Traveling To Thailand

Karon View Point

So, I went to Thailand back in April of this year and it was one of the best places I’ve ever been. To start off, I took a Southwest flight from Atlanta, Georgia to LAX to catch my plane. The flight was easy but when I arrived, I thought I would be able to relax at the gate. Well, I was wrong. I arrive in LAX at 9 AM after changing my Southwest flight from an afternoon flight to an early morning flight. At the time, I was thinking I should give myself extra time just in case there is a delay or something that could cause me to miss my flight to Thailand. Well, that was a mistake. After being in the airport for 12 hours, I realized that I should have kept the flights that I had and arrived in LAX later. I will say that it was definitely a learning experience.

Once the flight left on China Airlines, I had to sit in very small seating. I got comfortable as much as possible and I tried to sleep as much as possible. The flight was pretty smooth, and the people did not bother me at all   .

Airport in Taiwan

I had a four hour layover in Taiwan that extended to a seven hour layover. That was interesting because I was able to try and experience new things at the airport. At the airport, each gate had a different theme that was unique to Taiwan or China in general. I would walk up and down the terminal noticing they had a sitting area where you could literally play video games or arcade games. That made the experience even more enjoyable.

After my flight to Thailand, I had to go through customs as I entered the country and grab my checked bag. I walked outside of the airport and was hit by a wave of heat and humidity. Y’all it was hot. Walking outside was like walking into a building that had a broken AC and the whole building was stuffy. Once I arrived at my hotel, I was happy. It wasn’t until then that I realized I was in Thailand. My very first country outside of the US.

Thailand

Thailand was great. Each hotel I stayed at was very welcoming and issue free. Everyone in Thailand was very nice and made sure they gave the best customer service possible. I started my Thailand travels in Bangkok first. I stayed in Bangkok for two days before I took a $60 Thai Smile flight to Phuket. In those two days I was able to experience the hospitality of Thai people. Even with the crazy traffic, they made it their business to make sure I was comfortable. I booked a hotel near the airport, so when I decided to go downtown, I spent about $10 on a Grab that took 45 minutes to get to Downtown. The malls were great, and the street food was out of this world.

After those two days, I took a flight on Thai Smile and traveled to Phuket. I had a hotel by the beach and the place had a beautiful pool that I was also able to relax in when I got tired of the beach. The whole week I was in Phuket, I made sure to do different things. I took a tour around Phuket where I got to see great sites like Windmill Beach, Big Buddha, and Karon Beach. I was able to eat great street food and even was blessed by a Buddhist Monk, an experience I will never forget. Right before I left to go back to Bangkok, I went to Old Town and went to Hogs Head Café. A café that was Harry Potter themed and looked like a pub right out of Diagon Alley.

When I arrived back I Bangkok, I stayed at the Radisson Suites Bangkok Sukhumvit. The hotel was kind of tucked away but I was able to find it easily. I was in walking distance from Terminal 21 and a short 10 minute Grab ride away from the GMM TV building where, if you are a BL drama or Thai drama lover, you are able to go up to the 30th floor and buy merchandise of your favorite series. On the last, full day of my stay I took a Grab to Icon Siam and went to the largest Starbucks in Thailand. The place was so big that it had an upstairs and a balcony where you can view the river while you sip your drink.

To say I enjoyed myself would be an understatement. I absolutely loved Thailand. With my entire two three week trip that includes flights, hotels, food, and grab rides, I spent no more than $2600 in total. I wish I could have done more like go to Pattaya and Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. However, I know when I return, those are the places I will visit next, and I hope you will too.