Then he explained, not the why of his absence, but the how. His main activity had been teaching English on-line to international students, with lots of time spent streaming and surfing too.
His main tool was really his cellphone – to order cabs and food, to locate with GPS, and to decipher Thai signs with Google Translate and converse with locals in a pinch. He spent the next hour modifying our cellphone for use in Thailand – inserting a new SIM card with unlimited data, an app for cheap taxis called Bolt, an app for food delivery called Grab (Southeast Asia super App), WhatsApp for phone calls, and more.
These apps, as well as his constant texts, guided us through the trip. So he became our host, but a host in absentia.
I don’t think he could have managed his move to Thailand, and we our visit, without a cellphone. It’s helpful to everyone that virtually every Thai carries a cellphone, a service available for just US $6 per month, although the fees are now rising somewhat (along with other costs, including housing). I was stunned to learn and later witness that millions of Russians have used these same tools to visit and move to Thailand. Since the Ukraine war their numbers are up dramatically in this haven from international sanctions.
Would you be able to turn off your cell phone if without it you can not speak to or be understood by others. If you cannot confidently leave your dwelling to deal issues of signage or location? In a place with little free speech, a diminished free press, and different human rights?
Can turn off your cell phone if without it you can not speak to or understand others, you can not confidently leave your dwelling to deal issues of signage or location?
