From Chiang Mai to Chumphon

I woke up early next morning in Chumphon to see the sunrise at the beach.

In the murky-pre-dawn, I met a man just outside of my hotel. We started chatting; he told me that he rode a bicycle from the north of Thailand. 😮

✪ Note: this is the final part of a three-part essay. Part one can be read here. Part two can be read here.

Later, I took a taxi to Thung Wua Laen Beach, which in English literally translates to “ox running field.” This was the beach that Japanese soldiers invaded during the World War II. The Thai army and local youth soldiers from the Sriyaphai Secondary School successfully resisted the invasion until Thailand and Japan agreed to an armistice in December 1941.

I spent time walking on the beach, talking with a local couple and playing with their dogs. I told them I came from Northern Thailand. It turns out one of their dogs is from Chiang Mai, too.

Late afternoon that same day, I had to go back to the railway station to travel to Bangkok: another eight hours on the train. That was the end of my first trip.