Goodbye to August 2011

Goodbye to August 2011

It's that time of the month again. Time to say goodbye to what turned out to be a busy month for me. Early on this month I was still in South Korea and now, the last day I find myself in Indonesia. My dive job really gets me around this year, maybe time for a career change for yourselves, my dear readers?

The Gili Air taxi

The weather seemed very typical for August, plenty of hot and sunny days with a few nights of rainy parts. Towards the end of the month there were also some typical monsoon floods around Thailand and the South East Asian region but the Samui archipelago always seems to duck out underneath from that during August.

It pays off to visit Samui during August!

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to September, which will find me on Koh Phangan at the start of the month and most likely will se me for the remainder of the month on Koh Samui. See you there!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 31st August, 2011

Today's weather;

Although Samui is slightly cloudy, the sun is about to warm up and burn a hole in said clouds and it looks like a very warm ahead, just like yesterday. Current temp at 7am is 26.6C

Yesterday started out slightly cloudy around Samui but the sun evaporated the clouds and it eas very hot. Max temp reached 34.3C

The Bali bombing memorial in Jalan Legian, every night it's a meeting point for many people

This morning I find myself in Kuta on Bali, en route to Thailand again after having completed an IDC on Gili Air. Bali is cloudy but dry and warm. All updates for next month should be coming from Thailand again.

Camill

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 30th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui is going strong on the weather front, it's sunny this morning, hardly any wind and it looks like it's going to be a warm day. Current temp at 7am is 26.7C

Tomorrow evening I'll be back home again, just for a night before I take off for Koh Phangan again.

Yesterday was a rather nice day with sunshine and just a tiny bit of rain on some parts of Samui island. Max temp reached 31.9C

Morning glory on Gili Air

Gili Air's weather remains lovely and consistently good. Tomorrow will be Idul Fitri the official end of the Ramadan.

Yesterday I completed the current PADI IDC and later today I'll be off to Bali for a night with an afternoon flight out to Thailand!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 29th August, 2011

Today's weather;

On Koh Samui there's surprisingly little wind, no rain and hardly any clouds this morning. Surprisingly so, considering the weather and rain in other parts of Thailand. Current temp at 7am is 26C

Yesterday saw a little bit of rain around Samui but all in all it was a fairly nice day. Max temp reached 28.3C

A blooming tree on Gili Air

The weather on Gili Air is still the same, warm and sunny during the day with nice and cooler nights. Today is the last day of Ramadan, and everybody is excited about that on this predominantly Muslim island.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 28th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui is 'enjoying' a very cloudy sky this morning with very strong winds. Today and tomorrow the wind should be at it strongest, by Tuesday everything should start to relax again. I would expect a bit of rain today but probably not as much as in other parts of Thailand. Current temp at 7am is 25.2C

Yesterday saw a very cloudy day around Samui with a little bit of rain and a 3 hour power cut in the Plai Laem/Bang Rak area. Max temp only reached 27.7C

Gili Air from a dive boat

The weather on Gili Air remains pretty much unchanged, nice sunny days with some wind bursts during the afternoon and cooler evenings and nights, near perfect!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 27th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Koh Samui is enjoying a nice morning, even better than yesterday, there's a bit of wind but it doesn't look like rain but rather a bit of sunshine. current temp at 7am is 25C This in sharp contrast to the Andaman side, where torrential rains caused a flew floods.

The forecast looks like the wind will peak in the Gulf on Sunday and Monday and than resume more or less to normal.

Yesterday saw a nice day around Samui, however with some relatively strong wind. All ferries were running as usual though. Max temp reached 30C

One of the boats participating in Sail Indonesia in front of Gili Air during all of last week

The weather on Gili Air keeps going on strong, blue skies once more this morning and it looks like another warm day!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 26th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui is under the spell of a tropical thunderstorm, just like the rest of Thailand. Phuket and Khao Lak have some serious floods, which luckily enough, our island has no problems with so far.

Currently there are strong winds and big waves around the island and rain is in the air. Current temp at 7am is 26,7C

Yesterday saw plenty of rain around Samui accompanied by strong wind. Max temp reached around 30C

This morning Gili Air has a blue sky, same spot as yesterday

Weather conditions are mint this morning around Gili Air, a blue sky and almost no wind. Yesterday saw a blue sky shape up rather quickly after a cloudy start with a lovely cool evening.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 25th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Online at last, all day long there was an internet problem here on Gili Air, until a few moments ago.

