Travel Tales from Thailand

Students and staff attending the Thailand Culture and Service March Break trip departed for sunny Thailand in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 10. After a sleepy bus ride to Halifax Stanfield International Airport, the crew quickly found themselves checked in and through security for the first leg of the long journey to Bangkok. From Halifax, our trip took us to Montreal and Vancouver before the 16.5-hour flight to Thailand.

After the uncomfortably long yet uneventful flight, our plane began its descent through the clouds toward Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. Upon exiting the aircraft, our group collided head-first with a thick wall of intense heat and humidity, signaling our arrival in the Land of a Thousand Smiles.

Our first day in Bangkok was somewhat unremarkable as the group recuperated from the 36-hour journey. Beyond a quick supply run, the rest of the day was spent snoozing and relaxing by the hotel pool.

Morning came fast and we packed up our belongings, heading to our first stop of the trip: Wat Pho – the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. One of Bangkok’s oldest temple complexes, Wat Pho is home to a 15-metre-high by 46-metre-long reclining Buddha, covered entirely in gold leaf. To truly comprehend the magnitude of this statue, you need to see it in person. After roaming the grounds and learning about the history of the area, it was on to our next stop, the Museum Siam, where we learned about the country’s history and culture. After a pit stop at the Royal Thai Navy Club for lunch, we loaded back onto our tour bus and headed to… the airport. This time we were bound for the northern part of the country and the first leg of our trip in Chiang Mai province.

The hour-long flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai felt like child’s play in the face of the previous day’s trek from the other side of the globe. Still, knowing the next seven nights would be spent in one main area came as a relief to all.

While in Chiang Mai, we had the opportunity to visit several temples including Wat Suan Dok, where we attended a Monk Chat with Phra Ajarn KK – and what an experience that was! Phra KK shared his journey with us from a novice to fully ordained monk, enlightening the group on Buddhism as he went. The engaging session concluded with a Q&A period, guided meditation, and group photo with our new brother.

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, things shifted from peace to punches as we found ourselves ringside at a traditional Muay Thai boxing match. The sportsmanship and class exhibited by fighters and training staff alike was incredible and unlike anything I had ever seen before. The tradition and ritual of the sport was beautiful and on full display as students had the opportunity to introduce these warriors, adorning them with flowers and posing for photos in the ring prior to their matches.

Apart from the cultural aspect of our time in Chiang Mai, the next three nights would be spent at the San Patong Experiential Education Centre (SEEC), our homebase for the service portion of the trip. On our way to San Patong, the group stopped at the Bai Orchid and Butterfly Farm, taking in a vast array of colours as we meandered through the gardens, butterflies abound. From there, it was a short drive to our next stop, Elephant PooPooPaper Park. Yes, you read that right – Elephant PooPooPaper Park.

This eco-friendly museum park was much less stinky than the name might suggest – in fact, it smelled kind of nice. Passing through, we learned about the various stages of converting elephant dung into usable paper products, reflecting on the importance of sustainability along the way. At the end of the tour, it was the group’s turn to try its collective hand at papermaking – and it was super fun! For the record, the smell produced during the dung-to-paper process is comparable to that of a freshly brewed herbal tea, which makes sense considering elephants eat plants and only digest about 45% of what they eat!

Once we washed our hands and stocked up at the gift shop, the group was back on the road to the SEEC. Upon arriving at the camp, students settled into their bunkhouses before a project briefing on the service work that lay ahead. From there, it was time to change into our swimming gear for the afternoon’s team-building games. As students attempted and conquered the obstacle course while falling into the water below, laughter overcame the camp’s grounds and the warm evening breeze rolled in.

The next morning, we were greeted by the delightful crows of a massive rooster which served as our trusty alarm clock throughout the duration of our stay. After an amazing breakfast we loaded into the vans and headed to the site of our service project.

This particular project saw us working hand-in-hand with local students at nearby Thungphabod School. Specifically, our group was tasked with establishing a mushroom garden, which would help to feed more than 400 students. We were also responsible for overhauling the shed that would house the completed mushroom kits and planting fruits and vegetables to aid in nourishing the school community. The hard and hot (like 39 degrees-plus-humidity-hot) work wrapped up by the end of day two and was followed by a friendly volleyball and chairball match, complete with a cultural dance off, award ceremony, and plenty of laughter and smiles. As we hugged and said goodbye to our new friends, exchanging mementos and taking photos, our hearts were full of memories to last a lifetime.

