Browsing my twitter stream yesterday afternoon I came across a series of tweets from fellow expat Cambodian blogger LTO_cambodia that caught my attention.

My maid (50yo woman) saved 2mnths & borrowed against next mnth for #KNY, gota $150 bonus from me & just got robbed by 2 boys on a moto.

— Casey Nelson (@LTO_cambodia) April 12, 2012

Her bag ripped from her, knocking her off the motodup, on her way her way to the bus to go home to BTT for #KNY. — Casey Nelson (@LTO_cambodia) April 12, 2012

She now sits bloodied and crying in my office, her #KNY ruined so 2 young boys can buy beer and whores for Khmer New Year. — Casey Nelson (@LTO_cambodia) April 12, 2012

So sad to hear that a hard working and honest Cambodian woman was targeted by youths praying on people returning to their families for the Khmer New Year celebrations. Unfortunately, this will be only one of many similar situations that will happen this time of year in Cambodia.

The story had a moderately happy ending when local staff and even a cyclo driver dipped into their own pockets to help out.

Heartening reaction to the robbery here at the office. The staff (all Khmer) took up a collection. Even cyclo driver out front contributed. — Casey Nelson (@LTO_cambodia) April 12, 2012

You can read the full story on Casey Nelson’s blog.

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(This is a guest post by my wife who is in a much better positon than me to pass on information about how to have a baby in Bangkok as an expat in Southeast Asia).  

Step 1: Find somewhere to stay

Where you stay will obviously depend on your personal situation & budget.  We have a 3-year old who sleeps in her own room at home so I was hoping to find a nice 2-bedroom serviced apartment.  In the end, we opted for a 1-bedroom in a nicer, more modern place.

The living area at Legacy Suites, Bangkok

We stayed at Legacy Suites on Sukhumvit, Soi 29.  Although probably one of the higher priced options, I can’t say enough good things about this hotel.  The room was perfect – good size (with separate bedroom), very clean, new washing machine in the kitchen and a gorgeous bathroom with a bathtub and shower.   We opted not to pay the additional 800THB for an extra bed and instead brought a small mattress with us, which we had bought at the market here in Cambodia for $20.  We also brought linens, although our cleaner very kindly supplied us with extra when we were in need.

The staff were excellent – very friendly and happy to help with any of our many requests.  There is a simple but really good Japanese restaurant just beside the lobby, which will also deliver to your room.

Pros:

Close to the hospital

New, clean rooms

Lovely pool & exercise equipment

Friendly Japanese restaurant

Excellent & attentive staff

Short walk away from outdoor playgrounds, Villa Supermarket & Emporium Shopping Centre

Cons:

No local market (if you are into buying local produce & cooking)

Not many cheap restaurant food options nearby – particularly if you are vegetarian

Price – more expensive than other serviced apartments

Step 2: Choose a Hospital & Doctor

The hospital most expats seem to favour is Samitivej - and for good reason.  They are well set up and run a very efficient business; the hospital feels much more like a hotel than a medical centre.  Their 2 birthing rooms are each equipped with a large tub, a comfortable bed, cushions of all sizes, a birthing chair, and other various contraptions.

Samitivej Hospital birthing room

There are several doctors available (you can view individual photos and profiles online) and again this is a personal choice.  We went with Dr. Nisarath for several reasons.

• Firstly, she is a woman.
• Secondly, a good friend of mine had had her baby delivered by Dr. Nisarath last year and was very positive about her experience.
• Thirdly, both my husband & I immediately liked her at our first appointment.

Her approach seemed very natural – she didn’t make me have an ultrasound but preferred to use human touch to determine the baby’s position, etc., and also didn’t insist on any additional blood work or testing.

Step 3: Book an Appointment

Book an appointment online before you arrive.  The hospital website is easy to navigate and lets you choose a specific doctor, or will assign you one if you have no preference. 

Step 4: To Fly or Drive?

We were able to drive from Cambodia into Thailand.  This obviously cut down on costs and allowed us to bring whatever we needed from home.  It also gave us some more freedom getting around Bangkok although public transportation is very straightforward and taxis inexpensive.   See my husband’s post here for more information on taking your car into Thailand.

Step 5: Prenatal Classes & Doulas

I started out wanting to have a doula – a friend of mine had a good experience and directed me to The Parent Vine for a network of practicing doulas in Bangkok.  I contacted a few, but none of them were available.  I emailed the contact on their Facebook page to find out the date of their next ‘meet the doulas’ session, but never heard back.  Although going the doula route did not work out for me, don’t let my experience deter you if that is what you are looking for.

In the end, I was actually very happy we did not have a doula.  The midwives who work with Dr. Nisarath were top-notch: very encouraging throughout the whole labour and totally supportive of my wishes for a natural drug-free birth.  They were highly skilled and knew exactly what I needed every step of the way.

