One makes a trip by day, but by night, one sets out on a journey.

-Tove Jansson

7th November, 2023: The day has come when Mum and I would travel to Thailand. Mum was packing suitcases while I was at work that morning. I had been on duty the day before, and no patients had arrived throughout the night, so I was able to sleep all night before this journey. Mum still had some clothing to pack when I arrived for breakfast at 09:00, after my shift had ended. This was also the day our new interns (doctors-in-training) arrived (for their three-month posts here), so I had to give them an orientation. Didn’t I pack my own luggage? Not at all; I returned home at 14:00 to review it.

When I returned, Dad was still working (from home) and had finished for the day. I glanced through my luggage again to ensure I hadn’t forgotten anything, and it was surely sufficient. Our AirAsia flight was due to depart at 23:00 hours from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (T2, which had just opened). We changed clothes at 15:30 p.m. Unlike last time, I brought a sling bag to contain my passport, money, and phone, so I wouldn’t have to ask Mum for it every time, as we had on our previous trip.

Because I have various dietary limitations, Mum made dinner for me to eat at the airport. I was a member of a Telegram group that provided daily updates on Volvo airport bus times and schedules. This covers the crew’s details. I called the crew’s contact to advise him of our arrival. The bus (KIA-5D) departs from our home at 16:45 and should arrive at the airport’s T1 (domestic terminal) around 19:00. However, due to the rainy weather, one could expect water-logged roads and legendary traffic jams, therefore the crew informed me that the bus will arrive no later than 20:00 hours.

That generated a debate among us over whether it was best to leave our bus stop at 16:45 and arrive all at once, or to take the metro to the nearest bus stop and then catch one of the KIA buses home. I expected the latter choice to be inconvenient, even if it would save roughly an hour, so I chose the former.

Dad was set to drop us out at the bus stop when we left our house at 16:30. After we said our goodbyes, the bus left (with only four passengers, including ourselves). Unlike the previous time, our home was further from the airport. The Volvo bus had to stop numerous times on its trip to the airport, adding substantial time to the journey. The possibility of missing the flight was making us nervous. I was worried, but Mum begged me to relax, even though I knew she was worried too!

Another issue is that foreign flights start from Terminal 2 and busses end at Terminal 1, necessitating the usage of a shuttle bus or a Volvo bus (which begins its route to city destinations by passing through Terminal 2). Another passenger seated next to us requested that the conductor send the bus to Terminal 2 first because she was running late. That was a wonderful respite for us. It picked up speed after a major intersection, and we arrived at Terminal 2 around 20:00. So just three passengers, including us, arrived here; the remainder will continue to Terminal 1.

KIA-5D. The bus journey to airport.

It was a lengthy ride, and my sciatica worsened. I needed to pee, eat my dinner, and then proceed without more delay. The initial stumbling barrier is the check-in.

We should have discussed this earlier. AirAsia accepts up to 7 kilos of luggage per passenger for free. Because ours weighed 20 kg (9 + 11), we had to rebalance the weight (like we did in Don Mueang before our return trip). It’s unethical, but Mum had to save money. Mum had to wear two shirts and three track pants, whereas I had to wear two shirts and three track pants. Our pockets were full of Kleenex, undergarments, bras, and vests. When I glanced in the mirror, I saw a severely obese person (we had to repeat this three times, and it still weighed 16 kg (7+9); the staff was generous enough to accept this without charging an additional cost).

And, after checking in, we returned things to our cabin baggage because they seemed suspicious to anyone. The second impediment is immigration. Thankfully, the counters were vacant. It was reserved for Indian passport holders, foreign passport holders, OCI/PIO card holders, flight crew, and diplomats. “You’re going to Bangkok?” the officer inquired.

The third barrier is the security checkpoint. We passed through immigration at 20:45. The security check-in went easily. We arrived in eight minutes and went straight to the waiting area. Our gate number was C2, and the boarding time was 22:30. We opted to spend the remaining time exploring the airport and its facilities (particularly since Terminal 2 had recently opened). I couldn’t access the airport lounge since RuPay cards were still not accepted. Restaurants, sleeping pods, and duty-free shops (mostly Dufry’s) were offered. Regarding the terminal, I believe it is over-beautified, despite the fact that it appears to be a copy of Singapore’s Changi airport. Because it has only recently opened, there will be many more stores opening soon.

Terminal 2, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.

