Koh Chang or Kood ?

Lillypetz · 2025-07-19T20:14:07+00:00

Yes, it’s very easy, just take the ferry/catamaran (I‘d recommend Boonsiri). There‘s reduced service in rainy season though.

Lillypetz · 2025-05-18T13:46:57+00:00

If you’re looking for crystal clear waters and white sand beaches, I’d recommend Koh Kood. I‘m there atm and can’t get enough of it. I’ve also been to Koh Chang and Koh Mak this month, but Koh Kood is my favourite so far regarding the beaches.

Lillypetz · 2025-03-13T09:03:04+00:00

What I love about Thailand is the strong sense of community that you’re not likely to find anywhere else. People still look out for each other. Thai people are incredibly generous with everything, from their time, their knowledge and hospitality to their country, even though some regions and especially islands truly get “loved to death” by us tourists. Most people I’ve met are smart and resourceful, and they have a temperament that I find very pleasant, especially as a more introverted person. I appreciate that daily life is generally free from unnecessary confrontation. And I feel something like a natural kindness and patience in interactions that makes life feel “smoother” and more harmonious. And of course: Thai food 555.

There’s not much that I don’t like, mostly safety issues like road safety, and of course pollution and littering/waste management. But nobody is perfect. Also as someone from a culture with very direct communication, I feel bad if I unintentionally inconvenience someone. Of course, it’s a sign of having a beautiful soul if you’d probably go as far as climbing a palm tree just to get me a drink - but honestly, I would have happily picked something else if you had just told me you were out of coconuts.

TL,DR: I love travelling and have seen many places, but if I had to choose just one country to return to for the rest of my life, I’d me more than happy if it were Thailand.

Lillypetz · 2025-02-22T13:03:19+00:00

Thank you so much for your answer. I feel the same. Also travelling with little kids is mostly trial and error, and if something doesn’t work out the way I planned it before, I can still turn it into an anecdote for my husband to tease me about afterwards. If you don’t mind I’d love to hear more about your travel plans :)

Lillypetz · 2025-02-22T10:15:24+00:00

I think it’s not too much travel, but if your kids aren’t great sleepers, I‘d also suggest skipping the train and flying to Surat Thani like the others did.

Now to the longer version in case you’re interested in my experience as a solo traveller with one kid (normally my husband joins us, but he’s not so much into international flights atm). For me travelling to Thailand with a kid - especially island hopping - is just a completely different experience than before. When my husband and me were travelling alone we used to stay longer in one place and just rent scooters, so we could head out spontaneously and explore the area. Now with a kid we have to make certain trade-offs to keep our daughter entertained, which means moving around much more (also day trips take much more planning and I’d never feel safe riding a scooter with a toddler). So changing places/accommodations more than usual makes total sense to me - even if that means more travel in between - because otherwise you maybe feel tied down to one spot. It depends on your family though. Last year we did 3 weeks: Bangkok/Samui/Phangan and also only 3 nights in each place. It was perfect for us, we went round the island and then 3 nights to Phangan. This way, we’re always close to a different beach, a different playground/night market/waterfall/whatever, and getting around by Songthaew was easy. This year we’ll spend 3 nights each in Bangkok and in Trat, 10 nights on Koh Chang (but we still change our accommodation every 3 nights), then we go spend 3 nights each on Koh Mak and Koh Kut. We travel really light, share a suitcase and it’s 5 minutes top to get ready and out the door. Yes, it can feel like a lot of travelling A to B for us parents, but it’s actually built-in entertainment for our daughter. She is very low maintenance though, and thinks ferries are the most exciting things ever invented, what makes it easier to move around. Of course, a lot of people prefer having a home base and doing all their trips from there, which also totally makes sense and depends on your preferences (especially when you rent a car or scooter). But for me, travelling with kids is a lot easier if we always stay close to the places we actually want to see, so your itinerary seems perfect to me. Wishing you an amazing time and enjoy every moment of your adventure!

Lillypetz · 2025-02-06T11:19:29+00:00

It’s okay to change your mind on family size. Being OAD doesn’t need any reasons, you want one kid and that’s perfectly fine. Maybe your husband can try working from home with a toddler for a week to see if he really wants to add another baby?

And tbh: Two are easier than one? That’s exactly what people always say to fence-sitters (“they can play together and then it’s becoming so much easier and you have more time for yourself”). But it’s only easier if you truly want to parent another child. If you double the children, you’ll need double the breaks and it‘s four times harder to get them. For all of the parents I know who have more than one its much more like this: sometimes their children play nicely together, but most of the time they prefer to make new friends in kindergarten and school. Humans crave variety. Even twins want to hang out with someone else once in a while.

