- It's been 14 years since Duncan Forgan left Scotland and he's not sure he'll ever return home.
- He says poor air quality and traffic congestion make Bangkok an unlivable city.
- However, he gives four reasons why he has continued living in Southeast Asia for so many years.
A friend recently said this to me: Living in Southeast Asia I felt like I'd won Willy Wonka's golden ticket – it's impossible to ignore the long list of benefits: the cuisine, the cultural heritage, the diverse landscape, the low cost of living, and the generally friendly, gracious hosts.
There are trade-offs — terrible air quality, horrible traffic and inhuman temperatures — but on the plus side, you get sunny winters, palm-fringed beaches and a less regulated lifestyle.
As is the case everywhere, Living in Bangkok It has its challenges – the city is exhausting, nearly incomprehensible and just as ridiculous as Mr Wonka – but overall it feels like being handed the keys to a chocolate factory.
Golden temples, sci-fi skylines and an enchanting mix of sights, sounds and smells. Bangkok It's hard to describe it more vividly, and it was this intensity that got me hooked on Thailand's beloved, crazy capital on my first visit 14 years ago.
Here are four other things that kept me stuck in Southeast Asia's sometimes filthy grip.
1. Food is one of the city's main attractions.
From street vendors serving banquet meals for just a few dollars to colorful, bustling markets crammed with produce, this city has a knack for whetting the appetites of many, including mine.
Bangkok is well known as the most beautiful city on earth. Street food capitalFor quality street food in a safe and clean environment, it's hard to beat Ao To Kor Market. It's a great place to try a variety of tasty dishes, from som tam (spicy green papaya salad) and khao kha moo (braised pork with rice) to mango sticky rice. Another recommended spot is Yaowarat Road in Chinatown, where tasty noodle dishes and roasted meats such as pork, duck and goose are staples.
The variety of options continues to amaze me: on a recent Sunday, I started the day with charcoal-smoked Thai Chinese jok (rice porridge), then had lunch at South Indian renowned Tamil Nadu, and ended the day with dinner at Ojo, a Mexican restaurant in a high-rise at the city's pinnacle. Mahanakhon Tower, The tallest building in Thailand.
2. It's easier to break out of the news cycle
This is an exile privilege, so it comes with a caveat.
Many of my Thai friends despair at the country's political collapse and a superficial media that prefers melodramatic storylines to critical analysis.
But personally, I find it liberating to break away from the shackles of daily consumption of Western news media, whether through choice or osmosis.
The pandemic has dominated Thailand's news stories, as it has everywhere else, but Western media obsessions such as the US presidential election and divisive identity politics have not received the same relentless attention here.
Social media has made it harder to ignore what's happening in the world news, but we're grateful to have more room to cut through the noise.
3. Amazing destinations on your doorstep
I have experienced some transcendent moments throughout the Asia Pacific region.
My travel writing stint has involved dancing to obscure soul music in sweaty underground clubs with a bunch of Kansai mods, and driving a vintage Royal Enfield around in search of the best khao soi. Chiang Maiand then along the Nullarbor Links from South Australia to Western Australia.
I recently visited Phong Nha in north-central Vietnam for the first time, spending three days exploring the karst landscape. A bike loop from Phong Nha Farmstay was a great introduction to the region, but it was a memorable end to a day of trekking that included jumping into waterfalls and swimming deep into river caves.
The cliché is often used that there is always something new to discover, and in Asia's case, it's true.
4. It becomes hard to imagine life at home
I'd be lying if I said I've never felt the call of home.
I Leaving London for Asia At the end of 2010, a combination of factors, from relationship troubles to despair over stagnating career conditions, meant I was feeling fed up with life in the UK.
For a while, I was content just to have the round-trip airfare available for my annual trip home.
The birth of my son Alexander, a pandemic that halted travel for nearly three years, and an appreciation for the clean air and quiet of Bangkok as a longtime resident have helped temper my mindset. These days, my annual pilgrimage to Scotland has become something to look forward to, not just something to get through.
Despite my renewed appreciation for home, the idea of relocating still feels impossible. I haven’t lived in Scotland since 2007, and my life revolves almost entirely around Asia – my wife and son, my friends, my work network and my clients. And after years of exposure to Asia’s diverse cultures, lifestyles and ways of thinking, I’ve found I'm not confident that I can readjust to my home life..
I'll be returning to Scotland this July, and I can't wait to see friends and family and show my son, Alex, the Highlands for the first time. But once the trip is over, I'll resist the temptation to put rose-tinted glasses on my tear-filled eyes.
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