Moved to Thailand

Update on where I am. I wrote this one night when I had trouble sleeping, so it’s kinda rambly…

On our visit to Thailand in March, my parents decided on a whim to buy a house and retire there. The living expenses are much cheaper than in Australia, so they’d be able to have a comfy time. I decided to accompany my parents, so here I am in Bangkok, Thailand. The house isn’t built yet, so we’re staying at various relative’s places.

In Australia, my parents collected many books, and we found ourselves packing endlessly before the move. Even after painting and preparing the apartment for sale, there were still -more- things lying around. Luckily some family friends helped out and we managed to rush out to the airport an hour after we had planned. We caught the plane okay though.

Arriving at Bangkok airport, my uncle took us through customs. Had a bit of a glitch with my passport. In Thailand, I will have 3 different family names to deal with: my Thai name, my Ausralian name, and my Australian maiden name > _ <

Anyway, I got through passport control, and my uncle introduced us to his customs officer friends along the way. “This is my elder sister from Australia…” “Oh, hello! How do you do?” “… and her husband…” “Hello! Ah, and this must be their son?” “… daughter…” “Oh, daughter, hello!” … G’day to you too, gramps! X o

On going out of the airport, I felt the humid heat of the Rainy Season. I could hardly breathe, the air was so thick. The thought of a new life was also overwhelming. I haven’t lived in Thailand for 25 years. I still feel like a tourist, but tell myself to behave like a local.

The first week and a half in Bangkok was busy with settling in. My mother had trouble getting clearance for the shipment we sent, because — like me — she also has 3 family names to juggle, and the shipment name didn’t match her Thai name. Luckily, my customs uncle did more paperwork and got the shipment through without extra fees. Another uncle also arranged for the delivery of our things to one of his properties for temporary storage.

I’m realising that it’d be hard to get anything done in Thailand without knowing someone. If you know the right people, things can be done express, and with little or no expenses. This is in contrast to Australia, where people generally keep to themselves, and everyone gets treated more or less the same.

I wonder how my parents will be able to keep to their plan of a quiet retirement. I’m starting to worry that my t-shirt and jeans aren’t gonna cut it in image-conscious Bangkok. My parents have to dress well, because my mother’s relatives are quite high profile. I tend to stand a bit farther away, and they probably wonder if I’m the maid/carryboy. Right now, I’m gonna try and keep a low profile.

I miss the internet… Our new house won’t be finished until around December, so we’ll probably be like nomads until then. I’ll try to update when I can. Take care nows.

-Yose