Not long after arriving in Thailand and being released from quarantine, I was out for a walk with my camera. I had made my way off the main road and was walking along a small lane.
A man who’d been running along the street stopped and asked, “Can I help you?”
And that’s how I met Sarawut. He was concerned I was lost, but I was no more so than usual.
We chatted for a while. Sarawut had been working for an American company for 30 years, spoke English well, and was clearly into fitness. We both enjoyed photography. At the end of our chat we exchanged Facebook contacts, and have occasionally commented on each other’s photos.
Last week we took a photo walk together, Sarawut telling me about the history of the country and the area as we walked. At one point I asked him, “What are you most proud of about Thailand?”
He thought for a moment, then said, “Everything. I love everything about Thailand.”
It was completely genuine. He acknowledged issues with poverty, pollution, corruption; he wasn’t naïve. But he deeply loved Thailand. I found that delightful.