Last Thursday me and Chris left Lamai and headed up to the north of Samui to a quiet place called Ban Ruk. It’s where the boats leave for other islands. It was pretty good but perhaps a little quiet for us as there was only one good pub but even that was quiet most of the time. We did however get a bungalow right next to a good swimming pool so for two days we sat by the pool and chilaxed (I believe this is actually a word now!).
We were thinking about going down the road to another resort which was a similar price but had wifi in the rooms and was closer to more places but we decided to head over to Koh Pha Ngan.
Whilst waiting for the boat, there were many Thai guys going round with flyers and brochures and recommending places to play (I use the word recommend loosely!). I told the first guy we already had a place to stay, Coral Bungalows, which is where I stayed in 2006 with my mates Carty and Dave. But he gave me a flyer anyways for the place Sunrise Resort, which is right in the middle of Haad Rin beach. He offered us a room with air conditioning, Satelite TV, 2 beds, minibar, Wi-Fi and safety box for 1,100 baht. The place looked great and had a pool so we decided to give it a try (I had a great time at Coral Bungalows last time but I fancied trying something new).
We got there and we quickly noticed that the price for a twin standard room was only 1,000 baht. We got showed the room and it didn’t have a Satelite TV or fridge either. The guy told us it was 1,100 baht but we said that we weren’t paying it as it clearly says it’s 1,000. We also pointed out that it didn’t have a TV or fridge and he said that those were only in Superior rooms (which cost 1,600) and that the leaflet was wrong.
We probably would have taken the room without a tv anyways as the place looks good but we were pissed off with him trying to rip us off, even it was only 2 pounds! I just hate when people are trying to rip you off. So we told him to stick it up his arse and walked off. We walked all of 20 metres to the top of the road and the owner of a restaurant came out and asked us if we wanted a room. So we paid 500 baht for a twin room with air conditioning and a hot shower. The room has nothing else but it’s central and has everything you need. Even better, it’s right next door to the Sunrise Resort hotel so we can use their pool on the fly!!!
After having an afternoon nap, we got showered and headed out at 6pm for some food and drinks in Haad Rin. I quickly remembered how quiet and chilled this place is when the full moon party isn’t on. Everyplace we went was dead.
Ironically, there was advertisements everywhere for a pool party at Coral Bungalows, the place I stayed 2 and a half years ago. Coral has changed quite a bit since I was last there. They have built more rooms and the place was 3 times busier than anytime I can remember it being. We had a great laugh and after several beers and a bucket of sang som whisky each we left our wallets and phones with some people we had been drinking with and went into the pool.
It was only around 3am we noticed that we had lost the key to our room, posibbly whilst swimming in the pool (I say we, in reality, it was me who list it!). We couldn’t find it at all so we ended up going back to the main part of haad rin to wait around. I ended up chatting with a nice Japanese guy called Kiro who wanted to improve his English. It was around 6am I asked if he was tired and he said yes but he wanted to make sure me and Chris were ok as he knew we lost our key. It never ceases to amaze me how polite, friendly and genuine the Japanese are.
I insisted that we would be ok and went back to our Apartment, where I found Chris on the balcony trying to sleep on some old towel. Around 7am he headed down the beach to fall asleep whilst I fell asleep on the doorstep of our room, under some illusion that everything would be ok when I woke up. And it was. I woke at 9.30 am with Chris and a lady from the restuarant downstairs opening the room. 2 mins later I was asleep on my bed!
It’s amazing the hassle that can be caused from losing a key. But what did they expect giving us a tiny padlock key to take care of, it really is their fault when you think about it!!
Chris later informed me that he only woke at 9am on the beach because the tide had come right in and were getting him wet. Sorry Chris!!!