It was worth the money spent, as we got more than what we had bargained for. For a paltry RM1500 a person we got to stay at a five-star hotel, bussed around in two air-cond coaches, one a double-decker with a dedicated tour guide, eat plenty of tom-yam, watch a bevy of Thai beauties in traditional attires prancing on a stage, ride on the backs of elephants with mahouts, sat in rickety bullock carts drawn by horny bulls, watched elephants painting with their trunks, drifted down a slow-flowing river on makeshift bamboo rafts, travelled to Mae Sei, the northernmost point of Thailand,
did a little snooping at
the Golden Triangle,
chomped lychees till we
nauseated, and for the
ladies, shopped till they
CHIANG MAI 2009
AN EVENT WORTH REMEMBERING
literally dropped.
Nani’s Escapade
The fun did not end
there only. Mike’s craving
for pulut mempelam suddenly
manifested forcing
Julie into a corner. Nani’s
shopping escapade left an
anxious Bakar and a busload
of tired wives on the
edge. An unsolicited text
message prompted Yusof
to buy a large stock of
silky materials, for God
knows who. Gooi and
Christine enjoyed the therapeutic
effects of Thai traditional
massage so much
that they kept going for
more. Azmie, Midah and
Hamidah suddenly found
the extra oomph to pocopoco
and dangdut with
gusto when they had struggled
to climb the steps of
their buses.
As with past gatherings
some mishaps will
dog us from the word go.
At the airport on the morning
of June 1, 2009, Gooi
bumped into Hadi and
his family waiting for the
Chiang Mai flight at the
domestic terminal. Mike
carried only Aussie dollars
on him and only after
much pleading did he acquired
some Thai bahts.
The top of the icing was
of course, Jayandran’s absence.
It went unnoticed
until Ramasamy disclosed
that Jaya had only made a
provisional booking and
had left matters at that.
Weather
The flight to Chiang
Mai by Air Asia Airbus
320 took over two hours.
Chang Mai is the second
largest city in Thailand. It
is surrounded by mountains
and enjoys a sub
tropical climate with much
sunshine and rainfall all
year round.
At the time of our sojourn
it was summer in the
Northern Hemisphere so
the sun bore down hard on
us. It was also the beginning
of the rainy season.
The bumpy ride on the approach
to the airport and
the constantly overcast sky
were indicators of the precipitous
conditions at that
point in time.
According to travel
brochures the best time to
visit this region of Thailand
is between November to
February. During this period
the Chiang Mai province
experiences pleasantly
mild sunny weather with
temperatures in the city
area ranging between 15
Celsius at night and around
28 Celsius at daytime.
At higher elevations,
temperatures can sometimes
dip below freezing
point at night. It doesn’t
snow, but sleet does occur
at times. During the hot
season, lasting from March
to May, temperatures in the
city soar into the high 30s.
The rainy season is
between June to October.
Chiang Mai is also home
to Doi Inthanon which, at
8,498 feet, is the highest
mountain in Thailand. A
trip later in the year would
have been the perfect option
but is of little consequence
as of now.
A Spectacle
The two tour guides
were a big help. On my
bus was Bobby (Bob), an
effervescent but effeminate
Thai in his late 40s. Bobby
spoke good English and
knew his stuffs well. He
was well equipped to take
on the task of guiding tourists
through the city and its
region without flattering,
something which our local
guides lack. The tourist industry
in Thailand is a major
revenue earner and thus
is being eagerly courted by
both the public and private
sectors. One extraordinary
spectacle that greets
visitors to Thailand is the
general cleanliness of the
streets, towns, villages and
countryside. A much puzzled
Zed theorised that religion
and culture could be
the reasons why the Thais
are so much different from
Malaysians when it comes
to keeping their backyards
clean. I believe the reason
goes beyond religion and
culture. It has much to do
with the racial makeover.
There was little to
complain as the trip went
on without a hitch from the
beginning till the end. The
numerous tom yam stops
were a bit too much for
our curry-deprived stomachs.
But eat we did and in
such huge quantity. Telor
dadar (omellet) seemed to
be a staple. Only once we
went without it. Members
swore that the best food
was prepared by Bismilah
Restaurant. The worst,
however, was the dinner
during the cultural show.
Some of the dishes were
exotic but tasteful while
some were very bland. It
was a good mix and most
were pleased with what
they ate with the exception
of Mike, of course, who
suffered tummy cramps
after the lunch stop in
Chiang Rai.
The Downside
The downside, however,
was our visit to the
long-neck hill tribe in
Mae Hong Son, north west
of Chiang Mai. Marzuki
(Apai), Ramsamy and
many more, yours truly
included, were appalled by
the sight.
