MY BEST DAY OF REMOTE YEAR
Bangkok is my one true love. Yes, the whole country of Thailand is amazing, but I really love that city. My family planned a 3 week long trip to SE Asia (POST COMING SOON, I PROMISE MOM), and I headed to the BKK solo a few days early for a reunion that was better than Before Sunset. If you follow me on Instagram, that’s the second time you’ve seen that joke SINS.
On my first non-work day, I took a cab to the Loha Prasat Metal Castle and got dropped off at the Golden Mount temple instead (#Thailand). Wasn’t mad, it’s got a really cool view of the whole city.
I then walked to the Loha Prasat Metal Castle. It’s pretty, and I was stoked to explore two temples I didn’t see my first time around in the BKK.
After, I started walking to Thammasat University. I knew I wanted to visit the school I attended, but there’s a very famous street you can walk down on the way. Khao San Road. I wasn’t planning on visiting, but took a detour to the right and found myself there.
Where I lived in Bangkok meant we went out on Khao San Road, so I spent a lot of time there. I know KSR isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I LOVE it. It’s the backpacker mecca of SE Asia and unlike any other place I’ve ever been. And after 5.5 years, it’s still very much the same. Even a rooftop bar we used to go to hear terrible acoustic covers was still there. And Golf Bar Cocktails Very Strong; We Do Not Check ID. Heart = warmed.
I walked to my (former) school, then took the ferry across the Chao Praya to walk to Amarin Mansion, where I used to live (Arun Amarin soi sum sib gow)- following the same path I took every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for 5 months.
I had a mission. I was going to see if Tom Yum Lady still existed. Amarin Mansion is in a neighborhood called Bangkoknoi. It’s very removed from the tourists, also contains the hospital where King Bumibol used to live, and restaurants are usually the downstairs parts of people’s homes so we gave them names like Tom Yum Lady.
She had a very important effect on my life because she makes the best Tom Yum I’ve ever had. No place else even comes close, and in order for my nostalgia day to be complete I needed her tom yum again. (For those unaware, it’s a magical sweet and sour soup that cures hunger, hangover, and your tastebuds will forever be improved.)
I walked down the stairs and crossed underneath the bridge. I came out and started walking down Arun Amarin, looking straight forward to see if her cooking station on the sidewalk was still there. It was! And she was open! I strolled inside her lime green palace and took a seat. I ordered the world’s best soup, and when I got it I asked her to take a picture, which absolutely confused her. My dreams were complete, I was eating Tom Yum Lady’s tom yum again.
Even though I’d eaten a full meal, around the corner was Pad Thai Guy, and I was again tempted, but scared. Would he be there? Was I really that lucky? did Bangkok like me that much? He’s famous with the Thai locals, but disappeared 2 months before I moved out of the city. I decided to check, it was on my way home anyway.
He was there too! I got some Pad Thai with pork from one of the best in the biz and enjoyed his delicious pink noodles.
The familiar part of the day was over, and it was time for the new. I spent my night rooftop bar hopping to three different locations. I won’t go into details since my last post was their reviews, but will share I ran around Sukhumvit, in the best mood I’ve been in all year, all by myself.
Some people fall in love with other people. I fell in love with a place. Bangkok taught me Patience, with a capital P, kindness, compassion, more empathy, and that my comfortable way isn’t necessarily the right way. The benevolence of Thai people is astounding. And the weirdness is too. Spending that day by myself in my favorite city… Bangkok felt like home.
