This interview comes from a blog with a bit of a different focus compared with the past interviews. Here’s a portrait of an American who is retired to a small Thai village and loving his retirement in Thailand. I am loving the down to earth writing style and homey posts that he writes. Reading this blog always seems to bring my stress levels down a notch as I can easily relate to his stories about life in rural Thailand.

1. What is your name, the name of your blog and the subject matter of the Thailand blog (language, food, general life, nightlife, etc)? If you don’t mind, please provide a photo of yourself so I can share it with my readers. We all like to see who it is that we’re talking to.
Malcolm Burgess—Retired in Thailand and Loving It—Ciejay and Me our lives in Thailand and our home ,family , friends, our small village of Whang Pho and My life , Past ,Present and future.

2. How long have you been blogging about Thailand ? What was your inspiration to start Retired in Thailand and Loving It? Did you (or do you) blog about any other subjects?
I have been blogging for 1 1/2 years — mainly for my friends and family in America to read—I stick pretty close to home and try to stay away from heavy stuff in my post , But will make some pretty strong statements in my comments of other bloggers.I do have a small photo blog.

3. Obviously you are not Thai and have chosen to expatriate to Thailand . What country are you from originally? What made you choose Thailand as your home away from home?
I am from America , the US of A , I wanted to bring my Thai wife, Ciejay, back to her country, home to her family and friends and her kids and to start as it were a” new life being retired “and I fell in love with the country and people.

4. How long have you been visiting and/or living in Thailand ? If you’re currently living in Thailand , what part of Thailand do you live in? Why did you choose this city/province over others in Thailand ?
We have been here for 5 1/2 years. We live in the providence of Kanchanaburi , the ampor of Sai Yok and the Village of Whang Pho on the banks of the River Kwai and at the foot of a small mountain range and in a beautiful fertile valley. My wife has family that live here , it is soooooo clean and well taken care of by our city leaders , and it is soooo safe . It’s in the country and close to town if we need it .

5. From the south of Thailand to Bangkok and Chiang Mai and the NE provinces of Isaan Thailand is very different depending on what part of the country you’re in. What is your favorite region in Thailand and why?
The central – hardly any disasters,such as floods , mudslides , weather is great all year, and far ,yet near to everything and every place .

6. Even though Thai food is really built upon the same 4 precepts as Chinese food (sweet, sour, spicy and salty) Thai food is known throughout the world for its spicy component. Do you like spicy food? What is your favorite Thai dish?
I love spicy food , but not to hot— Curries and fried rice with anything and I simply love tum yum pla.

7. Thailand is known to be very affordable as a tourist destination and as a place to live. What things do you find to be the biggest bargains in Thailand ?
food , clothes, ulilities and labor.

8. Even though there are bargains to be had, some things are certainly more expensive than others. What do you find to be most expensive in Thailand ?
Autos, electronics, fuel.

9. There are many good reasons given by those who live in Thailand for settling in the Kingdom. What do you feel is the best part of living in Thailand ?
A lot less stress , healthier food , great weather , and of course my ss check goes a lot further here in the LOS.

10. One group that’s easy to find online are the complainers who live in Thailand , but seem to feel that the Thai’s should change to accommodate their Western guests. What things do you feel are frustrating for foreigners living in Thailand ? Do you think these aspects of Thailand should change or that they are simply part of the culture?
I don’t find anything here frustrating, as I did my homework long before we came to Thailand , we were not running away from anything when we moved to the LOS ( as is the case for lots of folks that come to Thailand , as my Ole Dad use to say “they had wore out their welcome at home” and to have any chance of happiness they had to go somewhere.) WE were running to something, I think the only thing that ever bothers me is not being able to carry on a conversation with a aThai person. I speak nit noi Thai and Ciejay helps me out with the rest .

I think that most foreigners that come here to live, think that they are so superior, smart and wealthy and they think they are the savior of the country and that everyone has to do as they demand ( they are use to everything here and now ) and it just ain’t going to happen in the LOS and my advise to them,is the same as the folks gave them when they complained about their home countries (IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT LEAVE). My Dad use to have a saying ” SOME PEOPLE WILL COMPLAIN EVEN IF THEY ARE HUNG WITH A NEW ROPE” which means that some folks are just that COMPLAINERS no matter where they live and there’s no pleasing them sooooo I don’t try ,I just give them a deaf ear and pretty soon they get the message that I’m not interested in their complaining, I’m the only American living in our village and I love it , that way I can stay away from the complainers, Ciejay says I’m a ole Fart sometimes ha ha . I love Thailand , not the western influenced Thailand, and I love the Thai culture that’s why, I married a Thai lady, built a Thai home, live in a small village and
I’m RETIRED IN THAILAND AND LOVING IT .

11. Considering the last few years especially it’s evident that Thailand is a country in flux. Western thinking and Western customs are rapidly invading the Kingdom. The Thai people seem to be looking for change and the political leadership in Thailand is constantly changing. How do you think Thailand has changed since the first time you visited, both positively and negatively?
I don’t think the REAL Thai people want change as much as a lot of folks think , I think they are happy with the old ways and the old BUDDIST AND THAI BELIEFS AND CULTURE .

I think the political leadership of Thailand are motivated by greed and lust and the old desire to be RICH , RICH , RICH , and they as, they call themselves ” Hi So folks” are not helping Thailand they are ruining it and are trying to change it for their own good, and not the good of the real Thai people. and as Forest Gump would say ” AND THAT’S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT “

12. Even with all the changes in the past decades, it’s safe to say that Thailand is very different from any Western country. How is your life in Thailand different from your life in the West?
Read my blog and you’ll know how I feel my life is different here in the LOS and that’s why I say I’m RETIRED IN THAILAND AND LOVING IT .

