Rob’s Thai Roving Report

I'm not sure whether my wife, Taew, was surprised any more by my enthusiasm for embracing village life. I wanted to experience and appreciate how different life was from what I'd known in England. That became very clear when I joined my wife's family for the annual rice harvest.

Any expat in Thailand who wants to deepen their understanding of the country and its customs has plenty of options. Religious festivals often follow traditions dating back centuries, such as marking the end of Buddhist Lent, as we discovered on an overnight trip to Nakhon Phanom.

Thailand is lucky to have many attractive coastal options for those looking to relax by the sea. Hua Hin is one of its most popular, and I quickly fell for it on one of my first visits over 20 years ago.

I had looked forward to moving to Thailand in December 2021, allowing me to revisit places I had enjoyed briefly and get to know them better. Near the top of the list was Chachoengsao, a town easily reached from my base in Minburi. Here is a background to Chachoengsao and memories of some of my earliest visits.