Isaan Oddessey - Thailand Part 5

Nakhon Phanom



Entering the city there was no panorama to see, the land was too level for that, but I rode in with the Mighty Mekong on my left and quiet roads ahead of me.

This became a road with a promenade alongside allowing you to cruise with the Mekong river.

On the trail of The Galt

I approached Mr Galt's complex soon enough.

Mr Galt is noteworthy in the farang internet scene for single-handedly pole-axing StickmanBangkok’s operations. He’s managed to successfully carve out his own working niche in Thailand. That it’s actually in the byzantine and cut-throat world of manufacturing speaks volumes. A captain of industry rises...

He has trained and built up a small private army of workers to help run his fledgling base that much I know. Some speak ill or him, some do not.
OTRTs stance has always been favourable to the Galt. As he’s a make-do, can-do, tell-it-like-it-is kind of guy. He’d made his fortune in Thailand legally and brought with him the US style libertarianism common to OTRT.

It would be a fine opportunity to forge new links and allow for a meeting of minds. If nothing else I’d be able to meet the man and make up my own mind about him

I reached his building...



True to his word and picture the building with 'chamber pool' atop it is indeed where he showed on his site. I know that sounds a little crazy but seeing it on a pc screen and actually riding up to it are two different things. It was a three storey complex, well maintained and with steel shutters on all three entrances.

It didn’t have the private army of Thais standing guard nor a convoy of oompah lumphahs to-ing and fro-ing with parts and materials but I did notice his black ‘swimming bowl/vat’ atop the roof. The lights were on too with the windows open. No doubt experimenting with his funktastic light arrays amid a jumble of wiring!

I actually laughed at this, the man certainly seems to be the selective exhibitionist!

I hung a right at the junction the building was on. One of the shutters was up and his silver CBR 150 was inside! If nothing else the Galt has good taste in bikes.

I was knackered from the riding though and didn’t feel like barging into The Galt’s domain uninvited. Being kitted up like the road warrior, leather armour an-all he'd probably mistake me for one of Stickmans cronies out to cause trouble!

First things were getting a place to stay. Whenever you arrive in a city, especially an unknown Isaan city finding a decent priced hotel or indeed anywhere to stay can be a pain.

The first hotel I tried by the river was 700 baht, too pricey.

The next was more reasonable at 450 baht a night. A bit of friendly haggling later and down it came to 400 baht.

After showering I explored the city. It’s well planned and spread out. The roads are good and traffic is light for a city of its size.

As I passed Tesco’s I noticed the Galt’s CBR parked nearby! No sign of the man himself though. I made a note and stuck it in the seat, basically to the effect of ‘Hey, this is WR, give me call and lets meet up.’

I continued buzzing around. Nice markets and friendly people lived here, matching Galt’s own description.

I counted my good fortune as nearby to the Galt’s building is a big bike specialist. Both a sportsbike and a scrambler were for sale outside. I looked over the sportsbike – A CBR 400 like mine. But the price they wanted were a fair bit high for a bike without book and it looked like it’d led a harsh life, with signs of abuse around a shiny fairing. The staff were friendly though. Most of them had already set off for the Bike Week in Khon Kaen. Reminding me that I’d be having to get a move on for tomorrows journey to Khon Kaen I enquired after a tank bag, they had one, but only the small size for bottles of water and food.

A thought occurred to me and I made some enquiries with the local Thais who lived near to the Galt. It seemed that the Galt was not home; his busy work scope had him elsewhere in Asia at the time I visited. Busy business being the Galt!

From his building came the sounds of work and industry, if nothing else his workers were busy in his absence.

I left another calling card in his post-box, just in case the one in the bike had been binned by the Thais; as it was now obvious that they borrow his bike for errands and the like.

I left his techno-workshop behind.
Until some other time Man of Galt!

Just before sunset I forced myself out of the sanctuary of aircon to walk the Mekong. Without decent light It’d be poor photography, besides which the sunsets are rather cool in this part of Thailand...



It’s a nice part of the city here, along the river. I can see why Keith goes jogging and running about here, as do a few of the thai local people. Local couples walk and chat while the bachelors hang out of pick-up trucks drinkin’ the booze and watching the sun go down.

No tourists or backpackers clogging the place up.

Looking to the opposite shore Laos seems a peaceful and tranquil zone.

