Tag Archives: boats

Luxurious resort accommodation in developing countries offers up some interesting dilemmas.  On the one hand, development for tourism brings money and job opportunities into otherwise under-developed communities.  On the other hand, it highlights the contrasts between the have-very-littles and the have-a-lots. The Bintan Resorts complex, on the north coast of Bintan (Negeri Segantang Lada), the largest of Indonesia’s […]

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The Chao Phraya River (แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา), which collects the Nan and Ping Rivers in Central Thailand and runs 372 kilometres south to empty into the Gulf of Thailand, is the life-blood of the City of Angels. When Bangkok was established as the Capital of Thailand in 1782, most activity was conducted along the Chao Phraya River and the network of […]

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One of the (many) delights of sailing is the characters you meet; there is something special about people who sail boats or fly planes.  Often eccentric; always independent – what they seem to have in common is the diversity of their life experiences, the breadth of their interests, and the scope of their practical abilities.  They […]

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During my early years in Thailand, I was invited to conduct some teacher-training in the southern province of Ranong.  This was pretty exciting for me as it was my first foray off the main tourist tracks and into the real Thailand. My hosts kindly took me on a tour of the area: beautiful coastline with mangrove reserves and […]

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If there is one thing that living in Thailand has taught me, it is to suspend expectations. Not lower my expectations, but defer them completely and try to be ready for all contingencies.  This is easier said than done, especially for someone like me who likes an orderly (some might even say controlled) environment. On our […]

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