filmwill's musings (live) from thailand
 

UPDATE FROM BANGKOK:

We arrived late last night to a beautifully clear and unseasonably cool (loving it!) Bangkok. It's just so nice to be back.

Airport was a ghost town, which may have had something to do with our 7:45 PM arrival time. Breezed through the terminal, immigration, baggage and customs in about 20 minutes. Now THAT is a personal record.

Walked around Sukhumvit for about an hour last night (requisite ladyboys and fried bugs to boot) before crashing hard. Woke up at 5 AM and had a lovely breakfast at Dream.

We've got a few hours to kill before heading back to the airport to catch our flight to Chiang Mai. We're there for two days and then we head to Mae Hong Son and Pai for 4 nights of total R&R, a little hiking and some soul searching...just what the doctor ordered.

Happy to report that everything is wonderful (as always) in Thailand and thrilled that not only we were able to come, but that we decided to.

Much more to come from the road--we're off...not a moment to waste. :)

So glad to hear that you made it safely and all is well. Now go relax!!!!

Aloha!

Way to hang in there FW. A little excitement never hurt anyone. No Plan B. Timely reporting, no penalty whatsoever.

BTW, we were in the airport last time arounf 7:45 p.m. and it was jumping.

Welcome to Chiang Mai! If you found Bangkok cool you will find us cold!

18 (66F) at the moment (9:00 a.m.)and unfortunately a little misty.

I'm so glad you've arrived! Have a wonderful time. Just reading your comments makes me want to be in Bangkok now!

I am glad it's going well!

Have a great time! Happy Travels!

Thanks for taking us along on your trip!

I just said to DH that I was wondering if you made it! Glad to see your report. Have a great time. I'll see you at Milennium on the 21st about 11:30!
Carol (from Zurich)

Glad you made it. Enjoy Chiang Mai and the rest of Northern Thailand.

Bisbeee (from my couch)

Glad you made it safe and sound, will have to live Thailand thru your trip report been as we missed out this year.

Smeagol
(at work, on a VERY cold UK morning)

Have fun - glad you finally made it.

Bisbee... LOL.... a number of folks here knew that I would be going to Europe for a few weeks prior to my trip to Bangkok. I've just added the "from..." location to let them know where I am...

LOVED your couch note, really!! ...

Carol

so all that angst was for naught....good exercise for a CA boy however...

So happy you arrived safe and sound and are already enjoying Thailand.
You deserve an extra special portion of relaxation after the hairy scary time you spent in getting there.

Impressed with your timely report.
Sue

In Chiang Mai now at the lovely Manathai Village. Tangata is right--it's almost chilly up here, at least by Thailand standards. It's quite nice...in the mid-70s. I can only imagine how much colder it's going to be when we get to Mae Hong Son tomorrow.

Hotel is really beautiful...and dead. The whole city is just so quiet. Almost feels like we have it to ourselves. I can't say I've ever experienced Thailand quite like this. It really is a different and somewhat magical perspective.

As most locals on here have noted, you wouldn't know a thing had happened anytime recently both in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Happy as a peach...and on to shopping in Hang Dong now. :)

Any reccos for a great dinner in Chiang Mai tonight? Not TOO fancy, but definitely memorable would be great. Open to any kind of food (except, well of course, American.) :)

More to come...

Now you are glad you came !

Manathai is nice though a long time since we went.
They have a great place at Surin on Phuket also.

The best place we ate while in CM was at the Ramchatka. (I'm sure that is spelled wrong, but I think you know where I mean.) Most of the food in CM was rather disappointing,

kathie, do you mean the Ratchamankha? at the hotel...?

i know you said the thais have no reaction to the "crisis", but do you have any feeling that they understand what the blocade did to business in general??

have a fantastic time...