【Travel Story】Taking a Train to the Thai Countryside

I spent the whole day renewing my visa at the Thai Immigration Office. The easiest option would have been to take a taxi home, but since I had time, I decided to try Thailand’s notoriously bad trains... Thai trains are infamous for their extremely high rate of delays and frequent accidents, and not many locals even bother to ride them...

The map showed that it should take about half an hour to walk from the Immigration Office to Lak Si Station, but Nick walked in the wrong direction under the scorching heat,

and ended up walking for over an hour... By the time we reached the train station, we were utterly exhausted. I put on my headphones and played my favorite Cantonese songs.

Life is a journey of people coming and going, and luckily, we’ll soon reach the final stop.

Travel is like a concert, and also like life — there are high-energy segments with powerful songs and dynamic dances;

there are also lyrical parts where you slow down and admire the scenery;

but you might just be waiting for the singer to perform that one song.

Back in middle school, we were actually quite happy. Back then, we had no worries, yet we were never satisfied.

The world seemed almost gray, and we often thought

even in our dreams, happiness felt hard to find, and even our tears couldn’t outshine the end of the night. <<陈奕迅 - 我什么都没有>>

But but — I don’t need to be upset —

because none of us truly appreciated what we had, and yet we all had the silent protection of our families. We didn’t need to be upset.

I believe everyone has been moved by at least one song at some point in their heart, whether it was the melody or the lyrics.

And that song often came during those youthful school years, and as you grow older, that song gradually fades from memory.

But when you hear it again, something deep inside your heart is touched once more, and memories come flooding back.

That memory could be a certain smell, a certain time period, or a person — someone you can’t stop thinking about.

Back in those years, we buried ourselves in studying what seemed like a simple train route map, yet we had no idea which station was our destination.

Some people prepared in advance and knew the routes inside out;

some guessed, following their intuition to figure out which station was the right one;

some asked for directions to make sure they were headed the right way. Close your eyes — who do you miss the most?

Open your eyes — who is actually by your side? Grateful that in the station,

<<陈奕迅 - 人来人往>>

there are still platforms that can move us to tears.

Along the way, we experience encounters, reunions, and even more missed connections...

Because for that complicated timetable, we all have different interpretations... Even if we missed something,

when we look back, we realize we gained something along the way — at the very least, we were happy.

Life is a journey of people coming and going, and the lucky ones will reach the final stop quickly. Those less fortunate may

After working for several years, we start to feel the need to settle down—whether it's planning to get married or buying a house, to truly "settle comfortably and live in peace."

Buying your ticket in life and heading toward your destination isn't a bad thing.

But do you still remember your original intention?

Looking at the worn ticket in your hand, the vast freedom of a two-bedroom, two-living-room home seems almost out of reach;

And even the divine fish crossing the sea can perish from lead poisoning—these aren’t your faults, as if they all stem from "land issues"...

Since when did you learn not to stand out from the crowd? Since when did you realize you couldn’t do without companions?
Since when did you pity the butterfly trapped in that paradise? Who cares how far it flies?
Only after losing your way do you fear you can’t keep up with the bustling crowd. How can you survive when no one pays you any mind?
Grown-up troublemakers aren’t so foolish. You can gather on a smooth journey and then soak in the hot springs together.
Why walk alone outside the umbrella— <<Eason Chan - "Free and Easy Wanderer">>

The wasted youth Nick seemed to remember something and ran back to the ticket office to buy another ticket—there are many trains in life.

Some journeys are longer, but they might be more carefree?

"Boarding" may seem out of reach, but as long as you stay curious, we can all get on the train that carries our dreams.

I’m grateful I’m not blindly indifferent and can still get excited about taking a Thai train for the first time.

On the train, Nick tried to recall the bits and pieces of these past few months in Thailand—I have no regrets.

I can’t predict the future, but at this moment, I’m using my own abilities to gradually realize my dreams.

It’s definitely not easy, but if you don’t try boarding the train, how will you know there are soft sleepers?

Life is a journey of people coming and going—heading toward the final stop of your dreams.

More Thailand travel photography info