For the 2nd consecutive year, I participated in the Bangkok Marathon. Held on November 27th near the Grand Palace, this year’s race was quite a memorable event. Ok, I admit I did not run in the 26.2-mile marathon, but opted for the 10.5K race. Accompanied by my ladyfriend and personal cheerleader, we left my hotel in uptown Bangkok at about 4:30AM. Arriving at the Grand Palace some 20 minutes later, we were greeted by throngs of people - runners of all ages, shapes and sizes, spectators, concessionaires and media people. I read in the paper the following day that over 20,000 people participated in the combined race program of marathon, 10.5K and 5K. As this was the first time my ladyfriend attended such an event, she was totally awestruck at this spectacle, literally a runner’s carnival.
The 10.5K race started at 6:00AM sharp. Running an evenly paced race, I picked up a running companion about 4 miles into the race, a young Thai guy in his early 30’s. We chatted and pushed each other for about 1 1/2 miles or so, at which point I picked up the pace for the last ¾ miles and I left him behind. Every time I passed a group of Thai spectators, I hammed it up, jumping in the air and yelling Hanumann #1. Thai people love my act and I love being an entertainer. Finishing strong with a sprint, I was met at the finish line by my ladyfriend who smiled and gave me a big hug. My time of 54 minutes 19 seconds bettered last year’s time by about 30 seconds or so. After picking up ‘my medal of participation”, we walked around a bit, checking out the different concessions. Feigning soreness, I was able to get a free massage at the physical therapy station. The race was the culmination of at least 2 ½ months of training to get myself ready for a quality performance. Definitely one of the highlights of my trip!

By the way, a Kenyan, John Setanei Chebo, successfully defended his Marathon title in a relatively slow time of 2:23:57.

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In the last couple of years, the child pornography business has exploded around the world. Underage children, especially in poorer underdeveloped countries have been the victims of exploitation by porno businessmen-pedophiles from overseas. The United States and other countries have joined together to curtail this senseless exploitation of children.

Because of the new focus on child pornography, US customs has been directed to make a make a concerted effort to curtail such activity. If you’re returning from an overseas trip, US customs may do a thorough search of your personal belongings/luggage in addition to examining the images that are on your digital camera cards and/or laptop computer. This type of examination by US customs has now become a routine thing if you fall within their criteria as a possible suspect.

I know you may be asking, what is the ‘so called profile” that US customs people have ingrained into their psyche- if you’re a single middleaged male traveling alone, dark skinned, swarthy, wear casual clothes and are carrying lots of luggage in addition to carrying a laptop computer and/or cameras, you’ll probably get the royal treatment. Furthermore, once you’re logged into their computer as a possible suspect, you are almost guaranteed the VIP treatment every time you return to the United States.

On my most recent trip to Thailand this past November, I really got ‘the royal treatment” from US customs in San Francisco. With the increased concern about the sexual exploitation of children and the child pornography business, I expected as much. Initially the customs agent was very friendly, as he checked out all my personal belongings; in the process of this thorough examination he unpacked all my bags, checked out all the travel literature, brochures and paperwork that I carried back with me as well as asking me the usual questions- what was the purpose of my trip? How long was my trip? Did I personally pack my bags? What Kind of work do? How come I don’t have a business card on me? How many people work for me? etc etc . In essence, the usual B.S.

After this thorough search (and coming up empty handed), he proceeded to examine the 4 digital media camera cards that I used for my two cameras. Still joking and carrying on a nice conversation, I asked him did he like any of my pictures of the Thai countryside or of the Loy Krathong festival? Up until now, I was having a nice and friendly exchange with this customs official. Suddenly his demeanor had changed; apparently unable to find the images that he was looking for (and maybe he was getting pissed off at my off the wall demeanor), he became very serious. I could sense his mounting frustration. After finishing his examination of my digital camera cards, the bloke noticed that I had some used CD-Rs. Asking me, what was on the CD-Rs, I told him bluntly, I used my portable burner to burn some of my photo images on the CDs and that if he wanted to read them, he would have to put them into the CD-Rom of a computer.

So the agent excused himself to go into the computer room to examine the contents of the three CDs. Whatever! While waiting for him to return, I chatted with some of his colleagues about ‘the business” and things in general. About 15-20 minutes later, the agent returned with a disappointed look on his face. Shaking his head, he told me told that he couldn’t find anything and that I was free to go. He added, shaking his head,” I think you deleted some images from the these CDs. Amused at this idiotic and inappropriate remark from this ‘assclown of an agent”, I smiled at him saying” Yeah, sure, there is no way you can erase files/images from a CD-R; if you know how to do it, please let me know.” I had to make a real effort to keep from laughing at this buffoon.

Then this ‘assclown”, tells me, ’ sorry sir, you’re free to go; I ‘m just trying to keep Amerika Safe”. And I replied in a very sarcastic manner (and with a smile on my face) Yeah sure, and I think you’re doing a very lousy job at it too; you wasted almost an hour trying the find ‘the goods” on me; in the meantime 2-3 jokers who were carrying child pornography material got through. Yeah, You’re a doing a fine job”.

