Day 8: Ranong - Laem Son National Park - Frankie goes to.....the South of Thailand (2018)

November 3, 2018

Day 8: Ranong - Laem Son National Park

As I said yesterday, I am not only in Ranong because you don´t have any other choice but I wanted to personally make an enquiry that I couldn´t find answered on the internet to my satisfaction. I may enter the very South of Myanmar (Kawthaung) by ferry from Ranong when I will be back up here in April 2019. I read controversial information on the immigration procedures and the ferries themselves so I decided to go and have a look myself. There are two ferry ports, both about 4 km out of town in Pak Nam Ranong. The one at the Koh Phayam Pier does quite obviously serve the islands of Phayam and Chang while the Paknam Municipal Pier on the other side of the road has the Thai Immigration counters and the boats over to former Burma. I didn´t see an information counter at the latter one but a nice young man, very likely some sort of tout, spoke decent English and assured me the rather fragile wooden boats would not depart by schedule but as soon as the seats are taken. Which is every few minutes by the look of the rather chaotic but still charming procedures at the pier. Bicycles shall be no problem and the price for both of us would be 350 Baht for the 45 min trip. Take all that with some proviso but I believe it is pretty close to reality. The Thai exit stamp will be received at the counter on the pier and not somewhere on a boat in the middle of the river/sea as I read a couple of times. So all that looks good enough and I will now consider whether it is an option for me given accommodation is very sparse in the South of Myanmar and their tourist visa is only valid for 28 days.

The short ride down to Laem Son NP is not worth half as many words. All but the last 10 kilometers along Hway 4 which has a great separate cycle lane for the first few km but the deteriorates to a one lane counry road with a very narrow shoulder. Annoyingly that bit of shoulder disappears entirely once you come to one of the many bridges and requires some extra attention. The turnoff for my destination was well marked but I believe the sign up along the highway said Bang Ben Beach and not Laem Son but trust you cannot miss it.

It was never a question where I would be staying: Dutchman Bo and his Thai wife Wasana run the resort carrying her name for 28 years now and offer bungalows with fan for 450 Baht, a/c ones for 650. The official entrance to the National Park is just 200 m down the road and charge 200 Baht fee for foreigners. If you turn left before the gates you get down to the pier for free and can walk over to the average beach. Mind you this area is extremely tidal and swimming shouldnt be your first option when considering coming here. I just like their compound and the idea of definitely being off the beaten track - 3 nights please.

The flash express boat mooring at the Koh Phayam Pier. There are three types of services: normal (200 B), speed (250 B) and express (350 B). I haven´t seen the first two but I doubt the express one does take bicycles due to the setup onboard. Jan can you comment on this?

The Pak Nam Ranong Municipal Pier. Those wooden nutshells will take you over to Myanmar and I would much rather have a day with quiet sea. The front of the narrow boats would certainly allow for bicycle transport though.

Nice surprise just out of Ranong: Several kilometers of a brand new cycle track. As always it does disappear when you need it most, where the highway turns into single lanes with little shoulder

This non-descript restaurant along the cycle track deserves a big thumb up....

....for the quality of food and what they charge for it. I had Pad Pik Gaeng Moo, Pad Pak Kanaa and Nam Sup plus 2 little bottles of coke and had to pay 114 Baht - precisely 3 €

Along the #1037. The mangrove forests are already part of the Laem Son National Park

Still gives me goosebumps but I will comment further once I am down at Khao Lak

I am not sure whether the buffaloes are allowed to cross at the designated cattle crossing

Today's ride: 54 km (34 miles)
Total: 585 km (363 miles)

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