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|
|
| Suan
Lum Night Bazaar, Thailand ~
by T.E. Banker - Until recently I was jaded about open markets in Thailand.
There was no shortage of markets and entertainment here, and they have
long been an important part of the Thailand’s tourism, especially Bangkok:
Pratunam, Sukhumvit from Nana to Asoke, Silom from Rama IV to Soi Nongsee,
Soi Cowboy, Patpong’s Night Market and Jatujak’s Weekend Market. But they
had all started looking like vulgar variations of the same thing.
Nov./04 |
|
| A
Soon-to-be-Expat’s Relocation to Thailand (and Beyond) - This
is after all the Land of Smiles. I’m not dreaming this. It is however,
my personal vision of my very near future. You see, I’m in what I call
my “pre-expat” mode (according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary; the definition
of expatriate is: to leave one's native country to live elsewhere). Now,
there are numerous reasons why one chooses to become an Expat. In my case
there are a few but the biggest of all is “money” (as in the lack of it),
especially since I’m basically going to survive on Social Security. Then
of course, there’s that great big catastrophic storm cloud that’s being
prophesized for the U.S.A. in the very near future (both financially and
politically). Apr./07 |
|
|
|
| Living
and Teaching in Bangkok - Right now the English Language industry
is booming in Thailand, and Bangkok is awash with language schools both
big and small. There is absolutely no reason why any native English speaker
need spend more than a week or two finding a job suitable for him or her.Currently,
only top-notch institutions hire from abroad and the best place to land
a job is in the city itself. Almost every issue of the Bangkok post carries
at least two or three advertisements for language teaching positions and
even those schools stipulating qualifications/experience necessary are
realistic enough to compromise if the applicant seems reliable and smart. |
|
| And
Who Is Harold Stephens? -
Harold Stephens has lived a life that rivals Hemingway's. He has been a
stand-in for Marlon Brando in Mutiny on the Bounty He did meet Ernest Hemingway.
He's climbed the Matterhorn, as well most of the major peaks in North America
and he even briefly join He's an expat in Thailand who currently writes
for the Bangkok Post and the author of numerous books including 'At Home
In Asia,' Expatriates in Southeast Asia and Their Stories - Escape From
America Magazine |
|
| Studying
in Bangkok -Ok
you may not be able to afford the tuition and living expense of going off
to Europe or Japan for a few years to get a master’s degree, but what about
Thailand? There are a number of universities in Thailand that offer international
programs, both undergraduate and graduate level, that are taught exclusively
in English. Many of these programs are priced fairly reasonably. At Bangkok
University, where I’m currently working on an MBA, the overall cost of
a master’s degree, tuition, fees and books, is only around $5,000 and takes
approximately two years to complete. |
|
|
|
|
| Real
Estate In Bankok - Banks
and finance houses that are lending money again for property purchases
are fuelling the boom, with advertising hoardings throughout the city shouting
out the latest deals available. Led by the Government Savings Bank, financial
institutions are pumping billions of Baht’s worth of cheap credit into
the marketplace. The bank loaned B68 billion (US$1.7 billion) in the second
quarter of 2003, nearly doubling its lending of B37 billion (US$0.92 billion)
in the comparable period in 2002. By Andy Guest |
|
| International
Movers - International Movers. TV is a portal which allow the customer
receive and compare prices from top 7 companies in the US. Customs information |
|
| Border
Run To Poi Pet... No Sweat - So
you've discovered the unique beauty of Thailand... and now you'd like to
stay for as long as possible. Unless you've managed to land a work permit
(which is almost impossible) or are retired and sitting on loads of cash,
it's likely that you've only been given the opportunity to explore Thailand
in 30-day increments...and only three of those at a time if new rules go
into effect.To stay longer than 30-days, you'll be required to do what
we call a "Border Run." Oct./06 |
|
|
|
| Spelunking
And Archery With The Hill Tribes~by Antonio Graceffo -Litee Akha,
the champion marksman of Northern Thailand, set the butt of the large crossbow
against his flat belly. With both hands, he expertly pulled the powerful
string into place. There was an audible as the trigger popped into the
ready position. He removed the short bamboo arrow from his mouth, rubbed
it with natural bees wax, and set it in the groove, atop the ancient weapon.
