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Published: November 30th 2021
Test and Go in Bangkok
I was pleased with my Test and Go selection. I got this room, plus three meals, plus a PCR test, for THB 3,900, or around USD130.Prologue
As you may recall from my
New York blogfrom July, I decided to resume limited and cautious travel when I came to realize that Covid was here to stay. Up until mid-October, I was dithering on whether and where to go. My first preference was Singapore because I hadn't seen my family in almost two years, and so I monitored whether Singapore would waive quarantine for vaccinated travelers. My backup plan was to go to Canada or Europe.
In September, Singapore opened up Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) with Germany and Brunei. I wasn't holding out hope that they would add a VTL from the United States in the near future because the Covid situation in the US was awful, and vaccination rates had stalled. But, rather unexpectedly, Singapore announced a VTL with the United States. Around the same time, there were also rumblings that Thailand may reopen. So, I decided to go to Singapore for a week to visit family and friends, and then head north to Thailand. Truth be told, I preferred to go to Asia anyway because I knew that, as a whole, people there view battling the pandemic as a collective effort, and so mask usage would
Test and Go in Bangkok
Sadly, the view was of a housing development (eastern Bangkok has grown thanks to the airport and the eastward expansion of rail transit) next to a squatter settlement. This scene is all too familiar from my time in Bangkok in the 1990s. be high, and people would get vaccinated as soon as they could secure one. Surprisingly, I also managed to secure a booster shot before I departed, a sad consequence of having excess doses available due to the stalled vaccination efforts in the US.
Getting to Thailand
The paperwork to get to Thailand was a bit of a mixed bag. The first step is to book a flight and a Test and Go package at a hotel, as well as travel insurance. Once that was completed, one then had to apply for a Thailand Pass, which involved uploading vaccination certificates and QR codes, proof of travel insurance, and proof of having booked a Test and Go package. The application was a tad frustrating because the pdf upload wasn't working, so I had to take photographs of everything and upload them as jpgs. Once the application was submitted, I only needed to wait a few hours before my Thailand Pass and QR code were issued.
When researching flights from Singapore to Bangkok, an intriguing option revealed itself: a
fifth freedom flight with Gulf Air for only USD80. It was only a tad bit more expensive than the low cost carriers, and
Test and Go in Bangkok
My quarantine dinner - tom yum seafood, Thai omelet on rice, and a dessert of random colorful stuff in a thin coconut milk. I had never flown Gulf Air before, so I happily booked it. The flight to BKK was surreal as there were only about a dozen passengers on the Boeing 787. Arrival into Thailand was efficient. Before reaching the immigration counters, we were made to sit on some chairs while attendants came to us individually to make sure we had the correct documents to present to immigration. The immigration counters were eerily quiet. Once through immigration, I met my Test and Go hotel representative who then took me to another holding area while he checked my documentation. After a short wait, another traveler and I were herded into a waiting van to the Elegant Airport Hotel.
The Test and Go package includes one night at the hotel, three meals, and a covid swab to be administered on site. I specifically chose the Elegant Airport Hotel because it was close to the airport and because it was one of the more reasonably priced packages at THB3,900 (about USD130). On arrival, the efficient staff checked me in, got me to select my meals, and then sent me to the nurses' station for my swab. I was then informed that my test result
Khao Soi
Northern Thailand's most famous dish. It consists of both soft and crispy egg noodles and meat in a curry broth. The smaller dish on the side has lime, raw onions, and pickled mustard greens which you add to taste. would arrive at 4am.
My room was large and very pleasant. Sadly, the view wasn't great. Right next to the hotel was a squatter settlement - the people there lived in shipping containers amidst piles of rubble. They were flanked by the hotel on one side, and a walled in luxury housing development on the other. This stark contrast was a familiar sight back when I lived in Bangkok on the 1990s, and it seems little has changed.
Despite the comfortable surroundings, I had a fitful nights' sleep. I'd had a negative PCR test result two days earlier, but there still is a certain amount of anxiety when waiting for a Covid test result. The result came in as scheduled, and I was free to go. I ate breakfast, and then made my way back to the airport for my flight up north to Chiang Mai.
