From the Pacific to the Indian Ocean—9-day self-driving tour of southern Thailand (2) Phuket-Songkhla-Chunphon-Kanchanaburi

The so-called fishing boats are actually not much bigger than the small wooden boats in the park. There is a diesel engine at the stern of the boat for power, and the speed is slightly faster than walking. The boat sails south along the coast. We feel the breeze on the boat, the blue waves are rippling, and the scenery is pleasant. , it can be said that there is no pollution at all, the water is clear and transparent, and you can see the corals in the ocean. Villas of different styles on the shore come into view, and "antique" boats appear on the sea from time to time, as well as many high-end yachts. And the sailing boat. It’s hard to imagine the disaster a month and a half ago! Soon the boat sailed back to Patong Beach, circling along the coast, and there were tourists parachuting in the sky from time to time. The feeling at sea and on land is really different.

Breeze Buddha Face

You can see the corals in the sea

villa

"Ancient" ship

yacht

sailboat

Tourists parachuting

When we entered the waters of Patong Beach, it had already been 50 minutes. I started to remind the boatman that we were only renting for an hour, but he just smiled and continued to use full power, as if he would not stop until we had enough fun. Could it be that he deliberately extended the time? Want us to add money? Thinking of renting a boat in Nan'ao, Shenzhen, for an hour, the boatman will turn back after driving for 20 minutes at most. I couldn't help but mutter in my heart, after walking through Patong Beach like this, it has already been an hour and a half before returning to the starting point. I thought He wanted to charge 900 Baht, so I gave him a 1000 Baht note. He gave it back to me and gestured for change. I took out another 700 Baht and gave it to him. He said it was enough. It seemed that my worries were unnecessary. Thai people are too It’s so thick!

Our “New Year” hotel

Thailand is located in the tropics, and the temperature is high, which is very suitable for the growth of bacteria and mosquitoes. Looking at those Thai people with dark skin, wearing slippers, and drinking from plastic cups, I have always had a question in my mind, that is, is the hygiene condition good? It’s guaranteed, but we haven’t had a stomachache every day these days. When I was eating at the food stall at noon, I accidentally saw the bowls and chopsticks sunbathing behind the restaurant. I somewhat understood it. I recalled the toilet I saw behind the fruit stall that day (reissued here). A photo), in fact, Thai people are very hygienic.

Tableware basking in the sun

Reissue a photo of the fruit stall toilet

Finally leaving PHUKET, we will go to Songkhla, another Pacific coast city in southern Thailand. In fact, the purpose of going to Songkhla is not only because it is one of the ancient capitals of Thailand, but more importantly, so that I can Approximately follow the southern border of Thailand and take a look at the landforms and customs of the area close to Malaysia. Next time you come to Thailand, you don’t have to go to the south.

After passing the Thao Thep Krasattri Bridge in Phuket, turn right and go eastward along National Highway No. 4. The scene on the roadside is a typical karst landform, but it is different from the mountains in Guilin in that they are covered with trees. After Trang, primeval forests began to appear. Although the road became narrower, we were still surprised by the strange forests and strange trees. It seemed that the natural protection work here was far better than ours. People wearing white hats also appeared on the road from time to time, indicating that this place Already influenced by Malaysian Muslims.

Karst landforms

The difference from the mountains in Guilin is that they are covered with trees.

Road narrows

Walking through the primeval forest

There is a section of the road that is not a national highway, but the road condition is still good, and you can still drive to more than 80 kilometers. After passing Phatthalung, National Highway No. 4 becomes a six-lane road with a separation zone in the middle. From then on, it goes all the way to Hai Yai and Songkhla. , are all such good roads. We walked 500 kilometers in half a day today!

Thailand’s “provincial road”

We're going on the national highway again

Songkhla should be the largest city we visited on this trip besides Bangkok. It is one of only two cities where China has set up a consulate in Thailand (the other is in Chiang Mai). When I received a text message from the consulate on my mobile phone, I felt very friendly. However, the international openness here is not very strong. Most of the shops were closed at 8 o'clock in the evening. I barely found a pizzeria for dinner, and it was not very comfortable to eat.

At the pizzeria

Small sprinkler next to the toilet

February 10 songkhla- Nakon Si Thammarat- Surat Thani- Chumphon 560 kilometers

time location kilometers fee currency summary
10:14 songkhla 1541
12:50 Nakon Si Thammarat 1717 400 Baht refueling 19.98 liters
12:50 Nakon Si Thammarat 1721 60 Baht Lunch
15:40 Surat Thani 1883 422 Baht Refuel 19.98L
17:48 Chumphon 2052 245 Baht Dinner
21:00 chumphon 2101 450 Baht Accommodation

We came to the Pacific Ocean again, and still had no good luck to see the sunrise. We could only fully appreciate the hotel's facilities. We first went to the beach to wash up, then went to the hotel swimming pool to soak in, and then enjoyed the high-end buffet. LD unexpectedly I don’t want to leave anymore. It seems like it’s really nice to have a vacation here. No wonder some foreigners can go back to their countries and receive relief funds to enjoy a “high-end” life here.

