2 January 2026 – Day 50 — Sunrise Magic, Easy Moments & A Dinner Detour
Day 50 began with a moment of pure magic. From the rooftop viewpoint of the apartment, we watched a magnificent sunrise, the sun slowly pushing its way up between the islands offshore. Soft colours, calm air, and a view that felt like a gift.
After that, the day settled into its familiar rhythm with our regular morning walk, easing into the warmth.
Around lunchtime we headed to Wing 5, where the Massaman curry was as lovely as ever — rich, comforting, and served with steamed rice and a fresh fruit platter. Simple, delicious, and very much part of our Khiri Khan routine.
After lunch we took a quick drive to Khlong Wan fishing pier, just to have a look around. It was a quiet stop, and after taking in the scenery we headed back.
The afternoon was a restful one back at the apartment, the kind of quiet pause that makes travel feel balanced.
By evening, the air had cooled enough for a gentle beachfront walk, the light soft and the shoreline peaceful.
Dinner, however, didn’t go quite to plan. We tried ordering through Lineman, but after 90 minutes of attempts and no success, we admitted defeat. With hunger winning, we wandered next door to 7‑Eleven and picked up a microwave meal and a few nibbles. Not glamorous, but it did the job — and gave us something to laugh about.
Day 50 was a mix of beauty, calm, and a small dinner adventure — a gentle, easy day with a sunrise worth remembering.
3 January 2026 – Day 51 — Monkeys, Lunch With Chris & A Simple, Happy Day
Day 51 began with another beautiful morning in Prachuap Khiri Khan and our regular walk along the esplanade. The sea breeze was gentle, the light soft, and today we had a bit of extra company — more monkeys than usual along the way. They’re entertaining from a distance, but we still tend to turn around at this point. They can be a little too bold for comfort.
By 11am, we reached our friend Chris and picked her up for lunch. It’s always lovely spending time with her, and today was no exception.
We headed straight to Wing 5 for lunch — a familiar favourite by now. After eating, we took a short drive together before dropping Chris back home.
The afternoon was a quiet one back at the apartment, resting up and enjoying the calm.
Dinner was Lineman, and tonight it turned into Indian curry night for us — rich, warm flavours that hit the spot perfectly after a gentle day.
As the evening cooled, we took a relaxed walk and finished the night with an ice cream, a small treat that’s become part of our Prachuap routine. Then it was time to call it a day.
Day 51 was relaxed, friendly, and pleasantly uneventful — another easy, happy day by the sea.
4 January 2026 – Day 52 — Rough Seas, Coffee Views & A Night of Laughter
Day 52 began a little differently. Instead of our usual full morning walk, we broke it up so we could catch up on washing clothes — one of those small but necessary travel chores.
Over the past week, we’ve noticed the air quality here in Prachuap Khiri Khan slowly deteriorating. Nothing like the heavy haze we’ve experienced in Chiang Mai in February, but still not great. The late rains this year have kept the air wonderfully clear everywhere we’ve been, so the last couple of days have felt like a noticeable change.
The ocean has been rougher too. Today the waves were strong enough to break over the beach walkway, spraying us with salty water as we passed. It added a bit of drama to the morning.
By 11am, we met up with Chris and headed to Punthai Coffee. We sat upstairs on the second floor, watching the waves crash in — a perfect spot to enjoy a drink and take in the wildness of the sea.
After coffee, we dropped into Lotus’s for lunch before heading back to the apartment to start some pre‑packing for our trip north tomorrow. Hard to believe how quickly the days here have slipped by.
Dinner was with Chris at our local Pad Thai restaurant, and it turned into a wonderful evening. Lots of fun, lots of laughter, and Chris ordering food left, right and centre. True to form, she spoilt us rotten again by paying for dinner. She really is one of the kindest people we’ve met on our travels.
Day 52 was a mix of rough seas, good coffee, practical tasks, and a joyful dinner — a lovely way to round out our final full day in Prachuap before heading north.
5 January 2026 – Day 53 — Farewells, Freeway Chaos & A Coastal Evening in Chonburi
Day 53 began early for Steve, who slipped up to the rooftop at dawn to take in one last Khiri Khan sunrise. The sky glowed softly over the islands, a quiet, beautiful farewell to a place that had become home.