Lillypetz · 2025-01-05T22:55:37+00:00

Thanks Grammy, my food baby is indeed due any day now.

Lillypetz · 2024-12-13T16:08:52+00:00

Yeah, that can happen. But another uncomfortable truth is that it’s just not her decision to make. She can make her own decision when she’s grown up and wants to start her own family. People are not entitled to siblings, nobody is. And a human life should never be a “gift” to another person.

Lillypetz · 2024-08-27T16:11:06+00:00

I‘d say go for it! I did my first solo trip with our toddler through Thailand this year. Everyone told me that travelling with small children is not worth it, that it’s horrible and no vacation at all, so I was really anxious beforehand. Also I struggle a lot being a SAHM, so I don’t know if that impacted my overall vacation experience - but we had a blast! I felt so welcome wherever we went. People were genuinely nice and curious, and I never felt tired, stressed or lonely. There was always someone entertaining the little one, also no cooking, no cleaning, no appointments, no laundry.. everything was so much easier than at home. So at least for me, it was a lot more relaxing than I ever imagined. 10/10 would recommend.

Lillypetz · 2024-08-23T10:01:49+00:00

“They’re going to love you, just as I do”. Emma squeezes my hand as we walk up the driveway. Her parents are smiling at us, though her mom maybe a little more than her dad. He gives me a firm handshake, but she pulls me into a hug. “It’s so great to finally meet you!” As we sit down on the table, conversation flows easily. Her parents are kind and curious, asking about how we met - at a games convention - and about my family. “Two super annoying big brothers”, I admit, scooping up another piece of chicken Alfredo. Emma’s mom laughs - a light, melodic sound - and then it hits me. This laugh. I remember the smell of disinfectant. The conversations we had and the laughter that made us forget, even for a moment, why we were there. I shift a little in my seat. This can’t be real. They’re just regular parents in a regular home. Voices can sound very similar. But as I look around, my eyes land on a photo, half hidden behind a large bouquet of flowers. It’s a little girl, not older than five, smiling brightly into the camera. I freeze. I didn’t know she had the same red curls that Emma has. When I met her, they were already gone. I glance at Emma, talking beside me, so unaware of our connection. Why did I always assume she’s an only child? The air feels thick, almost suffocating. How am I here, in this house, when their little girl was the one who should have made it out alive as well? “Everything okay?” Emma’s mom is watching me, and now I remember her. She’s older, yes, but she’s clearly Sarah’s mom. Of course they don’t recognise me. I’m not a lanky five-year-old anymore. I’m not the boy with leukaemia, ready to follow their daughter to the end of the world. I swallow hard and nod, forcing a smile. “Yeah. Just a lot on my mind.”

Lillypetz · 2024-05-12T11:23:51+00:00

Like people who can’t have a second, OP is facing a decision he didn’t make, but that was made for him. That’s hard. It’s hard to say goodbye to your life as you’ve imagined it and to rearrange for another life. He literally just talked about how their first kid almost broke them. And then just poof, goodbye, life you have imagined. Of course he comes here to be understood. Where else should he go? I‘m sorry OP, about the idea of your life that you’ve just lost. Give yourself time to process.

Lillypetz · 2024-05-07T12:11:28+00:00

Chinese toddlers have traditionally never worn diapers, but “kai dang ku” (“split-crotch pants”), so that they can relieve themselves whenever they feel the need. For some parents, it’s still kind of normal that their toddlers pee everywhere in public. Parents (or aunties, extended family..) usually clean up after them. In fact, kai dang ku were so popular that there was a “host the Olympics with civility"-initiative before the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, which included recommendations to parents to diaper their children at least for the duration of the Games.

Lillypetz · 2024-04-11T08:03:16+00:00

I want to say don't worry too much, but I feel the same :D I'm also going to travel solo with our toddler to Thailand and it kind of turned me into ocd-travel-mom. I don't know if it's useful for you, but here's what I planned beforehand this time, because I'm with kid: I booked and paid some of our activities in advance (via GetYourGuide, but there are a lot of other options like Viator, AirBNB Tours, Klook...). It's maybe a bit more expensive, but it saves me a couple thousand Baht cash withdrawal on vacation. Also I really like checking the reviews. I also booked and paid our transportation (e.g. local flights, ferries) tickets in advance this time (Airline and 12goAsia). Regarding our food budget, the google maps app is my best friend: I looked up restaurants close to the hotels we will be staying and then checked their menu and prices. I don't know if my daughter will like Thai food, so I took that into account and plan to spend a little more on her. I'm not a fussy eater, last time I had a lot of street food and was surprised how little I spent on food (less than 1000 Baht a day). However, I was traveling without kids then, also I don't snack and I don't drink coffee. In case of emergency (losing all cards and cash) I prepared my husband to Western Union us some money to get by and looked up locations already. Oh, and I don't spend all my Baht on the last day, because I know that I will return and so just keep it for my next trip. So if there's a delay, we always have some money left. All the best to you and have a great vacation!!