Sunrise

Go to the beach to wash up first

Then come to the swimming pool for a bubble

Enjoy the buffet

BP Smile Beach Hotel & Resort exterior view

Now that we have come to the ancient capital, we need to appreciate its culture. We came to the Songkhla National Museum and were surrounded by a group of children as soon as we entered. It seems similar to China. These primary school students wearing uniforms also have to accept patriotic education. Socialist education, XIXI saw this and rushed over to take a photo.

This is a 19th-century Chinese-style building with two floors. The first floor mainly displays various cultural relics and antiques from the prehistoric human era, the Stone Age and even modern times. A large monster skeleton attracted my attention. On the second floor are some wooden carvings and text introductions to the history of Songkhla. Compared with China, the history here is still very "modern". The earliest residents immigrated from the north in the third century AD, but when it comes to the ancient capital, the staff Still showing a proud look.

Taking photos with Thai children

monster skeleton

Songkhla street scene

Songkhla is a peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides, with the Pacific Ocean in the east and Thale Luang Lake in the west. It is the largest lake in Thailand, and the lake's mouth is in the north. Therefore, when leaving the city, you must return the same way and then cross the Tinnasulanon Bridge. Thale Luang Lake, this is the longest car overpass in Thailand, but compared to the Humen Bridge, it is much inferior in terms of length and height. But there is no fee!

Thale Luang - the largest lake in Thailand

Today’s theme is rushing. National Highway 408 has been running through the narrow strip between the sea and the lake. The road condition is very good. After a few days of observation, I found that the road signs in Thailand are actually very clear. The green background and white signs at the intersection generally mean In the direction of major place names, the white mark on a blue background points to small place names or scenic spots, and the black mark on a white background indicates the road number. In addition, there are also white and black marks on the road, which generally indicate the kilometers to the following place names. In addition, on the road The kilometer monument is also marked with a white background and black markings. There are two numbers. The top one is the number of kilometers to the nearest place name in front, and the bottom one is the number of kilometers to the big city in front. This is different from the way China's national highways are marked from beginning to end. .For the convenience of explanation, I have posted the road signs I took during the 9-day trip here for your reference.

Road signs in Thailand—white signs on a green background indicate the direction of place names.

Road signs in Thailand - black signs on white background indicating road numbers

Road signs in Thailand – black and white signs on the road, indicating the number of kilometers to the following place names

Thailand’s kilometer monument – ​​the number above is the number of kilometers to the nearest place name, and the number below is the number of kilometers to the big city ahead.

We arrived at Nakon Si Thammarat at noon, a very ordinary small city. We had a quick lunch and passed Surat Thani at 3 pm, which is the transportation hub to Ko Samui. Due to time constraints, we did not enter the city but The highway from the south goes around the city and goes to Chumphon, which is the high-grade National Highway No. 41, with six lanes in both directions. Driving on this road, it is easy to increase the speed. I was following a Mercedes-Benz without realizing it. We actually reached 150 km/h, and we were both stopped by the traffic police. I parked the car at the small table set up by the police on the roadside to be processed. I saw that there were 20 Baht banknotes on the table, so I thought there would be no fine. So few. After the police saw the translation of my driver's license, they told me that I was speeding, but you could leave. This surprised me again, but I would never dare to drive so fast again.

Nakon Si Thammarat street scene

When we arrived at the Chumphon intersection at 5pm, LD wanted to call it a day again, so I had to drive into the city. But she said she also wanted to see the beach here and see the sea every day, but she hadn’t seen enough yet! I guess at night anyway There was nothing to do, so we came to Ban Hat Sai Ri. There was a diving club on the small island opposite the beach. The two of them continued to ride the waves, and I went to the shore to hang out. A warship was moored on the shore. It seems that it has been decommissioned and is specially designed for people to visit. It is a bit like the Sea World in Shekou, Shenzhen. Next to it is the weapons exhibition hall. The artificial tree trunk at the door is like a totem. I don't know what it means.

Chumphon is a very small city and not a tourist destination. There are very few foreigners and the prices are very cheap. For dinner, we ordered a few Chinese dishes in a Thai restaurant. The taste was certainly not good, but we could only make do with it. There is no reason to be picky about accommodation for 450 Baht including breakfast.

