Perfect Phuket - Hello from the other side

Hello from the beach! Spoiler alert if you are snowed in, pandemic bound or just plain jack of 2021 already, you might want to flick straight onto the next blog! On the other hand, if you are looking for some escapism and to tag along for the virtual ride, stick around!

We came for Christmas and we haven't left yet,  so I've only got pictures of sunshine and palm trees and empty beaches waiting for tourists return.

Bangkok is still a designated High controlled area.  Schools, shopping malls and gyms have reopened and homeworking for some companies remain in place or operating on a limited A-B team return to work. Pubs and Bars, gambling venues including cockfighting and soapy massage remain closed. Ha, let's see who is reading this closely and no I have no idea what a soapy massage is! Most of my friends are more concerned about the booze ban and pollution in Bangkok but here at the beach, life is calm, quiet and rosy!

Phuket has removed it's 14-day Quarantine for those arriving from Bangkok but it seems most people are not risking travel here from within Thailand until March at the earliest. There is some hope that International tourism may resume in October, but in the meantime, we remain in glorious isolation.

I am one chirpy little bird with a new nest in Phuket, meanwhile, back in Bangkok the songbird lovers moved into our old tree - bless! I am happy for them. You can read the original story here at Our Balcony Sunbirds

We are loving island life, our fresh air and freedom to move around are not lost on us at a time when our family and friends in the UK and Melbourne, Australia are back in their lockdowns. Our life in Thailand seems a million miles away, and I can't wait to be reunited with my family who I have not seen for over a year now. Covid be gone!

With the beach as my backdrop for writing, I have been busy with my content creation. Let me start by wishing you a Happy Lunar New Year with artwork from the Artists in the Bangkok Community:

Happy Lunar New Year everyone! Whilst our Bangkok Chinese New Year celebrations were curtailed this year because of the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, no-one is going to stop the Artists in the Bangkok Community (ABC) Group from welcoming the Year of the Ox in their own creative ways... Read more here

In Meet Thailand's Elephant Influencers, I invite you to join me on a Tourism Authority of Thailand trip to meet some of the Influencers chosen to help at this critical time for Thailand's domesticated elephants. Their thoughts and photos are amazing:

‘The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would like to invite you on a trip to Lampang and Chiang Mai to learn about the current situation on elephant care in Thailand, as well as how we are moving forward towards more sustainable solutions for elephant-based tourism in Thailand’. Read more here. 

In Elephant Hugs and more... an insight into Thailand's Elephant Tourism I share some of my thoughts and start a discussion on the complex issues regarding elephants in domestic care. 

I was brought up to love all creatures great and small. I thought I had the elephant situation assessed; elephants should be in the wild, or in an ethical sanctuary for retired elephants. They should not perform tricks or paint, and we should not ride them for our pleasure. Covid has added additional difficulties, without 40 million predicted tourists, businesses have closed, people have lost jobs, and yes elephants are starving.  Read more here

Well, that will do for now, I wish that where ever you are in the world that you have a happy day and I will be over to check out your posts, very soon

Take Care