Visa renewal - I was given 15 day due to land entry, have to visit Ranong and renew by crossing Myanmar border. I get lots of food in carrier bag and 3 liters of drinks, plus rice and stir fried eggs to take away, excessive. A scooter takes me to the hotel where we are to be picked up. I have backpack on my back and two big carriers on knees. Lots of foreigners waiting to leave town and going all over the place. I pay a quick visit to an internet shop nearby to update the family of my situation. On the bus couple of guys were exchanging stories of having been there and seeing people shot and bullet holes in the cars.

The girl sitting in front of us is insisting on reclining the seatback, against the legs of a very tall spanish guy next to me, I try not to get involved but this goes on and she declines my offer of seat exchange with me. She is keen to and wakes up the Canadian girl who has two seats to herself so that she can sit next to her.

One Spanish guy is helpful re bus route and diving too, the bus plans to go further south than champhon and then I have to change to go back up north, nonsense. I get t off at a street corner in Champhon 3.15 a.m. it is pitch black. A scooter gives me a ride to the station and does U turn in the dirt ditch between the carriageways, the track is about 50cm wide and worn into the ground, nerves! I had been told by the bus driver to expect a coach at 7.30, but in the station I found out that there is one at 5.30 and an even earlier one at 3.3o which I take. I snack on the redbean cakes I had bought while waiting, quite nice.

Little sleep on bus to Ranong, cramped and cold local bus where we are provided with red blankets. I arrive before daybreak, and sit outside travel agent which is quite nearby. The breakfast 2 soft boiled and SHELLED eggs! with toast really enjoyable. The guesthouse owner/travel agent at KIWI is suggesting I will have to pay overstay fine contrary to the Lonely Planet info which suggests one day overstay might be overlooked, I say that is Bad news, she says NO GOOD OR BAD NEWS JUST HOW THINGS ARE, good point I guess. she is suggeting I take overnight bus as the overstay desk wont open till 9 and I wont make the 1 p.m. boat to Kohtao, but the minibus driver thinks I can leave earlier so I head with the group to immigration, 500 THB fine for excess day.

We have to cathc a longtail boat to Myanmar. I am in my flipflops and as I step onto the boat I slip and my feet are in the water to just below knees, arms on the boat holding on, and keeping the paperwork safe. I am helped onto the boat, a little embaressed and shaken, but quite lucky not to have got caught between the boat and the pier. duty free being offered on board! Bottle of whisky for about $6 but not some thing I want to be doing, carrying my own alcohol. One American guy is complaining re being splased by another longtail, we are on a river after all. offered viagra etc at Myanmar, visa quick process and back. Met a Russian Dive Master at immigration queue. Also talking to this big Kiwi karl bare foot as he cant find shoes to fit him. I did have the same problem in Lao where they were insisting that a shoe 2 sizes small for me would be ok.