Thousands of anxious villagers  in the Udon Thani subdistrict of Prachak Sinlaphakhom (where Gecko Villa is located) slept fitfully, if at all, last Sunday night. It was not the heat that kept slumber away, nor  distant thundestorms. It was the thought of how tomorrow would inexorably change their lives. Parents, relatives and friends were only too aware that early on Monday, the young men of the region faced the dark algebra of the Thai army conscripts'  lottery.

One of our eldest sons was amongst those who attended the selection. Registering early in the morning, he was processed together with the crowds of other young men, none of whom wished to spend two years performing military service. After all, they had each had the opportunity to elect to sign up to the army beforehand - and had each declined it.

A number was written on the forearm of each young man of eligible age, this number being linked to their village, name and ID. Under the relentless April sun, once the throngs had been processed, they were told to report back at 1p.m. to draw lots. At the grounds of the local sub district, they then filed into the restricted area and were made to sit in rows, aligned by number, facing the ominous green box at the front of the hall - the box that would decide their fate.

The army officials explained the process, which they videotaped and photographed. In our son's "lot" from our village, 146 nervous youngsters had calculated the chances of drawing a "red card" were around 1 in 3. They were all hoping for a black card which would exempt them from the 24 month military service - be this in the army, navy or air force.

In turn, they were called up to the army green box at the front of the hall, where they were guided to reach into a sealed box to withdraw one tightly packed straw. This they then gave to the army official who removed the paper from inside the straw and then, as the young man waited nervosuly - sometimes with false bravado, sometimes trembling - read out over loudpseakers whether he had drawn a black or red card. A black card would grant him immediate freedom, whilst a red card would mean imminent service, and the details of  the branch and location of the armed forces to which he would be attached would be announced.

As the process played out throughout the afternoon, groups of young men, often with friends or families, could be seen in bunches around the grounds - some with broad smiles and cans of cold beer, others with dropped heads and disbelief, attended by tearful mothers.

A seasoned village policeman viewed the scene and commented quietly: "Today it's freestyle. How can we intervene? We just have to prevent complete chaos - but other than that, one eye must be blind in compassion."

Our son, much to his disbelief, drew a black card. A wide grin exploded across his face and his eyes widened as he feted by friends and family. "Mount Fuji has just been lifted from my chest!" he declared.

With the days across Thailand getting hotter and hotter as we approach Songkran (the Thai New Year), many locals and residents are pondering where to spend the days from 13-16th April.

As the word Songkran refers to the change of position of the sun and means to move, pass or change place - from the Sanskrit Samkranti - thoughts of travelling are indeed appropriate.

Many have already booked an escape abroad from the relentless water throwing and mayhem, whilst others will head for Chiang Mai - and a minority will choose to experience a Bangkok seen only one a year - with quiet roads and crowd-free streets reminiscent of Paris in August.

Gecko Villa is currently available on a "first-come, first-served" basis for the Songkran festival. Cocooned at the villa, you can relax without interruption and make your own choices about when to get wet - simply rolling from the sun-drenched deck into the private pool. Enjoy freshly cooked Thai meals during your stay and, when you have recharged your batteries, you can venture out into the local rice farming villages that come alive with returnees from the capital and elsewhere, keen to celebrate this festival with music, dancing, rice whisky .. and wild water wars. 

Visit us online now and start planning your escape to the rice paddies! After all, the idyllyic picture of Songkran above now no longer reflects the raucous reality, and it's only in the countryside that you can escape to true relaxation...

A stroll around one of the many wet markets near Gecko Villa can be an eye-opener. The majority of these markets offer local produce, freshly grown in the immediate vicinity.

Whilst you may confront fresh turmeric root or sauted insects here for the first time, you can also clearly see exactly what you are purchasing...which in turn may often shock you.

Most Thai markets are laid out in a more or less ordered way, with different sections focusing on specific items: fresh herbs, spices and vegatables; colourful stalls of seasonal fruit; wriggling bowls of live fish and seafood; Thai condiments and sauces, and stalls selling beef, pork, chicken and duck. The latter often seem to affront the senses of many visitors, who are used to purchasing either refrigerated, film-wrapped polystyrene packages of butchered meat, or vibrantly packaged cardboard boxes of ready-made meals. Many are not accustomed to seeing wooden chopping blocks and cleavers lying next to pigs' heads, intestines, uterus, offal and more - or a leg of cow strung by the hairy hoof, dangling above a bundle of tripe and bags of blood and bile.

It is perhaps not unusual that in a country with a hot climate, and a people obsessed with food, that freshness is considered paramount. Thus fish are bought whilst still alive, and in the small farming villages so too are duck, chicken and more.

Perhaps the European scandal over the discovery of horse meat in dishes purportedly  containing beef will help to encourage a greater interest both in food provenance in general, and in home cooking rooted in fresh ingredients.

Dinner in London. Lunch in Bangkok. Luggage in Lagos...

Frequent flyers may well have experienced the growing sense of unease as, upon arrival at their destination,  they watch the baggage conveyor belt gradually empty - with no sign of their own suitcase.

If this happens to you, contact your airline's airport office and file a lost baggage claim. They will issue you with a document that includes a reference code. What they may well not tell you is that you can check the progress of your "case" online. World Tracer, in cooperation with IATA and over 400 airlines, runs an internet-based, lost baggage tracking service. Simply visit the sytem from any computer, type in your reference and surname, and the system will tell you if your baggage has been found. If so, it will also reveal  on which subsequent flights it is being forwarded to you.

We recently welcomed guests at Green Gecko who experienced such a delay, and this system provided us immediate and accurate information about the suitcase, without the need to waste precious time in telephone enquiry queues. We were therefore able to collect the baggage on their behalf and to reunite it with the relieved guests before their onward journey. Bookmark the link before you next fly!