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Dating Thai Men: A Personal Experience – Ms. Modern meets Mr. Ancient

Anonymous — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 03:29:29 +0000

Dating Thai Men: A Personal Experience – Ms. Modern meets Mr. Ancient is a post from: Bangkok Diaries

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Part of being in a new culture is to experience everything that the place can possibly teach me. One of my curiosities was Thai Men. When in Thailand, you hear frequent comments just how bad Thai men’s behavior is. Besides seeing congregate to drink whiskey together at 3pm in the afternoon, I wondered how bad of a species could they really be? Whenever I look, they are always smiling and excessively helpful.

So the curiosity of their never experienced character and their exoticism allured me to attempt to actually date them. Here in the middle of Issan, Surin to be exact, I was surrounded by flawless dark skinned friendly Thai men with a permanent gigantic smile stuck on their face. Nowhere in sight was a white man who was single. So I couldn’t help but be attract to them. But were they attracted to me?

I didn’t remember being ugly in America, in fact I consider myself visually appealing after I shower. After a few months, I realized its not in their Thai nature to visually check me out. Never do their eyes fall below your neck. Although it leads you to feel invisible, I sometimes slightly wish this was adopted by some Western Men.

Although you can never generalize men based on one experience from other stories I hear that this is how dating is usually approached. I am not referring to the Westernized Chinese-Thai Bangkok boy but rather the rural Isaan son of a father type. The one who is the least exposed to any form of Western dating, besides a few scenes from the latest American action movie dubbed in Thai.

The Thai way is very subtle. It starts off like a small rolling ball not in a hurry to get anywhere, sort of like a Thai buffalo. They want to court. It’s what they know. That is the polite thing to do. It is polite to turn you down when you invite them back to your room after a night of drinking. It’s almost sacred and very rare form of behavior in the west, but at the same time utterly frustrating to the point of feeling rejected. Their lack of aggressiveness I mistook for being uninterested.

When I met Go, I didn’s even realize that I met him. I would often see him when I went to fill up gas on my motorbike; he worked at the same place. It started off just as casual conversation. As my Thai started to improve, so did the length of our conversations. He was the first Thai guy that showed interest in me. Eventually after about two months of me frequenting the gas station, he asked me to go eat noodles with him. I knew that maybe this could mean something. After a few dates, a double date, and a meeting at the local pub as a group date, he still did not even hold my hand. I gave up, thinking maybe he is just not interested in me. Usually I was able to detect this, but at this time in this unfamiliar place, I was not certain what this type of behavior translated to. It drove me crazy for about a month. Beyond frustrated, I phoned an American male friend back at home for some insight. He asked me if I had ever seen “Hidden Tiger Crouching Dragon.” I said “No, why ?” My friend replies, “Well Sarah, the female is supposed to be the one to show interest in the man in Asian culture. You can’t be afraid to make a move.” My pride suddenly stood up and said NO this is not how I have ever done it. I am not the hunter, I am the prey pretending to run from you.

I swallowed my pride and decided to run after him like the tiger. I called him more and I questioned him similar to the style of some of the stalkish men that I have dated. After all, he was a really shy Thai guy and I was probably somewhat alien like to him. After 5 months total and one month of the not communicating, he finally held my hand, after I grabbed his, and then he finally came to my room, after turning me down several times before that. After consulting with a Thai female, she said it is a very ancient culture and this was his way to show his politeness and that he liked me. I had to revert back to a 7th grade dating mind frame and wow there is something so innocent about that.

Overall, Thai men are more polite. They will not make you carry anything and they will act like a man, and you will act like a female. The roles are very clear. He doesn’t like you wearing clothes that are too revealing. Sometimes he may drink and gamble with his friends but he will always laugh and make you laugh, conflict scares him. Although the language barriers and cultural differences can be vast, Thai men are worth exploring ladies if you are in no rush. Sit back, enjoy and observe the ancient style of dating still alive today.

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Hindu Temple in Bangkok: Sri Maha Mariamman Temple

thaistory — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 06:48:48 +0000

Hindu Temple in Bangkok: Sri Maha Mariamman Temple is a post from: Bangkok Diaries

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Sri Maha Mariamman Temple is one of the two most revered temples by Indians and Thai Indians who live in Bangkok.

