Living in Bangkok with Two Lurchers

So our time in Thailand is over!  I have to say the last two weeks have been both the best and worst of my life. I’m not trying to compare what I’ve experienced to people experiencing genuine problems in their lives but it’s truly been an emotional rollercoaster. The actual logistics of leaving Thailand has straightforward and seamless. Chris left a week ago and has been getting everything set up back in the UK. The dogs got picked up, flew back and arrived safely. And our container has already docked and will be delivered next week. And finally, I’m on the plane currently passing over Kazakhstan, the biggest setback being denied the purchase of a bottle of gin at the airport as I have a connecting flight. But the accompanying emotion has been overwhelming. I feel like Thailand has been steadily tightening its grip on me, showing me all it’s best bits in a crazy, hedonistic and affectionate whirlwind. The difference between my departure from the UK to leaving Thailand this ...

We really are on the final countdown now! With just two weeks to go it's not going to be a gentle exit from Thailand. Instead, the intensity of the Thai experience is increasing, with everyone I know very keen for me to leave Thailand with extra special memories. The experience this weekend was camping in Khao Yai National Park with a motley crew of Thai friends from work. Camping is not something I would normally choose to do, even though as a child I was in the Scouts and went camping all the time in some pretty grim conditions! I am just drawn towards a nice hotel nowadays. But as it's very unlikely that I will get the opportunity to go camping in Thailand again, it seemed acceptable to do it for one night! But even my previous camping experience could not really prepare me for camping 'Thai style'. Here are a few things I learned over the weekend. 1. Plans are guidelines and need not be followed. This actually comes as no surprise, especially as the plan w...

After almost 2 years living and working in Thailand, I thought I was beyond the farcical mishaps I had encountered in my early days. I thought experiences such as my first ride on a  motorcycle taxi  were a thing of the past. But it seems that when you start to let down your guard and relax, Bangkok is still there waiting to take you down. Packing Up, Moving On The focus of this week was supposed to be the big packing up process. And as far as Monday and Tuesday were concerned, it was. We'd spent weeks organizing and decluttering, and now we were ready for the small army of Thai movers to descend on the house. And this all went on pretty seamlessly for two days and then that was it - empty house! At the completion of this milestone in our relocation plan, we were now looking forward to enjoying the last few weeks in Thailand. An Unexpected Visitor Part of our general merriment plans included trying to eat at all the restaurants, cafes, food vendors that we'v...

I've had a bit of a blogging shutdown of late, partly linked to changing web platforms and the associated hassle, and partly because we are now officially on the leaving Bangkok countdown! A Big Decision We've always know that living in Thailand was probably going to be quite a fixed term situation. Chris was on a 2 year assignment and although there was every chance this would be extended and we kept open minds about the future, the end would inevitably creep up on us. But we did ultimately have to make a decision to go back. And making that decision is not easy! There's the obvious FOMO feeling, exacerbated for us because we're technically leaving earlier than planned. For a long time I refused to consider cutting this short, as if once I leave Thailand I would never leave the house again! In my head I could hear people saying 'Why would you ever want to come back here?' as if I've totally wasted the opportunity. Obviously the people saying this wo...

I think it’s fairly normal for people to make travel plans based on destinations in films they’ve watched; no doubt countless people have made their way to Bangkok after seeing ‘The Hangover Part 2’ in search of an equally debauched experience. And Maya Bay is now starting to recover since they banned all the Leonardo Dicaprio fans inspired by ‘The Beach’. Holiday like a Movie Star I’ve always been quite taken by the more glamorous side of travelling as presented in James Bond films. I always like the way he just hops on the plane to an exotic destination, jumps in a cab and checks into the swankiest hotel in town. So our recent movie-inspired jaunt was to Macau, as featured in ‘Skyfall’ (although it was a set and not really anything like real Macau) and also ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’. In ‘Skyfall’ I can’t remember exactly why he’s in Macau, but he goes to a high roller casino with scary komodo dragons.  Anyway, Macau is shown as this mysterious and opulent setting. ...

In general, I'm not one to complain unnecessarily. Normally I'm quite a 'stiff upper lip', just get on with it type of person. And it's true when people started talking about the air quality situation in Thailand last year, and all the masks and air purifiers they were investing in, I secretly thought they should just man up. Keep Calm and Carry On? But now, as we enter what I think is the fifth week of fairly consistent unhealthy breathing conditions, I feel compelled to write about how completely pissed off I am about it. Maybe it's psychological? Maybe knowing about it makes it seem a lot worse than it really is? But actually, I got a cold at the end of December, of the nasty, chesty cough variety. I was coughing up all sorts of grim stuff for about two weeks. And even today, a whole month later, I still have a slight congested feeling in my chest and am susceptible to a random coughing fit mid-conversation. This is not normal. Recently, we have starte...

Ever wondered what goes through the minds of the Over-65s when they're on holiday? Not a lot it seems! Our guest blogger this week is none other than my mother, Gloria Pritchard! Gloria has just returned to the UK after a two-week visit with us in Bangkok. This was not just a holiday, this was an Over-65 invasion as my parents also brought their two friends Mike & Barbara. Clearly inspired by my somewhat erratic blogging habit, my mother kept a diary of the key events that shaped their two-week stay. So here it is, the unabridged version – enjoy! Monday 31 December 2018 Left for Thailand. Long walk in airport. Frank got the wheelchair and then we were transported to the departure gate by buggy. Flight uneventful but quite comfortable. Sober flight. Probably just as well... Tuesday 1 January 2019 Arrived 7 am local time. Mike & Barbara arrived shortly after. Cup of tea. FaceTime with Ed, Mara and Aubrey. Still last year in US. Beer time, then p...