Samui is partly cloudy but warm with a current temp at 4pm of 31.4C, there are strong winds and the ocean has waves.

Yesterday was warm but windy and there was a tiny bit of rain at some parts of Samui. max temp reached 32.7C

Cloud cover this morning on Gili Air in Indonesia

Gili Air had some serious clouds this morning but during the day they dissolved and it became hot once more. The afternoons here have strong winds though.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 24th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui has a few clouds this morning but it looks like it might be sunny later today. Current temp at 7am is 26.5C

Yesterday saw a very hot morning around Samui with plenty of sunshine, somewhere later during the day some parts of the island had some rain. Max temp reached 32.3C

Another Gili Air sunset

Gili Air is blasting away with great weather, the mornings have blue skies but during the afternoons some strong winds show up and occasionally some dark clouds hover over the island, so far no rain though. During the daytime it's warm but the evenings are nice and cool!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 23rd August, 2011

Today's weather;

A slight overcast it is for Samui this morning. Current temp at 7am is 26.4C

Yesterday saw a dry day again on Samui with a max temp of 33.7C

The forecast for after next weekend is not looking very well, lots of wind and most likely rain to go with it.

Sunset on Gili Air

Gili Air gearing up for a hot day, there's not a single cloud in the air this morning. Yesterday was also very hot although in the evening some clouds showed up but it stayed very dry!

The IDC kicked off successfully here a few days ago.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 22nd August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui's sky has a few clouds this morning but the sun is fighting it's way through! Current temp at 7am is 24.3C

Yesterday saw a lovely, warm and dry around Samui, until somewhere during the night when it must have poured down. Max temp reached 33.5C

Gili Air this morning, plenty of sailing yachts because of Sail Indonesia which is in progress, apparently a 100 or so boats will visit Gili Air soon

Gili Air has a beautiful blue sky this morning. Yesterday saw a lovely day but it's nice and not bloody hot during the daytime with some really nice cooler evenings and nights.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 21st August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui is having a nice morning, sunny and it's looking like it's going to be a warm day. Current temp at 7am is 26.9C

Yesterday was also a nice day on Samui, no rain and warm! Max temp reached 31C

Balinese statues just outside of Bali airport

Yesterday evening I arrived around 7pm on Gili Air, after a 4am start of the day! It's good to be here again and in a few moments I will start my third PADI IDC here this year. It's beautiful as ever, blue skies and sunny!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 20th August, 2011

Today's weather;

It's early and I'm waiting at Suvarnabhumi airport to board a plane to Bali. The road to the airport showed that it had rained during the night. Current temp at 4am was 26.2C and Samui has 25C

Suvarnabhumi airport at night

Yesterday saw a hot and warm day around Samui and once more during the evening it started to rain.

The rain was so profuse that it messed up all departures from Samui airport after 7pm. I've never seen the airport that busy, except maybe when it was closed during the recent March flooding. The queues went all the way up to the drop off area where the cars can park for 15 minutes. Immediately I took my notebook out of the bag and did a web check in, beating all queues and I checked in within minutes rather than having to wait approximately 45 minutes to an hour. It was actually that busy that an extra flight was scheduled at 9.45pm.

My flight was eventually delayed for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

After a 3 hour nights sleep, I'm now at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport waiting to board.

Camille

Captain's Choice restaurant at the Imperial Boathouse, Choengmon

Captain's Choice restaurant at the Imperial Boathouse, Choengmon

It's been a while but here's at last a restaurant review. When my sister and her family visited Samui earlier this month, we went to a few restaurants and enjoyed some good food.

One of the places we visited was the Captain's Choice restaurant at the Imperial Boathouse in Choengmon.

Pumpkin soup and deep fried sausage (!) as free starter/warm up

My wife and me have very good and fond memories about this hotel, she worked here for about 8 years at F&B (Food and Beverages) and left the Boathouse when she was 'captain' of the restaurant and I started my PADI Instructor career at the dive shop in this hotel, late in 1999. If you now put one and one together, you should be able to figure out were we met!

Steamed white snapper in a too spicy sauce

My sister also stayed two times at the Boathouse in one of their barges, turned into luxury rooms and over the years I had some enjoyable times and dinners here.

Prawns

This month there's a real interesting deal until the end of the month, buy a voucher of 1.000,-THB and get 1.000,-THB for free. We ended up eating with 12 people for 4.000,-THB in vouchers with another 4.000,-THB for free thrown in.