Holding the bow in a straight line, away from his body, he took careful
aim, and pulled the trigger.Aug/04 |
|
| Higher
Education Overseas-Scott A. Hipsher is an English teacher in Bankok
Thailand. He earned his BS degree from the University of Maryland(Asian
Division, Sasebo Japan)and his MBA from Bangkok University.He writes, Many
North Americans and Europeans will automatically assume that any degree
earned outside the USA especially in a developing country is inferior to
a degree in their home country.But it is possible to eliminate that problem
and to earn a USA or British degree abroad, which is exactly the same degree
that could be earned in the USA or England. |
|
| In
Thailand With Vietnam Vets ~
By Robin Sparks - Robin Sparks continues her odyssey in Asia. She is back
in Thailand talking with some Americans that have decided to settle down
and make a life for themselves in the Thai Kingdom. Robin takes us inside
the marriage of a retired American soldier to his Thai wife. Also learn
about some of the volunteer work that some of the ex-soldiers are involved
in in Thailand. If you are sick of the tensions that most people are feeling
right now in the U.S., then a life overseas in Asia might be the answer
for you.April/03 |
|
| Exploring
The Garden~By Bernie Tetrault-Some great photos in the above article.
Bernie takes you through his backyard in Thailand and introduces you to
some of the beautiful animals and butterflies that inhabit his garden.It's
interesting what you can see in nature if you just take a little time and
look around you: the photos and the writing in this article will help relax
you and may send you off in search of what lies in your garden.June/03 |
|
|
| Tickle
and the Ivories -
Tickle and the Ivories Elephant Polo Team was founded to raise money for
recognized environmental charities in Asia and to eventually win one of
the tournaments. And they're having a terrific amount of fun trying to
achieve these aims! The team has an Australian flavour to it but welcomes
women and men from all nationalities. In fact they have a few spots available
for some of the forthcoming tournaments. You don't have to have any equine
polo experience, so if you're interested in playing, supporting, seeing
the videos, helping raise money for elephant-oriented charities, attending
the tournaments and watching, or just hanging out with the team, then contact
them. July/02. |
|
| The
Biggest, Weirdest, Slowest, And Most Expensive Game In Thailand ~
by Antonio Graceffo - The theory by most have-nots, of which I am one,
is that the rich are bored, and that they invent unusual sports to entertain
themselves, such as croquet, yachting, and sailing. Cricket is perhaps
the greatest example of what happens when you have too much money, and
nothing to occupy your free time. A single game could last for three days,
and end in a tie score. Any person of normal means would fall asleep in
the interim. Sept./04 |
|
| Dropping
Standards ~
by Dustin Javorsky - The ESL industry that brings so many expatriates to
Bangkok every year with hopes of procuring an honest job teaching has become
quite the dark and shady business, like everything else in Thai culture
the
ESL industry is following suit, the standards are dropping at an obscene
rate, employers picking up anyone with a white face and a pulse and slapping
them infront of Thai students who genuinely believe that this well dressed
foreigner has some kind of qualifications to be there. Aug./05 |
|
| Expats
In Asia - Bill Heinecke -
Excerpted from the book, Expats in Asia by Harold Stephens - "Bill Heinecke
is one of the best known expatriates in Southeast Asia. His father, Roy
Heniecke, was a war correspondent, stationed in Bangkok, where Bill went
to high school. I first met Bill. - |
|
| Exploring
the Wild Rivers of Southeast Asia-Unique Travel
