When meeting people in America who have traveled to Southeast Asia, the highest vote for favorite country is typically “Thailand.” Even with that being the most popular vote, I never felt a high urgency to visit, but I’m glad I got to see what it is all about. As Tim would explain before me, numerous times, “it’s cheap, best food, easier-than-most to navigate and there is so much to do and see.”
I’ve broke Thailand into nine chapters. This was Tim’s third time in Thailand (even he has more to explore. But for us (+ other first timers 😉) we had the best personal tour guide!
This month has a lot to cover. For this post, I will start with two chapters.
The nine chapters of Thailand
- Hat Yai
- Koh Lipe
- Bangkok (+ Tara & Michelle)
- Chiang Mai (+ Tara & Michelle)
- Khao Sok National Park (+ Tara & Michelle)
- Krabi – Railay Beach (+ Tara & Michelle)
- Phuket – Patong (+ Tara & Michelle)
- Ayutthaya
- Chiang Rai
Where is Hat Yai?
Southern Thailand near the Malaysian border and the fifth largest city in Thailand.
-wikipedia
To have a better idea of where we began our Thailand journey. I marked the spot on the map. We booked a mini van to cross the border from Malaysia to Thailand. Our driver was nice. He tried to find a money exchange open however the two he recommended was closed. It was going to be one of those days. I remember walking up and down streets, asking locals. With one of the first ATMs found, I thought it took my money. But with persistence, we finally had Thai Baht in hand.
To find accommodation, Tim and I walked up and down the streets with our backpacks searching for the best deal and comfort. At first we came across a hotel that had a strange spa on the first floor. The building itself was pretty outdated and difficult to maneuver through the hall way.
Our end result accommodation was amazing yet hard to find. We had a spot to ourselves and at a discounted price due to a canceled reservation (hostel review will be posted in near future).
Accommodation: Khoksamelchun Hostel & Caffe
Would you rather have a Thai iced tea or coffee?
Tim and I would have coffee and Thai iced tea every day. This is about where I started the cycle of having a tasty beverage once a day. To me, it was a luxury. Back at home, Thai iced tea costs $4.00 to $5.00 USD. Tim, on the other hand, was highly intrigued by a handheld espresso machine. For those of you who know Tim, please see the video below of what started the coffee home set-up of summer 2023.
Rok
“Human-powered espresso maker to last you a lifetime · “The ROK offers both personalisation and experimentation when it comes to drawing your ideal espresso” –www.rok.coffee
I like to mention (for personal note) I bought my current everyday planner from here.
-for those of you who know about my love for office supplies, I’m sure you understand.
Furthermore, I took a chance and dyed my hair in this city, which unexpectedly resulted to 5 different shades of blonde. Completely different from what I asked. At certain angles, it still looked good.. (and with no background context).
A few times, we stumbled across a hippie/boho/second-hand streetwear market. It was definitely for a younger/college demographic and fun to walk through.
Koh Lipe– At the time visited, Koh Lipe was an island that was growing. Businesses were under construction and developing. I could walk from one side of the island to the opposite side within possibly 20 – 30 minutes. Ranked to be both Tim and I’s favorite island visited. We ate a lot of fresh snapper (grilled and fried). Overall, there was not a lot of restaurants to choose from. We even tried an Indian restaurant just to switch it up out of the maybe 4-5 days we were there. The food was on the sweet side. By the end of it we spoke with the staff and were informed that there were from Bangladesh. Another fun activity was taking a taxi boat to the nearest island. We hiked to a viewpoint overlooking Koh Lipe. Witnessed my first fire show in Thailand out of many in next 3 weeks. + Tim scuba dived! Loved the white sand and beautiful green, blue, teal.. water.
Beyond Rose 
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