February 9 Patong- Thalang- Kabri- Trang- Phatthalung- Songkhla 505 kilometers
Time and location kilometers Fee currency summary
8:30 Patong 1036 150 Baht Breakfast
11:40 Kamala Beach 700 Baht Rental Boat 1.5 hours
12:45 Thalang 1066 175 Baht Lunch
13:50 Tha Chat Thai 1133
14:53 Kabri 1212
16:30 Trang 1334 580 Baht Refueling 28.87 liters
17: 28 Phatthalung 1391
19:10 Songkhla 1541 358 Baht Dinner
Songkhla 1541 1150 Baht Accommodation
In the past few days, I have been reminded of my usual travels with travel friends. At that time, I often made full use of the effective time during the day. You can leave as soon as you call. You can catch up on the road at night and join in the meal. But now that you are traveling as a family, with a LD and a child, you have to have a completely different way of thinking when walking. First of all, the pace must be slowed down, every morning From the time the child gets up to the time he goes out, there must be at least an hour to clean up. He must stop very early in the afternoon. If it is too late, the LD will be unhappy and the child will not be able to bear it. Secondly, the goal of the trip must also change from "efficiency experience" to " "Leisurely experience", not only to let them have fun, but also to live well, and also take into account the appetite of the children. So my mentality is constantly adjusting.
I am used to it. I usually can’t fall asleep as soon as it breaks out in the morning, so I always get up first, do my own things first, and then help them clean up, which saves some time in disguise. After everything has settled down in the evening , I will sort out the notes and information I took on the road and do some homework for tomorrow’s trip. (I didn’t do any homework yesterday, which already explained the problem). Having no plan means a waste of time. In fact, FB must be meaningful. It must also be done. Brain. So I plan to rent a boat and go to the sea today.
Eating every day is a headache for us. We have eaten Thai food several times, so it’s time to change our style and try Western food. In fact, eating Western food here is a good choice. Due to foreign tourists There are many, the chef's level is good, and the price is reasonable. I ordered an English and American breakfast for 150 Baht. The coffee tastes very good! I think the coffee in Western restaurants in China is more than this price.
Continuing to walk north along the coastline, we came to Kalama Beach. An Aquarium sign attracted us. We ran over and took a look. It turned out to be a Resort named Aquarium. This really looks like the one in our country. The real estate is called a garden, which is misleading. It is not as noisy as Patong Beach, but there are many fishing boats. When I saw the fishing boats, LD hesitated again, worried that he would walk too slowly and not see anything. I knew that if I hesitated again, today's time I was in trouble again, so I found a fisherman to find a price. The price was 700 Baht an hour, and the deal was settled at 600 Baht.
A resort called Aquarium
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
Through observations over the past few days, I feel that the English level of Thai people is actually very poor. Except for hotel staff who can barely communicate, when speaking English to ordinary citizens, most people cannot understand it. This is what I did before coming to Thailand. The "language" lessons we learned were actually of little use. LD wanted to buy a bottle of burn ointment, so he went to a pharmacy and spent more than ten minutes explaining how we got sunburned in Phuket and needed burn repair, but the clerk just didn't understand. We have no choice but to take the pill boxes one by one and look for them ourselves.
The hotel we stayed at that night was the most upscale hotel on our trip. It was probably a five-star hotel. It stood on the seaside. The room was about 50 square meters. The bathroom actually had two sets of bathing facilities and a hair dryer. There was a small one next to the toilet. The nozzle, XIXI said, is for the butt! The price is 1150 Baht with American breakfast, great value!
In the room
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
Artificial tree trunk like totem
February 11, chumphon- Hua xin- Phetchaburi- Kanchanaburi 476 kilometers
Time and place kilometers cost currency summary
8:26 Chumphon 2110 600 Baht Refueling 30.14 liters
11:39 Hua xin 2356 420 Baht Lunch
12:40 Phetchaburi 2436
13:20 RAMA 3 2476
13:34 Ratchaburi 2492
13:58 Bang Pong 2520
15:00 Kanchanaburi 2586 440 Baht Tickets
21: 00 Kanchanaburi 2586 185 Baht Dinner
Kanchanaburi 2586 800 Baht Accommodation
The so-called American breakfast in the morning actually only consisted of a cup of coffee and two pieces of bread, which left XIXI not full. When she asked the waiter to give me a piece of bread, we all laughed. It seems that learning a foreign language abroad is fast! Chumphon arrived We have already walked the road to Phetchaburi, so I won’t say more. In a blink of an eye, we arrived at the intersection of Hua xin and saw the KFC sign. XIXI was so happy.
give me a piece of bread
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.
Kanchanaburi is world-famous from the movie "Bridge on the River Kwai". During World War II, hundreds of thousands of European and American prisoners of war and Southeast Asian laborers were forced by the Japanese army to build the Bridge on the River Kwai and the railway it connected to Burma. At that time, approximately 7,000 Allied prisoners of war died of hunger and disease. Today, this " "Death Railway" and the Bridge on the River Kwai have become famous tourist attractions in Thailand for people to visit and pay homage to.
We first came to the War Cemetery in Kanchanaburi, which is a large walled courtyard. In the middle of the cemetery is a cross with short tombstones on both sides. Only by squatting down can you see the names engraved on the tombstones. It is said that under most tombstones, there are no ashes or remains of the deceased. There are flowers placed next to many tombstones, indicating that people come here to pay their respects every day.
Cross in the middle of the cemetery
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.