- Harold Stephens returns to Escape from America Magazine with stories
of high adventure and discovery. Stephens writes, "At the opposite extreme
of the Chao Phraya River in Thailand is the Rejang River in Borneo. The
Rejang is a wild river where fierce headhunters once roamed. The Rejang
River to this day spells adventure. When I set out to explore the headwaters,
my plan was to hire longboats in Kapit, the last outpost on the Rejang,
and travel up river to where the Rejang meets the Balleh River. I would
then follow the Balleh to its very source, leave boat and there hire porters,
and cross into Kalimantan in Indonesia. That was my plan, but it didn't
work out quite that way." |
|
| Former
Hit Artist Turns Restaurateur - So why come to Bangkok? Loveland
pauses and says, "Six years ago everyone said that Asia was the place to
put your money, and specifically Thailand. But they said to do it quickly,
because the opportunity wouldn't last. When I bought this place we were
the only ones out here. Now the development is just booming, and soon there
are going to be two more expressways passing right by here, so I couldn't
have asked for a better location. Our clientele is also much better behaved
because we are far away from the Sukhumvit, and the Patpong crowd." |
|
| Studying
and Working in Thailand - Scott Hipsher is an English Teacher attending
Bangkok University enrolled in their MBA program. Scott tells Escape from
America readers how an MBA degree from an Asian university can increase
your value on the labor market in the USA and Europe. He provides a partial
list of schools and programs in Thailand, and restricted the list to graduate
level programs taught in English. He writes, "Many of the same universities
also offer undergraduate programs in English." Hyperlinks to several university
websites accompany this article. |
|
From
Day One With My Digital Camera ~ by Dorothy Aksamit - I have a
history of falling on trips and decided it was time to lighten the camera
load and go digital. As the date approached in April 2004, I was
more
confused than ever and decided to let it go until I got back. The
night before I left my daughter came over and insisted I take her tiny
Cannon Elf, 3.2 pix, 3X zoom. She spent five minutes showing me the
basics; I tucked it into my shoulder bag and thought how great it would
be to travel so light. But I didn't trust myself enough to leave
the Cannon EOS Elan at home.
May/04 |
|
| Relocating
To Thailand ~ By Tomy Gunn - Tomy Gunn moved to Thailand two years
ago and has been living in the "Land Of Smiles" and learning what life
is like for an expat in Thailand. Find out how "Western Influences" have
changed the lifestyles of the Thai people and Expats. Learn about what
makes Thailand so attractive to so many people and what an everyday routine
is like for an expat in an Asian country that is very open to the outside
world. July/03 |
|
| A
Story From Phuket, Thailand ~
by Steve Rosse - In his pre-Phuket life Murray was a Wall street investment
banker, with a designer label wife, an athletic sixteen-year-old son in
prep school and an anorexic fourteen-year-old daughter in therapy. He was
good at his job; the Reagan years were good to him, and by his fortieth
birthday he was quite wealthy. On that day he drove his wife up to Newport
to show her a birthday present he'd bought himself. It was a 51 foot Jeanneau
yacht named Fixed Interest, and Murray said he was ready to retire
and show his wife the world. Jun/05 |
|
| Looking
At Real Estate In Bangkok, Bali & The Philippines - I then
went to Bangkok, a hot and crowded place, but my favorite city in this
part of the world, probably even ahead of Hong Kong. Poor planning got
me there in the middle of the Thai New Year, which meant everything was
shut down for a week, and I didn't get a chance to see a lot of property.