13. Please tell us about 3-5 of the best posts from your blog

1. A MAN’S HOME IS HIS CASTLE— Is the story of the preparation thought and work in order to move to the LOS from our house in the USA and to build our home and castle.

2. I ATE A RAT — True story about trying all the food and snacks that the LOS has to offer and a great recipe is included in the post for those that want to give it a try.

3. SOUL SEARCHING — a post about me and what makes me happy and what makes me sad and how things that we see with our eyes affect our souls . A good read if I do say so .

4. TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS— A look back at when I was young and how taking long rides in the country with my Dad, on country roads , gave me lots of lessons in life and things about those rides that I have shared thru the years with friends and family.

To tell you the truth I like them all and think that each is a small story of my life Past , Present , and the Future and all of them are reasons why ” I’M RETIRED IN THAILAND AND LOVING IT”

If you liked this interview why not go check out all of my Thailand blogger interviews.

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Today I have a blog for you that isn’t completely Thailand focused, but that’s mostly because the blogger spends a LOT of time traveling. In 2009 his travel looked like this -> Thailand > Vietnam > Thailand > UK > Thailand > Laos > Vietnam > Malaysia > Indonesia > Singapore > Indonesia > Thailand > UK > Vietnam > China > Thailand > UK > Thailand…and that’s just the country list, if you look at it by city it’s about 5 times as long!

Because of the extensive travel this blog is loaded with great photos and you should visit it just for that reason, but realize that there is much much more there. The tag line is “Food and Travel Blog”, but there is also a healthy dose of business related writing as the young man who runs this blog is trying to create a business while traveling and he shares some of his trial and pitfalls in that regard.

Overall a very worthy addition to anyone’s RSS feed, and since the blogger plans on settling down to focus on his business I believe most of the near future posts will be coming from Thailand.

1. What is your name, the name of your blog and the subject matter of the
Thailand blog (language, food, general life, nightlife, etc)? If you don’t
mind, please provide a photo of yourself so I can share it with my readers. We
all like to see who it is that we’re talking to.
My name is Chris. Blog name is My Egg Noodles which covers food, travel and business.

2. How long have you been blogging about Thailand? What was your inspiration
to start My Egg Noodles? Did you (or do you) blog about any other subjects?
Been blogging for 3 years – just do it for fun now but when started did it to keep family updated on what I was doing with my new life.

3. Obviously you are not Thai and have chosen to expatriate to Thailand. What
country are you from originally? What made you choose Thailand as your home
away from home?
Cost of living, friendly locals, good food, nice weather and great hub to explore the rest of Asia are a few things that drew me to Thailand.

4. How long have you been visiting and/or living in Thailand? If you’re
currently living in Thailand, what part of Thailand do you live in? Why did
you choose this city/province over others in Thailand?
I’ve lived in a few areas; Koh Samui in the south, Bangkok for 3 years and in a couple of cities in the north east Thailand. I’m writing this in Mukdahan, which is located on the Lao/Thai boarder but will most likely move to Khon Kaen within a month or two.

5. From the south of Thailand to Bangkok and Chiang Mai and the NE provinces of
Isaan Thailand is very different depending on what part of the country you’re
in. What is your favorite region in Thailand and why?
I haven’t got one fav. Bangkok is best for eating, while the south is best for lazy days spent on the beaches with a fresh coconut. Although I do like Isaan and feel it deserves more attention as the locals are defo the friendliest I’ve ever met.

6. Even though Thai food is really built upon the same 4 precepts as Chinese
food (sweet, sour, spicy and salty) Thai food is known throughout the world for
its spicy component. Do you like spicy food? What is your favorite Thai dish?
I can eat spicy food, but not blow-your-head-of spicey. My fav Thai dish, although it changes on a monthly basis, is currently ka-nar moo gob (Chinese kale with crispy pork)

7. Thailand is known to be very affordable as a tourist destination and as a
place to live. What things do you find to be the biggest bargains in
Thailand?
Nightlife.

8. Even though there are bargains to be had, some things are certainly more
expensive than others. What do you find to be most expensive in Thailand?
Anything imported. From wine and cheese to cars.

9. There are many good reasons given by those who live in Thailand for settling
in the Kingdom. What do you feel is the best part of living in Thailand?
The laid back culture and people is what it’s all about for me.

10. One group that’s easy to find online are the complainers who live in
Thailand, but seem to feel that the Thai’s should change to accommodate their
Western guests. What things do you feel are frustrating for foreigners living
in Thailand? Do you think these aspects of Thailand should change or that they
are simply part of the culture?
The ones that complain are generally the ones that have been here to long and don’t take trips outside the Kingdom on a regular basis. Unless you do that, you forget how great Thailand is. Also, I’ve noticed that the ones that complain also can’t speak Thai… and I think you miss out on understanding Thai culture to a deep level if you can’t speak their language.

As for me, I just go with the flow and appreciate there will be things I disagree with where ever I live in the world.

11. Considering the last few years especially it’s evident that Thailand is a
country in flux. Western thinking and Western customs are rapidly invading the
Kingdom. The Thai people seem to be looking for change and the political
leadership in Thailand is constantly changing. How do you think Thailand has
changed since the first time you visited, both positively and negatively?
I don’t really follow politics and don’t talk about politics with my friends. So, from my perspective, I don’t think much has changed (between now and my first holiday 5 years ago).

12. Even with all the changes in the past decades, it’s safe to say that
Thailand is very different from any Western country. How is your life in
Thailand different from your life in the West?
Not much is different really… in the sense that I work, I eat out every day, I hang with my friends, I go out for drinks a few times a week… I would be doing this in any city I chose to live in. What’s different are my surroundings, the culture and the fact I’m normally communicating in a different language.