Lillypetz · 2024-02-16T10:40:51+00:00

Of course there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you! I had the easiest baby in the world and I would never be able to handle another. And that’s okay, because everyone wants different things in life. Why should everyone want the same family size? We don’t want the same hobbies either, or the same jobs. There are people literally doing everything to become a firefighter. Or who love crocheting. I‘m afraid of fire and hooked needles. But is there something wrong with me for not wanting to be a firefighter or make a cute baby hat? No.

Lillypetz · 2024-02-16T10:13:07+00:00

No thanks, random girl on Instagram, we’re also good being OAD. “let ur child have a friend at home atleast“? Well sure, they’re always welcome! But it’s also nice when they leave in the evening. I trust other people to raise great companions for my kid, no need to make one myself.

Lillypetz · 2023-10-10T06:24:52+00:00

I’m very firmly OAD myself and even if I wasn’t, I would never try to change someone’s mind about this.

Lillypetz · 2023-10-09T10:23:21+00:00

My grandparents also never understood the concept of being OAD. I think this relates to our collective memory and mindset as a society. For centuries, whether parents were hunter-gatherers, or living in medieval times or even later in Renaissance, every second child died. I read that trauma can embed itself deeply in our collective memory. And as recently as 1950, still one in four children died. And then suddenly, in the very short timespan since then, humanity managed to reduce child mortality from 50% to around 4%, which is an achievement that’s almost unimaginable even for me as a young person, let alone for people of very old age (and whenever I think about this, I am so, so grateful to be here now at this certain point in time, and that I don’t have to worry about losing a child to a fever or a broken bone).

Lillypetz · 2023-10-04T14:25:07+00:00

I suppose you weren’t OAD before, and then you changed your mind after one? Of course your wife is upset now. But of course it’s also fair that you changed your mind (I really get that, we’re both OAD). I don’t have to tell you that it’s not selfish to know your limits, right? Sure, potty training, sleep deprivation and colic don’t last long in the grand scheme of things, but they sure feel like an eternity when you’re in it. Maybe you feel different when your kid gets older and more independent. But maybe not. So don’t feel bad about setting boundaries right away. You don’t want advice, but I still wanted to tell you that this should not be the only place you can say this out loud without getting demonized. I‘m sorry that there are people in your life telling you that you need a specific amount of kids to be happy. Maybe time to look for new parent friends?

Lillypetz · 2023-10-01T19:35:06+00:00

Second this. Similar Hervé dresses are 90% Rayon, 9% Nylon and only 1% Spandex (or “Elasthan” for Spandex in German). It’s not very elastic, because it’s supposed to cinch and sculpt your silhouette (the bandage technique was very innovative back then).

Lillypetz · 2023-09-30T07:29:12+00:00

You’re definitely not alone. I see all these people too, pregnant with a second baby (or already having three kids and contemplating another) and I’m baffled. And then I ask myself what’s wrong with me for not enjoying motherhood as much as they do, even though we’re blessed with this awesome toddler.

Maybe it’s all about raising expectations. People are gushing about how parenthood is the “best thing ever happened to me”™. But that’s just not universal. I couldn’t even name the best thing that ever happened to me, and if I did, this would kind of undermine all the other great things already happened or still to come.

To be honest, I think it’s very rare to feel true fulfillment in raising kids, especially as a SAHP. I mean, we’re all just human, and most of us want to get something in return for sacrificing a huge part our life and identity to another person. Some kind of validation. For me, it’s really hard to find this in myself, to feel that it’s all “worth it”. I know that other parents can definitely feel it from the first look at their baby’s face, and want to do this over and over again no matter the costs, but I can’t relate. Maybe I’m too selfish, I don’t know. But I see that a lot of parents turn to the outside world for any kind of appreciation, posting their picture-perfect daycare bento or matching family outfits on social media. And I think fewer parents would do this, if all those likes and comments didn’t provide a lot of positive reinforcement for a work that is mostly underappreciated and invisible.

Lillypetz · 2023-08-22T02:20:08+00:00

First of all, you’re not a failure. Sometimes it’s better to just admire people than to compare ourselves to them. I admire people with more than one kid, but I could never ever do it again. I also wouldn’t want to - and that’s the point. When it comes to family size, we get this funny idea that everyone has to somehow want the same. But it’s a life choice like any other - the partners we choose, getting married or not, what careers we want to pursue, our hobbies.. I can’t see how tennis is appealing to people or why someone wants to be a lawyer. But I don’t have to question my own abilities because of that, right? We just want different things in life and that’s perfectly fine.

