Khun Da, You Will Be Sadly Missed, Isaan Thailand.

I am writing with a very heavy heart tonight as Khun Da, Noot’s grandfather passed away at around 3.30am this morning (Tuesday 14th December).

View Ban Dan Tha Kwlan in a larger map
It wasn’t a shock as Khun Da had not been in the best of health of late and Noot had been out to see him in the village 120klms away in a village well off the road called Barn Dan Tha Kwian. The village is off to the right with all the markers.

Noot, Joom, Ben, Jack and Ja visited a few times in the last 5 days but Noot was sadly not there when he passed on. She would have loved to have been able to stay with him until the end, been holding his hand until his last breath. When she came back last Friday, and cried when she spoke of seeing him so frail, you could see the pain it caused her thinking of Da like this. She knew that his time was close, and not being able to do anything hurt her so much.

I have written before on how much Noot loves him, how much respect she has for him, and this is what breaks my heart. I wrote back in 2007 how much I admired Khun Da and the respect I had for him, how he had raised a large family and looked after them so well for so many years.

Thankfully we have many pictures of Khun Da that Noot will be able to cherish, and of course memories of time spent with him as well.

Khun Da would spend the heat of the day in his hammock, under the house with a cool breeze blowing off the Mekong River just 200 metres away from his house.

I remember my first trip and seeing his house in 2005 and saying to Noot that I wasn’t staying at such a place and where the nearest hotel was (miles away). My first few trips, we stayed at Noot’s friend’s house which I thought was better as it had concrete walls, and an inside toilet.

About our third trip to the village, Da asked for us to stay with him in his house and we did and did so every other time we travelled there. I really appreciated the simple living, not needing what I thought were necessities.

Even though Da was well over 80, he would rise early and go downstairs sweep the yard of leaves, make a fire and burn them all off. Then he would spend the day pottering about the place doing this and that.

We have pictures of him with Nong Ja, from when she was just a new born until a few days ago. And I still remember one very funny moment when Ja was just a month or so old.

We were in his house upstairs, trying to get some pictures done, Ja was being a baby and crying a bit. Khun Da muttered something and the girls rolled about in laughter with tears rolling down their cheeks.

When I enquired to what I missed, Noot informed me that Da had said, “If you don’t stop crying I will put you in my ass.”

When she was young and cried I would only say, “I will put you outside.” That has nothing on Da.

So I will not be blogging for a little bit. I will be travelling out to the village tomorrow night to attend the funeral service and cremation on Thursday.

For a week this post will stay as an obituary of a top bloke (Aussie lingo).

Khun Da, you will be truly missed but not forgot as you will remain forever in our hearts until our day comes to pass on.

Jason, Noot, Benjawan, Joom, Jack and Nong Ja xoxoxoxo