No sheep or phone zombies! Just independent folk travelling around Bangkok & Thailand's Eastern Seaboard, Cambodia's Coastline, Northeast Mountains & The Mekong River.
And... We're Back in Trat Again
Monkey Jim's February 2024 Trat Update. Every Saturday Night the Street Market on Rhak Muang Road is in full swing, with great street food and a flea market from about 4 till 9 PM. Joy's Pizza has reopened after a short Xmas break, great news for all travellers. And more great news for pizza lovers, a new pizza and all day breakfast cafe called M & L has opened next to Tattoo Bar with Pizzas by the slice from 45 baht or Big English Breakfast for 150 baht. A great new place to try.
BTW If you are a phone zombie and love all that social media crap, you can also follow along @misterjim on twitter, or just check out our new groovy YouTube channel @monkeyjim
Mister Boi at Pano Solar has been supporting the local street art community with this great new sign down the alley next to the Guesthouse. They also have cheap fan and aircon rooms along the quiet backpacker lane at the South of town. Pano also have a resort on Koh Mak, so they can help you with the tricky taxi/boat transfer to get there, and even book a spot at their resort on the southern tip of the island. Mostly we just go to Pano Solar and hang out downstairs with Boi to get some local info and travel updates, a great cooked breakfast from Ms. Khim and have a few cold bevvies. More info call Mister Boi at Pano Solar Guesthouse 086 0228449
February 10, 2023
Pano Solar Geusthouse, Trat, Thailand
"@misterjim"
SILVER BAMBOO GUESTHOUSE HAVE UPDATED THEIR POPULAR TERRACE
Popular Afternoon Drinking Spot Now Better Than Ever
After a big dry season cleanup and a fresh coat of paint, Siver Bamboo Guest House Terrace is once again the place to spend a lazy afternoon while in Trat. They also have cheap rooms, the cheapst and coldest beer in town, and next door is Trat's finest Pad Thai Shop 99. If you love cheap cold beer, friendly people and great Pad Thai, Go There Now. I did! Fan rooms from 200 Baht (outside bathroom) and 450 Baht with A/C and inside Bathroom, & they have a big 2 bed family room if you are travelling with kids. Call Ms. Nui at Silver Bamboo Guesthouse 081 5916695
February 8, 2023
Silver Bamboo Geusthouse, Trat, Thailand
"@misterjim"
TRAT LOCAL BEAUTY WINS PATTAYA FRISBEE CHAMPIONSHIP
Pano Solar Chef Khim Triumps at Women's Disc Golf Championship
Every afternoon at Trat Excercise Park you can watch Trat's Disc Golf team hard at work, practicing their sport. Hard wark has paid off at the recent Disc Golf Championships in Pattaya, where the lovely Miss Khim collected the title of Women's Champion. It seems she is not only a talented chef but a champion sportswomen that Trat and coach Boi Pano can be proud of as well. To try her cooking (or find out more about disc golf) come to Pano Solar Guesthouse for a great breakfast.
December 8, 2022
Pano Solar Geusthouse, Trat, Thailand
"@misterjim"
ORCHID RESTAURANT HAS RE-OPENED
Trat's Popular Resturant and Guesthouse is Back in Business
After a lengthy closure due to COVID, it's great to see the iconic Orchid Reataurant with their delicious pizzas, burgers and Thai dishes are back in action. They are located on Rhak Muang Road, right in the middle of the backpacker area. The food is delicious and an absolute bargain, especially if you've been paying big city or tourist island price like Monkey Jim has been paying lately. For weary travellers they even have a little Garden Guesthouse out back, very nice!
December 7, 2022
Rhak Muang Road, Bangkok, Thailand
"@misterjim"
TRAT CITY THAILAND
Another Monkey Jim Mud Map
We're updating the map everytime something new opens. Here is revision 7 released in December 2022 and includes recently reopened Orchid Reataurant and Guesthouse in case you're hungry or need a place to stay. A link to the PDF is above in our Latest Favorites in Trat section.
