Nine Emperor Gods Festival in Trang & Krabi

(October 2009)

I didn’t know that the Chinese-Thai celebrate the Nine Emperor Gods festival 九皇爷诞 in such a big scale which rivals the ones in Malaysia & Singapore.

Actually, I didn’t know the Chinese-Thai celebrate this festival at all.

The Nine Emperor Gods festival is often associated with the monsoon in October every year.

I was told that traditionally, many people of Chinese origin in Southeast Asia perform prayers and provide offerings at the temple to thank the nine emperor gods for protecting their loved ones’ safe return from their daily fishing trips in the sea.

These days, it’s no longer just about the sea. People pray for good luck, good health, and prosperity.

On the 9th day of the 9th lunar month, a procession with a large group of devotees, dressed in all white, usually escort the Mother of Big Dipper 斗母元君 (mother of the nine emperor gods) and the other deities out of the temple for a few hours of ‘parading’ around the neighborhood before returning to the temple.

In Thailand, the festival starts a 9-day vegetarian festival. One can easily find various types of vegetarian food everywhere.

The procession runs all day with streams of firecrackers announcing the arrival of the deities. One can hear the firecrackers a kilometer away.

Some of the strings of firecrackers are more than 4 meters long! This alone makes the festival in Thailand more lively than in Malaysia & Singapore.

If you are either riding a motorcycle or driving a car, be prepared for the massive traffic congestion.

Kopi please… hey, this works in Thailand too!

 

Those of us from Malaysia & Singapore are so familiar with this local term for coffee that hearing the word '’kopi’ in Thailand brought home a little closer.

 

A quick google of Trang’s history reveals that many Chinese migrated to Trang from northern Malaysia, which explains the many similarities between Trang & most Malaysian towns.

The coffee drinking culture in Trang is very apparent from the constant flow of customers at all hours of the day in the numerous old coffee shops with marble top tables from the 50’s and new coffee houses with modern coffee making appliances.

In fact, the vast number of rubber plantations, kopitiams, and shop signs with Chinese characters in Trang resemble a Malaysian town than a Thai one.

Don’t forget to have a cup of teh and an order of steamed white bread with pandan kaya too.

Trang Travel

 

Town/City	:	Trang (董里)
Country	:	Thailand
Other names	:	Tubtiang (old name for part of the town)
Province	:	Trang
Nearest local airport	:	Trang Airport
Nearest international airport	:	Krabi International Airport (KBV)
Airport tax	:	Included in airfare
Geographical orientation	:	Southern Thailand, Southeast Asia
Currency for payment	:	Baht
Currency for exchange	:	All major currencies, including MYR & SGD
		(higher exchange rate in MY & SG)
Entry Permit / Visa	:	Not required for MY & SG passport holders
Electricity	:	220 volts / 2-prong plugs

 

 

SEASONS

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Peak

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High

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Low

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Cool

Hot

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Wet

X

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Hot ~ low of between 20 & 24 °C / high of between 30 & 35 °C

 

 

TRANSPORTATION

Type	Rental Cost (Baht*)	Duration (hour)
Bicycle	50	24
Mountain Bike	150	24
Scooter (auto)	200 - 250	24
Sedan Car (auto)	800 – 1,500	24

 

Trang Town	From Airport** (Baht*)	To Airport** (Baht*)
Songthaew	Not available	Not available
Taxi	1,200	1,000
Van	Not available	Not available

* Actual cost may vary

** Krabi International Airport (KBV)

 

 

THINGS TO DO

• Underwater wedding ceremony

• Swimming & sunbathing

• Diving & snorkeling

• Trekking

• Bird watching

• Thai massage or spa

• Thai cooking class

• Drinking a cup of the local coffee

• Eating a slice of the local butter cake

 

PLACES TO VISIT

(City attractions)

• Phraya Rassadanupradit Mahissarapakdi Monument – to commemorate Phraya Rassada who contributed to the development of Trang. There is a park around this monument.

