@Biff ******
I’m at our home outside of Nakhon Si Thammarat at the moment.
The border is less than 3 hours in a mid sized bus. I’ve taken the car a few times but the bus is a lot easier.
They drop me off at my front door at a cost of ฿420 for the round trip.
I will return to my home in Phuket in the next week or so.
But thank you all the same for your advice. Next time I will definitely consider flying out and enjoying a few days away.