One of the best things about living in Bangkok is leaving. My wife works at an international school and has several breaks and long weekends during the year. I am currently in the enviable position of being “funemployed,” so time off really isn’t an issue for me. As a result, we get out of the Thai capital and explore Asia with some frequency, and we don’t have to endure 36 hours of soul-crushing travel to get here!
During our first three years in Thailand, we have traveled to Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Philippines, and visited rural Thailand during our long breaks. We’ve been to Kolkata, Singapore, Saigon, Hanoi, Luang Prabang and the Thai beaches on short breaks.
This might seem like a great lifestyle, but I must confess that…yes, yet it is. It is every bit as awesome as it seems!
Having Southeast Asia as a backyard is pretty great, I must admit.
Before living abroad, we took longer trips, planned farther ahead, and had months of anticipation before embarking on the journey. Now we take short trips but with greater frequency, and much less planning is required.
When we went to Kolkata, for example, we got on an airplane Friday afternoon and were in India a few hours later. In the past, going to India would have involved lots of planning and anticipation – and a day and a half of grueling travel.
Neither of us had even bothered to read about Kolkata. On our first morning we ate breakfast then looked at each other and said, “What are we supposed to do here?” We went back to the room, started reading about the city and planned out our next four days.
We did no advance planning before going to Kolkata.
Before each break, the conversation among my teacher friends inevitably turns to travel. Living in the hub of Southeast Asia means that we can easily explore the region and many expats are eager to travel when time permits. However, this proximity can lead to warped perceptions.
Talking to one of my teacher friends, I asked what she was doing for Christmas break.
“Oh, nothing exotic,” she said. “Our kids are coming from The States with their families, so we will just go to Ayutthaya then over to Angkor Wat and finish with a week in Krabi and Ko Phi Phi.”
I told her she’d become a jaded expat if she didn’t think Ayutthaya, Angkor Wat, and Krabi were exotic! But, I understood where she was coming from. The one downside to travel here is the that since we live in a city of golden temples, buzzing motorbikes, and delicious street food, it is easy to get desensitized.
Ayutthaya is totally not exotic.
At a friend’s house, I saw a paper on their fridge listing each school break and a proposed trip – Nepal in October, travel around Thailand for Christmas, Vietnam in April, weekend trips to Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia. They had what for many people would be multiple life changing adventures lined up just during the school year. And if they were working as teachers back in America, they’d never be able to afford such a trip.
We don’t have a list on our fridge, but I did make a spreadsheet with various places in Asia and the best time to visit due to weather, crowds, etc. Over the next few years, we plan to explore new places like Japan, Nepal, northern Myanmar, Sumatra, Borneo, and Bangladesh.
To see all these places will take a few years, so I guess we will just have to keep living here. Oh darn.
When you see things like this on a daily basis, it is easy to get desensitized.
If you are curious about our life in Bangkok, check out the other posts in this series:
To see my photos of Bangkok and Southeast Asia follow along on Facebook and Instagram. Photo prints are available on my portfolio site.
Planet Bell 
Wow what a sick life !
Its not bad.
The envy continues … nay, intensifies! I’ve spent a second career teaching writing to international students here in the U.S. – seems like maybe I should transfer my skills to Thailand and tell my husband it’s funemployment time!
Teaching at an international school, especially in SE Asia, is a really good deal. You make a little more than what you’d make in the US, but living expenses are about 1/2 of what you have in the states. They are starting to hire for next year. Let me know if you need some info!
I am a teacher married to a teacher. What the heck am I still doing living in America?!?!
I have no idea! You can live really well in Thailand working at an International School. They are hiring for next year 🙂
‘Funemployed’ spectacular, you are my idol!
I am a lucky person.
The same with living in Europe, a different country is only only an hour away. Whereas USA and moreso, Australia, are large masses, with long flight times to anywhere else.
Very true. In the USA, you can travel to different states but going abroad is a much bigger undertaking. Everything in Europe is connected, but even better than SE Asia because you can take trains.
Although I can’t complain about the amount of travel I do, I am envious of your lifestyle living in a place that is so different from N.America, and your proximity to so many cool destinations. I look forwarding to reading about all those other countries on your list (especially Borneo).
It is really nice living so close to other countries and cultures. In N America we have amazing natural wonders but to get to a different culture requires some long distance travel.
This is a super interesting read! I live and teach in Cambodia, and having South East Asia on your doorstep is truly such an honour and a privilege. Amazes me every time I step out the house!
It is a great part of the world to live in for sure.
Somehow I’ve missed this series and now need to backtrack to read the 1st 3 instalments.
Like other commenters have written, yes, the envy level is in the red zone 😏 What an amazing experience – and as you said, also life-changing.
It has been great to live here. Just this year alone, I got to go to Sri Lanka, India, Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh, the Philippines and all over Thailand. It is so nice having these places on our doorstep.
Whoa! I want to move to Vietnam in the next couple years to teach English so it is refreshing to see a good post about living in Asia! I’m excited to read more of your posts so I can get some insight and start really planning to move out of the States!
Living in Asia is really great. We’ve made it over to Vietnam three times since living here and it is always a delight to visit. Good luck with your move and let me know if you need any info in the future.
Thank you so much!
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Nice post. Good luck with your travel plans in Asia. Short trips are good because they need less planning.
This is true! We can just throw some clothes in a bad and head off for the weekend. Thanks for reading.