KEVIN CRAIG

Travel Journal – Thailand! November, 2024 – Bangkok – The Beginning

We ALL know the song ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK by Murray Head, right? At least those of us who grew up clubbing in the ’80s. Let me tell you, I was humming this song quite a lot this past fall. I was so eagerly anticipating our November trip to Thailand (nee Siam), that I couldn’t quite get the song’s jingle-y chorus out of my head.

I did the same just before we went to Kathmandu in 2018. I had Bob Seger’s Kathmandu in my head the entire summer before that trip! I never in my life imagined I would one day find myself in that beautiful far-off city. Seger’s chorus burned into my head for weeks before that trip.

The view from our hotel window in Bangkok.

When we finally arrived in Bangkok on November 14th, 2024, after about 24 hours of travel, one of the first things we saw in the streets outside our hotel was a signpost from home.

Tim Hortons, a Canadian icon…in the heart of Bangkok.

That’s right. Just a half a block from our resting place at Mandarin Hotel Bangkok in the heart of Bangkok, Tim Horton’s was waiting for us. Canada to the core, Tims is an institution you can’t get away from at home. Or, it would seem, when you’re away.

A quick note about the Mandarin. At first glance, it seemed pretty opulent. The entryway and lobby scream money. Once you get to the rooms, however, it’s a different story. They’re quite basic. I’m not complaining here…they were absolutely fine. Better than fine when I think of some of the places we have stayed in. But the lobby does not match the rooms.

We were pretty discombobulated that first day. We had a 16-hr flight to Taipei, Taiwan, followed by a layover, followed by a second flight to Bangkok. Our only venturing that day was by foot in the neighbourhood surrounding our hotel. No worries, though…we found a super huge mall and ate our first meal on Thailand soil.

And our first Thai beer…

This was a fully planned out tour we took, so I won’t break it down the way I break down the trips we plan on our own. We were with guides most of the time in Thailand, with a few exceptions, until we got to Phuket at the end of the trip. Our guide in Bangkok was exceptional. His name was Rio and he might just be the tape measure with which I will rate all future guides to come. The trip we took was offered by Tripoppo here in Toronto and it was called ALLURE OF THAILAND with Phuket 16 Days.

Our full first day with Rio and the rest of the tour group was amazing. We were taken to Golden Mount Temple.

Ring dem bells…found along the way up to the top of Golden Mount Temple…

The Golden Stupa at the top was gorgeous, not to mention all of the wondrous treasures we saw along the way to it!

Vultures standing prey…

Reclining Buddha…

So many beautiful things to see throughout the temple…

Our next location was the nearby Wat Po, which is Bangkok’s largest and oldest temple.

We made a stop along the way at Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan), which is a beautiful stupa reaching up to the sky and fully inlaid with pottery imported from China. It’s breathtaking!

Intricate and whimsical…the broken pottery pieces that make up the facade of the Temple of Dawn stupa…

A short boat ride across the river, and we were ready for the biggest reclining Buddha I have ever seen.

Wat Pho. The Buddha is almost 150 feet long and 40 feet high.

It was impossible to get a photo of the entire Buddha. Here’s some glimpses as we made our way alongside it…

I didn’t know whether to sing One Night in Bangkok or The Neverending Story…

Don’t look at my socks. I SAID don’t look at my socks!

Looks like my crazy eyes strike again with this one…

There was so much to see at this temple. It was filled with treasures.

We had more than one night in Bangkok. And did we ever pack a lot into it.

We did the pool back at the hotel after our full afternoon out and about. Temple hopping is definitely a thing in Thailand, something we were about to get extremely used to…as the country is FULL of temples. We took our down time when we could.

Yes…I went to Tims. Don’t judge. I had to see it with my own eyes. It was quite different than the Tims at home. The coffee was made as you ordered, like a latte. And it was not very good. It looked the same, but definitely did not taste the same.

After our first full day of touring, we decided as a group to give the famous and infamous Khao San Road a go. 10 of us (the full group was 11, but one of the party bowed out of the first day activities) fetched a van through the GRAB APP (Get the app if you go, it’s the Thai Uber and it works grand). I somehow led the way on this one…though I never actually know what I’m doing. My party of four, along with our six new friends in the tour group, put their trust in me to get them to Khao San road and back. In one piece, if possible.

As soon as we stepped inside this Grab van, I was ready to play CASH CAB. To the chagrin of all, we weren’t being filmed for the popular in-cab game show. It was just a light show, after all.

Proof that Michael and I made it to one of the most notorious streets in the world!

We had a lovely meal in Khao San road. I think it was a great idea to go out with the group that first full day. It went a long way in forming the bond we would share for the rest of the tour. Friendships were made. Bread was broken. Tales were shared.

Breaking bread with our fellow travelers…at BUDDY BEER on Khao San Road. Table for ten, please. I expected push-back, but they said, “Right this way!”

It is definitely one of the most wild streets I’ve ever been on. Something to see at every turn!

Hordes of people from all over the world coming to catch a glimpse of the Manic Mile…

It was a wild night…so much fun was had! It felt like we had packed the universe into that day. So much for jet lag. We were fully immersed.

The next day, Rio promised us–if we were really good–that he would take us to see a train that was not scheduled as part of the itinerary. We had to be up and ready early. It wasn’t just any train…but one that has become Instagram famous. I couldn’t wait to see it!

See the NEXT THAILAND POST HERE.