To go to the C/D gates, we needed to cross a bridge. Except for cafes, there were few stores here. At the Coffee Bean cafe, I ordered a latte (300 mL) for Rs. 300, which was somewhat pricey, but it tasted and licked delicious. Another issue was that there were not many passengers present. We located our gate and sat down. As time passed, announcements regarding the boarding of this flight (FD-138) were made. The air bridge connected the gate to the airplane. And as the final passenger on the plane, I saw that several of the “premium” seats in the front were unoccupied. My seat number was ‘7C’, while Mum’s was ‘7B’. I was surprised to find myself in an aisle seat!

I was sitting in the window seat (‘7A’) when an older guy approached and asked me to reposition the seats. When I refused, the cabin crew informed me that my seat, ‘7C’, was an aisle seat. What caused the confusion? Because I recall buying a window seat for myself on the next trip on the AirAsia website. When I fought with Mum over this gaffe, the gentleman beckoned for me to take his seat, as his buddies were sitting behind us. As the crew looked on, I thanked him and moved to the window seat. A Westerner occupied the ‘7C’ seat.

I studied the safety information card and looked through the vacation mags. It was written in Thai, Mandarin, and English. Except for some information written only in Thai, items available for purchase on the aircraft (including food (pad thai, Hyderabadi biriyani, and, as far as I recall, a chocolate-flavored drink, AirAsia cap, and a toy model of the aircraft), and advertisements for beer (Chang), the magazine contained no useful travel information. The team was smartly dressed and spoke English fluently. They were all Thai. Please accept my apologies for not being able to capture the shot during the flight due to the bad lighting. (However, I was able to picture it as it arrived in Don Mueang).

The flight took off around 23:00 p.m. We hadn’t chosen the pre-booked meals. I drifted off, periodically opening my eyes to stare out the window. The flight did not reach a high altitude. Mum nodded off. Obviously, I did not get enough sleep. As soon as the pilot said we were over the city, I set my watch and phone to GMT 7+ (Indochina Time). After twenty minutes, the plane arrived safely on the runway.

A few additional AirAsia flights were observed. Mum told me to get up and exercise as quickly as possible. The enormous timers showing the time and the direction boards in Thai, Chinese, and English were the first things I noticed as I entered the “Land of Smiles” at Don Mueang International Airport. Mum encouraged me to speed up, and I understood we had to go to the visa-on-arrival counter. We hurried down the halls to the visa-on-arrival counter. We were fortunate that it was vacant, and we had already completed the visa-on-arrival applications. We presented the officials with our documents, paid the visa cost, and got our passports stamped. As we exited the counter, I noticed a throng of passengers (from our next flight) approaching. Mum’s vision was crucial to our success.

After that, we had one more obstacle to clear: immigration. Unlike the ones back home, the Thai immigration authorities did not speak with us. Our fingerprints were collected (instructions were displayed in Hindi because they presumed everyone in India spoke Hindi) and our passports stamped. Hurrah! However, we landed in Thailand, our second stop on the voyage. And it was 5:30 a.m. After retrieving our luggage, we descended the stairway, passed through the customs gates, and arrived at the airport’s main hall.

At Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok.

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8th November, 2023: It was finally time to rest. What’s our ultimate goal? To reach our Chiang Mai apartment. First, we had to convert our dollars into baht. Mum bought two coffees for us from the 7-Eleven near the walkway leading to Don Mueang Railway Station. The train (DRC Special Express) to Chiang Mai was due to arrive in Don Mueang at 09:20 a.m., giving us another four hours. We opted to use it to tour the airport. We entered the main hall and headed to the airport’s domestic terminal. This area of the airport was busier than the international sector.

My SIM card cost 300 baht from an AIS counter (8 days validity with 1Mbps internet speed), whilst Mum’s cost 200 baht from a TrueMove counter (both validity and speed). During our journeys, I realized that TrueMove had better connectivity and range than the AIS. They offer tourist-friendly options, so take your time and purchase a SIM card.

Mum wanted to linger on the benches for a while before instructing me to have my breakfast. I, too, fell asleep for a bit before feeling cramping abdominal cramps and nausea. Ouch, I drank too many coffees. Will this ruin our vacation? I used the restroom for 30 minutes to relieve myself. After that, I started exploring the restaurants (under the Gourmet Eats banner), which served Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Burmese, and Laotian cuisine. I chose a Vietnamese vegetarian soup and noodles. (Fortunately, I was able to settle my stomach and resolved not to consume any more coffee).

