Safe and Sound In Bangkok, Thailand

Hello family and friends, safely arrived in Thailand, it has been a whirlwind week with setting a house hold, banking, mobile service and everything else that goes with starting all over in another country. For the most part the weather has been nice with thundershowers late afternoon which clear around 7:00 PM. The monsoon season will be over and the very nice weather of November and December will be upon us.

Let’s start with the condo, I found a top notch real estate agent Eve Siripunyanont, she worked here magic and busted her tail to get not only the neighborhood I wanted but the building as well. There were a few set backs during the last week, but we both held in there and accomplished what we set out to do.

My first impressions -

The language thing - Not so much in speaking with people, although it is a challenging. It is the packaging of products. Bought what I thought was body wash, nope hand lotion, bought what I thought was laundry detergent and softener, was two different brands of softener.

Traffic - Need to be alert at all times, the motorcycles come from different directions, and the autos, buses, and trucks are always jostling for position.

Banking while abroad - I opened my Thai bank account the second day I was here, getting funds from my US bank accounts has been maddening. I get it they want to prevent fraud, but how about some personal service, let me dial into and extension rather than listening to the Muzak version of Love Will Keep Us Together (Yikes yes old song) holding for 40 minutes on and international call.

The People - Everyone has been so gracious. From the immigration officer at the airport to the taxi drivers, very few speak english but they will do their best to communicate and not be impatient that I don’t know the language yet.

As I settle in I expect to post more on the blog, and video and pics will come as I get them.

Know that I miss you all.

R