Day One: Getting My Bearings
After a quick taxi ride to my lodging, I was out and about on the streets of Chiang Mai. My first order of the day: food! Specifically,
khao soi, a northern Thai curry noodle dish rarely found in the US. I made my way
Chiang Mai City Wall - Thapae Gate
How are the man on the left and the woman on the right connected? The woman is trying to get the perfect shot with pigeons flying around her. The man is paid to toss food to attract the pigeons, and then he pushes the stick in the vicinity of the Instagrammer to scatter the pigeons and help her capture the perfect shot. to the nearest
khao soi stand and had a satisfying bowl of noodles. The rest of my day was spent wandering around the city, getting my bearings in order to set myself up for the days of exploring ahead. I looked out for useable landmarks and noted where my sightseeing targets were. I quickly established that the city walls and moat, and, in particular the eastern gate, also known as the Thapae Gate, were my best landmarks. The only visible highrise was the Meridien which also served as a secondary landmark. Overall, though, I was just pleased to be back in Thailand. This is a country I have lived in, and I love the culture and the people. Because I can get by in Thai, it is also easy for me to figure my way around.
That evening, my friend Paul and his wife Renu came to get me at the hotel. We drove out to dinner at a restaurant by the Ping River. I had a great time catching up with Paul, and getting to know Renu. Like me, Paul took a career break in 2017. Unlike me, however, he did not return to the United States. He
Doi Suthep
Not sure if this is supposed to represent a mother (or, probably more appropriately, a mother-in-law), or if the word "Mom" got lost in translation/transliteration. Rather hilariously, Google Translate translated the Thai characters as "moron". Either way, a fun little photo opportunity. Renu later explained that this these creatures are considered lucky to the Chinese, and they started turning up when more Chinese started visiting the area. met Renu in Bangkok, and when he got home, he sold his apartment, disposed of his belongings, and flew back to Thailand. He now owns a small real estate development and management firm in Doi Saket on the outskirts of Chiang Mai.
Day Two: Already Templed Out!
I awoke early and decided to start my explorations with a trip out to Doi Suthep, a sacred mountain to the west of the city. It didn't take me long to find a red
sawngthaew to get me out to Doi Suthep. I paid the going rate for a charter out there. In normal times, I would likely have been able to find other travelers to split the cost with me, but not this time. In any case, many of the hardworking locals were probably having a tough time getting through the pandemic, and I wasn't going to nickel and dime my way with them.
The drive to Doi Suthep took about 30 minutes. Before long, we reached the mountain proper and started our ascent. En route, I observed locals giving alms to monks. As it was Sunday, there were many cyclists riding up the mountain, along with a handful of
Wat Chedi Luang
I absolutely loved this magnificent stupa. runners. I observed with amusement that some of the friendly stray dogs trotted alongside the cyclists and runners as they made their way uphill.
The
sawngthaew driver deposited me at the base of the famous naga steps. I made my way up the 300+ steps to the Doi Suthep temple, which was spectacular. The views over Chiang Mai were a little hazy, but I could make out the outline of the moat and the airport. After wandering around the temple grounds, I made my way back down the naga steps and back to Chiang Mai. I asked the driver to send me to a boat noodle stand of his choosing. There, I had a delicious breakfast which put me in good stead to continue my day of exploring.
My first sightseeing target within Chiang Mai was Wat Chedi Luang. The main temple, pretty as it was, wasn't my prime target. Rather, I was interested in the 14th century stupa behind it, and it certainly did not disappoint. I circumnavigated the breathtaking stupa several times and then I simply sat and admired it. After Wat Chedi Luang, I popped in to the City Pillar shrine, then I went to
Chiang Mai City Wall - Thapae Gate
At Thapae Gate, I saw about a dozen protesters standing next to the road, right hand raised in the Hunger Games salute, holding up signs against the country's lese majeste law. For obvious reasons, I have not posted photos of the protesters. A surprising number of vehicles honked as they drove by. This scene would have been unimaginable when I lived in Bangkok. Wat Phan Tao nearby. After that, I wandered the streets of Chiang Mai while I headed in the general direction of Wat Phra Singh. At Wat Phra Singh, I wandered the grounds for a bit before heading back in the general direction of my hotel. I then took an afternoon nap before heading out again. This time, I explored some of the sois just outside the old city.