13. Please tell us about 3-5 of the best posts from your blog.
Chris asked me to choose so hopefully I did good. With almost 600 posts over the past 3+ years it’s tough to go through them all and decide. So, I decided to go with the three major themes on My Egg Noodles…food, travel and online business.

Being a bit of a foodie myself it was WAY too hard to single out one food related post as best so I want to direct you to the My Egg Noodles Food category where you can indulge your gustatory cravings (visually anyway).

Everyone writes about why they love travel, but here’s 10 Things I Dislike About Long term Travel. I’m sure many of you will be able to relate.

Attention All Digital Nomad Wannabes – This post struck a bit of a cord with me since I am a Digital Nomad Wannabe

If you liked this interview why not go check out all of my Thailand blogger interviews.

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The very first blogger I will be interviewing is one that I have known for over 2 years. He is one of the first Thailand bloggers that I started talking to when Thailand Musings began and we have continued our relationship over the past 2+ years. Even though I have never met him in person (just missed you in Phuket man, but hope you loved the pretzels!) I consider him a good friend and imagine us continuing our relationship for many happy decades to come. I heartily recommend you check out his blog which has over 1500 pages indexed and is a HUGE repository of Thailand information.

1. What is your name, the name of your blog and the subject matter of the Thailand blog (language, food, general life, nightlife, etc)? If you don’t mind, please provide a photo of yourself so I can share it with my readers. We all like to see who it is that we’re talking to.
Name: Vern Lovic
Thailand Blog: ThaiPulse!
Subject: Experiences while living in Thailand, articles about traveling to amazing parts of Thailand, over 3,000 photos and 160 Thailand videos at YouTube (some a bit strange admittedly) about life in Thailand.

2. How long have you been blogging about Thailand? What was your inspiration to start Thai Pulse!? Did you (or do you) blog about any other subjects?
I love to write. I began in 2005 by creating these 5,000 – 10,000 word updates in HTML to my family at home about Thailand and how it was so different from living in the USA. I didn’t realize at the time – but, I was “blogging”. Eventually I set up 25 or so blogs at blogger.com and then some WordPress.com sites, and finally graduated to the WordPress.org system which is by far the best experience once you get it down.

My inspiration for ThaiPulse! was that I wanted to share all the different things I was experiencing in this cool country. I realized it was going to be an ongoing project – and it has been.

Other blogs are:

AimforAwesome.com – many motivational, philosophical, and (GTD) getting things done type articles. I recently moved it toward an all Hawaii focus to try to monetize it at some point in the future.

IncAnswers.com – elearning, ebusiness articles – without the hype. I became sick of the get rich quick b.s. I was seeing all over the internet marketing sites and decided to create a reality based online business advice site. That didn’t come out so smooth, but have a look and you’ll get the idea.

ThailandeBooks.com – my main Thailand focus at the moment. I’ve built a site that people can come with their iPhones, iPods, Blackberries, whatever they have – and buy books online, and read them in the same 5 minutes. I’m in the process of writing another 5+ ebooks to list here. I’m taking books focused on Thailand and southeast Asia. If you have a book that hasn’t been published, or that you have the full digital rights to – have a look at the site and see if it’s something you want to be a part of.

Literally Steve I have another 15 sites – the three above are the most important.

3. Obviously you are not Thai and have chosen to expatriate to Thailand. What country are you from originally? What made you choose Thailand as your home away from home?
Originally from USA. If I could change my nationality at this point I would do so. I escaped from the USA in 2004 with a semblance of sanity still left. I have an ebook that explains in-depth about why I chose Thailand. Look for “Living in Thailand – at the ThailandeBooks.com site.

4. How long have you been visiting and/or living in Thailand? If you’re currently living in Thailand, what part of Thailand do you live in? Why did you choose this city/province over others in Thailand?
Since 2004. I’ve bounced around a bit, seeing a lot of things but never getting close to Chiang Mai. That’s the great unknown for me at this point. Would I like CM better than other areas – not sure. I’m loving the other areas so much I’m not in any rush to get up north. We’ve been in the south and the northeast. The northeast is best for the people, but the climate and many things to do make the south the place to be. We’re looking at another place in the south, having already stayed in Trang, Krabi, Phuket, and Surat Thani. It isn’t altogether impossible that we end up in Isaan again – where my heart is!

5. Even though Thai food is really built upon the same 4 precepts as Chinese food (sweet, sour, spicy and salty) Thai food is known throughout the world for its spicy component. Do you like spicy food? What is your favorite Thai dish?
In America I thought I could eat spicy Mexican and moderately spicy Indian food. I’ve taken that up a couple notches to where I can now eat som tam as spicy as any Thai I’ve met. When I order I say, Pedt Pedt Pedt Pedt Pedt so they get the idea that this farang can really eat it. If they give me weak stuff, the next time I say I want “Pedt silop silai” which means spicy until I fall over into a coma. Eventually they catch on.

I really enjoy Som Tam Bla-Rah, Yum Woonsen, Grapow Neu-uh, and something as simple as Gwit Diao Gai. Favorite? Probably som tam – we eat it a few times per week for lunch.

6. Thailand is known to be very affordable as a tourist destination and as a place to live. What things do you find to be the biggest bargains in Thailand?
Housing. I’ve stayed in a $50/mth place and a $300/mth place. Both were considerably cheaper than I could have found in Florida or Hawaii.

7. Even though there are bargains to be had, some things are certainly more expensive than others. What do you find to be most expensive in Thailand?
Western food. I have to have pretzel rods shipped in at $35+ per box. There are a few things I can’t find here very often and that I ask friends in the US to send: good toothpaste and toothbrushes, underwear that fits me, socks that fit, and of course – pretzel rods.

