First night in Ao Nang

We start the evening at a local roadside restaurant, served by the entire family.

We have a fantastic dinner, much cheaper than at the tourist center. We chat for almost two hours with the owner, Top, and her nephew, Bobo.

Despite their weak English, we manage to cover all the important political, economic, and culinary topics. All in a delightful atmosphere.

A characteristic feature of tourist - Thai relations is the type of conversation: questions from us, plenty of answers and stories from the Thais, and no questions in the other direction. Comfortable, in a way...

Actually, this is how it works all over Asia...

On the first evening after dark  which falls around 6:00 PM, we go to  the "Night Market."

This place is described as the most recognizable and well-known landmark in the city.

At noon, the area was deserted. The heat wasn’t conducive to shopping. But in the evening...

Who's not there! What's not happening there! What's not there!

From the fireworks shown on a body or around it, to the loud, diverse music and a plethora of Thai food in any combination of dishes and styles one can imagine. Sitting at a table and eating from a plate, on a concrete wall eating from a bowl, on a lawn from a paper tray, wandering from stall to stall just eating from a hand, and so on...

There's even a solo pop singer. She’d mostly sing non-Thai music.

It's fun, because right next to al of it there are carousels and amusement park attractions.

According to the latest regulations (which were quickly amended one after another to prevent the restrictions from disrupting local businesses), alcohol can be purchased and consumed until midnight.

So, let's drink! Mostly beer. Our beer is Chang – Elephant. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of secluded spots, well-marked. No need to disturb the trees.