Chumphon, Thailand → Mueang Phetchaburi District, Phetchaburi, Thailand

Chumphon Pier to Chumphon

Started my journey on the island Koh Tao. It was a late very at 10:15 but it was the earliest and cheapest I could get to start hitchikig. My goal was to make it all the way up to Ayutthaya Chiang Mai but first stopping in Ayutthaya to check out the ruins. I knew it was ambitious to do it all in one day but I thought I would try.

I napped on the ferry over and got off the ferry at Chumphon excited for my first ride. The traffic was very busy with all the transfer buses from the ferry going to Bangkok but I picked a corner with my orange shake and stuck out my thumb. No luck after a couple minutes so I figured it was because it was so dense and kind of a awkward spot for cars to stop so I decided to walk a little further down the road. A lady in a pickup asked me where I was going after I put down my thumb to pick up my bag. I told her Chumphon and she told me to hop in. She signaled to the back and I immediately jumped in the can thinking she’d want me back there but she kept trying to signal me back to the window so I jumped back out. She kept saying “back” so I jumped back in but she signaled me back. After another series of this I figured out she just wanted me to put my bag back there lol. A little embarrassing.

It was a nice quiet ride to Chumphon. She seemed a little confused that I was let taking the bus after I told her hitchiking was cheaper and I wanted to meet people. She dropped me off at the bus station in Chumphon but I realized it was a bus station further away from the main highway toward Bangkok. Still a good first ride. It seems a common theme on this trip that everyone wants to get me to the bus station haha.

Chumphon to Main Highway

I walked towards the main highway and started hitchiking outside a bus station thinking it would lead me on the main highway. After about 10 minutes a lady came out with a iced cold Pepsi and gave it to me. So kind.

I kept waiting. A stopped and looked like he was dropping some people off but he walked up to me and asked me where I was going. He didn’t seem interested in taking me but after a couple minutes he came back and offered to take me to the main highway for a much better spot. I hopped in the car and drove me on the other side of Chumphon. A very nice dude named Kanyakorn. He said he was a teacher. He drove me to the main highway and we became friends on Facebook. He still checks up on me to see how my journey is going!

Highway to Amphoe Ban Lat

Got a ride after 15 minutes on the side of the highway from a couple. I asked to go to Ratchaburi because it seemed like it was past the turn off for Bangkok. I’ve heard it’s difficult hitchhiking out of Bangkok. He spoke very little English but told me to get in immediately after I said Ratchaburi so I hopped in the cab.

It was a long fast ride down the highway. He stopped at a couple fruit stands to pick some up. Some fruits I had never seen before. I found out one I had later was called a “snake fruit.” Really interesting looking.

We rode for another hour and he turned off down some side street into a neighborhood and into someone backyard and stopped the car. I was confused but he said he will stop for 10 minutes for the bathroom. He walked away to the woods and asked if I wanted to smoke marijuana. Sure!

We walked back to this shack where this old man looked like he was living and we smoked out of this old wooden bong haha! Super friendly dudes.

We hopped back in the truck and the dude gave me a leftover sandwich. It turns out he wasn’t going all the way to Ratchaburi but just across the road and he would drop me off close by.

Amphoe Ban Lat to Amphoe Mueang Phetchaburi

Very kind mom and daughter stopped for me and insisted on taking me to bus station. Took the ride because it was getting dark. No more buses so I crashed in a guesthouse for the night.