Lamb chops with red wine sauce for me

The food was not as good as we expected though. My lamb chops were rare instead of medium rare and one steak was well done instead of rare. They also had a Chardonnay wine on offer for 500,-THB per bottle, which we declined on after tasting it and went for a much more expensive and nicer wine instead. In general we felt that because of the deal we got value for our money but if we would have had to pay the full amount we would've been disappointed.

Chocolate mousse

In general I have a bit of a feeling that the 'grendeur' of the Boathouse is missing, the wooden planks leading to the beach are really worn out and could use a face lift. The entrance and reception area is still nice and in good shape though!

All in all it was great to have a couple of good nights out with my sister and her family and the good company was more important and at the end of the day it wouldn't have mattered where we would have stayed.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 19th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Back on Samui and the PADI IE on Koh Tao was very successful. My busy schedule continues with a late flight out to Bangkok tonight and a vary early flight to Bali in Indonesia where I will be teaching a PADI IDC until the end of the month on Gili Air.

The weather on Samui is not that great this morning, there's some heavy overcast but it's dry right now. Current temp at 7am is 25.5C

View during breakfast yesterday morning on Koh Tao

Yesterday started out hot and warm on both Samui and Koh Tao but around 5pm, shortly after I got back home, a few showers hit the island. Max temp reached 31.4C

Camille

Food on Wheels; Bangkok

Food on Wheels; Bangkok

Time to continue my 'Food on Wheels' series. Last week during my one day visit to Bangkok upon returning from South Korea, I had business to attend at the Hua Lampong MRT or Subway station.

Bangkok is in general a heaven for food on wheels lovers! Everywhere people are selling food and drinks on the sidewalks. Outside of the Hua Lampong subway station was no different.

Fresh OJ seller

Te carts are sometimes very small indeed and like pictured above, it's nothing more than a push cart. Selling fresh Orange juice per bottle doesn't probably bring in big profit margins neither. It's hard to imagine how you can get by with such an income.

Fresh pineapple

This person is selling fresh pineapple. I vividly remember the first time I bought a freshly cut pineapple on Bangkok's streets (an achievement in itself, back in those days!), the explosion of taste in my mouth is unforgettable! I can only strongly advise on buying the fresh fruit from sales people all around Thailand, it's well worth the taste experience! It's not difficult neither, you can just point at what you like. Watch out for the spicy sugar, this is sugar spiced up with cut up small red peppers, it's hot and spicy!

Enjoy.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 18th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui and Koh Tao have nice blue skies with just a few fluffy clouds in it. Current temp at 7am is 26C and it promises to be a hot day!

Today the PADI IE will be completed and it will be back home for me this afternoon, tomorrow night it's off to Bangkok for a short night and the next morning I'll board an early flight to Bali again, starting a PADI IDC on Gili Air 21st August.

View over Koh Tao from my room

Yesterday saw a sunny and warm day over both Samui and Koh Tao. Only difference was that Koh Tao underwent a rain lashing around 11pm accompanied by thunder and lightning. Max temp reached 30.5C

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 17th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Just got back from my favorite bakery on Koh Tao, Zest and it's time to update the blog! Both Samui and Koh Tao have a splendid morning with blue skies and plenty of sunshine. Current temp at 7am is 25.6C

A new traffic circle building in Mae Haad on Koh Tao

Yesterday saw a beautiful, warm and sunny day on Koh Samui and Koh Tao. That is, up to about 5pm when I just wanted to start my first run on the turtle island and the flood gates just unleashed a massive, tropical rain shower for about an hour. Max temp reached 32.5C

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 16th August, 2011

Today's weather;

The sky over Samui remains clouded. The current temp at 7am is 26C

The road to Samui airport April 2006, on the right hand side is now Bangkok Airway's catering building

Yesterday saw a dry day with bits and pieces of sunshine for the sun lovers. Max temp reached 30.6C

The current IDC has been completed and today I'm off to Koh Tao for a PADI IE, back on Thursday!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 15th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui's sky shows overcast but there are a few blue spots, there's hope for some sunshine. Current temp at 7am is 26.5C

The road between Choengmon and Chaweng

Yesterday started out with some drizzle but around 10pm the sun broke through and there was plenty to enjoy for fans of the sun. Around 4pm darker clouds showed up again and some parts of Samui had some serious rain to endure for a while. Max temp reached 31.2C

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 14th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui sees an overcast sky this morning with a current temp at 7am of 25.8C but it's (still?) dry.

