You experience everything in Thailand (13)

Another episode of a series of stories, telling how Thailand enthusiasts have experienced something special, funny, curious, moving, strange or ordinary in Thailand.

Today a nice story from Theo van Raaij about his first trip to Thailand, which we have taken over with permission from the Facebook page Thailand Community.

If you also want to share your experience with us and the blog readers, please send your message, possibly with a photo you took yourself, to the editors via the contact form..

This is the story of Theo van Raay

My first trip to Thailand

In 2016 I will go to Thailand for the first time. After a few other cities I decide to visit Ao Nang. Arriving at Krabi airport, thanks to YouTube I immediately know where to find the bus tickets to Ao Nang. The bus will drop me off at “The Morning Minihouse Aonang” and the driver immediately knows where it is. When I arrived at the hotel, they couldn't find my booking. The hotel turns out to be the Mini House Ao Nang and not the hotel I booked. The taxi and tuktuk drivers are willing to take me there for a fairly high amount, so I just walk the 2 kilometers.

Once I arrived at the hotel, the owner apologized several times for the fact that others had taken me to the wrong hotel. Asks me why I didn't call, because then he would have picked me up. We talked extensively about why I am in Ao Nang and he gives me a bird's eye view of where I can find something in Ao Nang.

After a cooling shower I set off for the center of Ao Nang, which is about a 10 to 15 minute walk. It's already dark and I'm just on my way when a motorcycle comes towards me. It's the owner of the hotel. The conversation then briefly goes as follows: Where are you going? The centre. Are you going alone? Yes, I'm alone here after all. Are you going to walk all the way? It's only a 15 minute walk, I can manage that.

The hotel owner does not think this is possible and offers me his motorcycle on the spot, because I am pathetic and alone and then also walking such a distance at my age. I can use the motorcycle for the rest of the evening and the best man will walk to the hotel himself. This man has known me less than 2 hours and just offers me his motorcycle. I politely explain to him that I can still walk just fine and I might also want to drink a cocktail and then riding a motorcycle is not so convenient. The hotel owner agrees, but then insists that he take me to the center. A special friendship was born.

The hotel owner and his wife help me book island trips, rent a motorbike, visit the places around Ao Nang that are not touristy, speak the Thai language and so many other things that my visit of a few days eventually turns into a stay of 1,5 weeks.

When I say goodbye I get another keychain and then put The Morning Minihouse Aonang on Google's map. After all, that's the least I can do for such special friends.

The photo is from 2019 when I went to visit these special friends together with my girlfriend Ning and introduced them to each other.