If you’re enjoying this series on our Thailand adventures and would like to support this page, you can do so by buying me a coffee! KevinCraig-BuyMeACoffee

Don’t sleep on my new novel, I WILL TELL THE NIGHT. Pick up your copy today! CLICK THE COVER…

Hey January! It’s Time for You To Go…

You know that feeling you get when you just want to relax on the couch with your people, your dogs, and a cup of tea…but the guests just can’t take the hint? You know…when you try to telepathically bore your disdain into them, beg them to pick up on your vibes and get the hell out?

That’s how I’m feeling about January right now. I have toleration for about 3 days of January and roughly 7 hours of February. March? I’ll give that month about 6 days before I want it to just disappear. I’m a July person. I don’t have time for these useless months of polar vortices (or vortexes, if you prefer), snow, ice, and anything else that equals COLD.

GIVE ME SUMMER.

This January definitely had notable exceptions, but I’m still done with it. But for some reason, there’s still 8 days left of it. This is unfathomable. It needs to leave.

There were two significant events that helped the month go by quicker than is usual for such a miserable month. One, we took the grandboy Edward on a cruise to celebrate his upcoming 13th birthday. That was an absolute blast! He loved it and we loved that he loved it. Two, I also had a novel release in January.

On the flight home from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where the cruise port was located.

I would like to think that Edward had the most fun at Perfect Day at Cococay…where we went to the waterpark. The one slide is the tallest in North America. The amount of times he climbed all those stairs to go down that slide is unbelievable. Youth!

But I also know he had a blast with the kids he met at Teen Club. We gave him probably way too much freedom, but he didn’t let us down. He loved it.

On the top deck of the cruise ship Liberty of the Seas by Royal Caribbean.

We even took him out on the helipad before the ship left port!

It was a short 5 day cruise with two stops—Perfect Day at Cococay (Royal Caribbean’s own private island), and Nassau, Bahamas. This is us walking around the port in Nassau.

We even found a few ducks while we were on the ship! I believe we captured an even dozen, if memory serves. We hid quite a few too…

When it’s a cold miserable January, you know you’re blessed when this is your view at dinner time. Trust me, it was appreciated.

We are back now…and basically biding our time in the real world until our next getaway. We loved our week-long getaway with Edward!

I was thrilled to get a delivery upon our return…to see all my hard work in the flesh. Well, in the paper! My books arrived!

Pick up your copy of **I WILL TELL THE NIGHT** at Amazon today!

Now would be a great time to pick up your copy of I WILL TELL THE NIGHT! Reading definitely helps to alleviate the winter doldrums. It’s available in all AMAZON countries, in either paperback or Kindle. Here’s some links that will make it super easy for you…here’s a selection of countries that visit my site the most, in no particular order. Just click the link! If you don’t see your country, just search for it by title and author…

AMAZON NETHERLANDS

Now…if we can just make it through to April, all will be good and well! Spring…it’s just around the corner right?

How Many Kind Words Does it Take to Cancel a Negative Word?

Well, this has been a WEEK.

On Tuesday my latest novel, I WILL TELL THE NIGHT, released. This was met with little fanfare, which is exactly what I was expecting. Having gone through the process of having an EXCELLENT publisher behind a title, I knew my two previous releases were executed amazingly well. There was a team of promoters behind them. They soared into the atmosphere. Especially The Camino Club. Book of Dreams did not do as well. I realize why this is. It was a mixed genre title that was hard to place…like a square peg in a round hole. But it still did well. It had a team behind it.

This week, I self-published a title. The only person behind it is ME. I am not good at self-promotion. I love this book, but I’m only one person. It’s not going to get out there into the public eye the way my previous two titles did. That’s okay with me. It is what it is (I hate that saying and yet I keep using it). I just needed to get this book out of my system. Now I can move on to the 3 works in progress I’ve been struggling with knowing this book was sitting in a drawer.

I expected silence. I expected a few core supporters to congratulate me and, possibly even share the news. This happened. I had a lot of support from friends and family. It sold quite a few copies for a book that was advertised exactly nowhere outside of my own social media presence. I want to thank each and every one of you who bought a copy and/or shared the news of the publication. I appreciate you SO MUCH! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

What I did not expect was an email from a “FRIEND” who wrote me to specifically tell me they wouldn’t be buying a copy of I WILL TELL THE NIGHT.

Let me suggest something here.

If you decide–FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER–to NOT support a friend and the release of their new novel, please for the love of the universe (I won’t say the G word here, because I don’t believe), DO NOT EMAIL THAT FRIEND AND TELL THEM YOU WON’T BE SUPPORTING THEM. Your silence in this matter is by far the best decision. Crickets from you is better than vitriol.

I promise you, I will remember this slight far longer than I will remember the kindnesses I experienced from all the others who reached out to congratulate and celebrate the release. There is no mathematical equation for figuring out how many kind words will cancel out a negative one, but I can tell you that ALL the support I received from family and friends fell out from under me when I received this email.

Don’t be that person. If you have a grudge against a fellow writer/friend…there is no need in the world to reach out to them at such a time simply to rain on their parade. Silence, in these cases, goes a hell of a long way. DON’T BE THAT PERSON.

If you’re still here, still reading…it’s STILL JUST ME PUSHING THIS NEW TITLE. Feel free to share its existence with your contacts. Feel free to pick up a copy. If you have a problem with me or with the book…keep it to yourself. No need to reach out and let me know.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME WITH THIS OR ANY OF MY CREATIVE ENDEAVORS. I love that you believe in me and my writing. I appreciate you. Thank you!

I WILL TELL THE NIGHT is available in all Amazon countries.

I WILL TELL THE NIGHT AMAZON USA

I WILL TELL THE NIGHT AMAZON CANADA

Please…don’t email me to let me know you won’t be purchasing a copy. I’ve already experienced that phenomenon and it ain’t pretty.

I thought about not posting this, but I had to.