Inundated Bungalows! “I’m Melting!”
If you think a bungalow “on the beach” is nice, try Ban Na on White Sands beach on Koh Chang (elephant island).
After booking I read I had to get off the song taeo (passenger pickup truck) from the dock at the first 7-11 (2 on the beach) and walk along the beach for 300 m (300 yards). Well, after almost walking 300 m the beach disappears in the ocean. “Is this a Mont Saint-Michel situation?” Yes, it was. It was getting close to high tide and either known or unknown when the place was built a stroll through the water was necessary twice daily at high tides.
My arrival is the topic of another blog. But when I was finally guided to the room I found what I expected, a rock hard Thai mattress, a fan, an open blue pvc piped bathroom with an electric flash water heater; everything I needed to survive a good life. For 600 baht (32 Baht=US$1) it was an expected price for an island.
The waves are right below my elevated semi-treehouse room and are gradually fading when I sleep the more days I stay. Think of this place as “over the beach”. As the only customer I have my own private balcony with chair and table to enjoy my Toscanellos, coffee and electrolyte water (I make myself).
I thought about moving to a more luxurious hotel yesterday but after finding the food down beach more expensive, being guided to a water heating thermos and my other choice place (newly constructed) with an elevator that seemed to just stop randomly, I decided to stay longer. How long? Hey, this is COVID days, life is one day at a time.
The bed is an issue but after my booked 2 nights, why not another night? After all at nighttime local people gather next door for drinks (more “drunk” than “drinks”) at nighttime and everyone has fun. What more could a vagabond need!?
The Great Escape..NOT?
Japan now says they will allow me to apply to get a letter letting me through immigration in Japan. I would need to test negative for Covid within 72 hours before the flight if I received “the letter”. Friends in Japan are losing faith in their government for mishandling the Covid 19 virus. Infected people are increasing. So now everyone is telling me not to return for safety reasons.
Croatia was allowing tourists in under certain screening or quarantine. I was thinking as using that as my escape route into Europe. But the last few days England put restrictions on people coming in from Croatia since Covid cases are increasing. So now will this cause problems for my escape? Actually I have no problems being in Thailand. It is safe, medical services are good. Everything is fine. But I can’t stay here much longer, maybe not past September 26 when the Covid amnesty ends. Since things change from day to day I guess I will just have to see what the next month brings.
Thailand Covid 19 Demonstrations
I bet you expect this title to indicate I am going to yada, yada about “mask” issues. Ain’t gonna happen on this website. I save that for my egghead facebook page. Here you will find recent perspectives on Covid and political demonstrations in Thailand.
Thailand continues to have very few, not more than 15/day, positive Covid tests and still at zero daily deaths. Talk about “safety” and “freedom”, Thailand gives tourists a lot of those 2 so come to visit when possible. Now tourism is blocked. Even returning Thai nationals need to quarantine for 2 weeks in Bangkok at their expense. Diplomats and UN people need to quarantine if they are even allowed into the country, no entry permission is guaranteed.
The website at the Japanese Embassy indicates I can now apply for return to my country of residence. Not sure what that means since it does NOT indicate an automatic system for residents to return, those who aren’t “exceptions”. But I need to sit a while longer without travel in Thailand to recover from surgery. The hospital here says they will help with immigration if the stay goes past September 26, the last day of the visa amnesty granted to tourists who got “stuck” here due to Covid-19.
So, I make the best of things staying at my friend’s estate outside Bangkok. He has 2 free dogs, a swimming pool, large back yard for dog Frisbee games (not throwing dogs) and a coffee maker. So, life is now on autopilot until all things improve.
It seems an escape West might work through Croatia but that situation is changing as they accept US tourists and Covid positive people increase. Croatia’s acceptance rules keep changing. It is in the EU but not in Schengen so automatic entry to other Schengen countries is not possible. But as an EU country, showing a period of stay there, Covid negative, can be a positive to entering Schengen, other EU countries or other countries in the area, Scotland or England.
Oh, concerning Demonstrations, almost forgot, let me just say read the news. There are currently pro democracy demonstrations and you will read also about some complex political issues surrounding demonstrator demands. Most of the demonstrators are University students. Stay tuned.