The announcements and departure/arrival information were conveniently displayed in Thai, Chinese, and English. Mum enjoyed eating breakfast on the train rather than here. I finished my meal at 07:30 and walked around the airport’s domestic part (I was shocked to see Mum wandering here too). This section lacked stores and needed improvement. We agreed to head to the Don Mueang Railway Station at 08:00.

The walkway linking it is critical. We arrived at the railway station and asked SRT staff to lead us to the appropriate platform. The designated platform is number six. There were now counters and turnstiles (for platforms 1 and 2 — to the Rangsit/Krung Thep Aphiwat railway stations), but we had no idea we had to wait. We traveled down a tiny road to platform 6, but it was a dead end, so we turned around. I wondered if the Thais were fooling us. It was 8:45 a.m., and we had no idea what platform we were on. We were helped by a bald-headed employee in a tan uniform. He told us to accompany him when the train arrived at Don Mueang. We also sat on the chairs. A Burmese couple sat next to us and spoke to us in a polite manner. They are from Yangon and this is their first visit to Thailand.

When I saw a couple of Westerners arrive a little late, holding up their black-and-white SRT printed tickets (exactly like we had) and whispering “Chiang Mai,” I knew I had made the right decision (to wait in the location that the employee had directed us to). At the same time, announcements in Thai and English were made about the arrival of this train and its route (The Northern Line — Ayutthaya, Ban Phachi, Nakhon Sawan, Phichit, Lopburi, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit, Den Chai, Lampang, Lamphun, and Chiang Mai; a train to Nong Khai arrives first). The same staffer informed them that they should also wait here. It was 9:15 a.m., and he led us to the platform, which was accessible via elevator or staircase but otherwise closed. Mum took the elevator, and I took the stairs.

The DRC Special Express had definitely arrived at the Don Mueang Railway Station at 09:20 a.m. We entered the train (entry was on a lower level) and located our seats (our car was adjacent to the engine). As I made my way to second class and our assigned seat, I noted that practically all of the passengers were Westerners, with only a few Thai (this is how seats on this popular route fill up rapidly). A young Western couple next to us was also headed to Chiang Mai.

At Don Mueang Railway Station.

The train made a five-minute stop at Don Mueang Railway Station before resuming its route. The photographs and videos below depict how the route looks. It’s definitely picturesque, and I consider it a “must-see” if you’re heading to Chiang Mai by train. (If you are traveling to Ayutthaya or Phitsanulok in the morning, you will most likely take this train). It will arrive at our destination around 19:30 hours, having traveled over 700 kilometers. (A high-speed railway link between Bangkok and Chiang Mai is likely to be completed in the coming years; it is currently under development at the time of writing). I will let the photos speak for themselves.

In terms of schedule, the train was on time. My phone’s gyrometer enabled it to attain a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour. The scenery was basic and flat as we drove through Ayutthaya, Singburi, Nakhon Sawan, and Phichit provinces. Some railway stations were under construction, mainly between Ayutthaya and Phichit, along with adjacent road work. Under a brilliant, bright sky, it was filled with lush green meadows, ponds, and little mounds, not to mention the nearly constant presence of Buddhist wats. Because the train couldn’t keep a constant pace, I could smell diesel fumes creeping into the car, prompting me to activate the oscillating table fan (connected to the roof). The switches were located on the car’s right side (there were four in total). I knew it was hot outside!

Many passengers disembarked in Ayutthaya, which appeared nearly empty for a moment before being filled by the rest of the passengers. It came to a halt for two minutes. When we departed the Ayutthaya railway station, an American tour group heading to Phitsanulok boarded the train. They were accompanied by a Thai tour guide, who did a fantastic job of describing the significance of the places. For example, when we arrived in Lopburi, he got up and remarked excitedly, “See the monkeys there? “This is Monkey Town. Almost all of the stations before Uttaradit (with the exception of Lopburi, which was on either side) were on the train’s left side, giving passengers a good view. Several exquisite Buddhist temples were erected, the most of which were on the train’s left side as it passed.

Somewhere in the Lopburi Province…

Isn’t this the actual natural landscape of rural Thailand? On occasion, I walked along the train car, gazing out the compartment door (which was negative-pressure sealed). Some excited photographers took photographs, and one asked for permission to film the cabin. What did I do? I only shot one photo with my Samsung phone.

