Hua Hin & Bangkok 7-day free travel, a travel diary for beginners
After getting a passport in March last year, I wanted to travel abroad. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, I was unable to go. This year, in March, two friends were going to Thailand. I checked the time and applied for a week's leave. After being approved, I joined them.Because they had already done some preparations, I booked round-trip tickets for the same flight online according to their flight, and also bought a 7-day Happy Card for Thailand online. Basically, I got these things done in one or two days. After that, I looked for a hotel to stay in on Booking. The hotel will be introduced below.
In addition to air tickets, visas, and phone cards, there are some necessary things. Here is a list:
Documents: passport, ID card
Sun hat, parasol, sunscreen, cardigan, sunglasses, power bank
Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, towel, facial cleanser, makeup remover, skin care products, facial mask, bath towel)
Clothes (slippers, sneakers, swimsuit, pajamas, daily clothes)
Airsickness, seasickness, motion sickness medicine, bandages
PS: You don’t actually need to bring a sun hat and parasol, because few people use them in Thailand. If you are the only one using them, it may feel a bit different. Sunglasses are basically not used, but if you want to look cool and take a photo, you can. Of course, you can add or reduce related items according to your needs. Friendly reminder, remember to bring a thin cardigan. Although it is very hot outside in Thailand, the air conditioning inside is very cold, and the cooling effect is quite nice.
DAY 1
Our trip time: 2024.3.18-2024.3.24, a total of 7 days, in fact, 3 days were basically spent on transportation. On March 18, we took the earliest high-speed train from Yuyao to Hangzhou East Station, and then took a car called by a certain Xin boyfriend to Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport. We arrived at the airport before 8:30 because our flight was Air China CA733 at 10:20. Then we handled luggage check-in, boarding and various border inspections. It is generally necessary to arrive at the airport 2 hours in advance for international flights.
More than 4 hours later, the plane arrived at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport. I am not afraid to say that this is my first time to take a plane. I was a little nervous at first, and I could always think of the news about plane crashes I had seen before. But I didn't feel anything on the plane back home. I filled out the entry and exit card on the plane, and when I went to check in, an airport staff member who knew a little Chinese praised me for filling it out very well.
The first thing after entering the country was to find transportation to check in at the hotel. Because it was the weekend, there was a Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok, and we were going to go there, so we could only stay in Bangkok for one night and go to Hua Hin for the second time. The reliable Mo Xin printed out several subway or light rail route maps in Bangkok, and we took the airport light rail to the hotel near the train station to Hua Hin. It felt a bit like a youth hostel, and most of the people staying there were backpackers from Western countries. Our room had a total of 5 beds, and the room price was about 350 yuan in RMB. It was a bit like a dormitory in school, with upper and lower bunks, and I recalled the feeling of a collective dormitory.
After putting down our luggage, we headed to Chatuchak Weekend Market. We took the subway again, which was convenient and cheap. Most importantly, we could integrate into the city and pretend to be locals instead of just wandering around the city as tourists. Before we even entered the market, we smelled the aroma of food. When we came to our senses, we already had a bunch of meatballs and fishballs in our hands. The first bite was very spicy, but it tasted good after we got used to it.
After eating a little, we started shopping. There were all kinds of Thai-style clothing, accessories, bags, handicrafts, etc., which were similar to the small commodity markets in China, and we had to shop on Taobao. Because the market closed at 6 o'clock Thai time, we basically just browsed for about an hour, and the shops closed one after another. We were hungry and tired. Mo Yun took a fancy to a very unique music bar that we passed by when we were shopping before. We spent some time and found VIVA Bar Section 8 Weekend Market. The food was very ordinary, but if you want to drink some wine and listen to music, it is still quite romantic. The cute fat uncle also performed three magic tricks in front of us that were completely flawless.
The trip to Chatuchak was a bit rushed, and I was a bit tired after getting off the plane, so I hurried back to the hotel to rest. It is worth mentioning that that night, Mou Xin actually mistook hand sanitizer for shower gel (it was brought by herself, there was no word on the bottle, and it was only distinguished by blue and green bottles), and asked me to use it to take a shower. She also used it by mistake, which was really a bit funny and a bit like Lost in Thailand.
DAY 2
I woke up early the next morning, and I was a bit uncomfortable with the change of bed. I waited until 7 o'clock, got up and packed my things, ate the hotel's free breakfast, and set off for the train station. As soon as I went out, the whole street was very quiet, and the sky I saw when I looked up was particularly blue, and my whole mood became brighter.
I bought a train ticket to Hua Hin, and was a little stunned when I got on the train. The train was a bit similar to the green trains in China. There was no seat number on the ticket, and you could sit anywhere you wanted. The most important thing was that there was no air conditioning in all the carriages of the train. There was only an old-fashioned electric fan creaking overhead. Where was the air conditioning? It turned out that the information on the Internet was all a lie. Not only was there no air conditioning, we couldn't even find a seat with a window, and it was taken by someone else. Later I learned that Thailand's trains have a history of more than 150 years, and all of them have no air conditioning.