Contrary to popular
belief these people,
also known as Padaung,
are not refugees but were
brought into Thailand by
Thai entrepreneurs and
are confined to the area for
the tourism market. They
are essentially Karens
from across the border in
Myanmar. They have no
legal status in Thailand
and are exploited as curios
by camera-toting tourists.
Unwittingly, we were
drawn into this deceptive
impression of reality, very
much at our behest.
Ahmad Ismail was
moved to tears by the
pitiful sight of this once
proud indigenous people
that he parted with several
hundreds bahts before
leaving behind the dilapidated
village. One of the
kids, he claimed, looked
so much like his grand
daughter. My heart goes
to these wretched souls
who are being stripped of
their dignity for pecuniary
reasons. Fortunately, our
Orang Aslis are left much
to themselves and have remained
unscathed in spite
of many tempting offers.
Night Bazaar
Although many would
want to dismiss the Night
Bazaar along Changklan
Road in downtown Chiang
Mai as a Mecca for fakes
and the less savoury, a visit
put paid to such notion.
The wives were drawn
to the serpentine bazaar by
the endless supply of cheap
textiles, leather wares,
souvenirs, handicrafts and
knickknacks. Some had
resorted to the tuk-tuks to
make a second and even a
third visit.
Anuar, Norsiah and
Jasmeen were hooked.
They were there almost
every night with a reluctant
Aiman in tow.
What impressed me
most, however, was the
cleanliness of the general
area. The night traders at
Petaling Street in Kuala
Lumpur should learn a
thing or two from their
Thai counterparts.
Haggling over prices
is warranted, said Bobby,
the tour guide. But Mike
took the art a notch higher
by insisting that prices of
all goods on display were
inflated by over three hundred
per cent.
Poor Julie missed a
chance to own a Gucci
look-alike travelling bag
due to her husband’s unwavering
belief.
And all because the
seller refused to reduce the
price of the said bag by a
further 50 bahts.
No-Tipping Policy
And when it came to
parting almost all chipped
in to tip our hard-working
guides from Standard Tours
Thailand and Mayflower
Malaysia for their efforts
in making Chiang Mai
2009 a huge success. Mike
was the odd one in the
crowd. He steadfastly held
on to his no-tipping policy,
which he feels is a subtle
form of bribery. Bakar was
miffed.
For the record, the
President brought Zah
along for the trip. And
what a striking couple they
make.
ion 2010
Marzuki (Apai)
Andong was picked
to chair the organising
committee for our reunion
in 2010. Seaman Marzuki
has tentatively picked
Lumut and Pangkor Island
to be the focal points.
He has something up his
sleeves but is not saying
much until the first meeting
at the Royal Lake Club
in Kuala Lumpur scheduled
for in July.
President’s Plans
The President has
outlined his plans for future
gatherings. They will
alternate between a local
destination and a foreign
one. A trip to China is in
the offing. In the interim
we shall meet at wedding
receptions and at mamak
shops on an opportunity
basis. The golfers have set
their motions adrift. They
intend to play at clubs
which have reciprocal arrangements
with PDGCC
of which many are members.
This, says Rahman
(Jambu), will help reduce
cost, as they have only to
pay for the service of caddies
and the use of buggies.
Hamzah, Isa and
Ismail are in agreement,
at least for the moment.
Meanwhile Hamdan, our
roving imam, has left the
vagaries of golfing behind
for the safety of the pulpit.
It is a revelation he insists.
Mike’s Offer
Incidentally, Mike’s
offer of his palatial house
in Brisbane as a base for
our get-together Down
CLUB UPDATES
Marzuki heads Reunion 2010. Mike mulls over offer Down Under. Bakar’s vanilla dreams.
Recluse Ibrahim resurfaces...
Under remains as elusive
as ever. I, however, feel
optimistic that given time
Mike will relent albeit reluctantly.
He likes to keep
us guessing. If that is his
game plan, so be it. We
will wait patiently.
Bakar’s Dreams
Unbeknown to many
Bakar is busy trying to unravel
the secrets of vanilla
cultivation on a commercial
basis. He has made
several trips to Bandung
to learn the finer points of
growing the plants with the
minimum of fuss. The guy
has invested over RM100k
on his 2-acre dream plot in
Jasin, Malacca. Return on
investment, he insists, will
come in three years time.
Mike seems skeptical.
Wedding Bells
Ibrahim Hj Kassim’s
daughter, Siti Nur Iqmal, is
tying the knot with Mohd
Azizan,. on Sunday, July
12, 2009.
