Thai woman vacations in Switzerland

An interview with Pascal from Ticino, who met the love of his life in Phuket, Thailand, and invited him to Switzerland with the help of Swisshelpingpoint.

Swiss Helping Point: Dear Pascal, what drew you to Thailand?

Pascal: In 2017, after a long time, I decided to go on vacation again. I hadn't really traveled in the previous 10 years and had never been overseas. Then I had the opportunity in the winter and thought about where to go. I wanted to venture a bit further afield and decided on Thailand. However, since I wasn't that confident and was traveling alone, Bangkok or Pattaya were too big for me. So I came across Phuket and finally the small town of Patong. I then did a lot of research about Thailand online. Patong didn't seem too big, but not too boring either. I really wanted to enjoy a beach vacation, as I hadn't seen the sea for years when I was about 20. I then booked a beautiful bungalow on Patong Hill for 10 days. The view of the bay was breathtaking. To this day, I return to Patong every year. Somehow, I feel at home there.

Swiss Helping Point: How and where did you meet your Thai girlfriend?

Pascal: On the first day, I was still quite unsure, but quickly decided to visit Patong for the first time. I then walked alone from the hill down the steep Hassipi Road towards the beach. A few motorbike taxis offered me a ride. Since I wasn't sure who I could trust and who I couldn't, I declined and kept walking. Patong is quite small and manageable, and I quickly found my way around. The special smell in the streets of Patong, surrounded by the restaurants and the many street food stalls in the intense summer heat and sea air, is unique. It's always an experience for me when I return to Patong. Nowhere else but in Thailand can you experience such a festival of smells. After a walk on the beach, I returned to the bungalow. Towards evening, I set off again and experienced the famous Bangla Road for the first time. In the Aussie Bar, I drank my first Singha beer and watched the many people walking through the streets. I didn't stay long because I was still tired from the journey and went back to my bungalow.

On the second day, I wanted to go to the beach again, and the motorbike taxi driver met me again on Hassipi Road. I agreed, and he drove me to the beach for about 60 baht. In the evening, I set off alone again. Right on the beach was a small restaurant, where I ordered Thai food and enjoyed the beautiful sea. Later, I didn't really know where to go, so I went back to Bangla Road to have a beer. The atmosphere is truly unique: tourists of all ages stroll through the road, while loud music blares from all kinds of bars, constantly changing as you walk. All the barmaids, of course, want a drink from you. I experienced for the first time what it means to walk alone through the Bangla Road and are stopped countless times with the question: "Hello, will you pay me a drink?" But since everyone is so friendly, it doesn't seem pushy and you don't really feel pressured, so you can easily refuse.

I finally ended up on Soi Seadragon. I was about to have my Singha beer there again when a cute little Thai woman with a friendly smile and long black hair suddenly appeared at the Sidney Bar. When she waved to me, I sat down next to her and we had a drink together. I immediately liked her cheerful nature. At the time, I didn't know that things would take longer with "Phueng"...

Swiss Helping Point: What are your favorite destinations, what makes Thailand so special for you?

Pascal: After 10 days, I reluctantly had to return, annoyed that I had booked the holiday so short. Since then, every winter I have been a month away Patong I returned to Thailand, where we spent our beach vacation together. I had to take a break in 2021 due to COVID. The quarantine conditions were too harsh. So I went there twice in 2022. In the meantime, we've also been to her home in Baan Noon Saad, in the Maha Sarakham province, twice in recent years, where I had the opportunity to meet her family.

Last year, we built a small house on their land where Lamphueng now lives. Before that, she lived in her grandmother's house, right next to her parents, a few meters from the new house. We were there for ten days in January and helped with the rice harvest. I caught a terrible cold on the flight there and had to turn the harvested rice for days in temperatures of almost 40 degrees Celsius. It was still fun, though, and I had the opportunity to get to know the family better.

Swiss Helping Point: Do you tend to move in Swiss or Thai circles in Thailand (going out, eating, daily activities)

Pascal: The first time we were in Maha Sarakahm, Lamphueng was still working in the small town of Na Chueack, about 10 kilometers from Baan Noon Saad, where she had a small shop and sold, among other things, her delicious spring rolls and yam salad on the main street.

That wasn't easy for me, because as a "farang" in the north, you feel like you do when you enter a saloon in the Wild West: Everyone turns around and looks at you. After a few days, people slowly got used to my presence. Since I was with Lamphueng, I didn't have much trouble making contacts and getting to know people. However, she forbade me from walking the streets alone 🙂

Swiss Helping Point: What connects you to Thailand? Retirement home? How often do you visit?

