Red-hot rooming, writing, reading, relaxing and roaming in rainy Thailand.

[dmgale]

If you need to spice up the food, ask for some 'prik nam pla'.
It's basically fish sauce with chopped chillies and is a served as standard with many dishes.
Per the small bowl in the photo.

View attachment 523144

That stuff is deadly! Speaking from experience.....

 

[Quickstatus]

I’m beginning to strongly suspect that Thai food has a somnolent effect

The cause of Food coma or post prandial somnolence is generally unknown.

However, there are complex hormonal changes which trigger somnolence in the brain - digestion is better when the body is at rest or so the theory goes..

I wonder if the generally high GI of thai food contributes at least partially?. Plus the hot and humid weather?

There is another theory that post prandial blood amino acid level change due to insulin in a way that preferentially increases tryptophan which is an essential ingredient in melatonin formation.

That stuff is deadly!

Just need further training.

 

[Flyfrequently]

The cause of Food coma or post prandial somnolence is generally unknown.

In our family we point the finger at MSG @Quickstatus @Human

It either has us sleepy or bouncing off the walls at 2am.
"Uncle Roger" (comedian) has made a living out of his love of MSG, we follow him on YouTube and Instagram.

The Flyfrequently offspring gave their Dad an orange polo shirt one birthday - pic is of Uncle Roger (not Mr Flyfrequently, slight resemblance though thanks to his Mum !)

 

[Human]

Today began a little differently: with an 8:30am guided bicycle tour. I love bicycle tours – they’re a great, low-key way to experience the local area, so despite the already-hot and humid conditions I was looking forward to this one. It was described as a way to “explore the local charm of Nam Kem Village”, including the “surrounding scenery” and experiencing “a glimpse of local life along the way”, and “a fun way to explore the local community”. It didn’t really meet the description, but it was still worthwhile.

Our bikes had definitely seen better days, but they were more-or-less fit for purpose – a very leisurely pre-breakfast meander through the local streets.



After a ride of about 1.4km we stopped at the Tsunami Museum. I had been wanting to visit and so I was not unhappy at all that we spent about half an hour there, which was ample time.





We began our time by being shown a genuinely moving video about a European tourist’s return to Khao Lak as he sought to find the local man who rescued him from the 2004 tsunami as a boy. It also covered a little of what happened and went through what’s involved in an evacuation drill (which is practised by the local community every year).



The rest of the museum focuses on the events of December 26, 2004, the consequences, the aftermath, and what steps have been taken (early detection, early warning, evacuation procedures) to ensure that in case of a repeat, the loss of life will be zero, rather than many thousands.





We then continued our cycling through the various streets of the local town…


Before stopping again at the Tsunami Memorial Park. I had already visited this park, so I walked over to the sea which was beautiful and tranquil.


We then returned to the Pullman, and I had a very productive few hours writing. I’m not sure how much I wrote because a lot of it was re-writing and expanding on previous chapters, but it felt productive, which was satisfying.

 

[Human]

Lunch today was a spicy beef salad and mango sticky rice for dessert.



In the afternoon I did more research and writing in my room.

After a couple of hours I ventured out on a whim to the open-air massage place which is about a 100m stroll up the beach from the hotel.



The massage was great. The combination of the sea breeze, the gentle sound of the waves breaking on the shoreline and the massage itself was unbeatable.

I returned to my room just in time to attend an AFF webinar!

I then sat down to draft today’s Trip Report post … but I couldn’t help but notice that the sunset was going to be spectacular. So I got my priorities right and made a beeline back to the seashore.

Indeed, the sunset was amazing. Unlike two days ago where there were a few too many clouds on the horizon, I could watch the sun setting all the way down to the water.




For dinner I got the equation wrong. I thought that appetiser + appetiser = a good sized meal, so I ordered two appetisers. Little did I know that appetiser + appetiser = way too much! Both the sun-dried crispy beef and (especially) the satay chicken were delicious, as usual, but this time I had no room for dessert.



I cannot believe that tomorrow will be my last full day in Khao Lak! I’m already beginning to mull over when I’ll return…

 

[Human]

The cause of Food coma or post prandial somnolence is generally unknown.

Sort of (but not really) related question for @Quickstatus , @Flyfrequently and maybe even Uncle Roger...

Without wanting to go into gory details, I suffer from reasonably regular Irritable Bowel Syndrome when I'm at home, but (despite loading my bags with loperamide) it hasn't been an issue at all in Thailand even though I have quite clearly eaten too much. What is it about the Thai diet that has temporarily cured me of this troubling ailment?

 

[Quickstatus]

Possibly something you are not eating in Thailand?

