Puriwaj Puricharoenborrirak from Bangkok has been living in the City for the last two years. Although Puriwaj, vice-president of Preuksa India Housing Pvt Ltd, a Thailand-based company, has been here for quite sometime now, his family joined him here only nine months ago.

His wife Tanyapat is a homemaker and their son Purawee is studying in seventh standard at a private school here. The soft-spoken Puriwaj talked about the City and his experiences so far. “India will be an economic superpower in a few years. It has a lot of potential and that was why my company started operations here. Bangalore is a wonderful city, has very good climate and an amazing green cover. People are expat-friendly here. There is a huge difference in the way of living. I was surprised to see the two sides of the society — poverty and luxury co-existing,” he says.

About the family’s favourite hangout in the City, Puriwaj says, “We like the Shiva Temple on Old Airport Road and the UB City. We also visit the Innovative Film City and Wonder La, which are good for family outing.”

On what is common between Thailand and Bangalore, he says, “Since Buddhism and Hinduism are almost on similar lines, we don’t feel like strangers here. Even when it comes to customs and religious practices, we feel they are almost the same as that of Bangkok. I love Bangalore and India on the whole.”

Ask about the Indian food he likes and the list is endless. “I like chicken curry, chicken biryani, kabab, and chole masala. Among the breads, I like roti and naan. When it comes to sweets, I prefer jamun,” he says.

What does he do during his free time? “I meditate, it gives me immense pleasure and peace of mind. Apart from that, we spend our time discovering new places in the City. It’s nice to explore the sprawling City,” says Puriwaj.

When asked what Tanyapat does in her free time, she says, “I love cooking. In fact, I prepare Thai food for 30-odd Thai children in my son’s school and send it to them. I love going to new restaurants and trying out new cuisine.” Her favourite restaurants are Barbeque Nation, The Oberoi, Taj West End, and restaurants which have Vietnamese and Mediterranean cuisine. “I love shopping and that’s when I run into Thai expats. I’m open to making new friends here irrespective of their background,” she adds. When asked what their son Purawee likes about the City, Puriwaj says, “He likes just about everything in the City. He is very open to people and the culture here, so he hasn’t had any problem making new friends.”

About the one thing they don’t like about Bangalore, Puriwaj says, “Pollution is one thing that I personally don’t like about the City. The atmosphere is forever polluted. The government must take proper measures to ensure a pollution-free atmosphere.”

On India and its culture, he says, “I think India has a strong fundamental value base of different religions and beliefs. There are so many interesting festivals, and different ways of celebrating them. The value system conveys a great message to mankind. What more can a country ask for?” says Puriwaj.