Ban Tai in 2012

Above is a short video I took from the taxi going from Thongsala to Thong Nai Pan. This stretch covers part of Ban Tai up until the Thong Nai Pan turning.

Things to Note

1) Niras Bakery is still going. Good news for all bread lovers.
2) The bar on the corner has re-opened. I think this is now called 'The Sound' and has live music on Fridays and Sundays. There are also a couple of rooms to rent above the bar.
3) For better or for worse the girly bars are still in Ban Tai
4) Chai Motorbike has expanded. The best place to get your motorbike repaired for a reasonable price. Recommended if you rent a bike and scratch or damage it in any way. If you take it back unrepaired to where you rented it from they will ask for lots of money before they return your passport.
5) There's now a big pharmacy in Ban Tai opposite the 7-11 called 'Nopporn Pharmacy 7'. A recommended place to buy medicines.

Many of the old traditional wooden houses remain. The speed boat pier is still running but gets very little custom. Things change slowly in Koh Phangan but often for the better.

Chatuchak Weekend Market

The chances are that you are going to have to visit Bangkok before you make it down to Koh Phangan island. One of the experiences you shouldn't miss in Bangkok is Chatuchak Weekend Market.

Chatuchak Weekend Market is quite far out from the center of Bangkok. You have to sit on an overhead train for about 30 minutes to get there from Sukhimvit. Once at Mo Chit Station (BTS) you just follow the crowds heading to the market. The heaving masses of people don’t start to thin out before you get into the heart of the market.

Chatuchak Weekend Market covers 27 acres of land and has more than 15,000 booths. It is a square with a walk way around the market. It can be very disorientating at first. Around the walk way there are shops, bars, food stands as well as musicians, buskers and the sad sight of children begging. Around the outer fringe are many shops but the majority are in the center.

The shops are set out in a grid system that confusingly goes off at acute angles. There are meant to be areas in the market to help people find what they want, but of course these are only rough guidelines. There are sections for electronic devices, flowers, antiques, clothes and pets. The latter is attractive and repulsive. Lots of cute dogs and kittens are cramped into small boxes and cages. The further up the evolutionary chain you get as an animal the more you no doubt hate your captivity, not to mention the heat and the constant parade of prying fingers through the bars.

When you first enter the center part of Chatuchak Weekend Market the numbers of people are overwhelming. It is very difficult to move; if you have a backpack or kid in a pram even more so.

Following the crowd or just going wherever grabs you can be fun. You are sure to come across a shop selling something that interests you. It is a great place to find souvenirs, clothes, spices, art work, decorations, small furnishings, silk and hundreds of other things. There isn’t much hi-tech stuff. This isn’t the place to go for iPods or pirated software or movies.

If have something particular in mind that you want to buy it can be infuriating. You just seem to find shop after shop selling the same things that aren’t quite right. If you do find what you want the chances are that the price will be wrong. Since becoming a favorite tourist destination many of the shop owners have got wise to the fact that they can charge more and haggle less. As a general rule the further in you go, the cheaper the prices seem to get. You can pay in one shop 750 THB for an item that costs 100 THB at another. If you hold off buying thinking that you could get a cheaper price only to discover that the first place was better value you might have a headache retracing your steps. It all starts to look the same after 40 minutes in the market.

However, for the experienced shopper and professional shopper there are still some real bargains to be had in the market. It is much cheaper for many items then the big shopping malls such as MBK. Many make good relations with shop owners and go several times a year to stock up on goods that they sell on for a tidy profit. As is often the case in Thailand establishing friendly relations and bulk buying makes the chances of getting a big discount far more likely.

The smells of the market are interesting. There is incense and the smell of deep fried food in the air. You can smell plenty of cologne, perfume and body smells. There are the smells of animals and the occasional unpleasant whiff of vomit. Like a bazaar, masses of people are perched in small boxes with their wares facing the narrow walk way. Many of the shop workers are chatting or playing with their smart phones.

Americanification has set in at Chatuchak Market as with most of Bangkok. There are no smoking signs everywhere. Even outside the market huddle there’s no lighting up. The park outside upholds the same dictate. Naturally, it is not hard to find a few Thais surreptitiously defying these edicts. As in many of the late night spots there are ashtrays at every table.

Other than the smoking issue, Chatuchak Market remains one of the most interesting places to visit in Bangkok. It is like Camden Market in that the market has character and provides a barrage of sights, sounds and smells; moreover, you might find some great bargains.

