The Thai Adventures of Rob B

It is astonishing just how many attractions Thailand has to offer that even westerners living in the Land of Smiles never get to see. That was certainly true in my case. As a non-driver, I'd never have considered visiting Nakhon Nayok Province, despite it being less than two hours from Bangkok.

I was always confident that my decision to leave the UK and start again in Thailand was the right one, and I would make the most of everyday life. What I hadn't bargained for was falling in love and getting ready to move to the northeast of the country. Those were the facts as I got into the car with Taew in September 2022, who was taking me to her home village in rural Sisaket for the first time.

Thailand is blessed with many seaside destinations, many of which attract huge numbers of overseas visitors with hotels, bars and restaurants catering to their tastes. However, I was about to discover Bang Saen, an extremely popular resort among Thais that I'd only vaguely heard of, just an hour from Suvarnabhumi Airport.