Let me tell you that before this trip, there were more than 10 people who joined the trip. But the closer the travel date got, the more people dropped out, even on the last day before the trip. Okay, we're not mad at our friends for not being free or not having enough budget. In the end, there were 4 people left, 2 men and 2 women. At first, we planned to go cycling at Khao Kiri Wong, but it was a pity that we had a long weekend, so we told our friends that we wouldn't spend more than 3,000 baht. Let's see how much we actually spent.

Day 1

We gathered at Hua Lamphong Railway Station at around 6:30 pm. We bought tickets for the 7:30 pm train, 3rd class. But when we heard the ticket seller speak, we were stunned. "Only standing tickets left." No problem, we thought, we'll take 2nd class. But it turned out that "It's all full, only standing tickets left." Okay, we'll stand, sir. No need to consult with any friends, because we have no other choice. We paid 378 baht each. When the train departed, we looked for empty seats. If there was an empty seat, we would sit there first. The train left Hua Lamphong, but the owner of the seat still didn't show up. But let me tell you, from the moment the train left, we couldn't sit still in our chairs, afraid that the owner would come. Next station, "Kids, seat 37." Our first friend was taken away. Okay, let's squeeze together 3 people. Next station, "Kids, seat 38." Wow, the same sentence, but not the same person. When we arrived at the next station, all 3 of us were taken away. So we moved to the joint between the train cars near the bathroom. At this point, it was already midnight, so we decided to sleep here. We squeezed together 4 people right at the joint between the cars. Let me tell you, it was very, very uncomfortable. Sitting was tiring, standing was tiring. We felt like laughing so hard. Suddenly, we started laughing with our friends. We jokingly said to our friends, "Does Mom know how much we're suffering?" And then we laughed like crazy.

This is our home on the train, we feel connected.

Day 2

After waking up and falling asleep more than 20 times, it was finally morning. The train was quite empty now, as we had passed Surat Thani station and I think many people must have gotten off there. So we had the chance to sit for another hour. Originally, we were going to get off at Nakhon Si Thammarat station, but we couldn't wait to get off the train anymore, so we got off at Khao Chandi station instead.

Then take a songthaew to Jan Dee - Nakhon Si Thammarat for 35 baht. In less than an hour, you will arrive at the Sang Kasi intersection (the aunt on the songthaew told me to get off at this intersection and not go to Nakhon Si Thammarat city center, as I would have to come back anyway). Wait for a while, and the Nakhon Si Thammarat - Khao Wong songthaew will arrive. If you miss it, you will have to wait a long time.


It was 11:15 am when we finally arrived at Kiriwong. We went to the homestay we had booked, which cost 200 baht per person. We then rented bicycles from Baan Nathing, one for each of us, for 50 baht each. At that moment, we really wanted to get to the homestay and take a shower because the smell of rust, iron, and traffic fumes was overwhelming. When we decided who would shower first, we encountered two problems. First, we had forgotten our cloth bag somewhere, which contained our notebooks, charging cables, and towels. At that moment, we resigned ourselves to the fact that we would have to buy new ones later. The second problem was that there was no running water. So, I volunteered to go with another friend to the place where we had booked our accommodation to find out what was going on. We were told, "It's the dry season, dear, so they've turned off the water. Can you guys go down and bathe in the canal?" When we went back to tell our friends the news, we went out to find a suitable place to bathe. Let me tell you, we were ready with soap, shampoo, and everything. We had a lot of fun playing, bathing, and taking pictures. The water was cool and refreshing.


When clean, go up to find something to eat on land. There it is, the rubber chicken sign, which is red. Grilled pork neck is also good. I don't know what they use to marinate it, but it tastes really good.



After finishing our lunch, we returned to the homestay, changed our clothes, and got ready to take photos at various locations in the village. We cycled up and down the hills, having fun in the hot sun.

I swear this is a cycling jersey

Waterfall Trail

We cycled and stopped to take pictures. There were some sections where we had to climb hills, which made our legs tired.

The picture from the suspension bridge is the end, let's cycle back.

Exhausted, I stopped by Uncle Rome's coffee shop for a refreshing drink.

Parked the car at the coffee shop and walked to the bridge. A group photo with strangers took place.

Day 3

After waking up and taking care of personal matters, I went out to find something delicious to eat at the market. Then I packed my bags and headed to my next destination, Koh Phangan. I had to take a songthaew (shared taxi) to the Kiriwong Bridge. I was worried that I might have left my cloth bag on the bus, so I went to ask the uncle driver. It turned out he had kept it for me! He even said, "You don't lose things in Kiriwong." I thanked him with a wai and got on the songthaew to the Nakhon Si Thammarat - Donsak van terminal. It cost 35 baht. The uncle driver took me all the way to the van, and the price included the ferry ticket, which came to 320 baht.

