A Soul Healing Landmark: Thailand

Thailand… probably one of my favorite destinations.

I landed in Thailand on January 29th, 2024.
I stayed for two straight months, left… and then came back again for another month.
It just pulls you in.

I still remember that first night so clearly. I had just landed and was trying to get to my host’s place in Bangkok by bus. Missed my stop—or rather, totally messed up the commute. And guess what? It turned out to be for the best.

I hopped off in front of Wat Ratchanatdaram School, late at night.

As soon as my feet hit Thai ground, I felt lighter. Almost like floating. I couldn’t stop smiling. I thought I was tired, but I wasn’t. Maybe it was the beauty of the school glowing under the night lights… or the peacefully vibrant atmosphere, energised me to go explore around.. Just a few steps away, I stumbled upon a light show at a nearby fortress.

Everything happens for a reason. And maybe that little magical detour was the reason I missed my original stop.

First Impressions

✨ A place that makes you feel light, curious, joyful
🛕 The temples—so different from what I’d ever seen—left me in awe
🎭 A wild, beautiful blend of modern life and tradition. You can find anything here
😋 Foodie paradise. Every corner: another food market. Street food heaven (safe and seriously delicious)
🚦 Traffic = chaos (but not Vietnam level chaos)
🌈 Very LGBTQ+ friendly
🍭 They love sweets. They really love sugar
🙆‍♀️ Felt very safe as a solo moondigeous female traveler
🌀 A brutal contrast between the spiritual and traditional… and the wildest shows you could ever imagine

🌕 MIDNIGHT SUNSET

One night, while wandering under the Thai sky, I looked up—and there it was.
Not just any moon.
A stunning red moon—like a fireball quietly glowing above me.

                                                   

I was so amazed, I started texting all my friends:
“Look at the moon right now!”

Some replied saying they couldn’t see what I was seeing. That magical fireball? Nowhere to be found. That’s when I realized—we were under the same same but different moon 😂. Different countries, different skies, different magic.

From then on, every time I spotted a red moon, I’d text everyone again, just in case. Because no one deserves to miss that kind of beauty. It’s like getting a glimpse of some faraway planet.

So guys, if you ever find yourself in Thailand, do me a favor:

Look up.

Red moons show up way more often than in Europe. And they’re absolutely worth looking up for.

Now, I call them midnight sunsets.
Perhaps you will too.
Or perhaps you’ll find a better name for that slowly burning fireball.

🐢 LOVE UNDER WATER

I arrived in Koh Tao, and made my way to Shark Bay—hoping I wouldn’t have an unfortunate encounter with a mommy or daddy shark (though the ones around here are usually small and shy).

I rented some snorkels and went straight into the sea to explore. I kept swimming... and swimming... and then I saw it. A huge turtle—bigger than me!

She was peacefully eating, slowly gliding from one spot to another. I LOVE turtles. They’re magical. They carry such a calm, wise presence. In my mind, I was whispering to her: “Come toward me. Let me touch you. I’m safe. I love you. I’m not going to harm you.”

And then… she turned. She swam straight toward me, heading to the surface. As she passed, so close I could high-five her, I froze in joy. 😱 That moment—pure happiness.

Curious, I followed her. Where was she going?

Soon, I saw another turtle—just as big. And then… it happened. Probably the most beautiful turtle encounter I’ll ever witness.

They started dancing. Yes...dancing! Moving in gentle circles, coming closer… closer…
until their heads touched. A sweet, slow, tender head-to-head cuddle. A caress. And just like that, the dance was over. They drifted apart.

I was stunned. Full of light, love, and gratitude. To witness something so intimate and rare—it was pure magic.

Later, I met a local diving instructor. As soon as I said “huge turtles,” he smiled:
“Shark Bay!” Apparently, it’s famous for these beautiful giants—especially in the afternoon. I realized how lucky I had been. Normally, the area’s full of tourists trying to capture them on camera… and these two definitely don’t show their affection publicly.

So thank you, turtles.
Thank you for trusting me.

Thank you for letting me see the magic of  your dance. 

👧 THE LITTLE HEALER

Still in Koh Tao…
This place changed my life forever—though that’s a whole other (long) story.

