Thailand Adventure via Bangkok: Kanchanaburi, Chiang Mai and Sky-High Views
From Frankfurt, we flew via Muscat to Bangkok – and this time we didn’t have the usual Bangkok-Phuket route in mind. This time, we wanted to head in directions we hadn’t explored before.
From Thonburi station, we took the train to Nam Tok – one of the most unusual rail journeys in Thailand. The route crosses the famous Bridge on the River Kwai, built during World War II under forced labor, a place that today serves as both a memorial and a tourist site. As the train rattles slowly across the bridge, you can’t help but fall silent.
The final stop was Kanchanaburi, a province where Thailand looks completely different from the coast: mountains, forests, water, hardly any tourists. We explored the Srinagarind Dam and the Erawan Waterfall by scooter. The Erawan Waterfall has seven tiers, each with a turquoise pool below – you can swim here, and if you stay still, the small fish in the upper pools will nibble at your feet. A free fish pedicure with a view.
A quick note on the side: if you rent a scooter in Thailand, never leave your passport as a deposit. It’s standard practice in some places, unfortunately, but the risk is too high. My tip: make a color copy of your passport at home before the trip and offer that as a deposit instead – it has always worked for us.
From Kanchanaburi, we took the bus back to Bangkok and from there boarded the night train to Chiang Mai – one of the most relaxed ways to travel to northern Thailand. Board in the evening, step off the next morning in a completely different place.
In Chiang Mai, we picked up scooters again. Temples on every corner, lively markets, and a waterfall that’s genuinely unusual: Bua Tong Waterfall, also known as the Sticky Waterfall. The name isn’t accidental – mineral deposits make the rock so grippy that you can climb up the waterfall barefoot. Sounds impossible, actually works.
The highlight in Chiang Mai, though, was the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. No riding, no shows – just a day with elephants that get to live in a protected environment. You feed them, walk into the water with them, observe them. When an elephant looks at you up close, you understand why these animals should never be seen chained up as a tourist attraction.
Back in Bangkok, before our return flight, we squeezed in the Mahanakhon Skywalk – the observation deck on Thailand’s second-tallest building, over 300 meters high. The glass terrace at the edge is not for the faint-hearted: you’re literally standing on a pane of glass with the entire city beneath you. But it’s exactly that view that sums up the whole trip.
