Thailand was, as expected, hot.

Even so, it's still morning, so it's not that bad.

After completing the immigration procedures, I will exchange money.

At Narita, the exchange rate is 3.5 yen per 1 baht, but here it is 3.1 yen per 1 baht. The last time I came, the exchange rate was 2.9 yen per 1 baht, so the rate has become somewhat worse.

And, since there are no buses at night, I used a limousine taxi, which is expensive. Because my friend's hotel and my hotel were in different locations due to reservation reasons, I requested a stop at two locations, and it cost 1000 baht. It's expensive. However, I had heard that it would cost 800 baht for a single stop, so I asked them to go to one location.

This taxi driver was also suspicious. Even paying this price makes him suspicious, so you can imagine how suspicious a normal taxi would be.

First, they asked if we were going to use the expressway, and when we asked about the price, they said it was free, but then, in front of the toll booth, they retracted their statement and said, "It says in writing that the expressway toll is not included." Then, after we gave them money, they said it was 40 baht, but then pretended it was 200 baht. And when we went through the toll booth again, they demanded money again. At the second toll booth, when we said, "Show us the receipt," and "There should be two copies," they suddenly stopped talking and became silent.

Absolutely, it's unbelievably suspicious.

During the journey, I crossed Khao San Road, but the suspicious atmosphere of the people gathered there was also noticeable.

In the end, I was supposed to get off later, but my friend said that because there were luggage in the trunk, it would be dangerous if something happened and she couldn't escape, so she got off at the hotel I had reserved with me. Afterwards, my friend took a taxi (20 baht. Is that too cheap and dangerous?) to the hotel.

Even though I paid 1000 baht for a limousine taxi, I was immediately shown this "Thai standard" level of service.

Banglamphu Canal in the early morning.

Now, it's morning.

This morning, I woke up around 6:30. However, this is with a 2-hour time difference, so it's 8:30 in Japan. Even though I didn't sleep much, I feel quite alert.

After dozing off a little, I went to eat breakfast. It was quite delicious, but I'm probably going to buy snacks later, so I didn't eat too much.

A temple near Khao San Road.

It keeps going around and around, but since walking is limited, I decided to return to the hotel and relax until my friend arrives. While reading magazines and eating snacks nearby, I met up with my friend and headed to today's destination: Wat Phra Kaeo and the Grand Palace.

Wat Phra Kaeo.

I took a taxi and headed towards the palace. When I was trying to hail a taxi, a man driving a tuk-tuk (a three-wheeled taxi) with a suspicious appearance approached me, but I ignored him and hailed a regular taxi instead.

As I approached the palace, I could see a very large watt.

I absolutely thought it would be small, so I was surprised and overwhelmed by its size. As expected.

　Taxis continue to try to trick people into paying more by claiming there is no change, and then taking a few baht. This is a minor issue, so it's unavoidable. It seems that not giving change is normal in Southeast Asia, so I try not to think about it. A walking guide also mentioned that "if there is no change, it becomes a tip in Bangkok."

Royal Palace (Grand Palace)

Wat Pho.

Next, after eating a meal nearby, I headed to Wat Pho. Because it looked like it might rain, I thought about taking a taxi, but the driver said, "It's right there," and was reluctant to take me. Since he wasn't going to start driving, I finally got out, but if I had known the distance, I would have wanted to take the taxi. Soon, it started to rain a little.

I arrived at Wat Pho, and before going inside to see the temple, I headed to the massage area. It was located at the very back, so it took quite a while to walk there. And then, I received a massage while being sweaty.

I changed clothes and received a massage, but it was expensive. The information beforehand said, "Because it is run by a massage school at Wat Pho, there are many young people, and therefore, the skill level is not very good." This information was accurate. It costs 360 baht for an hour, but when I had a massage at a different place, it was 240 baht for an hour. Considering the poor skill level, the price is quite high.

Wat Arun.

Each person returned to their respective hotels, and in the evening, they gathered again to go watch Muay Thai.

Muay Thai: The journey there was delayed by traffic jams and traffic regulations for important people, and I also got lost, so I arrived much later than planned.

And we finally arrived at the Muay Thai stadium, Ratchadamnoen, and entered a restaurant called Likit, which is located just north of the stadium and is described as having delicious yakitori in the guidebook "Earth's Guide." However, it was also terrible, and it was a failure. It seems that the information in "Earth's Guide" is not reliable. It's probably because they are getting money from the restaurants, so it's not comparable to the information in "Lonely Planet."

