve learned my lesson, which I’d actually seen written several times in visa blog discussions: ALWAYS CHECK YOUR STAMP BEFORE LEAVING THE IMMIGRATION DESK!!! Avoid future hassles!!

As for the money, if you really think about it, it’s probably the same amount I would have had to spend in border runs and legal extensions of my tourist visa anyway. C’est la vie!

That’s my story and my warnings!!

On to Malaysia

Back to Thailand

Koh Lipe, Thailand

Koh Lipe Trash Hero!

2015-12-14 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

While on the island of Koh Tao, I’d volunteered to be Trash Hero on several occasions and was tickled to see that Koh Lipe had their own Trash Hero organization as well!

Koh Lipe has amazingly beautiful clean and clear waters surrounding all its edges, which honestly was surprising seeing how many longtail boats (easily over 100 with petrol run engines) were parked along the shores and the amount of trash that could be found washed up along the beaches.

Yes, this was my only critique of this otherwise lovely island. Trash could be found everywhere on the beaches. Generally the trash was washed up fairly high along the coast line so you could easily find spots closer to the water free from trash to lay on, but still seeing all the waste was disconcerting.

The Trash Hero chapter on Koh Lipe thankfully is quite well organized however. They meet every Monday at the start of the Walking Street along Pattaya Beach (if at other locations, someone at the Dive shop there will direct you). Along with the weekly trash pick-ups on Mondays they offer full day and even week-long trash volunteer programs where you can be dropped off on an island for up to 2 weeks, camp and eat there, enjoy the nature and pick up trash for 4 hours a day! Had I the time to stay longer, I would have signed up for that adventure, but alas…

I showed up along with 2 other volunteers at the end of the Walking Street on a Monday morning, and we were directed by one of the Dive Shop employees that the meeting location had been moved to the north end of Sunrise beach. So we headed off and were joined with another 5 people waiting to volunteer.

From there, we hopped on a longtail boat and headed to a nearby island (Ko Adang) to get started on picking up trash. To my surprise, when we arrived, there were at least 5 other longtail boats already there, each carrying at least 5-10 people! So in total, between the organizers (about 5) and the volunteers, there were probably about 30 of us! It was amazing to see such a great turnout!!!

We spent several hours picking up trash, then enjoyed a nice break with fresh watermelon and beers! Volunteers even enjoyed a nice swim at the end some even did some snorkeling 🙂 The amount of trash picked up in such a small amount of space was astounding!! I would venture to guess over 50 large trash bags worth! Absolutely unbelievable as the stretch of beach we picked trash from was no more than about 50 meters long.

Once the beers were consumed and the swimming was finished, we loaded the trash into the boats and headed back to Koh Lipe. From there, the group went to a local bar for some lunch and socializing.

A few things I’d recommend for anyone out there wanting to volunteer for Trash Hero on Koh Lipe: First, bring a camera because you never know where you are going to go and the beauty to be seen! Second, wear your bathing suit so you can join in with the swimming! Third, bring money and don’t make any plans after the fact if you are wanting to join the others for a late lunch after volunteering:)

But most importantly, if you are going to visit Koh Lipe, please do your part. Don’t litter while there, and join in to be a Trash Hero!!

Picture courtesy of Google Images 🙂

On to Don’t Mess with Thailand!

Back to Thailand

Koh Lipe, Thailand

The Beauty of Ko Lipe

2015-12-13 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

Getting to this beautiful and teeny little island in the Andaman Sea was quite treacherous at some points, but very much well worth the trip!!

Walking Street

Along Walking Street

Sunrise Walk_2

Sunrise Walk_3

Sunrise Walk_4

Really I should (or rather could) simply blame the travel treachery on the fact that I was traveling during low season. There’s a reason why it’s low season! Simply stated the seas are unpredictable. In high season it is relatively easy (due to calm waters) and cheaper to get from island to island via a longtail taxi boat or other ferry boats, however once again because of low season the options were limited.

Sunrise Walk_5

Sunrise Walk_6

Sunrise Walk_7

Northern Side

Northern Side_2

I left Ko Muk (Mook) easily on the morning ferry (which seemed to not only haul a couple of tourists but also local commuters to the mainland and bundles of rubber ready to be processed into final products) for the mainland where I was met by a mini bus. Several very rainy hours later, we came upon a stop where I was told to exit the mini bus. The name of the town, I can’t at this point recall, but it was a good 20 minute motorbike ride to the Pak Bara pier for Ko Lipe.

