Day 1 (Sunday, November 30th)

One of the last things I did before leaving Korea was to call my bank to have my Mastercard cancelled having completely cleaned and packed all my belongings and not laid eyes on it.

That's caused me some inconvenience, but no real problems.

My flight from Busan to Seoul took off just before 8am Sunday, about the same time as I woke up.

I got to the airport just before 9 and was in the air soon after and managed to catch the flight from Seoul with time for breakfast as well.

A great way to fly

Singapore Airlines really are great.

A huge choice of movies, music albums and tv shows which you can play whenever you like (pause, forward, rewind, etc. too!).

Day 2 (Monday, December 1th)

I've spent the night in Bangkok and will probably try and head north toward Chang Mai later today.

I went to a few bars last night, including one with scantily-clad and rather chubby Thai "dancers".

I'm off to buy a digital camera right now and getting on a bus to Chang Mai at 6pm.

Day 5 (Thursday, December 4th)

I just returned to Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, having been on a 3-day, 2-night trek through the jungle.

I've riden elephants, bamboo-rafted down a river and met some of the hill tribes that live as if they are a few centuries behind us.

My new digital camera seems to be working fine and I will try and get some photos on this site sometime at the weekend.

Tomorrow, I am off to visit some caves, temples and a tribe where the women have long necks.

I apologize these entries are rather dull, but internet connection here is poor, so it is the best I can do.

Day 6 (Friday, December 5th)

Today was Thailand's king's birthday - a national holiday, so many Thais were also doing the touristy things.

I went on a day-trip north of Chiang Mai, heading almost as far as the Myanmar (Burma) border.

First we visited an orchid and butterfly farm which, as you can imagine, wasn't all that exciting but I never expected it to be.

Next stop was to explore caves in the mountains, inside which were many Buddah figures where people apparently go to ask of help when times are tough.

There were also some very impressive buildings and temples in the area around the cave entrance among the spectacular scenery of the jungle-covered mountains.

We stopped to visit another hill-tribe before heading to the final destination - a village of tribes who have fled Myanmar and other neighbouring regions.

I'm sure many of you will have seen the women of these tribes on TV before.

They wear brass coils which weigh 3-6 kilos wrapped along their necks, giving the impression that their necks are actually stretched.

Other people in the village had long ears, while some of the women chewed a mix of banana leaves, tobacco, limestone and some kind of nut on a daily basis to make their teeth black.

Apparently, to them, beautiful teeth are black teeth.

I was given some and chewed the stuff myself and it tasted awful as you can imagine (much worse than the crickets I was eating in Bangkok a few days ago!).

Day 7 (Saturday, December 6th)

I've been to a temple high on a mountaintop overlooking the northern city of Chiang Mai this morning.

It was more than just the usual temples and I found it very worthwhile seeing.

Unfortunately, weather conditions here caused the city to be invisible in a haze of warm air so I didn't get to appreciate the great view.

I then visited some local factories and saw gold and silver jewellery being crafted, as well as lacquer things and silk stuff.

I'm getting on the bus back to Bangkok this evening, where I will spend a few more days and meet some friends who are also visiting the country.

Day 9 (Monday, December 8th)

I've spent a day and a half in Bangkok and am now about to get on a plane bound for Ko Samui, an island in the south.

Yesterday (Sunday) I was with some Thai friends that I met on the ovvernight bus down from Chiang Mai (I'm actually meeting them again tonight at Ko Pa Ngan for the full-moon party).

I met-up with Charlotte (an old university friend of mine) and her boyfriend Rob at a bar last night and again for breakfast this morning.

As I said, I'm now on my way to the full-moon beach party on a southern island.

Day 12 (Wednesday, December 10th)

The beach party wasn't all that great and I had some money stolen from my pocket, but not much, so I struggled to enjoy the night.

I came straight back to Koh Samui the next morning (Tuesday) with my Thai friends and stayed at Chaweng Beach, where I still am now.

They've sadly just left to go back home to Chiang Mai in the north and I am all alone for the first time in this trip.

It was really great to be with them as I got to practice a lot of Thai and learn much about the place that I probably wouldn't otherwise have done.

I'm just going to rest and sleep today as I didn't get much sleep last night.

Even after having two big dinners and a few beers the heavy rain, strong winds and sound of the crushing waves just a few yards from my room kept me awake most of last night.

Day 13 (Thursday, December 11th)

I've moved accross the peninsula to the west-coast island of Phuket.

It's even more expensive than Koh Samui and I'm going to see and do as much as I can down here before heading for somewhere a lot cheaper.

Chiang Mai, up in the north, and Bangkok are both a lot cheaper for accomodation and food than down here, so I could well go back to Chiang Mai!

Day 14 (Friday, December 12th)

I'm leaving Phuket for Koh Phi Phi, which is meant to be very nice.

Day 15 (Saturday, December 13th)

I've been diving today around some smaller islands near Koh Phi Phi Leh, where The Beach was filmed.

I did enjoy it and am glad of the experience, but diving is not really my thing and I doubt I'll do it again.

Day 16 (Sunday, December 14th)

I'm now back on the mainland and in the town of Krabi, which seems very quiet and pleasant for a place of it's size.

It's also quite cheap if you find the right places to stay and eat so I may stay here a few days and use it as a base to visit nearby places.

Day 23 (Sunday, December 21st)

I've spent the last week in and around Krabi, in southern Thailand, relaxing on the beaches of Ao Nang, Rai Leh and Koh Poda.

I'm back in Bangkok now for the final few days of my visit and to fill my bag with bargains from the local markets.