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"The Rounds" March 16, 2002
Mekhong Kurt * * * * * * * * * * Running behind with this week's column, as I've been busily entertaining my friend from Hongkong who was down from her work in Tokyo for a two-week holiday. Some of this column will be devoted to our journeys. * * * * * * * * * * For starters, we went down to Jomtien last Saturday, where I know a few people. Stayed at The Moonshine Place just inside Jomtien Beach Road Soi 4, where one can get a nice room with air-conditioning and a hot-water shower for just 500 baht a night. There's a restaurant-bar downstairs with a pool table and dart board, as well as cable television (which is also in each room). There are also some tables and chairs outside, and the beach is about a one-minute walk away. The owners are Yui and Brad, a nice couple. The atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed. Lots of locals hang out there, so it's a good place to meet friendly people and get information. I personally prefer Jomtien to Pattaya -- less hectic and crowded. WHen you're down that way, give The Moonshine Place a try, and please let them know you read about the place here. * * * * * * * * * * Also in Jomtien is Howie's Nightlife Bar, located directly on Jomtien Beach Road between Sois 8 and 9. Open on the front and one side, it's a great place to sit while drinking and watching beachcombers and the surf. I spent a very pleasant couple of hours sitting there late in the evening just chatting with Howie. The bar has a pool table. Drop by and tell Howie I sent you. * * * * * * * * * * Didn't make it to the Drunk & Dare-A-Lick's Beer Bar just around the corner from Howie's Nightlife, but I understand it's a great place, too. Run by the affable Charlie, I'm completely confident it's well worth a visit. You can tell Charlie you read about his bar here -- but also tell him I PROMISE to drop by next time I'm down! * * * * * * * * * * We also spent a very pleasant couple of days up in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. I love the place -- this was my 17th trip there in under 5 years; first went there in October, 1997, and have been going back ever since. The first 16 times I flew directly into Vientiane's Wattay International Airport, located just 6 kilometers from the very heart of the city's cmall Central District. But I did it a little different this time, flying instead into Udorn Thani, the airport of which is located a little under 60 kilometers from The Friendship Bridge, which spans the Mekhong from Nongkhai on the Thailand side over into Laos' Vientiane Province. The Laos end of the bridge is actually in the countryside; it's 21 kilometers into the center of the Central Business District. There are several options for getting to and from Udorn Thani Airport. On the way up, we paid 100 baht each for tickets to a bus station a couple hundred meters from the border. Not realizing how close the border was, we took a tuk-tuk over to it; that cost 20 baht. There's a shuttle bus for the bridge itself; that's 10 baht per person. At the Laos end of the bridge, there are taxis -- but beware of inflated prices. The drivers crowded around wanting 200 baht to take us into town, but I held firm at 100 baht, pointing out that even that was too much. Anyway, for a grand total of 340 baht, we got from the airport to our hotel. To leap ahead to the end of the trip, as long as I'm talking about getting to and from Vientiane from Udorn Thani, we worked it a little different coming back. There's a company in Vientiane called "Trans-Express" that runs a shuttle service; the driver will pick you up at the hotel. It's great. The van took us to the border, and there was another van waiting on the Laos side to take us on. The ticket price depends on the number of people; we were quoted 350 baht per person -- but later the people at Trans-Express called our hotel and said there was at least one more person scheduled to ride, so we had to pay only 300 baht each. Yes, it's more expensive, but we're not talking huge numbers here, so I heartily recommend it. Trans-Express has a website at http://www.transexpress-laos.com, but every page except the homepage is under construction. There is an e-mail link there for the address transexpress@laonet.net. The telephone numbers are (Country Code = 856) (City Code = 21) 213-995, 213-996, and 213-997. From our hotel door to the airport door in Udorn Thani took just under two hours -- and that included stops to pick up other passengers. There [currently] are 3 flights a day connecting Bangkok and Udorn Thani, and Trans-Express has shuttles for all 3, though I suspect it could be really crowding it to catch the early-morning flight, as the border doesn't open until 6:00 