Peter Clarke

Interesting Thailand links - March 2016

A selection of articles and blogs that should interest expats in Thailand


One of the biggest headaches when it comes to travelling around Asia is getting up-to-date visa information so I was thrilled to see that the young lady who runs the Blond Travel website has only recently moved from Thailand to Vietnam.

Vietnam was on my list of possibilities for a New Year vacation but obtaining a visa looked problematic to say the least. Never mind, the latest 'Blond Travel' blog has well and truly come to my rescue and provides all the info you need for getting a visa for Vietnam. Great stuff! It doesn't look all that difficult to be honest.

The Blond Traveller has actually been living in Chiang Mai for two years (although I don't think she was teaching there) and has decided to move on to pastures new. Nevertheless she's put together a cute list of the ten things she will miss most about Thailand's 'Rose of the North' 

Let's move on to food (one of my favorite topics) Do you cook at home in Bangkok, or are you quick to give in to the temptation of street eating? That's the question Bangkok foodie extraordinaire Chris Wooton is asking as he decides he loves and hates the Bangkok food scene in equal measure

Now come on, we all enjoy a laugh in these blog round-ups don't we? And this blog titled 'How to Become a Digital Nomoney in Bangkok' tickled me. It's a tongue in cheek dig at the digital nomad - those people who travel the world on the back of website clicks and dollar e-book sales. 

How much money do you need to earn as a teacher to survive in Bangkok? It's a question that's been asked since The Ayuthaya Period. Well, how about trying to live on 100 baht a day? That's less than three dollars. Believe it or not, blogger Steve Edwards has actually tried it - and he's lived to tell the tale. Entertaining read there Steve!

On a serious medical note, dengue fever has been in the news a lot over the past months. It's certainly on the increase in Thailand it seems. But what kind of mozzies carry the disease? Who is more likely to be affected and where are you more likely to catch it? What's the history behing dengue fever and are there hopes of eradicating it completely in the future? The Big Chilli magazine has published a very in-depth feature on the topic of dengue fever and is well worth a read.

Has Thailand become paradise lost for many expats? I haven't seen many articles on Thailand ruffle as many feathers as this one from The Asian Correspondent. It certainly polarised opinions but what do you think? - is Thailand the exotic haven that it's always been? 

Let's turn to cheerful chappie Roy Cavanagh for a little bit of Thai culture - and more specifically the expression 'Mai Pen Rai'. Three little words. But what does the phrase mean and why do the Thai people use it so often? Like many things in Thailand, it isn't as straight-forward as it first seems.

If you're a football fan, you won't need me to tell you how well Leicester City are doing in The English Premier League this season nor that they are owned by an extremely wealthy Thai family. But that Thai owner stands to make a fortune thanks to Leicester's successes. Next season, all being well, they should be playing in a European competition with the big boys. So how much does owner, Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, stand to make?

Thailand is one of the most smartphone-crazy countries in Asia, if not in the world, with statistics claiming Thais are spending over two hours a day on their device. I bet like me, you've taken the Bangkok sky-train and chuckled at the sight of a carriage full of people with their heads in their smartphone. But is Thailand seriously becoming a nation of 'online junkies' and how harmful is it? The South East Asian website, Investvine, investigates.

 How are our old friends Chris and Angela doing up in Chiang Mai? Very nicely thank you. They've put together this fantastic overview on Thailand's latest multiple-entry tourist visa (which has replaced the old double-entry and triple-entry tourist visa) All the information you need is here. Well done guys! 

There are numerous 'overviews' floating around the net on the subject of teaching in Thailand. This one from Karli (written for the Go! Girl Guides website) isn't exactly earth shattering but I do like some of the points she makes about the kind of person you should ideally be and the characteristics you need to make it as a teacher here.

That's all folks! Happy reading.




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