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Table of Content for thailand2023:

More pages: October 2023 November 2023





2023/10/19 A few Days in Bangkok
π 2023-10-19 01:01 in Ntrips, Thailand, Thailand2023

I had never been in Thailand, and a combination of Transmission Bangkok Festival and Diving The West Coast of Thailand on the Phinisi was enough an excuse to spend the many miles to fly to Thailand and do both

Even though the flight from Singapore to Bangkok was short, it was a nice plane, even with food despite it being just 2H:


Arrived in Nana area, didn't do much the first half day, way too tired.
Arrived in Nana area, didn't do much the first half day, way too tired.

Found out weed is legal though ;)
Found out weed is legal though ;)

Day 1: Downtown temples

On Day1, I was supposed to go to the Royal Palace first, and found out that most taxis do not run the meter and quote you a set fee, which is not always in your favor, but the typical 200 Baht is just around $5, so who cares? :) Unfortuantely, being jetlagged and approached by a very skilful guy close to the royal temple, he managed to convince me that it was going to open 3H late that day and I should go on a boat tour in the meantime. Took me close to 1H to realize it was a scam, and the royal palace was opened as usual, but by then I was on that stupid boat tour instead. All in all it wasn't bad and went to a nice temple with a big golden buddha, but it messed up my sightseeing plans and order somewhat, and I was upset to have fallen for it.



this is when I found out that they use car engines on boats :)
this is when I found out that they use car engines on boats :)

Took way too long (1h wasted) but eventually got to the Golden Buddha:




Very nice ceiling inside:




Good view from there
Good view from there


Back to the boat, and I jumped out half way to get to Wat Arun, the next temple I wanted to see:







Then the royal palace (follow link) was next:



After that, Wat Phra has the big leaning Buddha:




nice feet :)
nice feet :)









Down the street was Museum Siam, which talked about what it is to be Thai:




From there, I tried the subway to chinatown, and found out they have metal detectors and security gates because of mulsim terrorists, sigh...



Chinatown was scenic indeed:



fun cabling :)
fun cabling :)


From there, I left a little bit too late for Golden Mount and missed sunset, but still got nice views:








the night I spent at Space Plus Bangkok for Cosmic Gate, very nice club:


Day 2: Aquarium and Madame Tussauds

I only had a few hours in the morning before going to see Transmission Bangkok Festival

So I went to check out the nearby Sea Life Aquarium



nice mall
nice mall

ended up stopping for Wagiu Beef Shabu Shabu, yum!
ended up stopping for Wagiu Beef Shabu Shabu, yum!


And then Bangkok Mme Tussauds



After that, was Transmission Bangkok Festival

took the elevated train to Bitec Convention center for Transmission
took the elevated train to Bitec Convention center for Transmission


And Transmission Bangkok Afterparty at Amnesia


Day 3: Bangkok National Museum

Due to the very late night with Transmission and afterparty the previous night, only had a half day. That was fine, because it was enough to go visit the Bangkok National Museum (follow this link):





On the way back, walked through Rocco Khao San which is supposed to be a tourist street:




That night, I went to my last party, Transmission Bangkok Afterparty Portal



Day 4: Ayutthaya Day Trip

Ayutthaya was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam from 1350 to 1767 and was a prosperous international trading port. It has lots of temples left over from that area, and was a very nice day trip (click link)

Day 5: Damnoen Floating Market, Tiger World and Train Market

For my last day, I did a day trip to Damnoen for Damnoen Floating Market, Tiger World and Train Market (follow link)

Day 6: Half Day: Google Bangkok Visit and National Coin Museum


Then I stopped by the bangkok google office, which was very nice:

I was planning on seeing what google maps had as another National Museum, but it didn't actually exist, so I ended up going to the national coin museum, not expecting much, but it was actually surprisingly good.



sea shells used to be money
sea shells used to be money


















I then had just a bit of extra time to stop by a last temple on the way out to the airport





And that was it for Bangkok, nice place to visit. Farewell pictures:



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2023/10/20 Space Plus Bangkok - Transmission Pre-Party - Cosmic Gate
π 2023-10-20 01:01 in Clubbing, Thailand2023
Transmission Bangkok posts:
  • Space Plus Bangkok - Transmission Pre-Party - Cosmic Gate
  • Transmission Bangkok Afterparty at Amnesia
  • Transmission in Bangkok
  • Transmission Bangkok After-afterparty at Portal
  • Space Plus is a big club in at the top of a shopping mall seemingly in the middle of nowhere. I was very impressed by the size and facilities. By the time I arrived, it was kind of full already, but I guess thanks to my LED outfit I lugged all the way there, they nicely let me in.

    happy to be in
    happy to be in


    Definitely different, including the levels of VIP, Super VIP, and Super Very Very IP :) You could even get your name on the main screen:


    SVIP tables got cakes, visits from an LED Dragon, and more :)





    Soon before I arrived was time for Cosmic Gate:






    I was ready, of course :)
    I was ready, of course :)

    I even had a nice BD girl who gave me a piece of cake :)


    lots of partying going on
    lots of partying going on

    Don't ask :)
    Don't ask :)

    Then, Jonnie B took over and played some nice trance:





    And it ended around 01:30, nice warmup for transmission the next day:



    Video Summary:

    2023/10/20 Bangkok Royal Palace
    π 2023-10-20 01:01 in Museums, Thailand, Thailand2023
    The Bangkok Royal Palace is very impressive, including a mural of almost 200 panels going around the inside walls, and that was exquisite. Just a few panels below, and there are many many more:








    The rest of the palace was very pretty too:
















    Don't mix up shoes with locals, oops:




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    2023/10/21 Transmission in Bangkok
    π 2023-10-21 01:01 in Clubbing, Festivals, Thailand2023
    Transmission Bangkok posts:
  • Space Plus Bangkok - Transmission Pre-Party - Cosmic Gate
  • Transmission in Bangkok
  • Transmission Bangkok Afterparty at Amnesia
  • Transmission Bangkok After-afterparty at Portal

  • I had only done one Transmission so far, and it was Transmission Prague 2019 in O2 Arena. I was beyond Epic!, so that set the bar high because it literally was the best indoor show I had ever seen.
    The location felt a bit weird, inside a convention center, and at first, I was going to go to the wrong room with another show:


    wrong place :)
    wrong place :)

    After walking around the building, got to the right place. The show started at 15:00, but since it was indoors, it was dark enough for me:


    swee lineup
    swee lineup

    Security was fairly thorough, and very intent on taking your unopened water so that you were forced to buy theirs inside, which is annoying to say the least. And not just that, but they also used some stpuid fake money rechargeable wristband system and they kept all the unused credits at the end. I honestly find that petty and insulting :(


    WTF, guys, please stop this fake money BS
    WTF, guys, please stop this fake money BS

    Thankfully they were not worried about my outfit, and I was able to secure a special wristband, just in case :)


    Another local thing I saw in Thailand was VIP is for peasants. They have Very VIP, and Super Very VIP :)



    Glad to run into friends and make new ones as always:

    thanks Marie for getting me to come here
    thanks Marie for getting me to come here






    Anthony was surprised to hear my voice on this side of the world :)
    Anthony was surprised to hear my voice on this side of the world :)

    And the best for last, Blastoyz!
    And the best for last, Blastoyz!

    The show production value was very good for what was otherwise a big empty room. Not to the level of the O2 Arena hat was much better equipped for this, but still about as good as you can make a show within such a space.









    lots of phones were watching the show :)
    lots of phones were watching the show :)




    The show started with Jonny B, a local who played nice trance at all the events I went to:



    Daxon was next, I met him at Untold, and he did great for both shows:




    Next Xijaro and Pitch played another great set with lovely remixes:




    Stoneface & Terminal came next:



    Cosmic Gate also did a nice set, different from their usual one:



    After that, we got Ferry Corsten as SystemF, a great trip back in memory lane:




    Marlo Tech Energy was a fun set, zero fucks given, and nice back and forth journey between Trance and Techno:


    look at all the phones :)
    look at all the phones :)

    did we have enough lasers? :)
    did we have enough lasers? :)

    nice fan club :)
    nice fan club :)

    After that, was Will Atkinson:


    going to the front was challenging, but went from time to time
    going to the front was challenging, but went from time to time

    And saving the best for last, Blastoyz got to finish the show, just last transmission Prague, and we got to enjoy his high energy beats and triplets. So much fun as always:




    And that was it, 9 hours, 15:00 to 00:00, lots of fun again.

    Video Summary:

    Should you go? Would I go Back?

    Transmission is festival that is single day and single room, so in that respect it doesn't compare with bigger festivals. Single room can actually be a plus in my book if it's packed with the best artists you can get, and that you like them. I sure loved their selection, so I didn't need more rooms full of conflicts and something ridiculous like ASOT Utrecht with 5 or 6 rooms where you are missing great stuff every hour.
    As for single day, if you could the pre and after parties, you could almost say it's 3 days, so that makes the trip more worth it. That said, is it really worth flying across the world, for (over 24H of flying for me)? I'd say probably not unless you have another reason to travel here, and that's easy to fix, I'm going diving nearby afterwards :)

    Back to transmission:

  • the room setup, lighting, and lasers were top notch
  • the story and transition between artists, was very enjoyable this time again
  • Security was "thorough", both because they worry about muslim terrorists apparently (over 6000 people killed by them in Thailand :( ), and are intent on making sure you don't bring water :( (tap water is not drinkable in Thailand)
  • I realize that too many countries in Asia do not have drinkable tap water and the culture is to use an endless amount of non recyclable plastic bottles that aren't recyclable and mostly end up in the great ocean plastic garbage pile, but offering water to refill from big water containers, would be super nice
  • I'm really annoyed by the fake money wristband BS, it's a waste of time, it's petty and just vexing, especially when they make it clear that they will keep left over money you didn't use. Charge what you need to charge at the entrance, and stop playing games, please.
  • All is all, it was a good show and worth going to if you can fly there reasonably easily, but Transmission Prague was a much nicer arena (vs a room in a connention center)
  • Conclusion

    This was my first festival in Asia, so that made it special. It was interesting to see different kinds of crowds, but at the end of the day, we're all trance lovers, and this unites us. Even though I was far from home, I felt right at home. Thank you.
    See more images for Transmission in Bangkok
    2023/10/21 Transmission Bangkok Afterparty at Amnesia
    π 2023-10-21 01:01 in Clubbing, Thailand2023
    Transmission Bangkok posts:
  • Space Plus Bangkok - Transmission Pre-Party - Cosmic Gate
  • Transmission Bangkok Afterparty at Amnesia
  • Transmission in Bangkok
  • Transmission Bangkok After-afterparty at Portal
  • Getting to Amnesia without public transport was a bit challenging, and the best way was to pay overpriced taxis that were negotiating very inflated set prices if you wanted to get out that night. Oh well.

    With "Amnesia", I was thinking about the Ibiza club I had seen, but it really only had the name. It was a pretty packed small club on mutiple levels, including levels behind a "don't go there" door :)
    Despite the packed rooms, we had good trance, good vibes and good fun :)













    Video Summary:

    2023/10/21 Bangkok Sea Life
    π 2023-10-21 01:01 in Aquariums, Thailand, Thailand2023
    Another city still, and another aquarium. This one was nice since it hada some of the fishes I was about to see in my upcoming diving trip in Thailand, and I had never seen Hybrid Clownfish before, so that was cool. The designer goldfishes were fun too.




























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    2023/10/21 Bangkok Mme Tussauds
    π 2023-10-21 01:01 in Museums, Thailand, Thailand2023
    I wasn't entirely planning on going there, but it was bundled with the aquarium ticket, so I went to check it out. I learly didn't know the local people, but it was still fun to see the few I did.



















    See more images for Bangkok Mme Tussauds
    2023/10/22 Transmission Bangkok After-afterparty at Portal
    π 2023-10-22 01:01 in Clubbing, Thailand2023
    Transmission Bangkok posts:
  • Space Plus Bangkok - Transmission Pre-Party - Cosmic Gate
  • Transmission Bangkok Afterparty at Amnesia
  • Transmission in Bangkok
  • Transmission Bangkok After-afterparty at Portal
  • Sunday night, the day after Transmission and the first after party that ended around sunrise (or 04:00 for me, because I'm a quitter, haha), there was another after party at Portal. Portal was a night club at the top of a building, with a very nice view, and a really decked out LED setup, it was very nicely done.

    It went from 20:00 to 02:00, with more beautiful trance thanks to transmisison artists that stayed an extra day to play for us, thank you.









    First time meeting Stoneface and Terminal, great set it was
    First time meeting Stoneface and Terminal, great set it was




    Video Summary:

    2023/10/22 National Museum Bangkok
    π 2023-10-22 01:01 in Museums, Thailand, Thailand2023
    The national museum in Bangkok does have a really good collection of artifacts, spread over many buildings, and it easily worth 3H or so:

















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    2023/10/23 Day Trip to Ayutthaya, Ancient Thailand Capital
    π 2023-10-23 01:01 in Ntrips, Thailand, Thailand2023
    Ayutthaya was the capital of the Kingdom of Siam from 1350 to 1767 and was a prosperous international trading port. It was destroyed by the Burmese in 1767 and today, the ruins of the old city form the Ayutthaya Historical Park, which I went to visit as a day trip.

    We started with the palace:









    Then we went to all the temples, many they had:


























    After we were done with the main temples, we went to a lesser known one off the beaten path:






    And then I took my guide to a nice local restaurant before heading back to Bangkok:



    2023/10/24 Day Trip to Damnoen Floating Market and Maeklong Railway Market
    π 2023-10-24 01:01 in Ntrips, Thailand, Thailand2023

    Damnoen Floating Market is over 1H away from Bangkok, and an interesting tourist attraction. You get a private boat that takes you around the market, and pick things up as you float/motor along.


    interesting motors, they use car engines, this one even with a turbo
    interesting motors, they use car engines, this one even with a turbo




    it was hard to pick between the colors
    it was hard to pick between the colors

    I got suckered into getting that cute litte thing :)
    I got suckered into getting that cute litte thing :)

    poor little thing looked terrified
    poor little thing looked terrified



    Had a quick stop at another temple:




    After the market, my package included some shows:

    crocodile show :)
    crocodile show :)



    I would totally not do that :)
    I would totally not do that :)

    There was a fun garden :)


    Then the monkey show:



    Sadly, my package included an elephant ride I wasn't able to get out:




    And then got to visit a village of long neck people:




    After that, just across the street was tiger world. Apparently those tigers were not drugged and multiple handlers were there to keep them entertained away from trying to play with me :)







    After that, Maeklong was nearby and has an unusual railway market that is basically on the train tracks and collapses as the train comes, and rebuilds behind it. Both cool and spooky :)




    then the train comes :)
    then the train comes :)




    Here is the train coming by:

    After that, a long drive back to Bangkok:


    2023/10/25 Checking Out Google Bangkok
    π 2023-10-25 01:01 in Google, Thailand, Thailand2023
    While I Bangkok, I had a bit of time to check out the local Google office, and got a quick tour thanks to a very nice googler:
















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    2023/10/25 48H in Phuket
    π 2023-10-25 01:01 in Ntrips, Thailand, Thailand2023
    As part of my quick Thailand trip, to see combination of Transmission Bangkok Festival and Diving The West Coast of Thailand on the Phinisi, I ended up in PHuket for a couple of days before flying home.

    lots of cool islands
    lots of cool islands


    Phuket is mostly a beach area with day tours to islands I had already seen from the dive boat, so it wasn't too obvious what to do during the time, but after enough research (most pointing to the same island tours that were not that interesting to me). I did some research and mostly found the same island tours taht were not that interesting to me, but eventually found enough fun things to fill the 48H and settled on a private driver to get me around and keep my luggage, which was convenient (it's cheap enough that it was worth it).

