Category: Asia

2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami: 10 Years Later

December 26, 2014

While for most people that I know, today is a day to relax and enjoy the afterglow from the previous days’ festivities, here in Thailand and across Southeast and Southern Asia it is a day of remembrance. Ten years ago today, the most destructive tsunami in modern history tore through the Indian Ocean and took the lives of over 227,000 people, with more than 5,000 confirmed in Thailand, alone. To this day, there are around 3,000 people who are still missing.

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Documentary Review: Posh Corps

December 23, 2014

A quick scroll through the Peace Corps Couchsurfing Facebook group will easily turn up a handful of posts from other volunteers who are coming to Thailand, either to get away from the cold of their country of service or to celebrate with a Close of Service vacation. Bangkok is also the medical hub for the Europe, Mediterranean and Asia region, and often the islands in the Pacific as well. I met a couple in Cambodia, whose response to me telling them I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand was, “I didn’t know we still had Peace Corps in Thailand.”

The infrastructure – paved roads, running water, consistent electricity. The amenities – 3G Internet, a wide variety of Western and ethnic food choices in multiple cities, washing machines. These things have earned Peace Corps Thailand the somewhat derogatory title of “Posh Corps” in the Peace Corps community. And Thailand is not the only one.

Returned Peace Corps volunteer (RPCV) Alan Toth served in South Africa, another country that has the Posh Corps label attached to it, and made a documentary about volunteers in South Africa exploring what it means to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer and touches on serving in a more developed country.

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Making Sticky Rice, an Isaan Staple

December 21, 2014

Northeastern Thailand, known as Isaan, is a little bit different than the rest of the country. Here, they are known particularly for eating sticky rice. Sticky rice is different than normal rice and is made differently, too. Check out this video, from friend and fellow Peace Corps volunteer Dan, where grandpa makes some sticky rice!

Planning a trip to Thailand? Check out my 2 Weeks in Thailand itinerary. It will take you to all the best spots, making sure you don’t miss any of the highlights.

Glimpses of a Week in Cambodia

December 14, 2014

In order to use up the last of my allotted vacation days, and to take advantage of living in Southeast Asia, I took a trip to Cambodia. I made the absolute most of the week I was there and went to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and the Cardamom Mountains. Check out my video recap!

Names, Nicknames and Honorifics in Thailand

December 9, 2014

I have a confession to make. After 23 months in Thailand, I still don’t know the names of many people I interact with, and I am well past the point where I could say, “I’m sorry, what was your name again?” And you’re probably thinking, can’t you just listen to what other people call them and figure out their names that way? But, even still, I just don’t know.

However! This is not a social flaw! There are a couple of very legitimate reasons for why I don’t know people’s names and why it’s not rude of me to be in such a position.

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A Variety Sample of Dancing in Thailand

December 7, 2014

I love how proud Thais are of Thai dancing. It gets incorporated into nearly every event and everyone gets involved. My friend and fellow Peace Corps volunteer, Rebecca, made a video of a sampling of some of the dancing she’s seen in her time here. Check it out!

Planning a trip to Thailand? Check out my 2 Weeks in Thailand itinerary. It will take you to all the best spots, making sure you don’t miss any of the highlights.

Bpai Tiao: Attending Lopburi’s Monkey Festival

December 2, 2014

Earlier this year, I posted about the different festivals in Thailand that I was looking forward to attending. After this weekend, I can gladly say that I made it to all five of the festivals I was excited about this year, which was topped off with a trip to Lopburi for the Monkey Festival.

The Monkey Festival is held annually on the last Sunday of November in the city of Lopburi, a province in central Thailand a couple hours north of Bangkok. The festival falls right around the same time as people in the States are celebrating Thanksgiving, which is convenient as the festival itself is a bit of its own kind of thanks giving feast.

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Bpai Tiao Video: Lopburi Monkey Festival 2014

November 30, 2014

In Thailand, a bpai tiao is a trip of any length. I’ve written about some of my more significant bpai tiaos to tourist destinations here, to be used as travel ideas and tips.

I love Thai festivals and I’ve made it a point to go to as many as I could this year, like the Rocket Festival, the Candle Festival and Phi Ta Khon. Recently, I made it to Lopburi to go to the annual Monkey Festival. There are Khmer ruins in the middle of Lopburi, and they have been overrun by macaques. Considering the macaques as agents of the Hindu god Hanuman, they are left alone. Each year, the city holds a festival for the macaques and provides them with a veritable feast. Check it out!

Planning a trip to Thailand? Check out my 2 Weeks in Thailand itinerary. It will take you to all the best spots, making sure you don’t miss any of the highlights.

Exploitation and Trafficking of People In Thailand

November 28, 2014

Earlier this year the U.S. State Department downgraded Thailand to the same level that is shared by North Korea and Iran in regards to their human rights and trafficking record. They were moved from the Tier 2 Watch List to Tier 3, meaning that they do not fully comply with the minimum standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act nor are the making significant efforts to do so. According to the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, Thailand is a source, transit and destination country for both sex and labor exploitation.

Earlier this week, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime released the 2014 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, covering 128 countries and looks at the pattern and flow of trafficked persons in the world. Each country report only included official numbers from convictions and prosecutions provided by the government, which for Thailand was 62 and 270 respectively.

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