Wednesday night. We serendipitously met these two guys late yesterday afternoon. Charlotte and I were on our way to the usual eatery further down Silom Road and we’d taken a new route to get there.

The sun had finally dipped behind the towering skyscraper ‘King Power Mahanakhon’, bringing the heat down to a more manageable level. It was still damn hot, but now it was bearable.

The time between the sun setting and before it gets dark is called the “golden hour”. It’s a great time to experience the local atmosphere along Bangkok’s many nameless side streets and narrow, twisting alleyways. This is when folks come out of their homes to socialize again. The atmosphere feels festive somehow.

When I asked the guys if I could take a picture of them, it was obvious that they were each other’s best friends and that both had enjoyed a lot of fun together during their long camaraderie.

The moment reminded me again why Charlotte and I like this country so much. The Thai word “Sanuk” (நாக்கு) sums it up pretty well. Sanuk means to have a good time, enjoy yourself and feel happy and appreciative about being with someone. It almost seems like an unspoken rule here. Whatever Thais do socially, Sanuk has to be part of it.

While the two buddies above were having a relaxed and delightful afternoon Sanuk together, my best friend and I continued towards our dinner where we eventually enjoyed stir-fried noodles, crunchy vegetables, and an ice-cold bottle of Chang beer.