Today we got up and ate breakfast again at the resort and needed to leave by 8:30 in order to catch the boat back to the mainland. We made it in time and I broke the front hatch when boarded the boat and felt really bad but then another member got in and did the same thing so I didn’t feel that bad anymore. We then got to the pier and the bus driver was there waiting for us to get on and start the 6 hour journey to the Bangkok airport. Along the way a fellow member told me that she had received an email from the state department explaining the situation in Thailand and what the new curfew in place meant for traveling Americans in the country. The new curfew has been set in place to allow the government to find and remove all remaining rebels that are left after the leaders of the red shirts have surrendered. I have been getting many calls and facebook messages from people who are worried about me because they see what is going on in Bangkok on American media which really butchers what is really going on here. All of the violence is centralized and we have not been close to any of it throughout our trip, our leader would not intentionally take us into harms way so I have always felt VERY safe here in the country and am planning on coming back the next time that I can.
Along the way to the airport we had to pass through many checkpoints that have been erected by the government to prevent the rebels from moving and getting mobile. When we got to the airport we had to pass through three checkpoints again run by the military and were then finally allowed to go into the airport. It is nice to see the level of security so high at the airport which has always been a high target for any terrorists rebels.
We got on an Airbus A330 that was only 50% full so I had an entire row of three seats to myself that I was able to sprawl out and read my book that I have been trying to finish in the last few days. The flight only lasted about 45 minutes and then we landed in Chang-Mai where we were greeted by a few of our Thai buddies and the person who is in charge of getting everything set up for our arrival in Chang-Mai.
We then were put into taxis which are pickup trucks with beds modified with benches we we can sit and enjoy the nice breeze as the driver gets us to the international student center. We arrived at the student center only after a 5 minute drive from the airport and were given our keys to our rooms that we are going to be living in for the next four weeks.
We got all settled in and had Bank the only Thai student go out and get us some street food Pad-Thai because we were not allowed to leave the confines of the international center because we are Americans and they will not let us roam the streets with the curfew that we are currently under because of the rebels that are causing havoc in areas of the country.
Well again today has been quite the busy day and tomorrow should be an even more busy day with the welcome ceremony and other things that we have to do as a group.
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