My career in hospitality began in Bournemouth, United Kingdom, in the early 1980s, working in a variety of hotels. Before entering the industry, I had spent around five years in various jobs. Most of my hotel career was with an international hotel management company that operated properties around the world, where I worked primarily in food and beverage management. I spent approximately five years working across the Middle East and Asia, including Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and India, before being reassigned to the company’s Far East office in Bangkok. However, my first postings in the Far East were outside Thailand, and I went on to spend considerable periods working in Singapore, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and China.

I first stepped foot onto Thai soil – In 1994, although I did not realise it at the time, I began an enduring love affair with Thailand that has now lasted for more than three decades. My first posting was in Khon Kaen, where I joined the management team responsible for opening a brand-new hotel. I spent two thoroughly enjoyable years there and developed a great affection for life in Isaan. In those days, Khon Kaen was still something of a backwater, very different from the large and thriving city it has become today. At the end of my two-year assignment, I was transferred to a hotel in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Indonesia never held the same appeal for me, and it was not long before I found myself eager to return to Thailand.

It was now 1995 and I had made up my mind that I was going back to Thailand – I was determined to return to Thailand, whatever it took. An English friend of mine, who was married to a Thai woman, was already living in Bangkok permanently. He ran a small business but was keen to explore a new venture with me as his partner. We were close friends then and remain so today. I had some savings and understood that, if I wanted to remain in Thailand, I would need a reliable source of income. Together, we opened a small café and bakery in Siam Square, Soi 2. The business enjoyed moderate success, but it soon became clear that neither of us was going to become wealthy from running a café.

About this time the Internet was just starting to explode! – This was long before the dot-com bubble burst, when the internet offered many opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs. My friend and I established an IT business in Bangkok and also began generating income online. Sadly, many of the opportunities available during the 1990s have since disappeared or been absorbed by much larger companies. Nevertheless, it was good while it lasted, and the business proved extremely successful. We earned enough to make investments that continue to provide me with an income today.

Returning to the UK: Around 2001, believe it or not, I decided to return to the United Kingdom. By then, I felt I had experienced enough of Thailand and the Far East, and I began to miss the simple comforts of home. I wanted to eat fish fingers, enjoy a proper cup of tea and understand everything I heard on the radio, television and in everyday conversation. However, it took only about a year before the familiar sense of restlessness returned, and I found myself spending countless hours online reading about Thailand. By that stage, I had bought a house and established a settled life in the UK, so simply uprooting everything and moving back to Thailand permanently would have been extremely difficult.

Rediscovering Thailand – Around 2003, I decided that I had to return to Thailand to discover how I would feel about the country after spending time away. I booked a flight with Thai Airways, packed a large bag and headed to Bangkok for a month. Needless to say, I had an extremely enjoyable time and rediscovered many aspects of life in Thailand that simply could not be found in the UK. When I returned home, I faced a difficult decision. Should I remain in the UK or move back to Thailand? There was much that I valued about life in Britain, including its relative safety, cleanliness, National Health Service and a legal system in which contracts could generally be relied upon. At the same time, I greatly missed the lifestyle and experiences that came with being an expatriate in Thailand. Eventually, I decided to divide my time between the UK and Pattaya. I rented a small, comfortable and inexpensive apartment in an alley off Beach Road, close to the Crown Pattaya Beach Hotel. For around three years, I spent approximately five months of each year in Pattaya and the remainder in the UK. However, it is possible to have too much of a good thing, and eventually I simply became bored with Pattaya. I gave up the apartment and returned to Bangkok.

I rented a very nice, cozy room in the Omni Tower, Sukhumvit Soi 4 – Living in central Bangkok placed me right in the heart of the action, without having to waste time sitting in taxis or tuk-tuks whenever I wanted to enjoy the nightlife. The only exceptions were evenings when I decided to visit areas such as Soi Cowboy or Patpong. By then, the BTS Skytrain was operating, making it considerably easier to travel around the city. This was a major improvement from when I first arrived in Thailand in 1991. I rented the same room for approximately five years, dividing my time between Bangkok and the UK. However, the familiar sense of boredom eventually returned. By 2011 or 2012, I once again decided that it was time to return to the UK permanently, or at least that was my intention. Predictably, after about a year back in Britain, I began missing Bangkok and Thailand again. There were certain aspects of life in Thailand that simply could not be found in the UK. I now faced the same difficult question about what to do next. I did not particularly want to relocate to Thailand permanently, or even spend half the year there, because I was older and had far less energy than when I first arrived in 1991. I had been just 31 then, whereas by 2012 I was 52.

Since 2014 Since 2014 I have “again” been a frequent visitor to Thailand.  I no longer rent apartments opting instead to stay in small hotels that will give me a decent discount .  I tend to visit Thailand 3 to 4 time a year spending up to a month in the country which suits me just fine.  I am approaching 60, I still have my health but all the constant traveling is now very tiring and to be honest, I now dread the two days traveling to and from Thailand…I just love the bit in-between.  So long gone is the Thailand I first encountered nearly 30 years ago when I got 80 Baht to the pound, a beer in a GoGo bar was 25 Baht and Thailand was genuinely “The Land Of Smiles!”

Present day (2026): Sadly, after 33 years of marriage, my Korean wife and I gradually drifted apart. With our two daughters now grown up, we both agreed that separation was the right decision and that it was time to begin a new chapter in our lives. At the age of 62, I returned to Bangkok and rented a one-bedroom apartment, where I lived for just over three years. During that time, I met my current girlfriend, who had worked at a Bangkok hospital for 25 years. She had never married, had no children and was 18 years younger than me. We developed a strong and committed relationship, and eventually decided to leave the noise and congestion of Bangkok behind and move to Hua Hin. Fortunately, she was able to obtain a mortgage, and today we enjoy a peaceful life together in a comfortable three-bedroom, two-bathroom house with our dog, Binto. After so many years of travelling backwards and forwards, Thailand has finally become my permanent home. Has it really been over 30 years since I firstset foot in Thailand?

Peter, Thailand-Bound