I’ve checked into a new hotel, part of the Sawasdee (Sawasdee = hello) chain, Thailand’s McHotels (or McHotles as they spell it on one of the signs here). Cheap and basic. But they serve much better food than McDonalds. I’m sitting in the open air cafe, having just had their 49 Baht Thai Fast Food lunch. A plate of chicken in chilli sauce and rice. Very good.

They have a wide screen TV which was showing some HBO programme. Earlier they had BBC News 24’s Asia service. Now they’ve turned off the TV and are playing Boney M’s Greatest Hits, of which there are many: By The Rivers of Babylon, Daddy Cool, Brown Girl In the Ring, Ra Ra Rasputin (Russia’s Greatest Love Machine) – he would’ve liked Thailand.

I’ve just booked a ticket to Ko Pangnan – leaving on Thursday night. I’m thinking I’ll probably leave the bike here at the hotel, which I can do for 10 Bahts (15p) a day. Apparently the roads on Ko Pangnan are rough and very hilly – mountainous even. A lot of people cycle on the island, but not with road bikes, which is what mine is. It’s just a lot easier to leave it and a lot of my stuff here.