8. There are many good reasons given by those who live in Thailand for settling in the Kingdom. What do you feel is the best part of living in Thailand?
Avoiding the stress of the USA was and is the biggest reason for moving to TH. Now that I’m here I realize that there is a country of 65 million that are living with a lot less stress than Americans are. Here nobody worries about things in the future. I understand now what is meant by America as a culture of fear. Wow, it’s quite obvious… and something I’d rather avoid if we can remain living here another 60 years or so!

9. One group that’s easy to find online are the complainers who live in Thailand, but seem to feel that the Thai’s should change to accommodate their Western guests. What things do you feel are frustrating for foreigners living in Thailand? Do you think these aspects of Thailand should change or that they are simply part of the culture?
It’s a futile effort to attempt to change Thai Ways. Bringing Farang Ways from wherever you’re from is not doing anyone a favor, in fact, you’re causing distress to people. Thai culture has done fine without adopting western attitudes, lifestyle, educational system, business practices, etc. Sure, I get outraged at some things and they make no sense to me at all. When I look back on it and put in context it all makes sense. Thai society works. It works very well. The concept of Face and keeping everything appearing to run smoothly on the surface is very, very important. I hope you take some time to read up about this important concept before you arrive.

So in short, assimilate into the culture, don’t bring yours and try to force the millions around you to adapt to it. You’re playing a losing game.

10. Considering the last few years especially it’s evident that Thailand is a country in flux. Western thinking and Western customs are rapidly invading the Kingdom. The Thai people seem to be looking for change and the political leadership in Thailand is constantly changing. How do you think Thailand has changed since the first time you visited, both positively and negatively?
I’ve only been here five years but I’ve seen some changes. At least I think I have. Hard to say since I went from Isaan to the south – where the culture, the people are vastly different. In trying to keep touch with those in the know in Isaan I believe that western attitudes and practices are being latched onto and are changing Thai society dramatically. I think there will be more change in the next 5 years to traditional Thailand than we’ve seen in the last 30.

I’m saddened by the political situation. Can you imagine if Thailand had a decent government that cared for the people and did everything for the benefit of the entire country? They might have 30 million visitors, not 14.

I’m saddened more by the intrusion of western advertising schemes here. The people are like deer in headlights when it comes to multi-level marketing schemes and such. A very sad state of things that I hope progresses slowly.

11. Even with all the changes in the past decades, it’s safe to say that Thailand is very different from any Western country. How is your life in Thailand different from your life in the West?
I think everything is different… from what I eat, when I wake up, what I think about during the day, what I do during the day, topics of conversation, lack of stress, lack of seriousness or urgency about things like health insurance or politics… I can avoid all that stressed me in America. I can forget about money as a means to a happier life, and focus on doing what I want to do instead.

Thais’ are amazing people and I feel very comfortable living amongst them. I’ve had a couple of bad experiences that I’ve written about in a bio that I’ll release when I leave Thailand – but, overall – nothing but great experiences and the highest recommendations that westerners come here and experience it for themselves. Start with Isaan – tour it a bit, meet people. Then move around the country and have a much different perspective than those that come only for Pattaya, Patpong, and Patong – the three P’s.

12. Please tell us about 3-5 of the best posts from your blog.
Thailand FAQ – lots of answers to questions about Thailand. Links to many resources.

Thailand Snake FAQ – snakes are one thing that skeeve people out about Thailand. There are over 40 species of poisonous snakes here. Read the FAQ to get a perspective whether you’ll be seeing any of these beasts – and what to do when you are bitten.

Short-Time S*x Hotel Review – this one had quite a response when it came out. I didn’t publish many of the comments, choosing to keep the blog rated pg or r at the most. My wife and I stumbled into this short-time hotel south of Bangkok and it was amazing. We stayed.

Everything about Songkran – Songkran is the Thai New Year and it’s the most fun I’ve had ever. Here is everything you need to know about it.

Thailand Travel Channel – this is my collection of 160+ videos I’ve taken in Thailand. Don’t miss the Gross Grub Series or the mutant cow… I have over 2 million views of these videos, so some are pretty good. Others – fail! Have a look and see what you get out of it.

If you liked this interview why not go check out all of my Thailand blogger interviews.

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Blogging by itself is a very narcissistic hobby. Writing about your own thoughts and opinions and putting them out there on your blog can be quite inward focused. On the other hand, we bloggers often attempt to build a community among our niche, whatever it happens to be and that is one of the huge positives about blogging because it allows us to share of ourselves and to give back to others as well.

While the Thailand blogging community may not be as large as other blog communities like the self help or online business groups, there are very likely quite a few more Thailand bloggers than you might think. I know I have been surprised by the number of Thai blogs I find and continue to find.

I am starting a series of posts here at Thailand Musings to give back to the Thailand blogging community. These posts will put the focus on other Thailand based blogs rather than focusing on me and my thoughts. The series will be in the form of interviews with other Thailand bloggers and are an attempt to introduce them to those who may not be aware of them, to share their contributions and ideas with others and hopefully to have a bit of fun getting to know these other Thailand bloggers.

This page will serve as a gateway to all of the interviews and you can come back here to get a list of all the Thailand blogger interviews I do with links to the interviews themselves. I’m sure the interviews themselves will be quite enlightening, informative and entertaining and I am looking forward to sharing them with you all. I hope you’re looking forward to reading them as well.