On the other hand, the whole city goes wild with a water festival; you
walk down any street and after five minutes you're completely soaked from
squirt guns and buckets of water thrown at you, day or night. It's great
fun. Bangkok reminds me of L.A. without the social problems. If you're
thinking of living in the Orient for a while, this is the place. - Doug
Casey looks for real estate in the Orient. |
|
| Thai
Visa Run -
One of the unique aspects of ex-pat life can be the visa run. Visa runs
are common enough throughout the world but are especially a part of life
for foreigners living in Thailand. Like usual, I got my visa with a minimum
of hassle, I went someplace new, met interesting people, saw new things,
didn’t spend too much and basically enjoyed myself. If you have to
make a visa run, or happening to be visiting SE Asia, you should consider
making a short trip to Cambodia. June/02 |
|
| In
Thailand? ~
by T.E. Banker - Eight empty large tour buses were arrogantly parked out
there in front of the Pakred Crippled Children’s Home at 06:00AM on my
way to the gym one Thursday last March. What in God’s name are so
many tourists doing out here in these boondocks at such a non-tourist-like
hour, I asked myself? Although I do not consider myself a particularly
nosy person, this certainly warranted a bit more investigation, so I parked
my car down the Soi a bit and strolled on in to the school itself. Aug./05 |
|
| Real
Estate in Thailand ~ Dragon-necked temples, night bazaars, misty
mountains, floating markets hill-tribe villages, and hot springs - seven
Thai wonderlands worth your attention. Thailand has a romantic heritage
that always beguiles visitors: from the razzle-dazzle of Bangkok, to the
floating markets and silk emporiums. Picture white-sand beaches, swaying
coconut palms, and an evening chorus of cicadas. Rising from jade and turquoise
waters are myriad islands girdled by coral gardens...bizarre limestone
outcrops smothered in spinach-green vegetation. Yes, Thailand has four-million-dollar
properties, but you’ll also find nice homes for well under $150,000. (And
if you’re prepared to go off the beaten track, you’ll find them for below
$25,000.) Even in beach resorts like Pattaya, you can buy a basic studio
for under $17,000. In short, there are properties to meet most people’s
pockets. By Steenie Harvey |
|
| Real
Estate In Thailand, Condos and Contracts -Real
estate transactions in the United States and the other First World nations
are governed by “Marquis de Queensberry’s rules”. - Rules enforced by the
TESTED legal systems of the respective countries involved... All bets are
off when you are attempting to buy property in 2nd and 3rd world countries.
Oct./06 |
|
| Return
to Adventure - This
informative article on adventure desitinations draws on excerpts from our
friend Harold Stephens' newest book Return to Adventure: Southeast Asia.
Stephens, an adventurer and early escape artist, is a well known expatriate
in Asia having written thousands of newspaper and magazine articles and
19 books. Stephens says, "How few of us ever stop to realize that adventure
is not something in the past. It's now. It's happening all around us, all
the time. The problem is knowing where to look. We turn to new horizons.
Adventure awaits in SE Asia." |
|
| A
Story Phuket, Thailand ~
by Steve Rosse - Saul retired to Phuket from New York City in 1991. At
the age of 40 he already had under his belt a Master's Degree in Business
Administration from New York University, three years of therapy with a
strict Freudian psychiatrist, an amicable divorce from his wife Amy and
a small fortune from the sale of his father's business. Feb./05 |
|
| The
Expat Scene In Bangkok - One woman says that although she came
here for her job, she has grown to love Bangkok. "This weekend I ate in
the best restaurants, partied in some excellent clubs, took a new dress
design to my tailor who will work from my sketches, ate durian, and cruised
the klongs in a water taxi on Sunday with friends. We found a temple and
offered up our wishes on wax tablets. Where else can you get all that?"
July/02 |
|
| Relocating
To Thailand ~
by John P. Seely - Thailand, Burma, Laos, and China meet in Chiang Rai
- known as the Golden Triangle. Bamboo - and teak - covered mountains separate
wide river plains to form a lush landscape of thick jungle with hidden
cascading waterfalls, rice paddies, and groves of lychee trees criss-crossed
by roads lined with giant red flame trees and bright yellow laburnum. The
Mekong - one of the world’s last great untamed rivers - forms the eastern
border and the Mae Kok river, which is widely regarded as Thailand’s most
beautiful and unspoiled, flows through the province from Burma to Laos.