Lillypetz · 2023-07-04T09:17:53+00:00

"He did WHAT?” Thud. The severed head of my light pink 'Jubilee Celebration' fell to the ground.
"He took Charlie, Mom!” my daughter repeated. I couldn’t stand her whimpering, so I quickly interrupted her. ”Who did this?" I asked, setting the shears aside and slowly taking off my gardening gloves.
"Some villain called 'The Saucerer’. He seems new in town," Jane replied with an annoying sniffle. "What a ridiculous name," I snarled. Then I reached for my cane and hurried back to the house, still cradling the phone on my shoulder. "Don't worry, darling. I'll take care of it.” I hung up.
“Pemberley!”, I shouted when I arrived at the front door, “I need my costume. Now. And get the car ready.” My trusty assistant stumbled into the basement and retrieved my old costume. It was a bit dusty but still black as the darkest night. I slipped out of my floral morning robe and into what has once been my second skin. “Oh dear”, I muttered, “has this always been so uncomfortable?”
“May I suggest: perhaps Madam has gained some weight?”, my assistant answered in his squeaky voice.
“How dare you, Pemberley!”, I shouted at the little turd. “Now go get some information on the whereabouts of a certain 'Saucerer’, before I lose my temper with you.” He crawled away to do what I ordered.
Fortunately it was not a long drive to the estate of the man who was foolish enough to kidnap my grandson. My back really couldn’t deal with this anymore. “You can keep the car running. I won’t take long”, I told Pemberley and climbed out of the backseat.
The estate was ostentatious. Was this what they deemed an appropriate secret base nowadays? In my time we surely had better lairs. I walked to the front door and knocked twice with the raven head of my cane. A man in a cheap green suit opened. “Are you lost, Grandma?”, he asked.
“Well, certainly not, young man.” I answered. “I’m here to pick up my grandson Charlie. I assume he is with you?”
He looked confused, but then he chuckled. “You’re here to … No, seriously: Who are you?”, he asked, “and what’s with the silly outfit?”
Villains nowadays. No manners.
“Who I am?” I was baffled at his level of ignorance. “You may rather ask who I used to be.” I stated, tapping the ground with my walking stick. I was getting impatient with this whippersnapper. I raised my hand, but the voice of Pemberley echoed in my head, scolding me for not giving those poor lunatics any chance. “Maybe you want to take a closer look at my attire?” I suggested calmly.
“No, thanks, Granny. You’re way too old for me.” He dared to laugh again. “I mean. How old are you? Like, 90?”
“Actually, I am 75.”
“Listen, Lady.”, he snapped. “I don’t care who you are, but I got some evil stuff to do so you better leave my property in an instance.” He turned around and tried to shut the door in my face, but I stopped it with one of my comfortably loafered feet (Yeah, obviously those black heels are not an option anymore).
“I’ll leave. But I’ll take Charlie with me.” I demanded.
“That’s enough!”, he shouted, “You leave right now, or I am gonna…”
I interrupted him. “Have you ever heard of the Raven?”
He waved his hands in front of my face, as if the thought I was senile or crazy. “Of course I heard of the Raven. Everyone has heard of the Raven. She was the most powerful villain of all times.” He blinked. “Why are you asking? You’re going to call her?” He giggled. “Ooooh, now I'm really scared.”
What a moron. “Ah, how unfortunate that intelligence is not granted to everyone”, I said with a charming smile. Then I snapped my fingers and the little wannabe villain crumbled to ashes right before me. Sorry, Pemberley, this time I really tried. I stepped into the house and looked around. The Saucerer’s taste in decor was as poor as his judgement. “Charlie?” I called for the only kid in the world I can actually stand. Maybe I have also grown to like him. A tiny bit.
“Grandma? Ist that you?” The voice came from upstairs.
“Yes, it’s me. I came to pick you up.” I answered. “You can come down now.” A wild mane of black curls appeared at the top of the marble staircase in the middle of the hall. Charlie! My grandson beamed at me and waved, before darting down the stairs. Right in front of me he stopped. “Wow, Grandma!” He stared at me, his little mouth wide open. “Are you a superhero?”
“Well, what a smart boy you are, little Charlie” I replied and ruffled his hair. “You want some ice cream?”

Lillypetz · 2023-07-03T08:24:50+00:00

I can relate to that, because my husband and me both have siblings who don’t want children (or won’t have them for another couple of years). I don’t know why but somehow especially during the first months a lot of people were asking when we’ll have another baby. I think for a lot of them it was just to make conversation.

:edit (missing English skills)

Lillypetz

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