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Thank you, Andrea. Obviously bad news but this will certainly stop me from going there and find my high expectations disappointed. What section exactly are you talking about? The whole 212 from Nongkhai down to Khong Chiam or just parts of it?
2 years agoDefinitely you should keep a journal on both Stages of your Thailand riding. We who are stuck in the cold winters who daydream of where you are would be most grateful.
As far as the Mekong leg goes, we have done that twice and probably won't do it again because the cute little highway 212 was in the process of being expanded to four lanes for a significant portion of the way (January 2020). There are still some byways in certain areas but it was kind of sad to see the shady highway turn into sun-blasted construction zones. No doubt the construction is nearly completed by now, but just be aware that the route has changed a bit from what it used to be.
I have been permanently renting a house in Trang for a few years now, Andrea. Originally meant to be my storage place, now my "home" in Thailand.
2 years agoI guess you would be surprised/ impressed how few changes you would find, Scott. I've been coming to New Zealand for 30 years now and find it very appealing how stubbornly they resist changing things just because the rest of the world does so.
2 years agoWas your bicycle with you on these flights or did you have one stashed in Thailand somewhere? Enjoy Thailand, we are right jealous of you.
2 years agoI’m convinced, Frankie. It’s been thirty years since we were down there. About time we check in to see what’s changed.
2 years agoHi Bruce, that´s a Red Snapper. They grow up to 30 lb in the Far North of New Zealand but anything bigger than the 15 pounder you see is a matter of catch and release to me. They are the important breeders and very important for the general ecosystem.
Regarding my current whereabouts: After everything looked smooth for a while, Omicron surfaced....I do have arrived in Bangkok last night but what a PCR-test and quarantine marathon that was. I will fly down to Trang tomorrow and assess whether I can still go ahead with my route as intended or whether I have to focus on local rides and postpone this journal.
That is a very big fish. What kind is it?
2 years agoGosh, that sounds like some very rough 24 months indeed, Bruce! Will your back injury still allow you for some hours on the bike? My 2 years were rather uneventfully pleasant in comparison to yours! Hardly any Covid impact at all until the Delta variant hit NZ too. I had to cancel all plans and flights but at least it looks like there is some light at the end of the tunnel now. Actually posting my journal so far ahead of my actual trip is a strategic attempt trying to push my luck....I keep my fingers crossed for a full recovery of your back! Frank
3 years agoWe met Frank and Sandy in Naungshwe, Myanmar in 2014. Great people! I'd love to see them again.
3 years agoBoy am I ever happy to see you again, Frankie! This has been a hard almost two years. Hard for Portland too with smoke from forest fires so thick that we had the worst air quality in the world for a week last summer. Then an ice storm hit us in Feb. that took out a LOT of old trees. In June a heat dome descended over us and created three consecutive days of all-time record high temperatures, even at night. It didn't rain all summer so everything dried up. Then in July I broke my damn back! Yes, a ladder was involved. And, oh yeah, Covid has been lurking the entire time. But, now that I see you are back, I'm totally optimistic. Welcome back!
3 years agoYou might want to check "The Thaiger" news channel on Youtube for up-to-the-minute Thai visa news, to see the latest Thai entry rules, which change constantly. We're sending you, the canary, into the coal mine first. Bruce broke his back this summer and is just now out of his brace, but no surgery was needed. We have another grandchild arriving in March so we probably won't be spending any time in Thailand this winter. We're just going to have to vicariously through your journal, so now the pressure is on.
3 years agoANDREA!!! I hope you and Bruce got well through the last 2 years. Have you been able to do any cycling? One of the very few things I don't like about New Zealand is the cycling-unfriendly infrastructure and I have had less saddle-time than ever. So I will have to be sensible and take it easy when I hit the Thai roads in December. I will certainly let you know in detail about the process of entering the country. I guess I will still have to go through the sandbox model but my understanding is that things will be almost back to normal come 2022. So book your flights too!!!!
3 years agoFRANKIE!!! Good to see you again. We'll watch your entry into Thailand with great interest, please take copious notes on your process.
3 years ago
I'm sorry, I didn't see your question until today, but it's pretty fuzzy now on just where there was construction on 212. It definitely was not the entire road. The section between Khemmarat and Khong Chiam, which was new and smooth when we rode it in 2015, has worn down some. Not potholes but just sort of roughened. Maybe our last journal will be informative on that section. We love it too but everything changes, right? No doubt the construction we went through is finished and they've started something else. We took as many back roads as we could.
2 years ago