Last Friday afternoon, we loaded the kids and way too much luggage into a taxi and started our journey to Cha Am, on the Gulf of Thailand. We decided to take the train, because it’s just a lot nicer than driving the 12 or so hours to the beach. One of our friends managed to drive it in 8 hours, but our family likes to take things a little easier, rather than rushing – and torturing – ourselves and our kids.

So, the train left Chiang Mai Station at 4:30pm, on the dot. But, as with all trains in Thailand, it was slow going, emphasized by the fact that it took 3 hours to get to Lampang, followed by spending an hour waiting on a siding for a tanker to pass, and then getting into Bangkok’s Hua Lumpong Station at 8:30am, just 2 hours late!! How’s that for a run on sentence. 😉

There were only 1st class cabins available, so we sacrificed and roughed it with 2 single first class cabins – for a total of US$65! Here’s a few photos. These are new cars from Japan, and they are decked out with radio and video players… that don’t work. Good thing we have our own DVD player.

Fun in the Corridor

Samantha presents The Cabin

Cozy room… with non functioning personal video/TV

Cabin #2

Relaxing as the world whizzes by…

At Hua Lumpong, we met up with some friends and took a van to Cha Am, to spend 4 days at the YWAM Thailand National Staff Conference. I love the beach, but can never understand the purpose to conferences at the beach. I managed to use the pool ONCE the entire time, and didn’t even get sand between my toes. The atmosphere was great. The breakfasts by the water were a great way to start each day. But it’s kind of a slap in the face to be so close to the sea and yet have no time to enjoy it.

Some highlights of this National Conference were: The Worship. The family Atmosphere. The Breakfasts. Hanging out with Good Friends. 16 baby dedications!! That my kids enjoyed the Child Care Team and made new friends. Translating for the MC and The Worship Leader on Day 2.

photo by Saipin Sribunruang

 I have to say that this years conference was the BEST I have ever been to… and I’ve been to the last 11. Many others agreed. There are now more Thai staff than Western Staff. There are many more Thai leaders than ever before. There’s a greater sense of family and desire to network and share resources, rather than competing for and protecting what resources we have (not just a Y-Thailand Problem, but a Thai Church problem, too). 

The Final Highlight of the conference was praying over the map of Thailand. We prayed into the 8 spheres of influence in society, and wrote specific prayers on post it notes and then stuck them onto the map. This is what it looked like. Even inch of the map was covered in prayer and dreams for the future!

As we left the Hotel on Wednesday morning, we didn’t know if we would make it home. On Monday and Tuesday, Tropical Storm Nock Ten had swept through the north of Thailand, leaving much of the north flooded. For 2 days the trains had been cancelled. As we rode the van back to Hua Lumpong Train Station, we searched the net (thanks to Sean’s smartphone – I love smartphones), and checked out the prices of plane tickets. For us, there wasn’t much chance of catching a flight. We only needed 2 tickets for the train, but 4 tickets for a plane. We were looking at 8000THB (US$270) to for the four of us. It would be better to stay in Bangkok until the floods cleared. So, we prayed… hard. As we entered the Station, Helpful Hawkers informed us that the trains to Chiang Mai were cancelled, but we could take a bus with them!! Um, NO!

Miraculously, when Sean inquired about our train, they told us (with a look of wonderment) that they had been told at just that moment the train would be running!! So, we joyfully hung out at the station for the next 6 hours. We upgraded our second class tickets to first class again, this time the old style car, with 2 beds in one cabin. We all slept better than babies the entire night, and had to be woken by the conductor 10 minutes out of Chiang Mai.

I love traveling by train in Thailand. It’s a very relaxing and fun experience, especially for the kids.