Singapore & Thailand

novembre - dicembre 2021

A Stranger in a Familiar Land Leggi altro

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Viaggiatore Singapore & Thailand
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- 17 nov 2021, 06:59
- ⛅ 23 °C
- Altitudine: 152 m
- Stati Uniti Hawaii Honolulu County Palolo 21.302374, -157.78372221°18’9” N 157°47’1” W
Giorno 1
Prologue
17 novembre 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Up until mid-October, I was dithering on whether and where to go for my first pandemic era international trip. My first preference was Singapore because I hadn't seen my family in almost two years, and so I monitored whether Singapore would waive quarantine for vaccinated travelers. My backup plan was to go to Canada or Europe.

In September, Singapore opened up Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) with Germany and Brunei. I wasn't holding out hope that they would add a VTL from the United States in the near future because the Covid situation in the US was awful, and vaccination rates had stalled. But, rather unexpectedly, Singapore announced a VTL with the United States. Around the same time, there were also rumblings that Thailand may reopen. So, I decided to go to Singapore for a week to visit family and friends, and then head north to Thailand.

Truth be told, I preferred to go to Asia anyway because I knew that, as a whole, people there view battling the pandemic as a collective effort, and so mask usage would be high, and people would get vaccinated as soon as they could secure one. Surprisingly, I also managed to secure a booster shot before I departed, which I guess was a sad consequence of having excess doses available due to the stalled vaccination efforts in the US.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore Singapore & Thailand
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- Aggiungi alla lista dei desideriRimuovi dalla lista dei desideri
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- 17 nov 2021, 07:00
- ⛅ 23 °C
- Altitudine: 18 m
- Stati Uniti Hawaii Honolulu County Mokumoa Island (historical)Honolulu International Airport 21.331511, -157.91996821°19’53” N 157°55’12” W
Giorno 1
Honolulu to Los Angeles
17 novembre 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
American Airlines AA1480 | HNL/LAX
First Class (Domestic)
N406AN | Airbus A321NEO
ATD/0755 | ATA/1501
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Viaggiatore Singapore & Thailand
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- 17 nov 2021, 16:00
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Altitudine: 47 m
- Stati Uniti California Los Angeles County Westchester Los Angeles International Airport 33.943481, -118.40892833°56’37” N 118°24’32” W
Giorno 1
Los Angeles to Singapore
17 novembre 2021, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Singapore Airlines SQ37 | LAX/SIN
Economy Class
9V-SMZ | Airbus A350-900
ATD/2246 | ATA/0909+2
Lounge: Admiral's Club T4

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Only a handful of flights - all operated by Singapore Airlines - were included in the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) between the United States and Singapore. As such, I had to fly from HNL to LAX first, and then on the designated VTL flight from LAX to SIN. I primarily fly OneWorld, and so I did not have enough United miles to redeem for a premium class seat. I also I did not want to fork out extra cash for a premium class seat as I would have limited use for the Star Alliance miles earned, so I reluctantly stuck with Economy Class. As I had a seven hour layover, I redeemed Business ExtrAA points for a day pass to the Admiral's Club in T4.

The LAX/SIN flight was over 17 hours, and it is my longest flight to date. I spent all of November 18th in the air. At check in, I sweet talked the staff into assigning me an exit seat with no one next to me. It was surreal boarding an SQ flight after so many years, but I was quickly reminded how much I miss SQ. I made an instant connection with the two cabin crew who sat at the exit for takeoff, and they paid extra attention to me and addressed me by name for the remainder of the flight. The seat was surprisingly comfortable for an economy class seat, and I slept rather well. I only watched three movies on this long flight.

There were some obvious changes since I worked for SQ, particularly in catering. I noted that the mains were now served in plastic casseroles, and that the portion sizes were much larger. Gone, however, were appetizers, cupped water, cheese and crackers, and sliced fruit for breakfast. Overall, I liked the simplified meal concept. The black serviceware was also practical and elegant.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore Singapore & Thailand
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- 19 nov 2021, 09:00
- ☁️ 28 °C
- Altitudine: 27 m
- Singapore Central Singapore Community Development Council People’s Park Hong Lim Park 1.287101, 103.8482891°17’14” N 103°50’54” E
Giorno 3
Arrival in Singapore & VTL Isolation
19 novembre 2021, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
I studied and read all the VTL requirements and I made sure I met all the conditions to avoid quarantine. To even get onto the VTL flight, I had to present a negative PCR test result. I had to point out to the harried check in staff at LAX where it said “PCR” on my test results.

