Thanks, @wales.
It was indeed. Were it not for the unpredictable length and risks, I'd visit that region more often. It is, despite the crisis a land of plenty and its people are just super kind. I'll be writing about the struggle of this region to keep on top of things regarding the production of farm and dairy products.
I wonder if bus services in Thailand have been moderdized. My guess is they have. We still have tons of very old buses. It is a miracle they still work. In rural areas we get the worst services. I'll be writing about that shortly