Here, again, I’m back in Bangkok around the Thai New Year, Songkran. This year’s celebration was also under the full moon. Partying would have been another wild one. However, situations in the world and with myself reinforced my intentions for this year—sealing wall cracks, metaphorically and literally.
The issues of my apartment in Phra Khanong were put under the rug while travelling in 2024 (this prioritisation was peculiar but worthwhile), and the estate agent disappeared. I shifted my priority in 2025 to deal with it and committed to a one-year lease on another apartment in On Nut, not far from it.
Ten days before I arrived, the earthquake in Myanmar shook skyscrapers in Bangkok. Both apartment buildings (owned and rented) were OK. But that added tremendous uncertainty to that goal I set. Nothing I could do except get on with the final destination, Madrid, and work on it upon my return.
Back from Spain, the rented condo on the 38th floor looked solid. Moving to the top floor of a high-rise just after a major earthquake seemed insecure, but I haven’t seen any cracks in the building at all. Besides, the contract has been signed.
Meanwhile, the quake caused some cracks in the walls of my unoccupied room. They assured those gashes didn’t affect the construction of the building. Those need to be done before the rainy season. The property market in Bangkok is still hazy. But hey, I’ve got a year to figure it out.
Moreover, some living stability would be nice. Since leaving DC, I’d been dealing with accommodations monthly. That stressed me out constantly. After all the twelve months away, I can confirm Bangkok’s infrastructure for remote work is in par, if not better than, with other high-income countries. It’s pretty dope for digital nomads. That’s a bummer for a native like me. But I’m happy to watch how it evolves in a year. As we are entering the Age of Aquarius (whatever or whenever it is), Bangkok is very much an Aquarius city.
On the other hand, the city can lure you with temptations. After the ayahuasca retreat, my relationships with alcohol and cannabis have changed. Cost of living in DC, social norms in Morocco, and regulations in Spain discouraged the indulgence. But here, in Bangkok, is the real test. It’s easy to fall back into the same loop. My night on the full moon Songkran wasn’t the best time to resist it. We’ll see. I’m keeping track of the intoxication, at least.
Springtime resets seem to be my pattern in the past few years. From the first full moon of the year at the edge of the Sahara to the full moon Songkran in the home city, I’m trying to make sense of all these shits. There are a lot of shits to work on and realise.