The temple is located on Silom Road on the corner of Thanon Pan (opposite Silom Soi 20). It is anly a 15 minutes walk from the Chong Nongsi BTS Skytrain station.

Read a full presentation of Sri Maha Mariamman Temple here.

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Thai Women and Money

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 04:48:59 +0000

Thai Women and Money is a post from: Bangkok Diaries

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Having dated my fair share of Thai women over the years one common trait seen in many of them is an inability to exercise financial discipline. No doubt there are many Thai women who are responsible with money but most seem to take the attitude that Buddha will provide and see no reason to put forth any effort to secure their own financial security.

I was once told by a middle-age, university educated, woman, “What good can my money do me if I’m dead? If I don’t spend it now I might not get the chance.” Sadly, this is exactly how many Thai people from every financial strata view money.

This isn’t about your latest and greatest mobile phone addicted bar girl. These women can be educated, poor, middle-class, or wealthy. It’s just a mindset about money that really damages the country as a whole.

Of course, the hardest hit are those who cannot afford to spend the money. Many of these girls don’t have two baht to rub together but the second they get any money they spend it. Not on essentials but, more often than not, on things they don’t even need.

Not all Thai women are like this. I’ll admit that. But too many are. For a country where most people are living one step above the poverty level the inability to save even a modest amount is somewhat troubling.

In the West we call it Ghetto Rich. Actually, there a more offensive and racist term but let’s just go with Ghetto Rich for the sake of keeping things out of the racist category.

The Urban Dictionary gives several different definitions for both Ghetto Rich and the more derogatory form.

Primarily invested in depreciating assets i.e. cars, clothes, jewelry.

Spending your money unwisely on things you dont need that wont last you that long.

Spending all the money you have as fast as possible just because you have it.

The reason it has the name Ghetto Rich is because that’s exactly where that kind of attitude with money will keep you, in the ghetto. And in Thailand, the culture is such that everyone is worried about “saving face” or “gaining face” which essentially means showing off wealth.

I can’t even count the number of Thai women I’ve known that have been thrown a lucky curve in life and watched them waste it. For example, one girl I met told me about how her ex-boyfriend used to give her 100,000 baht per month to live on. This is a girl who came off a farm in Isaan and was working as a waitress in a restaurant making 7,000 or 8,000 baht per month before she met the guy. She dated him for nearly three years and despite receiving 3.6 million baht during that time period, she said that when they broke up she had 500 baht in her bank account. Surely, she bought a house or a car, right? Nope. She blew every single baht on taking her friends out to hi-so restaurants, partying, and “helping” all of her less fortunate friends.

A girl who I dated previously dated a guy who was making about 300,000 baht per month salary here in Thailand. He gave her her own ATM card to his account and his credit card. She dated him for about four years and at the end of the relationship she had 200 baht in cash and a room stuffed to capacity with clothes and shoes.

I wish I could say these are isolated incidents but they’re only isolated in the sense of the figures involved. The mindset that all money has to be spent and that it should be spent in a way that lets others know you have wealth is one of the core problems facing Thailand because no matter how much money you pump into the country it will remain a poor country as long as the money leaves people’s hands as fast as it comes in.

What compounds the problem is that in many cases the girl winds up with an entourage of leeches. The girl I described above had a cousin who learned that sticking her hand out was easier than getting a job. Here’s this 20 year old cousin living in Bangkok, perpetually unemployed, and asking the girl I was dating to “help” her with the rent or food or whatever. Every morning I would hear the SMS ringtone and the girl I was seeing would read it and show me yet another request for some “help.”

I know many people are thinking that I was simply being set up but I didn’t give her money to give to her cousin. I told her that I wouldn’t because if she didn’t have any money to give then her cousin might finally go out and get a job. As long as her cousin could get by without working she would. It was only when the money was cut off 100% that she would do something for herself.

And that’s exactly what happened. After a few months of not getting any money she left Bangkok and went to give live with her parents who were slightly annoyed that the girl I was dating didn’t do more to help.

She also attracted other leeches during her rich years. She had a small army of girls who kissed her ass and let her be the leader of their gang (Thais like to call groups of friends, their gang) as long as she was footing the bill at nightclubs, helping them pay the rent, taking them out to fancy restaurants, etc. When the money quit coming in her friends all dumped her and only came back sniffing around when we started going out thinking the money train was back. When they found out it wasn’t they were gone.

