Logbook of a traveler in quarantine in Bangkok (Thailand)

Having a nomadic lifestyle and being a permanent traveler may seem tricky during this covid period, but honestly, this health crisis has so far been synonymous with opportunity for us.

Apart from the two months of lockdown in Francewe have multiplied unforgettable experiences : a tour of France, 3 months in Italy, skiing in Montenegro, discovering Albania, … All of that with a lucky timing allowing us to avoid the bulk of restrictions and having only had to undergo a single PCR test so far.

While we were considering continuing our exploration of the Balkans by going to Kosovo and North Macedonia, the call of Asia became too pressing. About a month ago, Thailand reduced the strict quarantine period in a hotel room from 15 days to 10 days. It’s been 3 years since we left Asia, and it was the nudge Anh needed.

I wasn’t overly keen to leave right now: why impose a strict quarantine on ourselves while Europe is lifting restrictions? I wondered if we were going against the flow, especially since we’d had a great sense of timing so far.

Moreover, between the moment we decided and the departure, Thailand experienced a new wave (at their scale, we’d be delighted to have only 2,000 new cases per day in France) and is tightening the screws: quarantine is back to 15 days and there are major travel restrictions between provinces.

It was still time to cancel (we had made sure the flight and hotel were cancellable without fees) but Anh misses Asia too much: the atmosphere, the climate, the food, …

So, it’s a bet we’re making: “enduring” a strict quarantine to enjoy a Thailand empty of tourists (in 2019, Thailand welcomed nearly 40 million tourists!). If the bet pays off: there will be paradisiacal deserted beaches for us. If the bet fails, we’ll have lived an unprecedented experience we won’t forget anytime soon.

Anh already explained to you the steps to get the authorization to enter Thailand, as well as the costs incurred

I suggest you live through our quarantine with this log.

Day 0: Saturday, May 15

It’s departure day! While we strive to respect the rules wherever we are, it’s the first time we allow ourselves a breach. While it’s theoretically forbidden to leave the European area without a compelling reason, we’re off to Asia.

That’s why we chose a flight with a stopover in Amsterdam even though there was a direct flight Paris – Bangkok. In Paris, we’re asked, at boarding, only for the PCR test less than 72 hours old to be able to have a stopover in the Netherlands. See how to take a PCR test even on a public holiday in Paris here.

Since we stay within the Schengen area, no passage through border police which could potentially require a compelling reason.

From Amsterdam, French rules don’t apply, no need to worry.

With Air France, everything is automated: check-in, baggage drop-off. Bags are sent directly to BangkokBut if anyone asks where you’re going, say “Amsterdam”.

While we wait in the terminal, I thank the Parisian Airbnb host where we’ve been staying these past few days via WhatsApp. In the midst of the exchange, he mentions he’s just boarded a cruise on the Nile. I tell him we took one with Nile sailing a few years ago, and we realize he’sread our blog while planning his trip ! It’s totally bizarre!

At boarding for Amsterdam, they got a bit stuck on Anh’s PCR test dated over 24 hours (since you need a 24-hour antigen test to go to the Netherlands), but when I admitted it was just a layover, they saw Bangkok and let me board the plane. Without any questions.

In Amsterdam, we’d planned to arrive well in advance, as this is where all our documents for Thailand will be checked. Seeing that it’s going to be much simpler and faster than imagined, we treat ourselves to a McDonald’s, a last junk food fix before 15 days of very limited meal choices.

For the layover, it’s very simple, there are “self transfer” kiosks or something like that. Just scan your passport to get your boarding pass for Bangkok. Make sure to keep all boarding passes, as they’ll ask for them in Bangkok!

Given the many documents to prepare, we’d planned a document holder each with everything neatly organized. With all the countless checks we went through, it was clearly a good practice (thanks to the person who gave us the idea on Facebook!) to save time and reduce stress.

