The ferry to Koh Phangan is a large car ferry, similar to Mols Linjen. The trip is 2.5 hours. Different from Mols Linjen is that we are sitting outside under a large open-air covered upper deck. The wind is barely cooling enough to make it comfortable. Around us is the beautiful turquoise sea of the Gulf of Thailand. The mountainy islands are visible in the distance but still hours away.

We have parked our backpacks on a bench and grabbed separate additional benches. There is plenty of space. One floor below is a small indoor cafeteria. It’s air-conditioned and well stocked with snacks and drinks.

The goal has been a beach and a beer. It started back in Malaysia in Georgetown where Andy and I were discussing whether we wanted to partner up and travel together for a bit. We were both going to Thailand, both with a plan to head up through the country by land and sea rather than by air and both were going to spend a good couple of months in the country. Andy had a clear plan of going to Koh Tao and he sold it well. Beaches, parties, snorkelling and diving. Having long wanted to take a diver’s certificate, Koh Tao seemed like a good place to do it. And above all else, a sandy beach with a beer felt like just the right thing at my current stage of travel.

From Georgetown we travelled towards Thailand. Two hours by train. Then a border crossing and then one hour with a train to Hat Yai. Two nights in Hat Yai before travelling the last leg of the journey.

While this sounds very well planned out, it was anything but. Throughout my travels, I have come to notice that the extra fees for booking travel online are only worth it every other time. It’s basically a 50/50 whether it feels like you could just as easily plan the travel yourself.

Because of our stop in Hat Yai and a fairly good experience with Malaysian public transport, I pushed for just showing up at the train station and booking it directly on the day. If everything failed, calling a taxi wouldn’t ruin us. So we went with the ferry and to the train station on the day of travel, got our tickets and went towards the border.

The first hurdle came at the border. The train station in Padang Besar, the border town, doubles as an immigration point. But when we arrived, the immigration was closed and would only open four hours later. We elected to walk across the border and find transport on the other side.

Crossing the border to Thailand by foot was easy enough but also clearly seldom done. The border crossing was made for cars and trucks, so we were walking along some large road where a lot of cargo was hurled around. Immigration itself was very painless. At least for me. Once again, I thank the diplomatic work done by Denmark, because I barely have to do anything to cross most of the borders in Southeast Asia. Andy, on the other hand, was stopped and asked to buy departure tickets before he was allowed in. He bought an almost free bus ticket to Laos, which made the whole situation seem more like a diplomatic power move than practical.

From the Thai side of the border, we got transport to Hat Yai and arrived in the afternoon. Not the fastest route, but very cheap compared to some of the alternatives. We spent a couple of days in Hat Yai, the third largest city in Thailand, before moving towards the islands.

The stop in Hat Yai was actually partially to plan and book the next part of the trip. On the afternoon of the second day in Hat Yai, while drinking some good microbrewery beer at the hostel, we decided on a place to stay and travel plan. This time, an online package plan, as the Thai public transport is a bit more dated, as in wooden benches for seating and less reliable than the Danish trains. Instead, we got a minivan with ferry tickets included.

We are actually going to stay at Koh Phangan for a bit before Koh Tao. It’s a group of three main islands and some smaller ones around. Koh Samui is the big and popular island, while Koh Phangan is a bit smaller and more of a holiday island, and Koh Tao is very small but popular with snorkellers and divers.

Andy found a party hostel on Koh Phangan, so I am preparing myself for some party days. Whenever I can stand it anymore, I’ll go to Koh Tao, where Andy will meet up with me when he has had enough.

I have really enjoyed travelling with Andy for a bit. We are very different, but share a somewhat laid-back attitude to getting from A to B. I have apparently been doing most of the planning according to Andy. To him, I have apparently been doing the heavy lifting. I feel like we have been winging it. Just showing up at train stations and picking the train as well as booking stays and travel plans the afternoon before going doesn’t feel so guided. But I guess that because I tend to use the public transport more than grab or other taxi services, I’m just more comfortable with it.

After having spent most of my trip travelling solo, it’s been nice having a travel companion for a bit. Just the simple fact that I can leave my stuff when I go to the bathroom is a big win. It’s also nice to have access to an easy chat, though neither of us is overly chatty. But we can agree that we are looking forward to a beer at the beach.

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