Category: World Wanderings

When I was young, I was bit by the travel bug. Since then, I’ve been extremely fortunate to have the ability to not only travel to numerous countries around the world, but also live in foreign countries. These posts include stories about my travels, cultural differences and travel tips.

Non Sang Bike Club and Youth Development

December 20, 2013

One of the neat things about being a Peace Corps volunteer is that we know a large number of people in pretty much every corner of the country, and the work that each of us does sometimes requires more facilitators than are available at our site. This means that sometimes, we call on other volunteers to come to our site and lend a helping hand at a large event that we have going on, and we get to spend some time together and show off our sites to each other.

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Bpai Tiao: Diving in Mu Ko Surin and Khao Sok

December 17, 2013

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.

At the beginning of the month there were two Thai National Holidays, Father’s Day and Constitution Day, which fell on a Thursday and Tuesday respectively. Seeing as how we get Thai holidays off and are free to travel as we please on the weekends, a friend and I made plans to put our SCUBA certifications and living near some of the best diving to use and hit up a raved about national park.

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Thai Government Dissolves; Protests Continue

December 13, 2013

Things here in Thailand have taken a turn, politically. Over the past few weeks, anti-government protests have broken out in Bangkok, particularly focusing on the prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, and her attempt to obtain amnesty for her brother.

Since then there was a truce to not protest during the King’s birthday. The King is the most revered person in Thailand, with his image plastered along roads, in front of buildings and hung up in every Thai house, restaurant, school and business. His yellow flag flies everywhere the Thai flag does. He, along with Buddhism and country make up the three parts of the motto of Thailand. It would have been in extreme poor taste to protest on a day set aside to honor him. The truce lasted through the weekend, which was the time the protests turned violent the week before.

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Father’s Day Celebrations in Thailand

December 6, 2013

Yesterday was a very special day in Thailand: the king’s birthday, which is also celebrated as Father’s Day.

The king is extremely revered and loved by the Thai people. His is the longest serving monarch in the world, having ascended to the throne in 1946 after the mysterious death of his other brother. He has done much for Thailand in the way of agricultural and medical reform. He’s also a man of many talents, holding patents for inventions call the Sandwich and the Super Sandwich, which make rain clouds. Not to mention the fact that he’s an accomplished jazz musician and has written original compositions. His has three daughters and one son and is 86 this year. more “Father’s Day Celebrations in Thailand” …

Yellow-Shirt Protests in Bangkok

December 3, 2013

Right now, protests in the streets of Bangkok are grabbing international headlines. Political tensions in Thailand have been on a low simmer for years, and the current protests are ultimately an escalation of dissatisfaction with the last democratically elected government. But how is the government that was overthrown in a coop in 2006 connected to the government today?

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Gaining Self-Confidence in Thailand

December 1, 2013

One thing that I see a lot of Thais struggle with, especially in Isaan, is low levels of self-esteem and self-confidence. When it comes to speaking English, many Thai people demure, and are embarrassed by their accent or small grammar mistakes. I came across this interview with Jon Jandai, a man from Isaan talking about how he overcame his shyness and gained self-confidence, and I wanted to share it.

Bangkok: A Nice City Near Thailand

November 26, 2013

Thailand is a tourist destination. Tourism accounts for more that 15 percent of Thailand’s GDP. However, the Thailand that I experience is not the Thailand that most tourists experience. Tourists generally stick to the major cities: Phuket, Chiang Mai and Bangkok. Particularly when it comes to the capital, the differences between tourist Thailand and rural Thailand are extremely stark.

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