After that, we headed out for a final beach walk, one last stretch along the Prachuap shoreline before finishing our packing. It was time to say goodbye to our Khiri Khan home — a place we truly loved staying in. The apartment had been comfortable, peaceful, and perfectly positioned for our daily routines.
We said goodbye to Nut, our wonderful on‑site host, before driving a little up the road to farewell Chris. We’ve had such a great time with her this year — so many laughs, meals, and easy conversations. Saying goodbye felt bittersweet, but full of gratitude.
Then it was time to hit the road north for what should have been a five‑hour journey… though in Thai time, that’s always flexible.
The trip went smoothly until we reached the southern edge of Bangkok, where everything descended into chaos. Massive roadworks were underway, with a huge six‑lane super‑toll road being built above the existing road. Below it, the road system was a maze of disappearing lanes, sudden merges, and drivers flying past in lanes that didn’t technically exist.
This was the first time Alison has ever looked genuinely on edge while driving anywhere. She later described it as “driving in a nightmare”, and honestly, that wasn’t far off. She didn’t panic, but the concern on her face said everything as the GPS sent us in bizarre directions and U‑turning traffic jammed the roads. We’ll be very happy when that toll road is finished and the chaos settles down.
Despite it all, we arrived in good time at our hotel in Chonburi. After a breather, we headed to Robinson’s for lunch, then took a scenic drive along the Chonlamakwithi Bridge — essentially a highway built over the ocean. Beautiful views, but the roundabouts along the way were another reminder of Thai driving “rules.” Technically, you give way to traffic already on the roundabout… but here, it’s more like everyone just goes. Equal parts impressive and terrifying.
After an exhausting day — emotionally and physically — we headed back to the hotel for an early night.
Day 53 was full of goodbyes, long roads, unexpected stress, and a coastal finish. A big travel day, and one we were glad to put behind us.
6 January 2026 – Day 54 — Dragon Cemeteries, Cane Workers & Chonburi Chaos
Day 54 was all about exploring the area around Chonburi — and it turned out to be far more memorable than we expected.
There’s a huge Chinese cemetery complex visible on satellite maps not far from where we’re staying, one of the biggest we’ve ever seen. Curiosity got the better of us, so today we set out to visit it.
The drive there was an adventure in itself. While waiting at a set of lights, a Ford Mustang blasted past everyone at high speed, using the far‑left verge as if it were a lane. It squeezed back onto the road so close to a truck that we both held our breath. Absolutely crazy.
A little further on, while we were waiting to turn left, a semi‑trailer approached from the opposite direction to make a U‑turn. The road was six lanes wide with a median strip, and giving him room meant we then had to carefully push our way across two lanes of traffic. Thankfully, a kind truck driver pulled up to create a gap for us — a small act of road kindness we were very grateful for.
Soon we reached the area we’d seen on the satellite maps — the Dragon Cemetery. The sheer scale of it was astonishing. We drove for kilometres through the grounds, passing row after row of ornate graves. What struck us most was how empty it was. Apart from workers building or maintaining sites, we didn’t see a single visitor. Farming also took place right up to the edges of the graves — in some spots, crops were planted within a metre of the tombs. A fascinating blend of land use and tradition.
While in the area, we also visited a couple of Wats. Wat Pa Dhammachart stood out with its large gold Buddha and a gold monk seated in front — peaceful, striking, and beautifully maintained.
Not far from there, we came across a group of workers loading sugar cane into a truck.
A tractor crane with a claw lifted the bundles while the workers waved and smiled at us. One kind man cut a stem of cane and handed it over. Alison, ever curious, bit into it straight away — sweet sap inside, but the texture was like chewing balsa wood soaked in sugar. The workers laughed as she chewed away, and we laughed with them. A simple, fun moment.
Since we were close to a Big C Supercentre, we stopped for lunch and tried — unsuccessfully — to find a packet of Weet‑Bix. We’ll have another look tomorrow as we move on toward Korat.
