Day 11 - Tuesday 7 February 2017

Return to Bangkok........Today we will be returning to Bangkok. Although it is premature, it hardly matters since there could realistically be no more than a couple more days available for touring this winter. My condition has changed little. While I see no obvious improvement, neither is there a noticeable deterioration and I’m hopeful the antibiotics will work combined with rest back in Bangkok. The journey time from Prachuap Khiri Khan is around five hours as we prepare to depart. However the warning lights on the dash are still illuminated as we head north on Highway 4. Apart from comfort breaks, we stop for lunch just after joining Highway 35 in Ratchaburi Province. Here I take the first real meal in a couple of days. There’s also the opportunity to pick up some dried goods that I need to take home. Heading on towards Bangkok I recall my feelings after an amazing tour to Phang Nga previously, as one of sadness. On this occasion there’s no such feeling. Now it’s one of relief.
Reaching Bangkok, Katoon decides to use the city toll ways rather than the outer ring. Fortunately the traffic is quite light; we seem to have avoided the buildup which inevitably happens later in the day. We will reach the residence in good time but with just a few kilometres to go, some of the car's functions shut down. The air-conditioning cuts out and we cannot wind the windows down. There clearly is an issue as the warning lights indicate. At the residence we offload the baggage, sensibly leaving the engine running. Katoon then disappears to a local garage. The problem is simply that the battery has run dry. They top up the cells but it could be that the battery will need replacing. That will be up to the owner who is due to pick up the car tomorrow. Back to the main problem, I decide not to seek immediate medical attention and see how things are in the morning. Time will tell whether this decision is correct but with our arrival so closes this tour. Now I just need to write a conclusion to this South Thailand Beach tour. Such a conclusion has to ignore the medical problems which only developed towards the end of the tour. Any medical developments can be included as a postscript later. Next Page.