After more than 4 hours of train ride, I was almost exhausted. It was early summer in Thailand at the end of March. It was so hot that I didn't pay attention to the scenery along the way. If you have friends going to Hua Hin, I strongly recommend taking a bus from the airport. It has air conditioning and large seats. It is comfortable. You can have a good sleep on the bus during the 3-hour ride. We took the bus from Hua Hin back to Bangkok.
Hua Hin Railway Station is said to be the most beautiful railway station. Unfortunately, we arrived in Hua Hin around one or two in the afternoon, and after more than four hours on a train without air conditioning, we were exhausted and in a low mood. We had no interest in taking pictures and just wanted to check into the hotel and rest.
There is no subway or taxi in Hua Hin, only TUTU cars, which generally cost around 100-150 baht. We spent 150 baht to get to Baan Bayan Hotel and checked in. It cost about RMB 3,500 for 3 nights. This hotel is recognized as the best hotel we booked, with a great environment (it is said that the beach is privately owned, but I haven't verified it).
We had dinner at the food market near the hotel. It happened to be the Green Market. There were many fruits. I personally think pineapple tasted the best. Watermelon was not so good. Mango and jackfruit were OK. Fruits in Thailand are really cheap. Foodies will definitely like them. As for Thai food, there is too much sugar. Almost all dishes have sugar. I reserve my opinion.
In the evening, we went to the local creative market, which was similar to the Chatuchak Weekend Market, but some things were quite interesting. I remember there was a stall selling glass elephants or other animals. The stall owner demonstrated the production process. The interesting thing was that they were blown with their mouths throughout the process. I didn't take pictures because I was afraid of being impolite. Glass products are not convenient to carry, so I didn't buy them, but I liked them very much.
DAY 3
On the third day, we chartered a TUTU car, which seemed to cost 2,000 baht. After breakfast at the hotel, we set off for the Palace of Love and Hope, also known as the Palace of Forget-Me-Not. Because it was during the national mourning period, although there was no requirement for the color of the clothes, you had to wear a skirt with sleeves and below the knee. Mo Yun's skirt was below the knee, so she could only rent a black wrap skirt, which was also beautiful and had a different flavor.
Basically, I just looked at the scenery and took some photos in the Palace of Love and Hope. However, some places were not allowed to enter, including the second floor of the palace and the beach. I could only walk around the corridors and outside the palace. It took me more than an hour to finish the leisurely tour. Then I took a TUTU bus to the Nostalgic Creative Market for lunch and strolled around. I bought some elephant fabric key chains. As a result, I saw better-looking ones when I was visiting Naraya in Bangkok, and I regretted buying them in Hua Hin.
There wasn’t much to see at the Nostalgic Creative Market. Maybe we had visited so many similar markets that we were no longer interested in it, so we called a TUTU driver to pick us up and take us back to the hotel.
After returning to the hotel, we changed into swimsuits and went to the beach to play in the water and take photos. When I was taking photos of Mouxin and Mouyun, a handsome foreigner came over and took some photos for us. Unfortunately, due to the waterproof bag, the photos were not clear, and Mouxin and Mouyun complained about them. Fortunately, Mouyun helped me take a few photos, so I kept a few swimsuit photos.
We went to Hua Hin Night Market for dinner. We randomly found a restaurant on the beach and had a seafood meal. The taste was OK. Since the money for the public part of the whole trip was managed by a certain Xin, I don’t remember how much I spent, probably more than 1,000 baht. I walked around the night market and was tired. I walked into a massage shop and had a foot massage for 100 baht. The auntie who gave me a massage was very skilled and relieved my fatigue.
DAY 4
Originally, we planned to go to Sam Roi Yot National Forest Park on the third day, but after consulting a local travel agency, we found that the tour to Sam Roi Yot National Forest Park was only available on Tuesdays and Saturdays, so we could only choose to go to Sam Roi Yot on the fourth day. Sam Roi Yot is a bit far away and it takes more than an hour to drive. It would be much more convenient to join a tour group. It cost 1,800 baht per person, which also included the entrance fee and lunch. We paid 1,700 baht per person, which was a discount.
There were only 5 people in the group that went to Sam Yot that day, the three of us and a Western couple. The driver picked us up at the hotel on time at 9 o'clock. The tour guide was called Xiaomi, a local girl who could speak Chinese, about the same age as us, and of course English. According to her, if you don't speak English in Thailand, you can only go home to farm. The couple who went with us had come to Hua Hin for vacation three times. It can be seen that they like this royal resort very much, and they are very loving throughout the trip.
On the way to Sam Roi Yot, Xiaomi took us to see a pineapple planting base. It was the first time we saw jackfruits growing on trees and large areas of pineapples planted on the ground. According to Xiaomi, Thai farmers are very poor, which is actually similar to the situation in China. They are not like those developed countries in Europe, where there are wealthy farmers.
