The only thing (besides passport and money) needed to enter Thailand is the Thai entry card, FREE of charge and easily filled. (Unlike the Thai visa, which requires a variety of documents in JPG format, and is only needed if one is staying for more than a month.) A small snag in the system is that the card will allow you to put in an entry date only 3 days before the date of arrival, so if done earlier, it will need to be corrected. (The passport officer did not even look at the card. But fingerprints and photo were taken.)

Phuket was chosen as we planned to do a few days liveaboard diving trip in the Andaman Sea. A December ski trip put paid to that for me – a broken collarbone was not ready for the full weight of the diving kit. But I did snorkel. And saw the photos of what I was missing. A definite highlight was the food produced by Pom, a marvellous chef who created miracles in that tiny galley. And she always had a smile for us. The crew of the Aqua (Smile Dolphin company) and the dive masters were top notch. Had a pleasant stay in the Mai Khao Palm Beach resort after the diving. A tropical sandy beach that stretches for miles along the bay, warm sea, gorgeous sunsets.

Phuket itself was a bit of a disappointment. The giant Buddha (we walked up! 7 K in the heat – and gave in for the last K and took a cab…) could only be seen from the back – there had been a landslide in the front and the area around the giant statue was completely blocked off.

The Old town (reached by a local bus – a few pence) is full of shops and tourist tat. We did enjoy the trip to the James Bond island – a full day out on the speed boat, visiting those intriguing looking pinnacle-like islands, a cave, a Muslim community with a floating football pitch…

My friend headed back to the UK and I to Bangkok. The two very useful apps for travelling in Asia are Bolt and Grab – like Uber, prices are set when you book. (I’ve used Bolt in Central Asia and in South America). If you are brave (or foolish, or need to get somewhere on time, all of which I seem to have been) you can get a motorbike ride too. I stayed in a hostel near Pier 13 on the Chao Phra river. Lots of accommodation, restaurants and Thai massages available in the area – and the river boat beats the road traffic every time. The boat to take is the Orange flag one – 16 Baht per trip. It covers all the important parts of Bangkok and has good links with the MTR (metro) and the sky train. There are other river boats and staff tend to push tourists to the more expensive ones. (A 150 baht hop on-hop off day ticket may be useful to some tourists.)

The Grand Palace, the Reclining Buddha, the Wat Arun…all a must. The book says to get there early and beat the crowds… I didn’t.

Went to see the old capital, Ayutthaya, on the train (20 Baht o/w) from the new Central station – an enormous place, echoing and strangely empty. (The MTR metro ticket to get to the station was 45 baht!) The Wats (temples) and the Buddhas are spread over a wide area. (I was glad of the hired bicycle – 60 baht for the day). All crumbling brick and stone and with all the Buddha’s heads lopped off by looters looking for gold. And yet, they had all once been just as dazzling and shiny, glittery and golden like the ones now in Bangkok. Much gold has been stolen – though not the one in the Wat Traimit in Chinatown – 5.5 tonnes of 18 karat gold, which has escaped thieves, had been covered with plaster and glass mosaic and only “rediscovered” as solid gold in the 1950s. It’s in the Guinnes Book.

The Kanchanaburi Death Railway cemetery and museum were poignant. The Bridge has been rebuilt and trains serve the local community.

Thailand has so many national parks that choosing which to visit is hard. The Erawan Waterfalls are accessible from Bangkok – and beautiful even when there is less water than usual (it is still dry season). The hike up to the 7th level is challenging but not impossible. A well deserved swim helps to ease the heated and tired muscles.

There is a cave nearby, Tam Phra That (about 12K uphill from the Falls, so own transport needed). I did it on two separate days, having hired a moped at the hotel (350 baht/day, exorbitant!). My moped riding skills are still forming, but there is little traffic here and it is manageable. Exhilarating too, when all goes well. :)) And the petrol I used for the two days was all of 40 Baht (£1)

The entrance fee to the Falls (and the cave) is 60 Baht for the locals and 300 Baht for foreigners. The same ticket is valid for both places if done on the same day…

I was the only visitor there on a Monday morning. The cave is 748m uphill – most of it steps (600+). My guide spoke little (0!), but he had two torches, a first aid kit and extra water. I had to put on a face mask for my protection as there are bats in the cave. We crawled in through a very narrow entrance. It was eery.