In the end, I went to a food stall near there to cleanse my palate, and since Muay Thai was abnormally expensive (at least 1000 baht), I decided to skip it and returned to the hotel.

From tomorrow onwards, I will be separated from my friend and will be taking different actions, so we parted ways here.

After returning to the hotel, there was still time before night, so I decided to get a Thai massage again. The price was 450 baht for 2 hours (250 baht for 1 hour), which is a reasonable price. It is also reassuring that it is located in the hotel, so there is no pressure to receive special services.

And, I received it, but it was the same "painful" massage as before. This seems like it will be effective for my body.

In this way, I received a two-hour massage and returned to the room in a state where I was half-asleep, and then I fell asleep.

Tomorrow, I plan to travel to Ayutthaya for sightseeing and to stay overnight.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

From Phranphon Station to Ayutthaya.

Take a night train to Chiang Mai.

And then, just about 30 minutes before arriving in Chiang Mai, the conductor came to tidy up. He was going to put the seats back in their original position. And then, the sleeper car quickly turned back into seats, and we soon arrived in Chiang Mai.

Touring around Chiang Mai.

I arrived in Chiang Mai, but as rumored, it's a relatively small town. However, despite its size, there are a lot of people trying to solicit business. After walking along the street for a while, I negotiated with a modified truck taxi and got them to take me to "Tha Phae Gate" for 20 baht.

At the same time, I made a trekking tour reservation for the next day at a shop located directly in front of the hotel. It's a 2-night, 3-day tour for 1600 baht. Apparently, this is a standard price. Furthermore, I also made a reservation for a flight from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. The price is 1800 baht. This is not with Thai Airways, but with a company called One-Two-Go. A shop on Khaosan Road was saying 1600 baht, so this price seems reasonable.

And then, to the town.

I went to the bank, which is just a short walk away, and exchanged another 5000 yen, just in case. This will add approximately 1500 baht. I think that should be enough.　

And then, turning around, eventually reaching Highway 108. And then, to Chiang Mai.

After returning to town, I went to look for anything I was missing in preparation for the trekking that would start the next day. A hat cost 80 baht. A long-sleeved shirt cost 150 baht. I bought both at a place that looked like an army surplus store. My guidebook mentioned a place with many outdoor shops, but there were actually a lot of army surplus stores there.

And then, I bought a mosquito repellent spray. It costs 220 baht, which is quite expensive, but it is said to be a powerful product that not only repels mosquitoes but also keeps other insects away. When I said I was going to the jungle, they recommended this. It's a bit expensive, but I bought it for safety.

Mostly, the preparations are complete.

I will buy some snacks as emergency food, and save the rest for tomorrow.

Chiang Mai trekking, day 1.

From today, I will be participating in a trekking tour for two nights and three days. It is what is commonly called an eco-tour or ecotourism.

Even though it is called "eco," according to stories from Western tourists, it seems to be a slightly attraction-like experience that involves some jungle exploration and bamboo raft rides, while also including eating and drinking.

This morning, I ate at a nearby restaurant. I had an American breakfast in an air-conditioned room for 165 baht. It feels expensive, but it's probably a foreigner's price. It was only 6:30 in the morning, so there weren't many other places open. After I finished eating, I took a walk around town, and suddenly the town was bustling with activity. It's amazing how much things change in just a few minutes. Today, I plan to walk a lot, and I was a little hungry, so I went to another shop that opens at 7:30 and ate again. It cost 50 baht. The portion is a little smaller, but if it were the same amount as the previous restaurant, it would be about half the price.

And after taking a shower, I went to return the motorcycle. After that, I went back to the room, rested for a while, and then checked out.

Now, the tour is finally starting.

Leave unnecessary luggage at the hotel and wait for the tour guide in the lobby.

And then, we got into a taxi that had been modified from a truck, and the tour finally began.

When I got on, there were two elderly couples: one from South Africa who ran a souvenir shop, and another from France whose husband was a teacher. There were also two Israeli women: one was a lawyer, and the other was a computer engineer specializing in aerospace. And then there was me. Furthermore, three more men from France got on. It was quite an international group.

Two years ago, when I participated in a sea kayaking tour in southern Thailand, I couldn't keep up with the casual conversations, but now that my English has improved, I can somehow follow along. That's very interesting! Suddenly, I noticed that both of us had very strong accents, and I could see that we were having to ask each other to repeat things over and over again. I thought, "It's understandable that Japanese people might not understand other countries' languages."