Even though I was detained an additional 45 minutes for this thorough scrutiny (the customs area was eerily empty now), I found this whole episode to be very entertaining and amusing. After all, I was in no hurry to go home and I did not have another plane to catch. So the WTF…

Since 2001, I have made 6 trips to Thailand and Southeast Asia, and on every trip the US Customs in San Francisco have given me the VIP treatment. By now, I have gotten used to the thorough examination and extra scrutiny of all my belongings as well as all their ‘usual questions”. Apparently, I fit their profile as a possible carrier of contraband or illegal substances and that is why I am always singled out. In fact, as Hanumann ‘Ling Yai”, I ‘m truly flattered to be given the royal treatment and I expect as much as I am of royal lineage.

It is not a big deal for me to be detained by the Customs people an additional 15 minutes or so for the baggage search as I am never in a hurry to get home after such a long trip. Furthermore, What me worry? I have never engaged in any criminal activity and have never tried to smuggle any illegal substances or contraband material back into the USA, so I have nothing to worry about. Now, tell me, is Oolong Tea an illegal substance?

One of the advantages of traveling to an exotic 3rd world country like Thailand is that certain professional services are very, very affordable and the quality of work is excellent. In the medical field, three services immediately come to mind - dental work, cosmetic surgery and last but certainly not least, sex reassignment surgery (especially popular with men who are seeking to become a woman).

Well, after hearing so many good things about these procedures in Thailand, the great Hanumann decided to give it a test run. No, yours truly is still a testosterone pumping male (no sex change was needed for this ling) and as I am absolutely delighted with my physique and ugly mug, neither was cosmetic surgery. However, I did need to have some minor dental work done.

Upon the recommendation of my good friend, Fatcheek, I made an appointment with Dr. Viboon of the Orthodontic Center, which is located in the heart of Bangkok’s busy financial center near the Ploenchit Skytrain Station. I had one huge cavity between my two front incisors of my upper jaw and because of accumulated wear and tear from brushing my teeth, the gumline of the upper right hand jaw had receded badly. The doctor filled in the gumline with white plastic fillings and filled in the big cavity; the whole procedure lasted about 80 minutes. At least 30 minutes or so was required to adjust the filling for the big cavity so I would not feel any rough edges. Believe it or not, I did not feel any discomfort at all even though no anesthetic like Novocain was used. The doctor was oh so smooth. The cost for the whole procedure was 3000 baht ($75USD); a comparable procedure in the USA would have cost at least 600USD

For those who need dental work done, I highly recommend the Orthodontic Center and Dr. Viboon. Tel: 2-252-6631. Don’t forget to tell em that ling yai referred you!

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Some fancy cafes are traps for free spending farangs. Well, Hanumann ran into one of these traps his last night in Bangkok and like the wise seasoned traveler that he is, he cleverly did not spring the trap. Ok, let me set the stage. I made arrangements to meet my good friend, Fatcheek for our final get together at The Emporium, an upscale shopping complex located adjacent to one of the BTS skytrain stops, about one mile and an easy 5 minute / 1USD taxi ride from my hotel. We agreed to meet at the café on the ground floor. The plan was to have some coffee and tea and maybe a pastry or two. Well, after locating my friend at one of the tables in the café, I proceeded to look at he menu and did not like what I saw. Let’s see, for a cup of coffee or tea, 95 baht (2.40USD) for a small glass of canned fruit juice, 100 baht (2.50USD). As I was treating my friend, and I did not like the idea of allowing myself to be ripped off on my last night in Bangkok. I wasn’t about to, pay more than 55 baht (1.40USD) for a cup of coffee, which is what Starbucks in Thailand charges. Now if the café had some real ambiance like Agalico (the Royal Café), I might consider paying these outlandish prices but this café had a very faux and tired art deco look that turned me off.

Now, no normal Thai person would patronize a phony overpriced place like this unless they had same inferiority complex or had some issues with trying to enhance their status. This place was obviously a trap for free spending farangs who had absolutely no concerns about money. After recovering from my shock, I suggested to my friend that we go to the Black Canyon Coffee Shop located upstairs in the BTS Skytrain terminal. Now the Black Canyon is a cozy little place without any pretensions and with more down to earth prices. We proceeded to sit down and chat; I had a cup of blue mountain coffee and Fatcheek had some tea and we shared a pastry. Total bill was about 105 baht (2.60USD) plus tip! Bottom line, it pays use your brain and watch your money!

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Sometimes during our travels to exotic locales, we come across a restaurant that satisfies us on so many levels that we become a regular patron at that establishment. After three trips to Koh Chang, and after having many dinners at Morgan Restaurant, I have become a regular patron at this fine local eatery. And as a person with very high standards and a very discriminating palate, I heartily recommend this fine restaurant to all travelers who go to Koh Chang.

