Today I came to the paradise getaway that is Koh Samet. I headed for Tubtim Resort. Even though it is further south down the island there were only two bungalows left that were not booked.

This weekend is the King’s birthday so Samet Island is going to be very crowded. The first bungalow was grotty and old and priced at 600 baht a night, the other was a nice new one built out of teak for 800 baht. It is much more expensive than when I was last here but I did not hesitate. I went for the 800 baht one. Jeab is coming to join me from Bangkok tomorrow afternoon.

I pulled my Billabong board shorts from my rucksack and put them on. I went out of my bungalow and headed down the path to the white sandy beach. Koh Samet has possibly the best, talc powdery sand in Thailand.

A slim young Thai man dressed only in a tight pair of leopard skin swimming trunks was coming other way. He looked spookily like the baggage handler who had tried to pick me up at the airport. His soft brown eyes gave me the quick once over and he smiled.

“Helloooo!”

“Hi,” I said and continued down to the beach. I entered the water. It was silky to the touch and bathwater warm. I swam out to the raft. It was dusk now and I could feel but not see the shoal of fish that I was swimming through.

When I returned to my bungalow, I saw that the slim Thai man that I had met on the path was sitting on the veranda of the bungalow next to mine. He was with a portly middle-aged German man with a short grey beard. They were talking in low intimate voices. The Thai man was still dressed in only his leopard skin briefs and the German had his hand lightly resting on them. The two men looked over and smiled at me.

“Friendly sort of neighbours I’ve got here,” I mused. As I hung up my towel I noticed that on the veranda of the bungalow opposite, a fit-looking shaven headed man was sitting holding hands with a Thai youth. They both waved and smiled.

I went into my bungalow and locked the door while I showered.