Ao Wai the Best Place in the World for me to be lazy! Casual Days This picture was taken on my workingplace, behind my house on the hill in my garden from Ao Wai. Behind my hammock you can see the Gulf of Thailand.

Having that hammock was really cool. At first I felt silly, but after a couple days, I got quite used to it and actually embraced it.

I liked reading there and also enjoying the garden with flametrees, frangipani and bougainvillea, hibiscus, ixora, periwinkle in a lot of different colours, nearly all imported from the mainland by Mr. Manat. Ao Wai is named after the rattan vines that once grew here, but now only a few of these trees remain.

It's about 60 minutes, from Ban Pae, mainland, by the yellow Ao Wai ferry named Phra Aphai after Sunthorn Phu, the Shakespeare of Thai literature. You can explore the whole island in a few days.Stay anywhere tonight. The next day walk around till you found somewhere you like.

Samet has been known as a magical isle ever since the island inspired Sunthorn Phu to write Phra Aphaimanee some 180 years ago. Thanks in part of this literary heritage Ko Samet was declared a national park in 1981. This status protected the island from much of the unrestricted development seen elsewere.

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Legend of Khao San

Explore clashing cultures in this haven for budget travellers that inspired `The Beach' and ushered a quiet revolution in this small corner of Bangkok

Story and pictures by BRENDAN JOHN WORRELL

Ms Sirirat at the tourist office provides advice to those struggling to make their way around Thailand.

The original farang flophouse, `Bonny's Guesthouse', now closed for business.

25-year-old Nana on summer break from a university in Australia.

One of the recently opened guest-houses offering clean and affordable accommodation in Soi Sam Sen 1.

Early morning Khao San, travellers prepare to board mini buses leaving for destinations throughout the country.

Just over the bridge across from the Phra Athit Road are guest-houses offering clean accommodation.

Four years ago I was in Kyoto, Japan at another foreigner's apartment contemplating my fate having just retired from the world of English language teaching. Riddled with angst my quandary was ``what to do'' and ``where to go'' now that I was theoretically free and cashed up.

``Go to Thailand,'' my New Zealand friend said, ``it's a good place to start.''

Thailand? _ I knew nothing of the place except that they hung drug smugglers and once manacled Nicole Kidman in ``Bangkok Hilton''. Sensing my apprehension he took out a pen and started writing my travel itinerary.

``Catch a flight to Bangkok _ then take the A2 yellow airport bus and get off at Khao San Road. From here you can find a guest house and later book a mini bus to a beautiful island called Ko Chang or Ko Samet. Once here relax and get your life together. No worries mate. You'll be alright.''

And so it was just like he said. Myself, a naive and inexperienced traveller, was to rough ride the bucking bronco that was Bangkok to later earn my stripes as one of the many backpackers to have experienced ``Amazing Thailand''.

Looking back I was overwhelmed by the phenomenon centred around Khao San Road. In the heart of this major metropolis resides a mini oasis of English speaking Thais who graciously cater to the traveller's every whim.

Often referred to as a ``decompression chamber for backpackers travelling between the East and West'' from here you can secure bookings to all parts of the country and in fact all points of the globe at some of the best prices available, e.g. last month I caught a bus to the ancient Angkor Wat in Cambodia for a little over US$2.

Khao San, as the locals fondly call the patch, is and looks set to remain a tourist Mecca famous from Canada to Australia, Israel to Japan _ with travellers referring to this microscopic piece of Bangkok in a sentimental tone similar to that evoked by the memory of one's first love.

Having since been able to work and live in other countries since my first visit it was with interest that I was to return several years later, particularly as I was coming ``post-Leonardo Di Caprio'' and all the hype surrounding that film, `The Beach'', which had its action based around the Khao San legend.

Furthermore, I feared that arriving during the peak season of early December would limit my lodging options so when the airport bus stopped just off Khao San I jumped into the arms of the first guest-house tout who greeted me and then led me away from the throng to a newly-opened guest-house by the National Gallery.

Exhausted, I collapsed into a deep sleep not to awake till the next morning. Curious as to where I'd landed I ascended to the roof to be greeted by a 360-degree perspective of this seemingly endless city. And it struck me. One of the advantages of staying in or near Khao San is the range of attractions located close by. To visit the Grand Palace I could see was only a few minutes' walk. To get to the Chao Phraya River and its many transport nodes was another pleasant stroll. The National Museum and Art Gallery were also on my doorsteps.

Nowhere had I been graced with such ease of access. London's Earl Court was at times inconvenient, Istanbul's Sultanahmet was way too ``in your face'' and while Kathmandu's Thamel district made an attempt, Khao San continues to hold the cup above the rest.

