In Search of Thailand

I’m writing to you from a small island in the Andaman Sea. The floor-to-ceiling windows fold away completely, blurring the line between inside and out.

There’s a boulder not twenty metres offshore that I swam to yesterday. Now, at high tide, it’s barely breaking the surface and a single bird is perched on its tip, resting, fishing. Islands and fishing boats drift along the horizon. The sound of waves rhythmically crashing as I write.

I came on this research trip in search of a Thailand I feared was lost. Over the years I’ve watched her essence get pushed and prodded into the margins by overtourism.  So, I travelled, as if through time, to the lesser-known region of Isan. I journeyed by car, local train and tuk tuk to towns and temples with no tourists. To places where I could still get a Thai massage for less than ten dollars; where food is an edible poem of culture. In a country that sees upwards of forty million tourists a year, eating breakfast at the foot of an ancient temple alone is a certain type of opulence.

To this island I came looking for true barefoot luxury. Yesterday my boat turned left where most turn right; I passed mangroves that offer a chance to see pink dolphins, manatees, otters, abundance and life. On arrival, I found myself floating from one corner of the villa to another. Then, as I wandered a few steps down to the beach a swell of emotion pushed words of gratitude out of me and into the air. What a gift! To be standing alone on a public beach in Thailand watching a sunset, a cinematic masterpiece.

The contrast of experience here can be staggering. In a very different experience, this morning I took a long tail boat to a neighbouring island. A beautiful spot, but flooded with thousands of tourists. A shopping street had been paved through what was once jungle and now housed shops with trinkets from China. And so, I returned, as quick as my trusty boatmen would take me to ‘my island’ where its magic continued to unfold. Too many tales to regale, perhaps for another time.

To come looking for barefoot luxury and be awarded not just that but tokens of peace and gratitude to bring home fills my cup. As does the chance to share it with others. Thailand comes in many forms. But the soul of what draws us here is alive and well – you just need to know where to find it.

In a few days someone will come and pry me from my villa. My next destination: a national park in search of wild elephants, dramatic Jurassic-esque vistas, and a floating hotel deep within the rainforest.

But for now, if you’ll please excuse me, the waves are calling.