Rob’s Thai Roving Report

It’s astonishing, at least to me, just how many Thai cities generally go undiscovered by tourists. Some may argue that many are pretty much the same. However, I feel each has nuances, traditions, festivals and food worth visiting for. One city that has gone the extra mile to draw in Westerners is Buriram.

Most visitors know Songkran for giant water fights and chaos in Thailand's tourist hotspots. My first Songkran living in a rural Isaan village couldn't have been more different, revealing a celebration built around family, tradition, music and community.  

Something I find very appealing about Thailand is that it has so many provinces and cities that often go under the radar of the average tourist, despite being wonderful places to visit. My wife Taew and I regularly travelled long distances by car, which gave us great opportunities to stop off and spend the night somewhere new, as was the case in Lampang.

When I boarded my flight at Heathrow to start a new life in Thailand, I didn’t think for one minute that things would progress so quickly. I’d enjoyed my time in Minburi, in Bangkok’s suburbs, to the max and had met an amazing woman. We’d moved to the northeast of the country and looked forward to our wedding day. Now, that was an experience.