MichaelBKK

So, months ago I decided to leave Bangkok for Songkran, for a change. I decided to give the diving in the islands off peninsular Malaysia a try. Booked a flight through Singpore to Tioman, the southern-most big island. How did I know things were going to heat up in Bangkok?

Due to an early departure from Singapore for the flight to Tioman, I booked Jet Star Asia into Singapore the night before, on Thursday. News about the redshirt taxis blocking streets in Bangkok was all over the place, so I left my house early, easily caught a cab, and made it to the airport without problems. The flight to Singapore was delayed by a thunderstorm, so I ended up getting to my hotel about 2:00 am. Then up and out at 9:00 for a noon flight. That's where things went really wrong. I get to Seletar airport just before 10:00 and nobody is there. I wait until 11:00 and still nobody at the counters, although there are more people waiting like me. Finally, one of us calls Berjaya and finds out that the plane leaves at 3:00, not noon as shown on the ticket. So, I wait some more. A tremendous thunderstorm starts and delays the flight even more. We finally leave close to 5:00.

But, when we land at Tioman, the sun is out and it's a beautiful day. The airport is right on the beach. You collect your bag, go through immigration, cross the street, and get on a boat to your hotel - there aren't many roads on Tioman.

The island isn't very developed. Mostly, there are just a few bungalows on the small bays. The diving here is great - on one dive yesterday, I saw sea snakes, sharks, turtles, morays, a huge box fish, and a lot more. There are also anemone fish everywhere - more than I've ever seen anywhere in Thailand. The diving in Tioman is better than Koh Tao, but maybe not quite as good as the Similans.

Most of the accommodations here are quite basic. There's a large Berjaya resort and a small boutique place that looks quite nice, but the rest are mostly "rustic" to put it nicely.

I'm here for two more days, then back to Bangkok, assuming they haven't closed up the place by then.

simpsonc510

Have a good time, Michael. What a headache, getting to your destination.

I'm coming in on the 21st (late pm) and will hopefully be able to get to soi 8 wihout too much trouble....

Stay safe!

Carol

citywalks

And now we have state of emergency declared in Bangkok, according to news reports today. I've not heard any reports on the ground yet.

MichaelBKK

Finished the last dive just a while ago. Today, somewhat forebodingly (ok, that's not a word, so sue me), the first dive was the wreck of the "Sawasdee". A very nice wreck it was too. Just hope it's not a sign of things to come. Been a great three days of diving.

Now for the hard part: making it back to Bangkok tomorrow night. At least I'm really glad I decided to come back a day before the last day of Songkran. Wednesday could be a real mess.

Kathie

I'm glad you had a nice little getaway. Do let us know how things are in bangkok when you get home.

MichaelBKK

So far, so good. I made it to Singapore. The Berjaya flight was only 20 minutes or so late. It was sooo hard leaving Tioman, because today was looking so perfect. Clear and sunny, even hot. The best place to be would have been in the water. Damn.

Now in Changi, using the 'free' internet. Got 5 hours to kill before my flight. Since Jet Star doesn't have early check-in, I put my bag in storage for S$5 so I could wander around. Just had a bowl of Ramen. maybe a coffee later, after I walk off the noodles.

Smeagol

Michael, Changi is not such a bad place to kill 5 hours eh! Thought the free internet use excellent, with plenty of terminals and the food good for an airport.
Have a good flight back.

simpsonc510

Michael,
Will try to catch up with you sometime (maybe at Pickled Liver) when I'm back in BKK very soon. Sounds like you had a nice time on your dive trip. You timed it just right... the red shirts are supposedly going home now. (smile)

Carol

MichaelBKK

Got home with absolutely no problems. I did note as I was leaving the airport that they finally seem to be using the barricades they set up on the approach road after the takeover in December, so there was a bit of a back-up going to the airport.

Got home to find the Internet out and the battery in my car dead.

BradinBangkok

Everything seems to be back to normal now.

The protests were an attempt for Thaksin to use his people to get the current P.M. to resign, then come back and resume power. When the yellow shirts were successful with the airport takeover Thaksin thought he could do the same thing.

Many people were indifferent about Thaksin, but now they don't like him. I think this will be the end for him politically, and the end of the red shirt protests.

It is now safe to come over (not that it wasn't before.)

MichaelBKK

Brad repeats a common misconception, even repeated in the international media. The yellow shirts did not force the last government to resign. A constitutional court ruling ended the last government by dissolving the ruling party for election law violations. The yellow shirts claimed that victory for their own and ended the airport occupation, even though the court ruling probably would have been the same in any case. But now people have it in their heads that street protests can bring down a government.