Our Road Trip Through Southern Thailand Took an Unexpected Turn
30 July, 2026A three-day road trip through southern Thailand. Temples, good food, beautiful scenery and great company. That was the plan. But less than a day later, I found myself on an operating table in Nakhon Si Thammarat, undergoing emergency appendix surgery.
Setting Off Towards Nakhon Si Thammarat
Twelve of us from our office and the law firm in the neighbouring office set out on this three-day journey through southern Thailand. At 06:15, Tong and his family picked us up in their minibus on Koh Samui. Despite the overcast sky, everyone was in high spirits and looking forward to the days ahead.
Our first stop was a restaurant that had already opened for breakfast. Most people ordered jok, the Thai rice porridge that is a classic breakfast choice, while I chose an omelette with vegetables. I was the only farang (foreigner) in the restaurant – just as I was throughout the entire trip.
At 08:30, the ferry departed from Nathon to Donsak. The approximately one-and-a-half-hour crossing was calm as Koh Samui slowly disappeared behind us. Around ten o'clock, we arrived on the mainland and continued towards Nakhon Si Thammarat. Most people continued in the minibus, while a few travelled in a car that had joined us at the ferry pier.
Temple Visit During a Buddhist Holiday
Our first destination was Wat Chedi Ai Khai, one of the most visited temples in southern Thailand. Since it was Wan Asanhabucha, an important Buddhist holiday, the area was filled with people who had come to make merit and pay their respects.
We placed gold leaf on the statues and also bought large quantities of firecrackers, which were then handed over to the temple staff as part of the local tradition. In total, there were more than 100,000 firecrackers – divided into several packages weighing around ten kilograms each. The firecrackers were handed over to the staff, who took care of them without setting them off on site. I suspect the noise level would have been completely deafening if they had all been fired among the thousands of visitors. It was a tradition I had never encountered before in Thailand.
Image: Buddha statues at Wat Chedi, where we stopped during our road trip through southern Thailand. Photographer: Jens.
Image: Aom posing with the newly purchased firecrackers during our visit to Wat Chedi. Photographer: Jens.
Lan Saka and Ban Khiriwong
After the temple visit, we had lunch at a cosy local restaurant. Most people chose khanom chin, fresh rice noodles made from fermented rice. They were served with various curry sauces, herbs and local vegetables. After lunch, we continued towards Lan Saka and the small village of Ban Khiriwong.
I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed by the "waterfall" my wife had promised – probably the result of a misunderstanding – but the surrounding nature more than made up for it. The lush green mountains and peaceful landscape made it one of the highlights of the day.
At around 17:00, we checked in at iBiz Boutique Hotel in central Nakhon Si Thammarat. The hotel offers spacious rooms, breakfast and a well-equipped gym for around 1,000 baht per night, which I thought was good value for money.
The evening ended with a shared dinner and pleasant conversations. At that point, I had no idea how the rest of the journey would unfold.
Image: Half the group gathered on Khiriwong Rope Bridge in Lan Saka. Photographer: Jens.
When the Journey Took a Different Direction
A few hours later, I woke up with severe stomach pain. Shortly afterwards, I started vomiting and my general condition deteriorated quickly. It soon became clear that this was not an ordinary stomach problem. I had no idea what was wrong, but I realised that I needed medical attention.
The result was an ambulance ride through Nakhon Si Thammarat to Nakharin Hospital, the private hospital that seemed to have the best reviews when I quickly searched for options online. The ambulance was not my own choice – the government hospital arranged it free of charge following a recommendation from Nakharin Hospital. My wife even managed to convince the staff to accept a small tip, although they had initially politely declined.
Emergency Appendix Surgery
At the hospital, blood tests were taken and I underwent a CT scan. Shortly afterwards, the diagnosis was confirmed – it was my appendix. The doctor recommended immediate laparoscopic surgery, and about six hours after arriving at the hospital, I was lying on the operating table surrounded by a young team of surgeons. So now I am one appendix short.
It is the second time in more than twenty years that my health insurance has actually been needed.
Image: The morning after the operation, outside Nakharin Hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Photographer: Aom.
A Positive Experience of Thai Healthcare
I can only say that I was impressed by the care and treatment I received. Everything worked quickly and professionally from beginning to end. After the operation, I was given a private room with an extra bed for my wife – a room that could easily have been mistaken for a three- or four-star hotel room.
The following day, the surgeon came to my room to check on my condition. We even took a photo together before he moved on to his next patient. The insurance company approved most of the costs without any problems. Interestingly, we ended up speaking with the same representative who had helped us when we purchased the insurance more than twenty years earlier, although the company now operates under a different name.
The only unfortunate part was that my wife spent the rest of the trip at the hospital with me instead of joining the others for more temple visits and the planned kayaking trip. I tried to convince her to go, but she did not want to leave me alone.
The Importance of Good Health Insurance
If there is one general lesson to take away from this experience, it is the importance of having good health insurance in Thailand. This applies not only to foreigners living in Thailand but also to Thai people who have the opportunity to purchase private insurance.
Over the years, I have met several people who have been forced to pay very large amounts out of their own pockets for private healthcare, including after traffic accidents, cancer treatments and other serious illnesses, because they lacked sufficient insurance coverage.
The road trip obviously did not turn out the way I had imagined. I only got to experience the activities of the first day before the rest of the journey took place in a hospital. At the same time, the experience gave me a new perspective on healthcare in Thailand. Above all, I am grateful that I ended up at a hospital where my condition was taken seriously and where I received fast, professional and excellent care.
Image: Mawin with his father Tong, who did an excellent job driving the minibus throughout our road trip. Photographer: Jens.
Image: Visitors applying gold leaf to statues as an act of devotion and to earn religious merit. Photographer: Jens.
Image: Thousands of rooster statues at Wat Chedi, purchased and left as offerings to Ai Khai by visitors. Photographer: Jens.
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