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My name is Pan. Today, I have a story to tell you.
People say that the village with the best air in Thailand is Kiriwong Village, Lansaka District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. I've wanted to go there for a long time, but I never had the chance. Today, I finally made it. But I didn't want to travel comfortably, sitting in a luxury car and sleeping in an air-conditioned room. I was afraid that I wouldn't feel the real experience. So I chose to travel from Bangkok by train and sleep in a tent. I want to listen to the sound of the water flowing and feel the ultimate relaxation.

There's also a video version in case you're too lazy to read. Hehe.

I chose to travel on July 7th in the evening after work. I booked a train ticket on the Express Train 85 for 270 baht. I took the train from Salaya to Khlong Chandi. According to the schedule, the train was supposed to arrive at Salaya Station around 8:30 pm. But in reality, it was almost 10 pm. While waiting, we took some photos.

English:

Notes:

• The original text is empty, so the translation is also empty.
• The HTML structure is preserved in the translation.
• The tone of voice is simple and short, as requested.
• The translation is of the same quality as a local speaker.

I hope this is helpful! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Oh! Pan also made a new friend while waiting for the train. She met Nong Ta, and they happened to be on the same train, although Ta was getting off at Prachuap Khiri Khan. While waiting for the train, they had a chance to chat and catch up. Life is good! Psst, Nong Ta is single, so if anyone is interested, hit her up! Haha!

Boarding the train, we parted ways as we were in different carriages. Pan spent 12 hours on the train, enjoying the journey. What else can you do on a train but take photos?

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Arriving at Khlong Jandee Station shortly after 10:00 AM, the weather was pleasantly cool. Choosing to disembark at Khlong Jandee instead of continuing to Nakhon Si Thammarat was a strategic decision. While reaching Nakhon Si Thammarat by train would have taken until noon, opting for Khlong Jandee offered a time advantage. However, the drawback of this choice was the need for two connecting buses, resulting in an additional cost of approximately 20 baht compared to boarding at Nakhon Si Thammarat Station. Nonetheless, the time saved justified the extra expense.

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There is a market next to the train station. If you are hungry, you can stop by and find something to eat. The vendors are friendly and always have a smile on their face. When I asked them for directions, they were more than happy to help.

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Board this vehicle, it's heading to Nakhon Si Thammarat - Chandi. The fare is 35 baht per person. The songthaews here depart promptly, you don't have to wait for it to be full. It's great! ^_^ The journey takes about half an hour to reach the three-way intersection at Sala Sangkasi village, which is also the entrance to Kiree Wong village.

The weather is still good, so I feel like walking. I'm going to walk into the alley and hail a car if one passes by. It's about 7 kilometers from here to the village.

We stopped by a local restaurant on the way and had breakfast there. A fluffy-faced employee with a bewildered expression greeted us, asking, "What would you like to eat?"

We stuffed ourselves with rice at the restaurant, and within 10 steps of leaving, a songthaew (shared taxi) came by. We hailed it down and hopped on. The ride cost 15 baht and took less than 10 minutes, dropping us off at the foot of Khiriwong Bridge. We could have asked the driver to take us directly to our accommodation, but Pan was feeling a bit flustered and rushed to get on, forgetting to tell him beforehand. Luckily, our campsite wasn't far from the bridge, just a short walk away.

Here's a summary of our journey:

• Took the express train (Train No. 85) from Bangkok to Khlong Jandee Station, a 12-hour journey (270 baht).
  
• Hopped on a songthaew from Nakhon Si Thammarat to Jandee, getting off at the three-way intersection near Sala Sangkasi village, which is also the entrance to Khiriwong village. The ride took 40 minutes and cost 35 baht.
  
• Walked to a side street in the village to wait for another songthaew, this time from Nakhon Si Thammarat to Khiriwong. The 10-minute ride cost 15 baht, and we finally arrived at our destination!

