In an e-mail sent to his family, Dean Rennie began with some mundane news. “I just finished watching the Husky-Cougar game. (13 to 16) They had it on ESPN,” Rennie wrote on Nov. 23 from Bangkok, Thailand. “Looks like both teams have a lot of work to do. Wash. needs to find a new kicker.” But then he gave a warning of things to come.

“Things are getting a little restless around here.”

Rennie, a retired teacher from University Place, traveled to China this summer to teach English, and recently went to Bangkok to look at orphanages where he might volunteer during a later trip. He was scheduled to make it back Wednesday, but with Bangkok’s airports shut down and more than 300,000 travelers stranded, Rennie does not know when he’ll be able to return.

“Not sure if I’m going to get out of here by Wed. Things continue to spiral out of control,” he wrote Saturday. “Hope I can get home for the Rennie Christmas party. I don’t want to miss that.”

Anti-government protesters last week took over Bangkok’s two civilian airports in a move that has crippled the nation’s economy. Security troops have surrounded the airports, creating a volatile standoff that is leaving hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded.

Some have been able to sneak out through a small airport, but most are waiting in the city or in the airport for their chance to leave.

Rennie’s wife, Robbie Rennie, has been checking her e-mail for updates about her husband. Rennie still loves to teach and travel, but Robbie says “he forgets that he’s 75.”

She doesn’t know how nervous he is about the situation, but “he wouldn’t let me know if he was,” she said.

Rennie, who taught business at Mount Tahoma High School for 32 years, shouldn’t have retired when he did, Robbie said. When traveling to China in 2005, he fell in love with the people and began looking for teaching jobs in the area. He finally got his chance this summer to teach in a private school. He ended up working days, nights and weekends, putting together curricula for fourth grade through high school. After a while, he decided to head down to Bangkok and look for orphanages.

“He loves it there, he loves the people,” said Robbie, an administrator at Mason Middle School.

Since the demonstrations began, Rennie has been watching and reading the news and waiting to see when he can make it out. He’s there alone, and spends his days out in the city.

“He’s not one to be stuck in his room,” said Barbee Booth, Robbie’s sister who visits sometimes for support. “He loves the people over there and so I think he doesn’t feel like he’s in any danger.”

Robbie is checking regularly with the airlines and making sure that Dean touches base with the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok so the government knows he’s there. But other than that, the two e-mail and hope for the best.

“Will keep in touch,” Dean wrote on Saturday. “And don’t worry, Bangkok is still the City of Smiles.”

Brian Everstine: 253-597-8374