Many foreigners think that they’re being scammed when in reality they’re just experiencing Thai attitudes towards wealth. They can’t imagine having millions and millions of baht and not throwing it around to let others know how rich they are. And if they have a “rich” (rich is always relative in Thailand) boyfriend all of their friends and family expect some crumbs to fall off of the table. If there are no crumbs for them then she loses face.

My current girlfriend used to have the same problem. She was a shopaholic. We’re talking complete loss of sanity in any sort of shopping environment. Literally, it was like she was on a drug. She would forget I was even with her. In fact, she told me she left her friends at the mall once and forgot about them until she was in the taxi on her way home with her big shopping score. She had to call them from the taxi when the buzz wore off and apologize.

After she agreed that she couldn’t live like that anymore, one of the first things I did was put her on a budget. Normally, she got paid on the 1st and was broke by the 12th. When we first started going out, once she went broke she would ask me for small amounts of money here and there for food or to put money on her mobile. But that grew old for me fast so I started making her turn over her pay to me on the first and I would dole it out to her. She wasn’t happy about that one bit and I listened to many pleas about “needing” a new pair of shoes or a new dress but I held firm.

Actually, what I did was take all of her monthly fixed expenditures like rent, monthly stipend to the parents, etc. and give her that right away so she could take care of those obligations. After that I divided the rest up into four weekly payments and gave it out to her accordingly. Even then she was blowing through the cash as fast as I gave it to her. If I gave her the money on Monday she was often broke by Tuesday. When I refused to release any more funds for the week and she would pout and sulk and tell me I didn’t love her but it eventually sunk in that the money had to last the entire week.

I have to say that even though we had some fights about this method she really did want to learn how to live on what she was making. I have to give her credit for wanting to change and being willing to stick with it.

Once she could live on what she made I figured the next step was to teach her how money is supposed to be used. That it’s a tool to help you make more money and that you want to buy appreciating assets rather than assets that depreciate.

For this, I actually had to reach into my pocket. I made her a small loan of about 3000 baht. I told her she could spend the money any way she wanted but I would show her how she could turn the 3000 baht into 4000 baht.

I walked her through several examples of buying something at wholesale and selling it at retail. How that 3000 baht could become 4000 baht and if she took the 4000 baht and did it again it could become 5300 baht. And if she took the 5300 baht, well, you get the picture.

She got very excited when I showed her a path to being able to replace her job income with her own business. She always wanted her own business and hates what she does (retail sales) but never saw a plan laid out that showed her how to get there. Plus, had she not learned how to live on a budget she would have blown through her capital.

We’re still in the early phases of this experiment but after several brainstorming sessions on what she could sell she’s made a successful trip back to her hometown in Isaan and used the 3000 baht to buy some locally made items that she’s been able to sell to her friends. Her first turnover netted her back 3800 baht which was short of the 4000 baht goal but at I can see a change in her attitude about money. She’s squirreling away money out of her weekly allowance so she can add it to the 3800 baht and buy even more stuff on her next trip home.

Of course, at this stage I’m still financing part of the business. I pay for her trips back home and I’m not really interested in getting my original 3000 baht starting money back. I’m also prone to helping her feel good about how she’s doing by taking her out to celebrate or buying her little gifts as encouragement.

But I’m also getting something back too. I no longer have to explain to her why I’m not spending my money like a drunken sailor. She understands that I need my capital to invest to generate income. When I flip an investment for a profit I show her how I did it and she’s even showing an interest in my business and asking if she can help. And like a good little businessperson she’s also learned to ask for a cut of the profits rather than a straight fee when she does help me.

When I was thinking about whether to write and submit this article I realized that what I’m saying might sound somewhat controlling but she asked me for the help in getting her spending under control. I didn’t take control of her money so I could have some sort of power over her but so that she could gain some power over her own spending urges. So despite the controlling nature of the teaching I feel that in the end she’s more empowered.

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Losing Face

Admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:34:23 +0000

Losing Face is a post from: Bangkok Diaries

Thank you for reading Bangkok Diaries. If you have a post or a story you would like to share please send us your submissions.