Later in the afternoon, we took a walk to Jaz Village, a local shopping area with a huge Makro, and also popped into the nearby HomePro for a browse.
Day 54 was full of surprises — wild driving, vast cemeteries, kind workers, and small adventures — a fascinating look at the quieter edges of Chonburi.
7 January 2026 – Day 55 — Stainless Steel Wonders & Back to Korat
Day 55 began with a relaxed start as we prepared to make our way back to Korat, where we’ll be waiting for the UnderUp 2026 car event — postponed from before Christmas and finally happening in a few days.
We left around 9am, heading toward Bang Khla to visit the stainless steel temple we’d seen photos of. By 10am, we arrived — and wow. It wasn’t just a temple; it also had a towering stainless steel Chedi, six floors high (maybe even seven). The shine, the structure, the detail — it was absolutely worth the detour, especially the very top floor with its sweeping views and cool metallic glow.
From there, we continued north and reached Korat around 3pm. We checked into the Centara Hotel, and just as we did, a fighter jet roared overhead. It made us wonder what was happening with Cambodia at the moment — especially after passing a big billboard on the way in that read “Save Thailand”. Korat has always had a strong patriotic streak, and today it really showed.
Once settled, we headed out for a walk. The pollution levels here are surprisingly good for this time of year — certainly better than what we experienced in Khiri Khan over the past week.
Dinner was in the Centara shopping centre food court. Alison ordered Khao Soi Beef, which started beautifully but ramped up in spice until the last part was almost impossible to get through. A brave effort nonetheless.
And in a small but important victory, we finally found our Australian Weet‑Bix — proudly displayed as a Product of New Zealand, priced at 110 baht. Damned Kiwis stealing our breakfast.
After dinner, we wandered through the local market for a quick look around before calling it an early night. A big day of driving, temples, jets, and chilli — time to rest up for whatever Korat brings next.
8 January 2026 – Day 56 — Cool Mornings, Coffee Wins & A Little Slice of Italy
After the stress of the last few days on Thailand’s busy, unpredictable roads, it felt wonderful to have reached Korat yesterday. We both slept deeply — a solid seven hours straight without waking. Bliss.
Breakfast at Centara was peaceful. At 7am, we were the only ones in the restaurant, enjoying the quiet start to the day.
We set off at 9:15am. It was surprisingly cold outside — just 19°C. A quick fuel stop at PTT showed the Fortuner doing 6L/100 km, which we were pretty happy with.
As we left Korat, there was a lot of Thai Air Force activity overhead. Fighter jets circling and roaring past. Hard not to wonder what’s going on.
Our first stop was the pretty gardens of Take Me Home, a plane‑themed café set in the middle of flowers. A quirky, colourful spot.
Next was Inthanin Coffee. Steve has been on a mission to find a more reliable good coffee — Café Amazon can be hit‑and‑miss. Today he finally got a win. Thumbs up from Steve.
From there we visited a fascinating complex:
The Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung Church, Khao Yai.
It felt like a little piece of Europe dropped into Thailand — an art gallery, condos and houses for sale, a café, manicured gardens, and a Catholic church all in one place. Very unexpected.
Our next stop was Wat Pa Phu Hai Lang, perched right on top of a hill. The climb up the many steps was worth it for the sweeping views. Sadly, the air quality is declining again, softening the scenery a little, but it was still beautiful.
Then we visited The Pandora Camo Khao Yai, a café and camping area designed to look like a slice of Greece. We first saw it years ago when it was being built. Now it’s more established, though showing a bit of weathering and age.
But the real surprise of the day was Toscana Valley Golf Course. It felt like we’d been transported straight to Italy — complete with a full‑size Leaning Tower of Pisa in the centre of the township. Italian music, cafés, architecture… one of the best replica towns we’ve seen.
The rest of the afternoon was spent driving through the Khao Yai area toward Saraburi, taking in the scenery as we went.
After settling into our accommodation, we took an evening walk and watched the locals play a game where they kick a hard ball into a hoop about three metres above the road. Fast, skilful, and fun to watch.
Day 56 was full of cool air, good coffee, unexpected European villages, and a gentle evening in a new town — a lovely mix of calm and curiosity.