Tag: thailand

Bpai Tiao: New Year’s on Koh Mak

January 3, 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 am fortunate enough to be serving in Peace Corps in a country that has several locations that consistently find their way onto lists with names like “Top Places to Visit Before You Die” or “Best Beach Getaways.” This means that my holiday travels are often jam packed with everyone going to the same place, which tips the scale on the stress factor.

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Bpai Tiao Video: Non Sang Bike Club

December 29, 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.

Recently I went to help out friend and fellow volunteer Michael with an event for the bike club in his community. We all biked to the nearby national park and then did a variety of activities with the students there that focus on developing team building and leadership skills. It was truly a blast for both the visiting volunteers and the kids. Check it out!

Bpai Tiao: Christmas in Puay Noi, Khon Kaen

December 27, 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.

Thailand may be 98% Buddhist, but Christmas is a big deal here. Christmas has been all over the advertisements and the big box stores have been decking the halls. Of course, many schools that have a Peace Corps volunteer see this it as an opportunity to get “the real deal” American Christmas experience at their school and enlist their volunteer to plan Christmas Day activities. My friend Jill was one of those volunteers whose school wanted some Christmas activities and she asked me to come and help her out. Happy to have to chance to spend the holiday with a friend, I agreed. Check out some of my Christmas Day activities!

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LGBTQ Safe Zone Training for Peace Corps Staff

December 24, 2013

Back in May, Peace Corps put out this press release, titled “Peace Corps Announces New Service Opportunity for Same-Sex Couples.”

It stated:

“Expanding service opportunities to same-sex domestic partners who want to volunteer together further diversifies the pool of Peace Corps applicants and the skills of those invited to serve overseas in the fields of education, health, community economic development, environment, youth in development and agriculture. Married heterosexual couples have been serving together in the Peace Corps since its inception in 1961. Currently, 7 percent of Peace Corps assignments are filled by married volunteers serving together.”

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Making Merit at Phra That Phanom

December 22, 2013

Phra That Phanom is a temple located in Nakhon Phanom in Isaan (Northeastern Thailand). It is said that some relics of the Buddha are interred in the stupa there. Because of this, it is a pilgrimage site for many Thai Buddhists to come and make merit. Check it out!

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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