My husband and I first visited Thailand when we lived in China. Today we live in Bangkok, and we are loving it.
By Constanza Hernandez
We came to Thailand for the first time in 2010, when our son was 8 months old. At the time we lived in Beijing, so the plane ride was pretty short.
The first thing we did when we arrived in Bangkok was to take a boat ride along the Chao Phraya River, and we also did a bit of walking around the city center, Siam. We visited Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang, the Grand Palace (●Na Phra Lan Rd, Phra Nakhon) and the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho (●2 Sanamchai Road, Phra Nakhon). We had lunch at a small local restaurant, which is where we first discovered Thai food—and we loved it. We visited the aquarium at Siam Ocean World (●B1-B2 Floor, Siam Paragon, 991 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan), which is a great place to take children.
After our short visit to Bangkok, we departed to Phi Phi island, where we had a delightful five-day stay at the Holiday Inn Resort (●Laemtong Beach, Phi Phi Island, Krabi, www.phiphi.holidayinn.com). We enjoyed the beach and surroundings, we took a boat to go snorkeling, and we visited the place where “The Beach” was filmed—and I would dare to say that Phi Phi is one of the most beautiful beaches I know.
It was an incredible trip, where everything turned out to perfection. It is so easy to travel in Thailand! Since then my husband and I always thought of coming back on holidays again … but we never imagined that, after three years, we would be actually living here.
In February 2013 we received the news that we would be relocated to Bangkok due to his work. In June we traveled to Bangkok again and, with the help of a relocation agency (●Crown Relocations, http://web.crownrelo.com/thailand), we found an apartment and a school for our son. Despite the city’s turmoil and traffic, I think it is a city with a unique charm that is easy to live in, and where people are extremely nice. From day one we have had the feeling of having lived here for a long time. Bangkok has a lot of interesting places to explore and learn about the local culture, like Chatuchak market (●Mo Chit BTS station), Lumpini Park (●Lumpini MRT station), Talad Rot Fai vintage market (●Kamphaeng Phet MRT station), and so on, together with excellent restaurants with amazing food, aromas, and flavors.
After six months here, we already have an established routine. We have also been able to see places outside the city, such as Ayutthaya, the Floating Market, Khao Yai National Park, Krabi, Pattaya, and Hua Hin.
I can only say Thailand—and Bangkok—are amazing places to both to visit or live in, and it’s worth coming here!
