The Touts of Thong Sala on Koh Pha Ngan

I decided not to make Captain Willard proud this time and instead jumped on the morning ferry by Songserm from Koh Tao to Koh Pha Ngan.

We bought our tickets from a woman that came asking for our destination from a store next to where our taxi left us at Mae Hat since her price was the one we'd seen listed before. The ferry to Koh Pha Ngan cost 300 baht per person and the trip took less than two hours. Songserm was not as quick or expensive as Lomprayah's flashy catamarans (450 baht), but it was spacious (as in not even close to being full), comfortable (apart from the distinct smell of gasoline below deck) and relatively quick. Napping on the plastic rows of seats with my trusty Sansa mp3 player was my favourite pastime on the ferry.

Songserm's pier on Mae Hat.

The pier on the harbour town of Thong Sala on Koh Pha Ngan was filled with touts advertising accommodation possibilities. The air was filled with the question: "Where you going?" We mostly ignored the advertisers, but mentioned to one that we were going to eat. "Where you go after?" she asked. "Maybe Haad Rin", I replied never stopping to talk. This made her follow us like a bloodhound for several blocks into town, though she did look puzzled when we just walked past the first restaurant near the pier.

Aggressive marketing is a very strange thought for us Finns. It is mostly seen as unbecoming and almost always undesirable. Help without alterior motives, though, can be hard to find here. In my experience the most reliable sources of information have been the receptions at hotels that you've checked out before-hand. Unfortunately these check-ups can be rather time-consuming, though websites such as Tripadvisor help a great deal. Another decent source of information are your fellow travellers, but take everything with a grain of salt.

Following the large street from the pier, taking a turn to the left and then to the right took us to a small street that housed a covered food court. This was a large group of tables and chairs surrounded by food stalls selling several kinds of inexpensive dishes. Pad Thai was our pick of the day for just 40 baht (1 euro).

After the meals and my friend's trip to the john, we hailed a taxi from the street and asked the driver to take us to Sea Garden Resort & Spa at Haad Rin. The taxi cost us 100 baht / person and the price seemed unnegotiable. Navigating the steep roads of the island made us feel it was money well-earned by the driver.

And soon we would be at the party beach of Haad Rin where the Full Moon Parties still take place and the hippie vibe is but a recent memory of another place in Thailand changed by growing tourism.