The first thing I encountered after getting off the bus was a small, round fruit that tasted like coconut. I didn't pay much attention to it and continued walking towards my accommodation. I crossed the Kiriwong Bridge and turned right at the village exit. After a ten-minute walk, I arrived at my destination. I'm excited to show you this place!

This is the right side of the Pan tent area.

On the left side, there are about 3 brightly colored neighboring houses.

In front of me, couples are playing in the water, groups of friends are taking photos, and families are taking selfies. It's a pleasant sight.

And here's my tent! It's surrounded by greenery, as you can see. Pan is currently obsessed with all things green, and she's loving our bed for tonight.

After setting up the tent, we took a break. We've been traveling all night, so we're stretching and relaxing our legs and arms. We're not quite ready to go full-on yet, so we're just chilling and sipping on some cold water to rest our bodies for a bit.

As the afternoon sun began to wane, it was time to wander around the accommodation.

Is that Pan's tent? The one with the cool camouflage pattern?

The sight of people enjoying the water sparked an irresistible urge to immerse myself in the giant jacuzzi before me. Without hesitation, I returned to my tent, grabbed my sarong, and plunged into the refreshing water.

The speaker playfully warns against looking at revealing photos of themself, suggesting viewers watch a video instead. After swimming and diving, they get dressed and are drawn to the sound of music coming from the Khiriwong Temple. Curious, they go to investigate and potentially join the dancing in front of the stage.

This temple, known as Wat Kiriwong, is considered the main temple of this village.

Behind the temple is a market. Once you walk through it, you will find souvenir shops and Mr. Thang's coffee shop, which has been widely reviewed.

Pan didn't enter the temple because it was crowded. Instead, she decided to go to a grocery store to find supplies for the night. Pan admits that she used two cameras and a phone to capture the trip, as she was also filming videos. She apologizes for only finding a few photos of the temple's atmosphere. Pan discovered that the temple was hosting an ordination ceremony for the village headman's two sons. Due to her curiosity and friendly nature, Pan made friends with a local villager who showed her the festivities at night, including traditional Thai music and dance performances. Pan did not take any photos of this event. Pan concludes that the night was enjoyable as she got to know the locals. She is confident that the next day will be even more exciting.

Day 1 expenses summary
Travel expenses 320 baht
Food expenses 100 baht
Camping space fee 100 baht (100 baht deposit paid in advance)
Total 520 baht

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Sunday morning, July 9, 2017

Unveiling the tent to be greeted by such lush greenery is pure bliss. You must be envious, hehe.

The day began with a breakfast of "Mi Kati," a coconut noodle dish that the vendor claimed was a local recipe from Nakhon Si Thammarat. It only cost 10 baht, making it an affordable and satisfying meal. After breakfast, Pan decided to explore the city on foot, walking along the riverbank. While other travelers might have opted to rent a bicycle, Pan found joy in the leisurely pace of walking. Before realizing it, Pan had already covered a significant distance.

At around 10:00 AM, Pan was walking back to her accommodation to pack up her tent and move to a new location for the second night. While she was walking, an elderly uncle stopped his motorbike next to her and asked where she was going, as he saw her walking alone. He offered to give her a ride. Pan was overjoyed and accepted the ride. The uncle dropped her off at the Maan Sai Tent, where she packed her belongings, stopped by for lunch, and then continued on her way.

Visiting the south but eating Isaan food. Look, look 555

The distance from the first camping spot to the second is about a kilometer. Carrying a ten-kilogram backpack and walking in the sun for a while, we arrived.

Tent by the river, Ban Kiriwong

This accommodation offers both camping and cabin options, as shown in the images above.

This is the front view by the river. This is not the main swimming spot, so there are not many people. But it's good, Pan likes it, it's not crowded. I'll write a summary of the details of both nights' accommodation later.

It's afternoon now, and it's time to see the city. What I want to say is that the accommodation let me borrow a bicycle to ride. I'm so happy. It's a day of meeting kind people. Maybe it's because they see that I'm a small, fragile woman who is cute. Haha, I'm imagining things again. Today, I chose to go to the main places that most tourists go to first. Tomorrow will be another style. As for the new friend who is a villager here, he is still here. I'll talk about him again later. Now I'm riding my bike alone. The first place I went to was...