In Amsterdam, we go through many checkpoints: one for temperature, one to fill out a form declaring we have no symptoms, one to verify we have all documents, another to check we have the sticker proving we’ve done everything required, …

And off we go to Bangkok ! If the Paris-Amsterdam flight was nearly full, it’s quite the opposite for the flight to Bangkok. It’s a Boeing 777 with a capacity of 400 passengers. We were about forty? 50 at most? Considering this flight’s final destination was Hong Kong, that gives an idea of how many travelers are heading to Thailand right now…

As a result, economy class feels like business class.

I never manage to sleep on transport and always arrive exhausted on long trips, but I got to stretch out fully across 4 seats. And I slept like a baby, for nearly 6 hours! A first for me, traveling in such conditions is so much more comfortable! ~~Long live covid!~~

Looks like Anh slept well too.

Another discovery: this is the first time I’m on a plane offering Wifi!

We got to test 1 hour of free internet (only for messaging apps in text mode) but we could have bought an additional package. I find the prices surprisingly affordable to watch Netflix at 33,000 feet (but is it really necessary?).

Day 1: Sunday, May 16

We finally arrive in Bangkok! The flight went very well. The only painful part was that between leaving our Paris Airbnb and arriving, we’ve had a mask on our faces for about 20 hours non-stop (except for a few minutes here and there for meals). Our FFP2 mask pulls more than surgical masks. Result: my ears are suffering! We appreciate even more how lucky we’ve been to barely need to wear a mask so far (we work from home, and most places we’ve been in the past year didn’t require masks outdoors).

We’re clearly arriving on another planet where covid is being fought by a military organization, and we’re directed to spaced-out chairs where we wait for someone to come and check that we have all our documents.

Then come multiple checks: temperature, document verification, health services, … I’m probably forgetting a few, but everything is surprisingly smooth and efficient. There’s staff every 10 meters to guide us.

We arrive at immigration. Normally, as French citizens, we get a visa exemption for stays of up to 30 days. Thai authorities are currently taking quarantine into account, so this period extends to 45 days. And we can easily extend it by at least 30 days afterwards.

We’re in Thailand! We grab our bags and a driver sent by the hotel is waiting for us.

It feels so good to be in Thailand! After 2016 and 2018, this is our third time. I’d forgotten the muggy heat (it’s 34°C) and that they drive on the left ^^.

During the 30-minute ride, passing by street food stalls makes me really hungry, but we’ll have to wait 15 days to enjoy them.

We finally reach the hotel, our bags are taken care of and very carefully disinfected. We have to walk over a mat soaked in some substance or other.

Another temperature check (I’ve lost count!), blood pressure taken, a few documents to sign, and we’re almost there. The receptionist calls the elevator and sends us up, she radios ahead that we’re coming, and we’re met on the 3rd floor by someone else who shows us to our room.

Door to door, it took us 22 hours, but we’re here!

About an hour after we arrived, the reception called to make sure everything was okay and wished me a happy quarantine.

You can find a recap of those two days in the video here:

Day 2: Monday, May 17th

From our quarantine room, most communication with the outside world goes through the messaging app Line, the most popular in Thailand. If you’re planning to come, I suggest installing it before you leave to avoid nasty surprises. I couldn’t receive the confirmation SMS needed to sign up.

Luckily Anh managed to install it, so it’s not a problem, but it would be really tricky if neither of us had the app.

We have two contacts: the hotel reception and the hospital.

When we got to our room, we found two thermometers. We need to take our temperature twice a day and send a photo of the result to the hospital via Line: before 9am and before 5pm.

No forgetting! Since we weren’t used to it yesterday, we were late and got a nudge at 5:01pm!

Yesterday I mentioned we wouldn’t leave our room for 15 days, which is inaccurate. We’ll actually be allowed out 3 times to go… take a PCR test.

