Back in 2018, I was working in sales for a small Dutch company in China. It was my first year living in the country, and to be honest, I didn’t get much time off. But by the end of the year, I really needed a break. Around Christmas, I had a few days between the holidays. Just enough for a short trip.
It was also the year I met my now-wife. We hadn’t been together for long at that point, but I invited her to come along. I’d never been to Thailand before, and it was her first time ever leaving the country. Bangkok seemed like the perfect destination. Close, affordable, and filled with great food (I’m a big fan of Thai cuisine).
We flew in just after Christmas. I breezed through customs, but she had to wait and get a visa on arrival. That was our first little travel hiccup, but nothing serious. From the airport, we hopped on the Skytrain and then squeezed into a tuk tuk to reach our hotel. The lobby looked amazing, but the room told a different story, cracks in the walls, worn edges, but for the price, it was still a good deal.
On our first evening, we explored the nearby area. We walked past temples and palaces lit up in the night, eventually finding ourselves on a busy bar street. We sat down with a coconut drink and listened to a band playing classic rock. Not exactly our vibe, but still fun.
The next day was all about food. We wandered (or tuk tuk-ed) from one street market to the next, trying banana roti, grilled meat skewers, and all kinds of snacks. I discovered Thai green tea mixed with coffee, and to this day, I still crave it.
On the third day, we did the full-on tourist route. We booked a tuk tuk tour around the city’s famous temples. At night, we found a cozy vegetarian place with amazing pineapple fried rice. So good we still talk about it. After dinner, we walked by the infamous red light street out of curiosity, loud, bright, and chaotic. To much for us.
For our last day, we took the water taxi (I love boats) to the Bangkok Art & Culture Center. It was a nice change from the busy streets. Later, we took another boat to Iconsiam, a giant mall on the river. Shopping isn’t really our thing, but the boat ride was worth it. We ended our trip the way we wanted: with one last plate of that pineapple fried rice before heading back to Guangzhou.
That trip wasn’t glamorous or long, but it was full of firsts. My first time in Thailand. Her first time abroad. Our first trip together. Simple, easy, and unforgettable in its own way.
