Thailand!

Thailand: Eight Visits and a Heart That Still Beats Faster

For Steve and Alison Kruger, the creators behind this space, Thailand isn’t just a destination—it’s a love story that began in February 2017 and has blossomed with every return. Eight visits later, what started as curiosity has transformed into an unshakable bond with a country that feels less like a place and more like a part of their DNA. The map pictured here, traced with roads they’ve driven and paths they’ve wandered, tells a story of devotion: zigzagging from misty northern highlands to palm-fringed southern islands, through bustling cities and villages where life hums to the rhythm of tradition.

Thailand’s magic is no secret—the golden temples, the spice-laden air, the smiles that feel like sunshine—but for Steve and Alison, its true allure lies in the details uncovered over years of return. They’ve followed backroads to hidden waterfalls, explored markets where few tourists tread, and shared time with locals who’ve become friends. Each market on the map pins not just a location, but a memory: a sunset over the Mekong, a monk’s blessing in Ayutthaya, a roadside stall in Pai that serves the best khao soi they’ve ever tasted.

This year’s journey, their eighth, feels like flipping through a well-loved scrapbook—nostalgic, yet brimming with new chapters. The accompanying map, ink still fresh from their latest adventures, reveals fresh routes and rediscovered favorites. For them, Thailand is a living tapestry, endlessly rewoven with every visit.

To scroll through these pages—and trace the map’s winding lines—is to join a journey that’s as much about the heart as it is about the horizon. Because after eight years, the Land of Smiles isn’t just a place they explore. It’s a place that rewards them right back.