The week of Soj and Jacques
After his education at the HTS and TH Delft, Jacques Koppert (68) worked as a traffic sheriff and public prosecutor in Breda and Rotterdam. He has been retired since he was 63. He has been married to Thai Soj (15) for almost 47 years. Both have an adult son from a previous relationship. In 2008 they bought 1 rai (40×40 meters) of land, close to Soj's parents' house, and built their own house on it.
Monday December 3
Getting everything ready for departure for the next five months Thailand to hibernate. Actually, the preparations started a month earlier with applying for a visa and making purchases.
Buy things that, according to Soj, absolutely must be taken on the plane. The suitcases must be full. This often caused problems in the past, 20 kg was often too little. Fortunately, KLM has become more generous, cramming 23 kg in a suitcase takes quite some effort.
What comes with it? Christmas stuff, garden stuff, kitchen stuff, you name it. It doesn't help if I say we can buy that in Thailand too. I am also not allowed to interfere with the packing. I am grateful to her for that. I only pay attention to the weight.
tuesday 4 december
Tuesday by car from Zeeland to Schiphol. Pam, the youngest son, stays behind in the house. He thinks it's best for his parents to leave. He has the whole house for himself and his girlfriend again. And it gives us a good feeling that the house is not empty all the time. We drive past Hielke, the eldest son in Rotterdam. He goes to Schiphol and keeps the car with him until we come back. So the pick up is also arranged again.
Customs at Schiphol wanted to know if we had more than 10.000 euros per person with us. Because we should declare that. Truthfully, I could say that we didn't walk around with that much money. That a lot of money was deposited into a Thai account is another story. More on that later. Did some shopping: booze, cigarettes, cosmetics and chocolate. You cannot arrive empty handed. Grandpa, now 85 years old like the king, wouldn't understand if he didn't get his annual bottle of whiskey and carton of cigarettes.
wednesday 5 december
The KL0875 left on time and landed neatly at 09:45 at Suvarnabhumi. Quick to us hotelsI had only one wish: to sleep well. Soj went to visit family, she has two sisters who live in Bangkok. Unfortunately she was back soon. Everyone was at the ceremony for the 85-year-old king. I was then persuaded to go shopping in MBK Center. In the evening we watched the festivities for the king extensively on television in the hotel.
Usually we stay in Bangkok for a few nights after arrival, but now a lot had to be arranged in Phrae before the weekend, so we left the next day.
Thursday December 6
Up early and to Mor Chit, the northern bus station. The bus ride to Phrae is always nice and relaxing. You see the landscape change. First the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, then the rice fields in central Thailand and as you approach Uttaradit, the mountains come into view. Before Nakon Sawan there is a stopover to use the meal vouchers.
One minus. For Thais, music only seems to be beautiful when it is very loud. Likewise on the bus. My wife thought I shouldn't complain. They say you get deafer as you get older. It is little consolation that it will work itself out.
At the bus station in Phrae we were picked up by a sister of Soj (yes, she has three older sisters). At 7 pm we were at our second home in Ban Mae Yang Yuang. A small village, which falls under the municipality of Mae Yang Rong. For those looking for it: Follow the 101 from Phrae towards Nan. After 25 km turn left onto the 103 towards Phayao. Follow the 10 for about 103 km and then, after the Don Chum School, turn left towards the village.
Friday December 7
There was no sleeping in. At 6 am the announcements came from the temple. There is a loudspeaker close to our house, so the message always comes through loud and clear. What was it about? No idea. I can't count beyond 10 in Thai. Soj didn't raise the alarm so there was nothing urgent going on.
As mentioned, money matters had to be arranged. Money must be transferred via the Kasikornbank on Monday for the purchase of a car. Monday December 10 is apparently an important Buddha day, so very suitable for buying a car. But the bank is closed precisely because of that special day. So everything had to be arranged on Friday. The bank staff always sympathizes with us. That was when we built the house in 2009 and now we were congratulated on the new car.
