Sawat Dee Khrap

Since returning from Thailand, people have kept asking me to tell them about this trip.

Three months are usually rather easy to sum up. But these three... Impossible!

So how can I present all this without being boring, and in such a limited time? Where should I begin? Simple questions, but heavy with meaning.

During this trip, someone told me — and if you are reading these lines, thank you again for everything — "Don't listen to your father, don't listen to your mother, don't listen to your friends, don't listen to your teachers, don't listen to your brain... Listen only to your heart."

So, by listening to my heart rather than asking myself endless questions, I am going to tell this story through the articles to come. And what better way to begin this journey than by introducing what touched my heart the most: the people.

Phi M., would you happen to be a logistics coordinator?

Showing us the land

And the sea

We start to wonder whether you might not be a tour guide...

Or perhaps a wildlife guide?

Ah no, you are probably a cultural mediator!

Or an artist?

Perhaps a law enforcement officer (or a daycare worker...)?!

All my respect goes to Mtt., to whom we owe this creation.

The embodiment of versatility and kindness.
Thank you for this "holiday"!

Ajan P., if you recognise these rocks, it is because they left their mark on you too.

It was probably vertigo that kept you from climbing those steps.

I can assure you that the view from the top was nowhere near as dizzying as your curiosity and openness to the world.

And that was only a first glimpse, hidden behind the wall of your modesty...

Aj. J, it is thanks to you that experiences like these became possible!

Speaking Thai with locals allowed me to discover places unknown to tourists, whether deep inside a cave...

Or out on solid ground!

It also allowed me to get around in complete peace of mind... well, almost.

Or simply to explore the country with people I met along the way.

One of the most memorable moments of my stay was being invited to a "Greeting Ceremony" organised by the family of someone I had met only a few hours earlier at a temple! What an experience...

Exchanging words with you was as enjoyable as exchanging shuttlecocks!

Aj. O., what can one say except that your nickname suits you wonderfully? "Ohhh" is the sense of wonder I feel whenever you shed light on history and culture.

"Ohhh" is also the sense of wonder that comes with discovering each of your suggestions.

"Ohhh" is, I hope, what my progress on the khlui will inspire!

To EVERYONE at KMUTT, including those I have not explicitly mentioned... Thank you! You are largely responsible for my discovery and understanding of Thailand — and perhaps for "our" discovery and understanding, if I may speak on behalf of the group. Thank you, sincerely. I dare to borrow Ajan P.'s words: "You are my friends now."

And well, most of these adventures were shared at your side, my dear Nemo🍣... What a pleasure, and what laughs! Even if your love of Japan has probably altered your memories of Thailand, I have no doubt that you will know how to read between the lines to come!

So here too, this odyssey begins with you.