What looks to be a hotel complex and slipway stands out in the wilderness drawing you across somehow.

Mekong River Thailand

An ancient but stylish - Isaan-style tuk-tuk.



I wonder about travelling across to Laos for the future but, at a shop with two friendly Alsatians I am told the nearest place to get the ferry is a city called Mukdahan further south. Time enough for that another day I advise myself.

Night was falling now and the neon night scene of markets came to life.

Nakhon Phanom has a healthy night scene a few karaoke’s and bars along the Mekong River road. But thankfully not enough to generate hordes of tourists. In fact I only saw a few old expat couples of Vietnam era vintage almost certainly.



The whole place is a breath of fresh air.

My musings are all over the place tonight, but that’s partly to do with the karaoke bar I’m sat in scribbling these notes down so I can remember it for later ;)

The bar is rough and tumble with Isaan Charm.
At the table just ahead of me is a roguish chinese gent with two witches of isaan entertaining him. They seem to be enjoying his banterish company if nothing else! Go get 'em sugar daddy!

Well, I've reached the Ends of Isaan now, the long trip and odyssey was well worth it!

All that's left is the next days adventures to Khon Kaen Bike Week! But that's another story ;)

Isaan Oddessey - Thailand Part 3

Leaving Khon Kaen

CBR 400 - Isaan Odyssey Part 2

Highway 2 out of the city was clogged with trucks and pick-ups. No such time for following like sheep we built up speed to 110-120 kph and began the leg to Nong Khai.

This was not insanely fast, but aggressive riding. Both of us were used to the roads now and we rode like we owned it. Ulrich’s machine had the moves, while mine had the outright power to blast clear of danger and out-ride Somchai’s pick-up truck if he got too crazy.

The first 30 kms were interestingly grim. The road was filthy black in places. Like old cooking oil that had progressively worked its way in over the years.

Although the surface didn’t feel slippy, it certainly didn’t as stable as the other highway sections.

That said there were few, if any potholes. The surrounding areas seemed desolate and deserted; although I felt that the rice harvests being already taken in gave this impression.

We’d soon reached the halfway point and had passed through Udon Thani with no problems. The traffic was steady and I made the right turn-offs at the 4-roundabout chain without error.

Now the terrain was interestingly flat; a few high-speed corners meant you could really get your lean on if you pushed it up to 120kph+

Soon we reached the edge of Nong Khai. Compared to my last visit though, there were scores of police waiting and it was here that the next mini-drama unfolded.

Ahead of us, still several kms from the city was one of the most comprehensive check-points I’d ever seen in Asia. Set up at two sets of traffic lights were police bikes, cars and even tables and chairs. Instead of processing traffic violators at the nearby police station there was a fine-station set up and ready to roll in the baht!

I clocked this early enough to gliss into the far-right hand lane, but there wasn’t enough traffic queuing at the lights to hide among and we were both spotted as we closed in.

Both of us had slowed down plenty and of course wore helmets but I felt they were surely hungry for the money. Big biker money!

Sure enough one of them actually walked out to the lane to marshal us off to one side.

I kept the camera rolling as the fun and games began.

‘Bai Kap Ki’ Snapped the arrogant-faced cop harshly before switching to English. ‘Driving license’

The shades he wore on his face betrayed no emotion.

I understood him first time and passed over my thai bike license. It was in date and therefore good for the highways, he passed it back. This Thai dude was gonna have to try a little harder if he wanted his tea money.

‘Pragem’ Was his next angle of attack.

This sounded like ‘Pragam’ the thai word for insurance. In my case bike insurance.

Popping open the pillion seat all was revealed. Valid insurance until June J

Nodding, the highwayman had lost this battle and waved me on.

I glanced behind me, Ulrich was not so lucky and the police swarmed around his machine like ants.

His bike confiscated he had to take the walk over to the fine-station set up under a tree.

‘Arrrgh! I have to go and pay this fucking fine’ He roared, not unlike an angry wolf.

I didn’t have to even ask what the fine was for. Time and time again I’d advised him to get a thai license but he wouldn’t listen, instead he carried a shtty copy of his German one and wasn't interested. Now he was paying the price and I didn't waste the chance to rub salt in the wounds!

