bro thailand was fucking WILD. idk where to even start. like i landed in bngkok and the HEAT hit me like a brick wall. omg. i thought i knew heat. i did NOT know heat. stepping out that airport felt like walking into someone’s mouth. 💀 anyway uhhh so bngkok first.
ok so bngkok. wtf is this city. chaotic as HELL but like in a good way? the traffic is insane scooters everywhere literally coming from ALL directions no one follows rules istg. took a tuk-tuk once and thought i was gonna die but also it was the most fun ive ever had. ngl. the driver was this old thai guy with gold teeth just laughing at me holding on for dear life. cost like 200 baht? idk maybe 300. its like 5 bucks. cheap af compared to back home.
food. oh my GOD the food. i ate so much pad thai i think i AM pad thai now. 🔥 street food is where its at not the fancy restaurants. some random lady on a cart with a wok and i swear it was the best meal of my life. cost like 60 baht. thats like $2 or something idk exact. also tried som tam (papaya salad) and thought my face would melt off. spicy as hell but couldnt stop eating. also ate bugs. yes BUGS. crickets and stuff. taste like chips honestly not bad.
anyway back to food… oh yeah khao san road is a shit show lol. so many backpackers getting wasted at 2pm. like u see a german dude with a bucket of alcohol just vibing. idk how they do it. i had one bucket and was done for the day. weak af i know.
OH WAIT i forgot to mention the temples. so there are like a million temples in thailnd. went to wat pho and saw the reclining Buddha. its HUGE like 46 meters long or something. my neck hurt from looking up. also went to wat arun which is this beautiful temple by the river. but honestly after the 3rd temple they all start blurring together. temple fatigue is real. sorry if thats bad to say lol.
CHIANG MAI. ok this place is different. way chill vibes. went to a sanctuary and fed elephants and it was the best day of my entire life. these big ass gentle giants just taking food from my hand. i almost cried ngl. one of them grabbed my hat off my head with its trunk and i was like ok fair game. also did this cooking class where we made like 5 thai dishes. i burned the pad thai but it still tasted good. or maybe i was just hungry.
the elephants cost like $70 for a half day? idk maybe $80. honestly worth every penny. PLEASE go to a ethical one tho. some of those places treat their animals so bad which is just… ugh. rant over.
went to pai too which is this tiny town in the mountains with like 762 curves to get there. i threw up. twice. but the place is magical. like straight out of a dream. rented a scooter and rode around the countryside and felt so free. also did nothing for like 2 days straight. just sat in a hammock and read a book. which i never do. but pai makes u do nothing. its a vibe.
ok islands. went to koh phi phi and it’s beautiful but SO crowded. like sardines on the beach. also expensive compared to everywhere else. but the water is that insane turquoise u see on instagram. i know u hate that i just said instagram. sorry. but its true. the views are INSANE. also went to koh lanta which is chiller. best snorkeling of my life. saw a sea turtle and lost my shit.
ngl i spent way more money than i planned. like i budgeted $1000 for 2 weeks but i think i spent like $1500? idk i stopped counting. the cheap stuff adds up. u get a massage for $6 so u get three. u eat for $2 so u eat 5 meals. u drink cheap beer so u drink ALL the cheap beer. math is math. 😭
things i learned:
– 7-11 in thailnd is literally heaven. they have everything. hot food. cold drinks. toasties that save ur life at 3am.
– learn to say “khob khun krap” (thank you) and ppl light up. also “mai pet” (not spicy) unless u want to die.
– always carry toilet paper bc some places dont have it. trust me on this one.
– scammers at the grand palace. just ignore them. theyll say “its closed” ITS A LIE.
oh also the full moon party. went to koh phangan and yeah. its as crazy as u think. fire ropes, buckets of booze, like 20,000 ppl on a beach. danced till sunrise. lost my flip flops. woke up god knows where. 10/10 would do again but also never again.
honestly thailnd changed me. like i was gonna stay 2 weeks and stayed 3. then almost quit my job and moved there. still might tbh. the ppl are so nice, the food is incredible, and everything is cheap. idk what else to say. just GO. book the flight. figure it out later. u wont regret it.
wait also the ladyboys. amazing. beautiful. dont be a dick about it. just respect everyone and have fun.
ok this is long af. sorry not sorry. thailand = 🔥🔥🔥. go. rn. seriously what r u waiting for.
khob khun krap 🙏
Real messy travel thoughts. No polish.