sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!!

mjothi · 26th February 2009, 09:25

Its almost a week after this vacation and still I have not uploaded pics or trips. Damn, work pressure.

Still I have very less time to pen down here, but I cant resist.

How can I manage to keep my fingers off the forum without uploading my trip pics for long!!!

So, here you go. Details and trip log to follow, may be with little delay.

Enjoy madi.

Oh its you!!! Ok.

sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!!-img_7084.jpg

Not sitting, pose like us - Sleeping!!!

sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!!-img_7101.jpg

Bigger crown, too big for me.

sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!!-img_7375.jpg

Missed, dont you know to cover 2 people in a frame?

sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!!-img_7482.jpg

Wow Beach!

sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!!-img_7588.jpg

Colorful tails.

sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!!-img_7837.jpg

Surprise · 26th February 2009, 11:25

I know a "5 star" in making

akroy · 26th February 2009, 11:36

Ha ha laka laka laka, bring them in. I was waiting for this travelogue.

Abhi

Rehaan · 26th February 2009, 16:31

Awesome.

I was there at the begining for Jan 2009.

Infact i even got bitten by a tiger cub at the tiger temple

Without stealing too much away from your travelogue, i want to post a few pics of the Long-Tail Boats of Thailand.

They are like the taxis of the sea, and are an awesome and simple job of make-shift engineering that i think people on this forum would be interested in.

Heres what a long-tail boat looks like. They get their name from the long tail sticking out behind them, with a propellor at the end.

sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!!-1_img_0822.jpg

This is the cool part. Its a noisy old deisel engine just dumped at the back of the boat. The "pilot" pulls on a string which is connected to the throttle to modulate the speed. The long-tail driveshaft is mated directly to the flywheel at the back. Some of them even have transmissions!

sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!!-2_img_0644.jpg

There is no rudder. The entire engine is mounted on a pivot so that the driver can steer by changing the angle of the long tail.

sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!!-3_img_0646.jpg

The pivot is a 2-axis pivot. Not only can it move the propellor-shaft left/right, but also up/down. This is useful when the boat needs to be turned around. In the pic below you can see the propellor, as well as exactly how long the tail needs to be so that the prop isn't angled too far downwards.

sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!!-4_img_0813.jpg

Onwards with your travelogue mjothi....

Cheers,
R

mjothi · 27th February 2009, 11:37

When
14th Feb to 19th Feb 2009.

Where
Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Phuket, Phi-Phi Island.

Hotels stayed :
The Park Hotel bangkok
Phi Phi Natural Resort, A Tropical paradise in Thailand

It all starts with my friend asking me to help him plan a vacation to Thailand. I call/PM our Hari, Ruffy get some details from them. Google and land back to TeamBHP, search etc etc and get all details, flights, hotels etc. and fnally he drops.

This whole planning made me to think about what if I do the trip? Especially after seeing and hearing about those Phi Phi Island, I said no going back and also I have been thinking of making a foreign trip with my family for almost 4 to 5 years now, I said, ok we are doing it.

The dates were finalized as 14th Feb to 19th Feb 2009. It would be a double dhamaka. Because, its valentines day on 14th and 15th being my birthday.

I book the tickets 2 weeks before the trip. Keep searching Agoda.com for hotels and other online forums, blogs etc to make this trip a merry.

We were so excited about the trip since this was our first trip where in we all go together. The plan was to go to Bangkok and visit Phi-Phi Island.

I booked the Park Hotel in Sukhumvit Soi 7. And also book the Phi Phi Natural Island in Phi Phi northern island.

Finally the D-Day arrives. I booked the Meeru cab for reaching the Airport. Since it was 13th Feb and there was Air show going on, I was worried about the traffic. And hence we took the Devanahalli route through the White field. Even though it was little longer (almost 120rs extra wrt cost) it was worth it. We just reached Airport in 1hour from Brookfield.

The flight was @ 00:30am, and we were in airport at 8:45pm on the previous day. The check-in counters was also not open. So, was just roaming around the airport with my kid.

Around 9 - 9:30 they open the check-in counter, I check-in my luggage. It was just 26Kgs and the guy checking was smiling at it. So, I was just asking him if I get concession for less baggage. Lol.

Got the boarding pass and headed to the Immigration. Since we were early, there was not much crowd. Got the stamping and passed the security at ease.

Now, we still had almost 2.5 hours to kill. What to do? Umm, what else, window shopping. We managed to kill almost 1 hour. But got bored after that. Every second was like years and I almost lost control when my kid kept asking when the flight will start for every few seconds.

Finally, the flight arrives, we board in. Only when I enter the flight my wife asks me who sits in the Window seat. Ha, I forgot to get a window seat when checking in. We got the 3 center rows. I convince my wife saying, even if you are near window seat you don't see anything since its all dark. Not convincing, but still, no options.

The flight is ready to start its journey along with us. Slowly it moves back. I tell my kid that the flight do not run in reverse. He first laughs and then ask how is it moving now. I tell him its only with the help of a another truck like vehicle which pushes the Flight back. He was still wondering if I am making fun or its true.

