One of the biggest headaches for someone living in or traveling for extended periods in Thailand is the dreaded visa run. Even with a dismal economy and political turmoil turning away travelers in the droves, Thai officials have not seem to got it in their skulls that making it more difficult for travelers and expats to stay is in their country’s best interest.

Where a wai fits into Thai culture is a complicated issue linked to the many levels of status that will be impossible to a foreigner to ever understand on every level. The role of multi-faced status on every interaction in Thailand is complicated to an outsider but to Thais is second nature. You don’t have to learn all that for a brief stay, but a basic understanding goes a long […]

Okay, so it is a given for the majority of us that we are coming to Thailand to party.  And what a place to do it.  From crooning out your favorite love songs in back-alley karaoke bars to sleeping in the sand at the Full Moon Party, a trip across Thailand can be one blackout after another.    Here are some of the different alcohols you’ll come across, or stumble across, […]

While not as exciting as swimming with whale sharks and teaching fat, lazy tourists how to breathe 30 meters below the ocean’s surface, teaching English brings you closer to true Thai culture than a divemaster will ever get. This is certainly a doable way to make it—and the first question I get whenever someone finds out I speak basic Thai, “You teach English?”.

I always flirted with […]

Thailand is known for its hidden treasures, both natural and man-made.  Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you will walk around a corner and be thrown into shock by something unlike anything you have ever seen in your life.  One thing that did that for me and one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in Thailand, or anywhere else in the world for that matter, is […]

No trip to Thailand is complete without watching a traditional muay thai bout. Two opponents circle in the ring. A blistering heat upon the crowd. The punishing sound of flesh upon flesh—bone upon bone. “Oy! Oy!” Another arching elbow has found its mark.

Thailand lives and breathes muay thai, and it’s simply a must experience if you ever step onto this […]

Nightlife in Chiang Mai is world class, yet most visitors never see the venues worth seeing. Follow the usual tourist trail first, and then go see one of these clubs, and you will get an idea of how different Chiang Mai is to those who know where to go.

Two different worlds exist here–you just have to decide which you want to experience. Here is […]

Long-term travelers and expats are always looking for ways to fund the dream lifestyle.  Sure, it seems like pennies to the dollar when you’re on a holiday in Thailand because you’ve likely got a pocketful.  But as reality catches up, most head home with their tail between their legs.  Thanks to a little paradise in the southern gulf called Koh Tao, some of us dreamers have found a way stay.