The first one was scheduled this morning. Five minutes before, the reception called to make sure we were ready. Someone rang the doorbell, and by the time we opened it, the staff member, covered head to toe, was already at the end of the hallway. As we approached, he signaled for us to stop and wait for the elevator. We were a good 5 meters apart, and we really felt like lepers ^^.

He pressed the button and left us; we went up to the hotel’s rooftop.

We had to walk over a disinfectant mat and saw the hotel pool, which we won’t get to use. Anyway, it’s so hot that an air-conditioned room is just fine, right?

The test takes 5 minutes: a swab in the mouth and one in the nostril. It’s our 4th PCR test since the start of the pandemic, and the least unpleasant so far.

Every day we get a link via Line to choose our food for the next day. Three meals a day, with several options for each meal.

There is always at least one vegetarian and halal option (about 5% of the Thai population is Muslim).

We know the food is ready when someone rings the doorbell (which is not essential at 7 in the morning…).

We then pick up our meal from a small table in the hallway in front of the door.

In our room, we each have a plate and a set of cutlery and the hotel provided a sponge and dish soap so we can wash them. That way, we won’t have to eat from plastic containers for 15 days. However, they forgot the chopsticks! I know we’re tourists, but still… we’re in Asia!

It’s not haute cuisine, but it’s decent. The dishes arrive hot, but since dinner is served around 5pm, we’ll mostly eat it cold in the evening. When choosing from the menu, you have to be careful when it says spicy, we’re in Thailand, so spicy = very very very spicy 😀

Here are today’s meals (I hope you’re not allergic to rice!)

Anh is thrilled because although the situation has been super tense these past few weeks (third wave of Covid), as soon as we arrived, restrictions are easing up all over Thailand (some places reopening, extended opening hours…). In 15 days, I hope the restrictions will be completely lifted.

Day 3: Tuesday, May 18

For the 4 years we’ve lived a nomadic lifestyle, we’ve stayed in temporary accommodations that we book for several weeks without seeing them in person. Normally, that’s not a problem for us, but for choosing our quarantine hotel, we couldn’t afford to make a mistake. We’ll be staying there 24/7 for 15 days. We can’t switch if we don’t like the place. We can’t eat elsewhere if the food is bad. We can’t go to a coworking space if the wifi is poor, …

This last point is important: in recent weeks we’ve signed several contracts and arranged for them to start… now! So we have a lot of work to do over the next 15 days, we won’t be bored! But we needed a comfortable work environment and fast internet!

We spent a huge amount of time searching for the ideal quarantine hotel. About a hundred hotels are approved by the Thai government to host quarantines. Each hotel offers different room types. We also looked for a hotel that offered free cancellation up to the day before departure in case we changed our minds about coming.

In the end, we chose the hotel Eleven Bangkok with a family room. More expensive of course than a standard double room, but we have the huge advantage of having two identical rooms with a connecting door. So we have everything in double: bed, shower, toilet, … and especially the desk and chair. Perfect for working comfortably! The hotel is brand new (only two years old), and it’s much more pleasant to stay so long in a modern, stylish room than in one that’s seen better days.

One of the first things we did upon arrival was run a speed test, and the result was very reassuring.

So we can work efficiently and seriously.

Tap water isn’t drinkable in Thailand, so the hotel left us 36 liters of water EACH. We won’t die of thirst.

As for soap and shampoo, we should be fine too. I’m the one who brought the Marseille soap. It’s my little pleasure to throw a few in my suitcase when I pass through France.

Regarding waste management, they provide bags that we need to leave in the hallway before 8 PM.

The Thai attention to detail is quite impressive. The bedroom floor is carpeted, but you can see in the photos above that it has been covered with a material (plastic-coated?) that will make disinfection easier when we leave.