Northern Side_3

Northern Side_4

Pattaya Beach

Pattaya Beach_2

Seaside Resort

Seaside Resort_2

100 baht and 20-ish minutes later and I was at a teeny tour place near the pier buying my roundtrip (open return!) ticket for Ko Lipe. As I waited for the powerboat, I encountered my first and only unsettling experience as a solo traveler. Ladies, if you are traveling solo (or even with people!) to or from this pier, beware of the very large (literally) local. He’s on the younger side, but you can’t miss which one he is because he really is quite obese. When I first arrived I thought he was part of the working crew at the pier, but after observing him for a bit, I figured out he wasn’t. What made him unsettling was he kept trying to get VERY close to me and other female tourists. He would sit next to you on a bench, then try to shake your hand, then try to hug you, and even tried to lean in to kiss you!

Pattaya Beach_3

Pattaya Beach_4

Dog Daily Swim

Bars along Pattaya

Pattaya Beach_6

What was more suspicious of his behavior as I watched, was that he would first look around as he tried to sit with a female, and if he didn’t spot any actual workers or security guards, he would sit. But if he did (even when halfway down) he would immediately jump up and walk away. With me, he did get as far as sitting next to me and trying for a hug to which I immediately put a very harsh stop to his behavior. He left me alone for the remainder of my wait, but when coming back to the pier on my way back Ko Lipe, he was there again up to the same antics! Beware female travelers!

Hunting Sea Urchins

Hunting Sea Urchins_2

Hunting Sea Urchins_3

Pattaya Sunset

Pattaya Beach_7

Pattaya Beach_8

Now the only other unpleasant portion of getting to Ko Lipe was the powerboat ride itself. Again, it was because of the unpredictable low season seas, but if you are one who gets sea sick easily, I recommend to travel only when the seas are calm!! The ride was only a couple of hours long but they were very bumpy, and at some points a bit unnerving as the powerboat launched skyward and then slammed down onto an oncoming wave. Just about everyone on the boat (except the locals chilling all their way in the back smoking away) lost their lunch, and some even lost their breakfast, and perhaps even the meals from the day before! Yes, it was THAT rough! I almost lost it at one point smelling all the vomit surrounding me, but thankfully I didn’t… But I won’t share what I kept saying to myself in order to prevent myself from getting sick because it may make some readers lose their lunches just reading it, lol!

Wandering Around

Wandering Around_2

Wandering Around_3

Wandering Around_4

Wandering Around_5

When we arrived to Ko Lipe, the seas were calm (protected by beautifully lush surrounding islands) as we disembarked on a floating dock and switched to a longtail taxi boat for the 2 minute transfer to the island. Once again, I didn’t have a room booked anywhere, so once on land I started my usual walk around to try to find a place. We were dropped off by the longtail boats on Sunrise beach (beautiful beach along the East side of the island) and it wasn’t until I made it to Pattaya beach along the South side of the island that I was able to find a place.

Wandering Around_6

Wandering Around_7

Wandering Around_8

Wandering Around_9

Wandering Around_10

Again, because of low season, many of the places along Sunrise beach were closed. In fact, even walking along the walking street in the middle of the day, the island felt relatively deserted, giving the place a slightly spooky feel to it. As I wandered along Pattaya beach with my backpack and sweating my rear off (despite the cloud cover) I finally spotted a little sign for The Seaside Resort. For 500 baht a night, I got my own bungalow with a bathroom and lovely porch, only about a 30 second walk from the stunning beach. The people were very friendly (though they didn’t speak a ton of English) and accommodating for my week stay there.

Wandering Around_11

Wandering Around_12

Wandering Around_13

Wandering Around_14

Wandering Around_15

While at first I wasn’t entirely convinced I liked Ko Lipe (due to the initial spooky vibe I got), after my first full day there I was in love with the place and honestly would never want to go there during high season just because I grew to adore how quiet it was and couldn’t imagine it stuffed to the gills with tourists.