Travellers are particularly attracted to this area because it provides affordable accommodation and various other traveller essentials all at one's fingertips and within easy walking distance. Furthermore, many of the travellers coming to Thailand to get a taste of its island- life-like to start and end their trip with a week or few days at least exploring the capital and enjoying the many entertainment options available. Khao San in the heart and well placed on all public bus and ferry routes is ideal to place yourself when preparing to party. According to the local tourist officer on the corner of Khao San, Ms Sirirat regarding the concentration of foreigners, she felt ``foreigners like to be near their home, [Khao San Road is] a home away from home.''

Looking beyond the surface level appearance of souvenir stalls and modern traveller services I began to look behind the scenes and unravel the scroll of ``faranganisation'' and the arrival of the backpacker hordes. At first many of the businesses I spoke to had no idea when Khao San became popular with foreigners _ termed farang in Thai. Eventually I spoke to a delightful lady at a nearby photo lab, Puma, who spoke flawless English and had an ageing dog that urinated uncontrollably at my footstep. Wiping the floor she remarked that the area of Banglamphu where Khao San is situated really got popular with backpackers only in the last decade _ and the number of guest-houses increased rapidly over the last few years.

On her advice I went to the Bangkok Tourist Bureau by the river on Phra Athit Road and met a gentleman by the name of Wisarut who revealed that Khao San is actually the Thai word for rice and that the area was once a storage depot for the staple within the walls of the ancient kingdom (walls which can still be seen in some places around the area).

Waltzing down Khao San: an estimated three million young travellers are expected to visit Thailand over the next twelve months.

Outside Gulliver's bar on Khao San road, just look for the tuk-tuk perched precariously above the entrance.

Ex-US service man, Ben, first came to Thailand during the Second World War. He is caught here relaxing at a guesthouse in Banglamphu area.

Tourist officer Wisarut at the Bangkok Tourist Bureau located on Phra Athit Road.

The Phra Athit Fort now hosts an array of activities attracting both local and foreign visitors to the area.

Locals walk along the recently refurbished footpath along Chakrapong Road on the outskirts of Khao San.

Tamarind sellers on the corner of Khao San Road.

Prior to the tourist explosion, the area was rather sedate at one time comprising mostly food vendors and small shops selling basic essentials to local residents and a large monk populace. But celebrations marking 200 years of the founding of Bangkok changed everything. The year was 1982 (2525 by the Buddhist calendar). Bicentennial celebrations that year drew record number of foreign visitors who came to watch the festivities, most of them centred around the Grand Palace and Khao San Road. There was a huge surge in demand for cheap accommodation and shops on Khao San provided just that. Shops and select households offered tourists affordable lodging within their premises and it is from here apparently that the backpacker fungi took root.

Today trudging through the masses of ``dread-locked beach-bums and suntanned-slackers'' I wandered up an alley to Bonny Guest-house which has been referred to as the founding ``farang flop house''. Horrified, I confronted a closed sign and a padlocked gate and later discovered that the owner had finally sold the premises and moved out several months ago.

Still on the scent I followed my next lead to the Phimarnvit School located at 212 Khao San Road and herein met two hospitable ladies, Mrs Boonyarattapant, the retired senior head mistress and her successor Mrs Laopanich. The school, founded in 1919, was set up by the latter's grandfather with the purpose to provide education for Muslim Thais. I wondered aloud what her predecessors would think if they were able to see the present street scene. Appreciating her concern for the pupils' well-being, she reassured me that her students would arrive early in the morning when most travellers were asleep and would leave mid-afternoon prior to the evening's revelry. Contrary to popular belief, apart from the odd incident crime is rare. In addition, she allayed my fears of a possible terror attack similar to what had occurred in Bali revealing that after this incident the police had arranged a meeting with all the local people and implemented a series of changes that tightened security such as restricting traffic after dark and putting more officers on the ground.

No doubt the now mythical status that Khao San has acquired over the last five years brings with it a degree of compromise from long-term residents. In a study conducted by Marc Askew, `A Portrait of Change in Inner City Bangkok'' the unique transmogrification of Banglamphu is unwound with the coming of the farang isolated to the years following the Vietnam War.

The reputation of the area as a handy and affordable locale may in part also be attributed to the birth of another sprawling industry _ that of the travel guide book ( the first Lonely Planet Thai edition also coming out in 1982). In an interview with the Sacramento Bee _ a US daily _ legendary Lonely Planet writer Joe Cummings reveals how the spread and thirst for information about places such as Khao San in part assisted the establishment of this multi-million dollar backpacker industry, (in part dependant on the growing spending power of Western youth). Of note he remarks that the mere mention in a guide book these days may guarantee patronage by tourists in the short-term though for a region's long-term survival it is the location's essential character that will see it survive or die.