Ban Hat Sai Ri Beach, there is a diving club on the island opposite

warships moored on shore

hostel

Eating in Thailand is really a problem. Except for the buffet American breakfast, it is difficult to find a place where a family of three can eat satisfactorily. To say the least, it is a luxury to make children happy with their meals. Therefore, whenever I see McDonald's or KFC We have to stop to make our children excited, just like the KFC in this gas station today. Even though it’s not time to eat, we have to go in.

KFC inside the gas station

After Ratchaburi, we actually returned to the Meinan River Delta near Bangkok. The population here is densely populated, and the buildings on both sides of the road have been connected together. It is very similar to the Pearl River Delta in my country. There are more vehicles on the road, and the corresponding roads are also It widened so that the speed could still be maintained. We quickly arrived at today's destination Kanchanaburi (Kanchanaburi).

The buildings on both sides of the road have been connected together.

A series of short tombstones

Flowers placed next to the tombstone

Not far from the cemetery is the Railway Museum, which introduces the ins and outs of railway construction in detail, tells the story of the construction of the "Death Railway", displays photos of prisoners of war, and continuously plays a short documentary. The Bridge on the River Kwai is a railway bridge. and part of a 415-kilometer railway connecting Thailand and Myanmar. At that time, the Japanese army was in urgent need of a supply line in order to conquer the Asian countries west of Myanmar and outflank China from behind. Starting from September 16, 1942, it successively deployed 61,000 Allied soldiers and 200,000 Asian laborers, using 16 The railway that was originally planned to take six years to complete was completed in just a few months. The Bridge on the River Kwai was originally a wooden structure and was blown up in 1945. The current iron bridge was rebuilt after the war. It is hard to imagine that Japan only had a few thousand people at that time. How could ten thousand people have the ability to expand their sphere of influence to such a large extent?

To the east of the Bridge on the River Kwai is the Bridge on the River Kwai Railway Station. The railway does not branch here, which shows that the utilization rate of this railway is very low. When driving in Thailand these days, you will encounter railways from time to time. It gives the impression that Compared with highways, Thailand's railways lag far behind. The gauge is narrow gauge, the carriages are averagely decorated, and the trains are very slow. Many of the intersections with highways are level crossings. I think maybe the Thai government doesn't pay attention to it. It's because of the railway. There is an open-air railway museum next to the train station, which exhibits steam locomotives and dual-purpose cars that can walk on the railway tracks. This is the first time for XIXI to see such a train. I climbed up and down, not to mention how happy I was. .

River Kwai Bridge Railway Station

train in thailand

steam locomotive

I'll be a driver too

Finally, we arrived at the bridgehead of the River Kwai Bridge. Looking at the beautiful River Kwai flowing quietly under the sunset, it was hard to imagine that a war had happened here. However, the large number of tourist groups made us feel like we were back in China. , most of the tourists walking on the bridge are Chinese, and the vendors all speak Chinese and sell so-called Burmese jewelry and jades. There are no railings on the railway bridge, so you have to be careful when walking on it. There is a river under the bridge, and there are rivers from time to time. House-like flat-floor cruise ships pass by, highlighting the prosperity of tourism here.

Bridge on the River Kwai

Chinese tourists on the bridge

Railroad on the bridge

no railings

House-like flat-floor cruise ship

Across the bridge is an elephant camp. A Frenchman is yelling at the tourists. It seems that he has integrated into the local life. There are many European and American people working in Thailand. They integrate their interests and work and live a very fulfilling life. We spent a lot of time in Thailand. 300 Baht, ride an elephant, walk along the river, and go under the Bridge on the River Kwai. It feels very interesting to ride an elephant, but the smoother the road, the more uncomfortable it is, and the rough dirt road is often very rough. The feeling of a swing. After half an hour, I felt pain in my buttocks. After that, the elephant trainer let the baby elephant perform for us for free. The guy sat on the ground and circled his nose. It was so cute!

XIXI and baby elephant

show

For dinner in the evening, we finally found the right place. It is a large square with a stage in the center. Various vendors selling food are distributed in two rows on both sides of the stage. The middle square is filled with tables and chairs. Guests can buy good things from various stalls. , brought it over, and ate while enjoying the show. Since it was self-selected and there were many varieties, I rarely encountered such an appetizing dinner since I came to Thailand. The bamboo tube rice left a deep impression on me. The fried chicken legs also tasted good. Before leaving, I also bought 6 barrels of 1.5 liter mineral water from the nearby market, which only cost 44 Baht. It seems that the prices for ordinary people in Thailand are not high. Kanchanaburi is not big, and the main hotels are concentrated on National Highway 323. The price of 800 Baht is very ordinary. room, which is in sharp contrast to the cost of meals.