On arrival into a very quiet SIN, I had a minor scare at immigration when the officer wouldn’t even look at my paper vaccination certificates, and he wouldn’t accept my explanation for why he could not scan my vaccination QR. Fortunately, the supervisor on duty knew that the US QR code could not be scanned like normal QR codes, and she let me through. I was whisked to a swabbing station, and then into a waiting taxi which took me directly to the Quay Hotel on North Bridge Road where I was to stay in isolation while I awaited the result of my Covid test.

I chose the Quay Hotel because it was cheap. When I got to the hotel, I realized that I booked a small, dark, windowless room, and I fretted about having to be confined in there if I tested positive. After a quick mee pok lunch (which I had to eat with my hands because there were no utensils in the package) delivered by Grab, I went to sleep. I was awoken by a call from a contact tracer around 5pm, at which time I checked my email and saw my negative Covid test result. As I was free to go, I groggily wandered out for a porridge dinner, and then I returned to stay the night. I had a roti prata breakfast the next morning, and then I checked out and headed to Hume Park.Leggi altro
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Viaggiatore Singapore & Thailand
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- 20 nov 2021, 07:00
- 🌧 25 °C
- Altitudine: 192 m
- Singapore Central Singapore Community Development Council Bukit Timah Estate Bukit Timah Nature Reserve 1.354692, 103.7763551°21’17” N 103°46’35” E
Giorno 4
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve
20 novembre 2021, Singapore ⋅ 🌧 25 °C
My time in Singapore was mostly spent hiking around Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, and spending time with family and friends.
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Viaggiatore Singapore & Thailand
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- 26 nov 2021, 13:00
- ☁️ 31 °C
- Altitudine: 19 m
- Singapore Kampong Ayer Gemuruh Singapore Changi Airport 1.362678, 103.9891971°21’46” N 103°59’21” E
Giorno 10
Singapore to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
26 novembre 2021, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
Gulf Air GF165 | SIN/BKK
Economy Class
A9C-FG | Boeing 787-9 with special 70th anniversary livery
ATD/1355 | ATA/1518

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When researching flights from Singapore to Bangkok, an intriguing option revealed itself: a fifth freedom flight with Gulf Air for only USD80. It was only a tad bit more expensive than the low cost carriers, and I had never flown Gulf Air before, so I happily booked it.

The flight to BKK was surreal as there were only about a dozen passengers on the Boeing 787. The taxi to runway 02R was probably the longest taxi I've ever been on. The aircraft taxied north from the west side of T1, past the T5 construction site, and then southwards to the southern end of runway 02R. Service was perfunctory and somewhat cold. The inflight meal consisted of two plastic wrapped pastries.

After landing in BKK, we taxied past dozens of stored aircraft. It felt like we were sailing past ghost ships.

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Viaggiatore Singapore & Thailand
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- 26 nov 2021, 17:00
- ⛅ 30 °C
- Altitudine: 9 m
- Tailandia Bangkok Pra Wet 13.707687, 100.7009213°42’28” N 100°42’3” E
Giorno 10
Bangkok Test and Go
26 novembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
The paperwork to get to Thailand was a bit of a mixed bag. The first step is to book a flight and a Test and Go package at a hotel, as well as travel insurance. Once that was completed, one then had to apply for a Thailand Pass, which involved uploading vaccination certificates and QR codes, proof of travel insurance, and proof of having booked a Test and Go package. The application was a tad frustrating because the pdf upload wasn't working, so I had to take photographs of everything and upload them as jpgs. Once the application was submitted, I only needed to wait a few hours before my Thailand Pass and QR code were issued.