I think a serious basic flaw of Thailand is the “losing face” obsession, which is weaved into the very fabric of Thai life and culture….from birth to death… top to bottom. Nobody talks about it. I am aware that I actually know very little about it. So I will appreciate your comments/experiences on this subject.

Near as I can tell, it works like this. If something goes wrong or something isn’t right….anyone who is held as responsible…guilty or not… loses face. Anyone who is embarrassed or shown up loses which is evidently a pretty serious business to khun Thai. Another unfortunate feature of losing face is that it also appears to be permanent and irredeemable

For example, if you make an issue of there being no fire exits and safety features in a bar ..to the person responsible… they lose face and will hate you, maybe even seriously enough to want to hurt you if you persist in your criticisms. If you tell a staff underling (who is not responsible) they will never… ever!… even dream of telling their superior…because he will lose face and there will be hell to pay…. If the food sucks in restaurant don’t bother to complain to the waitperson (who will never ask you how you like your meal) …they’ll never tell anyone because the cook/owner can’t lose face. Check bin and don’t go back. Thai people don’t beep their horns (thank heavens!) because the driver being beeped at loses face…and it may provoke confrontation and/or violence. It’s likely a good idea if you don’t beep as well.
Unwalkable sidewalks? The head of sidewalk maintenance will lose face. Tiptoe thru the tulips. The blockade at the airport?…Nobody held to account because they’d lose face.

Most farang are aware (if somewhat bemused) that even a Thai prostitute the lowest of the lo-so from the Thai perspective will abandon a promising farang forever perhaps even do him violence.. if he makes her lose face. And the losing face thing.. is waaay ingrained into the class/caste system….probably more than we farang can imagine.

When it comes to serious government/bureaucratic decisions…spending billions on a highway to nowhere for example….a poorly built airport they don’t need…or tourist-hostile immigration laws… its very difficult to reverse, correct and remedy these costly bad decisions because the guys at the top…who made them.. can’t lose face. So the highway to nowhere…which everybody knows was a bad idea.. gets half-built…until it runs out of money…and another crumbling, useless half-assed project blights the landscapeâ€¦.and nobody loses face.

Farang…or anybody?…are helpless to change this.

I love and live in Thailand. I wouldn’t trade it’s lax attitude and lack of common sense for even one of the zoning and police regulations I escaped from in the West… where some touch-hole with a tape measure or a badge.. and a rule-book… reads everybody the riot act.
I’ll take the flaws. But its healthy and wise to be aware of them….and act accordingly. You’ve got to be observant, self-reliant and mindful…I always look four ways (and up and down) before crossing a one-way street. In a place where nobody will take care of you… you must take care of yourself.

Hey maybe I’m full of shit but please be generous and gentle in what you say about this essay. I don’t want to lose face.

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Trying to Understand

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:30:36 +0000

Trying to Understand is a post from: Bangkok Diaries

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I’m not one of those folks who gets off bashing everything they don’t understand about Thailand and the Thai people but I had two questions I’ve yet to receive a satisfactory response to. They’re not meant to be insulting. I just really would love if someone could explain this to me.

Headaches

Thailand has to be the migraine headache capital of the world. Or maybe I just happen to attract people who have a propensity for them. Seriously though, I’ve never met so many people in such a small sample size that complain that they suffer from migraines. And I’m not talking about the run of the mill headache here. I’ve had more Thai women tell me that they’ve been hospitalized for headaches than anywhere else in the world.

According to some websites on migraines I’ve checked out they say that about 16% of all people will experience at least one migraine over the course of their life. Some will have a migraine headache multiple times over their life but most only have one. Based on that, what are the odds that out of say 100 Thai women I know, AT LEAST 10 (probably closer to 12 or 13 but it’s not like I keep stats) have told me they’ve been hospitalized with a migraine headache during the time I’ve known them. Given that I’ve probably known the girls in the sample an average of less than one year, what kind of amazing odds would there have to be that 10% have all had a migraine in that short of a period?

I can already hear some people chuckling saying that maybe it’s an excuse (oh, not tonight honey, I have a headache haha). But why? I mean, if some girl you haven’t spoken to in a month hits you up and you ask how she’s been and she tells you she’s been in the hospital with headaches for 3 days what point was her to make up a story? I have to believe she’s being honest.

I don’t think it’s environmental because I’ve heard it from girls living in Krabi, Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, and various parts of Isaan.

