20/05/2024
𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗧 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗗
After a traumatic Christmas season I moved to Haad Chao Pao Bungalows from Coconut Beach. I used to bring people with my boat to have lunch here as Pam is a fantastic cook. Pam and Chard with their friendliness made me always feel welcome and feel like being at home.
So I rented a bungalow for the whole year. The deal was 70’000THB for the year including free coffee. Haad Chao Pao was a very friendly, hospitable place were everyone was part of a big family. We often had meals together and at Christmas, we had a huge BBQ were everyone contributed something. Haad Chao Pao was such a beautiful place but often, during stormy weather, the resort got flooded. Even when the kitchen was under water, Pam stood in the water cooking for us.
It didn’t take long and I helped Pam and Chard with their resort. Whenever Pam had to go away, I took care of the resort. Just making sure people did write what they consumed or showing empty bungalows. Then, we built a small bar on the beach, probably the first office for "digital nomads", fortified the wall to protect against the sea as the waves could cause some serious damage to the restaurant and the first bungalows. When Pam had the possibility of renting an additional three bungalows on the back of the resort but didn’t have enough money, she asked me if I could help, which I gladly did, in return, I moved into the beach bungalow, my second Happyland.
Haad Chao Pao was definitely a very sociable and happy place. After all the trouble in Coconut Beach it was like a breath of fresh air. Comes sunset, we used to play netball on the beach, watch the sunset, have dinner together, watched a movie or football on the big screen or sit at the newly build bar on the beach. Some of those Bar evenings lasted for days. I bought a Wii PlayStation back from a visa run in Malaysia. Used to be so much fun playing bowling for beer or watch each other boxing.
Sadly, the lease of Haad Chao Pao run out and the new rent was just too high. So Pam once again asked me if I could help and if I would like to join her and build a new resort together. Initially I was pretty hesitant as I just had a very bad experience and just couldn’t afford to lose any money as not having a pension, that money was supposed to be my savings for old age. Pam kept reassuring me, she would pay back my investment, latest in 15 years when the new contract runs out, or we parted way.
So against my better knowledge, I loaned Pam 500’000THB and we started Ling Sabai Bungalows in Ao Haad Yao. We started cleaning up the new place in November and by February we started building our first bungalows.
We had a builder from Isan working for us, renovating some of the existing bungalows and the restaurant. I joined him after bringing Timmy to school and spend my days doing most of the electrical stuff in the restaurant, build a footpath and renovated an old bungalow which would become my home for the next 12 years. Usually the Thai builder started really early and worked till late, then he got drunk, took a day off then was back at work again on the third day.
What was life in Ling Sabai?
Read more next time
