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Climbing in Thailand - Youve Gotta Go!!!


Ambi

14-Jan-2007
5:57:11 PM

Hey Now!
So I just finished a 3 week dream of a time climbing in Thailand - mainly at Ton Sai, but all around Krabi, including my best Xmas Day ever!! A full day of Deep Water Soloing around the Islands with a massive bunch of mates - Wicked!!
I started climbing early 2005, and it's kinda taken over my life since!
If you want to have the best summer, I highly recommend that you go there!! It's a full international climbing community, and you'll meet so many friends there - I even met friends I know from RMIT Outdoor Club, Blueys climbers and even a dude from my hometown of Adelaide! I've been invited to climb with friends from all over the globe, and am hoping to make my way to Europe later this year.You'll be inspired, encouraged and improve something crazy!! They use french grading there, and there's great climbing from 6a onwards. Sadly, there's talk of a resort being built on the beach, getting rid of my fave bar Sawasdee's and cafe Yum Yum's, but hopefully all the climbers wil keep this cool culture that we have there going on. If you're into slack lines, pythons in bungalows! as much phad thai as you can eat, oil massages for AUS$10 an hour, no cops at all, spliffs on the beach, great climbing and night life, monkeys on your doorstep, projects aplenty, and a whole community of wicked friends and climbing partners, jet off now!!! After dumping gear in Melbourne and staying with climbing friends for 3 days, I'm now in Orlando, Florida for 2 weeks, and then sailing on a yacht around the Florida Quays with my Best Friend from New Zealand - Can't wait to do that - but would definitely rather be sweating it out in the humdity in Ton Sai any day!!! So... What are you waiting for??!! Pack your Bags!!! Happy Climbing!!!

Fish Boy

15-Jan-2007
8:39:46 AM

It's really nice when the locals burn rubbish there too....


Dutch

15-Jan-2007
9:20:47 AM

Hell yeah, im leaving in two weeks for a month long stint there. Although my elbow is still giving me troubles :( Might have to try some diving instead :) Im sooooo excited!!!


HM33

15-Jan-2007
9:46:10 AM

see you there stuart. there is a bunch of us going in early feb


Hardware

15-Jan-2007
11:40:45 AM

when is the best time of year to head there, as I want to plan a trip for later this year?


billk

15-Jan-2007
11:58:44 AM

On 14/01/2007 bular wrote:
> no cops at all, spliffs on the beach,

Ah, I know of three people who got their ar ses busted right outa The Land of Smiles for having spliffs on the beach so be careful. Also, a lot of Thais also see it as an act of disrespect for their country when visitors break the law in public. Please do it behind closed doors in Thailand. Australia has heaps of beaches where you can have a spliff and will only risk a good behaviour bond at worst if the boys in blue turn up. When the boys in brown turn up in Thailand anything can happen.


tnd

15-Jan-2007
12:05:25 PM

On 15/01/2007 billk wrote:
>On 14/01/2007 bular wrote:
>> no cops at all, spliffs on the beach,
>
>Ah, I know of three people who got their ar ses busted right outa The
>Land of Smiles for having spliffs on the beach so be careful. Also, a lot
>of Thais also see it as an act of disrespect for their country when visitors
>break the law in public. Please do it behind closed doors in Thailand.
>Australia has heaps of beaches where you can have a spliff and will only
>risk a good behaviour bond at worst if the boys in blue turn up. When the
>boys in brown turn up in Thailand anything can happen.

As you and I know Bill, the visiting climbers in South Thailand are not renowned for their cultural awareness.


Ambi

15-Jan-2007
1:31:21 PM

yeah, that bit sucks. it's good if you buy one of those big water bottles and get it refilled, as there's less waste. but it really does suck how stuff is burned.


Ambi

15-Jan-2007
1:33:58 PM

my friends did heaps of diving when they got injured, and they loved it - there's heaps of good diving at phi phi islands, i heard. i did about 5 minutes of snorkeling!! must go back and do some diving though!


Ambi

15-Jan-2007
1:35:43 PM

that was the first time i went, but that was peak season -it was good, except there were a fewdays of intense rain. the great thing is that 30mins later, the rock's dry again, and if it does rain all day, it's a chill out day at yum yum's playing scrabble and drinking coconut smoothies!


