Bangphli

Damn it feels great to be back in Thailand!! 😀

When I first started planning this trip, I did so by collecting as much advice as I could from everyone I know who’s traveled to the region. Jeff, one of my oldest friends, was included – he’d visited with his wife less than a year earlier – and his top recommendation was perhaps the most unexpected. He insisted that I stop at a lodge called Sananwan Palace in a small town just nearby Suvarnabhumi Airport. Although offering little in the way of real tourist attraction, he loved the “off-the-beaten-track” feel, saying that it provided a cool opportunity to roam around a small Thai town that’s both conveniently located and yet worlds apart from Bangkok.

So upon landing and popping in my trusty old TrueMove SIM card (I kept it active so I wouldn’t have to hassle with signing up all over again), I went online and found their address. “Should I head straight into town and get things moving, or do a quick overnight at Sananwan?” Well, since it was already pretty late and I was feeling too lazy to roam the city in search of a room, I figured it’d be the perfect opportunity to make good on my promise to Jeff. He really wanted me to go 😛

I hopped in a cab and off I went.

Even before dropping my bags in the room I once again felt that rush of “My God, I love Thailand.” Hearing the language, smelling the intoxicating smell of Thai Food, and seeing those huge golden temples looming on the horizon brought it all back. The cramped shared rooms of Singapore were well behind me; I was now headed to a huge private double with a balcony and a view. Not to mention a pool, spa, fitness center and 24-hour room service at nearly street-food prices. Just pick up the phone and minutes later you’ve got a steaming plate of Shrimp Pad Thai for $2. The nightly rate: about $8.30.

I mean seriously…it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Originally I planned to spend only one night at Sananwan before heading into the city – but considering that I didn’t work at all in Singapore, I’m thinking this could provide a convenient and distraction-free environment to get a few things done before the upcoming weekend. Hell, it might even be a nice place to come back to for those necessary periods of work rather than play; a spot to camp out where I can be productive as needed, but still pop into town for a break now and then.

In any case, we’ll see – for now I just have to sleep. Although barely 12 hours ago, the gargantuan, glitzy Marina Bay Sands feels worlds apart from the tiny local town where I now reside – a town populated by tuktuks and street stalls rather than Ferraris and Benihanas. I slept barely two hours last night, and finally, for the first time in a week, I have my own huge, private bed to sprawl out on.

Good night Thailand. It’s great to be back.

Note: These posts are behind realtime; the above took place on Thursday, February 24th.