Entry · DAC → BKK
Thailand
Heat, gold leaf and limestone
08 Jan — 20 Jan 202613 days6 places
River temples in Bangkok, a mountain wat above Chiang Mai, and longtail boats under the cliffs of Railay. A north-to-south loop: the river and markets of Bangkok, the cooler hills of Chiang Mai, and a slow finish on the Andaman coast.
6 places across Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi
Wat Arun
Took the cross-river ferry for four baht and watched the prang turn from white to gold.
Grand Palace
Every surface glitters. The heat by 10am is part of the experience.
Chatuchak Market
Fifteen thousand stalls. Got lost on purpose, found coconut ice cream.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
306 steps flanked by naga serpents, then the whole valley under a soft haze.
Wat Chedi Luang
A ruined chedi bigger than it looks in any photo, half eaten by a 15th-century earthquake.
Railay Beach
No roads in, only longtail boats. The limestone walls go orange for ten minutes every evening.
Four baht across the river
The ferry to Wat Arun costs almost nothing and might be the best ride in the city. Diesel, river spray, monks in saffron on the bench opposite.
Diesel, river spray, monks in saffron.
Up the naga stairs
Doi Suthep is a climb you feel in the calves. At the top, bells and a slow haze across the valley — Chiang Mai like a map someone forgot to finish.
Ten orange minutes
On Railay West everyone stops at the same moment. The cliffs catch the last light and for about ten minutes nobody is on their phone.