Thailand Blogger Interviews:
Vern from Thai Pulse! – Vern has a great site with over 1500+ posts about all aspects of life in Thailand. I recommend you check it out.
Chris from My Egg Noodles – Chris has a bit of an eclectic mix on his blog…food, travel and business…but it works well. He also has loads of great photos to check out.
Malcolm from Retired in Thailand and Loving It – Thoughts and musings of an American retiree living in a small community in Thailand and as the title says LOVING IT!
Ben from The Thai Pirate – Personally I have always loved the mystique and romantic notions of pirates from the Caribbean. How can you pass on a Thai pirate?
The Jungle Girl – Have you ever wondered what life might be like living on a small Thai island? Well now you can find out from someone living that life.
Mike from My Thai Friend – The life of a retired teacher living in the Land of Smiles…what could be better?
Jon from Jonny Foreigner – Musings from a young Brit with more than a little wit and a family based in Thailand.
Talen from Thailand, Land of Smiles – U.S. based Thailand blogger with a true love and passion for the Kingdom that shines through in his writing.
Martyn (aka Hoo Don) from Beyond the Mango Juice – Witty blogger and aspiring amateur photographer Martyn will keep you entertained and visually stimulated with his humorous posts and grat pictures.

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Being at the crux of a new year tends to make most of us reflective. We think on the past year and our successes and failures, maybe what we could have done differently. We think about the present, where do we stand right now in terms of our relationships, our finances and our professional life. Most of all we think about the future. What will this new year hold for us we wonder. What can we do to become better people, to enrich our lives and the lives of those around us? What can we do to improve our fortunes and our relationships? This is the time of the year to reflect and to make resolutions for improving those areas of our lives we feel are lacking.

Thinking back on 2009 I would have to say it was a good year overall for me. Family, finances and personally I am pretty darn happy with where I’m at. Can I make changes to improve? Sure I can, there’s always room for improvements. So, what will the future hold for Steve and Golf and Thailand Musings?

Personally – This may be the area that needs the most work currently or maybe just the area I feel I want to focus on to feel better about myself particularly in two areas. First of all, I have been extremely lax in learning Thai over the past year almost to the point of laziness. With a new child on the way and the imminent move to Thailand I know that this needs to change and pronto! My first resolution then is to work harder at learning Thai. I will schedule 1 hour each day for study and stick to this schedule…a personal appointment with myself. Thankfully Catherine was a step ahead of me when she posted 30 Days to Successful Thai Language Learning.

The second area of my personal life that needs adjustment is my health, and more specifically my weight. I have gained like 30 pounds since January 1st 2009 and am now over 220 pounds (100 kilos), my heaviest weight ever by far. I can feel the effects of this extra weight in my everyday life moving about, I become winded more quickly and I can barely touch my toes. Time to make a change on the diet and exercise front. I need to do this for myself, for Golf and for our unborn child. Second resolution…get back into the gym on a regular workout routine. I know this has to start slow, but by February I expect to be working out no less than 5 times per week. Diet changes may have to wait as I don’t want Golf to feel bad about her increased eating with the pregnancy. That’s ok though as I know once I am back in decent shape I can drop weight pretty quickly (or at least I used to be able to when younger, hopefully I won’t be in for a nasty surprise).

Relationships – My relationship with Golf is stronger than ever. Really I am amazed sometimes at how close we are and how much we think alike considering that we come from such different cultures and backgrounds. The only thing I would change is for us to be able to spend more time together. Sadly we both work way too much right now. That should change though after the baby is born and Golf cuts back on her work schedule.

I would like to improve my relationship with my two sons though. While I spend one day a week with them it seems that it just isn’t enough. As they get older it is harder to keep up with their increasingly complex lives. If only I could have 9 days in the week. With my work schedule I don’t know how I am going to fit this in, but if anyone has any ideas I’m all ears.

Financial – 2009 has been one of the best years that I’ve had financially in some time. Since the beginning of 2009 I’ve seen my online income more than double. Even though we are in one of the worst recessions in years in the U.S., I still have my job and am able to work substantial overtime as well. Since the beginning of 2009 I have been able to pay off close to $15,000 in credit card debts as well as increasing personal savings and retirement savings. It’s all been very good and 2010 should continue in the same vein.

2010 will see me pay off the remaining $8,000 (roughly) of credit card debt. That will be a huge load off my mind you can be sure. In addition I am going to push my retirement savings by (finally) starting a Roth IRA and fully funding it for 2010. My 401(k) contribution currently stands at 13% and I plan on increasing that to 20-25% during the year. Additional savings for the move to Thailand will go into a personal investment account that I hope to see at $25,000 by the end of 2010.

Thailand Musings – I’m happy to say that Thailand Musings has also grown nicely over the past year. January 2009 saw the site getting about 300 visitors a day and now in December 2009 that number is more like 525 per day. I definitely could have been more active in posting though and I feel bad about that. Still, 2010 gives me the chance to do better.

You already see the first change made here, which is a brand new theme for the site. It is a customized version of the Mimbo 3.0 theme which I chose because it combines the news type features while keeping the typical blog format of showing the past several posts. I hope you all like the new look. Let me know what you think below.

I have several other new additions to Thailand Musings planned which you’ll be seeing in the upcoming months. The first is the addition of a forum. I had played around with the idea of adding a forum for some time and was finally swayed by the responses to the first Thailand Musings survey. I hope to see all of you there once it goes live in the next week or two.

I will also continue my monthly donations to the SET Foundation. It’s a great cause and one that needs our help. Some other changes here at Thailand Musings are also designed to help the Foundation even more.

Golf has also agreed to begin posting recipes again which I know will please quite a few of you. Trust me, you don’t want to miss her recipes (did you see above where I said I gained 30 pounds?). They are all delicious and worth a try. In addition to that I have a few ideas for series posts that should be both entertaining and enlightening.

So there are my plans and resolutions for the upcoming year. It should be fun to revisit this post in December of 2010 and see how different (or same) the reality is from my expectations. What resolutions do all of you have for 2010?

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Here’s a wish to all of my readers for a very Merry Christmas surrounded by family, friends (old and new) and all you love. Things may be quiet around here for the next week as we get ready to roll into 2010, but you can be sure that I have all of you in my mind and heart.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

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I’ve got to say that the greatest part of writing here at Thailand Musings is that I’ve gotten to meet so many wonderful folks from all over the world that share a common passion for Thailand. Everything from the comments to the daily emails I receive from the readers here make me happy that I started this blog and make me want to continue writing more and hopefully improving the spirit of community and sharing.