Arrival into Thailand was efficient. Before reaching the immigration counters, we were made to sit on some chairs while attendants came to us individually to make sure we had the correct documents to present to immigration. The immigration counters were eerily quiet. Once through immigration, I met my Test and Go hotel representative who then took me to another holding area while he checked my documentation. After a short wait, another traveler and I were herded into a waiting van to the Elegant Airport Hotel.

The Test and Go package includes one night at the hotel, three meals, and a covid swab to be administered on site. I specifically chose the Elegant Airport Hotel because it was close to the airport and because it was one of the more reasonably priced packages at THB3,900 (about USD130). On arrival, the efficient staff checked me in, got me to select my meals, and then sent me to the nurses' station for my swab. I was then informed that my test result would arrive at 4am.

My room was large and very pleasant. Sadly, the view wasn't great. Right next to the hotel was a squatter settlement - the people there lived in shipping containers amidst piles of rubble. They were flanked by the hotel on one side, and a walled in luxury housing development on the other. This stark contrast was a familiar sight back when I lived in Bangkok on the 1990s, and it seems little has changed.

Despite the comfortable surroundings, I had a fitful nights' sleep. I'd had a negative PCR test result two days earlier, but there still is a certain amount of anxiety when waiting for a Covid test result. The result came in as scheduled, and I was free to go. I ate breakfast, and then made my way back to the airport for my flight up north to Chiang Mai.
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Viaggiatore Singapore & Thailand
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- 27 nov 2021, 10:00
- ☀️ 26 °C
- Altitudine: 29 m
- Tailandia Changwat Samut Prakan Ban Khlong Nong Kha Suvarnabhumi Airport 13.691783, 100.75088513°41’30” N 100°45’3” E
Giorno 11
Bangkok to Chiang Mai
27 novembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Thai Smile WE160 | BKK/CNX
Economy Class
HS-TXT | Airbus A320-200
ATD/1027 | ATA/1143

Covid regulations prohibited serving of food on board. Each passenger got a bag of snacks at disembarkation.

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Viaggiatore Singapore & Thailand
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- 27 nov 2021, 12:00
- ⛅ 27 °C
- Altitudine: 313 m
- Tailandia Chiang Mai 18.787791, 98.99332818°47’16” N 98°59’36” E
Giorno 11
Thapae Gate & Initial Explorations
27 novembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
After a quick taxi ride to my lodging, I was out and about on the streets of Chiang Mai. My first order of the day: food! Specifically, khao soi, a northern Thai curry noodle dish rarely found in the US. I made my way to the nearest khao soi stand and had a satisfying bowl of noodles. The rest of my day was spent wandering around the city, getting my bearings in order to set myself up for the days of exploring ahead. I looked out for useable landmarks and noted where my sightseeing targets were. I quickly established that the city walls and moat, and, in particular the eastern gate, also known as the Thapae Gate, were my best landmarks. The only visible highrise was the Meridien which also served as a secondary landmark. Overall, though, I was just pleased to be back in Thailand. This is a country I have lived in, and I love the culture and the people. Because I can get by in Thai, it is also easy for me to figure my way around.

At Thapae Gate, I observed in amusement as instagrammers paid a man to first feed pigeons and then hurl a stick among them to get them to fly around the subject of the photo. Nearby, the photographer would be clicking away in the hope of getting the perfect shot.

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Viaggiatore Singapore & Thailand
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- 27 nov 2021, 15:00
- ⛅ 28 °C
- Altitudine: 315 m
- Tailandia Chiang Mai 18.789695, 98.98714218°47’23” N 98°59’14” E
Giorno 11
Wat Inthakin Sadue Muang
27 novembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
During my initial wanderings, the first temple I visited was Wat Inthakin Sadue Muang. Aside from this temple, I didn't visit any others because I was focused on getting my bearings for a more detailed exploration later.

That evening, my friend Paul and his wife Renu came to get me at the hotel. We drove out to dinner at a restaurant by the Ping River. I had a great time catching up with Paul, and getting to know Renu. Like me, Paul took a career break in 2017. Unlike me, however, he did not return to the United States. He met Renu in Bangkok, and when he got home, he sold his apartment, disposed of his belongings, and flew back to Thailand. He now owns a small real estate development and management firm in Doi Saket on the outskirts of Chiang Mai.

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