Road between Choengmon which hosts my favorite bay on the island and Chaweng, view over the ocean, this used to be one of my favorite parts of the islands before all the construction happened

Yesterday occasionally saw some drizzle around Samui with a few sun bursts during the afternoon. Max temp reached 30.5C

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 13th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui is under some heavy cloud cover this morning but it's dry. Current temp at 7am is 25.4C

Live inside one of the many spirit houses (for good luck) around the island

Yesterday started out nicely and there was some good sunshine to be had! Around 8.30pm Samui saw some serious rain showers though. Max temp reached 32.5C

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 12th August, 2011

Today's weather;

The cloud layers over Samui seem to become less each day, today there are plenty of blue spots around. Current temp at 7am is 25.5C

Today is also Her Majesty's Queen Sirikit's Birthday a day which in Thailand is also celebrated as Mothers Day.

Yesterday's Chocolate Mousse dessert at Prego's

Yesterday saw cloud cover in the morning around Samui but during the early afternoon the sun started to break through, however, just to be replaced by rain around 5pm. Max temp reached 33C

My sister is on her way back home to the Netherlands again, as of today. A good time was had by all with plenty of good food, yesterday it was one of Samui's top Italian restaurants; Prego in Chaweng. It was so busy (definitely need reservations this time of the year, probably a good idea year round!) that service lacked a bit. The food was still good though.

Camille

Her Majesty's Queen Sirikit's Birthday

Her Majesty's Queen Sirikit's Birthday

Somdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat (สมเด็จพระนางเจ้าสิริกิติ์ พระบรมราชินีนาถ; Literally: "Her Majesty Queen Regent Sirikit"; born Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitiyakara on August 12, 1932), is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King (Rama IX) of Thailand.

Happy Birthday to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit

She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand (the first Queen Regent was Queen Saovabha Bongsri of Siam, later Queen Sri Patcharindra, the queen mother). As the consort of the king who was until 2010 the world's longest reigning head of state, she is also the world's longest serving consort of a monarch, though Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, more than eleven years her senior, is the oldest currently serving consort.

Today is also celebrated in Thailand as Mothers day.

Camille

Samui island Marathon, 18th September 2011

Samui island Marathon, 18th September 2011

The second edition of the Samui island marathon 2011 is scheduled on 18th September 2011 at Nathon.

Samui Island Marathon 2011

Last years event was the first organised run I ever participated in, so I would love to be able to participate this year but with my current hectic schedule, I'm not sure if I can make it or even will be on Samui come 18th September.

This years route

If I can make it, there won't be much more in it that a quarter marathon. There will be just not enough time to prepare for a half marathon, like the Phuket Laguna half marathon that I ran earlier this year.

Anyway, hope to see you there, I will really enjoy it if I can make it but that shouldn't stop you from participating or cheering on!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 11th August, 2011

Today's weather;

There's light overcast over Samui this morning, very likely to be burned away by the sun in a few hours. Current temp at 7am is 26.2C

Chaweng Beach yesterday in front of Chaweng Cove Resotel around 6pm

Yesterday saw some serious overcast all day long around Samui which culminated in some rain around 9.30pm. A typical tropical shower could be enjoyed! Max temp reached 33.4C

Yesterday we ate delicious 'Moo Sateh' (pork sateh) and 'Raad Na' at Dcheed 2, around 150 sateh sticks and 4 or 5 bowls of Raad na plus drinks for 8 for just under a 1.000,-THB.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 10th August, 2011

Today's weather;

This morning has some overcast hovering over Samui, but just like the previous days I would expect these clouds formations to disappear as soon as the sun starts to heat up. Current temp at 7am is 27.8C

Gold prices are soaring after the crash, 3 years ago it was half the price!

Yesterday saw another warm day around Samui. There was overcast during most of the day but still enough sunshine broke through to please the sun bathing crowd. Max temp reached 33.7C

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 9th August, 2011

Today's weather;

The sky over Samui is slightly cloudy this morning but there are some blue spots in the sky. Current temp at 7am is 27.3C

Wat Plai Laem at night

Yesterday saw a very hot day around Samui. Max temp reached 35.3C

After having had a fantastic dinner at Orgasmic the other day, last night we went to an old fave, Italian restaurant Il Duomo in Chaweng and it was as good as always!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 8th August, 2011

Today's weather;

A clear blue sky is shaping up over Koh Samui this morning and it looks like once more a hot and sunny day is ours to be. Current temp at 7am is 27.1C

It's durian season again!

