The ferry leaves Chuksamed Pier, Sattahip, close to U Tapao
 international airport, at 5pm and arrives in Ko Samui at about 8am 
the following morning.

I nstead of flying Bangkok Airways to Ko Samui, one of the most expensive domestic routes in Thailand, travelers now have the option of taking The Blue Dolphin, a 8,952-ton passenger and car ferry, from Sattahip, some 40 minutes from Pattaya, to the popular southern island.
Operated by Seahorse Ferries, the ferry can carry up to 586 passengers, as well as 100 private cars, trailers and motorbikes. Ramp doors are located at bow and stern.
The overnight journey leaves Chuksamed Pier, Sattahip, close to U Tapao international airport, at 5pm and arrives in Ko Samui at about 8am the following morning.
The cost of a one-way passenger ticket for an airline-style seat starts from 2,500 baht. More luxurious accommodation is available, including VIP (2,800 baht), Comfort (3,300 baht), First (8,000 baht), Suite (10,000 baht), Premier (12,000 baht) and Family (14,000 baht).

I​n fact, Bruce’s motivation to undertake this trip this trip from bottom to top of the UK trip came from Taiwan.  The summer before last he was asked to make a three-month business trip to Taiwan for Mazars. 
Having had to endure strict quarantine for the first two weeks on arrival, he was then released onto the streets of Taipei simultaneously as it entered a complete lockdown for the first time. 
Bruce had planned to tour Taiwan by car in his spare weekends but then found that a Thai-based international driving license is not valid in Taiwan. 
With a long weekend looming and literally nothing to do, eat, or see in Taipei he borrowed a bike and took a train (only passenger in the compartment) to Hua Lien, the start of a 200km coastal ride down a beautiful stretch of the East Coast of Taiwan. 
With almost every hotel restaurant or guest house shut it was a real ‘Lonely Planet’ experience, but Bruce enjoyed it so much he then spent the next five weekends completing the cycle of the perimeter of Taiwan – some 1,200kms.
This Taiwan tour gave Bruce both the inspiration and confidence to tackle the UK’s famous ‘Land’s End to John o’Groats’ challenge, or in his case, cycling from the southern tip of the country to its most northerly point.
Having recently retired after working for 35 years in Asia, he felt that this would be a great way to rediscover the UK, get really fit, as well as raising money for the Bangkok-based Beaumont Ruam Pattana school in Chaiyapum, a cause close to his heart.
Bruce spent three months planning the trip using around 200 ordinance survey maps to ensure that he never had to use a main road once.  It meant that the route he chose was 1,730 km, about  200km longer than the more conventional routes, but of course a lot more interesting. 
The whole route was then put on Kamoot software. There were many added and unexpected benefits too. The scenery was much more stunning throughout the trip than he had expected. 
Bruce also managed to reconnect with a lot of friends around the world and gave a daily update to more than 100 people that was full of many beautiful pictures and interesting discoveries on the journey. He also met, and in some cases stayed with, old and new friends along the way. In the end it was a job not only well done but also very enjoyable.

What brought you to Thailand?
I cancelled a trip to Madagascar; Thailand was the replacement.

Where do you work?
I’ve worked for Texica since 2014 and for Premium Food since 2019.  They’re sister companies that provide a great selection of Italian wine (Texica) and an endless international selection of fine ingredients (Premium Food). Hotels and restaurants account for about 90% of our wine sales. Of those, 70% are red wines and 30% white.

Tell us more about Texica:
Texica was established in 2010 for the purpose of importing and distributing Italian wines and also to promote Italian culture through cuisine, music and tourism. We have the largest Italian wine portfolio in Thailand, representing 34 mostly family-owned Italian wineries and 220 different wines using local grape varieties. There are more than 1,000 different grape varieties in Italy, and we cover about 100 of them – some well-known, some less so.
  Our key business partners include Ferrari, Bottega, Marchesi di Barolo, Castello di Bossi, Renieri, Li Veli, Cordero di Montezomolo and others.

Launched in November-December 1999 as a Voice for the country’s booming international community, we’re still going strong after 22 years.
While other publications have come and gone during that period, The BigChilli continues to entertain, inform and sometimes even exasperate our expat audience, now many times bigger than when we first started.
It hasn’t always been easy, and we’ve had our setbacks, including Covid, but we’re proud to still be here, a magazine worth reading. 

This issue of The BigChilli is yet another milestone in the extraordinary life and times of Thailand’s leading expat magazine. Besides being the biggest issue since the catastrophic advent of Covid, it marks our 22nd anniversary of entertaining, informing and occasionally provoking our readers. It’s clearly a winning formula.

