From the category archives:

Rural Life

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.
“Everywhere I [...]

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Mee and My Dad

by Admin June 17, 2009 People

A really interesting documentary by a filmmaker who’s 60 year old father decided to marry a bar girl only two years older than himself. He travels to Thailand to meet his new mother, attend the wedding, and figure out if his dad has found true love or has simply gone off the deep end. [...]

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Thy to Thailand

by Admin April 5, 2009 People

Sorry if people have seen this before but I just ran across this series of YouTube videos that I found to be extremely interesting. It really gives an interesting look at what life is like for rural Thai people, why they end up dating farangs, and why the decision for them to go work [...]

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Just Another Day in Isaan

by Central Scrutinizer May 30, 2008 Rural Life

It is a good thing that I love hot weather. It doesn’t get much hotter than this. The thermometer caresses one hundred degrees every day. It’s a love affair of blazing proportions. While I do love the heat, I am blessed that I can afford an air conditioner, as well as the electricity to run [...]

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One of These Days Boy…

by Central Scrutinizer May 27, 2008 Rural Life

‘Mickey, what you do?’ says Sis coming into my bedroom and flopping onto the corner of my bed.
‘Eh? What’s it look like I am doing? I’m working on my computer,’ I crack to her, my usual reply when asked a foolish question of the obvious.
She laughs her infectious laugh. Even when she is annoying she [...]

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A Crazy Week in the Isaan – Part 1

by Central Scrutinizer December 26, 2007 Rural Life

The sun in the weeks before Songkran is the worst up in the Isaan. It scorches the earth; it empties the lakes and reservoirs in thirsty draughts, the streams and the fishponds, the water buffalo wallows and the small muddy frog ponds. The water is close to gone. The Thais keep on smiling though, but [...]

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Of Walls, Wives, Caves and Gates

by Andrew Hicks September 14, 2007 Rural Life

So what’s the deal, this funny experience of ending up happily entangled with a Thai ‘girl’ young enough to be your daughter? How does it work exactly?
First of all she clubs you down with her consummate charm, then she grabs you by what remains of your greying hair and she drags you off to her [...]

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A Beautiful Toy

by Bill Bobby August 28, 2007 Rural Life

Within seconds of being introduced to her I found myself totally infected by her charm. I had willingness at every opportunity to pursue her, stealing glimpses at her pretty brown eyes every time she raised her head. Slowly but surly I was finding it harder and harder to spend time away from her, more and more I found myself in some dream, lost in a daze at the classical symmetry of her features, her sheer beauty…

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Isan – Northeast of Thailand

by Sutthichai August 4, 2007 Rural Life

Isan, the Northeast of Thailand, is the driest and most seasonal area in Thailand, thus the geographical features of the region are mainly dry dipterocarp forest, savannah and stony soils.
Isan attractions are, undeniably, affected by these features, including the two kinds of mountains, flat-topped mountains, and Cuesta mountains, which is similar to the blade of [...]

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Village Of The Sun

by Central Scrutinizer August 1, 2007 Rural Life

“Cocka-fucking-doodle-doo my fucking ass!” I mutter to myself, upon being awakened by the mellifluous tones of the next door neighbor’s scrawny rooster’s excuse for Foghorn Leghorn. I am going to poison that damned bird one of these days. Can’t even kill it and eat it really, friggin’ thing’s just a pile of feathers and bones, [...]

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