Recluse Ibrahim has
sent out invitation cards
to members and I am
sure most must have received
them by now. The
reception will be held at
Ibrahim’s house at No 5,
Lorong Tanjung 5, Kg Sri
Tanjung, Ampang between
12 noon to 4 pm.
If you don’t know
how to get to Ibrahim’s
house Mike can show the
way.
Fathol Zaman Bukhari
did a little snooping at
the Golden Triangle,
chomped lychees till we
nauseated, and for the
ladies, shopped till they
CHIANG MAI 2009
AN EVENT WORTH REMEMBERING
literally dropped.
Nani’s Escapade
The fun did not end
there only. Mike’s craving
for pulut mempelam suddenly
manifested forcing
Julie into a corner. Nani’s
shopping escapade left an
anxious Bakar and a busload
of tired wives on the
edge. An unsolicited text
message prompted Yusof
to buy a large stock of
silky materials, for God
knows who. Gooi and
Christine enjoyed the therapeutic
effects of Thai traditional
massage so much
that they kept going for
more. Azmie, Midah and
Hamidah suddenly found
the extra oomph to pocopoco
and dangdut with
gusto when they had struggled
to climb the steps of
their buses.
As with past gatherings
some mishaps will
dog us from the word go.
At the airport on the morning
of June 1, 2009, Gooi
bumped into Hadi and
his family waiting for the
Chiang Mai flight at the
domestic terminal. Mike
carried only Aussie dollars
on him and only after
much pleading did he acquired
some Thai bahts.
The top of the icing was
of course, Jayandran’s absence.
It went unnoticed
until Ramasamy disclosed
that Jaya had only made a
provisional booking and
had left matters at that.
Weather
The flight to Chiang
Mai by Air Asia Airbus
320 took over two hours.
Chang Mai is the second
largest city in Thailand. It
is surrounded by mountains
and enjoys a sub
tropical climate with much
sunshine and rainfall all
year round.
At the time of our sojourn
it was summer in the
Northern Hemisphere so
the sun bore down hard on
us. It was also the beginning
of the rainy season.
The bumpy ride on the approach
to the airport and
the constantly overcast sky
were indicators of the precipitous
conditions at that
point in time.
According to travel
brochures the best time to
visit this region of Thailand
is between November to
February. During this period
the Chiang Mai province
experiences pleasantly
mild sunny weather with
temperatures in the city
area ranging between 15
Celsius at night and around
28 Celsius at daytime.
At higher elevations,
temperatures can sometimes
dip below freezing
point at night. It doesn’t
snow, but sleet does occur
at times. During the hot
season, lasting from March
to May, temperatures in the
city soar into the high 30s.
The rainy season is
between June to October.
Chiang Mai is also home
to Doi Inthanon which, at
8,498 feet, is the highest
mountain in Thailand. A
trip later in the year would
have been the perfect option
but is of little consequence
as of now.
A Spectacle
The two tour guides
were a big help. On my
bus was Bobby (Bob), an
effervescent but effeminate
Thai in his late 40s. Bobby
spoke good English and
knew his stuffs well. He
was well equipped to take
on the task of guiding tourists
through the city and its
region without flattering,
something which our local
guides lack. The tourist industry
in Thailand is a major
revenue earner and thus
is being eagerly courted by
both the public and private
sectors. One extraordinary
spectacle that greets
visitors to Thailand is the
general cleanliness of the
streets, towns, villages and
countryside. A much puzzled
Zed theorised that religion
and culture could be
the reasons why the Thais
are so much different from
Malaysians when it comes
to keeping their backyards
clean. I believe the reason
goes beyond religion and
culture. It has much to do
with the racial makeover.
There was little to
complain as the trip went
on without a hitch from the
beginning till the end. The
numerous tom yam stops
were a bit too much for
our curry-deprived stomachs.
But eat we did and in
such huge quantity. Telor
dadar (omellet) seemed to
be a staple. Only once we
went without it. Members
swore that the best food
was prepared by Bismilah
Restaurant. The worst,
however, was the dinner
during the cultural show.
Some of the dishes were
exotic but tasteful while
some were very bland. It
was a good mix and most
were pleased with what
they ate with the exception
of Mike, of course, who
suffered tummy cramps
after the lunch stop in
Chiang Rai.
The Downside
The downside, however,
was our visit to the
long-neck hill tribe in
Mae Hong Son, north west
of Chiang Mai. Marzuki
(Apai), Ramsamy and
many more, yours truly
included, were appalled by
the sight.
Contrary to popular
belief these people,
also known as Padaung,
are not refugees but were
brought into Thailand by
Thai entrepreneurs and
are confined to the area for
the tourism market. They
are essentially Karens
from across the border in
Myanmar. They have no
legal status in Thailand
and are exploited as curios
by camera-toting tourists.