Whatever happened to the food? We had to order food because there was no restaurant car on this train. Before switching to Google Translate, I spoke with a lady conductor in a white uniform in broken Thai about vegetarian food options. She consented. It costs 200 baht, which is really reasonable. Another male conductor, clad in a brown uniform and a cap like that of Chinese soldiers, stopped by on occasion to check the tickets. This guy arrived at our car about 13:00 to accept lunch orders. He uses it to ask each passenger (save us, who he assumed were Thai) where they are from and to say “kawwp-khun khrap” (thank you). The conductor usually announces the stations we’re approaching, saying the destination name slowly and drawls it out at the end (for example, “Ayuthayaaaaa…”).

Somewhere in the Phitsanulok province…

I was exhausted from the previous day’s travels, but I kept my eyes open. Because I’ll be returning to Bangkok on the same route, which will be by night train, this is my last chance to see it properly. At 13:45 p.m., the train arrived at the Phitsanulok railway station, where many passengers disembarked. For a brief while (as in Ayutthaya), the train appeared empty until a new group of passengers entered. It moved at a slower rate than before, and we arrived at the Uttaradit town railway station around 14:30. This is the final one before the ascension. The food you ordered was delivered here.

The landscape becomes hilly, with river streams and home thatches tossed in for good measure. It traveled through three tunnels. Of course, the train went slowly while the meal we had ordered was given to us.

Some of the pictures show the Uttaradit town, and the other nature-scape pictures show somewhere in the province of Phrae.

If the Buddhist temples and town views entice passengers to take photographs (seated on the train’s left side), the gorgeous countryside may be observed from the right side (where we are sitting). The network range has occasionally been interrupted, as expected.

The pictures show the railway station at Den Chai and Nakhon Lampang.

Following our departure from Ban Pin, we arrived at a railway station in Den Chai. I had never heard of the town before, but the environment, nature, and organization all looked beautiful. It was almost evening, and everything looked brilliant in the sunlight. Wow, that looked beautiful; I might stop here for a day or two on my next Thai vacation. The train continued to ascend, and everything became darker. At 17:30 p.m., we arrived in Nakhon Lampang, the last station with unobstructed visibility. More passengers, mainly Thai, disembarked here.

One thing is that, despite its slowness, the train follows its timetable. Lamphun starts at 19:15, followed by Chiang Mai at 19:30. We’d been on the road for over 24 hours when we arrived. I needed to quit as soon as possible. I snapped the train that took us about ten hours to reach Chiang Mai. It’s a modest train stop with inadequate lighting. The entrance was dim. There was a paid parking lot outside, and the train station complex included a few restaurants. Many touts, songthaew, and tuk-tuk drivers approached us outside, but we choose to order a Grab taxi. Some of the other passengers took tuk-tuks or songthaews, while some used Ubers.

At the Chiang Mai Railway Station.

The Grab taxi driver arrived at 19:50 (because to traffic) and took us to the Suthep district. It went from Rotfai Alley (where the train station is) to Suthep via Route 11 (Chiang Mai’s partial “inner ring road”) and the Nimmanhemin Road. I tried to talk to the driver (who didn’t speak fluent English but could get by with what he knew) about life in Chiang Mai. He told us about it briefly, but warned us that the restaurants and stores would close at 22:00 p.m. We arrived at the destination using the information from Booking.com, paid 200 baht for the journey, and discovered the address was incorrect. We were dropped off directly in front of the hostel. I phoned Armo, who emailed us photos of the apartment. We walked approximately 550 meters down the street (Nimmanhemin Road) to (The Hillside Condominium Street 1). A really busy road!

I phoned him again, and he agreed to meet us. He arrived, welcomed us warmly, and showed us to our flat on the eighth level. It appeared adequate. We had to get the stuff for dinner immediately. And it was 21:30 p.m. On the ground floor, there was a 7-Eleven where we could get supplies. A Lotus supermarket was close, offering a wider range of products. My phone was beeping with notifications as I shopped. A closer look revealed that the tour operator was attempting to call us in order to confirm our reservation for the following day’s trip to the Golden Triangle. Despite our weariness, Mum and I chatted a lot about what we planned to accomplish in Thailand.

We returned at 22:00 p.m. and made a modest dinner of rice, vegetables, and Thai soup. I happened to turn on the television, and the channels were of low quality. And at 23:00, we went to bed.

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