As I have said said before, I really loved living in Thailand.

This is a continuation of the article I posted earlier and talks about some of the people and the amazing places that I had the opportunity to visit.

With Brice (centre) and Christophe (right), the wine man.

At one point, the residential villa opposite where I lived became a kind of Big Brother meets ‘odd couple’ house, occupied sometimes by up to three french guys who all knew each other. Two of them were trying to start up a new business. It was a little bit of a dysfunctional arrangement because they all had their own strong personalities and it seemed as though there was always going to be the risk of a clash, which did eventually happen in fact. But I’ll steer clear of that one…

Anyway one of the guys, Christophe, a man of high intellect, was great fun to be around. He was a very well informed wine educator and could give many so called ‘Masters of Wine’ a run for their money. He also had an incredible mind full of general knowledge. History, geography and well facts about stuff…

I remember one particular ‘party afternoon’ when we were having a simple BBQ, or rather a chicken grill (they were always pretty minimalist…) Christophe and I ended up in the pool, wine in hand, belting out the classic hit ‘Stars’ from the stage show Les Miserables at the top of our lungs. He knew every word, well almost. And I thought I was the only musical theatre geek around there…

With Christophe, Mr Super Fit, atop the Dragon’s Crest

Christophe was also incredibly fit, often competing in triathlons. He introduced me to the Dragons Crest trail walk in the Krabi national park. Being the smart and rather cunning man that he is, we entered the park via a back trail thus avoiding the exorbitant entrance fees usually levied on ‘Farang’ (the local name for foreigners). It was quite a hike but I am proud to say this particular 60 year old was able to keep up. With its incredible scenery, amazing trees, jungle sounds and the eventual views from the top, it was well worth the effort.

Hollow mountain

Christophe also inspired me to have a go at finding and climbing the secret trail to Hollow Mountain. I am so glad I did. Not only is the steep climb rather challenging in parts, as it includes rope assists and ladders, but some of the trees you can find along the way are just majestic, happily well beyond the reach of loggers from yesteryear.

Inside Hollow Mountain

At the base of the mountain lies a rather quirky cafe, set in amongst the trees of a rubber plantation. It is called ‘Attitude Cafe’ and consists of a retro style 1950’s caravan serving as the bar & kitchen, surrounded by tents, shelters and a tee pee. It has an almost festival vibe to it. The tee pee features at the start of a music video that I made entitled ‘Creep‘ (you could find it on my YouTube channel…)

Towards the end of my time in Krabi, and due to the simple fact that the scenery in the local area was spectacular, I got into the habit of setting off for early morning scooter rides through the mountains and down to the beach. I’m happy that I did as it formed more than just a few lifetime memories.

On a completely different note, aside from the Roadhouse Bar I mentioned in my first post about Thailand, there were two other places that I liked to visit in the late afternoon to watch the sunset. The first one, Frog Beach Bar, I nicknamed the ‘Reggae Bar’ because the owner, Khun A, played Reggae most of the time, and the other I simply called ‘Khun Ratt’s Sunset bar’.

Nopparat Thara beach seen from ‘Reggae Bar’

Back when Thailand was slowly recovering from the pandemic, there weren’t too many tourists around. The reggae bar was very often deserted, yet Khun A kept the place going regardless, determined to try and earn a few dollars. It was almost surreal to be sitting just above the expansive beach, taking in the incredible views, with scarcely another person in sight.

What an incredible escape, though perhaps not so incredible for local business. Around the time I left Thailand, on any given day, there would be upwards of 300 people on that strip of the beach. It was still beautiful, but not the same as before, and yes I am being selfish.

Unfortunately for Khun A, when business eventually did pick up, the owners of a restaurant right next door hired a loud three piece band that played on the outdoor terrace. The music from the band completely overwhelmed the reggae bar, making it quite uncomfortable to sit there, listening to the clash of music styles. Around that time I moved along the beach to Khun Ratt’s place.

The delightful Khun Ratt

Khun Ratt’s bar was located on a much quieter strip of the beach further up towards the Ao Nang Landmark centre. As it was overshadowed by magnificent casuarina trees, tall and shady, with simply breathtaking views of the beach and the islands, it became my regular haunt. I would scoot there whenever good weather allowed, and on the odd occasion have a friendly chat with Khun Ratt.

As is typical with so many small businesses in Thailand, members of the family were all involved in keeping the bar going. I recall with a smile how I would sit down at a table against the sea wall overlooking the beach and Khun Ratt’s young daughter would bring me a beer. You would never get away with that in most western places.

Andy and ‘The Boss’ at Soi 8 Beer Garden

A street or two away from where I lived you could find Soi 8 Beer Garden, simply known as Andy’s. I wrote a review on Trip Advisor in support of this very popular local meeting place.

Andy, a German national who had lived in Thailand for many years and who was once the owner of a dive business, was the very generous, ever present and exceptional host.

Most nights you could expect to see a regular crowd of German expats, usually seated at a large table near the front (they always seemed to be arguing about something?) and a steady trade of mostly European tourists who had read the positive Google and Trip Advisor reviews. The beer garden was simple, homey and un-pretentious, with excellent home cooking. The pork knuckle, always ordered in advance, was to die for.

To my great delight, Andy developed the custom of inviting me for a quick shot of either Irish Whiskey, Single Malt or Scotch, whenever I got up to pay my bill. It was a kind of open secret that we would sneak one in around settlement time, as long as his wife didn’t see, which she usually did. I gifted Andy a bottle of Oban one time, but between the two of us, it didn’t last very long…

Another great local restaurant that I also reviewed on Trip Advisor was called Sandees. Because of its almost entirely bamboo fit out, that was my nickname for it. Bamboo served the best chicken Pad Thai in the area, and that is saying a lot, but I stand by my claim. Many places around the area offer a dumbed down version just for tourists, sweet and gluey, but theirs was legendary. As often was the case with my dining, I became such a regular, that I only needed to sit down at a table and they would bring me a Chang beer and a plate of excellent fried noodles. The remainder of the menu was great too, especially the Pas See Ew.

I could go on and on about the food and the restaurants; Whether it was ‘Cru’ the very professional upmarket cafe run by an ex hotel Chef, or ‘Blue Marlin’ a lovely cosy and very green thumb family run business near the Blue Dragon Cabaret, and even the mad but fun Crazy Gringo’s Mexican cantina that had great live entertainment. There were some pretty good options to choose from.

Caught for a photo by ‘The Girls’

OK, before I wrap this up, a quick mention regarding the Blue Dragon Cabaret. It features some of the most elegant (and tall!) cabaret ladyboys in Thailand. It is very well known as one of the top cabaret shows in the country, and if the hair, make up, costumes, and rather unsettling beauty were anything to go by, it is easy to see why.

On any given night along Ao Nang main street, you can find strategically placed groups of the showgirls fully dressed up, spruiking their performance times and getting tourists to take photos with them, all for a fee of course. I was accosted in this way when I first arrived in Krabi. I never saw the show but I enjoyed watching their antics with the tourists on the seafront.

But that’s enough for this edition, more to follow…