Ruben Arenas ’05

October 29, 2025
Balloon, Carlos, and Ruben on Koh Muk, Trang Province, Thailand

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ruben and his son Carlos decided it was time for a big change. After five years of leading educational programs at East Los Angeles College as Vice President of Academic Affairs, Ruben stepped down from his position. In August 2022, he and Carlos each packed two bags and moved to Bangkok, Thailand.

Since then, Ruben has been working remotely as a software engineer—most recently for Adyton, a company that builds apps to make life easier for U.S. service members. He feels lucky to be working alongside his best friend from high school and one of his former students from ELAC, which makes the job even more meaningful.

Carlos will finish high school in May 2026. He’s thinking about college either in Bangkok or Los Angeles—but he’s not a fan of being pressured to decide just yet.

Not long after moving to Bangkok, Ruben met Nontawat “Balloon” Moonradab. After a short courtship, they fell in love. When LGBTQ marriage was legalized in Thailand in 2025, they tied the knot at their local district office with family present. Now, Ruben, Balloon, and Carlos are happily settled into life in Bangkok. They travel whenever they can—so far visiting about 15 provinces in Thailand (only 60 or so left!) and taking trips to Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, and Vietnam.

Ruben’s been learning Thai and practices whenever he gets the chance—though Balloon lovingly keeps him humble by saying, “Wrong!” after nearly every attempt.

Balloon is looking forward to his first trip to the U.S., once he can get a visa approved. In the meantime, friends and family often visit them in Thailand, keeping their home full of laughter and good food.

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