Upon returning to the old city, I realized that many of the nearby streets had closed down for the Sunday Walking Street event. I had a pleasant evening out exploring the stalls, and also getting a nighttime perspective of the various monuments I had visited during daylight. I am sure that this event was a shadow of its pre-Covid self, but it was also nice to see the locals reclaiming the space. I was pleased to note that even the Walking Street event took Covid seriously. Checkpoints were set up at all the entrances. There, all people entering the street had their temperatures checked, and they were required to scan the QR code using the Morchana app. I had noted earlier in the day that most establishments had similar requirements.
Walking Street
The Sunday nighttime walking street. I imagine in normal times there would be multiple times more vendors and tourists. It was nice to see locals enjoying the scene; I suspect they normally stay clear when the tourist swarms are around. I had dinner at the Walking Street. I ate a searingly spicy mushroom salad, accompanied with a cooling mango smoothie. After dinner, I wandered some more, and I found myself at the Thapae Gate again. There, I ordered a sweet roti with nutella from a delightful Muslim woman. When she received my cash, she did a cute little ritual which involved touching various points of her stall with my 20 baht notes. At Thapae, I noted that there were about a dozen people protesting the
lese majeste law. They were lined up on the side of the road holding up signs and giving the
Hunger Games salute. Such a display would have been unthinkable when I lived in Thailand. Times have changed. There were also anti-meat industry protesters dressed in black holding up monitors showing how animals were slaughtered.
Day Three: Taking a Drive Around Doi Saket
I spent the morning wandering the old city again after another noodle breakfast. I wanted to explore a couple of the museums, in particular the Lanna Folklife Museum, but they were all closed. After some walking, I returned to my hotel. There, I had a conversation with Jeff about whether I
should cut short my trip due to the emerging Omicron variant. I assessed that because Thailand moved quickly to revoke quarantine free travel for people who had been in Southern Africa, the risk to my safety wasn't great. The bigger risk in my mind was whether Japan Air Lines would cancel my flights. As it were, Japan wasn't allowing foreigners in, and so they were operating overseas flights primarily for cargo and transiting passengers. After some discussion, we decided that I should continue as I only had six more days, and even if I could secure an earlier flight, I would not be able to board it unless I undertook a Covid test (which I had already booked for December 3rd). I'm a little nervous, but I have to accept that there is a real risk of getting stranded nowadays if I am to cross borders.
Paul came to get me just after noon. Our plan was to drive out to the Doi Saket area, which is located about 20 minutes drive northeast of the old city, where he lives and works. Our first order of the day was more khao soi, this time at a roadside stall near
Dinner Location
We had dinner overlooking this serene rice paddy. his home. After that, we stopped by his office for a while, before we set off to Wat Phrabat Tinnok to enjoy some views of the area. Our next planned destinated was a waterfall known as as the Sticky Waterfall (Namtok Bua Tong). Getting there, however, required driving up to a dam and then along the dam. We drove to the dam via several routes only to encounter closed gates. Finally, we asked a guard and he told us the dam was closed to the public due to Covid. I cannot imagine why that would be the case, but we decided to go to another waterfall in the area called Namtok Mae Kampong. Getting there involved driving along some country roads. En route, we stopped at a property called Take a Walk for a coffee. To get to the coffee shop, we had to walk along a path and then across a suspension bridge. Once across the bridge, we got a lawn with a whimsical hobbit-like house, and various structures. After a good coffee, we set off uphill to get to the waterfall.
The road to the waterfall was narrow, steep, and winding. Along the way, we saw many
Dinner Location
Our dinner companion. lodgings, shops, and lodgings catering to domestic tourists. I developed a mild case of motion sickness and I was glad to finally reach our destination. A brisk walk in the cool mountain air (we were at an elevation of over 3,000 feet) helped clear the nausea.
On the way back into Chiang Mai, we stopped for an early dinner at a restaurant that was hidden away. The restaurant itself was really nice, with rice field views. The food was good too. After dinner, Paul dropped me off at my hotel.
Having Paul around was quite a godsend, as he brought me to places only a resident would know, and this in turn made my experience extra special. Tomorrow, I head south to Sukhothai.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
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I'm glad you are traveling again, blogging and enjoying wonderful foods.