A.M. In Vientiane I always stay at the Duoang Duane Guest House, located on a small side street just off the Mekhong River. It's a small place, and the rooms aren't fancy -- but very nice. Every room has 2 twin beds, air-conditioning, and limited cable television, as well as a phone. The restrooms boast hot-water showers and bathtubs. There *is* a restaurant, but it closes at 10:00 A.M. (!) Food, however, is NO problem in Vientiane, which is positively teeming with restaurants. In fact, there are several very good places to eat just in the same block as the hotel. The hotel's rates are excellent at US$18 a night for one person and US$22 for two people. Many places quote prices in U.S. dollars because the kip -- the national currency of Laos -- is still going down, as it has been ever since the economic crisis struck this part of the world in mid-1997. Five years ago the kip was valued at about 750 to the dollar; earlier this week it was trading for over 9,100 per dollar. Even against the baht it's worth only about 210 to 1 baht. By the way, many places accept baht freely, but most will round down to 200 kip per baht, which is fair enough. The largest note in Laos is only 5,000 kip -- worth about 25 baht, so it can take a LOT of Laos banknotes to pay for stuff. But back to the hotel itself. Another nice service is that someone will pick you up at Wattay International Airport free of charge. They also will take you back -- IF someone's available. Considering the price -- free -- it's hard to complain when no one can take me back. (Somewhat curiously, there are virtually no car taxis in Vientiane except at the airport and The Friendship Bridge, but the venerable tuk-tuk is found in abundance. Bargain with the drivers; I generally pay 50-60 baht for the ride to the airport.) One doesn't go to Vientiane for vibrant nightlife or dozens of cultural attractions crowded into one place; Luang Prabang, the former imperial capital and a World Heritage site since 1995 -- the entire city -- is one major center of cultural attractions (about which a bit more later). There are a few nightclubs. I should say there are "working ladies" at some of the clubs -- but taking one is a risky proposition, at best. I've never had the slightest trouble in Vientiane, but resident foreigners and locals alike insist the secret police are everywhere, all the time. Just this trip a foreign resident there, a friend, told me if I ever wanted to know exactly what I did on any of my trips there, I could find out from the police, if I could convince them to tell me. I want to stress that Vientiane is very relaxing, and that while I have no reason to doubt the stories my friends there have told me about the pervasive police presence, I have never felt oppressed in any way whatsoever. Probably the best-known meeting place in Vientiane is called, simply, "The Fountain," which is precisely what it is. The Central Business District has 3 main east-west roads as well as the riverside avenue. When one comes in from Wattay International Airport, the same street passes by The Fountain, which is on your left. There used to be a restaurant there, but that's gone now; the government made the site into a lovely plaza. There are several restaurants immediately around the fountain, and they are all good. By the way, the offices for both Laos Aviation and Thai International Airways are on the side street running straight south from The Fountain to the Mekhong River; Laos Aviation is housed in a relatively large building on the left, traveling south, and the Thai International Airways office is almost directly across the street from it. A bit further east from The Fountain is a traffic signal, immediately beyond which are two lovely Buddhist temples, one on each side of the street. (The same basic rules that apply in Thailand regarding temples, Buddhist monks, and statues of The Lord Buddha apply equally in Laos.) One of these temples, Wat Ho Prakeo, was formerly the temple of the Laos Royal Family and home of The Emerald Buddha until 1778, when the Thais took it to Bangkok. (The official Visit Laos website says "stole it.") The son of the owner of the Duong Duane told me temples around the country are seeing an influx of new monks, boys and men who seek the refuge of the monkhood because there's no work available for them. I hadn't realized just how desperate the economic situation must be for a portion of the population. Going north from the traffic signal I mentioned above -- i.e., away from the river -- you will spot a large arch reminiscent of the Arc of Triumph in Paris. One can climb to the top and have a commanding view of the entire city -- Vientiane has *no* tall buildings. The arch is named Victory Monument. Further north is one of the loveliest