Behind the Lens: Travel English on the Way to Khorat

Vacation was rapidly winding down, and I knew we needed a proper “last hurrah.” Teacher Jona was facing the looming start of the school year. They follow the US schedule for international schools in Bangkok, meaning around this time, the roads aren’t completely choked with holiday traffic. We also know that once the school year kicks off, escaping is nearly impossible. Being an international school educator isn’t an easy feat; it requires immense planning, curricular alignment, and constant lesson prep.

It had been a while since our last adventure in Koh Chang, and by sheer luck, it was the King’s birthday holiday, meaning Teacher Shai, who is currently teaching in Phrae, could join us again. A quick bus ride and she could easily zoom down to Bangkok. Like so many great plans, this one only came to fruition when we decided to be unplanned and completely spontaneous.

We hopped onto Booking.com and found a place called Greenville Laguna. I admit, I was completely biased—Laguna is my home province in the Philippines, so when I saw that name, I just said, “That’s it, let’s book it!”

The goal was simple: unwind and see where the wind took us. Khao Yai is a fantastic escape, especially if you, like us, are more of a mountain than a beach person. The area is filled with charming spots emulating fancy, “Instagrammable” European aesthetics. What we didn’t immediately realize was that this specific location was already on the border between Khao Yai and Khorat. I only realized it myself when we drove past the massive windmills. But I didn’t mind; our main objective was just the simple joy of a long drive, a sort of “grab-and-go” trip. We chatted, laughed at our own banter, searched for charging stations, and explored delicious food while the car got powered up.

Upon reaching the hotel, we rested before heading for the inevitable swim to wash off the driving and traffic fatigue. We spotted a pool table in the resort, but sadly, there were no billiard balls. We were a little too shy to bother the reception people to ask for them. We did venture into the gym and tried the treadmill, lifting a few weights, though nothing overly serious. When dinner came, being unfamiliar with the area, we asked AI to recommend a nearby restaurant. However, we quickly realized we were just too lazy to leave the resort. We rolled the dice on the in-house restaurant, and to our surprise, the food was excellent.

The next morning, we stuck to our tradition of not planning anything other than focusing on the breakfast buffet. The hotel didn’t disappoint, and we got excited over food as usual. After satisfying our appetites, we did a “photo walk” and took some random pictures.

Recently, I discovered an old, dusty mirrorless camera hidden away in a drawer at home and thought it would be fun to take pictures again—unedited and raw. I missed dialing the aperture and ISO manually, just like the old days. People rely so heavily on phone cameras now; they have improved incredibly, but to the keen eye, there are still those subtle, human differences in texture and light, simply due to the physical size of the sensor.

Returning to our room, we consulted AI again, trying to gauge if the weather would improve enough to explore nearby areas and make the long drive feel worthwhile. That’s when we saw the Hobbit House, or Baan Suan Noi, just 30 minutes away. We had made a simple vlog there a few years ago, so we were surprised to see new additions like the Harry Potter castle and cafe. They also have an “Old Rustic” local retail shop that beautifully emulates old Thailand, showing how simple life was back then. It was uncomplicated but lovely, yet we tried to make it even more memorable by doing some completely silly things, like creating ridiculous TikTok videos.

Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People reminded me of a personal mission statement I wrote years ago. I remember clearly stating that even as I grow old, I must remain mature while always keeping my sense of humor. It is part of my core character; it is a vital component of my cognitive reframing and developing neuroplasticity.

After that, we headed towards the Korat side for our “linner”—lunch+dinner—a word we completely made up as a code to ourselves. We went to the Korat Airplane Park. We were a bit disappointed that we couldn’t actually dine inside the plane; it was just for taking pictures. However, they kept the original seats, and there was a visual presentation showing how the locals refurbished and assembled the entire aircraft. At least we felt we were supporting their community efforts, helping them earn revenue.

Fortunately, there was a pre-fabricated restaurant just a few meters away from the plane that served a mix of Thai and Western food. When we got back to the hotel, we were too lazy to swim again, so we just slept. In the middle of the night, it was too late to order from the hotel restaurant, so we had to prepare our “emergency food”: 7-Eleven cup jok (rice porridge) and some chips. It hit the spot.

The following morning started with another excellent buffet breakfast. We rested for a while, and I used the time to check and tick some to-do lists, the usual office admin work. Before heading home, we thought we’d drop by a fancy cafe. AI recommended Trot Cafe, which was right on the way back to Bangkok. The website showed wonderful photos, but when we arrived, the guards told us it was almost impossible to get a seat. It was already 4 PM, and it closed at 7 PM. Since it was raining, no one will have the patience to wait in a long queue. We wondered if it would be better to drop by another airplane park called “Take Me Home Cafe.” It was only a kilometer away, and admission was free for that week.

We ordered coffee and some donuts. We took more photos, and on our way out, we spotted some random, life-sized action figures of Iron Man, Captain America, and Batman lying on the ground. Naturally, we took some silly shots again using our phones, pretending we had defeated them, just to let the Trot Cafe rejection out of our system. It gave us some good, hearty laughs.

We didn’t anticipate the brutal drive going home. We didn’t expect so many people to be returning to Bangkok, since that Friday was a “sandwich day” between two holidays. The drive was long and energy-draining; the traffic was a nightmare. We arrived home almost at midnight, but we were just so incredibly thankful that we arrived safe and that the trip was so simple and fun. It certainly achieved the goal: it helped us shake off that heavy feeling of burnout. To future adventures!

