Tuesday/Wednesday – 11th/26th August, 1998. On Tuesday 11th August William took David Hardy to the airport for his early flight on Thai Airways to Chiang Mai & I walked to the park near the river and also found the beach area of the town, whilst I was exploring the layout of Chiang Rai. We had an excellent map from the very popular local magazine “Welcome to Chiangmai & Chiangrai”:

http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/chiangrai_map1.html

We were enjoying our rest from long distance walking & exploring Chiang Rai. On Wednesday 12th August it was Her Majesty The Queen’s 66th Birthday and Mothers Day and we enjoyed the local celebrations for the public holiday and at the local Alien and Thai bars in town. On Friday 14th, I flew to Hat Yai, via Bangkok, for 8,000 baht return with Thai Airways International and left William in Chiang Rai with 5,000 baht with his girlfriends at Tossers bar:

http://www.thaiair.com

I arrived in Songkhla at 18.00 hrs and received a great welcome from everyone. They all declared that William and I are now the “World Champion Walkers” in Thailand, being the first people, ever, to “Walk the Length of Thailand”:

http://www.escati.com/maps/provinces.jpg

I went to our village at Moo Ban Laddaniwait in Hat Yai Nai on Monday and got another great welcome from all our Thai friends there.  Andrew returned with me by taxi to Songkhla. I visited Dr Virat and Margaret at their Songkhla Pharmacy and they said they were very proud of our efforts and achievements that our walk had done for the Thai people by giving them a new belief and confidence in their future and for the future economic success of the Kingdom of Thailand.

I arrived back in Chiang Rai on Saturday 22nd August at 18.00 hrs and William was very pleased to see me, after my very enjoyable break in my favourite Songkhla and the lovely beaches that I was missing in land-locked Northern Thailand. “Oh! to be beside the sea-side; Oh! to be beside the sea” and I had many long walks on the beach and seafood meals in my favourite beach-side retaurants on Samila beach:

http://nst.sawadee.com/songkhla

I sorted through all my mail I had brought from Hat Yai and wrote many letters and post cards to friends worldwide. We didn’t walk anymore as it was now the wet season and not fit weather for safe long distance walking. We met many interesting people in Chiang Rai and were very impressed with the friendliness and hospitality from the local people. Many thanks to you all.

Yours truly,

Escati Tiger Team Walking For Thailand – “Thailand’s World Champion Walkers”