(CNN) — An overweight dog naps by an open-air som tam (papaya salad) shop. The scent of chicken grilling over charcoal fills the lane. A chorus of children’s voices rings out from a schoolhouse. No one is wearing a mask, though an old man dons a straw hat on his bicycle.
Here in the village of Ban Nong Doen Tha on the Mekong River in northeast Thailand, it’s almost like the pandemic never happened.
Where can we go that will relax, excite and uplift us in ways that we used to take for granted when traveling?
We wanted to help businesses that have struggled under Thailand’s ban on foreign tourist entries, which began in late March and remains in place, save for those who are willing to quarantine…