Pascal:  I could easily imagine moving to Thailand after I retire, but I'm not sure yet about staying there full-time. The ideal situation would be to live half a year in Switzerland and half a year in Thailand. I'm only 50 now and still have time to plan the whole thing carefully. And of course, it's also a question of money, because after retirement, you have to get by on less money, and Switzerland isn't getting any cheaper.

Swiss Helping Point: You invited your Thai friend to Switzerland for three months this summer/fall (August 3–November 20.08, 15.11.2023) with Swiss Helping Point. What did you do together in Switzerland?

Pascal: Since Lamphueng came to Switzerland, we've done something at every opportunity. I had to work, of course, and only had two days off a week. My parents live a three-minute walk from my apartment, and my sister lives in the neighboring village. This was very convenient, so Lamphueng wasn't always alone during my workday. On our return trip from Zurich Airport, we drove over the Gotthard Pass into Ticino. The weather was beautiful, and it was an experience for Lamphueng to experience this impressive mountain scenery for the first time. When I'm alone, I love running, but since my girlfriend had a serious motorcycle accident ten years ago, she has trouble walking, so we had to plan our leisure activities differently. Near Lugano, there are many mountain railways and beautiful places you can drive to. Most recently, we went to the Lukmanier Pass because she really wanted to see the snow.

Swiss Helping Point: How did your girlfriend like it? What was the highlight for you as a Thai woman in Switzerland?

Pascal: My girlfriend really enjoyed it. Luckily, she arrived in August, so the temperatures were similar to those in Thailand. It got colder around October, and I was worried she'd have trouble coping with the cold. Now it's November, and in two days we're traveling back to Thailand. I'm surprised at how well she's adjusted to the cold over time. Lamphueng even had fondue and raclette at my parents' house. She especially likes the raclette. Together with my mother, who loves cheese, they ate most of the portions. 🙂

Swiss Helping Point: You have invited your Thai girlfriend to Switzerland. What special things do you need to take into account?

Pascal: Nothing special, really. At first, I thought she'd have more trouble getting used to our cooking, and then also the cooler temperatures in Switzerland. But she's adapted to both quite well. And then there's an Asian shop in town where you can buy a lot of Thai food. So we've actually been cooking quite a bit of Thai food.

Swiss Helping Point: What are the biggest challenges of an international relationship? How do you both overcome the language barriers?

Pascal: It's not easy to be together for only one month a year on average. These days, however, you can see each other every day via smartphone. That makes it much easier, of course. Without a smartphone, it would be very difficult. Since I only speak a few words of Thai, we speak English together. Often, we have to use the online translator to help out. It works pretty well. Without English, communication would be very difficult.

Swiss Helping Point: Did anything unusual happen to you? Were there any misunderstandings?

Pascal: Since we've known each other for many years and she's been in frequent contact with my family, we were all prepared for her visit. Once, she spent the whole day out with my sister. They visited the Fossil Museum and had a great time. Then in the evening, my parents and I asked her if she had had fun: "Did you have fun?" Fun (fan in Thai means "dreaming"). So, she understood if she had been dreaming and then answered, dismayed, no. Really? No fun (fan)? No, no, no fan today. And my sister asked me why she hadn't had fun. After the misunderstanding was cleared up, my sister was happy too 🙂

Swiss Helping Point: You have the Schengen Visa Service from Swiss Helping Point Why? Were you satisfied?

Pascal: I didn't want to risk doing it myself the first time. I'd heard from some foreign friends that their applications had been rejected because not everything had been done correctly. I wanted to avoid the paperwork and play it safe.

Swiss Helping Point: Airfares have risen sharply. Does this affect whether you invite your Thai girlfriend back?

Pascal: If you organize everything early enough and book in time, it won't be more expensive, so that's no reason not to invite them.

Swiss Helping Point: How are things going for you two together?

Pascal: That's a difficult question. I have to work for another 15 years. Until then, I'll definitely stay in Switzerland. Whether she'll come to Switzerland sooner, more or less permanently, or what I'll do after I retire is still up in the air. It's also a financial question, as life in Switzerland is, of course, expensive. In Thailand, you can get by quite well on just 2000 francs a month.

Swiss Helping Point: Dear Pascal, thank you for the fascinating interview and we wish you and your Thai girlfriend all the best!