Jouney's End

Not quite over, but soon. This is my last day at the Marriott Empire in Silom. Tomorrow I check out and head back to Sukhumvit. The areas are quite different with the Empire being in the Silom business area and Sukhumvit being the major tourist area.

I have been using the past few days to slow down and think about my trip. In some sense it was to understand what has changed in me in the past 15 years since my first foray into Thailand. I am no longer the kid in the candy shop, if you can call a 60 year old a kid. Perhaps I am the wise old sage who sees Bangkok through different and perhaps tires old eyes.

Thailand has changed and that is a result of Thais use of smart phones. Social media has educated Thais where their school system had not, Thais now see their place in the world quite differently. They also see farangs quite differently. The GFE has left and and Thais understand much more how to accumulate money. Thai women still remain as beautiful as ever but now they see how to use their beauty to earn money and still stay in Thailand.

I still see men, old and young in the chase for the elusive relationship that life has not yet provided for them. John Keats 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' ends with:

When old age shall this generation waste,

                Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe

Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,

         "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all

                Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

The only poem I enjoyed in high school, leaves me with the thought that yearning is seldom fullfilled so be careful what you wish. I don't wish to discourage the folks in pursuit of whatever but do so without the rose colored glasses. Young Thai women are fishing and you are the fish and usually the caught fish end up getting fried.

I consider myself lucky to be married to a wonderful, joy filled Thai woman with an 11 year old who keeps me young. If not for them I would be sitting at Tim Hortons in the morning with old farts complaining about the government and the state of the world.

This trip reinforces my belief that to be successful in life you need be lucky and be in the right place at the right time. I have always said that I do not regret the things I have done, just the things I failed to do.

Half Way

 I am just over half way into my solo Bangkok trip and it is time to share some observations.

First off, Thais are addicted to their smart phones. On the transit system 90% of them are mindlessly scrolling through them. It is also the same walking down a street, You hav to dodge the blind scrollers although it is now down to about 50%. The internet is much cheaper in Thailand than it is in Canada. 

I am also surprided that there are quite a few EV cars and most of them are Chinese with the odd Tesla.

The entertainment districts are about the same, but there are quite a few that have closed. Tourism is down and the type of tourist has changed and I believe there is not as much bar traffic as their used to be. There seems to be no shortage of ladies working in the bars but there tends to be less stunners than in the past. It is low season so I can't figure out how the bar makes money, but I suppose they make it up in high season.

However Thailand is not as inexpensive as it used to be. However, it can still be alot of fun if you use the happy hours and plan accordingly.

I am enjoying my swims and I am now up to 30 laps which I tend to do at 7:30 am to start my day. I feel I am getting back into condition and will probably sign up for a gym membership when I get back to Canada, Walking tends to be not so much fun due to the heat and humidity, but best to walk at night.

I have been relearning the mass transit system which means I can get around more quickly.

My billiard playing has not been so good and I continue to lose but still practice when I feel the urge to get better.

I have some pics to share.

Chong Nonsi landmark ... lost without it :-)

Sliom business district

Thais are now marketing Halloween

some pool pics

TTYL

Rivers

 There is an old saying I am quite fond of. 'You can't step into the same river twice ...' More on this later.

I am about half way through my 3 week trip to Thailand. It did not start well as my 24 hour flight turned into almost 40 hours. My flight from Ottawa to Vancouver was delayed, due to a staff shortage, which meant my flight to Narita in Japan did not happen. However Air Canada rescheduled me from Vancouver to Singapore, a 16 hour flight, which I could handle, but it meant a 12 hour stopover in the Vancouver airport, Twelve hours in an airport is just a pain in the ass, no getting around it. The only good part to it was that I logged about 15K steps,

The 16 hour flight was llllooooonnnnggg, another pain in the ass, despite getting up regularly for a walk. In due course, I arrived in Singapore and waiting another 2 hours for a 2 hour flight to Bangkok and arrived at my hotel about noon, on October the 2nd, rather tham 10 pm on October the 1st. Time for a nap and then a bite to eat, and then a walk-a-round.

My initial observation is that many businesses have come and gone on Sukumvit and the immediate sois, I don't think many Thai startups do the correct market surveys to see what potential, or lack of potential is available. Hence the failures.

The new trend appears to be restaurents, especially craft beer types and hiso hamburgers, neither of which I am interested in, I will stick with San Miquel Light and some inexpensive Thai food.

I tend to see more Indians and farang families with kids. Also more Gen whatevers in pairs, male and female. That is during the day. At night, not much has changed, except fewer as it is the tail end of low season.

The bars are much the same, although the traffic is lighter and the girls tend to be more pum pui. The drinks are a bit more expensive but happy hour is still available. The lady drinks are more expensive by aout 50 baht. Apparently that is how they make a living these days. Better days ahead as high season starts next month. Thais grasp of English has not improved much.

