BKK-DMK-BKK

After a somewhat difficult start on Koh Kood, we were able to enjoy the 3 days on the island. During the day, we lay on the beach, drank smoothies, beer and cocktails, and in the evenings we ate comfortably at the resort. Although the island, the sea and the beach were very beautiful, we soon missed a nearby town, cafes, and bars. Therefore, we decided to move on to the other side of Thailand (Andaman Sea).

Our choice fell on Koh Lanta (Southern Thailand). But first, we had to get there from the east of Thailand. Therefore, we discussed various options, including various domestic flights. One name kept coming up: Don Muang. Just to let you know: Bangkok has two airports (Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi). The two airports are over an hour apart, and during rush hour it can take even more time. We decided to first take a ship from Koh Kood to Trat (mainland) and from there take a bus to Bangkok. Here we would take a flight to Krabi and book a hotel room there for one night, in order to take a boat to Koh Lanta the next morning. So, we booked our hotel room and the flight from Bangkok, and organized the trip to Trat and Bangkok.

On the mentioned morning, we got up very early. Since there was no proper breakfast buffet yet, I ate a small bowl of rice with curry sauce. Before we knew it, the shared pick-up was already at our resort and it was time to say goodbye to Koh Kood. We were driven to the pier with the pick-up. There, we exchanged our receipt for a ticket and went on board. There was a slight swell and I briefly considered taking a motion sickness tablet. But I decided against it and looked for a fixed point outside on deck. Shortly after, the ship started and we left the port with the golden Buddha on the mountain, which stood out from the dense jungle.

After a 2-hour ride, we arrived at the pier in Trat. There, we were crammed into open vehicles with fixed benches, along with a leading loading area full of backpacks. The vehicle took us to a bus station. There, we were divided into two buses: one stopped at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the other in Pattaya and at Khao San Road. Since our flight was from Don Muang Airport, we decided to get off at Khao San, have a meal there, and then continue by taxi to Don Muang Airport. But the bus ride took forever. The reason: there was a huge accident with 2 mega trucks on the highway. The traffic jam cost us a lot of time, and when we finally arrived at Khao San, we didn't even have time to eat and went directly to the airport by taxi. Edina checked us in online during the ride. The taxi ride also took a long time. There was a big festival in Bangkok and there were elegantly dressed Thais and closed off streets everywhere. The taxi driver was very nice and took detours to avoid toll fees. When we arrived at the airport, we had less than an hour until departure. We walked through the hall looking for our check-in counter. But there was another airline listed there and we couldn't find our flight on the departure board either. Confused, we looked at each other. How could this happen?

Hectic and confused at the same time, we rushed out of the airport, hoping to take a taxi and quickly get to Suvarnabhumi Airport. However, a police officer stopped us outside and asked what was going on. I explained that we urgently needed a taxi to the other airport. He didn't let me finish and told us to come with him. Our attempt to stop him failed. He was in charge and we followed him to another floor, even though we knew that it was a waste of time.

On the 3rd floor, he pointed to a counter 'Taxi' where a huge line of tourists was waiting. Great - all for nothing. We ran back down. This time, a soldier intercepted us and escorted us to a counter where you could sign up for a shuttle bus to the other airport. I explained to him that we didn't have time because our flight was leaving in 45 minutes. He didn't listen and entered our names. Slowly. Letter by letter. Time was running out. I could almost hear it ticking away. After he wrote down our names, I explained to him again that we didn't have time. He said that the bus would leave in half an hour. I told him that it wouldn't be enough and we continued to try to flag down passing taxis. Most of the taxis were occupied or were specially ordered. Once again, we lost a lot of time until we found an available taxi. This time it was a blue one (we hadn't had one before). So far, we had the best experiences with yellow or yellow-green taxis.

We got into the taxi. Once again, I explained to the driver that we had less than an hour to get to the other airport and asked him if he could make it. He agreed and I nervously searched the internet on my phone for alternative flights that evening. We started driving and progress was slow - the driver was driving very unusually and calmly. After about 10 minutes of driving, he turned left and stopped at a gas station. He was out of gas. I almost lost it when he asked me if we wanted to use the restroom or if we needed anything from the gas station. He took his time and the gas station attendant refueled the car while the driver disappeared to the restroom. 'Game over,' I thought. After what felt like an eternity, he returned. I found a flight from Don Muang Airport to Krabi for 50 euros at around 10pm on the internet. Damn, we were in a taxi to Suvarnabhumi Airport. I showed Edina the flight and we kept this flight as plan B. The taxi driver took the entire tourist route. We had to pay toll fees multiple times. It soon became clear that we wouldn't make the flight anymore.

When we arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport, we ran through the hall with our big, heavy backpacks in search of our check-in counter. The airport was full of people. We had 10 minutes before departure and in the heat of the moment, we did what the Chinese do and pushed our way forward. Upset, I explained to the lady at the counter that we had to get on the plane. She said that we could board without luggage. We told her that we needed our luggage. She turned on the system and then informed me that the plane was already on the runway and boarding was in progress. 'You lost,' I thought again and walked with Edina dejectedly to the information counter. We asked if there was a later flight from here to Krabi. Unfortunately, there wasn't. I took out my phone, opened the tab on the internet with the online ticket from Don Muang to Krabi. The page loaded, and when I clicked on 'book', the page refreshed and said 'Page not found'. How could that be? 20 minutes ago, the page with the tickets was still available. I went to the counter again and asked the lady if she could check online for us or call the other airport for us. I explained our problem to her. She couldn't help us and said that the office of the airline we had chosen for our flight was now closed. I asked again if she could call the airport for us. If there were available seats, we would go there and buy a ticket at the counter. She couldn't help us, and my further attempts to access the online ticketing page failed. It was over. When we realized this, the mood instantly dropped. We were in a bad mood, and my only thought now was the desire for a cold Chang beer and something to eat. We hadn't really eaten all day. We went back into the airport and went down one floor.

The first shop we came across was a Burger King. We wanted burgers now. Some consolation for all our hardships.

After a vegetarian meal (the patty of the vegetarian burger in Thailand is green!) later, we felt somewhat strengthened. We looked for accommodation near Suvarnabhumi Airport and rented a room for 10 euros per night.

Frustrated, we took a short-distance taxi. The driver was a thin, gaunt Thai man with a sunken face, probably already around 60 - at least he looked very worn out. When we got into his taxi, we understood why: he was a chain smoker. His entire taxi smelled of stale cigarette smoke. We held ourselves together and let ourselves be driven to the hotel in the Lat Krabang district (slum area). We checked into the hotel. Our room was okay and cleaner than the expensive bungalow on Koh Kood. We took a shower, washed away the exhausting day, and fell into bed. Unfortunately, we couldn't sleep - the adrenaline from the drama with the missed flight still kept us awake. Dumbfounded and still shocked, we finally fell asleep very late at night. We slept for two hours before getting up to get ready for the next flight. We checked out and were taken to the airport by shuttle.

At the airport, we checked in without any problems. After dropping off our luggage, we looked for a cafe and found one. We bought coffee and a donut, and while we stood in line, I noticed an alternative-looking man in his 30s with long hair, a three-day beard, and a cowboy hat. He smiled and asked in English if the coffee was good. We started a conversation. He was originally from England but had been living in Goa, India for several years. He wanted to go on vacation in Krabi and was taking the same flight. We said goodbye and went to our gate and waited for our flight...