Midwives at Samitivej Hospital, Bangkok

Step 6: The birthing ‘package’

Most doctors at Samitivej will offer you a birthing ‘package’.  This can work well and will generally set you back around 55,000THB for a natural birth, and 78,000THB for a scheduled c-section (these do not include prenatal care appointments, tests, etc).  Where people run into problems with these packages is if/when they veer off course – i.e. a natural birth turns into an emergency c-section.  You will then find yourself paying full price for procedures and equipment, which could run as high as 215,000THB.

Dr. Nisarath did not offer us a package but was able to give us estimates as to what we might spend depending on the outcome of the birth.  We very fortunately were able to have a natural, drug-free VBAC.

Just after we became a family of four

Step 7: Follow-up Care

Our paediatrician, Dr. Olarn, was wonderful.  The hospital generally follows the American immunisation schedule and recommends Hepatitis B and BCG (tuberculosis) vaccines for newborns.  Dr. Olarn asked about our living situation and what we had done for our daughter when she was born, and finally suggested that nothing was immediately needed.  Of course this is a personal choice and a decision that needs to be made on a case-by-case basis.

I personally received excellent follow-up care from Dr. Nisarath and felt very supported and encouraged to continue with breastfeeding.  The hospital also provided us with 2 free vouchers for the lactation clinic.

Total cost of our Samitivej experience: 95,000THB (including all pre and post natal appointments for both me and my newborn, birth certificates, etc).

This equates to $3,065.51, £1,936.79, EUR 2,346.34 or AUD 2,974.77 at today’s exchange rates.

Some tips on saving money:

Spend as little time in hospital as you can.  We saved upwards of $600 by only spending 1 night in the hospital.  Again, we were fortunate that there were no complications and both baby and I were fine to leave.

Say no to any ‘gifts’.  We were given a package as we left the hospital which included nappies, wipes, sterilized pads, pyjamas, etc.  In my euphoric state, I naively thought this was a lovely parting ‘gift’ from the hospital and thanked them profusely.  Only once I had looked at our bill in detail a few days later did I realise that we had paid top dollar for these items – most of which I did not need!  Hindsight, I would have politely declined.

*Of course if you are covered under insurance or have opted for a package, the number of nights you stay & this array of baby items will already be included in the price, so take whatever you can get.

Step 8: Entertaining your older child/children

There are plenty of things to do with your toddler while you’re waiting for baby to arrive.  This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but includes the activities our daughter most enjoyed and that were close to our apartment.

The playground at Benjasiri Park

Playgrounds at Benjasiri Park

Where: Beside Emporium Shopping Centre/BTS station – Phrom Phong

Cost: Free!

Tip: You can buy fresh orange juice or a coconut for 20THB from the street vendors.

Jamboree Land (indoor playground for toddlers)

Where: 3^rd floor of Emporium Shopping Centre/BTS station – Phrom Phong

Cost: 50THB/child

Tip: Jamboree is very loud.  Don’t go if you are looking for some peace & quiet!

Fun-arium (large indoor playground)

Where: 111/1 Sukhumvit Soi 26

Cost: 180-300THB/child, 90THB for adults

Tip: Sneak into the parent’s room for a drink & some down time while your child runs wild.

Lumpini Park

Where: MRT station – Silom

Cost: Free

Tip: Be sure to check if there are any events going on at the park.  We stumbled upon a free sunset concert with the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra – one of the highlights of our stay.

Siam Ocean World

Where: Basement of Siam Paragon Shopping Centre/BTS station – Siam

Cost: Varies depending on which package you choose.  Set us back 1,700THB for 2 adults, 1 toddler + baby.

Tip: Our daughter absolutely loved this place – but don’t go on a national holiday (as we did) as it will be packed.

Baby Gym

Where:  Emporium Towers/BTS station – Phrom Phong

Cost: 700THB/class (first session is free)

Tip: A very expensive hour so we only went twice but our daughter loved it.

Also be sure to check out the BAMBI website which is an excellent resource for playgroups in the Sukhumvit area.  The site also has a very good classifieds section for secondhand baby accessories (which are very expensive to purchase new in Bangkok).