The couple from South Africa had difficult-to-understand words, but the pronunciation of the French person and the Israeli person was easy to understand, and I was able to follow the casual conversation.

We exchanged information about each other's hometowns, the length of our vacations, and our future plans. Among them, the French couple, especially the husband, was interested in Japan and was studying Japanese, and he had visited Japan many times. He spoke a little Japanese, which made it easier to correct the pronunciation of some words. That was quite lucky. Everyone felt that it was better to talk to each other than to be alone, so we had a good conversation.

Along the way, we stopped at a small market where each of us purchased the things we needed, and then we headed towards the mountains.

After that, we will have lunch and enter the mountains, heading towards the village where we will stay for the night.

Chiang Mai trekking, day 2.

Yesterday, during the information exchange, it became clear that everyone except me and two Israeli women were planning a two-day trip. According to the Israeli women, "This forest is dangerous, and it's safer to have a group of about eight adults." They said that there are cases where people are attacked and never return.

The guide always says, "It's safe."

In the end, the two Israeli women changed their plan to a 2-day course. I wasn't sure if I would get a refund for the remaining 3 days, and I had a busy schedule for tomorrow, and I wouldn't have anything to do if I went home today, so I decided to continue with the 3-day plan as is.

An Israeli woman said, "I will never see you again (＝You will be attacked and will not return)." However, I have no information that a dense forest 20 km from Chiang Mai is dangerous, even if it is near the border. Many travelogues mention women traveling alone into the mountains. I was careless not to look for danger information, but I don't see any reason to change my plans.

Even so, it is natural for women to be worried about the number decreasing, and Japanese women should also be careful of danger. However, this is because I saw a guide with a very long, unkempt nose hair, who said, "I have a Japanese girlfriend." Some foolish women should also be as aware of the danger as these Israeli women. This story will be explained later.

Chiang Mai trekking, day 3.

The rain is still falling, and I didn't bring a bag to protect the camera from the rain. I boldly stood on a bamboo raft and went down, and the view from the high vantage point was very good.

That's because... Several times, it collided with rocks or obstacles, and I had to lower it while using my hands to clear away branches. That's dangerous...

But, that is interesting!

In the middle of the journey, the bamboo raft suddenly lost its balance, and I, who was standing, fell into the river. If this had happened in Japan, they wouldn't have let me get on the bamboo raft! That's interesting!

Along the way, I glanced at elephants, waved to people in buildings along the river, and continued downstream.

Finally, perhaps due to carelessness, this time it was bamboo squid, and the entire thing was flipped over. (bitter smile)

The driver and three passengers, all were thrown into the river. That was dangerous. I'm glad there were no rocks or anything like that below.

Here, I will get in the car and return to Chiang Mai.

In the car, I talked with a Korean man and a Belgian man who were traveling together on a bamboo raft. The Korean man owns a small pharmacy and says he is the boss. That's amazing. The Belgian man is a student and is studying computer science, just like me, and he is currently learning C#. I see. The Korean man is planning to travel for a week, and the Belgian man is planning to travel for two weeks. We talked about the differences between Japanese, Korean, and English, and about the ease of learning each language due to their grammatical differences.

And then, I returned to the hotel where I was staying. This is finally the time to say goodbye.

I said goodbye to them, and then I went to the hotel. I took my luggage, and then I repacked it, and after taking care of some small tasks like eating, I headed to the airport. According to the information I had, the fare to the airport was about 80 baht, but I took a tuk-tuk for 60 baht.

And I went to Bangkok with One-Two-Go (by ORIENT THAI http://www.fly12go.com/en/main.shtml), an airline I had never heard of before. There were no problems, and it was very comfortable. Considering that it was almost 1000 baht cheaper than Thai Airways, I think I will use this airline again if necessary. It seems you can book it online, so next time I might book it myself instead of going through a travel agency.

I spent one night at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, and took a flight to Tokyo the next morning.

Don Mueang Airport is closing this month and moving to a new location, and the employees seemed somewhat apathetic.


This trip, because it was a country I had visited before, I was able to travel without any particular difficulties. Thailand is a country that is easy to travel in and easy to live in. Regarding the trekking tour, I thought I should have looked at more agencies before booking. On the other hand, it is true that I thought Thailand was fine for now. Next time, I would like to go to a different cultural region.