How traveling to Thailand changed the lives of this OAT couple
By Loujean LaMalfa, 2-time traveler & Vacation Ambassador, Santa Rosa, California
I’d always wanted to go to Asia—and since I’d worked in the marketing field and frequently learned about how people were traveling and who they traveled with, OAT was a name I began to hear frequently. So I signed up for OAT’s mailing list and received a brochure about their Discover Thailand adventure.
What began as a simple desire to travel to this area of the world became a trip that would truly change the course of my life.
Our journey to Thailand provided my husband, Barry, and me with many unique opportunities to go behind the scenes and be a part of the lifestyles of the beautiful and gracious Thai people.
Loujean meets Fair for the first time during an evening puppet show in Chiang Mai.
One evening, our Trip Leader Pablo brought us to Chiang Mai for dinner and told us to expect a “special surprise.” After we arrived, we were taken to a garden patio in a lovely teak-built home, where we found a stage and a colorful puppet screen set up. Although we did not understand what the puppeteers were saying, Pablo explained the folktale to us beforehand in English so that we might be able to understand it. He continued to tell us that there was a special surprise in store for us—and although we were all quite curious, Pablo would not spoil the treat.
At the conclusion of the wonderful puppet show, Pablo told us we would be introduced to the puppeteers. As the small puppeteers emerged from behind the curtain, our group realized what the surprise was: The eight puppeteers were children who attended a small village school sponsored by Grand Circle Foundation. Each child took turns introducing themselves to us.
Fair and her fellow students pose for a photo after their Thai puppet show.
I looked up in the midst of these introductions and spotted one of the older puppeteers. My eyes met those of the young girl and I realized I had a huge lump in my throat. I can’t express the feeling I got as I looked upon this child. All of the children were special, but for some reason, this particular girl stole my heart: It was love at first sight. Her presence stayed with me throughout our stay in Thailand.
We took many photos with the children after the puppet show, and when it was time to go, we realized how hard it was for us to say goodbye to these adorable children.
When we returned home, I quickly developed our photos from Thailand. When I came upon the photos from the puppet show, I smiled. They were perfect. I had copies made and sent them to Pablo, asking him to please make sure they got to the children and their teacher in Chiang Mai. I also requested the young girl’s name. After talking with Barry, we decided we wanted to sponsor this child and help her with her education if we could.
Three months went by before we heard from OAT’s Program Services Manager in Bangkok. The photos had been passed to the Chiang Mai school and I was told I would hear from the girl’s mother in the near future—and as a matter of fact, I received a letter from her the following day.
Eleven-year-old Fair, with her mother and Loujean, during her school graduation.
The envelope contained a letter from the child’s mother, photographs of the family, and a letter from the child (in English). Her name was Kotchakorn (but everyone calls her Fair). As Barry and I read the letters and saw the photos, we were so filled with joy and love that tears streamed down our faces.
I turned to Barry and told him that we had to return to Thailand—and since my life had been changed during that first trip with OAT, I knew we needed to plan our next trip with OAT as well.
We returned to Thailand about a year later, and during that trip, we met Fair’s family and learned about the beautiful 11-year-old child who would become “our” little girl. One of the first things the family wanted to know was how we wanted to be addressed. In the end, I would be called “Nonni” (for grandmother) and Barry would be called “Papa Bear.”
Fair, her mother, Loujean, and Barry celebrate during a ceremony where Fair was named “The King’s Student” by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the royal palace.
Fair is now 18 years old. With our help, she has completed her schooling at a prestigious school for girls, where she excelled, became one of the most popular girls at school, and was named president of the school—and she accomplished all of this after coming from a very small village school in Chiang Mai. She is an incredibly gifted singer and competes in national competitions, where she usually wins first prize.
Barry and I now have a home in Thailand, and we spend six months of the year there in order to be close to Fair and her family. What I find so amazing about this incredible journey is how sweet Fair has remained over the course of our lives together. She has never lost the innocence that first captivated me when I met her. She has so many friends and family everywhere, but she still remains focused on her studies and devoted to her singing. She’s a beautiful, magnetic child and Barry and I feel blessed to be able to be a part of her life—and if it wasn’t for our first trip to Thailand with OAT, none of this would have been possible.
Loujean and Fair share a special moment during Loujean’s visit to Thailand three years ago.
Meet the friendly and gregarious people of Thailand on OAT’s Discover Thailand adventure.