The Story of Our Trip to Thailand: Part 6

This is the last part of the story of our trip to Thailand. If you are just starting here, I recommend you start from the first part of the story - Part 1. All good things must come to an end, but we got a five-day bonus since our country was at war. We finished our days on Samui and needed to get back to Bangkok for the last three nights-which eventually turned into five.

On the way to Samui’s beautiful airport, I kept thinking that I must return to this place someday soon. I finally understand our friend from home who has a house here. This place feels like home.

Bangkok

I’m sorry, but I really wanted to like Bangkok and I just couldn't. Maybe it’s due to the fact that we had just come from the island of Samui. It was too crowded and too hot; I was starting to worry about the kids every time we walked on the busy streets. I know for sure that you cannot judge a city like that in only three days, but I just wanted to get out of there. 

We stayed at the Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park on Sukhumvit Alley 22. It is a very fancy-looking hotel, and the breakfast there was something I hadn't seen before. It was so rich that it felt like you were walking through a street food market. There was everything there; I was overwhelmed by the variety of what I saw.

It’s funny because I always thought that here in Israel we have good breakfasts in our local hotels, and I would only compare them to hotels I’ve stayed at in Europe, which were poor in comparison. Because I was getting a little bit tired from our trip, I barely took any photos of us in Bangkok. The only picture I took that is worth showing is from the hotel breakfast, of a woman chopping a large piece of pork.

So we were there for three nights as we planned, but we finally lost track of my fancy Google Sheet. We did go to the MBK Center, and we exchanged money on the street. That was when we found out that the exchange rates in Samui were very expensive compared to Bangkok.

It felt like the city was just moving too fast for us at that point. After all the careful planning and tracking every detail, we were just going with the flow, trying to manage the heat and the crowds.

I stayed back at the hotel, drinking beer by the swimming pool while my son enjoyed himself in the water. My brother-in-law was there with his kids, too. It was a nice break while the girls continued to explore the malls of Bangkok. Sitting there, watching them play, was exactly the kind of "slow down" I needed before we made our next move.

That's how we spend our days in Bangkok. 

Heading to Hua Hin

I felt a huge sense of relief leaving Bangkok. I don’t know exactly why, but the city vibe was just too much for me. The moment we started to see the open areas outside the city, I began to feel like I was on vacation all over again. I’m sure Bangkok can be magical, too, but that was just how I felt at the moment.

I was sitting in the front seat for the whole drive while our driver tried to start a conversation with me. He was very nice, but we could barely understand each other. Eventually, we started talking entirely through the Google Translate app.

He would record himself in Thai and let me hear the English translation, and I would speak into my phone in Hebrew and let him hear it in Thai. It was very funny, and we both laughed a lot. It really helped pass the time during the three-hour trip.

Hua Hin is a nice, quiet place compared to everywhere else we had been so far. When we got to the hotel and checked in, everyone received a blue watch-like bracelet. These were our room keys and our tickets for the water park, and they even allowed us to order food and drinks. It was incredibly convenient, especially since the kids were always losing their room cards!

Our rooms were on the 23rd floor of the hotel. I remember the moment we stepped out of the elevator and into the corridor I couldn’t believe my eyes. The view of the water park spread out far below us was incredible.

As the days go by, I feel the stress starting to build again. It is hard leaving this quiet, lovely place and returning home to a war zone with alarms 8 times a day. I kept watching the El Al flight app, hoping maybe our flight would be delayed again or moved to the end of the month.

But no. This time it looked final: on March 17, 2026, at 17:40, we were going back home.

The kids and the older members of our group were happy to return, but those of us with children were less excited. We knew exactly what it meant-no school, spending time in the shelter, and not being able to be outside for long. But we had no choice. I understood that if we missed this flight, it could take a long time before we’d get another chance to go back. Looking back, it was a smart move to get home when we did, as hard as it was.

We spent our last night walking along the main road, looking for something to eat. All the weekend night markets were closed since it was Monday evening, and you could feel the end of the trip in the air. We were excited to go home on one side, but so sad to leave this place on the other.

We found a local restaurant right on the street and sat there for dinner while a local band played some music. Looking back, it was a really good ending to our trip. It wasn't flashy or crowded - just us, the music, and one last meal together before the long journey back.

The Flight Back to Israel

It was a very long trip back home; it felt like we had crossed the entire universe. It was the complete opposite of our flight to Thailand. The BKK airport was very crowded, and there was a very long line at the El Al counter. By the time we finally finished all the flight arrangements, our seats were at the very back of the plane, right near the toilets. I think it’s the worst place on a plane-there was the constant noise of flushing water and the flight attendants talking behind us, not to mention the smell.

To make it even worse, the flight was longer than usual. Because of the war, the plane had to fly around the fighting areas. Then, as we approached Israel at midnight, there was an alarm, so the plane had to head back out to sea and circle for another round. Finally, after 12 and a half hours, we landed at Ben Gurion Airport.

There were security and life-saving guards waiting for us at the gate. The airport was almost empty of travelers, and most of the shops were closed. We were escorted to the exit, where our taxi van was waiting for us. The drive back home was quiet.

Looking back, we will remember Thailand for a long time. This was the kind of trip my kids will look back on when they are my age and truly remember. As we pulled into our driveway in the quiet of the night, I looked at my family and realized that while Thailand was an adventure we will never forget, there is still no feeling quite like finally being home.