Day Zero—Losing the Day, Gaining the Night

Fuck, I should be on the airplane right now but instead I’m still in bed waking up with a panic. Yes, the flight is 9:50 am and I get up at 9:40 am because of the drinks last night. The shape of the first day traveling to Koh Phangan has to be re-organised. This could be a pain on the neck but give me a thrill of being impromptu. And it turns out that the day is not so bad at all.

My flight to Surat Thani has been moved to the evening but I have to be at Suvarnabhumi Airport three hours prior to the flight to sort the additional air fair fee. It actually gives me an opportunity to double-check the luggage and leisurely watch Fringe.

At the Airport, there are hours to kill so I have lunch in a restaurant, which its Masman curry is very uninspiring, and finish Fringe Season 3. I promise to myself no more videos on the trip.

Thai Smiles is a spawned domestic carrier from Thai Airways. I am not sure about their strategy as the ticket is not that cheaper than other airlines to the same destination. However, the service is still in THAI standard.

There is only bus from Surat Thani Airport to port. And from there I’ll be taking a night ferry boat straight to Koh Phangan at 11:00 pm. That gives a chance to eat, drinks, and have a chat with other tourists. They are MBA exchange students from Canada (one of them is originally from Senegal) who are heading to Koh Tao and will be in Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party. Another one is a local traveler, who is looking for a tourism and hospitality job in Koh Tao as he wants to move away from his hometown in Chaing Rai.

The night ferryboat also carries some goods to the island. The upper deck is simply laid with mats pillows on both sides. There are a bunch of backpackers and local Myanmar workers, on board. It leaves the port from Tapi River Delta and will take about six hours to Koh Phangan.

Despite of the sound of engine roaring, there is the sense of serenity, drifting in night sea. It feels like the reflection time is about to kick off. The what-if thoughts are fading away. Even though thing did not go as original plan when I got up late, in the back of my head says it is actually fine, I am enjoying the day so far and looking forward to the journey ahead.

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