A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

[rotikosong]

The Rot Tu on the other hand, is the faster option. Kun Song Kow CR to Kun Song Mai Sai in 1 hour. Problem is of course, when it leaves. 30 minute intervals although the bus will leave early if it is tem.
Air con comfort but bit of squeeze. Your bags go on top to the first class section as well.

There's a trick to getting a seat when there are more hungry hoardes than there are seats in the van. There is no line, so what do you do? If you're a couple, you send your partner in first to secure 2 seats. After all, possession is 9/10ths of the law, while you take care of putting the bags on the roof. If you're alone, dump a small bag on the seat first and leave you bigger bag for later once you established your territory.

Most of times, pax just trickle to the van so you won't have this trouble but everything flies out of the window come peak travel time e.g. school holidays, weekends, new year's, songkran, days of wan phra etc.

Where you wait. But no formal lines


Bags get the best view. I've seen motorcycles up there once. Thais are inventive people.


Inside. Best seat is next to driver as you can chom view. Worst seat is by the door, you have to get in and out everytime the cops want to get in (more about that later)



You pay 46B for the privilege. Sorry they don't take Visa or Google Android NFC e-wallet fist-bumps. Then you're off, hoping that that sao sao you're sitting to is actually a sao sao

 

[rotikosong]

On the way to Mae Sai, you're taking the phalyothin road 60km north. Now it is safe again to travel because the khon kap rot (driver)'s association has stopped the mandatory Gangnam Style heavy rotation. So you don't need those earplugs anymore. You'll get some luk thung on the radio instead. That's nice. THAILAND yeah.

The rot tu will pass by the airport again on the way. Sometimes you see farang madly trying to wave down the rot tu. Can't they read the read "TEM" (full) sign? As my kru told me: aan pasa thai mee prayodth lai yang.
(I still can't read though)

The route takes you through 2 small towns before getting into south Mae Sai: Mae Chan and Mae Fah Luang

This road has changed so much as compared to 10 years ago when I would go up every month or so. I even stayed at Mae Sai for 2 months straight. Those days, you would see long stretches of paddy fields and plantations (suan) before hitting Mae Chan and then some more until Mae Sai. Mae Fah Luang was just being built (Mae Fah Luang Uni is supposedly very good - best in CR some say). So you get the idea - rural.

Today, everything's built up between the 2 points. shophouses, houses, bridges etc. So the journey seems shorter but you still get to see the mountains on the horizon. Esp, "Doi Nang Non" which purports to be a women sleeping on her back. This change reminds me of my childhood, when driving to past JB up north meant going through shit-small towns like Skudai, Senai, Kulai etc with jungles in between. Now all of those towns are JB metro - can't tell the difference.

In between the journey, you will most likely run into 2 police/customs/army outposts.They wave most cars through but buses, they eat buses for lunch. Bus goes to the side and police boards checking IDs. Mae Sai has always been a border town but today, in the muang, there appear very few Thais left. Everyone is either Burmese or Thai Yai. More about those later and how you tell the difference. Police always takes longer with my passport because it's something they don't see so often. Of course, they don't know what they are looking for so they try to just flip pages while looking official. I am always polite and my number #1 rule is to never show you can speak Thai. They get bored and we're our way.

So Police checking other people, you get them showing papers (visa), burmese passports and no papers. The girl with no papers (so sad, the one sao sao on the van) has to leave van. She does not look worried. This is all SOP. Police wants something, she knows she has to go an negotiate. 2 new sao saos board bus from checkpoint and sit on floor. Those were the girls from previous van that had already "negotiated". Looks like for some, the journey to Mae Sai is longer than 1 hour.


Detour into Mae Chan muang to drop of one aunty and another uncle and we're on our way again.

Another checkpoint just south of Mae Sai later with the same dance of sao sao off, another sao comes on and we reach kun song Mae Sai. Just before reaching we pass Huan Nam - which I've been told is the current party area for sao sao. I check my ID and see that I'm 20 years past the age of being able to party with dek dek and I sigh. Where do the uncles party?

(to be continued)

 

[yinyang]

..2 police/customs/army outposts.They wave most cars through but buses, they eat buses for lunch. .. Everyone is either Burmese or Thai Yai. More about those later and how you tell the difference. Police always takes longer with my passport because it's something they don't see so often. Of course, they don't know what they are looking for so they try to just flip pages while looking official.
..check my ID and see that I'm 20 years past the age of being able to party with dek dek and I sigh. Where do the uncles party?

