The plane touched down at the Suvarnabhumi Airport around 2AM. This was it, my life in Thailand has just started.



Bangkok's airport was colossal. It was very big, modern and efficient, you would think you were in a first world country. Personally, I think that airports are a good economic thermometer. If a country's main international airport is low-maintenance and inefficient, you'd know that that country's not going to be granted a loan by the World Bank anytime soon, or maybe not until pulling some political strings. My initial impression of Bangkok or Thailand in general is that this is one place on its track to graduating from a developing nation to first world. Possibly. Infrastructure and public systems-wise, it is making a very good name for itself. Add to that the fact that it is South-east Asia's main tourist destination and you get yourself a one way ticket to economic development.

I would be staying at the SC Sathorn Mansion, a serviced apartment located at Sathorn Road, which is Bangkok's central business district. A serviced apartment, by the way, is like a residential hotel with deluxe services, normally catering to expats. KPMG arranged for me to stay at the Mansion for only two weeks though, afterwhich I would be in God's good humor. Within the two-week period, I am supposed to scour the city for a decent apartment that would be considered my new home in Thailand. Good luck. The monthly rent at the Mansion was very steep so it wasn't an option. I am supposed to be able to afford it based on the living allowance that the company built into my package but I AM NOT GOING TO SPEND THAT MUCH FOR RENT PERIOD. My rent and utilities in Makati, for example, was just some 3K pesos per month. (Okay so I share the expenses with some house mates but still.)

KPMG informed me that someone from the Mansion was going to fetch me at the airport, and this person was going to hold out a placard with my name on it. I was hoping the placard would read something like,

"Welcome Jesse! Welcome to Thailand! Bless You! Please ride our elephants! You're the Man! You're the Maaaaaan!!!!! From The Jesse Fan Club, Jesse Forever, Solid Gold Jesse, Universal Jesse-Bangkok Chapter."

What I saw, however, was a simple "Khun (my name)", and some Japanese characters, perhaps my name in Japanese. Or was it Korean. Oh well, at least I had a placard. The word "khun," by the way, is used to address someone formally, like "Mister" or "Missus."

The very first thing I noticed during my ride to Sathorn was that road traffic was like in Australia- one drives on the left side of the road. Cool. And their main roads are really wide, like maybe 6 lanes in one direction. I couldn't see much of the city though as it started to drizzle. Ah, nothing like a sweet welcome.

In the smaller streets called soi, I saw something familiar. Lo and behold, Thailands own version of the tricycle, the "tuk tuk". It's much fancier than our trikes and can take more passengers. I think that it services like a jeepney, anyone can holler and share your seat anytime.

First in my agenda was to get a power sleep and then go to the clinic later in the morning for my pre-employment exam. It was going to be my third medical exam in a row: first my annual physical at Shell, then my POEA-required exam, and then this. You would cringe at the amount of blood they take for their freaking exam. Four cyclinders. Not small vials, but like six-inch cylinder containers.

So what's in store for me in Thailand? Adventure, I must say. And professional development as I would be going back to IT audit as a senior. I am thrilled and can't wait to start my new life.