thailand

Rai Leh Rendezvous

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railey

How do I even begin to describe this epic adventure?

railey longboat

We just checked into our hotel in Ao Nang and decided to head down to Railey East at about 7 pm since I read that there’s algae there which glows brilliant blue in the night. The bioluminescence is supposed to surround your body in “a million tiny blue lights” so we headed down despite the longboat telling us that we HAD to get back at 8 pm coz that’s when the last boat departs.

railey travel

I reckon we could just pay any longboat operators hanging around to get us back at 12 am. We were going to Wing It ™ in the true spirit of ADVENTURE! =D

The trip to get into the longboat sounded the death toll for my Blackberry. To reach the longboats, you have to wade through waist high water and I wanted to Twitpic everything since I didn’t pay RM 38 for BIS international roaming for nothing. Unfortunately, everything got wet, including my friend’s bag and my Blackberry.

railey beach

That’s okay we’re still going to enjoy the glowing algae! By the time we got there it was nearly dark and we were starving so we ordered food at the incredibly over-commercialized island. There are bars right on the beach and food stalls which were predominantly dominated by Caucasians.

railey food

We jumped into the water after that and went for a swim towards the elusive bioluminecent algae.

It was nowhere to be found.

I don’t know if it’s coz of the rain (we were thoroughly soaked) or the rocky seas but the algae just wasn’t there.

We finally gave up trying and decided to create our own creature instead – The Beast With Two Backs ™.

beast with two backs

Trying to do that while in that weather is nigh impossible. The waves kept pushing us inland, the rocks lying under the beach kept cutting us, and I lost my fucking underwear.

* Watching this video is discouraged – you can’t see jackshit from the darkness

We finally gave up and just went back to the beach. No longboats in sight.

We walked to Railey East. Nope, no longboats either. We walked back to Railey West and a kind dude manning a tattoo place with dreadlocks said we could try taking the employee only longboat back – it departs at 10:30 pm.

railey smoke

* The soaked cigarette is still smokable, just a bit…watered down smirk

However, there was no guarantee that we can actually get on the boat and it doesn’t stop in Ao Nang so we’ll have to take ANOTHER taxi from there.

We walked back to Railey East to play Spot The Longboat Operator ™. I reckon the game would have been fun if we were not thoroughly drenched, with no cell phones (my friend left hers at our hotel in Ao Nang and my BB died a watery death).

rock

* The rock that thwarted our intimacy

I think we must have walked back and forth from Rai Leh East beach and Rai Leh West beach at least 7 times in vain before the same dread locked guy told us that it’ll probably would be easier just to stay here.

diamond cove resort

There are several problems though:

  • I don’t have a cell phone (my BB died in the rain and waist deep water while getting on the longboat)
  • We were both drenched with no towels and no change of clothes
  • I lost my fucking underwear to the tides of Rai Leh
  • My digicam (which is thankfully waterproof) is running very low on battery since it hasn’t been charged since I got here
  • We have to go to Phi Phi Islands the next day
  • I left my medication in Ao Nang FML max

Finally, we were so exhausted, wet and bearing cuts from our attempts to recreate the cocktail Sex On The Beach (or Sex In The Sea rather) that we just decided to stay on Railey. There’s a hotel called Diamond Cave Resort which goes from 2000-3000 baht (RM 200-300) per night but since is low season we managed to get a rate of 500 baht (RM 50) – a tip from the dread locked dude again.

railey strip

Thankfully we had a bottle of vodka with us or else I’ll have withdrawal symptoms from the lack of GABA agonists (clue to what meds I’m taking LEGITIMATELY) – no need for a degree in particle physics for that.

We were a bit concerned about missing the boat to Phi Phi Islands the next day but we woke up super early.

I had wrung my clothes and left them to dry at the balcony but it still wasn’t dry.

It was an adventure indeed – one we dub the Rai Leh Rendezvous.

railey hotel

One thing about hotels in Krabi though – they’re very big on animals as towels. smirk

Greetings from Aonang!