Unwittingly, we were
drawn into this deceptive
impression of reality, very
much at our behest.
Ahmad Ismail was
moved to tears by the
pitiful sight of this once
proud indigenous people
that he parted with several
hundreds bahts before
leaving behind the dilapidated
village. One of the
kids, he claimed, looked
so much like his grand
daughter. My heart goes
to these wretched souls
who are being stripped of
their dignity for pecuniary
reasons. Fortunately, our
Orang Aslis are left much
to themselves and have remained
unscathed in spite
of many tempting offers.
Night Bazaar
Although many would
want to dismiss the Night
Bazaar along Changklan
Road in downtown Chiang
Mai as a Mecca for fakes
and the less savoury, a visit
put paid to such notion.
The wives were drawn
to the serpentine bazaar by
the endless supply of cheap
textiles, leather wares,
souvenirs, handicrafts and
knickknacks. Some had
resorted to the tuk-tuks to
make a second and even a
third visit.
Anuar, Norsiah and
Jasmeen were hooked.
They were there almost
every night with a reluctant
Aiman in tow.
What impressed me
most, however, was the
cleanliness of the general
area. The night traders at
Petaling Street in Kuala
Lumpur should learn a
thing or two from their
Thai counterparts.
Haggling over prices
is warranted, said Bobby,
the tour guide. But Mike
took the art a notch higher
by insisting that prices of
all goods on display were
inflated by over three hundred
per cent.
Poor Julie missed a
chance to own a Gucci
look-alike travelling bag
due to her husband’s unwavering
belief.
And all because the
seller refused to reduce the
price of the said bag by a
further 50 bahts.
No-Tipping Policy
And when it came to
parting almost all chipped
in to tip our hard-working
guides from Standard Tours
Thailand and Mayflower
Malaysia for their efforts
in making Chiang Mai
2009 a huge success. Mike
was the odd one in the
crowd. He steadfastly held
on to his no-tipping policy,
which he feels is a subtle
form of bribery. Bakar was
miffed.
For the record, the
President brought Zah
along for the trip. And
what a striking couple they
make.
ion 2010
Marzuki (Apai)
Andong was picked
to chair the organising
committee for our reunion
in 2010. Seaman Marzuki
has tentatively picked
Lumut and Pangkor Island
to be the focal points.
He has something up his
sleeves but is not saying
much until the first meeting
at the Royal Lake Club
in Kuala Lumpur scheduled
for in July.
President’s Plans
The President has
outlined his plans for future
gatherings. They will
alternate between a local
destination and a foreign
one. A trip to China is in
the offing. In the interim
we shall meet at wedding
receptions and at mamak
shops on an opportunity
basis. The golfers have set
their motions adrift. They
intend to play at clubs
which have reciprocal arrangements
with PDGCC
of which many are members.
This, says Rahman
(Jambu), will help reduce
cost, as they have only to
pay for the service of caddies
and the use of buggies.
Hamzah, Isa and
Ismail are in agreement,
at least for the moment.
Meanwhile Hamdan, our
roving imam, has left the
vagaries of golfing behind
for the safety of the pulpit.
It is a revelation he insists.
Mike’s Offer
Incidentally, Mike’s
offer of his palatial house
in Brisbane as a base for
our get-together Down
CLUB UPDATES
Marzuki heads Reunion 2010. Mike mulls over offer Down Under. Bakar’s vanilla dreams.
Recluse Ibrahim resurfaces...
Under remains as elusive
as ever. I, however, feel
optimistic that given time
Mike will relent albeit reluctantly.
He likes to keep
us guessing. If that is his
game plan, so be it. We
will wait patiently.
Bakar’s Dreams
Unbeknown to many
Bakar is busy trying to unravel
the secrets of vanilla
cultivation on a commercial
basis. He has made
several trips to Bandung
to learn the finer points of
growing the plants with the
minimum of fuss. The guy
has invested over RM100k
on his 2-acre dream plot in
Jasin, Malacca. Return on
investment, he insists, will
come in three years time.
Mike seems skeptical.
Wedding Bells
Ibrahim Hj Kassim’s
daughter, Siti Nur Iqmal, is
tying the knot with Mohd
Azizan,. on Sunday, July
12, 2009.
Recluse Ibrahim has
sent out invitation cards
to members and I am
sure most must have received
them by now. The
reception will be held at
Ibrahim’s house at No 5,
Lorong Tanjung 5, Kg Sri
Tanjung, Ampang between
12 noon to 4 pm.
If you don’t know
how to get to Ibrahim’s
house Mike can show the
way.
Fathol Zaman Bukhari
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