stupas I've ever seen, named That Luang. It was built in 1566, and is in excellent condition. With its golden sheath, it really is a remarkable sight to behold. There are also the Laos National Museum -- previously called "The Revolutionary Museum" -- and the Laos Cultural Center, facing each other across Samsenthai Road, the middle of the 3 east-west roads running through the Central Business District. Using The Fountain as a starting point, walk north (away from the river) one block and turn left (west); these two buildings are two blocks away from there. The Laos Cultural Center just opened about a year or so ago -- but I've not caught it open. It's a grand building, quite beautiful from the outside, and rather imposing. The museum is older, and devotes much of its space to the Vietnam War years, when Laos earned the distinction of being the most-bombed nation in history, with over 2 million tons of bombs dropped on it -- and that's excluding countless mortar and artillery rounds and the like. Naturally, there are some instances of anti-American sentiment in the placards in the museum -- but I've *never* encountered even the slightest hostility from any Laotian; the people of Laos are as friendly and hospitable as any I've ever met. The museum is definitely worth a visit, especially for Westerners, most especially for Americans. Those are the main tourist sites in Vientiane; the Visit Laos website is an excellent fount of information, and is very well done. It has pages devoted to various places in Laos. (If you want more information, go to a good search engine -- I like Google best -- and simply do a search for "Laos.") One nice place to relax at the end of the day is the outdoor Beer Garden at the Lao Plaza Hotel, centrally located on Samsenthai Road. There's live music, but be prepared to move on relatively early, as the place closes up at 10:00 P.M. sharp, although the hotel has a lobby bar and a downstairs karaoke bar to which one can retreat. There are numerous other restaurants and bars within the immediate area as well. Bikes and motorcycles are available for rental at many places. At the Duoang Duane, motorcycles rent for US$8/day (with a US$300 deposit, though they're somewhat flexible about this; in any case, they'll write a credit-card bill but tear it up when you return the motorcycle undamaged). If you're not afraid of driving a small motorcycle, it sure makes a great way to explore the city and the surrounding countryside. I've gone as far as about 30 kilometers west along one highway and about the same distance north on another -- but without knowing it, strayed further than I should going west, as I went further than I legally could without checking with the police first. On my way back I was stopped at a temporary checkpoint that had been set up after I had passed the spot earlier, but it was no problem. I wasn't clear whether the men were soldiers or policemen, but one of them spoke excellent English and explained the matter to me, but in a very nice way, assuring me I was in no trouble whatsoever. He and the others were eager to talk, so I spent a pleasant hour or so chatting with them -- during which time they were so engrossed they didn't stop another single vehicle! Some people prefer to rent bicycles, which are, true, cheaper, but I for one don't like to sweat that much! As I recall from signs around town, a bike will run you about US$3/day. I do want to mention one restaurant in particular, a pretty new place called "Sabaidee Bistro." Housed in the former premises of the now-closed Uncle Fred's Fried Chicken on Samsenthai Road, the middle of the 3 east-west roads running through the Central Business District, it's bright and spacious. The food is good and VERY reasonably priced. The owner, Mr. Tou (pronounce "tow") is a Cantonese hailing from Hongkong, and speaks excellent English. His daughter-in-law, a Laotian lady, is the head cook, and she does turn out some fine food. The restaurant is located a block west of the Laos Cultural Center. Though I've never made the trek to Luang Prabang, I can tell a little about it. Although it's only about 100 miles -- straight-line distance -- north-northwest of Vientiane, bus trips take anywhere from 8 to 14 hours. Travel up the Mekhong is possible, with regular ferry services and speed boats making the trip. I understand the buses cost about 60,000 kip one-way -- or about US$5-6. I don't know about the boat services, other than to say the speed boats are higher than the slower ones. There is a daily flight connecting Vientiane and Luang Prabang; when I was there this week, the one-way fare was US$57, double that for a round-trip one. A word about visas: one can obtain a visa upon arrival at Wattay International Airport, Luang Prabang