Thailand. Birthday Party and Food on The River.

Tonight we were off to celebrate Noot’s birthday. As usual Noot’s sister was a little late and Noot’s friends even later around 45 minutes so we were waiting for them as we were all going in the one truck.

After they arrived we headed off to some river huts on the Moon River about 5 kilometres from my house. These huts are very popular on weekends with the Thai people as they are cheap and a good way to waste a few hours.

There are so many of these huts to choose from, they are lined up right next to each other and one people stand out the front and try and get you to park in their area so you eat from their kitchens. The girls had no idea which hut to go too and and 2 times Joom stopped the car in the middle of the road to get out and consult the girls in the back of the truck. Thai thinking at its best, why would anyone else want to use the road? One time 2 cars went past very slowly and not a horn was tooted. I was thinking of Australia and the chances of someone stopping and punching the hell out of you but it’s “never mind” here in Thailand.

You walk down to the huts along a narrow walkway and these were very sturdy compared to what I have seen and walked on before. The huts are very simple things with basic framing and thatched roofs. To keep them afloat the huts sit on 44 gallon drums or big plastic drums.

The gang settled down for the evening and they consisted of Noot’s good university friends Noon, Annie, Gai, Meow, Lisa, Joom, Ben, Lazy Ma and me behind the camera.

Noot and Ben quickly settled into studying the menu like punters study a form guide for the horses. After 5 minute all the ordering was done and then it was time to talk which Thai girls are good at and wait for the food to come.

The Moon River is the life blood for a lot of people in Isaan country. It is the bread winner for many people and at the moment there is a little problem with the current Junta government who haven’t opened the dam gates from a dam that flows into it to allow fish to spawn in the Moon River.

These long thin boats are the standard issue in Thailand with a generator type motor and a long shaft that has a small prop on the end of it.

Noot the birthday girl posing.

There was a Traditional Thai boat that about 20-25 men were paddling in. It’s similar to an outrigger boat but a lot longer. The paddles are similar and these men were motoring along quickly. They were still on the water training in pitch darkness when we left over 2 hours later.

The kitchen was alive and the roast chickens were being cooked Thai style. They are placed inside a square metal box and coconut husks are placed around the box and lit on fire. It’s that simple and works perfectly like an oven and cooks the chicken a hell of a lot faster.

Stoking the fire.

Cooking the chickens.

The spicy seafood salad was ready for consumption and being put on the plates. It consists of squid, fish, small mussels, onion and a little salad and of course plenty of chili.

The male chef was preparing the deep fried fish and as you can see a traditional Thai river kitchen, nothing fancy but does the job well.

Of course we also had to have the really popular spicy prawn soup “Tom Yum Goong”. It has prawns, fish and some vegetables in it and again plenty of chili.

Deep fried fish.

Fried rice.

Roast chicken Thai style.

So in the end we ended up with, 3 plates of spicy seafood salad, 2 spicy prawn soups, a large deep fried fish and vegetables, 2 plates of papaya salad, a large fried rice, fish small cane baskets of sticky rice, 2 bottles of Pepsi, 2 Bottles of water and a large container of ice. So how much did this massive smorgasbord set me back? Well wait there is more, No not really. It cost me 1,120 baht to feed 10 people or 112 baht per head and I think that is a bloody bargain if you ask me.

The Thai girls love to eat and eat they can do well. I ate a good serve of food and then went for a walk and left the girls to continue on their quest and non stop chatting.



Mmmm food, food.

They were still going strong a good 20 minutes after I had finished even though complaining of being full. I really have no idea where Thai girls fit all that they eat into their tiny frames. It must be hollow legs and arms.

The girls were in hysterics at times with silly things that had been done by some of the people attending the party and I wasn’t spared either. Noot has a memory like an elephant and I had forgotten some of the more embarrassing things I have done. Loke I have said before I don’t drink very often and the few times I have ended up doing silly drunk things.

At New Years Eve I had a few drinks in the village one year and I ended up out with the locals trying to sing karaoke “Mor Lum Style” or traditional Isaan style and this was bringing loud laughter from all the locals and Noot was trying to drag me home but I thought I was a star and going alright on the microphone.

The story that made them really laugh was when I was a little tipsy (a little) and I went to the toilet to release some pressure and I was half asleep with eyes just barely open. I did the business and in a Thai toilet you don’t have a cistern full of water but a large water holder and a plastic bowl that you use to flush the toilet with. Well the next morning I remember Ma coming into the room saying that I had thrown her false caps for her teeth down the toilet when I had flushed through the night. Ma had brushed her teeth and taken her caps off and placed them in the plastic bowl. I didn’t know this and I simply tipped them down the toilet and into the septic tank. So I have got Ma back a little and forgot about it.

We left after around 2 hours and all were happy and full and looking forward to getting home to relax. I had a plan of stopping at Big C and going to Swensens to get an ice cream cake but when we stopped I was grilled to what was going on and had to tell all.

I was very keen to purchase a really good looking chocolate ice cream cake but Ben picked a Mocha one. It was very nice I must say but still would have preferred the chocolate one.

Noot cutting the cake proved a problem as the thing was so hard. Noot struggled to get the knife into it and I went to get some hot water to dip the knife in to make it easier but was told I was stupid so I cancelled that idea and we struggled to cut the cake up.

After eating the cake it was karaoke time and is still continuing now at 11:45pm, Thai’s love to sing. I mean we in farang land do a little karaoke every now and then but nothing like here in Thailand.


So the girls are still out there doing their best and having a good time and I am in my room having a good time composing this blog and watching the British Open Golf.

So if my lovely other half is happy then I am happy and all is well in Isaan country. Life is good in the Far North East of Thailand.

Brunty.