April – May 2021
I was having a really great time in Phuket, but I had to head to Pattaya to extend my visa.
Outside of Pattaya is a pretty wild park, called Nongnooch, filled plants and dinosaurs. Usually they have around 2,000 workers per day, now they have around 200 workers per day. We were the only two guests I saw there that day.
My Grab driver had only ever been to the parking lot, so I got her a ticket too.
It is a fun park, would be even better without the chained elephants.
Creative use of flower pots.
The fish in here were huge!
Pick your battles wisely.
Purple people eaters.
Together we will go far, it will just take a really long time to get there.
Love being here.
Saw Serious Black while playing a serious game of Harry Potter Uno.
All you can eat steak buffet, you grill yourself.
I had tried durian multiple times before and never liked it. Rayong is famous for durian, so I gave it another shot. Glad I did, because it was delicious here.
Sugar cane is the most grown crop in the world, by weight, by far.
Old town Rayong.
Great street art.
A cold, delicious, sweet treat: coconut milk, corn, beans, potato, and water chestnuts.
I definitely like the message more than the graphic.
The Sanctuary of Truth is the most incredible structure I have ever been inside. Hundreds of workers have been handcrafting it everyday for over 40 years. This celebration of Southeast Asian culture is entirely hand made using only wood.
It is still under construction, so we had to wear hardhats.
It was pretty cool to see the woodworkers at work. Most were women, there were a lot of cats helping as well.
I want to eat Spider-man.
Stopped by Trat on my way to Koh Chang.
Chinese buddhist temple.
Yes, yes they do.
Big fan of the rainbow unicorns.
Getting mixed messages.
Koh Chang is the third largest island in Thailand. It translates to “elephant island” because it is shaped like an elephant head, and yes, there are elephants there.
I went diving here three years ago and saw this same pig in the same place.
Getting my PADI advanced diver certification.
Did a wreck dive at 38 meters.
Swimming with a sea turtle was defiantly a highlight.
Quite a few hoops to swim through.
Cut out an old fishing net.
I spent my final few days, mostly in isolation, in Si Racha. I was planning to stay in Thialand five more weeks, but with covid on the rise there and things improving at home, I decided it was best to come home early.
Clever chicken kitchen.
Peace out Thailand. Always a great time.
Was comforting to still have 711 in the USA, after going there pretty much everyday in Thailand.
This is why I came home.
Vaccines are great!