Tag Archives: thai

I love trains and train journeys.  There is something hypnotic about the rhythmic clack of the wheels on the tracks.  And who can resist waving at the people on trains as they pass? Kanchanaburi, about 3 hours west of Bangkok (on a good day), is home to what must be one of the most poignant […]

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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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Pattaya, 145km south of Bangkok, on the Eastern Gulf Coast of Thailand, was called by the Lonely Planet’s Thailand’s Island and Beaches (mine’s the 2006 version, but things haven’t changed): “A living testament to unchecked tourist development run rampant…”  In it’s current incarnation, this city of bars and beaches was born of the American GI R&R action […]

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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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If you are recovering from jet lag, need to ride out a miserable cold, and have to endure a tropical reudu fon [ฤดูฝน] or rainy season, there can be no better place than The Spa Resort (official site) in Koh Chang to do it.  I know, it sounds like I am writing an infomercial!  We stayed […]

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