14/12/2025
𝟏𝟎 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒!
Tomorrow, December 15th, 2025, marks a full decade since I first landed in Pattaya. Ten years! I know tomorrow will be too busy for any deep reflection, so I’m writing this a day early which, honestly, feels perfectly 'me' for the past ten years.
-
It’s been a full-blown new life. One I barely understood then, certainly wasn't ready for. But that’s precisely where the interesting bits lie. My main gig in Russia was logistics. Physiotherapy, my second medical degree, was always my deep passion, a genuine desire to help, using what I knew.
-
I first tried the 'sensible' route: sending off CVs to Singapore, Bangkok. Ninety-eight there, fifty-three here. Crickets. But back at Tony’s old gym on Third Road, something clicked. A German gentleman’s shoulder, a walk screaming lumbar stenosis, small tips, big relief. Slowly, it dawned: real, nuanced physiotherapy was surprisingly scarce in Pattaya.
-
Things definitely shifted. After 1.5 years helping out at Fitness 7 (forever grateful for that trust), I officially opened my own rehabilitation centre on March 1st, 2018. From starting alone, seeing 9-13 patients daily (sometimes two at once!), we’re now a dedicated team of ten, welcoming 30-37 people every day. We’re definitely outgrowing our space faster than expected, but honestly, that’s a pretty good problem to have, isn’t it?
-
There have been challenges, of course. But the good has always far outweighed the bad. And looking back now, with a quiet sense of satisfaction, I truly wouldn't trade these extraordinary ten years for anything.