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DougBangkok

Nancy Chandler’s Map of Chiang Mai

by DougBangkok February 6, 2010 General
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Men are convinced that women cannot read maps. They know this to be a fact. If you go up to a man, any man, on the street, give him your map, and tell him that you are lost and you want to go to the National Museum, he will take your map, unfold it, and [...]

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Living in Thailand – Life and Death on the Farm

by DougBangkok January 13, 2010 People
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This story was related to me recently by a waitress who normally works in Bangkok, but goes back to her village periodically to see her children and work on her farm. “I buy baby chicken in market five baht. She go, ‘cheep cheep cheep’ allatime. She follow me roun’. She think I am her mudder. [...]

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Visa Run to Vientiane, Laos

by DougBangkok May 14, 2009 Expat Life

A few days ago, I made my first visa run to Laos, by bus. Normally I go to Singapore to get a 60-day tourist visa, but the last time I went, they refused to give me a 60-day visa because I have an open e-ticket back to Canada. They now want a confirmed ticket, and [...]

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Yet Another Cambodia Visa Run

by DougBangkok April 14, 2009 Expat Life

Although I swore I would never do it again, I made another visa run to Cambodia by bus. The one I use leaves from the coffee shop opposite Ekamai Bus Station at Sukhumvit Soi 31. It leaves at 9:30 AM, which is an OK time for me, and returns about 7PM the same day. It [...]

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How to Learn Thai Like a 4 Year Old Kid

by DougBangkok January 17, 2009 Thai Culture

How does a child learn a language? They are born unable to speak, and for the first 12 months, just make noises. But after 12 months, words come. Single words initially, but by 24 months, most children are speaking in simple sentences and have a vocabulary of several hundred words. By the age of 5, [...]

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Thai People and Common Sense

by DougBangkok January 17, 2009 Hazards

Having lived in Thailand for a number of years, I am convinced that Thai people lack the common sense gene. I love them, I love living here, but every farang here has seen many examples of seemingly stupid behaviour, ranging from sidewalks that are broken and barely usable to the recent tragedy at the Santika [...]

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Bangkok’s Unknown Fertility Shrine

by DougBangkok January 16, 2009 Thai Culture

A small shrine, hidden away on a hotel’s grounds, contains hundreds of wooden models of a penis, placed there by women wanting to become pregnant. Almost unknown by tourists and undocumented in most tourist guidebooks, it is easy to find and worth visiting. Located on the grounds of the Nai Lert Park Hotel, a five [...]

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Some Thai Girls Aren’t Girls

by DougBangkok August 13, 2007 Thai Girls

Anyone who has ever visited Thailand will know about the beauty of Thai women. In their twenties, they are striking. In their thirties, they are looking more mature, but still most are very attractive. The women working in the ubiquitous bars and massage parlors of Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket are mostly former housewives, believe it [...]

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Learning to Speak Thai

by DougBangkok August 13, 2007 Thai Language

The main problem with learning to speak Thai is that the basis of the language is not European-based. English and the other Euro languages have Latin, Greek, Viking, etc., roots; Thai does not, so you have to memorize hundreds, if not thousands, of strange and unrelated sounds. This is difficult, unless you use some sort [...]

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Some Thai Food Has Six Legs

by DougBangkok August 12, 2007 Thai Food

Many people enjoy Thai food worldwide: spicy soups and salads, flavorful rice dishes are abundant. But in Thailand, fried or roasted insects and scorpions are also popular, readily available, and inexpensive. Insects have traditionally been a rich source of protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals in the Northern Thailand diet. They are also prized as delicacies. [...]

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