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Teaching week finally wrapped up, and with three weeks of “freedom” before exams, I did the only logical thing, booked a ticket and left. No real itinerary, just a vague plan to hit Bangkok and a need to get out of the city.
This first leg was entirely on the rails, I crossed into Johor Bahru to catch the overnight Jungle Railway. I woke up in the quiet town of Kuala Lipis for a brief rest before pushing further north toward the border at Rantau Panjang.
The plan was originally to ride the rails all the way through, but crossing into Narathiwat was where the “impromptu” nature of the trip hit a reality check. Seeing the military patrols on the ground and the checkpoints every few kilometers, the original idea of taking the train started feeling like an bad idea for getting to Bangkok safely.
After navigating the local streets with a mix of English and hand signs, I traded the slow railway for a domestic flight out of Narathiwat, touching down at Don Mueang by Evening.
-- Zhun Hao