Step 9: Places to Eat

Sushi at Isao in Bangkok

Some of our favourite places to eat/order take-away:

Pizzeria Luigi – Italian

Sukhumvit, Soi 25

02-204-1223

Al Ferdoss – Lebanese

77/1 – 3 Sukhumvit, Soi 3/1, BTS station – Nana

02-255-8200

ISAO – Japanese Fusion

5 Sukhumvit, Soi 31

02-258-0645-6

Food Courts – Thai

Emporium Mall – Sukhumvit, BTS station – Phrong Phong

Terminal 21 – Sukhumvit, BTS station – Asok

Sakinoya – Japanese

12 Sukhumvit, Soi 29 (Legacy Suites)

02-690-1900

Khun Churn – Vegetarian Thai

Sukhumvit, Soi 42 – Bangkok Mediplex Building, BTS station – Ekamai

02-713-6599

Step 10: Where to buy food

Eating out in the Sukhumvit area is not cheap unless you are eating street food (which can be a challenge if you do not eat meat).  At home I am used to buying all of our produce from local markets, so I struggled not having one nearby.  Having to rely on supermarkets was definitely more expensive and often offered imported produce rather than locally sourced options.

After checking out a few different supermarkets, we ended up doing all of our food shopping at Villa Market on Sukumvit between Soi 33 and Soi 35 (opposite Emporium), BTS station Phrom Phong.  It’s small – in a nice way – and carries pretty much everything you need.

All in all having our second child in Bangkok was a very positive experience and one we would have no hesitation in recommending. 

Please ask any questions in the comments.

(NB. This post is under copyright from Talesfromanexpat.com – please do not reproduce any part of it unless you have asked permission first)

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Most of the modern architecture in Cambodia leaves something to be desired. Across the countryside beautiful old wooden houses are being pulled down in favour of the more modern look.

Here are a two examples of buildings I have seen in the last few days.

This property clearly shows some of the new design methods that are being adopted here in Cambodia.

Blue tiles, bright green outside walls and pink and blue window frames. Pillars at the front of the house are commonly used by wealthy Cambodians to show their opulence, but it seems builders have begun to adopt this style on smaller properties too.

Here is another example of bright walls and a questionable design.  This could be the narrowest building I have ever seen. I mean, seriously?

Does anyone know what brought about this new style of building?

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There are lots of beautiful spots in Cambodia. The Kampot riverside though has to be one of my favourites.

Taken with an iPhone 4S.  Apps used Filterstorm and Camera+.

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A month or so ago I wrote a post on expat life in Cambodia that many interpreted as my announcement of leaving Cambodia shortly. This was certainly not the case. Yes, we will be moving to France this year for the spring and summer but only because we have a wonderful opportunity to do so. We will be back in Cambodia in September / October and have no intention of leaving as yet.

Even though there are frustrations I have particularly enjoyed a number of things recently about our life in Cambodia. Here are my top ten at the moment:

1) Our house & garden

Three years after building our house I feel it is finally beginning to feel like a home and not just a house.

2) Peppercorns Pre School – Kampot

Our daughter’s school started by a group of expat parents. It provides a fun play-based curriculum for a number of mostly expat kids living in Kampot between the ages of 2 and 6, led by a qualified western teacher. Our daughter is very happy there and so the question of education does not need to be addressed for a while.

3) Our new generator

Spending $220 on a generator was one of the best things I have done in ages. We have a lot of power cuts here in Kampot; some long and some just a few minutes.  Being able to maintain power at all times has made my life a lot easier.

4) Cafe Espresso in Kampot

A relatively new restaurant in town run by an Aussie couple who are consistently producing delicious vegetarian specials (as well as meat options too).

espressokampot.blogspot.com

5) Running

People who regularly follow this blog know that I have recently taken up running.  Kampot is a great place to train and run – very flat and lots of quiet and safe paths away from cars and bikes.  Getting out four mornings per week has reminded me of Kampot’s beautiful countryside.

6) Sharp Scissors Barbers – Kampot

I have started to visit my favourite barber in town to get a $1 shave every few days. The particular guy I go to is a master with a cut throat and it feels like a little bit of a treat every time I go.

7) The Kampot Facebook Group

A few of us started a Facebook group called Kampot & Kep Noticeboard for Expats & Locals last year and it has become a great little community resource with over 150 members.

It’s extremely friendly and I think reflects the type of foreigners that choose to live permanently in Kampot.

8) Our Sunday outing

We’ve been making an effort to get out and visit friends at their businesses at the weekend. A nice lunch out and often a chance for our daughter to get a play date with some of her school friends.

Recently we have paid visits to Kep Lodge, Utopia and Samon’s Village.

9) The cool Kampot breeze

We are coming into the hot season now which many find the worst time of the year. Kampot always seems to get a cool breeze coming in from the coast. A friend of mine who lives in Siem Reap recently told me that temperatures there are around 37C at the moment. We’re enjoying days around the 30C mark but with a nice breeze too.

10) Fresh fruit from the garden

Our garden is now producing mangoes, bananas, star fruit and all sorts of herbs.

And one for luck

11) Car Wash 

Getting my car cleaned for $2.50 inside and out is a total joy

If you’re an expat what are the little things in life that you are enjoying right now?

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