What a journey FR, with locals. Hear the border crossing in lieu of passport -try singing Thai anthem? :p

 

[chonburifc]

furnitures and pergola arrived today. so now more feel like kopi tiam. as usual, i always a loyal customer. a chang beer at my own kopi tiam. suggestions and comments welcome.

 

[panzer]

On the way to Mae Sai, you're taking the phalyothin road 60km north. Now it is safe again to travel because the khon kap rot (driver)'s association has stopped the mandatory Gangnam Style heavy rotation. So you don't need those earplugs anymore. You'll get some luk thung on the radio instead. That's nice. THAILAND..
(to be continued)

Bro rotikosong

Your travelogue is very well written, allows us to experience your journey vicariously!

Kudos and bouquets :-)

 

[panzer]

furnitures and pergola arrived today. so now more feel like kopi tiam. as usual, i always a loyal customer. a chang beer at my own kopi tiam. suggestions and comments welcome.

Bro chonburific

Dunno much about Pattaya retail scene but nowdays in SG having LED TV showing newsfeeds or ticker information or even Kpop videos is popular to create dynamic "storefront". Nowdays the TV can be Internet enabled so if you have office broadband can tap on it to show content relevant to your biz.

My $0.02 or sorn baht worth :-)

 

[chonburifc]

Bro chonburific

Dunno much about Pattaya retail scene but nowdays in SG having LED TV showing newsfeeds or ticker information or even Kpop videos is popular to create dynamic "storefront". Nowdays the TV can be Internet enabled so if you have office broadband can tap on it to show content relevant to your biz.

My $0.02 or sorn baht worth :-)

thanks panzer. for this joint, i want a retro/vintage kind of atmosphere.

 

[chonburifc]

yesterday russkie neighbour came to check my menu so that we no 'langah'. my main menu will be hot and cold beverages, light snacks and desserts.

 

[rotikosong]

Rot tu or rot me gets you into Mae Sai Bus Terminal (Kun Song). You're still around 3 km south from the town proper.

There's a big (one and only) Lotus Tesco within 10 min walking distance. Mae Sai-ans are very proud of their Lotat. It shows the world that they've arrived. The lotat wasn't there 8 years ago when I last visited. This was not the only change I found (more later). Maie Sai has really changed - for example, portions of the road to Doi Tung used to be unpaved - many times back then I wondered if I was going to plunge into a ravine. So I always closed my eyes and prayed hard that the 19-year old would drive dee dee. He? Cool as ice, along with the 8 guys sitting on the flatbed at the back drinking Leo. Me? I always told them I closed my eyes because I was sanuk sabai - didn't want them to laugh at me.

Mae Sai Bus Terminal is also where the Rot Thua (Express Bus) departs for Bangkok.

It's a 12-hour journey to Bangkok

Journey is so tiring that bus driver needs to catch a nap

To go to Mae Sai town, you usually take the songthaew. It departs very frequently so miss one not to worry.

Fixed fare 20B - doesn't matter if you get a seat or hang out from the handrails at the back like the Mercedes dude. Want to save 5B? Walk to the Lotus and the songthaew there is 15B.

You typically pay when you get off. Ring the bell and the songthaew will stop anywhere along its route. This one terminates just before the border gate to Myanmar (otherwise known as the Gates to Hell)

(to be cont'd: next - hotel options in Mae Sai)

 

[Jlokta]

furnitures and pergola arrived today. so now more feel like kopi tiam. as usual, i always a loyal customer. a chang beer at my own kopi tiam. suggestions and comments welcome.

Wah seh, looks good Pi Chon.

My kind of chill out place.

Wish you 生意兴隆 lah!!

Eh but the cement block is a permanent fixture ah?

 

[dietcoke]

yo chunburi,

i know this sounds a bit weird, but perhaps u can put some potted plants around and esp covering the cement block?? give it a nature feel, since ur tables and chairs are all wood.

 

[chonburifc]

Wah seh, looks good Pi Chon.

My kind of chill out place.

Wish you 生意兴隆 lah!!

Eh but the cement block is a permanent fixture ah?

yo chunburi,

i know this sounds a bit weird, but perhaps u can put some potted plants around and esp covering the cement block?? give it a nature feel, since ur tables and chairs are all wood.