Nov./04 |
|
| Off
To Malaysia ~
by Bart Walters - Last week I engaged in a common occurrence among expats
here in Thailand—the visa run. Both my business partner and I were due
for out 90-day excursion outside the Kingdom of Thailand, to satisfy our
non-immigrant B visas granted to us for business purposes. Visas and changes
in visa policy are part of life as a foreigner in the Kingdom of Thailand.
Until recently, visa and work permit requirements for most western developed
countries and rich Asian countries were pretty relaxed. Visa extensions,
long-term, and multi-entry visas could be had cheaply and hassle-free.
April/04 |
|
| Kaleidoscope
for Escape -
Escape Artist extraordinaire, adventurer, and sage Harold Stephens reports
from the land of golden temples, tiny bells tinkling in the breeze; lofty
mountains, tropical forests and endless offshore islands; a nation of smiling
people and happy children; of high rises, shopping malls, tropical five
star resorts, and even McDonald's. Stephens writes, "For the expat living
in Thailand, it's not the lack of love for one's home country, or the desire
to flee from an unhappy home, nor is it for political, economic or social
reasons, that brings the expat here. The reason might be more complex,
but their motives are quite simple. It's not so much to escape as it is
to find, and expats find what they are looking for in Thailand."
- by
Harold Stephens |
|
|
|
| The
Best Of International Living -
Buying Real Estate in Bangkok: Bargains in Asia’s most livable city - A
new series to the Escape From America Magazine. Each month we'll
feature the best of International Living Magazine. If you don't know what
International Living Magazine is all about, you're in for a treat! |
|
| The
Best Way to Buy Thailand - It’s
easy for you to own land in Thailand. All you have to do is invest 40 million
Baht (about $1 million) in a project considered “useful for Thailand” (not
real estate, mind you). That minor detail out of the way, you then have
to select the land you want from a list of approved areas (you didn’t think
you could buy anywhere you want, did you?) Sept./06 |
|
| One
Day In Chiang Mai ~ by Antonio Graceffo - I woke up in my two-dollar-a-night
hotel room and peeled the stinking sheets off of my body. Even in the hundred-degree
heat and sauna-like humidity I couldn’t sleep unless I was under covers.
It had been that way since childhood. A psychologist once said this represented
my need for security. The way I see it, if I had needed security I would
have stayed in the five dollar a night place. Shows you what psychologists
know. I wrapped a towel around myself, and went into the hallway for a
cold shower. Jul/05 |
|
| Finding
Thailand ~ by Susan Hart - When I first arrived in Thailand, I
did not expect to fall in love. In fact, just the opposite was true. Driving
into Bangkok for a three-day stopover on the way to Phuket Island, my first
impression was one of shabby buildings, unsophisticated advertising billboards,
and suffocating smog. In the superficial glance I was able to give it,
(and through the lens of my Western cultural viewpoint), Bangkok looked
like a tawdry imitation of what I had left behind. Nov./05 |
|
| Adventures
In Thailand ~ by Steenie Harvey - During a February trip, I packed
what seems a lifetime of experiences into 14 days. I rode an elephant.
Stomped gilded temples. Went white-water rafting. Bartered for opium artifacts
and jade carvings near the Golden Triangle. Feasted on spicy papaya salads
and tiger prawns the size of a toddler’s fist. Sampled a traditional two-hour
massage. Trawled markets where the goods on offer included live frogs and
ants eggs. Marveled at a seascape of islands and jungly pillars straight
from an eastern fairytale. June/04 |
|
| Expat
dives and resources in Laos and Thailand - A quick surf
through the Mekong Riviera website and it was clear we'd found the survivors
of Coppola's Apocalypse Now some 30 years later. We'd also confirmed
the existence of seasoned expats of the Rick's Place in Casablanca vein
living in Thailand. After an hour of browsing, we'd discovered a uniquely
esoteric package of resources for expat interests in Laos and Thailand.
