The First Day of My Real Thai Life

Didn't start off well

My first day actually started at the BKK airport, and not getting the Visa extension.  Was it because I couldn't talk to the right person?  Did I say something wrong?  Was I wrong in thinking that I could actually get the extension?  Not sure, at this point, it doesn't matter.  But the woman working in the office was so rude to me that I wasn't about to keep pursuing it for fear I would be denied entry.  That would probably not happen, but I had little sleep in 3 days, and my problem solving skills were not at their best.

After immigration, I had to find my ride to DMK, so I can get my final flight.  I explained why and more details in my previous post on the full journey.  One last trip to get to the townhouse, and I could relax, but that didn't quite go as planned, either.

A ride, please

My girlfriend had many other things to do in the morning on this day, and had a last minute addition from the previous day.  That was all on top of picking me up at the airport.  I knew I was going to have to wait, and we initially expected it to be about 30 minutes.  When I landed, I texted her to get an idea how long I would actually have to wait.  She responded telling me 1.5 hours.  When I asked her 'Really?' she responded with laughing emojis.  Good, she was just joking, or was she?  (spoiler: no, she wasn't)

I was anxiously awaiting her arrival.  30 minutes passed... 45 minutes... I texted her, and she said another 50 minutes.  It is not a lot of time, unless you are exhausted and worn down.  At least it was a pleasant area to wait, the weather was good, and just generally a peaceful place.  Yes, I was still at the airport.  After another hour passed, I had to text her again.  She was 10 more minutes. 

I was very unhappy, and I told her that I was.  She understood.  Later she explained to me that it was another person who held her up in the morning and threw all of the plans back a bit.  When I finally saw her, all my cares went away, and I was happy once again.  I was never mad at her, just frustrated that I had to wait so long.  

Some things to do first

We had to wait a little bit in that same area, as her aunt had a doctor's appointment, and needed a ride back, too.  We decided to see if we can find monitors for the PC.  We ended up buying the HD monitor at a place called Advice, which is a chain computer store with really good prices and service.  Not a massive store, but has been able to get everything I need.  I eventually ordered the 4K monitor from the store closer to the townhouse.

Once the Aunt was out of her appointment, we headed to Taphan Hin (Tap pan Heen), the final destination.  On the say, I had my 500th wind, and decided we should grab some food.  We also even bought a new mattress.  If you have ever been in Asia, you may know that their mattresses are hard as bricks.  I insisted on making sure I tested whatever mattress we bought.  It is still a bit hard for US standards, but I sleep quite comfortably in it.

Not sure when

We got back to the townhouse, I unpacked much of my stuff, and even set up the laptop and new monitor before the new mattress arrived.  We got the mattress set up, and it wasn't much longer until I was asleep.  I know it was after 5 PM local time, but I have no idea exactly when I fell asleep.  We woke up the next morning early to go take her kids to school, and check on the greenhouse.

I was surprised that I was able to stay awake and mostly functional for that long.  I have been here a few days now, and we have settled in to the townhouse nicely.  We still have things to do, but all of the major things are done.  The computers are set up, the internet is up and fast, and many of the little things to do when moving have been done.

The following posts will be more about my life here in Thailand, the business, and our relationship.  Please come back to see more on how things are going.  Hint: we have already had a couple of bumps in the road.