58 Day: Monday 19th November: Koh Samui - Songkhla

Left Home Bay at 7.30 to catch the ferry and sadly leave the American beakfasts, the entertaing birds and this relaxing haven. Only just made the ferry. The ferry journey back was no more memorable than the outward. However, the return to the bus was quite eventful for the eventual head to head clash between to the two guides over Leighton's missing mobile. As we sat on the ferry heading to Samui Leighton suddenly discoved his mobile was missing with all the Ozbus numbers etc. He immediately assumed he'd left it on the bus with his keys which were gone. On entry to the bus his keys were there but not his phone. On informing Tami she took little notice and basically ignored him and his request for her to ask the driver. When further asked she said why didn't you tell me on the island and I would have phoned the driver. He then made out he wasn't concerned about it because she'd said we could leave antyhing on the bus. In effect he was trying to shift the blame and she was having nothing of it intimating he was drunk the morning we left Bankok and he was to blame. With Fe now demanding that she rang the police to report the theft which was tantamount to saying the driver was the thief things were made worse. He was unable to defend himself not speaking any English at all. Personally he was a good driver, pleasant, friendly and very helpful at all times and would be foolish to steal something from his own bus risking his job and prosecution. Eventually it was agreed that the police would be contacted once we arrived at the hotel.

Another session of shouting and recriminations broke out in the hotel forecourt with a policeman present this time. Eventually Tami stormed off shouting that Thai people are not thieves and that she refused to stay in his presence any longer. She also accussed him again of losing the phone as a result of being drunk in Bangkok.

The hotel we were now booking into was a fine looking establishment with three stars, swimming pool etc.