Am I just running into some freakish statistical anomaly? Do Thais really do suffer from more headaches than most people? Do they carry more stress around as a result of the whole mai ben rai attitude?

Anybody who can shed some light on this care to comment?

Buddhism and Meditation

Maybe this is related to the above question but I recently started asking every Thai friend I run into whether or not they meditate. So far I’ve received 80% no and 20% seldom. But don’t Buddhism and meditation go hand in hand?

I mean, some of these folks are the type who wai every spirit house, temple, and shrine they pass. Some wear big Buddha amulets for good luck, good health, etc. Many regularly go to temple and make merit.

But they don’t mediate.

I’m not passing judgement. I’m well aware that not every Christian goes to church every Sunday, every Muslim doesn’t abstain from booze, and not every Jew holds off on pork. I’m just curious. Because if you ask a Christian why he doesn’t go to church he can probably articulate his reasons. Same for the Jews and Muslims. But when I ask why Thais don’t meditate I’ve gotten answers ranging from “I’m not a monk,” to simply a blank stare as if the question itself was stupid.

I know that Thais don’t practice the most strict form of Buddhism and have a lot of other influences on their take on the religion but when you think of Buddhism you think of meditation.

I don’t even have any theories on this one. I’m completely clueless. Anybody who can shed some light on this for me gets some karma points from me

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Living in Thailand – Life and Death on the Farm

DougBangkok — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:58:59 +0000

Living in Thailand – Life and Death on the Farm is a post from: Bangkok Diaries

Thank you for reading Bangkok Diaries. If you have a post or a story you would like to share please send us your submissions.

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.

“Everywhere I go, she run behine me, go ‘cheep cheep cheep’ allatime.

“At night, I go in house, leave baby chicken outsigh.

“In morning, I come out, she run roun’, go ‘cheep cheep cheep’, follow me everywhere. Very cute, Doug. I very happy. ‘Cheep cheep cheep’ all day.

“Next day, I working, very happy hearing ‘cheep cheep cheep’. Suddenly, I no hear ‘cheep’. I turn roun’, see big sanake. Very big sanake, more than two meter. Sanake eat baby chicken. I freeze, Doug, stand like …, not know English word.”

“Statue?” I asked.

“Yes, freeze like statue. I stand like that long time. Then sanake move, I move, too, find big satick, hit sanake many time on head. Many time, Doug, I hit sanake and he die.

“I sit down, I cry, Doug, I cry long time, baby chicken dead. Why she die so young? I take satick, pick up sanake, throw in klong, let fish eat. Bad sanake.”

At this point, she was crying heavily, but being the insensitive lout I am, I really wanted to ask about karma. I knew she was a Buddhist, it would have been interesting to find out what she thought about the snake’s karma, the chick’s karma, and her karma, but I refrained. Instead I hugged her until she stopped crying.

“Did you buy another chick?” I asked when she stopped crying.

“No, Doug, I have very bad luck all year, not wan’ kill anudder baby. But cannot stay on my farm, too serious (depressed), so I come back Bangkok.”

————-

Doug Anderson is the author of Speak Easy Thai and webmaster of Learn a Language Faster.

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10 Funny Thai Commercials

Admin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 03:48:21 +0000

10 Funny Thai Commercials is a post from: Bangkok Diaries

Thank you for reading Bangkok Diaries. If you have a post or a story you would like to share please send us your submissions.

I was browsing around YouTube the other day and kept running across some crazy funny Thai television commercials. Here’s the ten best and funniest commercials

1. It’s a Miracle?

2. Timing is Everything

3. Get Your Eyes Checked

4. The Thai Smile

5. Suck it up

6. Life is about the small things

7. A belly with a mind of its own

8. Ooops

9. Take care of your car

10. Thai Harder

Plus a bonus one that wasn’t necessarily as funny as the rest but it goes a long way in terms of showing what kind of chances Thai women have of landing a guy.

Funny Headline Funny Headline is a post from: Bangkok Diaries Thank you...

Bangkok Writers Guild: Members’ books

thaistory — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 01:00:40 +0000

Bangkok Writers Guild: Members’ books is a post from: Bangkok Diaries

Thank you for reading Bangkok Diaries. If you have a post or a story you would like to share please send us your submissions.