International Airport, and the Friendship Bridge connecting Nongkhai and Vientiane. There are other entry points, but to use them you have to get a visa in advance. The charge for a visa is US$30; the Immigration Department accepts baht, but at a somewhat unfavorable exchange rate. Click here for more visa information from the Visit Laos site and here for a listing of entry points. Most people go to Laos via Bangkok, though there are air services linking points in Laos to points in Cambodia, Vietnam, and China. Tickets on Laos Aviation from Bangkok can be had for less than Thai International Airways tickets -- but some people don't enjoy flying in the somewhat small turbo-props Laos Aviation operates; on the Vientiane-Bangkok route, they fly ATR-42's, which seat about that many people, and ATR-72's, which seat 74 people. Let me close with an unabashed plug for my friends at the Duoang Duane Hotel. Everyone there is as nice as nice can be -- Bill (the owner's son), the desk staff, and the cleaning ladies. The hotel is centrally located, situated as it is almost in the exact middle, in terms of east and west, of the Central Business District. The entire Central Business District is only about 2 kilometers long east to west and maybe 1 kilometer north to south, so anywhere in "downtown" is in easy reach. The address and telephone of the hotel are:
Whew! That was quite a report -- and even at that I didn't say everything I wanted to say, but it's enough for now. I really do love the place, and hope you'll take time to visit there. * * * * * * * * * * As for goings-on in Bangkok, I've been so tied up with my visitor that I'm rather out of the loop. Apparently tourist arrivals are picking up a little, somewhat surprisingly -- but gratifyingly to the numerous people who depend on them for their livelihoods. There's a rumor going around that at least 6 bars in Queen's Park Plaza are about to close their doors, which doesn't surprise me. The seafood restaurant has already given up. No one has done any promotion for the venue, though the American husband of one of two Thai ladies who have a beer bar there has registered to domain name "Queen'sParkPlaza.com," though I'm unsure whether it's all run together the way I typed it above or if the words are separated by either hyphens of underscores. As he's an expert in computer programming, he'll be setting up a website. * * * * * * * * * * All the rigmarole about news stories insulting His Majesty the King has pretty much died completely out, though various groups remain at loggerheads with the government over perceived censorship. The Nation newspaper could well be in for a seriously bad time of it, as the editors there seem to have decided to dig in and hunker down. UBC, the local cable television company, has claimed pressure has been brought to bear for UBC to drop The Nation Channel, with a carrot dangling -- they say -- of allowing the firm to run television ads, improving their bottom line. Since I'm a foreigner, I guess it's not really my business, but it *is* interesting to observe as an outsider. * * * * * * * * * * The Duangchalerm alleged murder case has also faded into back pages; street talk has it he'll never be required to go to court. Thais are famous for forgiving and forgetting -- even if sometimes they do so to their own disadvantage. Though no one who wasn't there can know with complete certainty what the truth of the matter is, my Thai friends believe that no court will ever decide whether or not Duangchalerm is guilty as charged or innocent, the victim of a frame-up. If he *is* innocent, as his family insists, then that's too bad for the young man himself. * * * * * * * * * * It's plenty hot in Thailand now; the all-too-brief cool interludes but a rapidly fading memory. There's talk that El Niño is acting up and that the weather here will be affected, with long-term predictions calling for a dryer-than-usual year. But we'll just have to wait and see. * * * * * * * * * * For those who fancy excellent Thai food in modest surroundings, you can't do much better than Tip-Top Restaurant on Sukhumvit Road, between the Sukhumvit Road entrance to Washington Square and Sukhumvit Soi 22; it lies directly opposite the entrance of Sukhumvit Soi 31. All but one of the pages of the menu is in Thai and English -- bad luck for me that one of my favorite dishes in on the Thai-only page! The place is air-conditioned, and has two dining areas, one on the ground floor, the other upstairs. I eat there quite regularly, and have never had a bad dish. There is also Western food that's quite satisfactory, for the most part, if not outstanding. * * * * * * * * * * Until next time -- Mekhong Kurt Return to the Table of Contents.
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