From the vibrant and bustling streets of Bangkok to the calm seaside town of Na Jomtien, these are some of my memories from a recent trip to Thailand, in photos.
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Art Director
Manali Doshi
Photo Editor
Joleen Zubek
Words and photographs by Lanna Apisukh
The first few days I arrived in Bangkok, or Krung Thep, I was sleepy from the jetlag yet eager to eat my way through Sukhumvit, the neighborhood where my husband and I were staying. We spent our time exploring the food vendors and restaurants in the area and wandering through the massive shopping malls in the Em district—a great place to find a snack and break from the heat. We made a special trip to Lumpini park to see the giant monitor lizards roaming freely. It’s hard to imagine a quiet nature preserve filled with massive reptiles sitting right in the middle of a city, but that’s exactly what it is. And if reptiles aren’t your thing, the park also serves as a sanctuary for the city’s scrappy stray cats, who linger in the sun and pose for the camera.
The day before we departed Bangkok we took the MRT (metro rapid transit) to Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown. We wandered through the markets packed with tourists and locals alike and bought fruit and knick knacks from street vendors. The stray cats, it turned out, also venture out this way, too.
The next day, we drove with my parents to Na Jomtien in Chonburi, a resort and seaside town nestled in the eastern Gulf of Thailand where they have their second home. I always enjoy retreating to the calm of their beach and the nearby fishing village after being in the bustle of Bangkok. In the mornings, I walked with my parents down to the ocean and took photos as they walked along a path by the clear blue water while saying sawadee, or hello, to their neighbors. Life moves at a slower pace in these coastal areas and it almost feels as if time stops whenever I visit.
One day, we took a ferry boat from Pattaya City to the tiny island of Koh Larn to have lunch and enjoy the water. Later that week, we checked out some local markets in Chonburi, explored a nearby Buddhist temple, and took walks around the little village of Ban Amphur. I always love seeing the fisherman with their colorful wooden boats pull up nets full of fish and later set them out to dry. My mom also does her shopping in this little village, where many shops specialize in making just one thing—like the one that only sells steamed coconut desserts and the one that exclusively sells curry puff pastries.
To end our trip, we made a visit to Nan Rong beach just south of my parents’ home where coniferous trees dot the shoreline. Being with family by the serenity of the ocean was the perfect way to round out the trip and recharge us for the new year. I can’t wait to return.
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I often find myself wanting to reconnect more with my Thai roots. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Central Florida, and am now based in New York City, but my parents immigrated decades ago from Thailand to the US. They now split their time between the two countries as retirees.
My last trip to my mother and father’s homeland was eight years ago, and so much has changed in the country since then. This time, I saw many more modern skyscrapers and luxury shopping malls in Bangkok, yet life on the street felt unchanged. I was immediately comforted by the familiar scene of motor bikes whizzing through traffic and street vendors hawking goods and snacks on the crowded sidewalks.
A THRILLIST PHOTO ESSAY
Senior Designer
Maitane Romagosa
Photography
Lanna Apisukh
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