THAILAND · A new country, a new chapter
25 October 2026 · Tokyo – Bangkok – Phuket
Diving in after Japan
Japan has given us so much: miles on the motorcycle, temples, gardens, art, delicious food and railway stations that occasionally turned travelling with our luggage into a workout. After more than a month packed with impressions, Anneliese and I begin the next big part of our journey today: Thailand. Our first stop is Phuket. Here I want to dive in – after everything we have experienced in Japan, quite literally too, by going diving.
Tokyo serves us one last breakfast
At 6:30 in the morning, we have our last breakfast in our room in Tokyo. One more look across the city, the two of us at the table once again. A farewell with a view. There is not much time to linger, though: at 7:30 we leave by taxi for Haneda Airport. Our suitcases have quite a programme ahead of them too.
Bangkok: immigration without the drama
From Haneda we fly to Bangkok. Immigration awaits – and turns out to be completely straightforward. We are through in no time. After all those busy days in Japan, this is a very pleasant way to arrive in a new country.
Then we take our onward flight to Phuket. And now we have actually landed. As I tell this story, Anneliese and I are already in a taxi on the way to the Marriott. The hotel is still ahead of us; our arrival in Thailand is complete.
Phuket: arrive first, dive later
For me, this change deserves a big heading of its own: Thailand. Japan, in all its variety, keeps its place in the diary. Something new begins now. Diving is on my wish list for Phuket. There are no underwater adventures to recount yet – today, we have simply arrived.
From our last breakfast above Tokyo to a taxi ride on Phuket: one day, two countries and a great deal of travelling in our luggage. Thailand, here we are.
Update, 26 October: a welcome with two letters
Anneliese and I have now arrived at Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach. Two letters are waiting in our room. After Japan, I wanted to dive in; first, though, there is some reading to do.
In the first letter, the hotel warns about Portuguese man-of-war and strongly advises guests not to enter the sea. Hotel-organised beach activities, including swimming and snorkelling, have been temporarily suspended. This is certainly not how I had pictured the start of our stay in Phuket.
The second letter announces essential maintenance in selected parts of the resort: from 25 to 31 October 2026, daily between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. It says intermittent noise may occur. Those dates fall right in the middle of our stay. At this point, I cannot report any construction noise we have actually experienced.
I booked the transfer and hotel through TUI. I had received no advance notice of the work; I only find these two letters here in our room. That annoys me. After an eventful Japan, Phuket was meant to be a chance to dive in. For now, the opening brings questions rather than underwater stories.
Later on 26 October: a sea view on the wish list
I have now spoken with the local travel representative. We were offered another room, but in our view it was worse. Anneliese and I did not take it. The representative is now looking for a room in another hotel of a comparable category.
My wish list is straightforward: a quiet room, a sea view, proximity to Patong and the same hotel category. After all our stops in Japan, I would happily have left room changes off the programme for a little longer. No new accommodation has been confirmed yet. For now, the search is under way; a move is not.