From San Patong, we were off to the ChangChill elephant sanctuary. This ethical sanctuary exists to provide a safe haven for elephants to live out their lives, while allowing visitors to learn about them in their natural habitat. As part of the day’s itinerary, the group had a chance to chop sugarcane, prepare medicine to help the elephants with indigestion and other common stomach illnesses, hear from a mahout, and plant pumpkin and melon seeds that will grow to become a source of food for them.

Other stops in Chiang Mai included the famous Chiang Mai night market, visits to a silk factory, a jade production facility, and a silversmith. Between shopping and enjoying the sights and local cuisine, we capped off our time in northern Thailand with a traditional Thai cooking class at the Cooking@Home cooking school, where we learned how to make tom yum soup, pad see ew, and delicious mango sticky rice.

And with that, our seven nights in Chiang Mai came to an end and we found ourselves on the way back to Bangkok. Over the next two days, we continued to discover and explore the cosmopolitan capital city. Stops included notable temples Wat Arun Ratchawaram and Wat Yai Chai Mongkon, the latter having been constructed in 1592 AD.

The highlight of these two days in Bangkok might very well have been passing through the canals of Thonburi, the country’s capital from 1767 to  1782. The boats navigating these canals, known as long-tails, are wooden vessels outfitted with massive, turbocharged car engines. More fitting for a racetrack than the narrow canals of Thonburi, these impressive boats putt along quite nicely in between homes and riverside shops. With a simple throttle twisting gesture, our captain clearly understood the universal signal for more gas and delighted our group with a few cracks of the throttle as space permitted.

As we entered the final days of our 16-night adventure, the group headed south to Cha-Am in Phetchaburi province, a popular beach destination about three hours from Bangkok. But not without a pit stop along the way! This time it was the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market – a unique experience for anyone heading to Thailand. Words alone will never truly describe the atmosphere and chaos of the market as hundreds of long-tail boats clogged the narrow canals and vendors shouted at shoppers to stop at their boat or stall. If you want a true taste of what Thailand has to offer, this market is certainly a good starting point.

As the group checked into our accommodations in Cha-Am, the high pace of the trip became evident as exhausted students reveled in the magnificence of the beach that lay before them. Finally… a moment to relax. If I’m being perfectly honest, the chaperones echoed the sentiment as well. The next two days were spent riding jet skis, tubing, horseback riding along the beach, swimming in the warm ocean, and tanning by the pool. It was magical. To have a few moments of relaxation and reflection before the end of our time in Thailand was truly the best way to cap it all off.  

There are so many highlights from this trip that I am sure I’ve omitted certain events and exciting details, but how do you really recap 16 life-changing days in one article? You can’t, you just had to be there.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the amazing people that made all of this a reality. Firstly, to our student life team for the hard work, logistics, and planning that went into this trip, with extra special thanks to Ms. Victoria Hill, Coordinator – Student Engagement, Leadership, and Activities. Your thoroughness and attention to detail served us well as we travelled to the other side of the globe with 28 students in tow. Without the foundation you laid for this trip, I am certain we would have encountered issues along the way. Secondly, I would like to thank Lead Chaperone, Ms. Kyla Walsh. Your administrative and organizational skills are second-to-none and it was a pleasure embarking on this journey with you. To our other chaperones, Mr. Nils Vosteen and Mrs. Olivia Kimbley, this was an amazing experience. If I had to do it all again, I would in a heartbeat – thank you all for your camaraderie. To the students who joined us on this adventure, thank you for the special moments and for opening your hearts to a world that was new to all of us. I hope you will cherish the memories and teachings from this trip. The privilege we all share in having done this should not be taken for granted.

Finally, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our tour director, Mr. Kongka Buatoei, from all of us at King’s-Edgehill School. This incredible gentleman is an amazing ambassador for his country and an expert who loves every part of what he does. We can all learn so much from Kong and the way he treats others. The world is a better place with him in it.

If you haven’t been to Thailand, be sure to add it to your list. The friendly people, collectivistic culture, delicious food, beautiful scenery, and the life-changing experiences will leave you longing for more and reflecting on the things in life that really matter.

Khob khun krub!

View the full Thailand photo gallery here.