What I can say is: something cracked open here. The day after my first-ever sound healing session, everything hit me. Fever. Weakness. A heaviness I couldn’t explain. Something in me had shifted—and my body felt it. Like something deep inside me had been unlocked and now I didn’t know what to do with it.

I went back to the place where I had done the session. I didn’t really know why—I just knew I needed to talk to the facilitator. To make sense of what was still stirring inside me.

While I waited, I sat on a couch, feeling strange. Sick. Shaken. Not understanding what was happening.

And then… a little girl walked in. Cute, with long, messy curls and a quiet but playful presence.

We didn’t exchange a word. But she saw me. She knew.

She smiled and brought me a glass of water. She gave me mandalas to color, and markers to paint. Then, without asking, she began painting on my legs.

She made me smile.

Her mother gently called her to go. She refused. She stayed with me.

This little girl may not have known what she was doing. She may not have been aware of the light she was carrying. But in that moment, she healed me.

                                                     

💆 MASSAGES

My journey with Thai massage didn’t start well.

The first massage ever — the male masseuse… well, let’s just say I’m not entirely sure how professional he was. 😬

The second one — the lady actually fell asleep on me several times (poor thing must’ve been exhausted from the day!).

But I wasn’t giving up. I was in Chiang Mai, and I had some truly unforgettable experiences there:

👁️‍🗨️ The Blind Massage

This is a place where all the masseuses are blind: Supattra Blind Massage. I walked in, and met the woman who would be my therapist for the session. She began with a pressure point massage.

And then... the magic began.

As she gently touched me, she started whispering words I couldn’t understand. But I could feel something happening — like she was opening a hole in my body and something heavy was being released, like a balloon slowly deflating. I started to feel like I might float.

She may have been blind… but I’m convinced she was seeing something, as she was definitely gently healing something in me.

🔨 Tok Sen (Wat Pan Whaen Temple)

I went to Wat Pan Whaen, a temple in Chiang Mai, where they offer the traditional Tok Sen massage — an ancient Northern Thai technique that uses a wooden stick and a small mallet. The therapist places the stick on key pressure points and gently taps it, sending rhythmic vibrations deep into your muscles and energy lines.

During this session, I had visions. Beautiful ones.

I saw myself as a little girl.
And I was standing there, looking at her.
Telling her:
"I love you."

As soon as the session ended, I walked straight to the bathroom and cried.
The vibrations had shaken something loose inside me — just like the waves of a sound healing session.
It was powerful, emotional, and deeply healing.

💪 Strong Lady

Just next door to Like Home (the hostel I was staying at — and highly recommend!), I found this incredibly kind and professional massage place: Tisha Massage. Great prices, amazing staff 💛

As soon as you walk in, they greet you with water and wash your feet with flower-infused water 🌸. After the session, they offer you tea and biscuits — it's such a sweet and relaxing ritual.

Honestly, I lost count of how many massages I got here. These ladies are strong. One time, during a leg and hip massage, I was breathing so heavily — it was painful, but in that good, necessary way.

At one point, the masseuse looked over at my partner (we were getting massaged in the same room), giggled, and said: "Once we're done here, she's going to hide and cry." 😅

Spoiler: I didn’t.
I think I processed all the pain during the session 😂 — and still, I remember it as one of the best massages I’ve ever had.

💫 Reflections

If you're looking for magic, for heart-opening moments, for soul-shifting encounters — Thailand might be your place.

Of course, it can happen anywhere… but Thailand just has it. So Naturally.

I didn’t come here expecting to be cracked open.
But Thailand had other plans for me.

And what I’ve learned is this:
Healing doesn’t always look like a peaceful retreat or a sacred ritual.

Sometimes it hurts.
Sometimes it giggles.
Sometimes it makes you float — underwater with turtles, in the silence of a stranger 's (or little girl's) kindness, or by the touch of a sometimes painful massage.

Sometimes you need to finish breaking down and deconstructing what was already in ruins, in order to rebuild something better, something more beautiful.

Healing is about flowing, about staying open, and letting life — wherever you are — surprise you.

My biggest advice: 

Don’t plan everything down to the last detail.
Leave space to be spontaneous.
And most importantly, talk to the locals.
They’re curious, they want to connect… and maybe, just maybe, they’ll say something that changes you forever.

With Love - Moondigenous Culture Diver 💛