I was in Thailand for 60 days from early November 2019 till January 2020 and spent all that time in Chiang Mai. Though I did some important things during those sixty days, I didn’t have a great time because walking anywhere was terrible, sitting on the back of a scooter was terrifying, and sitting in an Uber/Grab was frustrating.
After a 28-day stint in Myanmar, Jonas and I returned to Thailand by way of Ranong and further south in February. We only had 30 days on our unextended visa this time. I quite enjoyed southern Thailand and I finally got the hang of it.
Next Time in Thailand
I would definitely return to Thailand, but if Chiang Mai was already enough, I don’t think I want to find out what Bangkok is like. Probably, I’d be happier traveling to the countryside and away from the coast. If you know about any medium-sized city that has great walkability, I’d love it if you could tell me about it in the comments below. Other ideas for a return trip:
- Hitchhike even more with locals! Hitchhiking was really lovely in the south
- Perhaps do a multi-day kayak trip down the Chao Phraya
- Ayutthaya looks really beautiful
- For some reason, the northeast really appeals to me. Think Udon Thani Province. I have no idea what one can do there
- Maybe there are some abandoned airports I can visit? Or other abandoned places? I am actually all out of ideas!
If you know cool places and things to do in Thailand, comment at the bottom of this page so I can always find your suggestions again once I start plotting my return!
Are you a travel blogger and do you have good posts about Thailand? Drop them in a comment below and I’ll read them!
Hat Yai to Kota Bharu: Hitchhiking from Thailand to Malaysia via Tak Bai
Things in this story happened on Thursday the 27th of February, 2020. Jonas and I hitchhiked from Hat Yai (Songkhla) in southern Thailand to Kota Bharu (Kelantan) in Malaysia. We took the Tak Bai river border crossing. This is my first time in Malaysia and Jonas’ second visit. Taking a Grab to the Hitchhiking Spot After five days of enjoying a few of the sights in Hat Yai, it was time for us to move on. Besides finding a new spot to hitchhike from, we didn’t need to prepare much for this hitchhiking day. Jonas and I found two viableContinue reading
Ranong to Ao Nang: My First Time Hitchhiking in Thailand
Events narrated in this article happened on Thursday the 5th of February, 2020. Jonas and I hitchhiked from Ranong to Ao Nang in Southern Thailand. Despite us having been in Chiang Mai for 60 days before, we had never gone hitchhiking in Thailand – yet! Read about our hitchhiking day and check out the cool map and the comparison between hitchhiking and taking public transport. Preparations After returning to Thailand from Myanmar via the Kawthaung – Ranong border crossing at the river mouth of the Kraburi River, we made plans to travel southward. We spent five nights in Ranong (ระนอง) building differentContinue reading
Kawthaung to Ranong: Crossing from Myanmar to Thailand by Longtail Boat
The events in this story happened on Friday the 31st of January 2020. We reentered Thailand near Ranong after one month in Myanmar in the southernmost city of Kawthaung. There it’s possible to travel to Ranong across the Kraburi/Pak Chan/Kyan river mouth in the Andaman Sea. Mind you that these were the early days of the coronavirus outbreak and Thailand already had its first 14 confirmed cases. Click here to skip to the summary of tips for what to bring and what to expect. Preparations The Kawthaung-Ranong border is one of the few border crossings between Myanmar and Thailand thatContinue reading
My 60-Day Stay in Chiang Mai, Thailand (I Just Don’t Get It)
I entered Chiang Mai, Thailand by plane from China on the 5th of November, 2019. Jonas and I received a 30-day entry stamp initially, which we needed to extend. I wrote this piece partially during my stay in Chiang Mai and partially afterward. Months later I’m still puzzled by this city and its appeal to other foreigners. An unsolved mystery. Expectations Set People praised the shit out of Chiang Mai. For those who don’t know: Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second-biggest city. In recent years, it’s become the biggest hotspot for digital nomads; everyone we met in the scene had beenContinue reading
Kayaking the Ping River in Chiang Mai, Thailand
So far, Jonas and I joined the paddling meetup on the Ping River in Chiang Mai twice. Kayaking in a group usually happens once or twice a week in Chiang Mai. Click here to find the information to find the next kayaking meetup, the map of the route, and some tips on what to bring/wear. Paddling Addicts Since we finished paddling halfway down the Danube, Jonas and I have been looking for our next paddling fix. We once paddled down the Morava river in Slovakia before drying our dear boat Zucchini. But since then, we haven’t set foot in aContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 55: Novi Sad to Stari Slankamen – Frozen Toes
Our 55th paddle day was on Wednesday, the 17th of April, 2024. We paddled from Serbia’s second-biggest city Novi Sad to the village of Stari Slankamen. This is about 40 kilometers and it was very cold. Low Expectations During our week in Novi Sad, we’d been keeping an eye on the weather forecast with a sense of dread. After more than a week of sunny weather, hitting above 25°C every day, a complete reversal of spring and summer was in the making. Just on Monday, we sought respite from the 31°C heat in the city by escaping to the canopyContinue reading
Kayaking the Agger, Sieg, and Rhine – Zucchini’s Recertification River Trials for the Danube
We kayaked the Agger, Sieg, and a bit of the Rhine rivers on Thursday, the 29th of February, 2024. Besides having fun, this was also an important test for our inflatable kayak Zucchini, which had been in storage for over 4 years since paddling the Morava River. Will she float? If she passes her shakedown cruise on these three rapid rivers, we shall take her to Mohács to kayak the rest of the Danube River this year. Four Years, Four Months, and Twenty-Nine Days of Slumber Inflating Zucchini + Testing for Leaks Before we could take Zucchini back to theContinue reading
Travel Light, Shoot Big: Creating Stunning Travel Videos
1468 grams. That’s the combined weight of all my photo and video equipment, accompanying me on every journey. It’s a concise kit, with just three items: iPhone 14 Pro Smartphone Tripod DJI Mini Pro 3 (Drone) I use them to shoot videos like these: Riddersholm, Stockholm, Sweden Huai Choi Reservoir, Chiang Mai, Thailand The Evolution of Travel Videography Travel videography, once dominated by hefty equipment, has undergone a major transformation. With these in hand, I’ve revolutionized my approach to travel videography. Gone are the days when I’d be weighed down by heavy gear. Now, I capture the essenceContinue reading
Two Days in Sion, Valais (Switzerland)
Between two catsits in Geneva from the 22nd till 24th of May, 2023, we took the train to Sion in the Canton of Valais (German: Wallis) of Switzerland. We spent two wonderful days in the town and the surrounding villages before hitchhiking back to Genthod, Geneva. Planning our Visit to Sion I really wanted to visit more parts of Switzerland that I hadn’t been to before. Jonas and I had successfully visited the (unofficial) capital Bern a week earlier and had a lot of fun. Our schedule in Switzerland was very tight, with commitments to take care of people’s catsContinue reading
Arabat Spit: A Day Trip to Ukrainian-Controlled Crimea with Hot Spring + Pink Lake
These events happened on October 3rd, 2021. Our Booking host in Heniches’k named Yuri offered to do a day trip with us down the Arabat Spit to visit some hot springs and a pink lake. This eventually turned into a little adventure with even more spontaneous stops and detours along the way. The Arabat Spit is geographically part of the Crimean Peninsula, but administratively it’s Kherson Oblast. Russia didn’t annex this part of Crimea back in 2014. Ukrainian-Controlled Crimea: Is it Safe? Yes. Since 2014 there has been nothing really going on on the Arabat Spit. One should of courseContinue reading