Pattaya Sunset_2

Pattaya Sunset_3

Pattaya Sunset_4

Pattaya Sunset_5

Pattaya Sunset_6

Though it is a teeny island, there was plenty of walking and hiking trails to various areas of the island and the snorkeling on Pattaya beach was stunning!! I spent hours for days on end watching clown fish nestling against sea anemones (the first in nature I’d ever seen!! I’d seen plenty of anemones, but never the clown fish with them!!); sea urchins and sea cucumbers chilling on the ocean floor; puffer fish swimming by; angel fish, damsels of all kinds, corals, clams, you name it, they pretty much had it! I was so enamored with the variety of tropical life just off the shore! And while there were several times I wished I had a waterproof camera, part of me is thankful that I was actually present for the experience instead of being fussed by getting the perfect shot and looking constantly through a lens.

Pattaya Sunset_7

Leaving

Leaving_2

Leaving_3

Water Clarity

Seriously, while Ko Lipe does have a couple of shortcomings (revealed in Ko Lipe Trash Hero!) it is NOT an island of Thailand to miss!!

On to Koh Lipe Trash Hero!

Back to Thailand

Ko Muk, Thailand

Ko Muk (Mook)

2015-12-12 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

While getting to Koh Ngai (Hai) was easy and cheap, leaving the island was a very different story! Since it was low season (therefore very little traffic to and from the island except on tour boats that would take you back to Ko Lanta) the opportunities to leave the island were very limited. Basically it all came down to “if and when” a local taxi boat operator wanted to take us to the next island . And the price was not cheap either… Of course they could basically charge whatever they wanted (despite our attempts to negotiate) because hey, it’s an island. You got here, but if you want to get off you’re gonna have to pay what they say to pay or not leave at all!

Coco Lodge Beach

Snakes Alive!

Dog with Snake

View of Pier

Welcome!

So it was one semi-stormy mid-afternoon that we decided to head out for Koh Mook (Muk) at the not so bargain price of 1500 baht. It was just Anna and I so of course the price was pumped a bit. Had there been more people going it would have been cheaper for the individual, obviously. Funnily enough however we did spot an older couple with a younger child who had arrived on the island in the morning and wondered whether they were staying or going on to Koh Muk. Neither myself nor Anna were brave enough to approach them to ask whether they were staying or going, but as it turned out, they were on their way to Koh Muk, so had we asked them we could have possibly gotten a cheaper ride there… In any event…

Coco Lodge

Coco Lodge_2

Coco Lodge_3

Coco Lodge_4

Coco Lodge_5

Coco Lodge_6

We loaded up on our private longtail taxi boat and headed out on the stormy sea. The two crew men (brothers- one driver, one look-out) were chatty and quite entertaining as we headed into what originally looked like a calm enough sea. Pah-ah-ti (wrong spelling but phonetically sound and means “sun” in Thai) was the older and more “experienced driving boats” brother. When we set out he said his younger brother needed more practice in rougher seas, so he let him drive first, but “not to worry, if the sea gets really bad I will take over”… The closer we got into the open sea, no longer that sheltered from the neighboring islands, the rougher it got. Anna wasn’t feeling so hot, but I didn’t mind it so much until Pah-ah-ti climbed from the front to the back to take over driving… Not a good sign!! The waves got larger and more turbulent. Sea water splashed over the sides and we were often hit with sea spray from the sides and front of the boat as it crashed into the oncoming waves. A couple of times it was a bit worrisome (especially when the engine noise of the boat suddenly changed to include an ominous clanking noise) but eventually we made it to the north side of the island and banked onshore.

Coco Lodge_7

Beach View

Wood Home

Daily Catch

Colorful Home

Pier

The motor on the boat was killed and Pah-ah-ti hopped out with us to help us ask whether there was any accommodations available there. Being low season there too however, all the accommodations were closed and we were directed to go to the east side of the island to Coco Lodge. Back in the boat we went, however when the engine went to start, well, it didn’t… The brothers fussed over it for 10-15 minutes (mostly by simply hitting the side of the motor with a wrench) until deciding there was something very wrong with the engine and that they would need a mechanic. Thankfully the engine died when on land and not in the middle of the ocean when the odd noises started coming from it! And thankfully it was low tide at the time, so Pah-ah-ti, Anna and myself were able to walk (with bags in tow) around the edges of the island, through the sea gypsy village and over to Coco’s Lodge.

