Is Thailand the best place in the world to do nothing? Three gay travellers on why that may be true

Thailand is encouraging travellers to experience the country through reconnection rather than excess – and at its centre is British singer-songwriter Henry Moodie, whose journey through southern Thailand became Healing Journey Thailand, a series of films exploring how travel can restore balance through nature, culture, community and slowing down.

That idea of healing takes different forms across the country. It can mean sunrise swims and sailing trips along the Krabi coast, learning traditional crafts and sharing meals with local communities in Trang, climbing waterfalls in the forests outside Chiang Mai, or settling into island life on Ko Muk and Ko Kradan, where there are no paved roads, no cars and very little to do besides rest.

Thailand is also among Asia’s most welcoming and inclusive destinations for LGBTQ+ travellers, and that extends to solo visitors, couples and groups of friends alike. Here, Henry Moodie and two Attitude staffers describe what time in Thailand gave them.

“It’s opened me up creatively” – Henry Moodie, singer-songwriter

The past few months of my life have been very go go go, which has been amazing. But I haven’t really had a second to stop and do a lot of reflecting. And coming here, being away from home and being in such a peaceful environment and appreciating nature and everything has put me in a mindset where I feel like I’m reflecting a lot on things, and I think it’s opened me up creatively. I’ve brought my guitar with me and I’ve been sat in my room and I’ve been writing songs.

I’ve never been able to fully sit still when I rest. I’m not able to sort of do nothing. To me, resting is switching off from music and doing something different that fulfils me in a different way, such as exploring. Since I’ve been here, I’ve done a lot of exploring or connecting with my friends and socialising. I think having that distance means when I come back to writing music, I’ve given myself space and then I can think my ideas with much more clarity.

“Enormous fun but also a totally peaceful experience” – Markus Bidaux, Attitude travel editor

On a trip to Sri Lanna National Park, just outside Chiang Mai, I visited the Bua Tong waterfall, which is nicknamed the Sticky Waterfall. The rock was oddly soft which allowed my feet to get a grip even with the water flowing down. Once at the summit, I grinned my appreciation to Panya and rushed back down to swim in the pool of water at the bottom of the waterfall – and then climb up it again. It was enormous fun but also a totally peaceful experience, with butterflies fluttering about as the sound of cicadas hummed in our ears. It’s the small moments like this that are often the most rewarding.

“I can’t remember the last time I switched off so completely” – Dale Fox, Attitude senior content editor

Thailand of course has no shortage of luxury hotels, but the trip that will stay with me forever is the most basic one I’ve ever taken. On Koh Chang I slept in a wooden hut at a tiny eco resort by the beach which had a single power outlet, a light, a bed, and nothing else. One morning I sailed out into the open sea on a day trip. The sailor stopped the boat, jumped over the side and came back up moments later with a stingray he’d caught with a bamboo spear, and cooked it on a barbecue right there on the boat for everyone. In the evenings I’d just float in the sea watching the burned hues of the sunset in awe, then lie back on the sand and stargaze under a sky like I’ve never seen anywhere since. I can’t remember the last time I switched off so completely – Thailand is so cathartic in the simplest of ways.

To plan your healing journey to Thailand, visit Fan Club Thailand.