I first went to Thailand in 1997 and immediately fell in love with the country. Thailand at that time to me was mysterious and exotic, full of potentials and pitfalls.
Fast forward to 2010 and here I am after 13 years and many trips to the LOS sharing, with the help of my 
Chris from My Egg Noodles
Today I have a blog for you that isn’t completely Thailand focused, but that’s mostly because the blogger spends a LOT of time traveling. In 2009 his travel looked like this -> Thailand > Vietnam > Thailand > UK > Thailand > Laos > Vietnam > Malaysia > Indonesia > Singapore > Indonesia > Thailand > UK > Vietnam > China > Thailand > UK > Thailand…and that’s just the country list, if you look at it by city it’s about 5 times as long!
Because of the extensive travel this blog is loaded with great photos and you should visit it just for that reason, but realize that there is much much more there. The tag line is “Food and Travel Blog”, but there is also a healthy dose of business related writing as the young man who runs this blog is trying to create a business while traveling and he shares some of his trial and pitfalls in that regard.
Overall a very worthy addition to anyone’s RSS feed, and since the blogger plans on settling down to focus on his business I believe most of the near future posts will be coming from Thailand.
1. What is your name, the name of your blog and the subject matter of the
Thailand blog (language, food, general life, nightlife, etc)? If you don’t
mind, please provide a photo of yourself so I can share it with my readers. We
all like to see who it is that we’re talking to.
My name is Chris. Blog name is My Egg Noodles which covers food, travel and business.
2. How long have you been blogging about Thailand? What was your inspiration
to start My Egg Noodles? Did you (or do you) blog about any other subjects?
Been blogging for 3 years – just do it for fun now but when started did it to keep family updated on what I was doing with my new life.
3. Obviously you are not Thai and have chosen to expatriate to Thailand. What
country are you from originally? What made you choose Thailand as your home
away from home?
Cost of living, friendly locals, good food, nice weather and great hub to explore the rest of Asia are a few things that drew me to Thailand.
4. How long have you been visiting and/or living in Thailand? If you’re
currently living in Thailand, what part of Thailand do you live in? Why did
you choose this city/province over others in Thailand?
I’ve lived in a few areas; Koh Samui in the south, Bangkok for 3 years and in a couple of cities in the north east Thailand. I’m writing this in Mukdahan, which is located on the Lao/Thai boarder but will most likely move to Khon Kaen within a month or two.
5. From the south of Thailand to Bangkok and Chiang Mai and the NE provinces of
Isaan Thailand is very different depending on what part of the country you’re
in. What is your favorite region in Thailand and why?
I haven’t got one fav. Bangkok is best for eating, while the south is best for lazy days spent on the beaches with a fresh coconut. Although I do like Isaan and feel it deserves more attention as the locals are defo the friendliest I’ve ever met.
6. Even though Thai food is really built upon the same 4 precepts as Chinese
food (sweet, sour, spicy and salty) Thai food is known throughout the world for
its spicy component. Do you like spicy food? What is your favorite Thai dish?
I can eat spicy food, but not blow-your-head-of spicey. My fav Thai dish, although it changes on a monthly basis, is currently ka-nar moo gob (Chinese kale with crispy pork)
7. Thailand is known to be very affordable as a tourist destination and as a
place to live. What things do you find to be the biggest bargains in
Thailand?
Nightlife.
8. Even though there are bargains to be had, some things are certainly more
expensive than others. What do you find to be most expensive in Thailand?
Anything imported. From wine and cheese to cars.
9. There are many good reasons given by those who live in Thailand for settling
in the Kingdom. What do you feel is the best part of living in Thailand?
The laid back culture and people is what it’s all about for me.
10. One group that’s easy to find online are the complainers who live in
Thailand, but seem to feel that the Thai’s should change to accommodate their
Western guests. What things do you feel are frustrating for foreigners living
in Thailand? Do you think these aspects of Thailand should change or that they
are simply part of the culture?