Ambi

15-Jan-2007
1:40:00 PM

yeah, i realise that it's a bit dodgy, but luckily no harm was done. it's crazy that the thais are the ones selling it to you at the bar. next time i'll be more careful, as there were 4 guys that got arrested in west railay around the corner, but nothing at ton sai luckily. everyone does it at the bars and cafes, so different to back home. thanks for telling me that, i appreciate it. i'd hate to rn into the law over there.


billk

15-Jan-2007
1:47:02 PM

On 15/01/2007 tnd wrote:
>As you and I know Bill, the visiting climbers in South Thailand are not
>renowned for their cultural awareness.

tnd and I have both found that if you display an interest in and respect for Thai culture, doors will open for you everywhere. You will make some great friendships and go to some amazing places.

I'm not saying you absolutely cannot have a smoke there. It's up to you. But the free and easy feel you get when you first arrive in Thailand can mislead you and does get some people into trouble.


phil_nev

15-Jan-2007
1:59:21 PM

On 15/01/2007 billk wrote:
>On 14/01/2007 bular wrote:
>> no cops at all, spliffs on the beach,
>
>Ah, I know of three people who got their ar ses busted right outa The
>Land of Smiles for having spliffs on the beach so be careful. Also, a lot
>of Thais also see it as an act of disrespect for their country when visitors
>break the law in public. Please do it behind closed doors in Thailand.
>Australia has heaps of beaches where you can have a spliff and will only
>risk a good behaviour bond at worst if the boys in blue turn up. When the
>boys in brown turn up in Thailand anything can happen.

Every barmen who served me @ tonsai was smokin @ work at one time or another over the 3 weeks i was there. I got the feeling from them it more more dissrespectfull to say no to a toke...


billk

15-Jan-2007
2:16:23 PM

On 15/01/2007 phil_nev wrote:
>Every barmen who served me @ tonsai was smokin @ work at one time or another
>over the 3 weeks i was there. I got the feeling from them it more more
>dissrespectfull to say no to a toke...

Ah, that might be the sort of arrangement that effectively counts as being behind closed doors.

I guess my strongest recommendation would be not on the beach or other public places.


billk

15-Jan-2007
2:20:46 PM

On 15/01/2007 Hardware wrote:
>when is the best time of year to head there, as I want to plan a trip for
>later this year?

Hot season is about to kick in and goes til some time in May. Early wet season in between June and September can be really good. Can get seriously wet in September/October. Cool season from November til January is when the crowds are but also when the best weather is.


billk

15-Jan-2007
2:23:08 PM

And BTW as Bular noted in the opening post- Thailand is just awesome!

Fish Boy

15-Jan-2007
6:51:29 PM

Never saw any cops for my time at Tonsai and most barmen were smoking shilums or billys and would sell weed over the counter no worries. It all seemed to be the same stuff too...compressed bricks....

PensionerPower

15-Jan-2007
10:40:07 PM

On 15/01/2007 Fish Boy wrote:
>Never saw any cops for my time at Tonsai and most barmen were smoking shilums
>or billys and would sell weed over the counter no worries.

Perhaps I'm a cynic, but here's what I'd be frightened of:

1. Local dealers make sweet arrangement with local cops;
2. Dealer sells to unsuspecting foreigner;
3. Dealer identifies said foreigner to cops;
4. Cops arrest said foreigner;
5. Dealer splits profit with cops;
6. Cops are happy. Dealer is happy. Foreigner can fend for himself.

Yes? No?


Eduardo Slabofvic

16-Jan-2007
10:19:02 AM

On 15/01/2007 PensionerPower wrote:

>Yes? No?

Ans = No.

Bar owner wants to make money. Tourists are money. Bar owner sells ganja to tourists who then sit
around and smoke and drink. Bar owner gives money to corrupt officialdom to ensure everyone is happy.

Ans = Yes

Junkie on street corner makes deal with corrupt official in order to save own ass, sets up naive tourist in
sting operation.

It's a big bad world out there, so keep your powder dry.

DJ Biggs

17-Jan-2007
4:02:41 PM

Rumour has it that tonsai land is owned by ex military/police officers so yes things are very sweetly set up and people seem to have an uncanny awareness as to when the police might visit. Be subtle what ever your up to.

There are 32 messages in this topic.