Posted by Voicu Mihnea Simandan

Bangkok Writers Guild is an English-speaking Bangkok-based group for published and aspiring authors. At the moment, the group is made up of seven members, all of them with writing and publishing experience. Here are their latest books, listed in alphabetical order of the writer’s surname:

And Then One Morning
by Aaron Le Boutillier

And Then One Morning is a personal odyssey that encapsulates the expatriate life on a small tropical island and introduces the reader to the main characters who either survived or perished in the 2004 tsunami.

Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness: The Truth about the Vatican and the Birth of Islam
by Gary Dale Cearley

Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness is an uncompromising refutation of religious shyster Alberto Rivera’s tainted testimony as recounted by Jack Chick in his Chick Publication “The Prophet”. Gary Dale takes apart Rivera’s account of the birth of Islam and alleged Vatican involvement using the historical accounts of what really happened. His research proves Alberto Rivera’s story to be totally fraudulent.

Travels with the Fish
by C. Y. Gopinath

The quixotic travels and misadventures of Gopinath in places as varied as Kerala and Turkey, Thailand and Chicago, Jerusalem and Bhusaval, form not merely an absorbing narrative of a bon vivant’s wanderings, but are also a raconteur’s treasury of sometimes hilarious stories that can be retold at parties. Always at hand, of course, is the Fish, armchair traveler and eternal nitpicker, ever ready to puncture the narrative with raised eyebrow and scathing putdown whenever he feels the telling has grown richer than the tale. Be it a quest for the legendary Sultan Saladin’s farman in Jerusalem, or a struggle to carry 300 kgs of vegetables from Bangkok to Borivali, Gopinath’s stories are woven through with sensitive insights into varied cultures, lifestyles and culinary habits.

Bangkok Blondes
by Anette Pollner (editor)

Very few books on Thailand are written by women. Bangkok Blondes is one of the first. It reflects the lives of creative women who live and write in Thailand – The Bangkok Women’s Writers Group. Bangkok Blondes shows you everything in the tourist package and more…

The Ironman. A Play
by Voicu Mihnea Simandan

The Lesters are living a quiet life in their beautiful house on the top of a hill. Although their parents are always busy, Brandon, Alice, and Wasan lead a happy life, playing ball and running around the house all day long. But, the world they know will soon change. Something terrible is going to happen. The Ironman is coming… The Ironman. A Play is a thought-provoking play for children that will keep the young ones glued to its pages until the very end.

Forward O Peasant!
by Maclean J. Storer

When Phillip Snow is sent to Vietnam to investigate the disappearance of a colleague, he’s not happy at the thought of spending time in a place about which he knows nothing except that it’s lightly carpeted with a chemical called Agent Orange. But carcinogenic poisons aren’t anywhere near as dangerous as the local officials, who will do anything it takes to stop him finding out what really happened. Surrounded by hostile Marxist ideologues, drunken expats, hypervigilant beggars, lunatic waiters, and bureaucrats with all the efficiency and charm of a sock puppet, Snow knows he is in a life-or-death battle to stop himself becoming as mad as everyone else…..

Diner Dharma
by Dan Thompson
(former member of Bangkok Writers Guild)

Monk saw a sign. It was that sign that brought a Buddhist monk off the roads of West Texas to the Attaboy Diner. Not only the sign but the secrets he keeps. The locals soon give him another mystery to solve: the not-so-great train robbery. From chicken round ups to rodeos our bare-backed, backwards-riding Monk is called on time and time again to tell a story. He tells about Issa the Mason who Wouldn’t Be King, about the Death of the Phoenix. He tells these stories to a crazy cast of characters including townies like Isabella, the Queen of the Proverb, and to passers-thru like Bubba the mystical trucker…Come on in and sit a spell! Pull up a booth and settle in. Let Monk tell you a story!

Quotations For Positive People
by Larry Welch

The book contains a 9-year collection of street smart wisdom that has appeared in On the run…, a not-for-profit electronic newsletter that encourages positive thinking, betterment of human hearts, and personal development in communications and critical thinking. The quotations are easily digested, relevant to today’s world, and uplifting to the inner spirit. The wise viewpoints presented come from authors, business personalities, clergymen, entertainers, historical figures, media celebrities, Nobel laureates, philosophers, presidents, poets, politicians, scientists, sports stars, historical figures, and everyday people who share their take on the human condition. From thoughts on achievement to an insight on youth, the sages of our age express their ideas on why we are what we are and how we might be better through positive thinking. In all, 541 positive thinkers give their thoughts in 788 quotations. Whenever possible a brief description is given of the lifetime achievements of contributors.

