Take Your Toddler to Thailand

When I was 35, I broached the subject of children with Cody. We’d been married for 12 years and hadn’t talked about having kids for the previous five-ish, both of us unwilling to acknowledge that soon it would be “now or never.” His response to my request for a child was to present me with a pre-baby bucket list and asked for a year to complete it.

One of the items on Cody’s bucket list was to go to Thailand with me. He had been there for work and wanted to experience it as a tourist. We traveled around the country and satisfyingly checked that item off the list, along with most of the others, and felt ready (sort of) to close the door on spontaneous adventure and open the door to patterned parenthood. Then along came Skye.

Just two weeks after her third birthday, we took her to Thailand. It was her 11th country, the first in Asia, and the most welcoming of all. Thai people generally love kids, and Skye played the part of happy-go-lucky, toddler tourist perfectly. We’d learned by then that the door to spontaneous adventure didn’t close, it just opened differently.

This is a compilation of our interactions with the locals that illustrates why I recommend you take your toddler to Thailand. We visited Krabi, Koh Lak, and Phuket.

1. Thai families become your friends.

One afternoon we went swimming at Ao Pra Nang Beach, and Skye befriended kids a bit older than her, out for an afternoon with their parents. They didn’t speak English, but with gestures and common words we were able to learn their names and tell them ours. They were excited about Skye’s name because they were fans of Paw Patrol and gave Skye a Paw Patrol swim ring they’d brought to the beach. She played with them and the swim ring for a while. When it was time for us to go, they gave Skye the swim ring to keep! We bowed a lot and said kob khun ka (me) and kob khun khrap (Cody). Thank you in Thai is gender specific.

At sunset Skye befriended more Thai kids and together they collected beach treasures and built in the sand.

A family who ran a beauty salon along the main street came out to talk with Skye each time we walked by, which was several times a day. Their son was about her age and eventually we made a point to stop so the kids could play together. On the third day they invited Skye to have a little picnic with their son.

2. Restaurants welcome kids.

Most employees went out of their way to interact with Skye. A server at a restaurant in Kho Lak brought her a special drinking glass for her apple juice…

From our table at this restaurant on Ao Pra Nang Beach, we enjoyed a sunset dinner while we kept an eye on our busy toddler. The setting was every parent’s dream!

Skye was tired during our meal and an employee at this Koh Lak restaurant saw she was sleepy and accommodated her with a makeshift bed. We had a delicious and quiet meal while she slept.

4. Adult tours accommodate kids.

We signed up for Smart Cook Krabi, unsure of what Skye would do while we participated in the class. We had nothing to worry about, as the Thai family who hosted the class were delighted to include Skye in the experience. Mom taught the class while dad and their kids played together. Interacting with the family with the shared experience of parenthood, and watching Skye play with their kids, made that day our favorite of the trip.

5. General kindness of strangers.

Skye’s Skye swim ring blew far away in strong winds and teenage boys sprinted to retrieve it for her, not once but twice. Our Airbnb hosts made her special breakfasts every morning of banana pancakes and breaded fresh baby corn (her favorite). A woman working at a restaurant near Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi befriended Skye and brought her treats from the kitchen. An employee of an ice cream stand we frequented gave Skye a free scoop. Everyone shared ample smiles in the land of smiles, and we can’t wait to go back!