The Lace Group

This group gathers to create products from seeds, also known as "luk mai." Inside, there will be a demonstration of how to weave ropes using luk mai as the main component. Products such as necklaces, rings, and keychains made from luk mai are available for purchase. Some popular examples include "luk sawat" and "luk phra chao 5 phra ong," which are amulets. If you are interested, feel free to stop by and chat with the villagers in this group.

The second group we will visit is also famous, the natural dye group.

This location offers batik and tie-dye workshops. However, on the day of my visit, the tie-dye group had run out of fabric, so I was unable to participate. Instead, I observed the batik wax-resist dyeing process. Initially, I requested to try wax-resist dyeing myself, but I was informed that tourists are only permitted to participate in the coloring stage due to the complexity of wax-resist dyeing. Feeling disappointed, I declined to participate in the coloring stage as I was not allowed to try wax-resist dyeing. In retrospect, I realized that the instructor had no way of knowing whether or not I had prior experience with batik.

After leaving the tie-dye group, we stopped by Uncle Rom's coffee shop to rest.

This restaurant has as many reviews as Nai Thung Restaurant. After resting, we continued our journey.

The next stop is the Baan Kiriwong Leaf Group.

This is where they tie-dye fabrics. They use natural colors from tree bark, mangosteen leaves, and other things. Pan went to listen to the explanation and learned that not all mangosteen leaves can be used for dyeing. They have to be selected and tested by boiling to see if they will produce color. It sounds difficult to get each color for dyeing.

Leaving the group of leaves, Pan saw a sign pointing to Wang Mai Pak Waterfall, 3 kilometers away. Without hesitation, she cycled along the path. On the way, she saw girls playing in the water, so she stopped to say hello. "What are you doing, grandma?" she asked.

The grandma replied in a southern dialect that Pan couldn't understand. Haha.

The trail did not seem too long, and if we exclude the uphill and downhill sections, it would have been easier on the calves. We cycled steadily until we reached the finish line. I was a little disappointed because there wasn't much water in the waterfall. However, what I enjoyed was the feeling of accomplishment after the tiring journey. If you're curious about the waterfall, you can watch the video.

After leaving Wang Mai Pak Waterfall, we headed straight to another highlight of Khao Kiri Wong: "Narn Hin Tha Ha," which the locals call the "suspension bridge." It's another popular spot for swimming, with restaurants, inner tubes, and rubber duckies available for rent. There were a lot of people enjoying the water, which looked like fun. However, I wasn't too impressed with this spot because we had something even cooler planned for the next day. As I mentioned before, we made a new friend in Khao Kiri Wong, so why would we want to sightsee like tourists? It's much better to experience it like a local.

The original plan was to camp, but it rained that night. The kind owner let me move into a cabin so I wouldn't have to suffer. They said they would charge me the same as the camping fee. Wow, so kind! In the end, when I paid for the accommodation, I insisted on paying the price of the cabin. After all, I didn't want to take advantage of their kindness.

The market sells a variety of food and daily necessities. Pan had breakfast at the market.

In the morning, it was a good time. Today, Nan and her brother Krit will take Pan up the mountain to Nan's orchard. We will pick mangosteen, but we will go by this car.

As you can see, the villagers here have off-road motorcycles. Every household has at least one, which they use for transportation and to carry fruits from their orchards. The orchards here are special; they are a mix of cultivated land and forest, and they are located on mountains. These are called "forest gardens".

The sentence is already in English. Is there anything else I can help you with?

Have you ever been on a roller coaster? That's what it felt like, except I was clinging to the back of Kritsada instead of being strapped in with a seatbelt like on a roller coaster at an amusement park. Lol. Thanks for the life experience that made my heart skip a beat and feel thrilled all the way. Just imagine steep, narrow roads, high mountains, sharp curves, sheer drops, and so on. You can see it in the clip, which only shows the strength of the camera grip. The rest is about trying my best to hold on to Kritsada so I don't fall off the mountain.