Yesterday's start of the day was a false start, all clouds were gone the moment the sun started to heat Samui up. It was sunny and warm yesterday with a max temp of 33.3C

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 7th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui is seeing a cloudy sky this morning and there's a fairly strong wind. Current temp at 7am is 27.2C

Big Buddha yesterday

Yesterday saw a very warm and sunny day around Samui. Max temp reached 33.3C

My sister is visiting with her family and we went to Orgasmic for a splendid dinner, Report to follow soon!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 6th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Back home on Samui, it's good to be here again! It's nice and sunny and no cloud to be seen, another day seems to be coming on! Current temp at 7am is 26.7C

This subway sign in Bangkok is pretty straightforward

Yesterday saw a beautiful morning in Bangkok, but in the early afternoon on my way to the airport a few drops came down and upon boarding the plane, it poured down. I really enjoyed my stay at the S31, try it out if you can. Samui was nice and warm though. Max temp reached 34.3C

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 5th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui is gearing up for another hot day with blues skies. Current temp at 7am is 26.8C

Yesterday saw a very warm day on Samui, with sunshine all day long. Max temp reached 33.8C

Bangkok last night, view from my room at S31 on the 20th floor

Same view at 6.30am

Bangkok is also gearing up for a warm day with a blue sky. Current temp at 7am is 26.3C

Yesterday evening I arrived in Bangkok and it's good to be back in Thailand! Today I'm off to Fortune tower and later during the afternoon it's off to Samui again!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 4th August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui is going to be hot today, a blue sky is shaping up right now. Current temp at 7am is 26C

Today I will make my way back to Bangkok and tomorrow I'll be back home!

Yesterday is was hot and sunny around Samui. Max temp reached 33.8C

Entrance to Olympic park in Seoul

Osan is cloudy this morning and it looks wet outside. Current temp at 9am is 26C

Yesterday's trip to Seoul was good, visited a friend and had some great lunch, the whole meal and all side orders were mushroom based! Did some shopping in a dive center and made it on my own back to Osan in the subway, which was a challenge in it self.

Later today I'm on the plane back to Bangkok!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 3rd August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui is gearing up for a nice day and the sun is getting ready to warm things up. Current temp at 7am is 27.3C

Yesterday saw a warm day on Samui with plenty of sunshine but also with a shower around 6pm. Max temp reached 32.2C

The greater Seoul subway system

Osan is back to clouds and drizzle, there were two drizzle showers since I woke up but in-between them I could enjoy a run with the sun even popping out for a moment. Current temp at 9am is 26C

Variation on a theme

Yesterday saw a trip to Seoul for some extreme shopping. We went by subway, the ride from Osan to Seoul took an hour and a half but costed less than 60,-THB or 1.5 Euro. Pretty amazing. Seoul was crowded, at least the shopping area where we went to.

Today I will go back to the big city to meet up with PADI's regional manager, MR Boo Kyung Kim and some more shopping is in place, this time for more PADI and dive related items.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 2nd August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui has a blue sky to boast for this morning and it looks like it's going to be warm. Current temp at 7am is 27.5C

Yesterday saw a cloudy sky over Samui but it was warm and dry. Max temp reached 31.5C

Recognize this?

here I am looking for a Tae Kwon Do shop to buy some things for my son! All I can find is Muay Thai!

In Osan the weather is improving, this morning it's nice and warm and it looks like the cloud is breaking open. Current temp at 9am is 28C, last night the sky was clear!

Today I'll be on my way to Seoul for some serious or is it extreme shopping!

Camille

Welcome to August 2011

Welcome to August 2011

The stormy season over South East Asia but the Gulf of Thailand and especially around Samui it's usually very nice, with plenty of sunshine and occasional rain during the evenings. Previous have been known for storms as well but in general it's nice, especially after the first week of the month.

Deoksan beach near Samcheok in South Korea, during a sunny day

Currently I'm still in the Republic of Korea aka South Korea and will be getting back to Thailand this coming Thursday and back on Samui by Friday and guess what, a PADI IDC will kick off soon afterwards, this time on home turf again, on Samui!

Looking forward seeing you here on line, visiting my blog.

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 1st August, 2011

Today's weather;

Samui is nice and the sun is getting ready to burst out. Current temp at 10am is 30C

Yesterday was a warm and sunny day around Samui with a temp of 32C.

Korean football supporters are all around the football

Back again in Osan, my home base in the ROK! It's still gray with occasional rain around town but it's warm. Current temp at noon is 27C

Just 3 more days to go and looking forward to visiting Seoul over the next couple of days. Thursday evening touch in Bangkok again!

Camille