Part 1 Oh man I'm starting to get excited. The plane landed about forty minutes ago and here I am already taking my luggage from the conveyor belt. Forty minutes to walk to Immigration, queue up, get my passport stamped up and pick up my luggage; that must be some kind of record here in Suvarnabhumi. I think I struck a slow day, or maybe not being swamped by one of the many Chinese tours nowadays makes all the difference; whatever the reason, I'm back! After customs, I emerge on the ground floor of the four level airport. I know where I'm going, I need a taxi, but I'm not going to wait in that taxi queue just outside. No sir! I took it once a couple of years ago and … [Read more...]
THAILAND
The Thailand traditional travel guides overlook. I spent 2.5 years living in Buriram. The last time I checked, my Lonely Planet guide had a few paragraphs that essentially said, skip it. Read travel stories and advice from others who experience The Land Of Smiles the same way.
The Hidden Costs of Traveling Bangkok for a Day
Life in Isaan is okay. It’s this awkward balance of farm life and Western habits that my family must navigate through on a daily basis. What makes things a little more complicated is that everything is in Bangkok. Yes, in recent years there has been some great progress in Isaan, like more immigration check points and a passport centre in both Khorat and Khon Kaen, but for the most part, we must still make our way down to Bangkok at least three to four times a year for various reasons. During each visit to the capital, I am continually surprised at how much money my family and I are able to spend doing next to nothing. This last particular visit was on our … [Read more...]
Korat Hotel Review – Sripattana Hotel
I needed to find a hotel with a swimming pool in Korat (Khorat) city. This took my search results down from a hundred to just a handful. I was also working on a pretty tight budget as well which directed me to the Sripattana Hotel. Every ninety days I am required to make my way down to Thai immigration to ‘check-in’. Although married to a Thai national, this is still a process. I must complete whether I'm here on a marriage visa or with a work permit. As a family we try to make the most of these trips and will usually spend the night in Korat. Korat is the closest immigration check point to us, and is about a two hour drive from home. The … [Read more...]
How To Travel To Phutthaisong, Buriram
Anyone training Muay Thai will typically choose, Bangkok, Pattaya, Chang Mai, Phuket, Hua Hin or places close by for their training; Isaan is somewhere not many Westerners will venture due to it being fairly unknown. This is now a very easy trip for me, having travelled many times to Isaan to train, fight and see friends. Getting To Phutthaisong From Bangkok The journey starts from Bangkok. By MRT go to Chatuchak MRT station and take Exit 1. If you’re traveling by BTS, you need to go to Mo-Chit station and exit towards Chatuchak Park. Once you come out of MRT Exit 1, there will be motorbike taxi drivers sitting around waiting for their next job. … [Read more...]
How To Do A Thai Visa Run To Poi Pet, Cambodia
Your allotted time in Thailand is coming to an end. But like most foreigners who visit the Land of Smiles you’re not ready to leave just yet. Assuming you want to stay, you know you have to do a visa run, but which method do you choose? Do you hire an agency for a modest price to take you to the border and handle all your paperwork? Or do you choose to do it alone? After all, you probably took the journey to Thailand alone. So why not deepen your travel experiences? If you’ve been entertaining the idea but don’t know where to start then this post is for you. One of the closest border crossings in Thailand is the Thailand—Cambodian (Aranyaprathet—Poi Pet) … [Read more...]
Black And White
It would be so much easier if the black was black, and the white was white; but when the wife beater is your friend, and the frequenter of prostitutes is someone you respect, lines become blurred. The light becomes darker, and the darkness, pockmarked by lightness. I found myself in the midst of this bleak black and white confusion when a recent acquaintance was telling me about his previous night out with his Muay Thai trainer: “I had promised him a pussy after fight so yesterday paid for it”. After five minutes of pure confusion during which I tried to understand firstly why he was telling me this, and secondly how I should … [Read more...]
Download A Free Thai 2015/2558 Calendar
Every year Thai Visa puts out a printable, full-sized calendar for download. Their 2015 / 2558 (Thai) year calendar is now available. This is an incredibly useful resource for those of you planning a trip to Thailand as it includes all public holidays which may affect your travel plans (as establishments may be closed) and/or may give you new options to experience. Check out for local holiday festivals wherever you find yourself in The Land Of Smiles. Download your 2015/2558 Thai calendar here. … [Read more...]
The Switzerland of Northeast Thailand: Wang Nam Khiao
We ended up in Wang Nam Khiao on a whim. Initially we were planning a trip to Khao Yai, Thailand’s largest national park, and while I was looking for affordable, high-quality accommodation I came across Nicslongstay. It appeared to be exactly what we were looking for. Wang Nam Khiao is a district in Nakhonratchasima Province and is situated between two national parks: Khao Yai and Thap Lan. Wang Nam Khiao is guarded from development due to the fact that the national parks are protected land and you can only access the area by passing through a mountainous range. We arrived during the week; the area is slow moving but I’m told during the … [Read more...]
How To Avoid MSG In Thailand
Eating MSG free in Thailand can be a difficult task. Most restaurants and vendors use it and deciding to cook for yourself can prove to be additionally difficult as most sauces and condiments contain the additive. Few labels list ingredients in English. The following is the result of years of trying to not be poisoned and often not succeeding. Some pointers: MSG In Grocery Stores Assume anything savory contains MSG. Should a food label list ingredients in English, any ambiguous word for flavouring added should be assumed to include MSG. When in doubt, the safest course of action is to only buy savory products (i.e. sauces, potato chips, shredded pork, nori) and other … [Read more...]
Diary of a 124 LB Fat Chick – My Experience with Fat Shaming in Thailand
I have a folder on my desktop that reads Diary Of A 124 LB Fat Chick. It's a piece I've been working on intermittently since arriving in North America from Thailand last year. The topic evokes a potent mix of rage meets shame meets frustration meets helplessness within me. This all adds to why I haven't published it until today. In honour of Eating Disorders Awareness Week which occurred last month, I've decided to publish it raw. I could edit the piece, make it less emotional and more fluid but I've decided against it. The form very much addresses the headspace I was experiencing at the time and emotions I suspect others may deal with. Diary of a 124 LB Fat Chick This is what … [Read more...]
Training Muay Thai In Thailand: Deciding How Long To Go
The following will only discuss the duration of your Muay Thai training in Thailand, not the totality of your time spent in Thailand. Should you decide to travel and train, please factor in the appropriate time you want to spend traveling. The purpose of this piece is to focus on Muay Thai. Now is the time to factor in some of what you previously worked on: determining what it is you really want and realizing what you can take. Don't worry about the finances yet, we'll discuss that in the next piece. The main areas of work you previously have done and should now consider are: What are your training goals? What is your … [Read more...]
Interview With Muay Thai Manager Roberto Gallo Cassarino Of Muay Farang
In a previous interview WBC Muay Thai champion Mathias Gallo Cassarino discussed his muay thai career and his recent WBC title win. Today, his father and muay thai manager, Italian expat Roberto Gallo Cassarino discusses managing Mathias as well as foreign nak muays in Thailand. What is your role as a muay thai manager? I supervise everything with my boxers; goal setting is the first thing! Many boxers have a dream but don't know the way to reach it. Usually, I talk regularly with my boxers on the way to reach their goals. We choose: where and when to train, the diet for their best weight category, the psychology of training and I ensure … [Read more...]
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