As an English expat in Thailand life is certainly never dull, however you might be forgiven for wondering, in the light of the recent political unrest, how I view my adopted home and whether my views have changed since I wrote a post back in June 2008 entitled Ten Things I Like About Thailand.

Back in June I was still in what you might call the honeymoon period, enjoying the laid back lifestyle and the friendly people here in Nong Hin, Thailand. Well I have had 15 months here now so here are my top reasons for being here as an expatriate:

1. Top of my list is still a laid back lifestyle. However last year I wrote about how weekends in the UK are gobbled up with mundane tasks, now I find every day is the same and I actually miss weekends! True we still have Saturday and Sunday each week but since everything is open here 24/7 its hard to make a distinction.
2. The weather here is still a good attraction but having experienced so long in the sun I really look forward to the cool season particularly November and December. Rather than acclimatising I seem to find the heat and high humidity at some times of the year very draining.
   
3. Linked to number two is the simple pleasure of standing outside when its raining and smelling the fantastic aroma of the wet earth. I must admit I never thought I would welcome rain, coming from the UK.
4. The beautiful scenery is still a good reason to come to Thailand and this last year has seen me visiting some great places. I am sure later in the year we will hit the road again to discover areas I haven't yet visited.
5. Developing my Thai garden has become a task I really enjoy. After the back breaking ground work things are really developing nicely. My collection of Thai orchids is growing and it still amazes me what I can actually grow here. If you look at today's photography and compare it to my earlier post you can see the fruits of some of my labours.
   
6. The generosity of my neighbours still amazes me, little gifts delivered or helping with a task, nothing is too much trouble. Its certainly enriched my life and since I do similar things for them it has helped me feel part of the community.
7. The lack of crime and vandalism still figures highly on things I like about Thailand. Don't get me wrong there is plenty of crime but it tends to be focused more Thai on Thai. Far more worrying is the daily carnage on the roads.
8. Thai culture is still appealing although I have learned a lot there is so much I still don't understand. Thai family life is one such area and I still struggle a little with family visits to my home. Freeloading seems to be the order of the day and I still can't get used to uninvited guests just turning up and expecting to stay for a few days.
9. I have also become more self sufficient, in the UK if it was broke I'd probably throw it away and buy a new one. Now I tend to try and fix things which can be fun and is always a challenge. I have learned this from my Thai neighbours and I like the way problems are often solved here. A definite plus.
   
10. Finally I have found that I really like the Buddhist faith. Seeing how it operates locally and attending many Buddhist functions it is a part of Thailand that I am really starting to enjoy.
    

So is Thailand still a positive experience? Yes it is, but I now realise that the somewhat naive ideas that I arrived with are probably things for the tourist brochures.

The real Thailand still remains largely undiscovered to this English expat.