Of course they wanted to know what kind of car. It has become a Toyota Avanza. High enough for me to get in normally and not too big so that Soj can also drive it (behind the wheel I mean). And of course not too expensive either. A Fortuner is for people with money and we are not. Although they think differently in our village. I'm going to miss the big pick-up that we were always allowed to borrow. I thought it was a wonderful car to do all the shopping with.
Saturday December 8
A real chore day. Hang the coat racks you brought along, repair a drying rack, clean water reservoirs. There is also an outside faucet. We already have 8, but washing the car – which will undoubtedly happen often – requires a new tap. To me, that's female logic. The garden is also being tackled. So there are quite a few people around. And not to forget the neighbors who all come to see if we are really back. After candy and coke, they solemnly promise to go play somewhere else now. I am a child friend but I also need to be able to move.
We are back home in Thailand. Soj is arranging everything and chatting everywhere. I'm back in my favorite place: the balcony. I will be there often in the coming months.
Dear Thailand bloggers. Joan Boer, Cor Verhoef, Dick Koger, Martin Carels, Chris de Boer and now Jacques Koppert described a week. Who follows?
Dear Jacques,
What a wonderful story that radiates a lot of peace!
Have fun the next 5 months.
Peter
Soj and Jacques,
What activities in a week's time, you must be ready for a holiday.
First acclimatize and get used to the weather and then enjoy
relax. Greetings JC
Have fun in the next 5 months and have fun with your DIY projects
So you don't have to be bored there in Thailand. You don't see Soj anymore, of course, now that she has a car. Greetings, your brother
Great story, really enjoyed it! I just don't understand that carton of cigarettes and bottle of whiskey for grandpa, why are you buying it tax free, it's a lot cheaper at the first 7/11! '-)
Of course I can't answer the motivation of the writer, but I do know that the 7-Eleven does not sell every brand of whiskey and cigarettes, only the mainstream brands in Thailand. Maybe the writer wants to spoil him with an extra nice cigarette and a really good whiskey and those are not always for sale at the 7-Eleven.
Regards,
Lex K.
Yes, Lex (and Miek),
That is the core of the story. Grandpa drinks a lot of Thai whisky, too much. But a bottle of Famous Grouse is something special. The same goes for cigarettes. And why do you think Soj brings a bunch of lipsticks. They come from the Netherlands and therefore have a special value. Even though she buys them, price-consciously, at the Hema.
Ah, okay then, we always take a bottle of Black Label with us for the father of the owner of the resort we often visit and I only found out later that they are much cheaper at the 7/11 than at the tax free! 😀
Something completely different, I see a negative assessment above with all but 1 comments, I see that regularly, but it completely eludes me what exactly is wrong, perhaps the person who has apparently made a hobby of it would once want to explain?
Hey that Miek, I also notice that regularly, a negative on an article that you yourself would not give a negative for, it happens on a lot of blogs where people get the opportunity to appreciate comments, perhaps the negative has a very legitimate reason for negative experiences or emotions that such an article evokes, or perhaps it is just an annoying gland, you know the expression “crazies and fools write their names on walls and glasses” just a cry for attention, but it It would be nice if he/she wrote a response instead of writing anonymously, in any case the editors should be able to find out who it is, but then it's not our business, and to be honest, I like it too sometimes an article, purely based on negative emotions that the article or reaction evokes.
To the editor: Sorry completely "off topic" but I wanted to respond to Miek's question, from my point of view
I have not understood the meaning of the ratings so far. Probably an outlet for some to participate in the discussion without reacting themselves. It means nothing to me at all.
For the observant reader: I previously responded with my abbreviated name Jacq.
Oh really! I had no idea, but he drinks it like water so it won't matter much to him! 😀
What is Thai black label best Tjamuk? I think I'm missing something. Do you call Famous Grouse black label? I think that the real whiskey lovers will turn their stomach if JW black label is already well mentioned…