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elephants

Sawadeekap! I’m in Ao Nang right now, came here straight from Krabi.

hotel pool

This is our hotel room.

broken elephant

My friend killed the elephant. 🙁

chillin

Just chillin’ yo.

…with Cheers Beer! You remember the hilarious TVC?

Yes, not a lot of words, but according to my math that’s 3,000 words. Geddit? Pictures says a thousand words? 😉

I’m on vacation. w00t!

Posted: 4:23 pm Thailand (Krabi) time

Shrimpz ethnic thai

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shrimpz

Shrimpz is a small little eating establishment located at Aman Suria that we discovered one night. We have been eating a lot of nasi kandar lately and wanted to eat some Chinese food (or Thai food, which is about the same in my books) so I stumbled upon this little gem quite by accident.

shrimpz montage

Shrimpz is apparently the sister restaurant of the flagship Shrimpz restaurant in Langkawi, according to the table liner. I can’t remember the last time I was in Langkawi, but the leaflet claims that Shrimpz Langkawi was and still is the only dining venue in Asia located within a shrimp farm, which is where I imagine they got their name.

shrimpz water feature

Shrimpz Kuala Lumpur is not located inside a shrimp farm, but they managed to re-create some of that ambiance with a water feature I like to call the “Sobriety Test” that is currently in vogue. The water feature is made up of stepping stones, and while it’s not as challenging as the bla bla bla Sobriety Test in Kuching, it’s still requires a certain level of dexterity to navigate.

shrimpz al fresco

Shrimpz is decorated Thai style, with a lot of Buddha statues (sans the body and head) and the al fresco dining area is interspaced with a lot of water features and bodies of water to simulate the Shrimpz Langkawi dining experience in a residential area. It looks clean (probably coz it’s new) and elegant, but the place does not serve alcohol, which is unusual for a restaurant like this.

shrimpz prawn

It is almost heretical to not order shrimp in an establishment called Shrimpz, and beheaded (Convert or die!) we might be have we not, so we requisitioned for their renowned Shrimps / Organic Tiger Prawns from Langkawi menu and had the Stir Fried Tiger Prawn with Petai and Belacan (RM 34.90). It had the exotic sounding name of Kun Pat Khapit Sator.

shrimpz prawn macro

It was alright, quite nice actually, but paying RM 34.90 for six (6) tiger prawns seems a little bit steep. It amounts to RM 5.81 per shrimp – not exactly cheap, but worth the price for the occasional indulgence. It tasted great with the petai and belacan gravy and I ate the entire crustacean whole, much to the horror of my girlfriend. It takes a man to eat the shell of a prawn. 😉

shrimpz drink

I had the Shrimpz Special (RM 8,90 – comma done either to emulate the French, or coz I had to much to drink is up to you to decide), which is a mixture of lime, lemongrass and mint leaves. I will not delve into the drink my girlfriend ordered, which would usually be OJ or watermelon juice or some other citrus based drink.

shrimpz crispy duck salad

This is the appetizer that we had – Shredded Crispy Duck Salad (RM 26.90). I know the dishes are coming out ass backwards, but I did it in chronological order – the exact same succession that night. The shredded crispy duck salad is excellent! My girlfriend loved it to bits (no pun intended). The fried shredded duck skin is sinfully delicious, with a satisfying crunch to it. Lovely.

shrimpz glass noodles

My girlfriend had the Thai Fried Glass Noodles (RM 13.90). It looks rather sad and much can be done about the presentation, but tastes fabulous. It was seriously mouth-watering despite the sorry looking presentation. It’s definitely one of their best mains.

shrimpz fried rice

I had the Fried Rice with Anchovy Sauce (Budu) and Petai (RM 9.90). I like the petai, I read an article not long ago about Malay families nowadays excluding this traditional dish from their diet. It’s raw vegetables, dipped into sauce. The fried rice was plain though, nothing special, but tastes great with the prawns.

shrimpz us

The food at Shrimpz is mostly good, especially the prawns…

shrimpz end

We literally licked our plates clean.

Good Evening Bangkok!

