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Thai PM Survives Vote of No Confidence
Thai prime minister, Samak Sundaravej and seven members of his cabinet have survived a no-confidence vote brought by opposition MPs. It will be some consolation for the embattled Samak, but his future still remains uncertain.
Even by the extraordinary standards of Thai politics, some of the antics i
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Chiang Mai Ram Hospital
I went to the hospital in Chiang Mai last week because I’ve had an ongoing problem with my eye. I’ve had a stye for ages and I’ve been saying to myself for months that I had to get it properly sorted out. I was also well aware that as the stye still hadn’t gone away (despite using warm compresses) t
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Don’t Forget Your Earplugs
It might seem like a strange piece of advice, but if you’re visiting Thailand a set of foam earplugs can be one of the best things you have in your bag. Thailand is a wonderful country for all number of reasons, but as I’ve said before it’s also a country of contradictions and what you might experie
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Introductions
Being polite is important in Thai society, but there are times when you may think a Thai person is being rude or ill-mannered simply because the Thai way of doing things is often very different to many other cultures. One of the most common examples is when it comes to meeting new people because int
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Ang Thong National Marine Park, Ko Samui
The delightfully scenic marine park of Ang Thong consists of 42 small islands stretched out to the west of Ko Samui. The islands and waters that surround them support a huge variety of wildlife including macaques, dolphins and kingfishers. However, you don’t have to be a birdwatcher or naturalist to
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Som Tam (Papaya Salad)
Som tam is a dish which is native to the north-east part of Thailand (Isaan) but has become universally popular throughout the country. Whether you are in Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Krabi, you will see somebody selling som tam. You might not know what it is when you first see it, but once you’ve tasted
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Respecting Buddha Images
Wherever you go in Thailand you will see Buddha images and it doesn’t matter how small, old or what state of disrepair it may be in, the image is still sacred. Standing on an old Buddha statue to have your photograph taken is one of the most disrespectful things that you can do in Thailand because y
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Public Holiday in Thailand for Queen's Birthday
Queen Sirikit of Thailand celebrates her 76th birthday today. The day is marked as a public holiday in Thailand and it’s no coincidence that the occasion of the queen’s birthday is also the date for Mother’s Day as Queen Sirikit is fondly regarded as the mother of the nation.
In her birthday address
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Pedestrians Watch Your Step
Walking around any Thai town or city can be an amazing experience in more ways than one. Seemingly mundane things like taking a stroll can be an adventure, so don’t assume that the pavements or sidewalks are there for the sole benefit of pedestrians.
If you are walking, you might think that the most
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Stray Dogs
Thailand has a large number of stray dogs and despite some efforts to ease the problem it remains an issue that visitors can’t help but notice. The cute puppies which are bought and sold in local Thai markets aren’t as cute to their owners as the dogs get older and larger. As their upkeep becomes to
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Thai Toilets
Most restaurants, bars and tourist areas in Thailand have modern and clean Western toilets so there is no need to worry if you are caught short when you are out and about. In the majority of cases the toilet will have what looks like a mini shower appliance next to it which serves the same purpose a
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Contact your Thai Embassy or Consulate
Contact details of Thai embassies and consulates:
Australia
Royal Thai Embassy, Canberra
Australian Embassy Bangkok
37 South (Sai) Sathorn Road
Bangkok
Royal Thai Embassy, Ottawa
Canadian Embassy Bangkok
15th Floor Abdulrahim Place
990 Rama IV Road
Bangrak
Bangkok
Royal Thai Consulate, Dublin
Irish
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One Week Itinerary for Thailand
If you only have one week to spend in Thailand, you should decide in advance what is most important to you. Do you just want a week of total relaxation, a week of partying or a week completely immersed in Thai culture? You can of course experience all of these in a week wherever you elect to stay, b
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Fast Food Thai Style
One of the joys of visiting Thailand is sampling the food. Thai people seem to have an obsession with food and it’s been said that if a Thai person isn’t actually eating then they will almost certainly be thinking about food. That may be an exaggeration but food does play an integral part in Thai li
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Hearts and Minds
The Thai word for heart is ‘hua-jai’. The word ‘jai’ in isolation is also used for heart although in this context the nearest English equivalent is probably ‘mind’. The word ‘jai’ is frequently used in combination with other words to denote emotional s
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How to Make a Buddhist Offering (Wai Phra)
When Thai Buddhists visit the temple they will normally make an offering. This act is known as wai phra; wai being the traditional greeting with palms pressed together and raised towards the face and phra being the word for a Buddha image, monk or priest.
The usual offering made consists of a candl
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Vegetarian Festival
The vegetarian festival is celebrated by Chinese Thais at the start of the ninth lunar month (usually in October or November) and marks the beginning of Taoist Lent. This is a period of purification where devout followers will wear white and abstain from meat, alcohol and sex. The vegetarian festiv
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Thai Small Talk
When you meet a Thai person for the first time and engage in conversation you may be surprised by the directness of some of the questions. What may be considered impolite or nosey in your home country is often perfectly normal in Thailand. Don’t be offended by questions about age, marital status or
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Is Thailand Ready for Another Coup?
Deputy prime minister Chavit took responsibility for the way in which Tuesday’s protests were policed and as a consequence he resigned from the government. The former deputy has now voiced publicly what others have said in private when he stated that a military coup was the only way out of the curre
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End of Buddhist Lent (Awk Phansa)
Awk Phansa marks the end of the three-month Buddhist Lent period and the traditional end of the rainy season. The final day of the Buddhist Lent period falls on the full-moon day of the eleventh lunar moon and is known in most parts of Thailand as Awk Phansa, although there are some regional variati
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