As news broke about the ‘Phuket Sandbox‘ experiment starting in July, I couldn’t help but be envious of the privileged few who could fly into the famous Thai island for a vacation. Sure, right now, there’s a quarantine process to follow but if the experiment proves to be successful, the authorities could loosen up the quarantine requirements and open up more destinations in the country (Koh Samui is next) based on increased vaccination coverage and declining cases in each province or island.
Being holed up indoors for what is now going to be two years, with more time spent in front of a laptop than looking away from a screen, I sure could use a Thailand vacation! Not that I wasn’t glad to be with my parents during a crisis, but for someone who enjoys exploring new destinations, trying out new experiences, tasting different kinds of foods… home isn’t where the heart was after having gone through lockdown after lockdown. I wanted to get out there again!
#AmazingThailand
I missed being in cities like Bangkok, which offered the world on your platter, from amazing street food to every international cuisine you could think of.
Its amazing night markets… from discovering hip new stores selling fashionable clothing at Chatuchak weekend market…
…to inexpensive knick knacks that make for perfect gifts or souvenirs to take back. I’m sure every shop owner and food stall cook is now taking all the necessary COVID precautions, so I’m not too worried about going to such places. After all, it would have been the smaller businesses that were the hardest hit by the pandemic and I’m more than happy to help them get back on their feet.
But if I were to get a chance to visit Thailand anytime soon, I would like to (or most likely have to) do it a bit differently.
#BlogYourThailand
Apart from creating daily vlogs for my YouTube channel or Instagram page, what I yearn for the most is flying my drone. In fact, I purchased my drone from Powerbuy (a major electronics retailer in Thailand), just two days before leaving Bangkok back in November 2019, on my way back from Vietnam. Back then I thought, “I guess I can come back and fly it over exotic beaches“. Yes, November 2019. Who knew the world would change after Wuhan entered the global spotlight just a month later! Sigh…
Since then, as my drone just lay there, all I could do was save bookmarks on Instagram, of places I wish to fly my drone and capture amazing footage myself. One of those bookmarked destinations was Ao Phang Nga National Park.
Another is a place I didn’t know about before — Jolasid Dam in Lop Buri, north of Bangkok — the largest reservoir in central Thailand:
I made the most of my lockdown days bookmarking a bucket list of destinations to fly my drone around, to get a different perspective and make videos for YouTube and Instagram. Even if it were places I had been to before, like floating markets, I would imagine how the scene would look like photographed right above the boats. I like to pre-visualize my shots so that I’m better prepared.
#ResetInThailand
What I would also look forward to would be re-visiting places like Maya Bay (if it is possible now) but this time with not many people around. I visited the famous island way back during my very fist trip to Thailand, back in 2009. Sure, I knew it was popular…
Now imagine being able to visit Maya Bay or islands in South Thailand without as many tourists. It would be a sightseeing ‘reset’ for me. Visiting a famous attraction before the mass tourists throng again. Even the remains of Ayutthaya (another destination I’ve yet to explore) could be captured gracefully without many people around the many Wats that make up the historical park.
Getting a chance to visit Thailand now would an opportunity like no other. A chance to explore, photograph, chronicle and soak in the beauty of Thailand before the country hits the ‘reset’ button on its world famous mass tourism. Until then, here’s hoping Thailand (especially Bangkok) recovers fast. I can’t imagine a Thailand vacation without making a stop at the world famous capital!
#TATNewDelhi #TATIndia
