Orga time in Chiang Mai

I instantly liked my room at 60 Blue House, it's so wonderfully turquoise and offers plenty of space and storage options. My wardrobe fits in perfectly. Haha. I booked a single room for a cheap 400 baht (10.71 euros), because I'm not in the mood for a dorm at the moment. I really like the hostel overall. Great location in the old town, washing machine usage for a cheap 30 baht, bicycle rental, a nice host, and a cozy common area inside and outside with a small garden, hammock, and colorful tables on different levels. After the taxi driver forgot about me this morning and I almost missed my ferry to Koh Phangan, as well as my connecting bus to Surat Thani and my flight to Chiang Mai, everything turned out fine in the end. However, the air conditioning on the plane was so freezing cold that I'm completely frozen and feel a little sick. So I just settle into my room, rest and then strengthen myself in the restaurant across the street. Colorful lanterns sway charmingly in the trees and I order Kow Soy (Khao Soi), a culinary specialty of Chiang Mai. It consists of yellow wheat egg noodles, which look a bit like yellow spaetzle, garnished with a spicy-sweet curry vegetable soup topped with crispy fried noodles. Tastes very delicious, unlike anything else I have eaten in Thailand so far. Tired, I fall into bed and realize that the restaurant/hostel across the street turns up the music and unfortunately lets it blast until late at night. Well, there's always something. The next morning I still feel tired and decide to take the day slowly. The smell of delicious coffee fills my nose and my stomach longingly tightens. The hostel also has a café-bar with real coffee, not instant sludge. I treat myself to a nice latte and turn on my laptop to research the best way to continue my journey. It's planning time. My next destination is Ayutthaya, but the overnight train journey on the recommended new train No. 10, which tempts with cozy sleepers in superior and first class, is already completely sold out, even though there are still four days until then. Stupid crap, that would have been my first choice. The VIP bus line recommended by my hostel dad has very bad reviews on TripAdvisor and unfortunately the other travelers have no recommendation for this route. So I make an inquiry in my Thailand Facebook group and promptly receive good advice. Unfortunately, this bus line cannot be booked online. Then I research accommodation in Ayutthaya and book a hostel that seems central, clean, and nice to me. Afterwards, I have my hostel dad explain to me how to use the red songthaews, the typical means of transportation in Chiang Mai and a cheap alternative to tuk-tuks.

With a passport photo (taken from Germany in advance), my passport, the departure card, and copies of the same, I make my way to the Immigration Office. There I fill out the available form M7 to extend my Exempt Stamp. That's what the "Visa on Arrival" is called here, which every European automatically receives upon entry. An officer checks my documents at the entrance and waves me through, while the losers next to me are sent away to get the missing passport photo or the copy of the departure card. Thorough research really pays off. Tschaka! At the counter, my documents are checked and organized. I have to pay a fee of 1,900 baht and receive a processing number and have to wait until I am called, just like at the customer service department of Ikea. I check my emails, answer WhatsApp messages, and almost miss that it only takes 15 minutes until my number is called. I am amazed and delighted, as everyone said that it would take at least half a day. Another two minutes later, a beautiful stamp is in my passport and my visa is extended by 30 days. What's really great about it is that the 30 days are not counted from today, as would be the case in many other countries, but are added to the end. So you could extend your visa on the first day without losing any days.

And because it worked out so well, I wave down the next songthaew and let myself be driven to the Arcarde Bus Terminal. There I ask around until I find the Nakhonchai Air counter in the old part, which doesn't belong to an airline, but is a bus company. I seek advice and decide on the overnight bus at 11 p.m., which arrives in the morning at 7 a.m., and buy a ticket. It's already afternoon and I'm hungry to my arms. That's where all the small scruffy street food stalls here at the bus station come in handy. I definitely want to try this, because usually these stands have the best food, don't they?