The Bangkok Writers Guild meets every month at Bourbon Street restaurant-bar (in the back room) at 7 pm, on Sukhumvit Soi 22, Bangkok. Stay tuned for the exact date.

Voicu Mihnea Simandan is a Romanian writer, member of the Bangkok Writers Guild, who has been living and working in Thailand since 2002. He is the author of “The Ironman. A Play”, a book for children well-received in educational circles.

Are you a short story writer?
Why don’t you submit your best short story to the
New Asian Writing Short Story Anthology?

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Dasa Book Café – Bangkok’s favorite second-hand bookstore

thaistory — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:00:17 +0000

Dasa Book Café – Bangkok’s favorite second-hand bookstore is a post from: Bangkok Diaries

Thank you for reading Bangkok Diaries. If you have a post or a story you would like to share please send us your submissions.

Posted by Voicu Mihnea Simandan

New location

Bangkok is a good place to shop for books. Although there are many good bookstores that sell English-language books, my favourite second-hand bookstore is Dasa Book Café.

I know I’m not the only one who buys books at this friendly store, so, for those who haven’t found out yet, Dasa Book Café will be moving to a new location. But, don’t despair, the new location will be just a 5-minute walk from their current location. The bookshop will be moved only a few buildings down the street, on the same block. The new location will be closer to Soi 28, between the Peterson Piano Gallery and Sabai Thai Massage (see map below – click to enlarge).

The store phone number (02 661 2993) and e-mail address (info[at]dasabookcafe[dot]com and dasa[at]truemail[dot]co[dot]th) will remain the same. Parking will be available in Soi 26 (Bangchak Gas Station), Soi 28 (a dead-end soi) or at the Emporium Shopping Mall.

The current building has to be vacated by the first of September, so the store move will happen sometime in late August. The bookstore will be closed for only a day or two while moving books and shelves to the new location.

Shock sale

Meanwhile, Dasa Book Café is slashing the prices of books on the “Blowout” table outside the store. Normally, these books range from 29 to 99 baht, but until August 15 all books on that table and as well as in the boxes in the shop (ground floor and in the corner of the upstairs floor, near the window), will be only 19 baht each!

I’ve already taken advantage of this sale and spent a few hundred baht on some very good books. I urge you to do the same! The shop is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The bookshop offers more than 14,000 used books in many languages. A book list is available online for download at the “Dasa”base page. All titles are filed alphabetically thus making it easier to find what you want. All books in stock are available for browsing!

What’s in a name?

According to the bookstore’s website, “dāsa” came from the name of the late venerable Thai Buddhist monk called “Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu”.

“The word “dāsa” itself means “slave” or “servant”. It’s the word from an ancient language called “Pali” which is the language that Buddhist monks use in chanting and in their regular rituals or ceremonies. We chose this name because it conveys the meaning that all book lovers are “slave” in the sense that they can’t live without books or reading. The name also has a nice Asian touch to it and is also quite catchy,” confessed the people behind Dasa Book Café.

Buy it. Read it. Exchange it. Trade it. Sell it.

You can also take your own books to Dasa Book Café to exchange, trade or swap them for others you haven’t read. Not all books are taken and the prices depend on the book’s condition, its popularity, and the original suggested publisher’s list price. They don’t take books that are in bad shape, titles that they already have too many copies of, photocopied versions, or (in the case of fiction novels) hardcover titles.

If you want to sell the books that you have bought at Dasa Book Café, you receive 50% of the price you paid at Dasa as store credit. This credit can be used to but more books or, maybe, a coffee in the store. But, if the condition of the book you bought has deteriorated noticeably they will adjust the credit amount accordingly. If you don’t use your credit on the same day, you will receive a credit note for later use.

You can also sell some of the books you don’t fancy anymore on your bookshelves. Of course, it is possible that not all the books that you want to sell will be bought, but you have good chances. If you want to sell your books for cash, you will receive less value as opposed to exchanging them for store credit. Check with the sore beforehand if you have many books you would like to sell.

