24. THAILAND II

It was time for my in total 5th visit to the "Land of Smiles": Thailand

Since I have seen many regions and provinces in Thailand already and always missed the North East of the country it was time to travel to Isaan this time. Isaan is a mainly agricultural region bordering Cambodia & Laos and is overlooked by nearly all travelers visiting Thailand. In fact, it's getting less than 1 % of the yearly tourism in Thailand and therefore remained natural and gives you an amazing opportunity to connect with local people and experience their way of everyday life far away from any mass tourism.

After spending a few days in Bangkok to manage a few things there, we headed off to Khao Yai National Park. This national park was my favorite one I have seen in Thailand and was really fantastic for spotting all kinds of flora and fauna. Among the highlights were plenty of elephants, hornbills, scorpions, snakes and wild dogs fighting for prey with monitor lizards.

Thanks to our following Couchsurfing hosts we had an amazing time in the countryside of Isaan then. First, we stayed with Piranan in her tiny village one hour from Pak Chong, where we had a great time learning about rural village life in Thailand. Sleeping outside on a woven bed under a clear sky is amazing. Also, the hospitality of Thai people, especially in Isaan was outstanding again.

Next stop was the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, the hub of Isaan and gateway to many places in Northeastern Thailand. From there we took a bus to Khon Kaen where the undoubted highlight of that chapter started. We met with our host Jick there and she took us to her beautiful countryside house a few kilometers out of the city. Actually, we wanted to spend there only two days with her but ended up there for around two weeks. The main reason for that was that Jick brought us to an orphanage in the city where we immediately fell in love with the kids there and volunteered there for that time. The time at Baan Luuk Rak Children's Home was among the best times of my full world trip and playing with the kids there was one of the most rewarding things I did so far. Jick is an amazing person as well and we spent a great time with her exploring Khon Kaen & surroundings and staying at her beautiful house with all the cats, dogs, goats, chickens and turkeys. Thank you so much for that unforgettable time with you.

We left Khon Kaen with a heavy heart and took a train to Nong Khai, the pleasant city on the west bank of the Mekong River. It's just on the other side of Laos and really is a lovely, relaxed city where we spent a few pleasant days. At the end of the 4 weeks in Isaan we took a night train back to Bangkok from where we left Thailand.

5 Highlights:
- Animal spotting in Khao Yai National Park

- Spending two days in a village with Piranan and her family

- Volunteering in an orphanage in Khon Kaen

- Relaxing in Nong Khai

- Bangkok, this city could never bore me

Visited places on this Thailand trip

Canals of Bangkok

Bangkok, always worth a trip

Do it like Snorlax

The situation for animals at Chatuchak Market is improving slowly with every year but still remains terrible, especially the dog, cat and fish section