Thailand - Day 1: Departure and Arrival

It actually sounded like a brilliant idea: a night flight. Sleep on the plane, arrive at the destination somewhat refreshed… Perfect, right? Yes. In theory. In practice – well.

I'm heading to Thailand with Martin, one of my best friends and drummer of our band Book of Regrets (I mention this here completely selflessly, I assure you cough), with no big plans and no strict itinerary. Our master plan: to plan nothing. Just let everything come to us. Pure freedom.

We start in Augsburg and bounce along with the airport shuttle towards Munich. Emirates this time. Already at the terminal, I feel that mix of hustle, excitement, and chaos that only airports can create. People dragging their suitcases frantically, overly eager duty-free shoppers, hyper-focused boarding pass sorters… I love this whole bustling mess.

The flight departs on time at 9:35 PM. I'm dead tired. Well, actually. But my body has decided that this is definitely not the time to sleep. First, because of the excitement. Then, because I'm still completely wired from the night before. And also, I'm sitting in an A380 for the first time – this flying giant that hardly seems believable that it can even take to the skies. A bar. A staircase. Wood-like panels at the windows. I feel like I'm in a luxurious hotel lounge… just 10 kilometers above the ground. Yes, it’s pretty amazing.

Six hours later, we land in Dubai. I drag myself sleep-deprived out of the plane and am just about to buy a “Dubai chocolate” – simply because it would be bought in Dubai and somehow seem more legitimate. My inner voice laughs at me: “No, don’t do it!” So I don’t. This time. But Dubai, we will meet again. And then we will talk about the chocolate.

The onward flight to Bangkok starts on time again – I love that. My energy level: dead tired. My blood sugar: about to drop out of the plane in reverse. Blame it on a Spanish Latte – coffee, milk, and sweetened condensed milk. That’s not a drink; it’s liquid sugar in coffee form. During boarding, WHAM! – Last Christmas plays. I automatically begin to sing along. At some point, two or three other passengers quietly join in. For a moment, we feel like a very tired, very random Christmas karaoke group high in the sky.

'... This year, to save me from tears, I´ll give it to someone special...'

Another six hours and zero minutes of sleep later, we land in Bangkok. And BAM – this airport is huge. People everywhere. People behind people behind people. Immigration takes a while, but I’m too tired to be annoyed. And hey – my backpack actually rolls up on the baggage claim. That’s always a little heart-pounding moment when traveling.

With cash and a new SIM card, we step outside the airport doors – and are immediately embraced by the humid-warm evening air of Bangkok. Welcome to Thailand.

Our hotel for the first night is supposedly just 15 minutes away, according to Maps. Perfect, we thought. Well. Maps in Thailand apparently has its own sense of humor. Suddenly, 15 minutes turns into two hours of walking. Two. Hours. At 30 degrees and with a sleep deficit of a small eternity. Uh… no. Not today. We’re taking a taxi.

The B9 Airport Resident in Lat Krabang is functional but friendly. I feel comfortable right away. The nearest 7/11 is just around the corner – our first, but definitely not the last. We grab water, walk back to the hotel, and I feel my eyes slowly start to close.

Sleep. Finally.