Mail delivery

In case you’re not from Bangkok, the bookstore can ship to any location in Thailand! All you need to do is e-mail the bookstore at info[at]dasabookcafe[dot]com with the list of books that you would like to order. For fast and accurate service, it is important to include details of the book in your e-mail (which you can just copy from the booklist). When you place your order indicate whether you would like the books shipped via regular Thai Post, or the faster (and more expensive) EMS express service.

The guys at Dasa will confirm your order by e-mail and give you the grand total. This amount (total cost of books plus shipping & handling) should be transferred to their bank account in Bangkok. The details will be given to you when you place your order. After they have confirmed the bank deposit, they will ship the books to you. All book orders are usually shipped the following business day, unless that day happens to fall on a national holiday or weekend. They do not take credit cards.

Exceptional books

Among the notable and rare titles about Buddhism, Thailand and Asia currently in stock, I find worthy to mention:

- Reginald Davis – The Royal Family of Thailand;
- Narada Maha Thera – The Buddha and His Teachings;
- Noel Wynyard – Durian: a Siamese Interlude;
- Maurice Percheron – Buddha and Buddhism;
- Bernard Llewellyn – With my Back to the East;
- Sue Arnold – A Burmese Legacy;
- W.A. Graham – Siam (Volume 1 & Volume 2); and
- Pimsai Amranand and William Warren – Gardening in Bangkok.

Happy reading!

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Why don’t you submit your best short story to the
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Neilson Hays Library in Bangkok Neilson Hays Library in Bangkok is a post from: Bangkok...

Bang Pa-In Palace in Ayutthaya Province

thaistory — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:32:25 +0000

Bang Pa-In Palace in Ayutthaya Province is a post from: Bangkok Diaries

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Photos and text by Voicu Mihnea Simandan

Ayutthaya is one of my favorite places in Thailand, located about 70 km north of Bangkok. I have been there on several occasions and I never get bored of it. On a very recent day-trip to Ayutthaya, I stopped at Bang Pa-In Palace, located in Bang Pa-In District, about 10 kilometers away from the city of Ayutthaya.

The palace dates back from the rein of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and was built between 1872-1889.

The security is quite tight as the palace is occasionally used by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand as a residence and for holding receptions and banquets.

King Prasart Thong Shrine holds the statue of King Prasart Thong. It was built during 1872-1876.

Aisawan-Shipaya-Asana Pavilion is located in the middle of a pond on the palace grounds. It was built between 1872-1876.

Varobhas Bimarn Residential Hall used to function as a throne hall. It was completed in 1872 and renovated into a one-story building in1885.

Uthayan Phumisathian Residential Hall is considered the principal building in the palace. It was completed in 1877.

Wehart Chamrun Residential Hall was built in Chinese architecture and took 10 years to build. It was completed in 1889.

The Nine-Chamber Mansion is a large colonial-style building located behind Wehart Chamrun Residential Hall.

Withun Thasana Tower is a three-storey tower, soaring 30 meters above the palace grounds. A total of 112 steps on a spiral staircase will take you to the top roof, but only the first two floors are open to the public. It was built in 1881.

The Mansion for H.M. Queen Sukhumala Marasri was built in Western architecture.

The Mansion for H.M. Queen Sri Savarindira is surrounded by green vegetation.

The Memorial to H.M. Queen Sunanda Kumariratana honours her death and that of her children in a boat incident on May 31, 1880.

The palace gardens are beautifully decorated with vegetation that looks like animals.

But, don’t be surprised if you see live animals too!

How to get there by car: Both motorways and highways that go to the two airports from Bangkok have exists to Bang Pa-In. Just follow the signs.

Costs involved at the palace:
Car park: 20 baht
Entrance fee for foreigners: 100 baht (brochure included)
Cart rent: 400 baht / hour (100 baht for every extra hour)

Amenities: snacks, soft drinks, coffee, clothes, books, postcards, and souvenirs

What to bring: sunglasses, hat, sun block, umbrella (for both rain and sun!), camera, and plenty of water.

Voicu Mihnea Simandan is a Romanian expat who has been living and working in Thailand since 2002. He is the author of “The Ironman. A Play”, a book for children well-received in educational circles.

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