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good evening bangkok restaurant

Good Evening Bangkok is a Thai eating establishment located at the Rainforest section of 1 Utama. I couldn’t help but feel that the restaurant’s name is derived from Good Morning, Vietnam – the Robin Williams movie about being a DJ in the Vietnam War, the only solace for US troops mobilized to probably the only war they lost. 😉

good evening bangkok montage

Good Evening Bangkok has a nice ambiance with Siamese artifacts adorning the entire interior. The seating arrangements are covered with an unfortunate shade of pink chair liners, but other than that, the lighting and fixtures were all very warm and inviting. We weren’t really hungry so we just shared a starter, a main dish and dessert.

good evening bangkok drinks

Doris had the fresh watermelon juice (RM 7.50) while I went for the Evan & Tate Salisbury Chardonnay (RM 16). My original choice was for the Singha beer (RM 18) for maximum authenticity but unfortunately Good Evening Bangkok ran out of the Thailand brewed beer.

good evening combo

This is their signature appetizer – the Good Evening Combo (RM 16.90), which is a taster dish of sorts. It contains fish cake, money bag, prawn wonton and mango salad. I love the mango salad, it reminded me of the som tam (papaya salad) I had back in Bangkok a couple of years ago. The other dishes didn’t really make an impression on me.

thai rice noodles

Phad Thai Goong Sod (Stir-fried Thai rice noodle with fresh prawn) was recommended by the waitress for the main dish. It’s one of their new menu items, priced at RM 14.90. I absolutely love this dish! Notice the dried chili powder and ground peanuts on the side. It creates an amazing fusion of flavor and texture when mixed into the rice noodles. It’s very, very spicy too, which always gets bonus points from me.

mango sticky rice

Khow Neow Ma Moung (Mango with sticky rice) is probably one of the most recognizable and popular Thai desserts. It’s priced at RM 11.90 at Good Evening Bangkok and comes with half a whole mango sliced into nice, easy to handle cubes, sauce on the side and sticky glutinous rice sprinkled with sesame seeds.

good evening bangkok us

It somehow didn’t taste too authentic but that’s all right coz I just went there for the WiFi. 😉

good evening bangkok

Good Evening Bangkok is a relaxing place to eat breakfast or lunch. The presentation is good and the service is excellent but most of the dishes have been found wanting. The appetizer and dessert we ordered isn’t anything to write home about, but the main dish is absolutely fabulous! It’s definitely worth checking out.

Syringe pen

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syringe pen

This is a pen that looks like a bloody used syringe that I got from God’s Absent for 70 Baht (about RM 7). I really like it coz it looks so much like a used syringe that it gets double takes from people when I pull it out.

It’s the pen for me. 🙂

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Gourmet Market @ Siam Paragon

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siam paragon

Siam Paragon is the newest shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand and it would be heresy not to check out the latest and greatest after all the comments about Siam Paragon. Dubbed “The Pride of Bangkok“, I went with my gf one night to walk around the mall (it’s a lot like KLCC) and eat at the Gourmet Market.

siam paragon decor

Siam Paragon is an imposing building catering to upscale shoppers and has an Ocean World (aquarium) and a cinema attached to the building. The décor is absolutely amazing both indoors and outdoors and the sheer newness of the building is overwhelming.

siam paragon entrance

The main entrance to Siam “The Pride of Bangkok” Paragon is via a glittering glass façade. There are No Photography signs but I took photos anyway and no one stopped me (my gf reckons it’s coz I look like a tourist).

siam paragon maze

Siam Paragon is practically a maze to navigate, much like the first time you step into MidValley Megamall. There are escalators everywhere and it’s hard to get out of the place (we had to ask for directions).

siam paragon armani

Siam Paragon, as previously mentioned, is home to up market labels like Emporio Armani (check out the creepers on the levels)…

siam paragon gourmet market

…but we were there to eat so we went to the Gourmet Market.

wrapped noodle pork

The first thing we ate was the hilariously named “Wrapped A Noodle With A Pork” for 50 Baht (RM 5).