The Meeting Place, adjacent to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is the expat
hangout in that region of Southeast Asia. It's a place to learn the
ends and outs of Thailand and Laos. |
|
| The
Mood of Southeast Asia -
Harold Stephens returns to Escape from America Magazine with an excerpt
from his novel, Return to Adventure: Southeast Asia. Stephens writes, "There
are images so powerful you cannot forget them. The sounds that came to
me, at first, were inconsequential, until I minded them. When you sit there
long enough, you wonder if your senses are deceiving you. I heard, very
faintly, the echo of a gong somewhere far off. A gong in the forest! In
an instant more, it was clearer, and louder, and mingled now with faraway
voices. Then came the sound of a flute, and another, and more gongs. I
watched them grow from fuzzy silhouettes into focus, like a camera zooming
in on its subject. I could see them clearly now, all wearing sarongs, white
sarongs, and around their waists were scarlet cummerbunds fastened with
rich buckles carved in gold." |
|
| Living
in Siam -
Tomy Gunn had a 1989 Emmy Nomination, several Billboard chart records as
a songwriter, and numerous film and TV credits as a composer and sound
designer, before calling it quits to that razzle dazzle rat race. Today,
Gunn lives in Thailand while he runs his Paradisemoon.com website. He chooses
to live for passion and romance and high adventure in the Kingdom of Siam. |
|
| A
Women's Writing Club In Bangkok ~ By Robin Sparks - Robin
Sparks is back in Asia and has been spending the last few weeks getting
to know a group of women writers based in Bangkok. She talks with the women
and finds out how each made their way to Bangkok and what are the motivations
behind their writings. Robin has also been interviewing Vietnam Vets in
Thailand for her next article which will appear in our next issue. March/03. |
|
| Thai
Boxing ~
by Daniel Wallace - Travelling and losing weight don't always go together,
I discovered. Ten months into my round the world trip, about to head south
from Bangkok, I looked in the mirror to notice I was somewhat more out
of shape than I had planned. Exact details are perhaps unnecessary - a
chin fractionally more podgy than I remembered, a stomach... The end result
is that I postponed my exit from Bangkok, and later that day enrolled in
a Thai Boxing class. Sept./04 |
|
| Doi
Saket, Thailand ~ by Antonio Graceffo - Ask any of today's great
adventure writers: Tim Cahill, Paul Theroux, or Robert Young Pelton, and
they all agree on one point. "It's been done." Basically everything on
this planet which can be done has been. And even more extreme is that with
package tour operators making the most remote corners of the globe accessible
to everyday people, even formidable obstacles, like climbing The Himalayas
are options for the average tourist (more accurately, the average tourist
with $60,000, the price of a guided ascent up Everest). July/04 |
|
| US$1
equals 40.15 Thai baht ~ by John P. Seely - We’d been regular visitors
to Thailand for years, so when we finally decided to make a permanent home
here we had an idea what we were letting ourselves in for. The low cost
and the high standard of living attracted us, as well as the warm welcome
offered to foreigners. We decided on the mountainous northern section of
the country, because it offered the best climate for us, and was unspoiled
and undeveloped. At the same time, it had all the modern conveniences we
needed and was easy to get to. Dec./03 |
|
| The
Thailand Most Tourists Never Discover ~
by Steenie Harvey - The young Isaan driver and his brother aren’t Thailand’s
most adept guides. Although it’s only 50 miles from their home in Udon
Thani, they take a wrong turn on the road to Phu Phrabat’s geological wonderland.
But there’s no rush—Phu Phrabat’s cave paintings and bizarre rock formations
have been around since prehistoric times. Jun/05 |
|
| Living
In Thailand - Teaching In Thailand -
by
John Irvin; I chose this life for myself because I felt the materialistic
life I led in America was not satisfying for me, and I yearned for something
simpler, yet more challenging and more adventurous. Living in Thailand
became that adventure. |
|
|