Zoooooooooooooing.... WHAT? Nothing, sound of flight getting to its V2 speed for take off!!! And there we go a small dot on the sky under the thick clouds.

Leaving our Thai-mannu to reach Thai-Land

...

getsurya · 27th February 2009, 11:57

mjothi, keep the pics coming..cant wait to see the glamour!!

hrag · 27th February 2009, 12:05

How was Mother's cooking?

WAGON_R · 27th February 2009, 12:27

thainald is indeed a very great place. i have been there for 2 weeks. i visited bangkok, phuket and koh samui. phi phi islands was a dream place. i still dream about the heaven on earth.

potlaravi · 27th February 2009, 13:49

Mjothi, nice starter pics , good write up. Looking for more , appreciated if you share the budget plan.

MuraliR · 27th February 2009, 14:55

Argh! Mjothi is writing at the pace of one thread a day.

Mjothi wanted to prolong the GQ thread till end of 2009, but may successfully do it with this travelogue.

SBR · 27th February 2009, 15:08

mjothi, Nice travelogue. Keep the Pics coming. Will help me plan my holiday with family to Thailand.

hrag · 27th February 2009, 15:09

I think mthai is selecting the "good" pictures for this thread.
While keeping the "better" pictures for himself.

mjothi · 27th February 2009, 15:24

Thanks guys. And I will share all the details as we move through the log...

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuraliR

Argh! Mjothi is writing at the pace of one thread a day.

Mjothi wanted to prolong the GQ thread till end of 2009, but may successfully do it with this travelogue.

No man. I am held up at work and very busy. I want to complete it before I forget details about the vacation.

Hope I will complete it soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hrag

I think mthai is selecting the "good" pictures for this thread.
While keeping the "better" pictures for himself.

Right. Getting a nice picture from this 6MP cam which is lesser than Mr.H's 7.xMP cam is tough though.

khan_sultan · 27th February 2009, 16:46

In your pictures of yourself with the tigers, I first had a hard time figuring out where you were. The color/pattern of your shirt is soooo similar to the tigers

BTW, where is the 'Aveo' in the pictures? Can't see it any of the pictures you have posted till now!!!

Cheers,

hrag · 27th February 2009, 16:58

Watch it, Shahnawaz! mtiger might undo some more buttons...

26th February 2009, 09:25	#1
mjothi Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,287 Thanked: 231 Times View My Garage	sa-wad-dee ka Thailand, Land of Smiles. Perfect spot for vacation!!! Its almost a week after this vacation and still I have not uploaded pics or trips. Damn, work pressure. Still I have very less time to pen down here, but I cant resist. How can I manage to keep my fingers off the forum without uploading my trip pics for long!!! So, here you go. Details and trip log to follow, may be with little delay. Enjoy madi. Oh its you!!! Ok. Not sitting, pose like us - Sleeping!!! Bigger crown, too big for me. Missed, dont you know to cover 2 people in a frame? Wow Beach! Colorful tails.
	() Thanks

26th February 2009, 11:25	#2
Surprise Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Chennai Posts: 2,523 Thanked: 454 Times	I know a "5 star" in making
	() Thanks

26th February 2009, 11:36	#3
akroy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA, USA Posts: 2,423 Thanked: 85 Times View My Garage	Ha ha laka laka laka, bring them in. I was waiting for this travelogue. Abhi
	() Thanks

26th February 2009, 16:31	#4
Rehaan Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 24,046 Thanked: 34,076 Times	Long-Tail Boats of Thailand Awesome. I was there at the begining for Jan 2009. Infact i even got bitten by a tiger cub at the tiger temple Without stealing too much away from your travelogue, i want to post a few pics of the Long-Tail Boats of Thailand. They are like the taxis of the sea, and are an awesome and simple job of make-shift engineering that i think people on this forum would be interested in. Heres what a long-tail boat looks like. They get their name from the long tail sticking out behind them, with a propellor at the end. This is the cool part. Its a noisy old deisel engine just dumped at the back of the boat. The "pilot" pulls on a string which is connected to the throttle to modulate the speed. The long-tail driveshaft is mated directly to the flywheel at the back. Some of them even have transmissions! There is no rudder. The entire engine is mounted on a pivot so that the driver can steer by changing the angle of the long tail. The pivot is a 2-axis pivot. Not only can it move the propellor-shaft left/right, but also up/down. This is useful when the boat needs to be turned around. In the pic below you can see the propellor, as well as exactly how long the tail needs to be so that the prop isn't angled too far downwards. Onwards with your travelogue mjothi.... Cheers, R Last edited by Rehaan : 26th February 2009 at 16:36.
	() Thanks