View from Pier

Homes on Beach

Goats!

Town

Boat Peek

Pah-ah-ti bid his farewells and headed further into town to get parts for the boat while Anna and I settled into Coco Lodge. Now, throughout my travels in Thailand I had stayed at many very nice and cozy places that were also very cheap . But none had even come close to the quaintness, comfort, style and class that we found at Coco’s Lodge. The owner and his wife were unbelievably accommodating and the individual bamboo huts were immaculate and very comfortable.

Crab Traps

Boat Peek_2

Looking Out

Jungle Trail

Lush Land

Lush Land_2

I’m going to have to side track for a bit here just to further sing the praises of Coco’s Lodge. The location (right on the beach and a 5 minute walk to the pier) was superb. The food in their restaurant was absolutely delicious (from the massaman curry to the fruit pancakes for breakfast). When it rained (which was quite often during our time there) the owner or his wife would come around to the bungalows and offer us umbrellas. A cleaning staff cleaned our room EVERY DAY (something I hadn’t encountered anywhere else in Thailand). All palm trees located above each bungalow were completely bare of coconuts, so none could fall on the roofs! The beds were the most comfortable I’d ever slept on. The rooms themselves had touches of personal details (like seashells lovingly placed in the bathrooms as decoration) that made the place feel like home. The ever-increasing number of dogs that decided to live there during our stay were all friendly and lovable and while none actually belonged to the place, they would still give them food scraps from left over dishes. Any time Anna and I were chilling for a long period of time in the restaurant after eating (due to adverse weather and not much else to do) board and card games were offered to us for entertainment. In other words, just about anything and everything one could imagine needing in a place was offered there! And all of this hospitality came at only 500 baht per night!! It blew me away! I 100% recommend Coco’s Lodge for anyone looking to travel to Koh Muk!!

Inland Lake

Rubber Plantation

Large Leaves

Lush Land_3

Seriously?

Moving on however, the main reason Anna and I picked Koh Muk as our next island stay was so we could visit the famed Emerald cave. Though we stayed on the island for the remaining time that Anna was able to visit (then I stayed on myself for another several days after she departed for Scotland) we never actually made it to the Emerald cave. This was NOT because we were too drunk or hung over to, but rather because the weather never cooperated and none of the tours were running there. See, to get to the Emerald cave, the tides have to be just right (low) and then you have to swim with a guide 80 meters through a cave until you reach the other end (the Emerald lake). So with all the stormy weather we had daily, even with the tides being low, it just wasn’t safe to swim through the cave and visit the lake… Or perhaps lagoon would be a better description? In any event, we did still enjoy our time there walking the island to the various points, enjoying cocktails on the beach (of course!) or just chilling at our bungalow, playing games and hanging with the dogs.

The island itself I will say was quite a conundrum. It too had been hit by a tsunami years ago and while some parts of the island had recovered nicely, other more inland parts were very shabby and trashy. One sea village a bit inland in particular had feet upon feet of trash piled under the homes (luckily on stilts) with seemingly no efforts or cares to clean up. I will admit when we first arrived on the island, neither myself nor Anna were really sure we liked the place. But alas, it grew on us. And while we still marveled as to why no efforts were put (in some areas) into cleaning the place up, I guess it just became part of the character of the island that eventually you just overlook. Last point, about Koh Muk: the beaches weren’t really all that to write home about. This may have been due to the bad weather stirring up the ocean waters so they didn’t look clear, but also there were some areas where there were warnings about strong currents. So needless to say not much swimming was really enjoyed while there. Oh yea, and while there aren’t ANY ATMs on the island, there is one coffee shop that will allow you to withdraw money for a 7% (or maybe it was 10…) fee. So just be sure you bring enough cash for your stay there!!

Charlie’s Beach

Charlie’s Beach_2

Charlie’s Beach_3

Charlie’s Beach_4

Charlie’s Beach_5

Charlie’s Beach_6

Sadly, it was time for Anna to get back on to mainland Thailand and head to Bangkok to get home, while I stayed on several more days catching up on blogging about our trip so far. My next destination: Ko Lipe!