On the other hand, many days I get a bit sad and depressed when writing for Thailand Musings and especially when doing research for posts. Reading about others experiences in Thailand, seeing the pictures of the Bangkok skyline, the beaches and the Thai countryside all bring me a feeling of yearning and nostalgia. It’s definitely one of the downsides to focusing on Thailand while still living in the States.

It seems strange to me sometimes that a country which is not my homeland can evoke such strong feelings of homesickness. Sometimes I think that I desire our return to Thailand even more than Golf and her whole family is there. It’s simply that I feel at home, at ease and at peace when I’m in Thailand, even in the center of Bangkok which has to be one of the most chaotic cities on the planet. I couldn’t be happier than to be sitting by the side of the road on a rickety plastic stool indulging in khao man gai, moo grob or spicy anything (especially seafood).

I literally think of being back in Thailand each and every day and have for several years. Hence my passion and love for all things Thai (some would say obsession, but it’s a healthy obsession).

Am I strange or even crazy for feeling and thinking this way?

If you’ve been following along here at Thailand Musings you know that we have our plans set to finally head back to Thailand in less than 2 years. One of my readers cautioned me not to fall into the trap of so many and simply get stuck here in the U.S., never taking action and following my dream. I honestly don’t think that’s going to be a problem for me and would be surprised if I last the 2 years. So many days I have to almost force myself not to just book the tickets and go. Anyone want to put their bets in for how much earlier than Nov 2011 it will be when we leave ?

Sorry for the melancholy and depressing tone of this post, just had to get some of that off my chest. Please feel free to leave your encouraging comments below. I promise the next post will be more upbeat.

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I woke up this morning to find an interesting email stating that Thai Airways has filed a civil suit against the PAD leaders for their role in shutting down Suvarnabhumi airport last year. Thai Airways is claiming 575 million baht (about 17.5 million USD) in damages for loss of earnings to the company. While this is very likely a drop in the bucket (I remember reading that the airport closure was costing THAI something like 500 million baht per day!) against the losses, it is more likely intended to send a message to both political groups in Thailand and possibly stop future demonstrations like this from happening.

I’m sure you all remember the protests that shut down Suvarnabhumi from November 27th through December 4th. I’m sure some of you remember it quite vividly as I have received emails from a few people who were trying to get out of Thailand during that time. I was totally shocked at the time that the airport blockade was allowed to continue for so long, as I’m sure many of you were as well.

I’m surprised that it has taken this long for someone to bring such a suit and I wonder if the timing has something to do with the recent change in leadership at THAI. Dr. Piyasvasti Amranand took over at THAI on Oct. 16 as the new president and since then has been very vocal about interference from political sources and from board members stating that such interference “had substantially weakened the management of the company, and our response to the crisis.”. Ultimately Dr. Piyasvasti would like to see Thai Airways as one of the top carriers not just in Asia, but in all the world. I am certainly looking forward to this as I remember flying THAI back in the 90’s when they were one of the best in the world.

I have to say I would be happy to see THAI win this suit as they have had a very rough couple years and the week long closure of Suvarnabhumi hurt them more than any other carrier. I am not anti-PAD, but I feel that while peaceful protest is useful as a tool in the political change process, when taken to an extreme where it adversely affects tens of thousands of innocents it becomes something different than a peaceful means to effect change.

I know some of you were trapped in Thailand during this protest and I’m wondering how do you feel now, 1 year later, about the airport closure and the current lawsuit being brought by Thai Airways.

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The results of the survey are in and I was very pleased with the number of you that responded. I received 51 responses so I think the results are representative of the readership. If you missed out this time around there’s a very good chance I’ll be sending another survey in the next 4-6 months to get a feel for how you all like the upcoming changes here over that time period. More on that later.

Right now I want to share with you all the results. These are not necessarily in the same order as the questions were asked on the survey. For those of you that didn’t participate there were only 5 questions, 3 of which were multiple choice type questions and two short answer questions to get a better idea of what everyone likes to see here and what they would like to see more of.

Question #1
How did you find out about Thailand Musings?

Heard About From A Friend (8) 16.0%
Google Search (25) 50.0%
Bing Search (0) 0.0%
Yahoo Search (6) 12.0%
Other Search (3) 6.0%
Link From Another Site (9) 18.0%

The results show number of respondents followed by percent of the total respondents. And what did we learn? Not surprisingly most of you found TM through Google. A bit surprising was the fact that 18% of you that followed a link from another site. This is higher than my Google Analytics data that shows roughly 11% of my traffic coming from other sites. What was most surprising to me was the number of people who said they heard about Thailand Musings from friend. Although it does explain the high percentage of traffic Google says I get from people typing the URL directly into their address bar – 24%. Thanks are definitely in order to those who speak well of TM and keep up the good reviews!

Question #2
How Valuable/Useful Do You Find Each Category of Thailand Musings?

I’m not going to get into the exact numbers for this question, but again the results were slightly surprising to me. The top three categories in order were:

1. Thai Culture
2. Thai Food
3. Living in Thailand

Both the Thai Girls and the Bangkok categories were very close 4th and 5th place runner ups to Living in Thailand. Thailand Travel came in 6th and many of those voting in this category found it just Fairly Useful, not Extremely Useful. Thailand Employment was dead last with 50% of all respondents saying it was Not Useful At All.

Also interesting is that both Thai Culture and Living in Thailand had no one say that they were Not Useful At All. And while the rest of the categories got 15-19 responses each the Thai Girls category got a whopping 26 responses. Of those only 2 people said the information was Not Useful At All.

