Traveling in Thailand with a disability

By Coconuts Bangkok

 

Walking the Kwai Bridge. All photos: submitted by author.

 

By Tam Gilbert

 

“Sun, sea, sand, and a few months to work out what I want from life” are typical reasons the average young Brit decides to visit Thailand. But I’m not that young anymore—I’m in my late 30s and disabled. As a sufferer of cerebral palsy with vision limitations, it’s hard enough to navigate England, my own country, without spontaneously “finding myself” in another. Day-to-day life can take meticulous planning, and holidaying abroad—particularly in Asia—when you have sight impairments and mobility issues, isn’t as easy as you’d think.

 

I’ve recently returned from a 12-day trip to Bangkok and Kanchanaburi, where I stayed with an old friend and his wife. They’ve been living in Bangkok for some years now, so I thought there would be no better way to satisfy my need for adventure, and at the same time, celebrate big birthdays and our 30-year friendship, than to pay them a visit.

 

My friend is a teacher, so we needed to plan the trip around school holidays, and this was particularly important as I am unable to get around new places on my own. The six-hour time difference between our two countries makes it hard to have regular planning conversations, so although we had a Skype chat about my needs and I sent a few emails about things I’d like to see, I pretty much left it to him to organize the itinerary. All I had to do was to buy some summer clothes and turn up.

 

Full story:  https://coconuts.co/bangkok/features/traveling-thailand-disability/

 

-- © Copyright Coconuts Bangkok 2017-07-27

Nice to hear some story of joy in Thailand instead of all this nag, nag, nag...

I'm happy for the woman who enjoyed her stay here. However, it took 1 1/2 year to install an elevator for wheelchair access at the Surasak BTS station while others still have none, but they have seats reserved for monks at the trains.

Don't bring a wheel chair to Chiang Mai.! Hopeless situation. The pavements not even safe for able bodied!

Good on her for managing to do it.

4 hours ago, Lupatria said:

I'm happy for the woman who enjoyed her stay here. However, it took 1 1/2 year to install an elevator for wheelchair access at the Surasak BTS station while others still have none, but they have seats reserved for monks at the trains.

 

The elevator at Phayathai is roped off with signs warning of repair. It's been like that for several months. Never see anyone doing anything or any progress.

 

The disabled association should lobby to have the compensation payments made to disable people starting at once.

Yes ...it's pretty shit but ...as a disable person ... you do what you can when you can ... and have no regrets , I live in  Chiang Mai, pathways are always taken up with stalls ... am in BKK at moment and its bad here ... just walk on road ..have one leg and just had a knee op on the other ... just a challenge... only ...they try to run off the road .!!