I was born and am living in Rotterdam, Holland. Over the past years I have been traveling through Europe (Germany,
Belgium, Sweden, England, France, Spain, Scheiwz, Portugal, Oosterijk,
Greece, Luxembourg) and Asia (Thailand, Malysia, Laos,Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia).
I'm a free-lance computer-expert (not really on Windows, but on the big business systems), and I'm crazy about Asia.
I have even thought about starting a new life overthere, but feel that I would go crazy by the business mentality. If I would have to make my living there I would go nuts I think ....

Any questions for Ivo: If anybody who is reading the On-The-Road wants to have information just email me at
CSIMH@HOTMAIL.COM

Greetings,Ivo.

I returned to Holland by China Airlines (non-stop flight Bangkok Amsterdam).

Here's some accommodation information from my trip :
ABF: American Breakfast CBF: Continental BF

Bangkok
NewRotel: 565 B incl. ABF (Hot water, Airco). Nice peolple, good value
Grace hotel: 650 bath excl. ABF (airco, hot water) This is not a hotel, but a place for hookers (and their clients)
Madam GH: 100-300 B excl.BF (fan). Very nice place, friendly people

Phuket(Patong beach)
Sweet Appartment: 600 B excl. ABF (hot water, Airco).
Clean, nice people
Phuket town
Imperial 1: 650 B excl. ABF (hot water, Airco), Good
value, nice people
On-on GH: 150-350 B excl. ABF (no airco, no hot water). Real chinese

Kho Samui( Chaweng beach)
Relax Resort: 600 B excl. ABF (airo, hot water, 3 beds) CBF a 45B
Samui coral resort: 300 B excl. ABF (fan, hot water).
Kho Samui( Chaweng beach) Bungalow on the beach
Evergreen resort: 600 B excl. ABF (fan, hot water). New hotel, nice people

Lampang
RiverSide GH: 400 B incl. CBF (fan, hot water). Like a real home

ChiangRai
Tourist Inn: 250 B incl. CBF (fan, hot water). Good value, in center of CR

ChiangMai
Cap house: 320 B incl. CBF (fan, hot water). Not good anymore
Living house: 100 B excl. ABF (fan, hot water). Good
value, in center of CM

Ubon Ratchathani
San Sen 1: 290 B excl. ABF (airco, fan, hot water). Chinese, good place
Sukhothai
Ban Thai GH: 100-200 B excl. BF (fan)
Lotus village: 200-600 B excl. BF

Places to go:
Bangkok
Paulaner Brauhaus: Sukhumvit Soi 24 Not for budget travelers, dinner and drink. Beer garden.
Mango Tree: Surawongse rd. Soi anumarnrachathon Thai food, very good
Le Bouchon: Patpong 2, French food. Good wine

Others
Night Bazar in ChiangMai and ChiangRai: Bars, shops,
foodstalls, snooker
Sportpark in UbonRatchathani Foodstalls, sporting thai, in the evening

Yesterday I took the night train to Ubon (upper sleeping fan 361 baht).
That's near Laos/Cambodia. It's a little city, no real guesthouses. No
tourists, no Thais speaking english. Real fun, but a good TAT office.
I'm planning to go to Ban Pa Po, a old village near Ubon. It's cold
here, a lot of wind, I'm wearing a sweater.
Internet: Like you can see there is a Internet cafe in Ubon, Internetzone, 322 Suriyat RD.

Bangkok Train Station:The railway station in BKK is almost ready now, it looks good. There are ATM's, there is a KFC and a food court. There will be restaurants. The baggage store place is at platform 12. There are good and clean toilets and showers.

I'm holed up in BKK, all the trains and buses are full as the asian games have started.

I will spend my time in a massage salon (no not a sex salon). I found a
place where they give good Japanese massage for 180 baht an hour in a
clean place.

Sukhothai
Transport: From Bangkok I took the bus for 179 baht to Sukhothai (takes about 6 hours, leaves every hour from northern bus terminal). I stayed 4 days in Sukhothai.
Accommodation: BanThai Guest house (150 - 200 baht) Lotus Village (200 - 800 baht)
Attractions: Old Sukhothai, about 15 km outside city, take the bus for 8 baht, entrance fee to the historic park about 50 baht, you can rent a bike over there.

