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Andrew Singer's avatar

My then girlfriend and I took an overnight bus from Bangkok to Surat Thani (and back) en route to Koh Samui in 1987. It was a hellish trip. Surat Thani was then as you describe. I got into a friendly "spat" with an agent as well in ST and never stood a chance. To make matters worse, I was bitten by two mosquitos at a predawn rest stop on the way down and came down with Dengue Fever once back in Bangkok a week later. But we had a phenomenal time on Koh Samui in between. The island was isolated and undeveloped and magical.

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Stuart McDonald's avatar

One must go through hell to reach heaven—or something like that anyway!

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Andrew Singer's avatar

It is part of what makes the journey memorable.

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Tony's avatar

Great read, Stuart, and fair when you needed to be fair, and cruel when you needed to be cruel, like the Romans...

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Stuart McDonald's avatar

Thanks Tony

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John French's avatar

Haha! I read the bus part out to my wife and we both had a good laugh! The miserable trip was worth the great story.

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Stuart McDonald's avatar

Thanks John, yes was miserable—but can laugh about it now—only took 20 years!

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