Hehehe. No lah. The cement block is temporary and so are the ropes. These are to prevent the wind from blowing away the pergola. I have 8 10X10 inch concrete block being fabricated but can only deliver this coming saturday.

Don't know why today suddenly feel 'pong chek'? Now back at my old office to blow aircon. :p

 

[yinyang]

today suddenly feel 'pong chek'? Now back at my old office to blow aircon. :p

Lau liao, chuay huang ah? :p Think dietcoke's suggestion of plants is still a good idea (whatever you plan on concrete thing). Softer look, feel and better ambience. Gotta check out your new spot soon

 

[Froggy]

Hehehe. No lah. The cement block is temporary and so are the ropes. These are to prevent the wind from blowing away the pergola. I have 8 10X10 inch concrete block being fabricated but can only deliver this coming saturday.

Don't know why today suddenly feel 'pong chek'? Now back at my old office to blow aircon. :p

i also very tired just got back from Pluk Daeng, 320km of driving today. Just started my 3hrs treatment, you're welcome to join me, many masseuse here quite chio like this one body solid, but please ya no hanky panky here, only healthy treatment.

 

[Fusoh]

wow,bro chonburi,i am impress by the speed of yr work,this place look much better with all these furniture. congrats!

 

[chonburifc]

i also very tired just got back from Pluk Daeng, 320km of driving today. Just started my 3hrs treatment, you're welcome to join me, many masseuse here quite chio like this one body solid, but please ya no hanky panky here, only healthy treatment.

Bro, you joking lah. By the time I reach BKK, already 3 toom liaoz. Massage 3 hours, balek Pattaya is 2 am liaoz.

But my neck really aching now cos' paint ceiling. Tonight need to go on another spying mission.

 

[chonburifc]

Lau liao, chuay huang ah? :p Think dietcoke's suggestion of plants is still a good idea (whatever you plan on concrete thing). Softer look, feel and better ambience. Gotta check out your new spot soon

Hehehe. Really na song sarn. Here ache there ache. Consolation is somehow no hong sip.

Yes, the place will be filled with plants and flowers and also a small artificial waterfall. Now have to settle the legal paperworks and permits (lots of them, easily at least 5-6 permits/licenses)

 

[Froggy]

Goodness what happaned, almost 24hrs and no one post here. Ok let me start. Sawasdee krup everyone.

Today staff from all over came back to office for meetings. So because of shortage of time we cooked and have lunch in-house. Main food is Khanom Jeen that we recently talked about. These are some pics.

The spread: Red Fishball Curry ; Pork Green Curry ; Hard Boiled Eggs ; Khanom Jeen ; Mixed Vege ; Rice etc

Closed-up of Fishball Red Curry

Closed-up of Pork Green Curry

Khanom Jeen

Gaeng Khiaw Wan (Pork Green Curry) in a bowl

Home cooked really taste good

 

[moolightaffairs]

wah lao! the pork green curry!!!

 

[chonburifc]

Today woke up at 4 am and went to new shop to have a feel of the morning crowd. A number of passerbys came in but have to tell them we are not open for business yet. Have a talk with the printer/designer on my menu and still not finalized yet. :( Afternoon went to buy 2 industrial fridge. One for storing ice cubes and the other for displaying cold beverages. Had discussion with partner on increasing the sitting capacity to 50. Currently, outdoor is 20 and indoor is 20 (8 at bar counter and 12 at tables). The current sitting capacity is quite comfortable and spacious with lots of privacy and I prefer to maintain sitting capacity at 40. Will also be providing sheesha pipes at the outdoor area.

As for pastries, I have to wait for the already hired baker from korat (phone interview) as he already have another seperate equipment shopping list for me. Problem he can only start work in a weeks time. sianz, and I hate to wait cos' I know this one is going to be real expensive.

Afternoon also find a slot to interview 3 new candidates. One of my existing staff at my old office is a qualified barista and she volunteered to train the new staff. So it seems that we are ready to rock and roll by mid january. With the latest i investment, I hope to increase the staff strength to 30 full time staff by mid 2013.

Still going through the list of outstanding action items (everyday got new items added), hehehe, strike out one less than the new ones. Had a talk with small one last night and she very keen to work at new shop but have to reject the proposal. Will most likely open another smaller shop for her. Small one will also take over my apartment as I intend to stay at new shop for at least 5-6 months.

As for now, really pong chek liaoz.