Do you know durian? It’s a very popular fruit in Asia. Its nickname is “the fruit that stinks.” It’s so true that it’s banned on public transport in many Asian countries. In our hotel room too 😀

So we are very happy with our choice. The only (big) drawback of this hotel is the lack of balconies and the impossibility of opening the windows. We knew about it and had hesitated with a room in another hotel that had a balcony, but it was smaller, less pretty, and less suitable for working. So it’s my only concern for the next 15 days. Can’t wait for the next PCR test in 5 days so we can breathe outside air 😀 !

In the afternoon we learn that yesterday’s PCR test is negative. I found the result took a bit long to come. If it had been positive, we would surely have heard ambulance sirens and been evacuated by helicopter 😀

My meals today: it’s the first time I haven’t had rice at every meal 🙂

Day 4: Wednesday, May 19

Since we often eat our meals cold (especially dinner, delivered at 5 PM but not eaten until 7 or 8 PM), we asked via the Line app if we could have a microwave. The hotel offered us one for 1000 THB for the stay, about 25 euros. We accepted, and it was delivered this morning.

We can now eat hot food! I never thought I’d proudly post a photo of a microwave on this blog, but there it is! It’s beautiful, don’t you think?

During quarantine, the hotel can run errands for us at 7-Eleven. It’s a convenience store chain open 24/7 where you can find all basic products, buy hot meals, drinks, print documents, have packages delivered, etc. 7-Eleven is very practical and very popular in Asia.

We planned to ask them for instant noodles to fill the gaps. So we installed the app 7-Eleven to make our choice. Not so easy because the app is only available in Thai!

After sending the reception a screenshots of the items we wanted, we left cash on the table in front of our room yesterday for them to do the shopping. We could also pay by transfer, but since we had managed to withdraw cash at the airport, it’s much simpler.

Today, we had no news of our order. I was about to go file a complaint at the police station for theft, but I remembered that leaving the room was forbidden. Finally, the problem was the Thais’ kindness: they had visited several 7-Elevens without finding the brand of makeup remover pads ordered by Anh (even though she didn’t care about the brand ^^).

Our order finally arrived with the receipt and exact change to the baht, without any commission. Quarantine costs (very) a lot, but at least there’s service behind it!

So you can see a few instant noodles, the famous makeup remover pads, and some Choco Pie, biscuits that Anh always finds with emotion when she returns to Asia (personally I don’t see anything special about them). For your curiosity, it’s about 5 euros.

Here are my meals for the day

Did you notice this item in my lunch salad?

Since I was eating while working, I didn’t pay much attention and ate it like you would a green bean.

I immediately realized my mistake.

In the first moments, the pain was so sharp that I thought I was dying. While I was in the bathroom spitting out this hostile food, I said to myself: “it’s not possible, I’m not going to end up in the hospital for eating a chili pepper” as I’m in covid quarantine…”.

It’s really a mistake to noob. From Mexico, I know full well that green foods are much more dangerous than red foods.

I recovered, but it took a good 20 minutes.

Day 5: Thursday, May 20

Already a third of the quarantine is over and so far we’re doing great. The first 2 or 3 days weren’t very productive while we adjusted to the time zone change. Since then, a routine has set in and our workdays are quite busy.

Even though everything is going well and our room is very comfortable, it’s “funny” how the prison codes are present:

If we’re not up yet, we’re woken up by the guard around 7:30 am: he rings the doorbell to let us know breakfast is here.
We have our 3 meals a day served in plastic trays to pick up at the door.
We get a kick out of hearing our guardsapproach. The rustling of their plastic suits makes noise with every step, audible from relatively far away.
In the corridor that we glimpse a few seconds a day, we can see the other cells but there’s no way to communicate with our fellow inmates.
Work supervised walks when we go out for a PCR test

By the way, our second test is scheduled for tomorrow morning. We’re almost happy at the prospect of getting our noses rammed because we’ll get to breathe outside air 😀

One surprising thing is spending entire days without seeing anyone at all. If we hurry to pick up our meals, we might catch a glimpse of the hotel employee at the end of the hallway, but he looks more like an astronaut than a normal human in his suit. Our window overlooks a courtyard with very little activity. I hope we won’t have panic attacks when they release us 😀

Anh had a little scare during this afternoon’s temperature check; it’s the first time it went above 37°C (37.2). At 37.5° you’re supposed to go to the hospital ^^. The worst part is that it’s not impossible we might get sick, given how hostile the environment is between peppers disguised as beans and air conditioning that’s not always easy to adjust. We face many dangers!

