After the rush of Bangkok and the cool weather of the North, it seems normal for a backpacker to crave a little island hopping. Instead of heading to all of the popular Phuket islands such as Phi Phi, Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan; I visited the Bangkok islands as they are often overlooked but are just as amazing.
After a short ferry ride I arrived at the island of Koh Chang which is Thailand’s second largest island and is situated along the Gulf of Thailand. On my first night on the island, I met up with a friend from Sydney for a catch up.
We considered it an almost unwritten law that we needed to have a Chang beer on Koh Chang.
The night soon went from ‘a few catch up beers’ to a full blown game of ‘Chang roulette.’ This game is infamous amongst backpackers for determining how the rest of your night will play out. As the alcohol content in Chang beers are not regulated, it is literally a game of chance with every beer you drink.
In order to play, you visit the local 711 store with a friend and choose a Chang from the fridge at random.
After you sing the age old Aussie drinking chant βThey tried to go heaven but they went the other way, they went down, down, down,β please proceed to down your drink.
The final phase is to determine who receives the shot to the head (or at least the equivalent in the form of a hangover.)
As the last drops sink back to the bottom of the bottle and your head gets a little hazy, it will be clear to see who has gotten the 8% night-ender and who will be having a sober night with the 2%-waste-of-baht and waste of space.
A few beers later, a pub crawl was amongst us and it is fair to say the night got messy from there. We found ourselves in a respectable Thai restaurant howling 90’s tunes and Aussie classics, changing the songs on the play list to the owner’s dismay.
As Shannon Noll’s classic ‘Let’s Drive’ boomed through out the small Thai restaurant, my friend’s drunken red face turned surprisingly patriotic. I could sense a rant coming on.
βThis song should become the REAL Australian national anthem. Shannon Noll is more Australian than god damn ‘Waltzing Matilda!’ Nollsy for Priminister I say; Malcolm Turnbull is a ****.β
As he ranted on, my friend then proceeded to out-chug a fellow backpacker at the bar, declaring his love of schooners over pints because they are easier to scull.
Good to know we are not adding to the stereotype of Aussie bogans travelling Thailand, right?
– Jen.
March 1, 2017 at 6:54 pm
I love Thailand for so many reasons. It’s raw, great energy, awesome food and the list goes on. My favorite is Koh Phi Phi, adding Koh Chang to my list π
March 1, 2017 at 7:51 pm
I love to read about the areas less explored and for this even more beautiful! Besides, it looks like you had a great time there! π
March 1, 2017 at 8:04 pm
I’ve never heard of Chang roulette. It sounds like real fun.
March 1, 2017 at 8:42 pm
Sounds like you had a great time on Koh Chang! We didn’t visit on our trip to Thailand 2 years ago, but we did visit the diver’s paradise called Koh Tao. Been there too? They have a notorious pub crawl as well! π
March 1, 2017 at 9:01 pm
haha wow it seems like I need to go out more when I travel! Sounds like a fun night π
March 1, 2017 at 11:22 pm
giggle that sounds like a crazy game… looks like a fun place!
March 2, 2017 at 5:53 am
Sounds like a fun night π Chang beers can be a real killer!
March 2, 2017 at 9:05 pm
What a crazy game! I love that you have to go to a local 711, lol! Thailand is on our wishlist for sure!
March 29, 2017 at 10:45 pm
Is this βChang roulette’ a real thing?? It sound like you can have a lot of fun playing it π π
March 29, 2017 at 10:48 pm
Whoa! That’s game sounds like a real Russian Roulette!
March 29, 2017 at 11:04 pm
That sounds like a fun night! π I didn’t know that Thailand had 711 stores, that’s so interesting!
March 29, 2017 at 11:30 pm
I’ve been all over South East Asia, but skipped Thailand I think mostly because everyone goes there so it didn’t really interest me. However I can totally relate to the 711 runs from my time living in Malaysia and Couchsurfing across South East Asia! Cheers!
March 30, 2017 at 1:27 am
I didn’t know the alcohol content would vary that much, weird! What time of year did you have “cool weather up north” The heat in Chiang Mai nearly killed me, I would love to go back when it’s not so hot!
May 17, 2017 at 12:34 pm
Hey Leigh, I went to Chiang Rai around November time. I thought Chiang Mai was hot too! Its just that Chiang Rai is quite a significant amount further North so it does get chilly. Thanks for reading π
March 30, 2017 at 10:35 am
I haven’t been to Koh Chang before!I never knew that the alcohol content wasn’t regulated in those beers! Sounds like you had a good time!
March 30, 2017 at 10:16 pm
Sounds like fun π I discovered something new about Thailand as well!
March 31, 2017 at 3:46 am
Looks like you had fun!
March 31, 2017 at 4:40 am
This was so entertaining! It sounds like a really fun night! If I am ever in Thailand, I will have to play that game. It sounds like it could lead to an interesting night.
April 1, 2017 at 2:14 am
My friend literally just got back from Thailand! Ugh I am getting extreme FOMO seeing all of this Thailand talk! Funny how at the end you said Aussie Bogans. I recently heard that phrase used by some Aussies and thought it was hilarious! Looks like you had a blast.
May 25, 2017 at 3:12 am
Seemed like you had a great time! Never heard of the βChang rouletteβ game but it sounds like a fun game! π