There’s nothing quite like visiting a province you haven’t been to before, and Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) is a place I’d thought a lot about in the past. Korat’s location makes it unique on a few levels. Firstly because Korat marks the start of the Northeast of Thailand, commonly referred to as Isaan. Secondly because it [...]
I came across this video and was obviously intrigued by the title, thinking it was going to be the compete opposite of what it actually is. Watching it is a great reminder of why I ending up staying in Thailand. The diversity of life and interesting fusion of heritage and culture makes it one of [...]
There are few people who don’t enjoy Thailand, and many, like me, decide to make LOS their home for a while; some for life. Thailand combines cultural diversity, paradise-like beaches and an array of unique experiences for every age and gender, so much so that it’s easy to remain ignorant to what’s going on behind [...]
After a terrible experience staying at the InterCity Hotel last year, I referred back to the names of a few hotels I’d noted walking around the city. I really like the classic wooden finish hotels with traditional Laos interior design, but there’s only a few hotels in Vientiane with this theme and not all make the grade. [...]
Songkran is probably the most fun time to be living or holidaying in Thailand. It’s baking hot, the beer is flowing, the music pumping and the laughs and smiles in abundance; even more so than usual. However, for those experiencing the Thai New Year (old) for the first time, and those who got too drunk [...]
Every year hundreds of thousands travel to Thailand and the rest of SE Asia for extended stays; three months, six months, and quite often one year at time. Unless you’re on a ’round the world’ ticket of sorts, the likelihood is that you have or will purchase,’Long Stay’ or ‘Backpacker’ insurance. It’s quick to do [...]
You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that the Thai numbers were written in the international format as standard: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc – because Thais (generally) write using the same numbers we do, and signs all over Thailand feature the same. But what you may not have noticed is the real Thai numeric [...]
When my cousin announced to his mum that he wanted to head for Thailand and teach English she had a fit. She worried that he wouldn’t get a job and end up in all sorts of trouble. Of course, being the responsible cousin that lives in Thailand, I was armed with the task of finding a reputable course [...]
The rich getting richer is increasingly noticeable in Thailand, particularly if you live in the City of Angels (Krugthep). More high-end car showrooms lining Ratchadapisek road, more exclusive gyms, more foreign brand-name retail outlets and more fancy high-end restaurants; the rich need places to feel their wealth, literally. A middle-class is emerging, too. Look no [...]
I have been in Bangkok near on four years now, and pretty much tried every gym there is worth trying. From California Wow to True Fitness to small condo gyms and back alley spit n’ dust Rocky Balboa esque’ gyms, I have been there and worn the t-shirt, as they say. For the past five [...]
The sad thing about last Sunday’s Thai Fight in Ayutthaya was that it could have been a great spectacle. The arena was full and very lively, the backdrops and lighting were great and there was a great Thai fighter lineup. The problem was; rather that focusing on putting on great bouts, the entire evening was [...]
As I read about another foreigner “falling” from a Pattaya hotel balcony, I shake my head for the umpteenth time. A recent Thai TV news report put the suicide rate amongst foreigners living in Pattaya at an average of one per week; that’s known suicides, as opposed to the “falls” that happen on a regular basis. Many [...]
In 2005, Jordan Clark produced and directed arguably the most compelling documentary ever made about Thailand’s bar girl industry. The documentary cleverly weaves itself through the many facets of the “sex for sale” scene, while centering its focus on the archetypal victim of circumstance; a girl named Pla, whose abusive childhood in a poor family [...]