Today’s meals were very good (and not too spicy). There are regularly Indian dishes offered (maybe because they have many Indian clients? Hard to say) which allow us not to eat rice all the time, I like that. We’re looking forward to tomorrow’s lunch; it’s going to be our first Pad Thai since we arrived! All that’s missing is a sticky rice with mango for dessert and I’d be over the moon!

Day 6: Friday, May 21

This morning was walk day! We went back up to the hotel rooftop for our second PCR test.

The outing was more pleasant than the first. First of all, it had been 5 days since we’d been outside! Then, the testing stand was on the other side of the pool this time; you could almost say we went on a hike! Finally, the weather was cooler and there was a light breeze, it was really nice!

Well, we were still there to get a swab shoved up our noses.

Before the test, we had to fill out a stress questionnaire whose purpose was to make sure we weren’t at risk of hanging ourselves in our ~~cell~~ room. Do you sleep well? Are you tired? Do you refuse to talk to others? We’re fine, thank you.

We’re glad we got a family room (and thus have two connecting rooms). Even though we’re used to being together all the time, 15 days on top of each other in a small room would have been much less comfortable. Here we even have the luxury of each having our own bathroom. By the way, yesterday I went into Anh’s bathroom to get something; I think I’d never even set foot in there before. It’s almost a palace; you could get lost in it!

Also, having work makes time pass much faster. I imagine tourists waiting impatiently to be released so they can go explore the country; the days must be long.

I think we’ll soon have a cell neighbor; a small table has been set up next to the door across from us to drop off food. I’ll keep you posted. It’d be quite an event to see someone else!

Otherwise, we’ve booked our flight to Koh Samui for when we’re released. We’ve also found accommodation for a week. I’m not getting ahead of myself yet, as a lot can happen between now and then, but… it’s promising!

Here are today’s meals with a pad thai for lunch. The first of many in the weeks to come. So satisfying!

Day 7: Saturday, May 22

We went to bed very late last night (or very early this morning) and I was planning on sleeping in. Unsurprisingly, the guard woke us up around 7:30 for breakfast; I quickly fell back asleep. But an hour later, Anh’s dreaded alarm went off. She’s so afraid of submitting our temperature report late that she’s set an alarm every morning! #firstworldproblems

The suspense was unbearable; the results are in: our PCR tests from yesterday came back negative. With all the precautions we’ve taken, the PCR test before leaving and the two tests since the start of quarantine, if we catch the virus before the end of our confinement, I don’t get it.

Apart from that, nothing special to report.

I’m glad I managed to finish our tax return. I had to redo the calculations multiple times, but I’m certain that it was beneficial for us to tick box 2OP to opt for “taxation of all your investment income on a sliding scale” and thus avoid being subject to the “single flat tax”. Fascinating, right? I’m not sure if it’s the same in other countries, but calculating income tax in France is an incredibly convoluted process.

We’re now halfway through, and I’m not worried about the remaining 7 days.

Here are today’s meals; lunch was quite spicy but delicious. We’re enjoying fruit with every meal, but still no mango—maybe it’s not in season? I love mangoes! By the way, a friend who visited us in Cambodia nicknamed me Mister Mango.

You may have noticed that breakfasts are systematically savory, like (I assume) everywhere in Asia. That suits me fine, as my ideal breakfast remains the Andalusian tostadas.

Tomorrow, Japanese dishes are on the menu, yum yum!