Picking mangosteens. Krits and Nan said that the fruits haven't been producing much lately. The durians aren't ripe yet because of the irregular rainfall. But what we picked today is already great. Pan listened while eating mangosteens. The mangosteens here are export-grade, sold overseas. They have a slightly sour and sweet taste. You have to try them.

At this point, does anyone want to see Pan's new friend? If not, that's fine, but Pan wants to show it off.

The sentence is already in English. Is there anything else I can help you with?

After spending more than half a day on the mountain, I had a lot of fun. It was worth the trip. I came down the mountain to pack my things before my new friend took me on another tour.

Mr. Kris volunteered to be my guide and took me to a waterfall. Um, I don't know what the name of the waterfall is. It's a waterfall that doesn't have a name. It's a waterfall that isn't in any reviews. It's a waterfall that few people know exists. It's a waterfall where the entrance is not an entrance at all. It's a waterfall hidden behind a curtain of green nature. This is what I saw from the parking lot. From here, we have to walk into the forest.

According to Kris, the water level is currently low. During the rainy season, the waterfall is much more impressive. The waterfall originates high up in the mountains, and from below, it appears to be an immense distance.

Note: The original text is empty, so the translation is also empty.

Immerse yourself in the atmosphere, take some pictures, and Pan will take you to the last stop of the day. It's time to go home!

Khao Khun Nam Kiriwong Forest Monastery/Nakhon Si Thammarat

Let's pay our respects at the temple before heading back. This is a forest temple located on the way up to Khao Luang. Tourists may not know much about it because it's not a very big temple and there aren't many monks residing there. It's more like a place for meditation retreats. It's beautiful and very shady. This concludes our trip to Khao Luang in a beautiful way with the Khao Khun Nam Kiriwong Forest Temple. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, the journey back isn't over yet.

The last shared taxi leaving Kiree Wong village for the city departs around 2-3 pm, which I missed. Fortunately, Mr. Kris kindly drove me to the village entrance to catch another shared taxi heading to the city center. The fare was 30 baht, and I got off at Nakhon Si Thammarat Bus Terminal. The incident happened when I tried to redeem my pre-booked bus ticket. I only needed to show my phone to the staff to scan the code, but it didn't work. The reason for this was my own mistake: I had booked the ticket for the wrong date. I was supposed to travel on July 10th, but I had booked it for July 11th. As a result, I had to buy a new ticket, incurring an unnecessary expense.

Day Three Expenses Summary

• Food: Approximately 100 baht
• Accommodation (hut): 300 baht (originally 500 baht, but the owner offered a discount after sensing Pan's financial hardship)
• Songthaew (shared taxi): 30 baht
• Tour bus: 547 baht (an unexpected expense)
• Total: 977 baht

Note: Calculate Pan's total expenses for the three days, excluding souvenirs.

Photo credit: Krit

Accommodation details:

Night 1:
Man Sai provides accommodation and bicycles - Kiriwong
Small tent 300 baht
Large tent 400 baht
Bring your own tent, 200 baht for camping space
There are electrical outlets but no wifi. It is located near the village center. The owner is very kind.
Contact 061 215 3951 facebook Man Sai Tent

Night 2 (Pan hasn't told you that the owner here is P'Krits yet):
Tent by the river, Ban Kiriwong
Hut 500 baht
Small tent 300 baht
Large tent 400 baht
Bring your own tent, 150 baht for camping space
There are electrical outlets and wifi. It is not crowded. The owner is lovely and very friendly.
Contact 092 458 6766 facebook Tent by the River Kiriwong

And one more place, this is Nan's:
Baan Pawatri Homestay, Kiriwong
Group room 1500 baht per room
Located near the entrance to Khao Luang, close to Wang Mai Pak waterfall
Contact 087 279 0771, 087 269 2196 facebook Baan Pawatri Homestay Kiriwong