26 Apr - 29 Apr 2013 Prachuap






Southeast Asia
Kingdom of Thailand aka The Land of Conditional Smiles
Prachuap Khiri Khan
Klongkiat Road 115
Yutichai Hotel +6632611055 yutichai_hotel@hotmail.com
Clean double room with private bathroom for THB 250.- or US$ 8.50. Free but agricultural wifi. Indifferent Sino-Thai staff, friendly enough.
Beer: 330-ml cans of ice-cold Singha Lager Beer (5.0 % alc./vol.) for THB 27.- or US$ 0.92 per can from the hotel.


Click below for an interactive road map of the Yutichai Hotel in Prachuap Khiri Khan, which we would recommend, and for directions:
N 11° 48.47' E 099° 47.73'





Exploring the relaxed coastal town of Prachuap Khiri Khan along its “corniche” from Khao Chong Krajok at the northern end via the city pillar all the way to Koh Rom, a steep limestone headland at the southern end, and afterwards enjoying great-tasting seafood delicacies at reasonable prices (e.g. steamed mussels for THB 20.- per generous portion) at the busy weekend-night market which springs alive every Friday and Saturday.



Entertaining the people-watching hordes of well-fed temple monkeys whilst climbing to the hill-top stupa of Wat Thammikaram Worawihan (established by Rama VI) on top of Khao Chong Krajok, enjoying stunning views of the town and the pretty 8km-long bay of Ao Prachuap and chatting afterwards with friendly monks and nuns at the main temple "downstairs".



Taking a public a/c van from Prachuap Khiri Khan’s downtown bus stop along the sandy bays, lagoons and mangroves of the Gulf of Thailand to the “junction town” of Chumphon (185 km, 2 ¾ hours, THB 180.- or US$ 6.15 per person), jumping into another public a/c van at the Chumphon Travel Service office and turning west towards the friendly frontier town of Ranong (130 km, 2 ¼ hours, THB 120.- or US$ 4.- per person), thus swapping oceans and rushing from the “Pacific Ocean” to the “Indian Ocean”, thereafter clopping into one of the many patrolling săwngthăew, literally “two rows”, which dropped us after 15 minutes (THB 20.- per person) near the bustling Ko Chang/Phayam Pier aka saphaan plaa, c. 8 km southwest of Ranong, and, lastly, securing two seats (THB 150.- or US$ 5.- per non-islander, departure time: 02:00 p.m.) for the hour-long ride on the daily long-tail boat aka reua hăang yao, so called because the propeller is mounted at the end of a long drive shaft which extends from the engine, destined for the tiny and relaxed island Ko Chang (not to be confused with the much larger Ko Chang in the Trat Province), a police-and-Nazi-free retreat for both baldheaded and dreadlocked dropouts as well as for escapists and eco-neurotics across almost every age, gender, complexion, physique and mother tongue, but mostly for poor representatives of the austerised West.


Click below for a summary of this year's travels

 Recommended books – click below for your Amazon order from the United States:

For Amazon schnaeppchens from Germany, please click here
For Amazon bargains from Canada, please click here
For Amazon bargains from the United Kingdom, please click here


From the 2013 Moral Travel Compass for our Grand Children's Journey of Life:
It’s bad to look behind;
It’s good to scan ahead.
Keep your bearings!
Destination: