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Traverse
Thailand in a single day? The genesis for the trip occurred
in 1994 after a chance comment by Thiva Supajanya, a
geology professor at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.
"My
home is at the narrowest part of Thailand. At Wang Duan,
just south of Prachuap Khiri Khan, it only 10.96 km.
from the sea to the Burmese border."
The
idea lay dormant until last March when I rang Thiva,
inviting him to join me. "But I'm 65!" he said. After
a moment's thought, he said, "Why not? I've never done
it."
Wang
Duan ("Lagoon"), is a railway station without a town
dating from the days when wood-burning locomotives required
refuelling and watering stops every 7-8 km. It is also
the starting point for a beautiful walk across Thailand's
topography and economy: coastal fishermen, marshlands
with a reed- and duck-filled lagoon, farmlands growing
dozens of crops, and forested hills filled with birds
and wildlife. You might want to hire a guide (see Tips).
Although
the straight-line distance is 10.96 kilometres, expect
to walk 15-18 kilometres. Watch squid fishermen unload
their catches in the pre-dawn light. Then, with the
rising sun at your back walk past the lagoon to the
train station. Turn left down a paved road that runs
through coconut plantations, virtually the only crop
that will grow in the sandy soil. The fronds are sliced
into broom straws.
Along
the way are kilns firing charcoal for cooking fires,
and tall termite mounds in whose moist interiors, termites
cultivate mushrooms, the mycelium serving as nutritious
food. The hardy, thorny trees are the "Ton Gate" from
which the nearby town is named.
Grazing
among the trees are black and white cows, the core of
a small dairy industry. Silver milk containers along
the road await pick-up by a Prachuap pasteurising plant.
Your nose will tell you when you pass the "kapi" (fermented
shrimp paste) factory on the left.
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Crops
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Once past the Petchkasem Highway, the main Thai arterial
to Malaysia, head down a dusty 3.5 km. road that carries
you through Thailand's agricultural heartland. Wander
off the road to see the surprising variety of crops
farmers cultivate: sugar cane, eggplants, Chinese radish,
chillies, string beans, cucumbers, corn, and pineapple.
At
a small factory on the left a few hundred meters later,
pearls of "sakoo" (sago) dry in the sun. Farther on
is a turn-off to Nam Jon reservoir -- perfect for a
swim.
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| Kapok
trees |
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| View
of the sea |
Kapok
trees appear from time to time. Their seed pods, resembling
hanging bats, hold a cottony fluff that is stuffed in
mattresses and pillows. The trees themselves were once
cut as firewood for the wood-burning locomotives. Listen
for the mournful gibbon-like whoops of coucals, or "Crow
Pheasants". At the top of the rise, turn back for a
view of the sea.
Some
400 metres farther on, the road enters the Nam Tok Yuai
Yang National Forest at 148 metres (487 feet) elevation.
The scents are muted but occasionally a fragrant flower
will release its perfume. It is the monsoon that will
bring freshness to the air.
The
climb up the narrow path is demanding but at the top
(situated at 447 metres, or 1,467 feet), enter a cool,
shaded forest. The trail intersects a north-south swath
running along the ridge-top. This marks the border and
the completion of the walk across Thailand.
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| Bamboo
Forest |
On
the homeward bound journey, turn left and descend from
the ridgeline border through a beautiful bamboo forest.
GETTING
THERE
The train (third-class ticket: 58 baht) leaves the Bangkok
Noi Railway Station at 7:20 a.m. Although scheduled
to arrive at Wang Duan at 1:13 p.m., it is often delayed.
Or,
ride the express train to Prachuap Khiri Khan and overnight
at Yuthichai Hotel (cheap and clean at 160 baht/night)
at 115 Kongkiat Road. Around the corner is Pitakchart
Road where the long-distance buses-another travel option-leave
for Bangkok's southern bus station. Warning: The orange
buses stop virtually at every tree. Take a baht bus
from here to Wang Duan.
Or
take the bus from Bangkok's southern station directly
to Ton Gate on the Petchkasem Highway and hire a baht
bus to Wang Duan.
CAMPING
FACILITIES
Trains from Bangkok arrive at Wang Duan mid-afternoon,
too late to start the walk. Instead, camp on the beach
or near the lagoon (no toilets or showers), or walk
south one kilometre to the coastal Haad Wanakorn National
Park. Start your cross-Thailand walk the next morning.
GUIDES
Ms. Nitima in Wang Duan (mobile phone number 01-880-0051)
can arrange an inexpensive guide and a truck to pick
you up at the end of the walk. There is a telephone
booth at the railway station.
THE
ROUTE
Start
at a beachside pavilion (the
printable map includes Global Positioning System (GPS)
coordinates for owners of such units). As there
are no restaurants on the route, bring food from Bangkok,
or walk south to Wang Som Restaurant. It can pack Thai
dishes for your journey and provide bottled water. Carry
two litres of water and buy two more at the small shop
near the halfway point.
Although
a trail is being cut up the final steep slope, you might
want to hire a guide to walk with you or to join you
at the "Y" for the final ascent to the border (see Tips).
Walk
from the beach to the railway station. Turn left. After
two km., cross the Petchkasem Highway and turn left.,
for 700 metres. Turn right onto a gravelled road marked
by a green-roofed spirit house. On the right, one km.
down, is a soft drinks shop.
This
section ends at a T-junction marked on the left by a
large balancing rock. The ridge directly ahead is the
Burmese border. Turn left and follow the road to a four-way
intersection. Turn right on the paved road for 300 metres
and then left onto another dusty road. About 1.2 km.
farther on, you can turn left down a short road leading
to the Nam Jon reservoir.
Otherwise,
climb 600 metres up the knoll for a sea view. Another
400 metres and past a pineapple field, enter the woods.
The "Y" intersection is marked on the right by a crude
spirit house; the right fork is a double-track suitable
for a 4WD vehicle; follow it.
Climb
the narrow path to the shady forest at the top. The
trail intersects a ridgetop swath that marks the border,
completing your walk across Thailand. Either retrace
your steps or arrange with your guide to have a truck
pick you up at Khao Mai Luak, reached by walking south
along the border, then descending to a pleasant three-kilometre
walk through a beautiful bamboo forest.
NOTE
This trip can be demanding, especially from March to
June when the sun scorches the landscape. The journey
should be attempted only by fit walkers. Carry ample
water. There are no restaurants, telephones, or public
restrooms along the way.
All images featured in this article
© Steve Van Beek
When
he isn't paddling a river, Steve Van Beek delves into
the little-known corners of Bangkok or remote corners
of rural Thailand. An inveterate explorer of the unique
and unseen, his walk across Thailand is in keeping with
most of his ventures into exotic realms during a 30-year
residence in Thailand. His most recent book, "Slithering
South" is an anecdotal chronicle of a 58-day journey
paddling a boat the length of the Chao Phraya River.
The author of 21 books and 42 documentary films on a
variety of Asian cultural topics, he is a Fellow of
the Explorers Club in New York, elected in recognition
of his solo explorations of Asian rivers.
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