We arrived at a village, but I didn't know the name of the village. Later, I found out from Baidu that it was Bangpu Village. There are two ways to go to Phraya Nakhon Cave. The first is by boat + walking, and the second is by walking + walking. In fact, going to Sam Yot National Forest Park is generally to see the one meter of sunlight in Phraya Nakhon Cave. We chose to take a boat + walk. When we got off the boat, we saw jellyfish in the water. I was really nervous because I saw a super big jellyfish on the beach of the hotel the day before. I didn't know the danger at that time, so I kept observing it around it until a foreign friend reminded us of the danger. We stayed away from it. After that, I had an inexplicable fear of jellyfish.
Before climbing the mountain, Xiaomi told us to climb the mountain by ourselves, because there is only one way to the Phayakong Cave, so we won’t get lost. She is not in good physical condition and can’t climb fast, so we should meet at the place where we had lunch. When we climbed the mountain, I realized how bad her physical condition was. We climbed for a while and waited for her for a while, but she never showed up. I noticed that the tour guides on the road were basically the same as Xiaomi. I am not a person who exercises much, but compared with Xiaomi, I think my physical condition is much better. Later, we stopped waiting for her and went up directly.
The scenery of the Phayakong Cave is nice. It is said to be formed naturally. We walked around the cave and then went down the mountain. The sea breeze was very comfortable. After lunch, we rested for a while on the beach. The couple went swimming, but they came up soon. It was probably because the sun was too hot and there were a lot of jellyfish in the sea. I sat on the beach and dug the sand around me to find shells. I could find a lot of shells casually, but there were no very distinctive shells. Mou Xin went to the sea under the scorching sun to find a few beautiful shells. She shared one with me, and I also picked a few shells to bring back as a souvenir.
After that we went to the fishing village, took a casual look around, listened to Xiaomi's introduction, and then took a car back to the hotel (we gave 50 baht each to the tour guide and the driver as a tip. Thailand is a country where tipping is expected. Generally, you have to give 20 baht to those who help you carry your luggage or clean the room).
When we were going back, I asked Xiaomi to help me buy the bus ticket back to Bangkok. Since Xiaomi's home is at the night market, I also asked which store in the night market has good food. Xiaomi recommended Lung Jd Sea Food, which tasted better than the seafood food stall we had before. During the trip, Xiaomi sent us the bus ticket, three tickets for 807 baht in total, and we paid 850 baht. The extra money was also regarded as a tip. In fact, it was more of a thank you to Xiaomi for helping us solve the problem and meeting a nice tour guide, which made us feel great.
After dinner, we went to Let’s relax for massage. Mouxin and I chose the Dream·Series package for 850 baht, and Mouyun chose the Relax·Series for 1,500 baht. After the massage, we tipped the masseuse 100 baht. They also prepared mango sticky rice. I finally enjoyed it.
DAY 5
I woke up naturally and lay in the pavilion outside the room for a while. I was reluctant to leave Hua Hin after breakfast. Happy time always goes by very fast. I leisurely blew the sea breeze on the beach, listened to the sound of seagulls, and enjoyed my last meal in Hua Hin. Then I asked the hotel staff to call a car to go to the bus station.
The bus arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport after more than 3 hours, and then took the subway to Grande Centre Point Hotel. The 2 nights cost about RMB 1,800. We booked a special room, but because the hotel is located in the business district, the price is relatively expensive.
I walked into a shopping mall casually, found a restaurant to solve dinner, and went to the supermarket to buy some souvenirs. There are many Chinese people in Bangkok, all in tour groups. People can be heard speaking Chinese everywhere in the supermarket. People are crowded. I hurriedly bought and went back to the hotel.
DAY 6
On the morning of the sixth day, I took a bus to visit the Grand Palace. As a result, I was stopped outside the door. I happened to wear a sleeveless skirt and a shawl. The staff said that the shawl was not allowed, so I could only buy a 100 baht dress in the store next to it. The architecture of the Grand Palace is quite distinctive. Thailand is really a colorful country. I like it very much. The only thing that makes me unbearable is that there are too many people and tour groups everywhere.
The tickets for the Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha are combined, 500 baht per person.
The afternoon itinerary is to go to the Four-Faced Buddha to worship. I thought the Four-Faced Buddha was a relatively large temple. In fact, there is a statue of the Four-Faced Buddha next to the shopping mall. It is not a temple, but the incense is super prosperous. There are endless people coming to worship Buddha, and there are also many people at night.
After worshipping the Four-Faced Buddha, we started shopping.
DAY 7
I woke up naturally, packed my luggage, and went to the airport to take the CA734 flight home at 14:10. In general, this Thailand trip was OK. After all, it was the first time for the three of us to go abroad, and it was a free trip. Of course, Mou Xin was well prepared and Mou Yun had booked the hotel for us. I was just a bystander. The most enjoyable time I had was the few days in Hua Hin. The scenery was beautiful, the locals were nice, and it felt like a vacation. If you go to Thailand, Hua Hin is highly recommended. As for Bangkok, this city does not give me a very friendly feeling.
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