My Comfort Country
Thailand
Some countries challenge you. Some inspire you. And then there are those that just feel right, like slipping into your favourite oversized shirt after a long day. For me, that country is Thailand.
It was the very first country I ever travelled to solo-ish… on a group tour, technically, but still the first time I’d left Australia alone. And looking back, it’s no exaggeration to say it completely changed the course of my life. That first trip was supposed to be a “get it out of my system” moment. Spoiler alert: it did the opposite. It ignited a wanderlust I still haven’t shaken- and honestly, I hope I never do.
Thailand became my gateway drug to travel. I left thinking I’d tick a box, and instead came home plotting how to do it all again, but longer, wilder, and with less of a plan. It wasn’t just a destination; it was a beginning.
A Soft Landing into Solo Travel
When I left for Bangkok for the first time, it was very safe to say that I didn’t know what I was doing. I had absolutely no clue how to use a tuk tuk or navigate a night market. I’d never bartered, eaten street food on a plastic stool, or figured out how to carry my entire life on my back.
But somehow, Thailand made it easy. It welcomed me with a big, sweaty, tropical hug and whispered, “Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out.”
And I did.
The people were kind. The pace was fast but forgiving. It felt like a place built for beginners—without ever making you feel like one. I learned how to trust myself, how to eat alone, how to say hello in Thai, and how to get scammed just a little (because it’s practically a rite of passage).
I also learned a few key solo travel truths: you don’t have to be friends with everyone, no matter how many group dinners are suggested. It’s okay to opt for a quiet night with a book, or splurge a little extra for that female-only dorm with decent reviews and aircon that actually works. Safety and AT LEAST a little comfort are not luxuries- they’re essentials.
Comfort in the Chaos
Bangkok was loud, hot, and completely overwhelming… and I loved it. There’s something about the way Thailand balances chaos with calm. You can go from the sticky intensity of a street market to the quiet serenity of a golden temple in five minutes. From a sweaty minivan ride to a peaceful longtail boat cruise in the same afternoon.
That balance is something I’ve craved ever since. Life is unpredictable, but Thailand taught me that you can ride the wave and still come out the other side with a coconut in your hand.
And in the midst of all that wildness (i.e.stray dogs dodging scooters, music blaring from market stalls, signs you can’t read, smells you can’t place) there’s something oddly soothing. Predictable unpredictability. A sense that, even if nothing goes to plan, you’ll still be okay. You’ll still end the day full, sun-kissed, and with a story to tell.
But it wasn’t all noise and neon. There were quiet moments too. Early mornings watching saffron-robed monks walk silently through the streets. Lazy hammock days on island beaches where time didn’t seem to matter. Thailand taught me how to be still amid the madness. How to find calm in a crowd. And that sometimes, the biggest growth happens when everything around you is a little unhinged.
The Places That Feel Like Home
There are corners of Thailand that I now know better than my own neighbourhood back home. The lantern-lit streets of Pai. The sleepy islands that always seem stuck in golden hour. The no-name cafes in Chiang Mai with $1 iced coffees and cats curled up under every chair.
Each time I go back, it feels a little more familiar; but never boring. Thailand changes, and so do I. But somehow, we always meet in the middle.
And while I’ve met countless people along the way, there’s also a unique kind of loneliness that comes with long-term solo travel. You’re constantly surrounded by people, yet no one really knows you. Only your backpack has stuck with you for the whole journey. Thailand was the first place to teach me that too, that solitude doesn’t have to be scary. It can be empowering, and sometimes even sacred.
Why It’ll Always Be My Go-To
I think we all have that one place we return to; not because we haven’t seen enough of the world, but because that place saw us when we were just beginning. Thailand was patient with me. It let me get lost, try again, and find my feet. It gave me my first travel friends, my first solo epiphanies, and the confidence to keep going.
I’ve danced on tabletops in Koh Phi Phi. I’ve cried on night trains. I’ve had massages that changed my spine and travel days that tested every ounce of my patience. Every trip since has been measured against that very first one.
And no matter where I go, Thailand is the place I compare everything to. The one that feels safe, exciting, a little wild; but always like home.
An Ode to Thailand
Some people fall in love with Paris. Others with Bali or New York. Me? I fell in love with a land of tuk tuks, temples, and tom yum soup. Thailand isn’t perfect, but that’s not what comfort is about.
It’s about knowing that when everything else is shifting, there’s a place that feels like your travel soul mate. A country that doesn’t need to dazzle you to win you over, because it already knows it has your heart.
And for me, that will always be Thailand.