Map Updated: November, 2022
Trat City, Trat, Thailand
"@misterjim"
SATURDAY NIGHT STREEET MARKET
The Saturday Night Street Market is Back for the Dry Season
October 29, 2022 sees the return the Walking Steeet Food & Flea market on Rhak Muang Road, in the backpacker area of Trat City, Thailand. Every Saturday, starting in the late afternoon the street market is the best way to spend an evening in Trat. They have all kinds of street food, lots of music and dancing, and a flea market that sells everthing from clothing to cacti. The street market is very convenient for those staying in the river area guesthouses; Silver Bamboo, Pano Solar, Tatoo, Mukdha, Orchid, 101, Artist and Mukdha. At the western end of the street market, is Lau Leu Bar and Restaurant, which is a great place to end your evening with a cool bevvie when the market closes, around 9PM
November 3, 2022
Rhak Muang Road, Trat City, Thailand
"@misterjim"
LAU LEU RESTAURANT, BAR AND MUSIC
The Best Bar in Trat, Opens at 5PM
Located on the corner of Rhak Muang Rd and Sukhumvit (the main road) in the Trat City, Thailand. Lau Leu is the best laid back way to spend an evening in Trat. They play a great selection of music, have icy cold beers, wine and cocktails at a reasonable price, and a great selection of bar snacks and Thai food that come piping hot from the upstairs kichen. The funky retro deco is worthy of a few instas, and if you're out late there's a good chance it will be the only place open. Definitely worth a visit.
November 3, 2022
Sukhumvit Road, Trat, Thailand
"@misterjim"
WAT BOT (Wat Yotha Nimit)
A Beautiful Golden Temple to Visit in Trat
Wat Bot is a classic Thai Temple whose true name is actually Wat Yotha Nimit, located just a few hundred metres west of the popular Lau Leu restaurant on the corner of Sukhumvit (the main road), and Rhak Mueng Road in the backpacker area of town. Its classic Thai Temple, and golden outlying buildings are in complete contast to the Chinese decoration of the beautiful City Pillar Shrine that you will walk past on the way. Wat Bot even has a statue of one of Thailand's earlier monarchs, I need to find out which one, and lots of chicken and rooster statues, lots and lots, I have no idea why. Wat Bot is best visited when the sun is out, due to the massive amount of gold on display.
November 2, 2022
Wat Yotha Nimit, Trat, Thailand
"@misterjim"
TRAVELLING IN THAILAND
Visiting Ko Chang after COVID
Ko Chang is an island in the province of Trat, Thailand.This photo was taken at White Sand Beach "Hat Sai Khao" wich is located on the north western side of the island. According to Google, Ko Chang, is one of the largest Thai islands in the Gulf of Thailand, contains dense, steep jungle. Mu Ko Chang National Park, a preserve with hiking trails and waterfalls such as tiered Klong Plu, covers the interior and extends to offshore coral reefs. The coast is dotted with beaches and villages including Bang Bao, built on piers. Hat Tha Nam (aka Lonely Beach) has a waterfront party scene that attracts backpackers.
September 24, 2022
Ko Chang Island, Trat Province, Thailand
"@misterjim"
LAKESIDE BIKE PATH
A Great Fun, Easy Bike Ride
The bike path goes for miles around the lake in Trat, Thailand. Most guesthouse can rent you a bike, or maybe even loan you one for free. See ducks, cranes and lots of other wildlife in the wetlands to the west of Tra City., The path roud the lake is 10 kilometres long and their are several cafes and restaurants along the way where you can buy a coffee or cold drink so give yourself plenty of time. It's also a popular place for birdwatching if you are quiet, there are red ducks and cranes, that you can get really close to on the far reaches of the path.
November 5, 2022
Lakeside, Trat, Thailand
"@misterjim"
TRAT CITY PILLAR SHRINE
Our Favourite Temple to Visit in Trat
Trat City Pillar Shrine in the province of Trat, Thailand. City Pillar Shrine is located on Lak Mueang Road near Wat Yotha Nimit. It is different from other city pillar shrines because of its form as a Chinese pavilion. When King Taksin came to gather troops here, he ordered to build this city pillar which was believed by the Chinese to protect the city from enemies and to bring peace to the people. Therefore, the city pillar was a symbol to maintain a good relationship between the Thais and Chinese. Every year on the sixth night of the waxing moon period of the sixth lunar month, there is a celebration called, Phli Mueang Day or known among the Chinese as Xia Gong Sae Yit which means the birthday of the City Pillar God. There are many activities such as Thai alms-giving and Chinese Pung Tao Ma annual fair during a month before and after Chinese New Year. It is said when France colonized Trat, French soldiers saw people in Trat going to pay homage to the city pillar everyday, so they wanted to pull the pillar down but could not. Although they used an elephant to pull it, it moved just a little. Then the Trat people helped together to renovate and maintain the pillar.
November 3, 2022
City Pillar Shrine, Trat, Thailand
"@misterjim"
THE BIG RED SIGN AT TRAT LAKE
Come Visit the Lake and see the Huge Sign
Take a visit to beautiful Trat Lake. Get a selfie by the big red sign Trat, Thailand. Continue past Wat Bot, cross the bridge over the canal, and follow the road to the right, its about 1 km from town, so a pleasant stroll of about 10 minutes will get you there. Don't forget to stop by City Pillar Shrine and Wat Bot along the way.