As it stands Khao San is a winner with the international backpacker. Its development has responded to the needs of the consumer who comes with a unique set of characteristics far different from that of other tourists who frequent the more ritzy Pattaya or the Sheraton.

On the official Khao San website a concurrent survey is asking travellers the question ``whether building big hotels will influence their decision to frequent the area'' and to date out of 1457 respondents : 796 have answered, yes they will stop visiting the area; 317 have answered it will have a negative impact on the area and 163 replied that it will be less likely that they will visit the area.

Khao San has found a winning formula and if you ask those on the street they will reaffirm that they don't want to see ``theme park'' style over-development.

Looking back to 1999 and the lead up to the release of ``The Beach'' travel writer Ralph Potts speculated upon the approaching demise of Khao San and the end of the travel revolution thanks to saturation yet four years later his predictions may be contested. Furthermore, amid a global tourism recession attributable to 9/11 and the Bali bombing Khao San keeps pulling them in not only newcomers and folks like myself who have had a once taste and decided to return but also with an increasing number of local Thais who frequent the area for shopping or a night out.

On the corner of the legendary backpacker bar, Gulliver's, I asked a visiting Australian traveller about her concerns in South East Asia considering government travel advisories. Nana, a 25-year-old university student on her summer holiday, was scathing in her assessment, `Understandably after what happened in Bali there is paranoia, yet remarks by politicians to stay at home or rticularly ones whereby they threaten to launch a pre-emptive strike against a neighbouring country are, in my mind, idiotic and more harmful.''

And it is not just the young in body who have decided to pack their bags and come to Khao San. Ben, an American in his mid-seventies, was full of enthusiasm for the human circus before him, his visit propelled by health concerns and the need to relocate to a warmer climate. He enthused about the frenetic pace of the Banglamphu area and commented that it made his transisition into a new culture easier as there were people he could converse with and everything was close by. An ex-service man, he was returning to Bangkok for the first time since World War Two remarking, ``back then there was little but jungle.''

Feeling a bit like Tarzan myself dodging through the various species that inhabit Khao San I headed back to my guest-house. A four-storey building that had a cafe restaurant on the ground floor, a dance club on the second, a massage service on the third and guest rooms on the fourth, I asked the Korean owners what brought them to do business here. Smiling at his wife, the manager John revealed how he too was once a global backpacker having spent time in India and other parts of the world. Single and in his mid-thirties several years ago whilst on Khao San he met another Korean , a school teacher and they fell in love.

What won them over and convinced them to stay was the Thai people's approach to life. An accepting patience and hospitality towards outsiders that was difficult to find elsewhere. This blend no doubt is in part responsible for the success of Khao San and tourism throughout the Thai Kingdom. For John and the many thousands of globe trotting travellers like him congregating in the City of Angels' backpacker Mecca, their prayers have been answered.

Travel tips

Today there are hundreds of guest-houses and thousands of rooms in and around Khao San providing budget to mid range accommodation. Prices for a single bed in a shared dormitory often start for less than US$2 per night ( 84 bht). For a bit more comfort and privacy a single room with a fan and shared bathroom can be had for US$3-4 (126-168 bht) and those needing a double room can find something suitable for approximately US$5-6 per night ( 210-252 bht).

Most guest-houses in the area provide affordable meals, laundry and baggage services, internet facilities and tour booking and travel information.

If you're looking for a bit of quiet and something more fresh and Thai a short walk over the bridge next to Phra Athit Road now has several new guest-houses at competitive prices. Several are old style wooden homes that have been converted and at night time sitting on the balcony one can eavesdrop on the locals.

Today the youth/student market is one of the fastest growing tourism sectors. The amount of money young travellers will bring into the country over the next twelve months is estimated to be in millions of US dollars. It is estimated that over the next 12 months more than 3 million 18-35 year olds from around the world will visit Thailand. The majority of travellers are coming from the EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia, The US, Canada and Israel.

To locate up-to-date information keep your eyes open for a copy of the Farang magazine which has been especially designed for the Khao San backpacker who roams South East Asia.

In addition to the prevalence of increasingly large numbers of young foreigners the spreading out of business catering to the market has led to a refurbishing of the neighbourhood around Phra Athit and the fort which now attracts local Thais in increasing numbers at night and on weekends. With a growing number of trendy bars and restaurants opening a cosmopolitan strip awaits the visitor with good opportunities to strike up friendships with the locals.

- On the net: Kao San Road