Deep-Dive Vocab for Travelers & Professionals

(คลังคำศัพท์เพื่อการเรียนรู้ภาษาอังกฤษอย่างลึกซึ้ง)

1. Staycation / Last-minute

• Staycation (n.)
  • English: A holiday spent at or near home, or staying at a local hotel instead of traveling far.
  • Difference from Vacation: A vacation usually involves traveling far away, flying, or taking long trips. A staycation means enjoying rest locally without the hassle of long travel.
  • การพักผ่อนในบ้านหรือโรงแรมใกล้บ้าน (ไม่ต้องเดินทางไกล)
• Last-minute (adj.)
  • English: Done or decided at the latest possible time before an event.
  • Examples: “A last-minute booking,” “a last-minute decision to go to Khao Yai,” or “packing at the last-minute.”
  • ในนาทีสุดท้าย, ในช่วงเวลาเฉียดฉิว

2. Burnt-out / To Unwind

• Burnt-out / Burnout (adj. / n.)
  • Feeling Description: The state of physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged stress or overworking. You feel completely empty, unmotivated, and drained.
  • Synonyms: Exhausted, depleted, drained, run-down.
  • Thai: ภาวะหมดไฟ / เหนื่อยล้าสะสมทั้งร่างกายและจิตใจ
• To Unwind (v.)
  • English: To relax after a period of work or stress.
  • Helpful Activities: Reading a book, sipping tea, taking a scenic drive, listening to music, or taking photo walks.
  • ผ่อนคลาย (หลังจากทำงานหรือเครียดมานาน)

3. Random / Spontaneous

• Random (adj.)
  • In Context (“Not planned”): Happening without a specific pattern, aim, or advance planning.
  • สุ่ม, ที่ไม่ได้วางแผนไว้ล่วงหน้า
• Spontaneous (adj.)
  • Connection to “Random”: While random implies no pattern, spontaneous means acting on impulse or instinct in the moment without prior planning. Both celebrate the beauty of unplanned travel!
  • ที่เกิดขึ้นเองตามธรรมชาติ / ทำตามอารมณ์โดยไม่ได้วางแผน

4. Multisensory Description

• English: Engaging all senses—sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste—to describe an experience.
• On the border of Khao Yai: The crisp, cool mountain breeze hitting your skin (touch), the scent of damp soil and eucalyptus (smell), the distant call of hornbills (sound), and the gradual shift from urban dust to lush green hills (sight).
• การบรรยายความรู้สึกผ่านประสาทสัมผัสทั้งห้า (เช่น ความรู้สึกโปร่งสบายบริเวณชายขอบเขาใหญ่)

5. Banter

• Banter (n. / v.)
  • When it is Good: Playful, lighthearted, and friendly teasing between friends, family, or colleagues that builds connection and trust.
  • When it is Bad: When the jokes cross personal boundaries, become mean-spirited, or mock someone’s sensitive points.
  • การหยอกล้อ / พูดคุยหยอกล้อกันอย่างเป็นกันเอง

6. Revisit vs. Visit

• Visit (v.): To go to a place for the first time or simply to spend time there.
• Revisit (v.): To return to a place you have already been to before—often bringing back nostalgia, new perspectives, or deeper appreciation.
• Visit = เยี่ยมชม / Revisit = หวนกลับมาเยี่ยมชมอีกครั้ง

7. Kid at Heart

• Kid at heart (idiom)
  • Personality Type: An adult who retains the playful spirit, curiosity, wonder, and joy typically associated with children, no matter their actual age.
  • หัวใจยังเป็นเด็ก / ผู้ใหญ่ที่มีหัวใจและจิตใจเบิกบานแบบเด็กๆ

8. Anticipation vs. Reality

• Phrase explaining disappointment: “Expectation vs. Reality” or “Anticipation fell short of reality.”
• Context: Used when your built-up excitement about a place or food dish doesn’t match the actual experience.
• ความคาดหวัง กับ ความเป็นจริง (ความรู้สึกผิดหวังเมื่อสิ่งที่คิดไว้ไม่ตรงกับความเป็นจริง)

9. Nothing Much

• Nothing much (phrase)
  • When to use: A casual response to greetings like “What’s up?” or “What are you doing?” when you are just relaxing or doing routine activities.
  • ไม่มีอะไรมาก / เรื่อยๆ (ใช้ตอบคำทักทายเมื่อไม่ได้ทำอะไรเป็นพิเศษ)

10. Energy Dynamics

• Drain your energy (phrase)
  • Physical Sensation: Feeling as though your body’s battery is dropping rapidly to zero—heavy eyes, mental fog, and complete tiredness.
  • สูบพลังงาน / ทำให้รู้สึกหมดแรง
• Energy-sapping (adj.)
  • Description: An adjective used to describe situations, tasks, or environments that deplete your stamina (e.g., “stuck in energy-sapping Bangkok traffic”).
  • ที่สูบพลัง / ที่ทำให้เหนื่อยล้า (เช่น รถติด)

11. Core Philosophy Phrase

• “Simple but fun”
  • Philosophy: Finding genuine happiness in uncomplicated moments—like a family road trip, roadside street food, or taking casual photos.
  • เรียบง่ายแต่สนุกสนาน / ความสุขง่ายๆ ที่ลงตัว

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