Question #3
I am thinking of adding a forum to Thailand Musings. How often do you think you would visit this forum if it was offered?

Almost everyone who took the survey answered this question (48 out of 51) and almost 80% of you said you would visit the forum on a weekly basis or more often. In fact, more than 35% said they would visit a Thailand Musings forum more than once a week or even daily. Based on this feedback I am going ahead with the plan to add the forum. I know there’s a lot of competition out there in the Thailand forum area, but I still think there is room for 1 more with its own flavor.

Question #4
What topics would you like to see more often on Thailand Musings? You can include both current topics and topics that I may not currently cover.

I will try to give a good overview of the types of responses and will even answer some direct questions since I have no way of knowing who was asking since the survey responses were anonymous.

Two frequent responses were more about Thai culture and more about traveling in Thailand. When asking for more Thai travel information it seems a lot of you want more about off the beaten track places and places to take a family. In regards to culture it seems many are interested in how to speak and interact best with Thai’s and what is expected of farang’s in Thailand. Some of you are also interested in more Thai language articles. These topics I can definitely cover and will include more of going forward.

By far the most frequent response I received revolved around Thai girls…meeting them, dating them, understanding them, visa issues and in quite a few cases the view of western guys in the eyes of Thai girls. I had cut back on these types of articles because I didn’t want the site to become too one dimensional, but I can certainly include more. I especially like the idea of including the Thai girls perspective and will have to come up with a good way to incorporate this idea into Thailand Musings. Pass was kind enough to get the ball rolling here, maybe I can get her to write more. And I do have an idea or two of my own.

Finally (and strangely!) there were numerous people asking for more information about how to get employment in Thailand and stay there long term. I say strangely because this is in direct contrast to question #2 where Employment in Thailand was dead last. Some of these also asked about information on moving to Thailand and comparisons of different places to live in Thailand. I think the people leaving these comments will get a lot from all of my upcoming information about my own personal move to Thailand…the budgeting, the finances and the ramifications. Based on this feedback I will also include some of my own thoughts about settling down in various places in Thailand. Golf and I know where we want to live, but that doesn’t mean it is a fit for everyone. We considered quite a few places and even now aren’t 100% sure where we will eventually settle. Maybe my thought processes on the pros and cons of living in different areas of Thailand will help some others who are thinking about making the move.

There were a few other requests, but the ones above cover the majority of what the Thailand Musings readers want to see. And these will be the things I will be focusing on over the next year. Thai culture, travel within Thailand, Thai girls and especially their perception of the guys and the financial information for making the move to Thailand. Of course there will likely be other things that I write about, but I will try to focus on what you all asked for. I’ve also asked Golf to resurrect the Thai recipes that she did so well with and she has agreed.

Question #5
Please add any other comments or questions about Thailand Musings here.

A lot of comments here giving thanks for the info and letting us know how great you think the site is . Thanks to all of you who wrote expressing your thanks! Here are some other comments I want to address directly:

“What is meant by the word “MUSING?” It is not located in any dictionary.”

– MUSINGS means a thoughtful consideration or contemplation of something, in this case Thailand. You can find the full meaning of the word here at Dictionary.com

“I think you need to post a bit more regularly to get a regular readership going. It was quiet for a few months this year!”

– You are quite right and I am sorry for my lack of posts in 2009. I promise to do better going forward.

“There are many forums already and maybe difficult to compete with Thaivisa, but I think you should try.”

– You are absolutely right. I was worried about the competition, but why not try?
“Nearly every man who develops an idea works at it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then gets discouraged. That’s not the place to become discouraged.” –Thomas Edison

“I met {deleted} online who lives in {deleted}. We shared photos, I sent flowers(twice) and suddenly, she is MIA. I called, but no response. Am I crazy.”

– No, you’re not crazy. Sometimes relationships just don’t work out.

I hope all of you who took part in the survey enjoyed doing it. There’s a good chance I will repeat it every 4-6 months simply because it gives me a chance to take a step back and get a good idea of what everyone wants to read about here. I certainly hope it improves your experience on Thailand Musings going forward.

Some other changes coming in the near future:

• Addition of a forum – Likely January/February 2010
• New look for the site – End of December 2009
• Current budget info – December 2009 (Budget is pretty much done, but we won’t be sticking to it fully until January 2010. Buying of Christmas presents has it all messed up for December. I won’t be falling into that trap next year.)
• Other new themes and features are being planned, but they are more medium term changes and I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

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When I started Thailand Musings it was with the intention of sharing all kinds of great information about Thailand with people across the world. I was hoping to build a community and create a dialogue about Thai culture and Thailand travel for those who love Thailand and for those who were planning on visiting for the first time. In many respects this has been extremely rewarding and I have met some wonderful people. There’s no way I could have anticipated the great response and support from everyone over the past 2+ years. Thanks to you all.

Being based in the U.S. of course presents some problems at times in coming up with original content and definitely has hampered my ability to share photos and video. I’ve always wanted to be able to add as much media besides just text to make Thailand come alive for the readers. My intention is to keep growing TM and the community here and begin to add photos and video directly from Thailand. When will this happen you ask. Very good question and the reason for this post is to begin to put an answer to that question.

When Golf arrived here almost exactly 3 years ago, we promised each other that we would move back to Thailand in 5 years. Probably a lofty goal considering my financial situation at that point, but we have been struggling for the past 3 years to stay on track to meet this goal and I think it is still very possible. I’m sure we will still struggle once we move to Thailand, but isn’t all life a struggle? The important part is that we will be in a place we love and we will be with people that we love.