wrapped noodle pork eat

It tasted great, despite the Engrish name. Very Thai, with the pork.

iberry

Next, we went to iBerry for some sorbet.

iberry sorbet

This is us, my apologies for the mosaic, it is necessary.

minced crab

Next up was a trip to get some Minced Crab Meat + Crab Meat Sausage + Shrimp Meat Sausage (120 Baht).

minced crab eat

It comes in a set and we ate it right there at the counter…definitely tourists. 😉

minced crab mmm

This is easily the best meal of our gourmet market adventure. I love the minced crab meat stuffed back into the shell of the crab.

fermented pork

The next thing we ate (highly recommended by my gf) was fermented pork sausage (110 Baht).

fermented pork lady

The lady at the counter mixed the fermented pork with a rice ball (pictured above) and asked us if we wanted chillis (probably coz we look like tourists). I told her to make it as she would serve a Thai customer coz I’m a big fan of spicy food.

fermented pork mix

It’s a Thai delicacy and it tasted great! It has an interesting texture and it’s spicy as hell. One funny incident happened during this gourmet food tour – we actually recommended the fermented pork to strangers (a couple from Singapore) and they thanked us for it. Heh!

paragon department store

Having satiated our appetites, we walked into Paragon Department Store and I got my gf some cosmetics. The litmus test of love is to see if your bf actually tags around when you go shopping for “boring” stuff like cosmetics. 😉

porsche

There was a Porsche on display at Siam Paragon too.

Siam Paragon is a great shopping mall…it truly earns the tagline “The Pride of Bangkok”.

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T-shirts from Bangkok

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t shirts

These are some of the t-shirts I got from Bangkok. My gf told me it’ll fill the surface area of an entire bed and I didn’t believe her so she arranged them…and much to my chagrin, there were more t-shirts left. The bed wasn’t enough to hold them. It’s all good though, some of my favorites are:

I’m a virgin
(This is a really old T-shirt)

Sorry girls, I’m gay

Life is full of choices
(Photos of different strains of cannabis)

You are here
(Image of female performing fellatio)

Bad
(Picture of beer and driving)
Good
(Picture of beer and a couple copulating)

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Bangkok Best Coffee (BBC)

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bangkok best coffee

Bangkok Best Coffee seems to be a franchise in Thailand and I went to check it out after seeing it one too many times (it’s a compulsion I have, I can’t stand seeing something multiple times and not go ;)).

bangkok best coffee drink

I don’t know if they deserve the moniker Bangkok Best Coffee but their coffee is alright…and most importantly it’s got caffeine in it.

I just realized that I have so many Bangkok back posts that it’ll take me ages to clear…

Got meth caffeine?

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Bangkok Transit System (BTS) guide

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bts

BTS or the Bangkok Transit System is the fastest and cheapest way to get around Bangkok. BTS is a train much like the LRT and they offer airport services via the BTS Skytrain network too.

bts tickets

The BTS trains are operated using a coupon system – the tickets are bought at the respective train stations…

bts turnstiles

…and used in the turnstiles to exit or enter the station.

bts phaya thai

The train station closest to Siam City Hotel Bangkok is Phaya Thai station (3 minutes walk) and the BTS network connects this station to stations which are in Pat Pong, Siam Square, Siam Paragon etc. Basically, you can get to anywhere you want to go in Bangkok city using the BTS.

bts ticket

This is what a BTS ticket looks like – it’s a coin operated vendor machine dispensed magnetic strip card that has a preloaded value onto it. Two train stops costs just 15 baht (about RM 1.50) so it’s the most affordable method to get around Thailand.

bts train

BTS trains are long and relatively new, much like its counterpart in Melbourne, Australia except that it runs on suspended rails instead of on the ground.

bts interior

Here is a peek inside a BTS train. It’s usually packed with people at all times of the hour but the same thing can be said of Bangkok.

bts on nut

Sure, the BTS connects you to strange stations like On Nut and Mo Chit but get around the initial chuckle with the names and you’ll be fine. 🙂

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