25 Years Life in Thailand

Thai Culture (1) When I moved to Nakhon Ratchasima, in 2002, it stroked me that many older woman were carrying a basket. My first thought was that they are "poor" farmers and were carrying a basket instead of a purse. One day, I was invited at a "House Blessing" party, and there were a lot of granny's with their basket. I looked at the baskets, and they had almost all the same contents: Betel leaves; Areca nuts; Limestone paste; A small Mortar and Pestle; A cutter; and some plastic bags. The granny's were grouped together and mixing these ingredients to a paste. Passing some ingredients to each other to try something new. When finished, they wrapped the paste in a small leaf and started chewing on it. Looking at their faces, they enjoyed it. But when they opened their mouth, their teeth had become red. Just like their gums were bleeding. The next day, at my home, I saw the same basket as they day before in the room where the mother of my wife had been sl...

A Car Accident In July 2012, on a Sunday morning, I was returning from Jomtien to Nakhon Ratchasima. I had spend 5 days in Jomtien whilst my daughter was doing a diving course. I was approaching the bus station in Korat and had green light but I noticed a pedestrian who was crossing the street at the same time. I honked to let the pedestrian know that I had green light. He stopped walking, but as I arrived a few meters from him he started walking again. I could not stop in time and hit him. Although I was driving at low speed, about 70 km/hr, he flew a few meters in the air and landed about 3 meters to the left of my car. I stepped out of my car to help the guy. At the same time, a "Chinese Ambulance (Body Snatchers)" who were stationed at the bus station came to help the guy and they wanted to take him to the hospital. The "Chinese Ambulance" are volunteers who are stationed at dangerous crossings or drive around to be first when an accident happens and brin...

A Horse In October 2014, my daughter asked to go horse riding with her friend. A Belgian restaurant had recently opened in Nakhon Ratchasima, and my daughter became friends with their daughter Maryssa who was a member of the horse riding club at the Military base in Nakhon Ratchasima. I agreed and she went every Saturday with Maryssa to the horse riding club. My daughter became attached to one particular horse, Domina. She brought every week carrots and apples to feed Domina. Even sometimes on school days, she went to feed Domina and take care of her. Domina was like a pet for her. But the soldiers and even the higher military people did not take of their horses and Domina's health was quickly deteriorating. Not only Domina, but the other horses as well. Even the field where the customers were riding horse was quickly turned to an ugly piece of grass with rusty fences. The horses were used to run races at the nearby race field and were donated to the soldiers when they beca...

Post Office (2) In December 2002, I wrote a few Calendars with the Seasons Greetings to friends and family. I went to the local Post Office to send them. There was a lot of people that day, I took a queue number and joined the queue. Suddenly, a lady entered the Post Office, took a queue number and went in front of me. She was dressed in old Thai style (a shirt and a a sarong) and started to talk loudly and said that I was a foreigner and foreigners should respect Thai people and let them go first. I did not respond to her rant, but that seemed only to have an averse result. She continued her rant about foreigners and Thai people. "Foreigners are only a guest in Thailand; Foreigners are filthy people who take only 1 shower a day; Etc." While she was shouting her rant, 2 employees of the Post Office came from behind their desk, took the lady and escorted her to the door. One of the employees told her that she was not welcome in their Post Office and she should seek for...

Post Office (1) In December 2002, I received a letter from the Retirement Funds which I needed to fill-in and return within 1 month. It was a "Proof of Life". If the letter was not returned in 1 month, the retirement funds would stop to pay my retirement. By the time the letter arrived in Thailand, almost 2 weeks were already gone. I filled the letter and let it sign by the Immigration Police in Nakhon Ratchasima. The post office was already closed by the time I finished at the Immigration Police, but at The Mallc there was a post office which was open until 8 pm. I went to The Mall and send the letter by EMS, whih would be in time to arrive in Belgium. I received a tracking number which let me follow the route of the letter. But 2 days later, the tracking showed that the letter was still in Nakhon Ratchasima. I went to the main post office and asked the person at the counter why my letter was still in Nakhon Ratchasima after 2 days. He went to the room of the Chief of t...

Kalina End 1999, while on my visit to Thailand and meet my new employers, I had a last meeting before returning to Belgium. The meeting place was at the Condominium of my new employers in Bangkok. We discussed the details of my job at the Petro-Chemical plant in Rayong, my salary for the job, etc. Around 6 pm, we took a break to eat dinner. The daughter of one of my future employers, Kalina, was also present at the meeting, but playing in the swimming pool. Kalina's father was divorced and his wife left him with their daughter. As we were having a break, Kalina (about 9 years old), took the opportunity to have a chat with me and showing me the facilities she had at the Condominium. She grabbed my hand and lead me to a hall full of music instruments. Proudly, she started to play on a piano. She was learning to play the piano by a teacher engaged by the Condominium. But she didn't know that I had several degrees in Music and had been teaching Music in a school in Belgium. I...

My Father's Ring In January 2013, the relation with my wife had become impossible and I choose to divorce. At first, she started to ask for huge financial demands to sign the divorce. But after a few discussions and pointing her to the facts that I had prove of her gambling addiction and that she was failing to be a good wife, she agreed to sign the divorce papers without a court case. I let her take her belongings and she left the conjugal home. A few weeks after we divorce, she called me to tell me something "very important". Since 2008, when I found out that she was constantly "stealing" money out of my pockets while I was sleeping, I decided to buy a small safe where I used to keep my valuables and my purse before sleeping. But somehow, she had managed to open the safe and steal a ring that I had been keeping for many years without being noticed. Later I found out that she had instructed my daughter to watch closely which numbers I was dialing to open t...

 Winter Music One evening, in the cold season end of 2002, while watching TV with my wife and my daughter, I hear a strange sound outside. It was a sound like a violin with only 1 string. Same as cricket sound. I went outside, but could not see what was making this sound. The sound came from far away and it was already twilight. I asked my wife what that noise was, but she did never hear something like this. So, I decided to inquire it the next day. The sound, which had turned into an annoying noise, kept playing the whole night and keeping me awake. In the morning, after my breakfast, I wanted to look what was causing the noise. But it was quiet outside. The annoying sound was gone. I went on with my daily business, until sundown. At sundown, the noise started again. Not only did the noise start again, but now the sound seemed to come from different locations. Needless to say that I spend another night without sleeping. In the morning, while I was watering my garden, the postman c...

Teaching English In 2000, while on holiday for Songkran, I went with my girlfriend to her home village in Chaiyaphum It was a very small farmers village with old wooden houses and very little comfort. No kitchen, no bathroom (people took a shower outside near the water collecting earthen tanks), electricity was generated on limited hours by a diesel generator at the house of the head of the village, etc. The village counted about 50 inhabitants and everybody helped each other as much as they could. The head of the village owned the only car (pickup). There was also a very modest Buddhist temple which served as the local school. The children were taught basic knowledge from 9 am to 12 pm by the monks and were required to clean the temple and the surroundings in the afternoon. Each farmer had been given a little piece of farmland (rice field) and a few chickens to provide for their daily life according to the "self sufficiency plan" from King Bhumipol. When I arrived at th...