It took us about 2 hours to reach the pier safely. We boarded the boat and spent another 2 and a half hours on board, arriving at Thasala Pier on Koh Phangan. From there, we took a songthaew to our accommodation, Jenny Hostel, located at Rin Beach. The fare was 100 baht. To our surprise, the songthaew dropped us off at the wrong location. We called the owner, Mr. Moo, who is a friend of our friend's father. He arrived shortly after, grumbling about why we were dropped off there. I must say, the accommodation was free.

It was 10 pm and time to check out the fire show. We had initially gone out around 7 pm, but it was very quiet. We asked a staff member who told us it starts at 8 pm. Okay, we were a bit too eager. When the time finally arrived, we headed to Cactus, a bar Mr. Moo recommended. He said it was the best place to be. After midnight, there were activities for tourists to enjoy all night long. No full moon, no problem. That night ended at 2 am.

This one is very smart.

Sunbathing (Rin Beach)

That's all I could capture.

First game, step on the balloon

Skip to the final game

Day 4

I woke up at 5:30 am, but decided to sleep in a little longer before watching the sunrise. Unfortunately, I overslept and the sun had already risen by 6:00 am. I showered, got dressed, and applied sunscreen, ready to go diving. We had booked a one-day trip to Nang Yuan Island and Koh Tao with Lomprayah for 1800 baht. Two of my friends didn't know how to swim, so they had to stay at Rin Beach. I didn't want to argue with them, so I let them be.

When it was time, the Lomprayah van picked us up at our accommodation and took us to the pier. After checking in, we were given wristbands to identify us as part of the tour. We were warned not to lose them, as we wouldn't be able to eat lunch on Nang Yuan Island if we did. They really emphasized the importance of keeping the wristbands safe, as if it were a matter of life and death.

The first island we will be snorkeling at is Koh Nang Yuan. The guide informed us that it is a private island and no plastic of any kind is allowed. On the island, there are two activities to do: climb to the viewpoint. The path is steep stairs, quite tiring, with a little rock climbing at the end. But as we were young and energetic, we quickly climbed up and down to come down for lunch.

Activity 2: Diving on Koh Nang Yuan. We walked down from the beach. At first, I swam with my feet on the ground, fearing the large, black sea leeches. I decided to grab a life jacket so I could float. Most of the fish were near the rocks. I was swimming happily when my friend disappeared. We were all swimming in different directions. Then I saw a foreigner pointing underwater, so I looked down. What is that? Can I catch it?


When the time came for our next destination, Koh Tao, we spent about 2 hours diving. The water was 3-5 meters deep, crystal clear, and teeming with fish. The guide told us not to step on the rocks because they were coral, but I saw many people doing it anyway. The diving was amazing, but when I surfaced, my friend had disappeared.

I couldn't really capture still images because it was so fast.

The clip isn't very clear, I saved it from a friend.

Day 5

It's time to say goodbye to the long weekend. We said goodbye to the pig lady and called a songthaew for 100 baht to take us to the pier. We booked the bus on the way there because we were afraid of getting standing tickets again (not really). There's only one bus at 5pm. We chose the P.1 bus which cost around 730 baht.

Watching the sunset in the middle of the sea is truly amazing.

I don't want to go back.


Summary of expenses per person

  • Train fare, standing ticket 378 baht
  • Songthaew fare Khlong Jandee - Nakhon Si Thammarat 35 baht
  • Songthaew fare Nakhon Si Thammarat - Khao Kiri Wong round trip 50 baht
  • Bicycle rental 50 baht/day
  • Accommodation in Khao Kiri Wong 200 baht per person
  • Van fare Nakhon Si Thammarat - Donsak + boat fare 320 baht
  • Taxi fare on the island to and from Haad Rin 200 baht
  • Accommodation on Koh Phangan Free!!!!
  • One day trip Koh Nang Yuan - Koh Tao 1,800 baht (several trips to choose from)
  • Bus fare P.1 + boat fare 730 baht

Total 3,763 baht

Note: Food and drinks are not included. I felt like I ate a lot and was very thirsty, probably because of the hot weather. The food on the island costs 80 baht per dish, which is 5 baht more expensive than usual, and does not include souvenirs.

This trip was totally worth it. I planned everything before I left, but things didn't go according to plan. But that's okay, because it gave me some great experiences and stories to tell my parents (who will be so jealous!). Honestly, the most fun part was the journey itself. If everything had gone according to plan, it wouldn't have been nearly as exciting (that's what I tell myself anyway). But I'm definitely not taking the standing-room-only train again. I'm signing off with this picture.

Many thanks to Jack Moo for providing us with accommodation and treating us to delicious pizza at Rin Beach. Thank you very much!

#kiree wong village#nakhon si thammarat#phangan#thailand
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