Category: Asia

Bpai Tiao: Top Tourist Spots in Chiang Mai & Bangkok

October 31, 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.

After beaching out with my parents for a couple of days on Koh Ngai, I figured they would be up for a little bit of culture and a completely different part of the country. So we packed up our bags, chartered a boat off the island and got on a plane heading north. We had our sights set on Chiang Mai and an elephant adventure, plus a visit to a handful of the city’s wats.

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Bpai Tiao: Koh Ngai with My Parents

October 28, 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.

Way back in 2012 when I found out I was coming to Thailand and I was making preparations like packing and stocking up on underwear and riap roy clothes, I also had a couple conversations with my dad mostly centered about the topic of travel.

Would I want to come back to the States to visit? (I originally said no, changed my mind once I got here and then changed it again, then got a trip back as a Blog It Home winner.) Would my parents come to visit me in Thailand? (Yes, but in 2014 because they were already planning on a cruise of the Mediterranean for 2013.)

I was a little skeptical that they would come, but earlier this month they touched down for their first time ever in Asia (on the same day that I got back from Bhutan! Told you it’s been a whirlwind) and we hit some highlights of Thailand. First stop: the beaches of Koh Ngai, one of the Trang Islands in the Andaman Sea.

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Bpai Tiao Video: the Emerald Cave on Koh Muk

October 26, 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.

Thailand is famous for its beaches and islands in the south. I personally haven’t had much time to spend down south until recently. One of the places I was really excited to see was the Emerald Cave, Tham Morakot, on Koh Muk. I thought you might want to check it out as well!

I Won Blog It Home and Went on a Top Bloggers’ Tour

October 10, 2014

Last year, in the weekly e-mail that is sent out by the Peace Corps Thailand office, there was a call for people who keep a blog to submit theirs for consideration for the first ever Blog It Home competition. The winners would be flown to D.C. to take part in the Third Goal Conference and to give a presentation on blogging and their country of service. At that point, I had been in country for about seven months, but was making regular posts and decided to submit for the country director to choose which one would best represent Thailand.

I wasn’t chosen. My friend, Sara, was chosen as the finalist for Thailand and then the people at the Office of the Third Goal selected her as one of the winners. She finished her service in March, and I have kept on blogging.

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Everything You Should Know About Thai Massage

October 7, 2014

Walk into a spa in the U.S. and a look at the massage menu will likely be one of the more common ways that Americans are exposed to Thai culture, in the form of Thai massage. (Other ways include a Thai restaurant and electronic items that are stamped with “Made in Thailand.”)

Massage is a significant part of the culture here. Maybe it’s because generally people sit cross-legged on the ground, sleep on a bamboo mat on the ground and if they do leave their village, its for long trips. But what is Thai massage like and where did it come from?

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A Look at 4 of Thailand’s National Artists

October 3, 2014

In the United States each year we have a national poet laureate and the National Endowment for the Arts as a way for the government to support and recognize artists and the work that they create.

Since 1985, the Ministry of Culture has annually, on February 24 or “National Artist Day”, named a list of artists in Thailand as the National Artist of Thailand. The artists receive a 12,000 baht monthly salary (about $375, and more than I make), health expenses paid for, 15,000 baht towards funeral expenses and 120,000 baht for a memorial biography.

H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej was named “Supreme Artist” in 1986, for his accomplishments as a composer, photographer and painter. But who are some of the other National Artists of Thailand and what kind of works have they produced?

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A BBC Documentary About the Thai Royal Family

September 28, 2014

The Thai royal family is very revered in Thailand. You will see photos and images of the king and queen all around the country. The BBC made a great documentary about them, called “The Soul of a Nation.” Check it out.

6 Periods and Styles of Thai Sculpture

September 26, 2014

Like the religious paintings at wats, any trip to Thailand is sure to include innumerable sightings of Buddhist sculptures. This is one area of visual arts that has been well documented, described and preserved.

There are a handful of significant periods of Buddhist sculpture, and if you know what to look for on the Buddha icons, they become much less monotonous and more interesting as you try to figure out which period’s style is having the most influence on the sculpture you happen to be viewing. Here’s a breakdown of the various periods and their characteristics.

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