Lampang
Transport: From Sukhothai I took the bus to Lampang, Win tour, bus: 150 baht, leaves 4 times in the morning, takes about 5 hours.
Accomodation: Riverside GH (300 - 600 baht), mostly longterm guests.
Nightlife : Ant Ant music hall
Attractions : Wat pruat lampang luang (15 km outside city)
Elephant training
Next destination: Chiang Rai and Luang Prabang, Laos

My Diary:
Woke up about 7.00 in the morning, took a walk on Chaweng beach, Ko Samui. Had breakfast at Relex resort (40 baht), and went back to my place (Samui Coral Resort, for 300 baht with fan and toilet, nice garden setting). Left Chaweng beach at 11:00 by taxi (40 baht) to Nathon (ferry port). Left Nathon by ferry at 14.00 and arrived at Don Sak (mainland) at 16:00. From there there are buses to Suratthani or to PunPin (train station). This takes about 1 hour. My train to BKK should have left about 8:00 pm, but really left at 22:50.
I met a man who is writing guide books (LP or Moon ?)
After a good nights sleep in the train, I ate breakfast (my own)- not the breakfast served on the train. The train finally arrived in BKK at 10:30...

Next destination: Sukhothai
Sometime tommorow I will head off for Sukhothai by local bus (from the northern bus terminal) .

Patong: Accommodation:
Well initially I stayed at Patong beach at Sweet appartments for about 500 baht with bathroom, hotwater and aircon.
Internet: There are plenty of internet cafe's at Patong, the average cost is 3 baht/min.

Phuket Town: After that I moved to Phuket-town which is really attractive place. A buget hotel I recommend is On-On hotel. Rooms from around 150 - 350 baht. It's a really old chinese style, clean. A more upmarket hotel is Imperial 1.
Transport: From Phuket I traveld to KoSamui by private mini-van, 350 baht price includes the ferry.

Ko Samui:
I'm staying at Chaweng-beach. A lot of disco's here.
Accommodation: You can stay here for 300 baht up to 2000 baht. What ever suits your budget.
Weather: At the moment it's raining a littele bit.
I plan to travel to Sukhothai at the end of the week.

Transport to the South Islands:
I'm still in Bangkok, planning to leave by train to Phuket and/or Ko Samui. Trains to Surathani leave every day, and costs about 500/600 baht. It takes about 13 hours (to SuratThani). The first ferry to Ko Samui leaves at 7.00 am and from the train staion to the ferry takes about 1.5 hour. So you
always miss the first ferry. The next and last goes at 10:30 am.

I also was at the main train station, they are renovating the place. It's
one big mess inside but everything still works.

Accommodation: Today I have been at the Soi Nam Duply area. It's an attractive budget area. There is a lovely, real Thai guesthouse called Madam Guesthouse (11 Soi Saphan Khu (Opp. Sribumpen App.)Near Malaysia Hotel, tel.286-9289

I have been to the Kaosan Rd. today, here is some information.
Accommodation: Khaosan Palace Hotel: Single/double 240B/350B for fan, A/C single/double 400B/550B.
New Nith Charoen hotel : 290B with fan.
Both include privat bath, but no breakfast.

Visa info from agent: for Laos : 1300B, open for 2 months, valid for 1 month,
Visa for Vietnam : 2900, valid for 1 month, fixed entry/exit dates.
Flight to Vietnam: BKK - HANOI (RT),airfare 7700B with VietnamAir, 8700B with ThaiAir (RT)
Khaosan rd. is still the same, not BKK.
Night Life: For people who want to enjoy Bangkok nightlife head for NASA disco or The Love boat Club.

Hello Andrea,

Well today I arrived in BKK after a 10hr35m flight with China Airlines from Amsterdam (and a 3 hour delay, but seems to be normal
for china airlines).

I'm staying in the Chaopraha area. It is nice because it is the last night of the Loy Kratong Festival. For people who are planning to go next year, try not to miss this, all BKK is full of people having fun. Also full of police and tourists.

Transport from Airport: These days it's very easy and quick to get from the airport to downtown. Taxi's cost about 175 b + 60 b for the toll-way. There is also a special bus
going to Kaosan Rd.

Tomorrow I will visit the the WTC-shoping centre and go to Planet Hollywood or what ever comes my way.

Weather: It's nice weather over here, 31'c and a little rain.

Any questions for Ivo: If anybody who is
reading the On-the-road wants to have information just email me at
CSIMH@HOTMAIL.COM

Greetings, Ivo.

Rotterdam
Weather: By the way it's raining like hell out-side, we have a lot of water problems in Holland right now, people take the boat instead of the car.

For people going to Bangkok: I would say : Don't stay at the Kaosan Rd.,crowded with tourists,I prefer to stay at the Choapraya area, maybe a littele more expensive,
but much more Bangkok.
An other area is just north off kaosan rd. There is a good hotel there Hotel Trang. it's not cheap (about 1000baht for 2 persons including, breakfast and aircon, swimmingpool etc.).