People featured in this magazine include Chris Craker, an internationally renowned musician who is helping young Thais to further their music careers; David Barrett, who explains why he has relocated to the UK after 30 years in Thailand; Tamara Demeo, an Italian wine expert who explains why she won’t be leaving Thailand anytime soon; and Bruce Darrington, who cycled from the bottom to the top of the UK to raise money for a school in Chaiyaphum. We have also interviewed the Ambassador of the Czech Republic.

The List, our regular dining column, turns its spotlight on Pattaya with a selection of the resort’s most popular restaurants. As always, those appearing on The List are recommended to us pure and simply by our readers. The column is not intended as “the best” style of guide, though some of the restaurants featured are indeed among Pattaya’s leading venues.

Also down Pattaya way, we write about a new roll-on roll-off ferry service from Sattahip to Koh Samui, which will no doubt prove extremely popular with people wanting to take their own cars to the famous southern island.

There’s lots more too, including an interview with a top Bangkok chef who talks about the importance of sustainable seafood, and the latest report from Thailand’s leading dining, Beefsteak & Burgundy.

As we move into our 23rd year, The BigChilli team would like to thank our sponsors, advertisers and readers for making it possible.

Our Swiss sojourns used to be mid-year events, but since Covid they have been later in the rainy season to coincide with the autumn game season in Europe. We are thus able to travel freely, albeit vicariously, throughout Europe to sample culinary delights normally not available at other times of the year.
Last year our menu featured pheasant and red deer. This time – on the occasion of our twentieth lunch at Chesa – we had a different type of venison (there are many different species of deer), as we virtually wended our way, course by course, around and through the Alps, sampling regional cuisines and wines of Southern Europe.
Our first stop was the bar for an Aperitivo, Cordero di Montezemolo’s Langhe Arneis 2019 (Langhe DOC, Piedmont, Italy), and an Antipasti selection of cured meats, hand-carried from Italy by Club President Tom Whitcraft, along with assorted pickles, olives, and freshly sliced veggies. Wine Spokesman Andrew McDowell had never heard of the Arneis grape that is native to northwestern Italy and used exclusively to make this full-bodied white wine, but he found it “very pleasant” with low acidity and nice taste that went well with antipasti.
After seating, Chef Rene shepherded us to the French-speaking part of Switzerland, serving us an Amuse Bouche comprising a miniature Cheese Fondue and Goat Cheese Profiteroles. Food Spokesman Mark Guthrie liked both the artistic presentation and the piquant flavors resulting from a dash of paprika on the fondue and spicy arugula (rocket) paired with the goat cheese. It also went very well with our second white wine, Cantina Terlano’s Kreuth Chardonnay 2020 (Alto Adige Terlano DOC, South Tyrol, Italy).

When did you begin your posting in Thailand and how long will you be stationed here?
I arrived in Thailand on August 1st and officially began my duty by presenting the Letters of Credence to the hands of H.M. the King of Thailand on October 7. My tour of duty will be 4 years.
 
What are your impressions of Thailand so far?
I have been to Thailand many times before and I am really excited to explore the country again and to see how it has evolved and changed since my last visit. My kids and I love the sun and sea and I hope to enjoy plenty of it here. We also love sailing and straightaway became members of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Pattaya. I also wanted to present the rich and authentic culture to my teenage kids so that they have a better understanding of this beautiful part of the world.
Many people are still unaware that the former Czechoslovakia is now two countries. Please give us a brief recent history of the Czech Republic.
The history of my country is very rich, and it is connected to the history of Europe. Since 1918 when the former Czechoslovakia emerged from the ashes of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, we have had to face German invasion and occupation during WW2, communist regime inspired by Soviet totalitarian system led by Stalin, and Russian military invasion in 1968 crushing the beginning of democracy and prosperity.
Finally, in 1989 we became free again thanks to the positive situation in Europe and we have again started to rebuild our country. The newly acquired freedom also inspired the desire for greater autonomy and self-determination of many nations in former communist countries like Yugoslavia. The Slovak part of the federative Czechoslovakia also desired greater autonomy and finally decided on independence. We are extremely proud that the process of division of Czechoslovakia, even though it was not easy, was carried out peacefully and without a single person killed or a single drop of blood spilled. In this we may serve as an example that peace is the way.
Soon after in 2004, both Czechia and Slovakia became members of the EU and our relations are excellent. We work together in EU, NATO, V4 and other regional and international organizations. The Russian colonial war in Ukraine brought us even closer.