Days of Yaw

Three friends, itching to break their urban shackles, escape to parts unknown for new adventures on a road trip through Thailand’s beautiful south

- Nigel Oakins

Scene: late night, chef Alessandro Frau’s award-winning Italian restaurant Acqua in Phuket. Postprandial drinks in hand, three men chat over drinks. “I’m feeling restless,” grumbles young videographer Charlie Stevens. “Me too,” sighs property developer Peter Hamilton. “But this will not do!” says I. “What we need is a road trip ... but where?” “Somewhere down here in the south,” suggests Hamilton visibly perking up. “Birds always fly south about now. Birds are smart. And we can do it in my e-car.” “Yes! A leisurely eco-friendly drive through the countryside seeing and doing interesting things. You organise it Nigel and we shall record it for posterity,” Stevens chimes in with sudden enthusiasm.

I should have kept quiet, but goodness knows we needed a break from the urban sprawl and the new normal, and rural communities across the country have been crying out for help, any help. It’s a little surreal that Thailand has gone from one of the most visited countries on the planet to not receiving any tourists at all. The battle to keep Covid-19 at bay has undoubtedly been successful but at what price to an economy so heavily reliant on international tourism? To mitigate the situation, the Thai government has taken the opportunity to partially subsidise domestic tourism through various travel incentives and cash handouts.