This being the rainy season, I have experienced only 3, three hour storms which is not bad. I have usually forgotten to bring my umbrella so I usually duck into a beer bar and indulge in a few beers as I wait out the rain.

I try to get my 10k ssteps in but it is more tiring in 34 degrees and high humidity. I prefer my laps in the pool which are progressing quite nicely.

Back to the river ...

The meaning behind the phrase is the river has changed and so have you. I have found that so true this time around as father age catches up to me. I indulge less as the next day hangover, both mentally and physically have to be dealt with. Just means the get up and go has gone for the next day.

Also the bar routine is still much the same so there is not much novelty for an old hand as myself. Also many of my drinking partners are either dead, out of the country, or just not available. I have always said partying by yourself is boring.

Time to get creative ...

TTYL

My Bags are Packed ...

 I am ready to go, leaving on a jet plane (John Denver)

Thavorn and I just celebrated our birthdays on the 23rd and 24th of September. Thavorn wanted a new iPhone Max Pro and I decided on a 21 day solo trip to Bangkok. I have not had a solo trip to Thailand in over 10 years and I am looking forward to it. I also booked a trip for the family in March of 2026.

I arrive on October the first and will stay at Asoke and Sukhumvit for 4 nights before going to the Empire Marriott in the business district near Pat Pong for 2 weeks, I then have 2 more nights on Sukhumvit before flying back on Oct. 21st.

It has been about 2 years since the last trip to Bangkok. I am curious to see what has changed and I suspect a lot has. I have watched quite a few videos and there are many new places (bars) to explore and many have closed down. Tourism is down about 7 percent this year and there are many more Asian (Malasians, Indians, Koreans) travelers now. It is also the end of the rainy season so there should be fewer visitors at this time.

I am just about finished recovering from my hernia operation so I will try some exercising in the pool as well as exercising drinking, socializing, and playing pool. Lots of walking as well as I explore the sois in and around Asoke and Sukhumvit.

I will post my observations over the next 4 weeks.

TTYL

Thailand - when to Travel

 Canada to Thailand is about 24 hours with a short connecting flight or two.

The rainy season is approximately April through to October. This impacts airfare prices quite a bit. I have discovered the cheapest fares are the shoulder months of March and October. The prices of the flights I want to take are about $1350 return.  Forget about the summer months where July and August fares are $2350 return. 

When you have to purchase 3 tickets it means huge savings in March or October.

I am flying this October solo for my birthday present to myself.

However, I started to think about Thavorn and Jaidan who have not seen family for almost 3 years.

I thought I would explore the month of March that would require Jaidan missing 3 weeks of school becuase of march break week in the middle. I checked the air fares and the 3 of us can fly for $4,100 return.

I am thinking of booking shortly to get that rate.

Yippy kai yah

Return to Bangkok

 It has been an unsettling 3 years. The first year was the diagnosis of a tumour on my right kidney and a 9 month wait for surgery. The second year was an incisional hernia from the first surgery and a 7 month wait for surgery. The 3rd year was the first hernia fix failing and a 8 month wait for the new surgery that happened on August 28th.

I am now into a 4 week recovery that includes my 75th birthday so I decided (WTF), it was time to celebrate myself with a 3 week walk-on-the-wild side in Bangkok! I leave on September the 30th and return on October 21st and for the first time in a long time, I am travelling by myself.

As, I once stated, 'You can't step into the same river twice ...' I will try to recreate my memories from 2011 ish and explore what I came to love about Bangkok. I have really no expectations and I will simply explore the changes that have been wrought in the past 15 years in Bangkok.

I plan on documenting my trip on this blog so stayed tuned as I expect it will become more interesting coming from Thailand rather than the Great White North.

Undies gifted by my son Jordan 

TTYL

Back to Bangkok in October

 I decided to celebrate my birthday this year with 3 weeks in Thailand.  I am booked frrom Oct 1st to October 21st for 3 weeks. The first 10 days will be in Bangkok and after that I am undecided.

I may vist Pataya or Phuket, or perhaps both. I have never been a big fan of planning too much ahead in Thailand. 

The weather should be decent as it is the end of the rainy season and the start of the dry season so the pollution should be down as well as the humidy and to some extent, the heat. However I have always found the temperature is always around 35 degrees.

Hopefully some of my expat friends will be around, especially Arhtur who should be back from the states in the Fall.

My buddy John is back in Canada for a couple of years so he definetly will not be there.

I am also travelling without Jaidan and Thavorn this time around so it will be like stepping back 10 years in time.

I am flying Air Canada and Thai airlines going there and Air Japan and Air Canada on the way back. The air fare was $1,700 for flex so not too bad at that time of year.

So now it is time to start looking for some places to stay after the first 10 days. I will start at the Davis Hotel for the first 3 days and then the Marriot near Pat Pong for the next 7. After that it depends where the wind blows me.

Should be fun,

TTYL