Elephant Ride in Chang Wangpo: A 4-day trip through Bangkok and Kanchanaburi

Thailand welcomed ~11.5 million tourists in 2022. In 2020, tourism accounted for ~6% of the Thai GDP. We had lived in Bangkok between 1996 and 1999. When another opportunity to visit Thailand came our way in 2018, we grabbed it.

Many things have changed in Thailand since our last stay. For example, traffic in Bangkok used to be a nightmare. On one occasion in 1996, I had waited at a traffic signal for ~45 minutes. Now, Bangkok has an efficient metro system, which has made getting to places very comfortable. Most of the good things we had enjoyed earlier are still in place. Getting to places outside Bangkok was never a challenge, as the road network is beautiful. This has only improved. The number of attractions has increased. And, of course, Thais are lovely people.

This was a business trip that overlapped with our 26th marriage anniversary. So, we decided to celebrate in Thailand while doing the needed business. During this trip, we revisited some places in Bangkok and Kanchanaburi. The surprise for us was the trip to Chang Wangpo, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.