Here is the story of how I spent one month on Koh Rong.

After 3 weeks in Bangkok, I had to make a plan for a visa run. (Free tourist visas last 30 days, so I had to leave the country in time.) My plan was to check out Songkran in Pattaya, then take a bus to Cambodia, and spend a few weeks on the Koh Rong Islands before returning to Bangkok to catch my next flight. Easy.

I accomplished the first step and made it to Pattaya, which was pretty nostalgic. I’ve only been here once, in 2011, and coming back and facing that nothing had changed in 8 years was odd. The city remained the same paradise of old men buying local girls (boys) for company, and this, in the mix of loud drunk tourists, smelled like vomit after 8 Red Bull vodkas. They said Songkran is the best in Pattaya – lots of people, water, and fun – but it didn’t sell the vibe for me. I questioned my decision, and I should stop listening to people, but it was what it was.

Cambodia is a fixed item on any traveller’s list who comes to SEA. It wasn’t really on mine – no particular explanation, it just doesn’t seem too appealing. I heard nice things about Koh Rong and was starving for white sand beaches after the burning hell of Bangkok, so this put me in the mood. And even though I was under the impression that this country would cost a lot of money (including visa scams and corruption), I stuck with the plan.. until the Universe thought it differently. The minibus that was supposed to take me to the Thai-Cambodian border was cancelled the day before departure (thanks to Songkran), and at the same time, I learned that the islands are sandfly heaven, which for me means hell and an instant no-go.

How did I go to Cambodia then? Twist plot: I didn’t. Instead, I had my craziest visa run and ended up on Koh Phangan to volunteer at the upcoming full-moon party.. and all in three days. So here is the actual story of how to do a visa run in Ranong.

DAY 1

I needed a new plan immediately. I definitely didn’t want to spend another day in Pattaya, the visa situation was my priority, and with Cambodia off the list, the way forward was backward. I found Ranong by Googling my options, and the idea of ​​staying in Thailand after a quick visa run seemed perfect.. just let’s finally get to the beach.

I took a direct minivan to Hua Hin. Walking around this royal holiday town, having pad see ew and milk tea, and waiting at the train station was another strong flashback (been there, done that). I still romanticize the local transportation, so I jumped on a train to Chumphon. Travelling with local chickens (I mean locals and chickens) has an ambiance, and it’s so inexpensive; you just have to take it easy because delays are part of the journey, which ultimately teaches you (among many things) that there’s no need to rush – you will get there anyway.

DAY 2

After a layover in Chumphon, I caught a bus to Ranong. I still kept figuring out my next step while moving, so nothing was straight. And here comes the good part of the story.

I arrived at the Ranong bus station at 1 pm, and it turned out that the only bus to Surat Thani (my next destination) leaves at 4. Have you ever done a visa run in three hours? I had no idea what I was doing and if I would make it- and the bus ticket-selling lady was not too reassuring either – but I had to try (I didn’t want to spend a night here if possible).

From the bus station, I had to go to Saphan Plaa Pier, where the “magic” happens. This part was easy, I just jumped on a songthaew. Each pick-up has a number and a different route accordingly. I don’t remember which numbers go to this pier, but if you tell them your destination, they will help you get on the right one.

The ride took about 20 minutes, and arriving at the immigration checkpoint felt like being in an opium-fogged old Chinese movie. Local guys are waiting at the entrance and fishing for customers. Why? Because they have the boats to take you to the other side, so you need each other.

The first step is getting an exit stamp and a copy of your passport. If you don’t have the copy, your boat guy will manage it for 10 Baht. In the meantime, bargain the price for the boat. For one person, the actual return fare is 200 Baht. The boats leave randomly and usually collect more people, but I was under time pressure.. so I pressured my guy to leave immediately (there were no other people, so I didn’t want to waste time waiting). It was around 1:50 pm when we left, and the boat ride took about 30 minutes with a few immigration stops on the water (the guys manage everything, you just sit and wait in the boat).

I’ve always wanted to visit Myanmar but never thought that the first time would happen like this. After jumping off the boat, I ran to the immigration office to pay for the entry visa and get my passport stamped.

FYI, the Myanmar immigration only accepts crisp new 10 USD notes. Luckily I found this information while researching, so I spent the night before straightening one of my existing bills (bitch please, I won’t bother with extra exchange) and only had to make sure it won’t get crumpled again. If you arrive unprepared, you can buy a crisp note at the Thai port for 500 Baht (the real value is around 300 Baht).

I spent exactly 10 minutes on the land of Myanmar, then back on the boat and set off to Thailand. It was around 2:30 pm. Close to the imaginary border of Thailand, it started pouring down. It looked pretty (I love the stormy colours of the tropics), but I was glad it didn’t happen sooner because I definitely wouldn’t do this entire ride in a storm.

It took a little longer to check in to Thailand again because a small Burmese crowd was waiting in front of the office. I filled out the usual immigration form, had my photo, got the new 30-day stamp, and finally was ready to hurry to the bus station to catch the minivan to Surat Thani.

This part was not that easy. Around 3:30 pm, I started panicking. It was raining, and no songthaew went that way. It only needed a little to succeed, but the minutes flew by so fast, and I didn’t see the how.. until a bike pulled up next to me. After desperately explaining to the middle-aged Thai man that I had to be at the bus station in 15 minutes, I jumped on, and he drove like crazy to get me there. I didn’t even check how much money I gave him, I was just so grateful that I made it, literally at the last minute. I was wet, hungry, and exhausted, and I had just been to 2 countries in the last few hours, but I had my new visa and a good story.

Ranong feels like an underground smuggling port. It probably is. My life has been a never-ending visa run in the past years, so believe me, this one stands on the top. It was absurd and funny, and a perfect example of things that can only happen in Asia. I was most happy that I only travelled with a smaller bag and not with all my stuff – in that case, I wouldn’t have been able to do this all.

The journey to Surat Thani took about 4 hours. And just when I thought that was enough excitement for one day, it turned out that the hostel I booked didn’t exist. Well.. there was a building, and I could see the mattresses packed up in the dark, but it wasn’t an operating accommodation. I surrendered, had a soup at a food market, and then walked 2.6 km to an existing hostel (yep, not a single pick-up or bike on my way).

DAY 3

I’ve passed through Surat Thani several times but haven’t spent a night here. I realized that this city has the charm I missed over the past few weeks in Thailand; the local buzz, the street markets, the cheap and delicious food, and the welcoming smiles were so refreshing. I only had a half day roaming the streets, but it’s absolutely worth staying here for a few days and not just running to catch the next transportation.

Then I took an early afternoon ferry to Koh Phangan to finally have my beaches and collect some out-of-the-comfort zone experiences.