    I started with 2 aquariums:

  • Aquaria Phuket
  • Phuket Aquarium
  • After going to the two aquariums, we went to Monkey Hill Viewpoint. The monkeys were reasonably well behaved :)2103*




    sex is both a greeting and a currency. Something for us to learn? :)
    sex is both a greeting and a currency. Something for us to learn? :)


    I first started walking up to the viewpoint, but in the end it was a long walk that would have burnt too much time (driving was not allowed), so I got this small view and went back down:


    Next, I went to Phuket Bird Park because birds can always be fun:



    cute little fellow
    cute little fellow

    my favorite, sulphur crested cockatoo
    my favorite, sulphur crested cockatoo



    not bird related, but rabbits!
    not bird related, but rabbits!



    bird race
    bird race

    pretend math
    pretend math

    I always have bird seeds when I travel abroad, and this is why :) they were a bit pissed because they were sellnig seeds and I had my own :)





    Next was Chaithararam Temple - Wat Chalong, one of the nicest temples in Phuket:









    From there, walked around Phuket Old Town:





    The driver then dropped me by my hotel and I had a bit of time for a walk outside to see the nightlife in Patong Beach:






    For Day #2, my driver helped me find the right elephant sanctuary where the elephants were rescued and abused elephants (which includes riding them, and that's quite bad for their back and neck):




    I then got help put mud on an elephant (they like it)
    I then got help put mud on an elephant (they like it)


    then got to wash it
    then got to wash it



    got a thank you ;)
    got a thank you ;)

    I'm normally wary of things where you can drive quads, because drivers and groups are always way too slow, but I asked them if they could give me a real tour that wouldn't suck, and they nicely obliged me. The guide did his best to lose me, including during very tight turns last second, and sure gave me a workout ;)



    Next door was a karting track. Normally I'm also warry of those as they often have speed limited shit tracks: [rigimg:1024:3289*|they actually had "maximum fast" karts, so that's what I took :)]

    eh, you can damage them and you know what to pay
    eh, you can damage them and you know what to pay

    The kart I got was indeed fast as hell, which was fine, but the scary part is the brakes were terrible, so I scared myself several times coming into a turn and not being able to shed my speed due to very weak brakes. That made things exciting though :)

    Next stop was the big buddha with good views from the top:





    Then it was time for dinner and a show at Phuket FantaSea, which I only fount out about at the last minute:










    For next time, I can go see the other show, carnival magic:



    The next morning, I only time for a very quick walk before going to the airport for flight home through Vietnam:





    medical care :)
    medical care :)


    And I finished with Phuket Up 2 You Cat Cafe


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    2023/11/04 Aquaria Phuket
    π 2023-11-04 01:01 in Aquariums, Thailand, Thailand2023
    Phuket has two aquariums, this one is in a mall and the bigger one of the two and it wasn't bad. Here are a few pictures from it:














    You could buy food to feed the rays, but they were not hungry:
















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    2023/11/04 Phuket Aquarium
    π 2023-11-04 01:01 in Aquariums, Thailand, Thailand2023
    Phuket has two aquariums, and this is the smaller one south of the Island. It's less essential than Aquaria Phuket but it was still fun to visit:














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    2023/11/06 Phuket Up 2 You Cat Cafe
    π 2023-11-06 01:01 in Cats, Thailand, Thailand2023
    I had an hour left to walk around Phuket, and right at the end, saw a small cat café. Couldn't help but to pop in for 10mn in exchange for all the loose change I had left :)

    The cats were lovely, all rescues including a tripod cat and one eyed cat:











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