Two days ago martial law was lifted from the majority of provinces in Thailand, leaving the populace free once again to lead their lives without fear of waking up one night to the sound of a tank being parked in their back yard and having their house stormed by soldiers intent on confiscating every last Thai Rak Thai souvenir 'Election 2005' t-shirt in the land. But, here on Koh Chang martial law is still in place as several areas of Trat province, including Koh Chang & Koh Kood, are apparently considered potential hotbeds of political unrest and subversive activity. Do your bit to help. Next time you see illegal gatherings of half a dozen beach vendors chatting away by their motorbikes or a group of massage women huddled together under a palm tree, feel free to approach them, brand them insurgents and reprimand them for not doing their bit to bring peace and harmony to the nation.
'Crust' has recently opened down in Klong Prao - opposite the temple and is making real bread i.e. bread with texture & taste, which is a bit of a novelty for Koh Chang. I tested a wholegrain loaf on customers at breakfast and they loved it. Well worth a stop if you fancy making sandwiches yourself for a picnic lunch. Open 7am-10am & 4pm-7pm. The chocolate croissants are good, the ones with marmalade on top must be an acquired taste though.
It's not only the locals who drive way too fast on the island's narrow roads, last week an expat woman living & working on Koh Chang was knocked off her motorbike and killed by a hit & run driver. The driver was a European instructor working for a dive school in Bangbao.
Quite a few people who email me looking for houses on Koh Chang have a budget of around 4 million baht or so. On KC this would get you a three storey shophouse by the main road with no garden, no sea views, and not within easy walking distance to the beach. On Koh Mak this would get you a teak wood villa on 800sqm of land with sea views, and 5 minutes walk to the beach. If that isn't a big enough garden area, buy a house on 1600sqm of land for another million baht. More info here
If you're looking for a hotel room from mid December until the first week of January, you're going to have big problems. Forget about New Year - everything that's worthwhile booking on, near or in the vicinity of a decent beach has been booked.
It's Christmas soon, I know this because I had to spend a couple of days in Bangkok and met up with a friend in Starbucks. It took me a while to figure out why the place was bedecked in red and green and the staff were wearing red hats. I just wanted a mug of the 'Coffee of the Day but couldn't bear the embarrassment of being the only person in there not to be drinking a designer concoction - so a Gingerbread Latte with whipped cream it was. And with that I sat back and joined the ranks of those sniggering at anyone standing there befuddled by the choice of drinks that vaguely resemble coffee.
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