Thailand
Famous for its spice, Thailand is full of spicy beaches, spicy weather, spicy food and best of all, spicy people. I have never seen a Thai person back down from anyone and they’ve got a real spicy backbone to them. Thai people can also be very friendly and accommodating; they’ll match your energy and it all depends on the attitude you give them!
Something one would also notice while visiting the country is the amazingly tasty, spicy and delicious foods all around; Thai cuisine is popular for a reason!
Another reason why Thailand is such a hot spot for tourism are just the absolutely fantastic travel destinations all across the country! From the beautiful islands in the south, the scenic cities, the iconic temples and many many more. It also helps that travel and tourism has a well-formed foundation within the country which allows for ease of travel and an open culture to foreigners. Thailand has a never-ending list of amazing reasons why it is such a great travel spot!
Bangkok
As the city where most travellers start at, Bangkok serves as a great introduction to what Thailand has to really offer. It introduces you to a city full of culture, history and excitement. It offers all of this in many different ways; from its many temples and grand palaces, the alleyways and crowded loud night streets of Khao san, through its many different shops and restaurants that offer local and foreign cuisines, and much much much much muuuch more.
Bangkok is a city of never ending entertainment; everyone’s tastes are suited one way or another. If you’re looking for some peace, you can visit the quiet and tranquil temples (my personal recommendation is the giant reclining buddha temple). If loud is what you’re looking for, just walk down Khao San on any night of the week. If your shopping cravings needs filling just go to one of the weekend markets. Whatever you’re looking for, Bangkok‘s got it and more.
Koh Tao
In Southern Thailand, there are two main regions of popular tourist destinations. The first are the islands and areas around Phuket by the Andaman sea; the second and the one I’ll be talking about here, are the islands in the Gulf of Thailand: Koh Samui, Koh Phan ngan and Koh Tao.
Coming from Krabi and to the other side of the coast, I had a choice to make: which island do I choose to stay in? My three options of Koh Samui, Koh Pan ngan and Koh Tao were not specifically limited to me. I’m sure countless other travellers had to make the same exact decision and perhaps you are also making that choice now.
Personally, I had done some quick research and ended up in Koh Tao. There were several reasons:
- The main attractions in the other two islands did not attract me at all.
- Koh Tao is the best and cheapest spot to get my PADI certification
- Stories and word of mouth from my travels about how Koh Tao was the best
With that, I took the 3 hour ferry ride to my home for around a week and a half. I took the ferry from this place with the help of my hostel in Krabi who organized it all; all I did was pay and show up. That’s what’s so amazing about Thailand. Tourism and travel are a well-formed industry here. There will always be ways to get from point A to point B and their networks allow for ease of travel and minimal worries.
I had spent over a week in the beautiful island. During the day I would swim and snorkel at its crystal clear blue waters and do my PADI certification dives. In the late afternoons I would meander about and relax by the beach. In the evenings, I would find a spot to grab some dinner and fill my stomach to my desire. I eventually found a beach volleyball game held at the same spot every day organized by a group of locals and other travellers. Foreigners are openly allowed to play and games were feisty, competitive and extremely fun. For a while, I was a regular.
Koh Tao has a special way to keep the day simple with no worries. You could simply do nothing and still feel like you’re living your best life. My simple days in Koh Tao left me satisfied and content.
Krabi
Koh Chang
Phananchai Village
I took the overnight ferry from Koh Tao to Chumphon and waited in the very early morning hours in their Railway Station. I had just spent over a week in the island paradise of Koh Tao, was very sorry to leave, and was headed to Bangkok to meet up with Ana. I think that there was a ferry option to go direct, but my cheap frugal adventurous butt just had to take the indirect route. I figured I had a around 3 extra days to kill and I might as well explore a little bit more of Thailand.
So there I was, at 5 am, pointing my google translate on a dead phone at every sign of the train station hoping I could somehow find a scheduled train going towards my destination. Having no luck, I had resorted to talking to the ticket attendant who knew no English. I somehow successfully conveyed I wanted to go to Bangkok and I somehow successfully understood that I could not buy a ticket until an hour before the train arrives. So I sat there for another two hours, charging my phone, on the cold concrete as the locals started arriving in droves. I saw monks, families, elderly, kids, and basically the whole spectrum of the Thai population. No other foreigners.
The ticket only cost me 2 CAD$ for a 6 hour ticket drive through southern and central Thailand. It was as local of a train as local can be; there was no AC, the open windows viewed the country-side all throughout, and not a single sign of any foreigners. Vendors came and went with their baskets of food and treats. The small rural towns and their railway stations passed me stop by stop. People got on. People got off. And next thing I knew, I was halfway to the big city.
During my sleepy humid train ride, I had spent some time looking at google maps; I was mostly looking for a mid point between Chumphon and Bangkok. A city or town with some beach in it, modern amenities, or an attraction. It was very hard trying to get information on Moo 6, Moo 7, Moo this Moo that, so I had to rely on satellite images on Google Maps. One area looked quite alright: Phananchai Village .
(Moo or mu (หมู่) is the Thai way of classifying rural areas or a village administration)
When I first got there, I regretted it a bit. The railway station looked small and deserted; no other soul got off with me. The only saving grace was that there was Grab in town as I was dreading the 30 minute walk to the hostel I had booked. My hostel was right by the beach, just a mere 2 minute walk away, but it was completely empty! I had the whole dorm to myself while only paying for a fraction of the price! It was a dream come true.
My luck did not stop there. The beach was absolutely stunning and it turned out to be quite a destination to be. The white sand coast extends endlessly, as far as the eye can see from the distant high rises up north to the quaint lush green island to the south. A golden glint stands in the middle of the island. Walking closer, one would find out its actually a giant statue. Walking even more, one would find out its actually a temple with monkeys inhabiting the island. The view at the top of the island reveals that there is simply way more than I had previously thought. I had found that deeper in town are a vast array of amazingly interesting things from Temple compounds with markets, seafood alleyways and restaurants, Night Markets, Shops, malls festivals, and many many more.
A complete surprise, Phananchai Village was an absolute joy to explore. I got lost in its streets, explored their temples, walked through their beach and got to see a fresh sea-side city not teeming with western influence. It seemed like a city where other Thai nationals flock to for a family vacation by the sea.
Travellers Pursuits 