By ROBERT WOMACK FROM HOLLYWOOD TO ASIA Building a house in Thailand can be financially inexpensive compared to the high cost in the United States. However, before I discuss with the reader the costs incurred by us, it is important to know some background and motivation to undertake such an endeavor. Since the early days of service in the United States Air Force, I have loved Southeast Asia: the people, their cultures, food, beaches, and weather. Therefore, I have made many trips back to my favorite place of all, Thailand. On one such trip back to Bangkok, I met a schoolteacher named Mena, at a large modern shopping center called Terminal 21, and of all places Starbucks Coffee. Mena was a university graduate and physically received her diploma from the King of Thailand, Maha Vajiralongkorn. We hit it off well and on my next visit to Thailand we spent many months together traveling around the beach towns. Unfortunately, on my next travels to Thailand, after gaining a yearlong Visa, COVID-19 struck not only the USA but Thailand as well. Thailand was shut down and I was forced to return to the USA. Mena and I maintained video communication and continued to develop our friendship. In the interim, Mena’s school was closed, as were all schools, along with the public businesses in Thailand. Thailand like many other countries was in lock down. Consequently, Mena was forced to return to her home Providence in Sis A Ket and to her mother’s farm. On the farm, Mena worked with her family growing and harvesting crops like rice, onions, garlic, and chili peppers. Additionally, they also raised chickens and a few head of cattle. Eventually, the COVID restrictions were lifted in Thailand, and I returned to Mena. Again, we visited...... Read more on Full Issue!