Stivlo'st in Asia

I’ve been to Bangkok new airport, Suvanbhumi because Yoyo was going back to Tokyo.

Suvanbhumi is the biggest airport in the world as total floor area in excess of 500,000 m�.

We went to have some food in a small and busy Chinese restaurant. Strange that Don Muang seemed to have more choice for restaurants than here.

We found a little difficult and confusing to find shops.. we went over these long escalators many times.

Blue neon lights give it such a nerd look. Outside at gate 8 there is bus to Bangkok for 150 baht. Destinations include Khao San Road and Silom. It goes slooow. Taxi is a faster alternative, perhaps around 350 baht including motorway charges.

Not far from Pai there is a Karen village, by the river. Karen are an ethnic group in Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand. Most Karens live in Burma where they are in conflict with the governemnt. For this reason more than 100,000 Burmese refugees are sheltering in Thai camps.

Houses and shelters are self-built. People seem friendly and peaceful, I had a conversation with one of them, who was speaking good English.

According to many Karen, the very survival of their people in Burma depends on KNU (Karen National Union) guerrillas. They are fighting for independence against Burma which is ruled by a military junta called the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).

The KNU allege the SPDC is eliminating the Karen population under a violent assimilation programme. SPDC troops regularly terrorise Karen villagers. Those suspected of collaborating with the KNU are tortured and often sent to forced labour camps. In one of the world’s longest and least known civil wars, thousands have been killed and maimed.

Poultry is free to go around the village.

I spent about 5 days in Pai in this bamboo bungalow of Pai River Lodge. Nice place but too many mosquitos! I got stung everywhere. Anyway friendly people and relaxed athmosphere.

Another view of riverside bungalow in Pai River Lodge.

Many elephant camps in Pai, but it’s a shame that the chain is so short that the animal cannot move anywhere.

Now I am really thinking I would like to go to China, but instead it’s better for me to go later and don’t waste too much time and money moving too much.

Small but clean toilet in Chindamay guest house, Vientiane, Laos. The room is also small but nice enough.

1 US $ Breakfast in the internet café near my guesthouse. I spent very long time in this internet café and many times I had breakfast and lunch without moving from my work corner. I liked to be in a nice and clean internet café that was also a bar and a laundry and even a travel agency!

Food stalls near the Mekong river. Food in Vientiane is generally more expencive than Thailand and many times also not as good as in Thailand.