• Phraya Ratsadanupradit Mahison Phakdi Museum – Phraya Rassada’s old house. The museum is open daily, except Mondays.

• Trang Railway Station – looks exactly like any of the railway stations in Malaysia.

(Out-of-city attractions)

• Koh Ngai – an peaceful island south of Koh Lanta.

• Koh Muk – a fishing island with sea-facing towering cliffs.

• Tham Morakot – also called the Emerald Cave as the water becomes an emerald green color when the light hits the cave during certain time of the day. This is a sea cave on the west side of Koh Muk.

• Koh Libong – famous for the seaweeds and manatees (dugong).

• Tham Le Khao Kop – a natural cave with streams flowing through the canal.

• Koh Kradan – an island with powdery white sand, crystal clear water, and colorful corals.

• The 1st Rubber Tree in Thailand – on the way to Kantang. Planted in 1899 when rubber was brought in from Malaysia.

• Ka Chong Waterfall – a high waterfall popular among locals and tourists.

 

ITEMS TO BUY

• Trang butter cakes

• Trang Tau Sar Pia

• Khao Chong coffee

• Shrimp paste

 

FOOD TO EAT

• Common Thai dishes found in other parts of Southern Thailand

• Roasted pork (there is a yearly roasted pork festival in September)

• Butter cakes with a variety of flavors, such as coffee, pandan, orange, etc.

Koh Lanta + more = Langkawi

(October 2009)

From all the positive comments Koh Lanta in various travel sites, I had high expectations before the trip.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the whole experience after spending 4 days on this collection of islands.

The reason is not because Koh Lanta doesn’t have much to offer. In fact, with its sandy beaches, quaint guest houses, lively pubs, and established tourism infrastructure, Koh Lanta is positioned as an excellent vacation spot for those looking for a more mature and laid-back alternative to Phuket and Koh Phi Phi.

For most western travelers, the sun, the beach, and the bars are more than sufficient to make a good vacation.

However, for most Southeast Asian travelers, particularly those from Malaysia, Koh Lanta is too similar to Langkawi.

Actually, Langkawi offers more, such as:

• duty-free shopping (not important to western travelers but a key criteria for most Southeast Asian travelers),
• the less than US$1 a can beers (US$0.60-0.80 in Langkawi vs US$1.20-1.50 in Koh Lanta),
• more affordable car rental (a Toyota Vios rental costs almost 50% more in Koh Lanta),
• less language barrier when you speak English,
• a direct flight (no airport in Koh Lanta as the closest is in Krabi which is about 70km away), and
• more tourist activities especially suitable for families.

On the other hand, massage services are generally less expensive and more common in Koh Lanta.

I’m not saying that Koh Lanta is not a nice place but for travelers from Malaysia, Langkawi is a more convenient destination than Koh Lanta.

As for which destination is more fun? That depends on your kind of fun and how much you are willing to pay.

Did I mention that a can of beer in Langkawi costs less than US$1?

Koh Lanta Travel

 

Town/City	:	Koh Lanta
Country	:	Thailand
Other names	:	Ko Lanta
Province / District	:	Krabi Province
Nearest local airport	:	Krabi International Airport (KBV)
Nearest international airport	:	Krabi International Airport (KBV)
Airport tax	:	Included in airfare
Geographical orientation	:	Southern Thailand, Southeast Asia
Surrounding tour venues	:
Currency for payment	:	Baht
Currency for exchange	:	All major currencies, including MYR & SGD
		(higher exchange rates in MY & SG)
Entry Permit / Visa	:	Not required for MY & SG passport holders
Electricity	:	220 volts / 2-prong plugs

 Note:

Koh Lanta is a group of islands with a barge available to transport passengers and vehicles. The 1st barge goes from the mainland pier to Koh Lanta Noi. The 2nd barge goes from Koh Lanta Noi to Koh Lanta Yai, where all the tourist activities are.

