I’m currently typing this blog post from my luxury villa in the beach city of Pattaya, Thailand. I made the informed decision to rent this beautiful property on Airbnb with a few friends from Bangkok. We arrived yesterday after a 2.5 hour taxi ride from Bangkok. This villa is definitely a huge upgrade from staying at hostels all the time, and it’s essentially the same price as a cheap hostel at roughly $12 per night split between the four of us. Teamwork makes the dream work!
I was under quarantine at Luk Hostel in Chinatown for exactly 3 weeks and then Warm Window Hostel in the Silom Financial District of Bangkok for almost 2 weeks. The beaches and most businesses are still closed. The place is like a ghost town. Lately, my life feels like something straight out of a thrilling adventure movie based on a true story. I enjoyed reading the cult classic novel The Beach, made into a popular movie starring Leonard DiCaprio, while traveling through Southern Thailand and recognized many of the places mentioned in the book.
The premise was simple and cleanly executed: in Bangkok a young traveller is given a map to a hidden beach by an older traveller, Daffy, who then kills himself. Having first made the mistake of copying the map for two American backpackers he has formed a casual acquaintance with (an act that will later have horrific consequences), Richard and his two new friends – Étienne and his lover Françoise – find the beach and the small community of travellers who have been living there for several years in a small, self-sufficient community that, at first, resembles Eden. Gradually, of course, Eden is revealed to have the dynamics of the playground. There are rivalries and tensions. There are alpha males, chest-beating and jockeying for position. And there are serpents: the drug lords who control the huge marijuana patch on the far part of the island. And then there is Richard himself …
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jul/02/alex-garland-the-beach-20-years-on
Today I rented a Yamaha GT motorbike (only 150 Baht or $5 per day) and spent the entire afternoon cruising around Pattaya City. I already love this place even though most of the restaurants, shops, and bars are still closed. It’s a relief to escape from the capital city of Bangkok and get a change of scenery for awhile. I will probably call this my home base for the next few weeks. The highlight of today, May 7th, 2020, was walking along Jomtien Beach, feeling the sand in between my toes, and watching the waves crash into the coast for the first time since I received my scuba diving certification on the paradise island of Koh Tao! Most of the beaches are still closed and you can receive an exorbitant fine of 100,000 Baht and face jail time for disobeying the law. I took the calculated risk since the area wasn’t roped off and I spotted a few brave rebel spirits walking along the beach. They may take our lives but they’ll never take our freedom! Keep reading for a few of my favorite photos at the end of this blog post…
I’ve been living in Bangkok for over a month during the Coronavirus outbreak. For a more detailed explanation about why I decided to extend my visa in Thailand during the COVID-19 world pandemic, you can read my previous blog post here. Shortly after extending my visa for another month at the immigration office; the Thai government announced an extensive automatic visa extension program for all foreigners living in Thailand with a valid passport stamp in order to curb the spread of Coronavirus.
Thankfully I qualified for this program, which means I can legally reside in the country until the date of July 31st without paying any additional fees! I never anticipated to stay in Thailand for over 3 months. Whereas the majority of digital nomads, traveler friends, and expats returned to their home country, I decided to take the unconventional approach and not return the United States for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the number of reported cases of the virus here in Thailand is only about 2,900 compared to over 1.2 million in the USA!
Once the travel restrictions are lifted and draconian lockdowns are ended, I’m planning to immediately continue my adventures to Philippines, Vietnam, maybe Cambodia, and most likely back to Bali. You can inspire people every single day simply by living without fear! I’m doing my best to stay healthy during these challenging times. I frequently go for jogs (without my face mask) and try to get in my 10,000 steps for the day. I’m also working on a few different side hustle projects and recently launched my own consulting business teaching digital entrepreneurs how to adapt to the remote work lifestyle, build a profitable online business, and work from anywhere in the world. You can find more information at Be Remote Consulting.
You can either use this creative quarantine time to feel sorry for yourself and worry about the “new normal”, or use it as inspiration fuel to get healthy, grow your business, professional network, and help people who are struggling right now! The unemployment rate is higher than its ever been in recent history. The economy is falling apart while the majority of the world population is under house arrest. It’s a very strange time to be alive to say the least; especially as an American expat living in a foreign country. This world pandemic is truly like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, and that’s exactly what makes is so damn interesting! Hopefully everyone is staying safe wherever you’re reading this from.
As promised here’s a few photos from my motorbike adventure around Pattaya Thailand. Excited to keep exploring this city for the next week or so… At the end of the day I choose to live an interesting life full of novelty than a boring routine one stuck in a bubble. I encourage my readers to get out of your comfort zone and keep following your passion! Godspeed.