Day 8: Sunday, May 23

It’s been exactly one week since we arrived in Thailand! Can’t say we’ve seen much so far.

We got to sleep in today. We were woken up during breakfast delivery, but Anh had disabled her alarm this time.

I’d barely gotten up this morning when I received a call from reception saying there was a big problem. No time to worry: there was a power outage in the hotel. Indeed, our quarantine without air conditioning is much less pleasant; it’s scorching hot! Fortunately, the power came back after two short hours, and the vital need (Wi-Fi) was still working.

Reception is on the ball; we hadn’t sent our temperature by 10 a.m., and we got a follow-up call. Even on a Sunday morning, there’s no escaping it!

We asked reception to bring us clean bedding, and they did so quickly. Anh also used our portable washing machine to do some laundry.

Here are today’s meals; we were a bit excited about having a Japanese dish, but it was disappointing.

Day 9: Monday, May 24

BREAKING NEWS: I saw the inmate across from us. I mentioned him on Friday and promised to keep you posted. We came out to pick up our lunch in perfect sync. After the surprise of seeing another human face, we wished each other good morning. He’s an Asian man, between 25 and 30 years old.

The encounter lasted only a second, but I’m still all shaken up.

I’ll continue keeping this journal to document our quarantine, but I think not much will happen until the last PCR test and our departure 😀

One pretty unsettling point is that I’m really struggling to realize that I’m in Bangkok. The confinement of our hotel room would be almost the same anywhere in the world (minus the food): we don’t hear Thai spoken, we don’t feel the heat of Asia, we don’t get the street food smells, we don’t see shop fronts… Sensorially, nothing connects me to Asia; it’s quite strange.

Otherwise, good news! We’ve just signed a new big project for Anh. The discussions started 2 months ago, and we were hoping to start at the beginning of quarantine. It took a bit longer than expected, but it’s done!

Here are today’s meals.

Day 10: Tuesday, May 25

Another day has passed!

Even though this quarantine is far from being a hardship, the prospect of snorkeling in Koh Samui is getting seriously close, and I can’t wait!

So we’re going to start counting down the days: J-5 until freedom.

For the first time this morning, the guards bringing breakfast knocked on the door instead of using the bell. It’s so much nicer! Being woken up by the bell is a bit harsh. I imagine some of our fellow inmates complained.

Here are the meals of the day. I was still a bit hungry after my lunch ^^.

Day 11: Wednesday, May 26

Anh lost her thermometer. Unthinkable when living space is so limited. With taking temperatures twice a day for two people, with only one thermometer, this chore takes twice as long as usual.

Meals of the day.

Day 12: Thursday, May 27

D-3 before liberation! Anh found her thermometer in the middle of the dirty laundry. Bravo! That’s good news because she thought she had thrown it in the trash (with the plastic dishes).

This morning we went for a walk for our 3rd and last PCR test on the hotel rooftop.

I discreetly took a photo of our guardian who escorted us to the elevator while respecting social distancing.

We had to fill out again the Stress Evaluation Test.

If this last PCR test is negative, which we don’t doubt, our next outing from the room will be to leave the hotel and go to the airport, heading to Koh Samui!

Anh asked the reception if she could order some Bubble tea, a tea-based drink very popular in Asia that she loves (we’ve started to see them in France over the past few years). The employee told her it was possible and that she knew the prices by heart because she regularly buys them for herself.

So Anh ordered 4 and offered two to the employee.

The employee thanks Anh with a *thank you very much* in French in the text.

When the employee delivered the 2 bubble teas, instead of leaving right after ringing the doorbell, she waited for Anh to open the door to thank her in person. That’s so sweet!

Day 13: Friday, May 28

Big news this morning:

….

…

We are…

…

(a little more suspense…)

…

Negative!

Haha!

We didn’t really doubt it, but this time it’s certain: we’re going out on Sunday (I really feel like I’m talking like a prisoner who just got a positive response to a request for conditional release).