The ones that complain are generally the ones that have been here to long and don’t take trips outside the Kingdom on a regular basis. Unless you do that, you forget how great Thailand is. Also, I’ve noticed that the ones that complain also can’t speak Thai… and I think you miss out on understanding Thai culture to a deep level if you can’t speak their language.
As for me, I just go with the flow and appreciate there will be things I disagree with where ever I live in the world.
11. Considering the last few years especially it’s evident that Thailand is a
country in flux. Western thinking and Western customs are rapidly invading the
Kingdom. The Thai people seem to be looking for change and the political
leadership in Thailand is constantly changing. How do you think Thailand has
changed since the first time you visited, both positively and negatively?
I don’t really follow politics and don’t talk about politics with my friends. So, from my perspective, I don’t think much has changed (between now and my first holiday 5 years ago).
12. Even with all the changes in the past decades, it’s safe to say that
Thailand is very different from any Western country. How is your life in
Thailand different from your life in the West?
Not much is different really… in the sense that I work, I eat out every day, I hang with my friends, I go out for drinks a few times a week… I would be doing this in any city I chose to live in. What’s different are my surroundings, the culture and the fact I’m normally communicating in a different language.
13. Please tell us about 3-5 of the best posts from your blog.
Chris asked me to choose so hopefully I did good. With almost 600 posts over the past 3+ years it’s tough to go through them all and decide. So, I decided to go with the three major themes on My Egg Noodles…food, travel and online business.
Being a bit of a foodie myself it was WAY too hard to single out one food related post as best so I want to direct you to the My Egg Noodles Food category where you can indulge your gustatory cravings (visually anyway).
Everyone writes about why they love travel, but here’s 10 Things I Dislike About Long term Travel. I’m sure many of you will be able to relate.
Attention All Digital Nomad Wannabes – This post struck a bit of a cord with me since I am a Digital Nomad Wannabe 
If you liked this interview why not go check out all of my Thailand blogger interviews.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Check out these similar posts:
- Ben From Thai Pirate
- Talen from Thailand – Land of Smiles
- Malcolm from Retired in Thailand and Loving It
- Vern from Thai Pulse
- Mike From My Thai Friend
- Jungle Girl from My Jungle Life
- Jon from Jonny Foreigner
Steve – Chris is one lucky young man to have taken in so much travel at such a young age. He is also one with a bright head on his shoulders because he appears to take it all in his stride whereas so many of us older folks are apprehensive at times about going somewhere new and unknown.
If Chris reads this comment then I would like to ask him as to how he has funded such a long adventure. Is it through work you are doing whilst you travel, rich parents perhaps, previous hard graft and savings or maybe a sponsor of some kind. I hope Chris doesn’t mind me asking but I am rather intrigued.
@Martyn
Thanks for the kind words!
I think my success boils down to a few things:
I can afford to take risks – as I’ve got nothing to lose. I’ve got no commitments, no kids, no mortgage, no debt. This was intentional from an early age so I could take risks. I also have no savings: I invest every single penny I have into either having a good time or back into my business.
I go with gut feeling. I’m not an intellect and don’t really have an education behind me so from an early age I’ve always learned to go with my gut feeling (hence why I have called my 2 new companies Gut Shot).
I’m not afraid of failure – I sank some serious money into my company in Bangkok which flopped – but I don’t regret it one bit. I learned heaps.
I like building stuff from nothing – there’s no better feeling for accomplishment!
I realise life with money is so much more fun than life with no money! I grew up in a very poor household and learned that not having any money is shit.
I outsource all my work. This allows me to get 5 times the work done for the same time input.
But above all, I work my arse off! I love hard work and when I’m not working I personally feel guilty (And when I’m not at my desk I’m still thinking about work). Although my blog showcases the highlights from my travels, my life doesn’t always run smooth. I run into problems on a daily basis… but these are boring, so I tend not to write about them.