Trat (12/17 - 12/18)

Trat was really my first taste of Thailand having arrived in Bangkok late the night before and gotten on a bus first thing the next morning.

Located on the Eastern peninsula of lower Thailand, Trat receives little fanfare in terms of being a tourist attraction but for the fact that it serves as a nice launch point for the ferry we would take the next day to the island of Koh Chang.

The ride from Bangkok was about four hours and cost 200 Bhat - about $4. The moment we arrived we were accosted by young men and women hoping to steer us towards the respective lodging facility with which they were affiliated. Weary from the ride we jumped on the back of a waiting pickup truck and were taken to the "Jame Guest House".

Although rustic on the outside, the proprietors of the Jame guest house were friendly and hospitable. There was Internet access in the main room and the facilities were clean. Al, Levina and I shared one room for a total of 150 Baht - about a buck a head.

We ate dinner at an outdoor market that evening and the next day we ferried to Koh Chang. It was on this ferry that I took this photo of a Thai baby held in the arms of her mother.

Next: Koh Chang