 

[Quickstatus]

@Human
Looking back at the food pictures
One possibility is the lack of dairy or reduced dairy intake
Thai cooking does not use cows milk but I note a picture of coffee with milk and also some mention of chocolate milk

Not knowing your usual diet, Maybe you are lactose intolerant or have some type of intolerance to milk protein>?

 

[dmgale]

We always enjoy the food in Thailand, the smallest cafe or food place always seems to surprise with the most amazing food. Flavours are unlike anything we've had elsewhere. Just amazing.

We spend a lot of time in Bangkok (out of the tourist areas) but Khao Lak is looking like a great option in the future.

 

[drron]

I have IBS but episodes not as frequent now as when younger I didn’t handle stress well. Now I am a lot more relaxed. Maybe it’s just because you are obviously having an enjoyable time.
Certainly lack of dairy might come into it as well but it was never a problem for me. The food that upsets me most is very spicy food which I have much more of when I’m in Thailand but there it causes no problems.

 

[Quickstatus]

It would be a disaster if Thai food caused problems......

 

[craven morehead]

Thai Airways has a staggered Business Class configuration. I was glad to have selected a “true” window seat, because the people sitting closest to the aisle have zero privacy. None. View attachment 522618

The seat itself was showing a few signs of wear and tear…
View attachment 522619

… but it was comfortable enough, although storage space is minimal, and Thai only supplies pyjamas on flights to/from Europe. I was served a Thai “signature” non-alcoholic pre-departure drink. I forgot what it was called, but it was very nice.
View attachment 522620

The plane pushed back about 15 minutes early – in fact it was in the air before the scheduled gate departure time!

My normal modus operandi for late-night flights is to eat up in the Lounge, then forsake the onboard meal for the sake of maximising my sleep. But I’d heard a lot of good things about the food onboard Thai Business Class flights, so I figured that I had to give the meal a try. For a 9-hour flight, I wasn’t counting on getting more than 5-6 hours’ sleep anyway.

The menu. I chose the Braised Pork Belly for the “dinner” and the Mee Sua Noodles with Pork for breakfast.
View attachment 522621

Takeoff was smooth and I settled into my usual in-flight entertainment…
View attachment 522622

The evening meal was marketed as a “supper” to maximise sleep time. It wasn’t – it was a full 5-course meal (though I skipped the cheese plate).

The Amuse Bouche:
View attachment 522623

The appetiser:
View attachment 522624

Main course:
View attachment 522625

And dessert.
View attachment 522626

It was all delicious, and served quite efficiently (after an 11:30pm takeoff, the dessert was cleared at exactly 1am).

The lovely cabin crew member then offered to “turn down”"my bed.
View attachment 522627

It was comfortable enough for a Business Class bed. I slept as well as I usually do on a flight – that is, not well at all. According to my Apple Watch, between 1am and 7am, when I was trying to sleep, I slept for 2 hours and 44 minutes. Oh well. One of the things I appreciate about overnight flights in Business Class is that you can be sleepless and comfortable, as opposed to sleepless and uncomfortable!

Breakfast was served on a single tray about 90 minutes before landing.
View attachment 522628

I was given a code for free internet, only to discover that it was only good for 60 minutes. On an overnight flight, though, that was more than enough.

We landed at BKK in steady rain at 5:30am local time.
View attachment 522629

Would I fly Thai long-haul Business Class again? Of course! I don’t think Thai is quite in the top echelon (Singapore, Cathay, Qatar etc) but it’s still pretty darn good. Make sure you select your seat wisely though!

Coming along for the ride heading back in 2 weeks for my 4th trip there this year.
Agree that TG J isn't in the top bracket, but I have found the service along with F&B to be quite decent.
I'm not using them so much anymore since Amex MR delisted them as a partner. I have ~50k points to burn through at some stage.

 

[Human]

It would be a disaster if Thai food caused problems......

I've been reflecting on the irony ... you travel into most places in SE Asia armed with everything you need to guard against diarrhoea.

My GPs practice has a Nurse Practitioner who specialises in travel. My GP sent me to her as soon as he heard of my plans for my overseas trips.

When I told her that I’m travelling to Thailand in September and India in January, her expression immediately altered to one of intense focus. She cracked her knuckles, leaned forward across her desk, looked into my eyes with a deeply penetrating gaze, and stated:

“It feels like I was born for this moment”.

She didn't actually say that, of course! But it accurately describes the vibe of my appointment and I have now been medicated and vaccinated to within an inch of my life.

So I turned up to Thailand with Travelan and three anti-diarrhoea medications (none of which I've had to take), water purification tablets ... and I've experienced better bowel health here than at home!