Curry Breakfast and Thanksgiving in Thailand

We arrived in Bangkok late in the evening, and were surprised to learn that this Asian airport is very well organized. I guess we had lower expectations, assuming that Asia was the land of chaos and crowds!

We were rushed through fast priority lines to get our passports stamped quickly (the benefits of traveling with children!), and found an easy taxi ride to the backpacker district of Bangkok where we had booked a hotel.

We met one of our online friends briefly at her hotel room door, and made plans to meet up the next day.  In the morning we walked down the street and enjoyed some nose-run-inducing spicy curry for breakfast. A perfect way to begin the day, if you ask me! (Maiya’s face just barely reveals her displeasure).

We also tried out a more mild start for the day…sweet Mango sticky rice! (Mangos, sticky rice, and coconut milk). YUM!

We did a quick jaunt into a local 7-Eleven to see what they had to offer, and were slightly amused that they sell individual bananas in a bag. I know, we are easily amused.

We spent the day relaxing, getting to know our online friends (Travel with Bender) in-person for the first time, and then later meeting up with our buddies from A Kings Life (who we met previously in Guatemala and Belize)!  We went to the pool, and when both of those families left to trek towards Chiang Mai, we enjoyed an evening by ourselves, among the busy Bangkok nightlife, in search of food.

The vibrant nightlife scene ranged from the lively chaos of Khao San Road to the sleek sophistication of rooftop lounges like Vertigo. Dressing for the night meant striking the perfect balance between comfort and style—light, breathable fabrics to combat the city’s humidity while embracing the effortlessly cool aesthetic of Bangkok’s trendsetters.

Whether slipping into a breezy sundress, opting for casual chic linen shirts, or navigating the KitKat dress code at one of the city’s exclusive venues, the key was to be stylish yet adaptable for the diverse experiences the night had to offer. From sizzling street food stalls to the rhythmic beats of a hidden jazz bar, every corner of Bangkok held a new adventure, wrapped in the glow of endless possibility.

There was no shortage of choices!

We finally settled on a cheap meal (about $1 per plate) from this stand:

The kids didn’t enjoy this Thai food much, either. Gee…did they not get the memo that Thai food is THE BEST?!!

With a meal for 5 costing so little (about $4), we decided to splurge at the fancy ice cream place next store…and bring that total closer to $10 for the night. It was a nice splurge

The next morning we caught a taxi before the sun came up, and arrived at the Bangkok Don Muang airport in time for breakfast.

I made a quick run around some of the store vendors and found the choices intriguing…

We instead settled on some fruit shakes and entered our terminal security scan, only to be searched high and low for a mysterious pair of scissors that they said we had in our bags.

We thought we had lost the last of our scissors back in Spain, but alas…their very thorough search finally produced scissors hidden among the pages of the children’s books. Darn—we could have put those in a carry on!

Instead, we were kindly asked to insert it into a big bin that had 1,000’s of other traveler’s mistakenly-packed scissors and other forbidden goods, and we were given a friendly Thai “wai” (prayer-like thank you with hands clasped in front of their chest) in return.

Wow—I’ve never been so well thanked after being caught with contraband in an airport!

We found our seats in our terminal, and our kids settled on embarrassing us by rolling down the slightly inclined floor in the waiting room. Hey, whatever keeps them happy…

We quickly ditched that bacteria-laden activity after we discovered an awesome indoor playground sponsored by Nok Air. Sweet!

The flight to Chiang Mai was only 1 hour, and it was quick and uneventful!

We arrived at the local airport and got a ride to our new rental home in Chiang Mai. It is a lovely 3 bedroom place in a quiet neighborhood. We settled in, connected to the internet, and arranged for our taxi ride there to pick us back up and deliver us to a restaurant where we were meeting other traveling families for Thanksgiving dinner!

We went to Art Café where we coughed up the money for an expensive holiday meal (by Thai standards)—$12 each!! Imagine our surprise when our Thanksgiving plate looked like this.

Well, we may not have overdone ourselves like a typical American Thanksgiving meal…but we still found ourselves plenty full by the time our plates were cleared! All things considered, $12 wasn’t too bad for a bit of Thanksgiving nostalgia, as well as great company as we got to know 5 other traveling families who we have only known via the internet!

After lunch/dinner we grabbed a ride to a supermarket to load up our kitchen with some goods to stock us for the weekend. Like Europe, the produce bagging/weighing takes place in the produce section…so checkout at the front goes much faster!

Our ride choices were slim for the trip back home, but we convinced a tuk tuk driver to make the long trek to our home outside of town—groceries and all. Good thing we can all squeeze in a 3-seater!

Last year for Thanksgiving we were in Mexico…eating dinner with some good American friends in Guadalajara!

What about you?

How did you celebrate Thanksgiving this year?  How do you mix a little tradition into a non-traditional lifestyle?

Or perhaps…do you mix a little non-tradition into a traditional lifestyle (like my sister and her family…who have decided that on Thanksgiving they prefer to eat their favorite food…seafood!)??

My name is Alisa, and I am off traveling the world with my adventurous husband and rambunctious 3 small children. I love mountains, outdoor living, and I am crazy about vegetables. Most of all, I love making memories with my family, and I enjoy sharing our travels with others!