27th February 2009, 11:37	#5
mjothi Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,287 Thanked: 231 Times View My Garage	When 14th Feb to 19th Feb 2009. Where Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Phuket, Phi-Phi Island. Hotels stayed : The Park Hotel bangkok Phi Phi Natural Resort, A Tropical paradise in Thailand It all starts with my friend asking me to help him plan a vacation to Thailand. I call/PM our Hari, Ruffy get some details from them. Google and land back to TeamBHP, search etc etc and get all details, flights, hotels etc. and fnally he drops. This whole planning made me to think about what if I do the trip? Especially after seeing and hearing about those Phi Phi Island, I said no going back and also I have been thinking of making a foreign trip with my family for almost 4 to 5 years now, I said, ok we are doing it. The dates were finalized as 14th Feb to 19th Feb 2009. It would be a double dhamaka. Because, its valentines day on 14th and 15th being my birthday. I book the tickets 2 weeks before the trip. Keep searching Agoda.com for hotels and other online forums, blogs etc to make this trip a merry. We were so excited about the trip since this was our first trip where in we all go together. The plan was to go to Bangkok and visit Phi-Phi Island. I booked the Park Hotel in Sukhumvit Soi 7. And also book the Phi Phi Natural Island in Phi Phi northern island. Finally the D-Day arrives. I booked the Meeru cab for reaching the Airport. Since it was 13th Feb and there was Air show going on, I was worried about the traffic. And hence we took the Devanahalli route through the White field. Even though it was little longer (almost 120rs extra wrt cost) it was worth it. We just reached Airport in 1hour from Brookfield. The flight was @ 00:30am, and we were in airport at 8:45pm on the previous day. The check-in counters was also not open. So, was just roaming around the airport with my kid. Around 9 - 9:30 they open the check-in counter, I check-in my luggage. It was just 26Kgs and the guy checking was smiling at it. So, I was just asking him if I get concession for less baggage. Lol. Got the boarding pass and headed to the Immigration. Since we were early, there was not much crowd. Got the stamping and passed the security at ease. Now, we still had almost 2.5 hours to kill. What to do? Umm, what else, window shopping. We managed to kill almost 1 hour. But got bored after that. Every second was like years and I almost lost control when my kid kept asking when the flight will start for every few seconds. Finally, the flight arrives, we board in. Only when I enter the flight my wife asks me who sits in the Window seat. Ha, I forgot to get a window seat when checking in. We got the 3 center rows. I convince my wife saying, even if you are near window seat you don't see anything since its all dark. Not convincing, but still, no options. The flight is ready to start its journey along with us. Slowly it moves back. I tell my kid that the flight do not run in reverse. He first laughs and then ask how is it moving now. I tell him its only with the help of a another truck like vehicle which pushes the Flight back. He was still wondering if I am making fun or its true. Zoooooooooooooing.... WHAT? Nothing, sound of flight getting to its V2 speed for take off!!! And there we go a small dot on the sky under the thick clouds. Leaving our Thai-mannu to reach Thai-Land ...
	() Thanks

27th February 2009, 11:57	#6
getsurya Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,641 Thanked: 1,929 Times View My Garage	mjothi, keep the pics coming..cant wait to see the glamour!!
	() Thanks

27th February 2009, 12:05	#7
hrag BANNED Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bangalore / Madras Posts: 1,982 Thanked: 31 Times	How was Mother's cooking?
	() Thanks

27th February 2009, 12:27	#8
WAGON_R BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: MUMBAI Posts: 60 Thanked: 0 Times	thainald is indeed a very great place. i have been there for 2 weeks. i visited bangkok, phuket and koh samui. phi phi islands was a dream place. i still dream about the heaven on earth.
	() Thanks

27th February 2009, 13:49	#9
potlaravi BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: STL MO Posts: 148 Thanked: 3 Times View My Garage	Mjothi, nice starter pics , good write up. Looking for more , appreciated if you share the budget plan.
	() Thanks

27th February 2009, 14:55	#10
MuraliR BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 361 Thanked: 35 Times	Argh! Mjothi is writing at the pace of one thread a day. Mjothi wanted to prolong the GQ thread till end of 2009, but may successfully do it with this travelogue.
	() Thanks

27th February 2009, 15:08	#11
SBR BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 237 Thanked: 60 Times	mjothi, Nice travelogue. Keep the Pics coming. Will help me plan my holiday with family to Thailand.
	() Thanks

27th February 2009, 15:09	#12
hrag BANNED Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bangalore / Madras Posts: 1,982 Thanked: 31 Times	I think mthai is selecting the "good" pictures for this thread. While keeping the "better" pictures for himself.
	() Thanks

27th February 2009, 16:46	#14
khan_sultan Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Noida/Bangalore Posts: 4,925 Thanked: 5,853 Times View My Garage	In your pictures of yourself with the tigers, I first had a hard time figuring out where you were. The color/pattern of your shirt is soooo similar to the tigers BTW, where is the 'Aveo' in the pictures? Can't see it any of the pictures you have posted till now!!! Cheers,
	() Thanks

27th February 2009, 16:58	#15
hrag BANNED Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bangalore / Madras Posts: 1,982 Thanked: 31 Times	Watch it, Shahnawaz! mtiger might undo some more buttons...
	() Thanks