Author Archive

I’ve always been a poor correspondent and an even lousier diary or note taker. Due to that I quite often find that the best memory prompts are photographs. In the new era of digital photography, photo storage is simple and my computer hard drive is now cluttered with thousands of images. Somehow though, opening...
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Last December out and about doing my Christmas shopping I purchased a copy of the Lonely Planet Guide to Turkey for my daughter Natalie as she was planning a trip there in 2006. Together with the Turkey Guide, as part of a promotion for Lonely Planet publications, I was also given a free copy...
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To a confirmed non-smoker like myself, one of life’s mysteries is how anybody can insert a burning ember in their mouth, drag back its fetid smoke and then say, “God, I enjoyed that”. The Tobacco industry in the west at least has been under attack this past quarter century by health groups, community action...
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One term that has entered into today’s language is that of the modern tragic. Not tragic in the sense of calamity or back luck but rather descriptive of borderline or even complete obsession or absorption by an issue/ topic. This can range from anything from cricket, golf or even the belief that vinyl long...
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For the Farang visitor to Thailand one of the big draw cards to the Kingdom is the sociability of the Thai people. Definitely not a nation of loners, Thais tend to do everything in groups – work, play, and study –a country where friendships more often than not are made for life. In fact...
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Nobody plans to get sick on their holidays (not if they are sane anyway). However, over the years through circumstance I have had to avail myself of medical treatment in Thailand due to Flu, fatigue and a badly gashed finger. In each instance the treatment has been quick, efficient and delivered by well-trained medical...
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The Isaan town of Phimai is situated about a forty-five minute drive north of the Provincial capital of Nakhonratchasima. It’s a quiet unassuming little town (mind you – the modern traffic has become particularly fierce) and in terms of landmarks has only two real calls to fame. The first is the Sai Ngam “Beautiful...
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Thailand is a nation of people continually on the move with all this movement helped on its way by a superb transport network. Whether it be by rail, bus, plane or increasingly by car, most areas of the Kingdom are easily accessible. Excluding other means of private and public transport, it’s the Bus that...
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Two of the lifestyle categories that people are sometimes lumped into are that of “Morning People” and “Night People”. Why people fall into these categories is probably due to simple preference, attitude to life, or even genetic disposition. An attitude that is often driven by the fact that daytime hours tend in the main...
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The large numbers of shrines and monuments that can be found in Thailand are important examples of the nations pride in its cultural and historical heritage. Although approached from a Buddhist perspective many if not all have themes that are either animist or Hindu in origin, or have a direct reference to Thai history....
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The other day I came across an old work acquaintance that I hadn’t seen for about 15 years. He asked whether I still spent my annual holidays in Thailand to which I replied yes. To that he asked quite pleasantly, aren’t you bored doing that every year. A bit defensively I said no I’m...
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When I paid my first visit to the Kingdom in 1977, I had a basic understanding that Thailand was a Buddhist nation. It was an understanding similar to my understanding that the first Atomic Bomb had something to do with uranium – in other words the harsh reality was that I knew nothing. Of...
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This Blog had its origins pretty much in random thoughts that have been banging around in my skull for years. The thoughts involve the choices Thailand has made in becoming a premier tourist destination – the opportunities both won and lost. I was able to put these thoughts into a more cogent order after...
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