Newest Stories
I coordinate logistics for Thai fruit exports to China along the Mekong from the Golden Triangle. She's been running that same port for fifteen years.
Nathan, a 50-year-old New Zealander, coordinates Thai fruit exports to China along the Mekong from the port of Chiang Saen, in the Golden Triangle. Orn, who's managed the port logistics for fifteen years, becomes something more than a work colleague.
I went to the White Temple on holiday, just to take photos. I flew home two weeks later to actually pack my bags.
Alex, a 45-year-old British illustrator, visits Chiang Rai's White Temple on holiday. Bua, a guide and assistant at the associated gallery, notices his sketches. Five years later, Alex exhibits his own work in the city.
I came to Chiang Rai to buy coffee for a week. Eight years later, I still negotiate prices with the same cooperative, though now I'm also part of the family.
Sam, a 39-year-old Canadian coffee buyer, travels to Chiang Rai to negotiate with a cooperative in the Doi Chang mountains. Kaew, the quality-control manager, corrects him on a lot he thought was good. Eight years later they're still cupping coffee together, now as a married couple.
My motorbike broke down outside Korat, on the way to nowhere in particular. Ten years later, I still haven't left.
Liam, a 29-year-old Irish backpacker with no fixed plan, gets stranded outside Korat when his motorbike breaks down next to a noodle stall. Nan, the 24-year-old owner, feeds him without asking. Ten years later they're still together, running the same stall.
I worked coordinating joint exercises with the Thai army in Korat. The official who handled my paperwork ended up handling a lot more than that.
Frank, a 58-year-old American veteran, works as a civilian contractor coordinating joint military exercises in Korat, home to one of the Thai army's largest bases. Gift, the base's liaison official, becomes far more than an administrative contact.
I came to Korat for eighteen months for a rail project. Six years later the project still isn't finished, and I've stopped wanting it to be.
Erik, a 44-year-old Dutch civil engineer, arrives in Nakhon Ratchasima for an eighteen-month contract on the high-speed rail project. He meets Mint, the project's liaison engineer and translator, and eighteen months turns into six years.
They sat us at the same staffroom desk because there was nowhere else free. Two years later, she's the reason I never asked for the transfer to Bangkok.
Daniel, a 35-year-old British teacher, moves from Bangkok to a bilingual school in Udon Thani. He ends up sharing a staffroom desk with Waan, a social studies teacher, by pure furniture chance. Two years later, he turns down a promotion in Bangkok for her.
I came to Udon Thani for a two-week hip surgery. The nurse who cared for me those two weeks is now my wife.
Peter, a 62-year-old Australian, travels to Udon Thani to have hip surgery at a private hospital, avoiding the long public waiting list back home. Ploy, the head nurse on his ward, becomes far more than his carer during recovery.
My father was stationed at Udorn airbase in 1969. I went to Udon Thani looking for a family I didn't even know existed.
Robert, a 58-year-old American, travels to Udon Thani after his father's death, an air force mechanic once stationed at the old Udorn base during the Vietnam War, looking for traces of a life his father never talked about. Nid, a local researcher, helps him trace temple records, and something more grows along the way.
I gave up my accountant's job in Cardiff to go climbing in Krabi for two weeks. Five years later I'm still here, living with the woman who taught me to belay my first route.
Tom, a 34-year-old Welshman, takes three months' unpaid leave to climb at Railay, in Krabi. He falls for Fon, the Thai instructor running the climbing school, and five years later he's still there, making a living from climbing instead of accounting.
I sent customers to her boat every week without asking for anything back. It took her family two years to stop suspecting me.
Mark, a 46-year-old Australian who runs island tours out of Krabi, starts referring customers to Nam's boat company, a 36-year-old widow who inherited the family business. The relationship builds slowly, and it takes his in-laws two years to trust him.
I ate alone at her noodle stall every night for four months. By the time we finally talked, her kids had already decided I was a problem.
James, a 60-year-old Scottish widower, retires to Hua Hin for the golf and starts eating dinner every night at the same noodle stall by the pier. It takes him four months to exchange more than two sentences with Nok, the owner, and much longer to win over her children, who've already heard too many stories about retired farang like him.