Satun to Trang

I got a late start leaving Satun late on purpose. I had a few stops planned on the ride but didn't want to arrive at my hotel in Trang prior to check-in time.

I rode for an hour and stopped for a fill up of both the bike and myself. I wasted a bit more time and then back on the road. I was not that far along and the sky opened up and started dumping sheets of water on me.

I stopped at one of those road side shelters that I think are used by people waiting for public transportation. After about 20 minutes I thought it had let up so headed out again but it must have only been a brief pause and the sky let me have it again.

I was stopped at a traffic light next to a gas station and a restaurant. I went into the restaurant and dripped all over their floor for about an hour. I stayed in the restaurant until I needed the toilet. I walked across the parking lot to the toilet and regained any water I had dripped off in the restaurant.

After the toilet I didn't want to drip all over the restaurant again so took off on the bike. I have had a few days of heavy rain on this trip but had not had issues with deep water in the road before so it was really slow going but after about 30 minutes the rain let up and was only a light rain for the remainder of my ride into Trang. I gave up the idea of stopping to play tourist and it also well after the check-in time when I arrived at the hotel.

I had dried off by the following morning and the sun was shining. This is my route plan for seeing the Trang Sites.

My first stop was at the beach of Hat Ratcha Mongkhon. Some Thai people had a tent setup back under a rock over hang or maybe it would be considered a cave. I tried not to disturb them while walking around on the beach taking pictures.

The tent seemed to have come alive while I was wondering on the beach so exchanged a quick hello before riding off on the bike.

I had pasted this lighthouse when going to the beach but stopped for a photo on the return journey.

My next stop was at the Hat Pak Meng beach.

I enjoyed the statue of dugong that is the landmark of Pak Meng beach.

I had marked Chao Mai Beach as a stop and it was a pretty beach a little off the road and nothing else around.

When I was at Chao Mai Beach I didn't know there was a National Park by the same name. I pasted the park headquarters as I was headed to Ling Beach (หาดหยงหลิง) and couldn't get to this beach without paying the park entrance fee so removed it from my route.

I kept seeing signs for Yao Beach so added it in to take the place of the one I skipped.

I got something to eat and drink at Yao and just enjoyed the lovely view of the Andaman Sea.

My next stop was at Mot Tanoi Beach (หาดมดตะนอย). I just see beaches on the map and add some of them to the plan without knowing anything about them. This was the case for this beach and it was pretty but I don't think it sees many tourists. I snapped this picture on the way to the beach.

I rode on down the muddy and sandy path and found what I think is Mot Tanoi Beach.

I had rode past Khai Botanic Garden (สวนพฤกษศาสตร์ทุ่งค่าย) yesterday because of the rain but this day I didn't go in due to the dual pricing. I live in Thailand but do not get the local price at tourist sites. Some of the times I have paid the tourist price I have felt like I havebeen ripped off because the site seemed way over priced. Now it has to be something I really want to see for me to pay the inflated price. I might be missing some good places but this dual pricing seems wrong.

The Chao Pho Muen Ram Shrine (ศาลเจ้าพ่อหมื่นราม) was also a planned stop that got skipped due to the rain but this one I did visit when the rain was gone.

Trang Clock Tower (หอนาฬิกาตรัง) was not on my original plan but saw pictures of it at my hotel and I have been to a number city's clock towers on this trip.

I was riding to my hotel and pasted The Dugong Circle (วงเวียนพะยูน).

I had set a goal for this year to visit the remaining Thailand provinces that I had never visited. When I arrived in Trang I had achieved that goal. I have now been in all 77 Thai provinces or as Google keeps saying 76 provinces plus Bangkok.

This is the first country I have reached this type of goal. I have only been to 49 of the US states. I also have never visited one of The Netherlands provinces even after living there for 15 years but never really thought about it until I left.

I am happy to say I have visited all the Thai provinces but still have things I want to see in Thailand, so the journey continues.