It wasn’t much of one though, only 200 baht. But the wait was nearly 30 minutes but I made it pass by quicker for him by reminding him it was sooo much better having a thai driving license

I passed the time eyed the bikes the cops use up these neck of the woods.

A nice CBR 150 conversion to police spec.

A growling cruiser.

Nong Khai

We finally reached the main destination, the Mighty Mekong! It wasn’t filled with Naga's or dragon boats but we’d arrived safe and sound. Finding a guesthouse was childsplay, for along the Mekong River there’s a lot of places to stay. 200 baht got us a back-to-basics room with fan. No frills but then I’m the kinda guy who sees a room as a place to sleep while on the road.

Soon after we arrive Ulrich’s raging boozing and alcoholism takes root.

The first of the Leo’s have landed for him!

Not really my style, I’m a night-hawk, keeps the drinking and smoking under control so I can do stuff by day. But Ulrich’s groove was day-hounding and a beer-hound he surely was!

A glut of farang were in town, most of them walking around like aimless sheep, led by wives or girlfriends. Few seemed happy to be there but the they seemed to be 1990s minded-man along with emasculated ones shuffling along behind their partners. I knew I wouldn’t be staying here very long.

I made the most of the views though, if nothing else it's a 'tick in the box kind of scene'

Some bar-restaurants here on the left.

Look closely, that bridge is the gateway to Laos, it's none other than the Friendship Bridge, more on this if you follow the link...

I called in at the digs to see what was what. I still had the chore of data-transferring near 16 gig of data. With this looming I found Ulrich in a gloomy corner (well, as gloomy as early-afternoon Isaan gets) with half a dozen Leo’s around him. Sat next to him was a stranger. He too had a fair few leo’s around him and I figured that Ulrich had made a new friend.

Where Ulrich was brooding and wild eyed which leant him a curious eccentricity this other guy was something else.

Slightly over-weight through inactivity his soulless mud coloured eyes betrayed no emotion.

Reading Asians is tough because they hide their emotions well, but this fellow didn’t really have to hide his, as he seemed such a shallow individual.

“You look like a T£”us£” He droned in a faint Kiwi/Aussie accent. I couldn’t be sure what he said.

Thinking the man had said ‘Taurus’ and almost guessed my star-sign. I moved towards the pair and sat down.

“You look like a tourist’ He now said.

The look on my face must have changed from interest to contempt as he swiftly tried to change the subject. I played it off.

“Well not many tourists can ride from x to x’ I breezed leaving the dull-pair to their cups.

The video data wasn’t going to get done sitting on my arse with Ulrich and his clown friend and I set off into another lunchtime cock-up adventure...

After 6 hours of ball-ache traipsing about Nong Khai I’d reached the end of my tether. Swarms of Thai kids clogged what few Gaming/Internet cafes there were. Those that weren’t full either couldn’t cope with the External HDD, chip or had removed the usb ports on their pcs.

Disheartened I managed to find a photoshop just before it shut to sell me a MMC interface usb.

I needed the chip empty for the next day’s riding along the River Highway. I managed it just before the last cyber cafe shut at 2200. ‘The next time I do this shit I’m taking a laptop’ I vowed there and then.

I was too tired to have drink at one of the bars (which looked pretty lame to be honest) so hit the sack by midnight.

Both Ulrich and I had been taking separate rooms for the tour and I was only too happy for sharing a room with an alky reminds me of the struggling days in the Construction industry and armed forces. I didn’t really miss it that bs.

Tomorrow is the big day for touring alongside the Mekong River going east. This is the real deal now, we’ll be miles from fck all if anything happens. I say a few prayers to the biking gods up there to keep an eye out and drift into the land of dreams with fans faintly spinning in the background.

At 0200 I wake up to Frankenstein-esque clumping steps; it’s Ulrich and I feel tomorrow there will be a reckoning, in one form or another. For there’s no way he can make the mornings ride at the pace I want to ride at. He’ll be too wasted and on a lower cc bike the combination could be deadly. Also, In typical reclusionist mode, he’s been less than enthusiastic about wanting to go to the Biker Week in Khon Kaen. We’re both independent riders and I know that he won’t get pissed if I just took off in the night if I chose. But even I felt that would be a bit ignorant so I vow to knock on his door and see if he’s ready to rock and roll in the morning, if not it’s time for a parting of the ways.

Tomorrow we’ll see what will be.

End of Part 3