The Thai Adventures of Rob B

One of the questions I’m most often asked in Thailand is how and why I ended up living here. Even those who have known me for many years are slightly surprised by where I now live in a rural Thai village in the northeast of the country, with no other westerners nearby. Let me explain.

Rainy season in Thailand can produce incredible storms and downpours, feeling even more dramatic in the countryside where we live. With no lightning conductors in the village, we switch off electrical appliances and simply sit and wait. When the skies finally clear, opportunities are there to be seized, like when I was up bright and early the following morning for a cycle ride through the surrounding countryside.

When unrest on the Cambodian border forced us to abandon our New Year travel plans, we expected disappointment. Instead, it led to one of our most memorable family adventures in Thailand, complete with ancient Khmer ruins, lakeside fireworks, bustling markets and unexpected discoveries in Roi Et.