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9 Useful Thai Phrases
Even if you are only in Thailand for a few weeks, if you can learn a few words of the Thai language it can be amazing the difference it can make to your interaction with the locals. Naturally, you have to be realistic; if you haven’t learnt Thai before it’s going to be difficult. At first you will a
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Makha Bucha Day
It’s been a national holiday in Thailand today to mark Makha Bucha Day. This particular holiday usually falls in February, but like many Buddhist holidays the date varies depending on the lunar cycle. Makha Bucha commemorates the unique event when 1,250 of the Lord Buddha’s disciples spo
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Gambling
Apart from a few officially endorsed activities such as the Thai lottery and horse racing at selected venues, gambling is illegal in Thailand. However, this is Thailand and gambling is as popular here as it is in many other countries. The fact that it is illegal just means there is usually a bit mor
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Kreng Jai
Kreng jai (also written as krengjai) is a distinctly Thai trait that can bewilder visitors to Thailand. So what is kreng jai? The direct translation is often given as ‘awe heart‘ or ‘deferential heart‘ and it is usually interpreted as consideration, but that is too simplistic
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Bangkok Airport Guide
Bangkok’s international airport (code = BKK) is known as Suvarnabhumi (pronounced Su-wan-na-poom) and is located to the east of Thailand’s capital city. The airport opened in 2006 and the terminal building hosts international and domestic flights. Suvarnabhumi replaced Bangkok’s Don Muang airp
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This is Thailand (T.I.T.)
There’s an expression that many expats use to sum up the bizarre, outrageous and confusing things that can happen in Thailand; T.I.T. (This is Thailand).
You’re driving along a busy main road at night and although the traffic light is on green, traffic has halted. The reason for the delay? An elepha
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Obesity on the Increase in Thailand
It’s official; Thai people are getting fatter. I’d long since suspected it, but my own less-than-scientific observations have been confirmed in a recent report from the Kasikorn Research Centre. This year, the number of Thai people classed as overweight is expected to increase to between 10 – 12 mil
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Chakri Day
April 6 is Chakri Day in Thailand, a public holiday which commemorates the founding day of the royal Chakri Dynasty of which the present Thai monarch, HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the ninth king (Rama IX).
On Chakri Day, the king and other members of the royal family preside over a religious cerem
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Review: Wiang Inn Hotel, Chiang Rai
I recently visited Chiang Rai and stayed at the Wiang Inn Hotel for 2 nights. Travelling by bus from Chiang Mai, I hadn’t pre-booked any accommodation but was looking for somewhere fairly central. The Wiang Inn is located on the main Phaholyothin Road just a few minutes walk from the night market.
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Review: VIP Bus Service from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
There are numerous buses which ply the route between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, with varying prices according to the degree of comfort, speed and number of stops en route. The cheapest service has fans instead of air-conditioning, stops numerous times and is quite slow. At the other end of the spect
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A Return to Traditional Songkran Values
With the Thai New Year Water Festival (Songkran) rapidly approaching, there are calls for a return to the traditional way of celebrating. This involves gentle dousing of water as opposed to the all-out water fights which take place nowadays. Of course, it’s highly unlikely that younger people – Thai
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Songkran Chaos
Songkran celebrations kicked off in earnest today for the Thai water festival with large-scale water throwing in towns and cities up and down Thailand. In some rural areas children have been playing Songkran all week, but elsewhere there were only isolated pockets of water throwing up until today.
I
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Songkran Day
Although festivities and water throwing began yesterday in many places, today is the day when just about everybody joins in with the Songkran celebrations.
April 13th is the traditional day when Buddha images are paraded through streets and Thai people sprinkle them with lustral water (pictured). P
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Stand Up for the King (Part 2)
I’ve written before about the Thai royal family and in particular the affection and devotion most Thais have for their king and queen. As Swiss man, Oliver Jufer found out, insulting the king is a criminal offence and as resident in Thailand for over a decade, Jufer knew the consequences of his acti
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How to Get from Bangkok Airport to Pattaya
Depending on your time of arrival and how much you want to spend, there are a number of options for getting from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport to Pattaya. A comfortable air-conditioned bus will get you straight from the airport to Pattaya for as little as 106 Baht whilst a public taxi will cost aro
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Pattaya to Bangkok Airport
Having written previously about how to get from Bangkok airport to Pattaya, here are a few pointers for the return journey from Pattaya back to Bangkok airport. With a good run, the trip can be done in under 1.5 hours, but allow for at least 2 hours to be on the safe side.
Private Taxi
Wherever you
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Thailand Public Holiday: Coronation Day
May 5th is a holiday in Thailand as it marks the Coronation Day of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Known in Thai as Wan Chatramongkhol (Coronation Day), banks and government offices in Thailand are closed today.
The world’s longest reigning monarch, King Bhumibol actually came to the throne in 1946, but t
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Royal Ploughing Ceremony
Following today’s Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Bangkok, royal astrologers have predicted a bumper rice crop and abundant supplies of food. In a country where superstitions and old traditions still play a part in everyday life, the forecast is based on two royal oxen eating rice and hay out of seven f
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Ghosts, Spirits and Spirit Houses
Although Thailand is pre-dominantly Buddhist, there are many beliefs and customs which owe nothing to Buddhism, but instead have their roots in Hindu or animist beliefs. The presence of ghosts or spirits (phi) is a widely held belief and not something that most Thais take lightly; an unhappy spirit
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Hotel Review: Ayatana Hamlet & Spa, Chiang Mai
I recently stayed for just one night at the Ayatana Hamlet and Spa (now renamed as B2 Ayatana Premier Resort), but I wish it could have been longer. This is certainly one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever stayed in. I’d originally booked to stay at the Tri Yaan Na Ros Colonial House, but on a
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