Chaloklum

One of the best beaches in Koh Phangan is Chaloklum. It is in the north of the island, accessed by a good road from Thongsala that goes over flatish jungle. The noticeable thing about Chaloklum is that it has kept its character – it’s not been overtaken with expensive luxury resorts, nor has it become solely a party center. It has these elements but it remains very much the same place as it was 15 years ago. As a result Chaloklum is a favorite with regular returnees to Koh Phangan.

Chaloklum consists of a road that runs parallel to the beach. Along this road there are still a few of the traditional wooden Chinese fisherman’s houses. This invites comparisons with Fisherman’s Village in Bophut, Koh Samui. However, unlike in Bophut many of the houses are still used by fishermen instead of being converted into boutique bars, cafes and shops.

The Chaloklum village is an intriguing mix of the old and the new. There are local shops and restaurants next to boutique places like the Mandalai Hotel and Sheesha Bar. There are also backpacker bars, dive shops, book shops, DVD places etc. On the corner next to the main road is a very handy 7-11 where you can buy cheap drinks and snacks.

Beaches

The main beach at Chaloklum is long – 2.5 km long. Near the center is a pier that the fishermen use. There are good swimming spots to either side of the pier. Being such a long beach it is easy to find an uncrowded part of the beach. Indeed Chaloklum never feels particularly crowded.

The best beach is a sand bank just off the coast. It is accessed via a bridge from Malibu Beach Bungalows. The beach is thus called Malibu Beach. As is so often the case, it is claimed to be a ‘private beach’ but in law it isn’t. The sand is fine white and the sea clear.

From Chaloklum there is a path through a forest to the small beach of Haad Khom. It can be done by motorbike or 4 wheel drive. From March to November some of the bungalow places in Haad Khom shut as it is the lower tidal months. There is an extensive coral reef system at Haad Khom that makes it a great spot for snorkeling.

Haad Khom has no mains electricity. It is a quiet and hippy style beach popular with long stay visitors. Here you can strike a deal to pay for a fan bungalow on a monthly rate. Coconut Beach and Garden Bungalows has bungalows starting at 300 THB a night. Ocean View Resort has bungalows from 450 THB. Often there are no seasonal variations in price at Haad Khom and certainly no minimum stay requirement because of the Full Moon Party.

Activities in Chaloklum

Chaloklum is one of the better places for those who like to do something other than lie on a beach and read a book. Diving is popular. There are a few dive schools at Chaloklum, the best of which is probably Chaloklum Diving.

The wind sometimes gets up in the bay. There is a place on the beach that offers kite boarding and wake boarding.

Near Chaloklum village there is a place that offers elephant treks in the jungle. Opposite is another place that has archery.

From Chaloklum it is possible to walk to Haad Khom and from there you can take a coastal path over to Bottle Beach. For those people intent on a big adventure, the trail continues on to Thong Nai Pan Noi.

Nightlife in Chaloklum

Chaloklum is not a party beach. It is much more laid back and less packed with bars and bodies than Haad Rin. However, it is not a bad place to go out for a few drinks. Drinking spots include the stylish Sheesha Bar where you can get a sea view and suck on a Sheesha pipe. Opposite is Omega Bar. On Wednesday nights Omega Bar has a jam session. They have amps, instruments and a stage. Often ex-pats appear to get some lively jamming going.

In the jungle just off the main village road is Crow Bar. It serves a range of cocktails and snacks and often has a party night. The newest bar in Chaloklum is Zhaba Jazz Bar. It is a converted fisherman’s house on the beach that plays jazz music.

For trance heads in the high seasons there is often an all night party 1 km from Chaloklum. It is the Paradise Waterfall Party, near Paradise Bungalows. The waterfall is not much but there are permanent buildings in the jungle that provide alcohol, food and chill out areas. The party is similar to most of the other parties in Koh Phangan (the Half Moon, Shiva Moon, Black Moon and Jungle Experience) in that it is mostly psy-trance and progressive house beats.

Accommodation in Chaloklum

There are a number of places to stay the beach and nearby. At the west end of the beach is the popular Chaloklum Bay Resort. It has plenty of bungalows both fan and air-con. It also has a small pool. For hotel style rooms there is Viva on the Beach.

A new place is Buri Tara Resort and Spa. It is at the east end of the beach. It has air-con cottages and the resort has an impressive free form pool overlooking the beach.

If you hunt around you can still find some of the original fan bungalows that go for about 300 Thai Baht a night.