Day 2, Tuesday 4 December - Ban Krut Beach

Prachuap Kiri Khan..... I'm awake at daybreak and write up some notes until the desire for some breakfast takes over. I take the short walk up into the town rather than use the beachfront restaurants. In bright sunlight I begin to appreciate that location has accounted for the premium I seem to have paid for the room. From the 4th floor I am looking out on the picturesque Prachuap seafront and bay. To the left is Thammikaram Worawihan Temple and looking out into the bay is the fisherman's pier and to the right the rocky headland. Above all, as I gaze at the practically deserted beachfront road, it is totally beyond comparison. A number of foreign visitors appreciating this have also made the effort to come this far from Bangkok. Up in the town things are a little different as I near the markets area looking for a breakfast. There are a few businesses offering Western style cooked breakfast, but I choose Thai and order a traditional coffee. This consists of strong black coffee on a bed of condensed milk. Naturally, it is rather sweet but comes with a herbal tea which manages to balance the flavours. Total 50 baht. It's still quite early, but I've decided to complete my journey today to Ban Krut but first a little history lesson.
While walking into town I notice a signboard which sets me thinking. With all that I've digested over the years about WW2 and about Thailand, one simple fact at least has eluded me. It relates to an event that took place early on 8 December 1941 at a time when other events late that year dominated the news. The Battle of Prachuap Khiri Khan was an early engagement of the Japanese invasion of Thailand. It was fought at the airfield near the town. The Japanese meant to use Thailand as a base to strike at British possessions in Burma and Malaya and attacked Thailand without warning. At about 03:00 the Japanese 2nd Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment began troop landings with the intention of capturing the airport. The only defense force consisted of pilots and ground crew of Fifth Wing, reinforced by members of the constabulary and a few others. Aircraft were scrambled but were too late to inflict damage on the enemy. However, a gallant effort to save the airfield caused the battle to rage into the night. Beleaguered and out of provisions, the small defending force was ordered to lay down arms the following morning after the signing of an armistice. To this day the Royal Thai Air force still has a base in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Sadly I don't have time to further research this important event nor explore the town's attractions. I head back to Suksant to get my bag.
Ban Krut not on track..... I could get at Ordinary train at 13.10 to Ban Krut about 60 kilometres south for small money or perhaps the earlier Express train at 12.28. However rather than wait I check out another form of transport. Minivans run to Chumphon departing within walking distance of Suksant. I don't need to wait long. I'm charged 70 baht, but I have made one miscalculation. This service will not take me directly into Ban Krut as the train would have done. When I'm dropped off on the Petchkasem highway, I am still 10 kilometres from Ban Krut. I have no choice but to take a motorbike taxi but at least it can take me straight to a resort. Fare agreed I head for the village.
Ban Krut is a village clustered around the railway station and linked to a beach road a kilometre away. Knowing that the railway network was constructed just over a century ago, I wonder whatever existed here before that. It may be that this was a wilderness of natural beauty just inviting mankind to come and ruin it! But to be fair in the modern scheme of things and in part due to local planning regulations, this part of Thailand's coastline retains an innocence that other parts lack through their vulgarity.
Proudthai Resort..... My transport having passed through the village, now heads along the beach road. Having explained what I was looking for its rider arrives at Proudthai Resort, a collection of beach huts in rustic wooden style. However, the interior of these huts is functional with air conditioning, hot shower, TV and refrigerator. I negotiate a price of 2,000 baht for three nights. Having checked online I don't think I can do much better than that and oh! what a location looking straight onto Ban Krut Bay. I arrive just after midday but instead of looking for a lunch I seem to do what everybody else is doing. I just fall asleep, maybe because there is a sense I've arrived in paradise. Awaking at 3 pm it's really late for lunch and certainly too early for dinner, so something light will suffice, but the beach road only accommodates resorts and their up market cuisines is not exactly what I need at 3 pm on a hot afternoon. There is so little activity. Surely I'm not complaining it's too quiet! I arrange with the owner to collect a motorbike in the morning but for now I head up into the village at least for something to eat. I'm not too fussy at this point and take something from a mobile vendor. There is a 7-Eleven which will do for my return, but I head on up to the station to collect a timetable. No trains are expected until the evening and initially nobody seems to be about. Then a figure appears equipped only with jogging shorts and sandals. Initially, I pay no attention and he jogs off but resulting from my continued presence he reappears. It doesn't take me long to realize he's one of the staff off duty. To be fair there are strange duties here as most of the trains between Bangkok and the South run at night. Having collected the information I wanted, I make my way back to Proudthai taking on provisions for the evening at 7-Eleven. It's an early night after a stroll along the beach practically deserted.
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