This ISN'T Thailand (Not the Thailand I Love Anyways...) Travel Thailand in 2021, We Need It!

FULL Chiang Rai Playlist    • Chiang RAI, Thailand  

In this video, join us for a different view of Thailand. Is it a view that's set back in time 30 years? To a time where there was never any tourism here to begin with? I don't like to see Thailand like this, and of course no one does! If you do have plans to visit though (and if you're ready with a vaccine and paperwork of course) then come to Thailand, plan a visit, I know that the Thai small shop and business owners will be so glad to see you! And the beauty and natural sights, well, of course those are all just as great as they've ever been.

We are in Chiang Rai province... and we (and now you!) are basically alone here. Without taking any risks, and without taking advantage of any local Covid measures, Li and I are able to complete a very short distance 7-day trip from our home in Chiang Mai to the bordering province of Chiang Rai.*

Acknowledging that this is a brutally tough time for anyone trying to make a living doing business related to tourism, Li and I are still happy to visit whatever places are open, pay for any services that are still available, and just generally offer our support (whether its money, or just a smile and friendly conversation). I hope these videos can offer you some motivation, and maybe even encourage you to do the same when you can!! To give you some honest details into my own life, it is small things like this that offer a light to me, a huge amount of hope to me during these days - the feeling of being a blessing to others is something that will always remind us who we are, and who we all can be to each other and for each other! Again, I hope I can encourage you to do what you can whenever you have the chance :)

So!
In this series you have seen us visit many mountain towns and villages, only one of which were we allowed to stay overnight (Mae Salong) - we have met with many amazing families and great stories along the way, and we're proud to share all of those videos with you! At the end of the day however, it is still quite obvious to see, although we are actively trying to connect with "normal" people living in all these towns, the Covid virus closures have almost completely ended the business in so many areas in Thailand - especially those reliant on tourism -
In many parts of the world too I'm sure... but there aren't too many places with such a high percentage of people's income that is directly related to international tourism.

*All in all, the total distance of this trip was under 400km. This is also the 1 video out of the 7 though where we actually had to turn around/not allowed to pass a certain way. Most of the roads in northern Thailand are open - if you want to stay anywhere/visit anywhere, you have to call ahead to make sure the place is still open/still there - if you don't stop, and/or you stay by yourself, there is really no issue or cause for concern.

I hope this finds you well, I always appreciate the time you take to write a comment to me, sharing your thoughts or, of course, which parts of the video you enjoyed :). Thanks as always! Much love. See you for the next one! - Joel and Li

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