If all goes well, Sunday afternoon I’ll be swimming in the Gulf of Thailand, I can’t wait!

Here are today’s meals.

Day 14: Saturday, May 29

This time it feels like the end! Leaving tomorrow morning!

We asked the reception to book us a taxi to the airport. We’ll have stayed 15 days in Bangkok without doing or visiting absolutely anything. Fortunately, we had already come twice before, otherwise it would have been a bit frustrating. There are quite a few travel restrictions between provinces in Thailand. We are allowed to go wherever we want after the quarantine, but no hanging around!

Starting in July, Phuket will be open to vaccinated tourists without needing to quarantine. Thanks to this very limited reopening, the Thai authorities hope to welcome 500,000 foreign tourists in 2021. Compare that to the 40 million welcomed in 2019! We are very lucky to have the opportunity to enjoy Thailand with so few tourists.

I am almost nostalgic at the thought of leaving our room, in two weeks we’ve gotten used to our gilded prison. Being together, having a comfortable room (even two), having plenty to keep us busy… made our quarantine a very pleasant experience.

Well, I think any nostalgia will instantly disappear when I arrive in Koh Samui.

Here’s the last day of meals, we only ordered breakfast for tomorrow.

Day 15: Sunday, May 30

It’s crazy how 15 days were enough to condition us. As the departure time approached, we wondered if we should wait for them to pick us up or if we could just leave on our own. I can hardly imagine how hard it must be to readjust to freedom after years of (real) prison.

It’s a good thing we asked, because they did indeed come to pick us up 😀

At the reception, the hotel gives us a certificate proving that we completed the quarantine and that our three PCR tests were negative. We get a small symbolic gift: hand towels. It won’t be of much use, but it’s a nice gesture. They thanked us again for the bubble teas we gave them 😀

The taxi was already there, heading to the airport.

At the airport entrance, a thermal camera takes our temperature and we are given a red sticker to put on our chest to prove we don’t have an abnormal temperature.

Check-in is very quick with our quarantine certificate.

We have to fill out a form on our phone to generate a QR code that we must present upon arrival in Koh Samui (NB: don’t come to Thailand without a smartphone!).

Before boarding the plane, another temperature check with a system we discover for the first time: simply pass your hand in front of a sensor to see your temperature instantly. Very convenient!

The flight lasts only an hour, it is almost full. Roughly, we must be a third Westerners, most of whom, like us, are just out of quarantine. Koh Samui airport is tiny and cute, it reminds me a bit of Easter Island airport. A little train, like those used in city tours, picks us up right at the bottom of the plane steps.

Another health check: temperature taken again, presentation of the QR code, and a paper form to fill out (yet another one, the “certificate of necessity”). Some travelers are just in transit and will take the boat to Koh Phangan (which we really enjoyed and we don’t rule out joining in the coming weeks)

We show our documents to an officer, we pick up our luggage and this time, WE ARE HERE!

Vlore –> Tirana –> Belgrade –> Paris –> Amsterdam –> Bangkok –> Koh Samui
5 PCR tests
15 days of quarantine

It took some motivation to reach our new home for a few months!

We easily find a shuttle to get to the hotel we booked for a week (250 baht/person).

We pass beautiful beaches, it’s very hot, and we see activity. We’ve been in Thailand for 15 days, but only now do we really realize we’re here.

The hotel staff seems delighted to welcome foreigners. They explain that if we want to order dinner, we need to reserve by 4 PM, as the restaurant is not open in the evening because there’s no one staying at the hotel. Then they correct themselves: “well, you’re not alone, but almost.”

We take possession of our ~~room~~ suite with a sea view, the quality/price ratio is incredible thanks to the absence of tourists: 35€ for 120m². Booking link, Agoda link

This is the end of this journal, thank you for following along! You can continue to follow our adventures in Koh Samui here or discover the latest blog posts

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