Return to Ko Samet, Thailand and end of my 3-months in SE Asia--March 10--19, 2025

I rounded off my 3-month’s adventure in SE Asia by returning to Ko Samet Island, Thailand.

 

When I returned from Vietnam, I treated myself to a one hour facial that cost ฿700 including tip--$19.  About 3/4 of the customers were guys.

I also explored "The Rage Room" where I could bash things from beer bottles to computers for prices from $5.50 to $53.  

I went for the cheapest Rage Room feature after getting in my orange jumpsuit, helmet, gloves and safety glasses. There were a bunch of beer bottles I enjoyed destroying. The "Ultimate Rage" featured destroying a TV among other electronics bottles and coffee mugs but cost $53. My "Smash Intro" costs were $5.50.

I took the new big bus from the Ekkami Bus Terminal, Bangkok to Ban Phe at a cost of ฿184—$5.   Part way there, the bus attendant handed out burgers and water--my first McDonalds burger during my 3-month trip.  Quite a surprise.  I have had other foods on other bus and train rides over the years visiting Thailand.

It was a three hour journey, followed by a ferry boat to Ko Samet just ฿70—$2— which was a pleasant half hour journey across the Gulf of Thailand.

When I had to cancel my September 2024 trip to Thailand and Vietnam because I was hospitalized in the ICU for 5 days with a respiratory infection, the Runa Runa Guesthouse gave me credit for the canceled reservation so I just had to pay a bit more for the longer stay and the high season increase--about $25 per night.

The Runa Runa Guesthouse is in the middle of the small village off of the Hat Sai Kaew—White Sand— beach area--just a 5-minute walk from the White Sand Beach area.

Instead of doing my daily laundry, I gave the Guesthouse all of my clothes to clean  except for a Hawaiian shirt, and swim suit, and it cost just  ฿100—$3.

Most mornings I would first have coffee and coconut water n my room and then go for an “American” breakfast of coffee, toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, and cabbage salad—usually Chilli's.

After that, I enjoyed my daily oil massage from Da at the Sirion Massage place for ฿400—$11— including tip during the rest of my stay.

After the hour massage, my usual routine was to stop by this fruit stand that sold these delicious and artistic fruit smoothies ranging from mango, passion fruit, watermelon, guava, pineapple, coconut, combinations like mango-passion fruit, etc--for just ฿80--$2.25. This stand is owned by Da’s brother, Wut and his wife, Toot. 

Click here for my Instagram Reel that features several of the smoothies I enjoyed:

Smoothie Reel

After enjoying my smoothies, and reading novels on one of the many resort sun lounge chairs---rented for ฿100, I swam in the 85—90 degree Gulf of Thailand waters after doing an hour walk along white sand beaches.

Sometimes I bought some pomelo, mango or watermelon slices, whole coconut, or more mango smoothies from one of the the many vendors that sold to the tourists along the beaches.  The costs were about ฿60 or under $1.75 USD each.

On my way back from the beach, I would usually stop at one of the three 7-11 stores to pick up some goodies, including coconut water, sunflower seeds, yoghurt, and bananas. 

I again enjoyed the delicious steak dinners at the Reef Restaurant where my old Pudsa Bungalows used to be. It only cost ฿560–$17– which included roasted potatoes, variety of mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, and garlic---a great value and delicious.  

I enjoyed dinners at the other restaurants.

The Ploy Talay Fire Show along the beach was another highlight I enjoyed along with scores of other tourists.

I returned to the Suvarnabhumi Airport for my Qatar flight back to Seattle via Doha, Qatar just a day before the devastating earthquake in Myanmar on June 27th that caused a collapse of a building under construction in Bangkok that turned out to have used sub-standard steel.

On March 27th, the day of the earthquake, all Bangkok public transportation and some highways—elevated SkyTrain, railroads, —were suspended pending safety inspections.  Since taxis were in heavy use, the government arranged for bus fleets to transport people who needed to get to the airport.  The Thai government did an excellent job in response to this tragic event.  

If you have seen videos of pool waters on top of some of the skyscrapers sloshing over the sides of the buildings in Bangkok, I learned that these high-rise pools were designed to dampen the effects of earthquakes.

It was rainy and 44 degrees in Seattle when I arrived compared to the 80 to 95 degrees in Thailand.  What a shock to my system.

My next blog entry will summarize the cost of this 3-month trip to Thailand and Vietnam.