Due to involuntary visa runs, I had to visit Thailand twice within the span of three months. The first time was an emergency; my visa was expiring in three days. I flew to Bangkok and then returned to Da Nang, where I met up with my family for a road trip. The second time was both a necessity and a planned trip with some friends from Germany, so we could spend time together on foreign soil. I also used that opportunity to reconnected with friends from Thailand whom I had met during my time in Yamanashi.
Bangkok
This was a rather spontaneous trip. I tried everything to extend my visa in Vietnam, but to no avail. My emergency passport didn’t allow for any extensions, so my only alternative was to leave and re-enter Vietnam. Bangkok proved to be a good destination: the flight ticket was affordable, I could enter with just the emergency passport, and there were convenient flights back to Da Nang.
And there I was, arriving just a little bit after midnight in the capital of Thailand, with no research on the country and no knowledge of the language or culture—how exciting. Fortunately, at least, my DKB Visa Card worked splendidly, providing me with some cash. Although a few restaurants were still open, ordering food proved to be difficult, but was manageable with the help of hand gestures, pictures and the belief that the local people would not scam me too harshly.
Throughout my time in Bangkok, I stayed in a very affordable hostel near the Democracy Monument. Despite being in what I believe to be the center of Bangkok, including visits to Chinatown and Thanon Khao San (a kind of walking street), Bangkok didn’t feel overly crowded. The infrastructure seemed more advanced than in Vietnam, and golden temples were visible wherever I went. Although I only stayed for the weekend, I just took my sweet time to enjoy strolling around, exploring interesting areas, and, most importantly, sampling all the small street snacks there are.
Somehow, I missed the most obvious tourist attraction though—the Grand Palace in Bangkok. I assumed I could always visit it later, especially with the trip I had planned with Lien and the gang, but I never got around to it. Well, that’s probably for a future trip then.
Phuket
Lien, her boyfriend Son, and her cousin Duc came to Vietnam for vacation. But they also decided, while being in SEA, to visit Thailand for a change of pace. So, even before I lost my passport, we had made plans together. Because I had some other matters to deal first, I would separately take a plane to Bangkok, stay in a nearby hostel to overcome the layover, and then depart for Phuket the next morning. This would have been our shared meeting point where we would hang out two days together. Sounds solid right? Well, somehow, I miscalculated the departure day with the day we actually wanted to meet. We caught this little detail a bit too late, and in the end only were able to hang out the day I arrived in Phuket. Anyhow, everything turned out perfectly as it was. While I was on my way to Thailand, Lien and the gang were enjoying some kind of James Bond beach. I arrived in Phuket a little earlier than they did, so I took the opportunity to get an authentic Thai massage.
Fun Fact
I feel like the Vietnamese and Thai massages were fundamentally different, but now recalling back I am not so sure anymore on what aspects exactly. I believe the Vietnamese massage was very pressure-intensive, which increased my blood flow and left me feeling very relaxed, while in contrast, after the Thai massage, I felt more energetic and flexible.
In Phuket we spent the time together at the beach. Later, I participated in beach volleyball, while Lien and Duc were sunbathing. Son wasn’t feeling well, so he decided to get a massage and after he came back – he was glowing. We also explored the tourist walking street and almost got scammed by a seller who claimed his hand-raised scorpions were worth $10 each. After checking the prizes on the internet, the actual prize should be only around $1 per scorpion. He even looked so nice and reassured us even after questioning, that it’s a special price, which I chose to believe. I am a bit disappointed in that positive looking young man but well, that’s Asia for you!
In the very late evening, we even had a brief glimpse into the ping pong bar of Thailand. It all began with us being constantly approached by touts urging us to visit those bars which are exclusively for tourists and would reject locals. As we walked back and forth along the street, these touts kept approaching us. Finally, we decided to give in and told ourselves that we would go into the next one who approached us. Sure enough, it didn’t take long until we were approached again, and so we followed him.
The entrance fee was 1500 Baht per person (around 40 Euros), which felt quite steep, making us hesitant about entering. To our surprise, the ticketwoman noticed our reluctance and immediately halved the price. While still pricey, the discount was tempting. As we continued to hesitate, the ticketwoman made another significant cut. Now the game was on, and we deliberately acted even more reluctant, partly also because the ever-lowering price seemed suspicious. Finally, after some back and forth, we got an offer of 1500 Baht for all four of us. Well, aren’t we good bargainers!
There were around 30 shows, each 5 minutes long, cycling continuously so you could come in at any time. Besides the famous ping pong trick, there were acts involving eels, a bird, and a turtle being put into places, which you would not expect to put them in. I even participated in two shows: one involved me holding balloons that were shot down by dart arrows in an unconventional way, and in the other, I was hit with soft foam pipes. It was an interesting experience, though the aftertaste sometimes wasn’t great as they constantly asked for tip money. However, if you stand your ground, it’s an overall fun experience, and the girls are generally nice and having fun. Just don’t get too drunk around them!
The next day, Lien and the gang left for Krabi, while I met up with Sorn, a friend from the Yamanashi program. He spent the day showing me around town, taking me to all the tourist hotspots and local restaurants. From the old town to city viewpoints, backyard street food establishments, and even a bar for westerners – I got the full package. A spontaneous twist came when I mentioned playing volleyball. Sorn had some friends who played at their university gym, so we joined them for a two-hour game. Those boys were really good. I’m so thankful to have had Sorn as my guide for the day; his patience and hospitality were immeasurable.
The day was so eventful that I somehow caught a high fever and didn’t feel well afterward, which made me spend the next day in the hostel. I actually thought I might die and remembered how Dengue fever could be deadly if not diagnosed early enough. That was especially kind of dangerous as I was travelling alone and still had some days left until returning to Vietnam. Well, for now I couldn’t do anything either but rest.
Hat Yai
The next day, I took a bus to Hat Yai to meet up with Pam, still battling a high fever. Pam was studying for her exams at the time, so I really appreciated that she took some time out of her busy schedule to meet me. We stayed at the mall, which was perfect given my condition. I was relieved we didn’t do anything too outrageous. I felt a bit bad that I couldn’t be my 100%—or even my 30%—but I appreciated her company a lot. The next day, the day of departure, my fever slowly dissipated, though I still felt quite sick.
You’d think this would be the end of the story as I prepared to depart for the airport. But hold on! So, I have this habit of usually wait until everyone else has boarded before entering through the gate. However, this time, as I approached the gate as the last man in line, the service personnel examined my emergency passport and had doubts about whether I could actually enter my destination country, Vietnam. The process of rechecking the validity took just long enough for them to close the gate. When the service man finally returned with the confirmation that I could indeed enter Vietnam, he pointed towards the runway. With broken English, and an almost comical tone to the situation, he said, “Unfortunately, your flight has already departed.” As the airplane was already taxiing away in the distance. The next flight wasn’t for another seven hours, but they offered me an upgrade—not that it meant much on Vietjet Air. But somehow, I wasn’t mad and just rolled with it. I feel like being thrown into so many unusual situations makes you calmer and less likely to panic.
Side Questing
Finally arriving in Hanoi in the morning, there was still something left for me to do. With barely any sleep and still feeling a bit feverish, I had to prepare for a day with my four nephews, as I had promised them before. I had planned a mini game tournament with categories in sports, intellect, and balance. Points earned would be used at the arcade in the evening. Everything went according to plan. The games took longer than expected, but I was happy to see them all participating, as I initially feared they wouldn’t enjoy such analogous games. We even made it to the arcade, and one of my nephews mentioned it was his first time eating out this delicious dish we had for dinner—even though it was just bolognese. Finally, I was able to take a good, long sleep.