I accidentally stumbled across Morgan on my very first trip to Koh Chang in February 2004. Located in the heart of the Kai Bae resort area, Morgan is an open-air restaurant with a thatched palm and bamboo roof to keep it dry when there is a tropical downpour. Attractively but simply furnished with bamboo rattan furniture with blue pillows on the chairs, Morgan has a casual but semi-elegant ambiance. To complete the ambiance, soothing jazz instrumentals and standards are played on the sound system at a volume that makes the music part of the background. Specializing in Thai and European food, Morgan also has a fair selection of vegetarian dishes. Seasoned properly, well prepared and with an ample amount of tofu, I found the vegetarian entress very tasty. In addition to the entrees, Morgan also offers a selection of freshly prepared juices and smoothies and has a complete breakfast and lunch menu. And at 40-100 baht ($1-2.50USD) per entree, prices are indeed very affordable. Furthermore, the service is better than most restaurants that I have encountered in Thailand; now that is a saying a lot! On many occasions, the gracious owners, Kag and Porn, will often serve your food personally.

On my last trip to Koh Chang this past November, I ate dinner at Morgan six of the seven nights that I was there; on the one night that I ventured elsewhere, I tried out Ziva , a new Italian restaurant just down the street. Because of my regular patronage, the owners of Morgan gave me a complimentary fruit plate for dessert during my last three visits for dinner. A very nice touch indeed!

So if you go to Koh Chang, by all means check out Morgan restaurant, located at Kai Bae Beach, right across the bridge and tell them that Hanumann sent you there! Tel 01-8634895
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As somebody who has visited many hotels around the world, I am very sensitive to flaws in hotel design which endanger the safety of their guests. Case in point is ‘my favorite bungalow resort” in the Kae Bae resort area of Koh Chang.

About midway up the entranceway/driveway to the resort, there is water pipe/hose than runs across the width of the pavement. See picture This situation is an accident waiting to happen, as most guests and employees who walk into the resort use this entrance. It’s only a matter of time when someone trips and has a serious accident. During the evening hours, the likelihood of an accident increases as the area is not lighted and there is poor visibility. When I informed the manager of this situation, she literally ignored me and showed little concern. Like I said, it is only a matter of time, when someone trips over this hose (probably at night) and has a serious accident. In my opinion, the hotel is showing severe neglect for the safety of their guests in this matter. Further aside, from my recollection, this ‘accident waiting to happen” also existed when I last visited the property in Nov. 2004. By the way, the name of this resort is Kae Bae Bungalows. Oh well……

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While vacationing on the island of Koh Chang, my favorite resort destination in Thailand, there was a robbery at the Bungalow Resort in Kai Bae where I was staying. The thieves broke into the bungalow by removing the glass slats from the window and cutting a big hole through the window screening. The burglars stole the occupant’s electronics valuables including two digital cameras, a mobile phone and their digital film/smart media cards. Coincidentally, my bungalow was only 40 feet away from the vandalized unit. After the burglary, as a precautionary measure, I decided to store all my camera equipment, I-pod player and cell phone in the hotel’s large safe deposit box (more like a locker), when I was away from the room.

Unfortunately, the bungalow resort’s security system was relatively slack; the hotel does not employ any security guards to patrol the property; instead they utilize 5-6 dogs to guard the property against unwanted intruders. This has proved to be largely ineffective as most of these dogs are either wusses that rarely bark at strangers or can be bribed with small handout of food. Furthermore, there is no fencing around the perimeter of the property; some one from the street can easily walk onto the compound. During the last year or so, this band of thieves have pulled off similar burglaries in the Klong Prao and Kai Bae resort areas of Koh Chang. The small family-run bungalow resorts are prime targets for these thieves as most have the same inadequate security system as described above. Until the owners of these small resorts invest some money into upgrading their security measures, I foresee these burglaries continuing unabated.
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During all my travels to Thailand, I had always wanted to go to Mae Hong Son in northwestern Thailand for the Bua Tong Sunflower Festival. During this month long festival, which lasts roughly from early November to mid December, the hillsides in Mae Hong Son province turn gold from the blossoming of the wild sunflower (Tithonia Diversifolia). Actually there are only two locales in Mae Hong Son Province to witness this fantastic floral bloom - the Kun Yum district and Mae Saraing district. Since I was in Thailand this past November, I made a special trip to Mae Hong Son specifically to witness the golden sunflower fields. From Mae Hong Son to the hillsides of Kum Yum district, the 75-minute journey by taxi cost me 2500 baht(62USD) plus I left a healthy trip of 400 baht (10USD) for Lee, the tour guide trainee. According to what I have read, the wild sunflowers originate from Central America and were introduced in Thailand by missionaries some 75 years ago. Researchers have discovered that the seeds of the wild sunflowers have insect-repellent properties. After the flowers fade, the seeds are collected and made into insecticides.

The Trip was well worth it - on a partly cloudy day, the setting was absolutely breathtaking. Surrounded by the rugged mountains of Northern Thailand, the yellow Bua Tong Sunflowers carpeted the hillsides as far as the eye could see. I spent at least two hours at the sunflower fields, taking pictures and just soaking in the natural beauty of the locale. At the lookout point, I came across a group of Karen Hilltribe Tourists who made the pilgrimage to the sunflower fields from Chiang Mai. They were kind enough to allow me to take some photographs of their group. In return, I gave them a donation of 100 baht to be used for food. Curiously enough, I was the only farang tourist at the sunflower fields that day; the rest of the visitors were Thai nationals.

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