Sometimes, things just fall into place. Today I’m working on booking airfare and what did I find? Somehow, I became convinced that I could get a direct flight from Kolkata, India to Yangon, Myanmar without having to go through Bangkok, Thailand. This was a mistake and after I figured out what my error was I realized that I could get a flight that basically stopped in Bangkok with a 6 hour layover. Yes, I do need to spend some more time at Soi Cowboy and Khao San Road but I’ve been there before. Bangkok is a major transportation hub in Asia. It’s hard not to get there, sooner or later. So now I’ve decided to only make one multi-day stop in Bangkok instead of two, I’m thinking that I would like to spend that extra time I now have taking the train from Kuala Lumpur to Hat Yai, Thailand to visit a friend who lives in Songkhla, Thailand.  Songkhla is about 18 miles away from the train station in Hat Yai. The train that I would take to get there is a section of the train that goes from Singapore to Bangkok. It’s a train ride that I’ve wanted to experience ever since I started going to Asia. The Kuala Lumpur to Hat Yai section is a 6 to 7 hour sample of the longer journey. I think I’m going to forego spending some time in Bangkok to do something I’ve had an itch to do for awhile and to see someone I’d like to spend some time with in the process. If he’s not a available I may have to opt for a couple of days in Singapore or Phuket. How sad would that be?