My name is Karsten Blokker, I am 43 years old, I am a wheelchair user myself, the first time I traveled to Thailand was 11 years ago. I live there since 1995. And I started a guesthouse for disabled people in 2002.

To many people travelling to Thailand in a wheelchair almost seems like something impossible.
When I came to Thailand for the first time, some eleven years ago, my family was very much against the trip, they worried a lot.. Nevertheless I went. The plane ride was extremely boring and long. At Chiang Mai airport a friend was waiting for me, which made the trip a whole lot easier. Only after he had picked me up and helped me to settle into my guesthouse, he left me to my own devices, almost.
The accommodation wasn’t quite what one would call accessible. I only could get into the bathroom with the front of my wheelchair, so I had to get on the floor first before going to the toilet or taking a shower. However, after most of the furniture was taken out of the room and the door was taken out of the bathroom it was very useable. That is what I have experienced all over Thailand, the helpfulness toward disabled tourists. At first they don’t know what to do, but once you have shown it to them they are usually very willing to help.

The first time I went to Thailand I stayed most of the time very near to my guesthouse, during the daytime I went usually to the Warorot Market, a covered market, and during the evening time I often went to the nearby Night Bazar to eat and to shop. I bought so much that I actually had to buy an extra suitcase. I only once went out for a longer trip of 3 days, on a tour to the Western city of Mae Hong Son, with a stupid fat man and a smart guy with only one leg. I dubbed them the Fox and the Tom Cat, from Pinochio. They managed to strip me out of my money without a real return, in a similar way as the Fox and the Tom Cat had treated Pinochio/ On my own this was enough adventure for me, for the first time.

My choice for Thailand is not coincidental, but sort of scientific. I wanted to go on a holiday to a Third World country, but not too Third World, because then I wouldn’t be able to get around by myself. And I would possibly catch some illness. It couldn’t be too expensive, so the Carrabiea fell of immediately, and there must be at least, some sort of democracy. Please no war and no violence either. Thailand came trough this test as the only tropical paradise where one could get around with wheelchair, in freedom, on a modest budget

I liked the laid back atmosphere and the climate of Chiang Mai. Amongst all the cities of Thailand Chiang Mai came out to be the best place to settle down. It is neither too big nor too small; it has its own handicraft industry. It doesn’t rely entirely on tourism, like many of the coastal towns. Because it is not too busy it quite easy going with your wheelchair on the street.

In the Netherlands I had just managed to get my Masters Degree in Human Geography, but I had failed to get a job. So when I moved to Thailand I did that with a carrier in mind. At first I associated me to an organisation devoted to advance the life of physically disabled people. I developed a plan to set up a computerschool for disabled people. When the first money came in and I requested a job, I was unfortunately kicked out on the street. During the dying days of the computerschool I met the people who would determine my life even up to this day. First of all I was slowly warmed up to ‘invest’ in a tourist magazine, by the name of Good Morning Chiangmai, By early 1998 I decided to buy this magazine. Only when push came to shove and I wanted to fire the person who had warmed me up in the first place, he turned out to be a crook and by April 1999 my investment had evaporated and I had lost a few illusions. Meanwhile I had stuck up good relations with a Thai/Lahu woman, not for romantic reasons, but to sell hemp fabric and hand-woven bamboo baskets together. This business is still going on and flourishing.

Nowadays my life has lost a lot of its adventure, but still I have the good weather, my nice house. And what I like most, is that you in Thailand never know what the day will bring. Every morning
I get up with sort of a plan of things to do, but most of the times my plans are useless. Usually because suddenly something has broken down that has to be fixed or replaced immediately. I have never liked improvising very much, but now I do. It keeps me on my toes.

Many people in a wheelchair will not go to Thailand. Just the getting there, a more then 12 hour airplane ride, from Europe. Once you got there, where to stay? In such a 3rd world country there hardly can be any accommodation available. How do you get around? Wheelchair access vans can’t be there. And finally what to do? None of the attractions will be accessible for me To answer all this questions for colleague disabled people we set up Baan Khun Daeng, a small guesthouse especially for wheelchair users, like myself and their family and friends. We aim to offer an affordable holiday, with as much or as little activities as our guests like. If you visit our guesthouse you don’t have to worry about anything, because I am disabled myself and I know Chiangmai already for 11 years.