By MARICEL DIAZ
SIAM LIVING

Leaving is always hard. Be it a thing, person, or place, letting it go or leaving it behind is always hard. Now, I am bidding goodbye to Thailand, the place I have called my home for almost 20 years.

In 2005, I moved here for a new career path. This move has made so many stories. I’ve been here for a long time; I made new friends and a life that is very different from what I used to do back in the Philippines.

I am very excited to move to Europe soon but unavoidably, I am also thinking about the things I am going to miss when I leave Thailand.

SKYTRAIN

Believe it or not, Bangkok’s sky trains are much cleaner than the trains of the other popular countries around the world. It is indeed newer compared to New York and Paris’ trains. The well-maintained Bangkok trains and stations’ (called BTS and MRT) cleanliness and orderliness make it feel a lot safer. The stations are welllit, security personnel and cameras are everywhere, and glass barriers are also installed to avoid accidentally falling onto the tracks. The route is also expanding almost every year, so commuting in Bangkok has become much more convenient too. In my first year in Bangkok, I had to be at the bus stop as early as 6:00am so I wouldn’t miss the only bus route going to work.

THE 7-ELEVEN STORES

Feeling peckish at midnight and there’s nothing in your fridge you feel like eating? No time to go food shopping or cooking? Go to the 7-Eleven store. You’ll find one on practically every street corner in Thailand, so you don’t have to walk that far from your apartment or condo to find a store. During the pandemic, they even made an app to make purchases online and have your food or most items you need delivered to you in a few minutes, and yes, it was even delivered for free! For me, it is very convenient to order bottles of drinking wat er so that I don’t have to carry them myself.

THAI MASSAGE

Once a month, I treat myself to a 2-hour Thai or aromatic massage. I used to get my Thai massage at a small massage place near my apartment and it only cost me $14 USD. Later, I booked my 2-hour massage pampering through an app and the therapist would come to my place at my most convenient time too. It only cost me $28 USD.

COST OF LIVING

I am not one of the expats in Bangkok holding an executive position nor a native speaker educator that earns the most attractive salaries but still, I manage to afford the daily necessities, a nice apartment, dining out, and some shopping. I can just go outside and have my dinner at one of the dozens of street food hawkers for tasty Thai food or do my little fashion updates without spending a lot by going to one of the hundreds of clothes shops downtown without much impact on my budget. The cost of living in Thailand is still affordable although admittedly, it also increased significantly over the past 18 years.

FOOD

How can you not miss Thai food? The flavors and varieties are just massive. From the simplest Khao Phad (Thai fried rice) to various curries, to Tom Yum, and dozens of fruits available all year round, there is just no chance for you to get sick of eating Thai food because of the wide selections. I will miss it for sure, especially in Europe where Thai food is almost an exotic thing to have.

THE WEATHER (AND CLIMATE)

Since I am moving to Europe, I am surely going to miss the almost year-round sunny and warm weather and climate in Thailand. Soon, I will have to make sure first that the water is hot enough to be able to shower and have my jacket with me all the time. I will miss going out, not worrying about wearing just a simple shirt, shorts, and flip-flops going to the supermarket – and even going for a weekend trip out of town, because you can’t always expect sunny weather, even during the summer season.

THE HOLIDAYS AND LONG WEEKENDS

Another thing to miss when I leave Thailand is my long, paid holidays and long weekends. As a school employee, having many of these is one of the perks. I celebrate New Year three times a year: Western New Year, Chinese New Year, and Thai (Buddhist) New Year; and I used to have one full week off from work during these times. Then there are the few religious holidays and the semestral breaks when I would do my annual international trips. I had ample time for relaxation during my time in Thailand.

COMMUNITY AND EVENTS

Thailand is taking its tourism as a serious reputation and business. Hence, every week, you can expect that something exciting is happening in Bangkok and other key cities. In 10 years or so, I attended a lot of social events including hotel openings, movie premiers, and fashion shows almost daily. Eventually, I also attended international events hosted in Thailand and did media coverage, like the Miss Universe 2018 Pageant, Pope Francis’ visit to Thailand in 2019, and APEC 2022.

FRIENDLY PEOPLE

Thailand would not be called the “Land of Smiles” without acknowledging the Thais as friendly people. There may be times when the communication barrier is a little tricky. But then, they are very accommodating and do their best to help, from the police officer to the vegetable hawker. My landlord helped me through a lot of things and treated me not just as their tenant but also as one of their family members.

FRIENDS I MADE

Living away from your home country is hard. Homesickness, culture shock, and not knowing anyone around you are some of the things you need to overcome. But people will always adjust to their environment. Soon enough, I made friends at work: interacting with colleagues, bosses, students, and parents became comfortable. I started to adjust and learn about my surroundings and adapt to its lifestyle. I made friends with people, and they became a part of my social circle. They made my living in Thailand not only about work; they gave me balance through socializing & leisure and made my views & goals in life different and wider. Kaphun mak kha, Thailand! I am sad to leave behind the life I am already used to living with you. I will miss your food, your places, and especially the people I shared living with you. You will always be my second home and I know that I will always get a warm welcome whenever I come again and visit you.

Moreso, I am very excited and looking forward to beginning my new adventure in Europe. I will soon be starting my new column which will be about Belgium’s culture, events, and way of life. So, hallo and goededag to you all until then!