The convoy arrived in Ipoh on schedule. Next morning, I encountered a problem at the customs in Sadao , Thailand .
I was unable to produce the copy of my vehicle’s registration paper – one of the requirements by the Thai CIQ. Fortunately, I was let off by being able to show a scanned image of the registration paper on my computer notebook. That moment of quick thinking cum a friendly customs officer must have saved the day. Feeling relieved, we arrived in Hatyai after a short drive. Thailand is indeed a Land of Smiles. Despite the hot weather, we witnessed this marshal who went about doing his job cheerfully directing traffic during the convoy’s lunch stop.
Stamford Sport Wheels (SSW) plant is located at Sainoi , Thailand . They have generously provided the alloys for Car # 23. Hence, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight this SSW signage which we spotted along the main truck road to Surat Thani – our night stop for Day 2.
The next day, we drove to Bangkok via Hua Hing – a decent and beautiful town that would put a smile on your face. On Day 4, we arrived at Aranya Prathes / Poipet crossing and ran into much confusion. The passengers were asked to alight at the Thai customs and walk towards the Cambodian check point. They had to wait for an hour before the cars and the drivers were allowed to follow through. This show of rejoice by William standing on Cambodian soil tells the story.
Memory of the infamous Highway # 6 is now a thing of the past. This main trunk road has been completely rebuilt. It is now flat and sits on raised ground. The travelling time has been drastically reduced that we were able to visit Ankor Wat (Siam Reap). Here’s a quick shot taken with my cell phone.
Most areas in Siam Reap were flooded. Thus, the sight of such human-powered ‘amphibian’ vehicles is rather common.
From Siam Reap, the road conditions leading to Phnom Penh have been recently improved too. The terrain remains flat but picturesque, weaving in and out along the bank of Tongle Sap (the largest freshwater lake in S E Asia). This route was also best remembered by the crossing of the 20 odd bridges sponsored by the Japanese Government. At this refueling site, the Singapore and Malaysia teams decided to take a group shot. Obviously, the midday sun was just too glaring for some.
In Cambodia , every now and then we were reminded of its difficult history. I gave a bar of chocolate to this blind man and his young daughter.
And another bar to this handicapped boy.
Not surprisingly, I ran out of chocolates very quicky.