 

 

SEASONS

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Peak

X

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High

X

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Low

X

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Cool

Hot

X

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X

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X

Wet

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

 

 

TRANSPORTATION

Type	Rental Cost (Baht*)	Duration (hour)
Bicycle	100	24
Mountain Bike	Not available	Not available
Scooter (auto)	250	24
Sedan Car (auto)	1,200	24

 

Koh Lanta	From Airport** (Baht*)	To Airport** (Baht*)
Tuk-Tuk / Truck Taxi	Not available	Not available
Taxi (private)	2,000	2,000
Van (shared)	300 / person	300 / person
Van (private)	2,500	2,500
Boat (shared) fr. Krabi #	300-400 / person	300-400 / person

* Actual cost may vary

** Krabi International Airport (KBV)

# Not available during monsoon season

 

THINGS TO DO/SEE

• Swimming & sunbathing

• Snorkeling & diving

• Sea kayaking

• Fishing

• Trekking

• Cycling

• Watching the sunset

• Thai massage & spa

• Thai cooking class

 

 

PLACES TO VISIT

• Lanta Old Town

• Sea gypsy village

• Khao Mai Kaew Caves

 

ITEMS TO BUY

• Dried seafood

• Local handicrafts

 

FOOD TO EAT / DRINK

• Common Thai dishes found in other parts of Southern Thailand

• Fresh & inexpensive seafood: grilled or cooked in broth or tomyam

Nightlife in Krabi

(February & October 2009)

 

In Krabi Town, NOTHING unless you consider having a beer in a laid-back pub with less than 5 patrons or having a bowl of noodle at a roadside stall as a form of nightlife.

Even the massage parlors close at 10 p.m.

There is, of course, the Krabi Weekend Walking Street or the night market to keep you occupied for an hour or two if you are in Krabi between Friday and Sunday.

Your best bet is to travel 20 minutes away by tuk-tuk or taxi to Ao Nang. There are more nightlife options along this beach town and some of the pubs serve decent German beers. However, don’t expect things or people to go wild like in Bangkok, Pattaya, or Phuket.

  

In Ao Nang, there are more than enough pubs, restaurants, and massage parlors that stay open well into the night.

Krabi Eating – Braised Chicken Noodle

(February & October 2009)

Note: Dinner & Supper Only

If you want something light for dinner or supper, try this stall located at the corner of Maharaj Soi (road) and Maharaj Soi 6.

This is a popular place for a bowl of noodle with broth.

As usual, you can go for kueyteow, meehoon, yellow noodle, or even deep-fried instant noodle.

You can have pork or beef meatballs with your noodle or you can get the braised chicken which is sort of hidden in a stainless steel pot.

If you are a chicken feet lover, be sure to ask for the specifically as they normally serve chicken wings.

The broth is a little salty for my taste (which is common in Thailand) but the braised chicken is marinated just right.

The price is between 30 and 50 Baht (RM3 and 5/US$0.90 and 1.50) depending on how much of the extras you want.

Krabi Eating – Roasted Pork

(February & October 2009)

Note: Breakfast & Lunch Only

This restaurant is easy to find as it is located diagonally opposite the City Hotel in central Krabi town.

The roasted pork (mhu yang where mhu is pork in Thai) is popular either over a plate of buttered rice or a bowl of noodle with broth. Unlike the roasted pork in MY & SG, the roasted pork in Thailand has a heavier five-spice powder flavor.

 

The crispy skin coupled with the juicy meat are really unforgettable.

While you are at it, try the pork meatballs too. Unlike the usual chewy pork meatballs, the ones here have the same texture as fishballs: bouncy. Interesting, really interesting but good!

Price starts from 30 Baht (RM3/US$0.90).

One other thing that stands out is the broth: rich in flavor but not salty, which is rare in Thailand.

If you are fortunate to meet the male owner speaks both Mandarin and Hakka.