Because we are getting close to the goal of moving to Thailand (I know 2 years seems far away, but I’m sure it will fly by) I want to start posting about our planning and budgeting for the move to Thailand. I am hoping this will be both informative and inspirational for anyone else considering this type of move and at the same time will hopefully generate a useful conversation about the practicalities of a cross globe move like this. So far my research into this has been superficial at best, but as the move date comes closer I will be diving into many issues in depth such as visa issues, start up costs, ongoing income in Thailand, saving and planning for retirement, raising children in Thailand and a host of other issues many of which I’m sure haven’t even occurred to me yet.

In order to keep myself focused and accountable I am going to start being financial transparent here on TM. This is a concept I am borrowing from Adam Baker over at ManvsDebt. Of course the idea isn’t originally his, but his site is where I first came across financial transparency, so he gets credit . While our situations are different, Adam has inspired me to take a closer look at our budgeting, expenses, income and debt and put together a more detailed plan to achieve our goals. While I do follow a budget and have paid off over $50,000 in debt over the past three years I feel that it is time to tighten up so to speak. Because we spend much less than we make our discretionary spending has simply gotten out of hand because I have stopped tracking all those small purchases that really do add up.

I haven’t entirely figured out how I’m going to go about tracking and displaying my financial picture here on TM. Adam has some nice widgets that come from his account at PocketSmith, but after investigating the product I wasn’t completely happy with it. Plus the widgets aren’t publicly available as yet. My initial thoughts are to either do it as monthly updates or even better to set up a page dedicated to tracking our spending, debt reduction and savings on an ongoing basis. While the page alternative seems the best to me I’m not sure how to include the information on that page in an easy fashion at this stage. If anyone has any ideas I’m definitely open to suggestions.

In the spirit of financial transparency here’s our current debt situation in a nutshell (I’m sure some of you think I am crazy for posting this publicly):
Credit Card Debt = $12,312.51
Student Loan (Steve) = $9419.37
Student Loan (Golf) = $6000 (approx.)
Car payment (Steve) = $328.48 (This is a leased car and the lease is up in April 2011)
Car payment (Golf) = $249.06 (6 year loan with 4 ½ years remaining. Car will be sold when we leave for Thailand)
No mortgage. Rent is $625/mo
No other debts.
Current cash savings = $2505.97

Obviously there is more to our financial picture than that and once I determine how I will be posting the information here I will go into much more detail regarding our current budget, planned Thailand budget and our savings and retirement plan (big consideration on how to save while living in Thailand). No, I am not becoming a financial planning blogger here, I just feel that this information could be helpful to others and will help me to focus as well. I should have a much more detailed picture posted in some form within the next two weeks.

One subject that I haven’t really touched on and will be devoting more time to is that of raising children in Thailand. I will be looking at this for the obvious reason…Golf is pregnant and we are expecting our first child together this coming May!

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In a surprise announcement yesterday the Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen appointed Thaksin Shinawatra as economic advisor to Cambodia by royal decree. As I’m sure you know Mr. Shinawatra, a former Prime Minister of Thailand who was ousted in the 2006 coup, has been a fugitive from Thailand since fleeing in 2008 to avoid a 2 year jail sentence for using his political power to secure land deals.

This appointment could escalate tensions between Cambodia and Thailand. Relations have been strained over the past 18 months already due to a border dispute between the two countries involving possession of land around the Preah Vihear temple. Thailand is bound to ask Cambodia for exdradition of the former Prime Minister which Hun Sen has already vowed not to do.

Good friends Thaksin Shinawatra and Hun Sen, playing golf together

On the other hand, I believe that this will play right into the hands of Thailand. In my opinion Thailand doesn’t really want Thaksin back in the country and imprisoned. He is much more valuable to them as a fugitive where they can play off the negative connotations of the fugitive condition and portray his supporters as illegitimate. Once Thaksin is caught and jailed he becomes something of a martyr and you can be sure his supporters will be enraged and will do nearly anything to secure his freedom.

As things stand Thailand keeps Thaksin at a distance from his supporters which keeps them from having a rallying point. Actually putting him in prison would make him an accessible symbol of the opposition and would likely spark off protests and rally’s by his supporters. Keeping him out of the country and yet close means he is less of a threat to Thailand stability.

I can’t be certain, but it seems to me that this latest ploy of Thaksin will play out to be a minor annoyance to the current Thai government and will quickly die away. As I said, they are happy to keep Thaksin out of the country and honestly have much greater problems to hold their attention. Hopefully tensions will not be increased with Cambodia and the Thai government can spend their time and effort improving the Thai economy and conditions for the Thai people.

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Below is the short story released by the National News Bureau of Thailand yesterday regarding the attempt to bring Americans back to Thailand. Since mid 2008 American tourism to Thailand has dropped by over half and this seems to be TAT’s response to the lack of American tourists in Thailand.

TAT Introducing Thai Tourism to Top American Media Purveyors

BANGKOK, 30 OCTOBER 2009 (National News Bureau of Thailand) – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has recently invited editors from leading magazines and newspapers in the United States to explore Thailand’s tourism products and services under the campaign “Bring the Cream of the Crop Media to Thailand.”

The trip lasted from 19-28 October with Deputy TAT Governor Juttaporn Rerngron-asa welcoming the guests at the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok. The American media group was taken on a tour of Jim Thompson’s house and various tourist destinations in Thailand including Chiang Mai, Phuket and Bangkok.

The TAT hopes the trip will help popularize tourist destinations in the country and encourage foreign tourists to return to Thailand. The campaign was created by the TAT office in New York City.

Will this attempt to lure Americans back to The Land of Smiles be successful? It is certainly necessary. While tourism figures are no longer published for the Kingdom of Thailand, by looking at the drop off in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2008 (http://www.tourism.go.th/2009/th/statistic/tourism.php) we can pretty much figure what the current state of tourism is in Thailand.

Assuming that the media groups who attended the campaign make an effort to bring Thailand to the forefront of affluent Americans attention as a premier long haul destination then I think we will see a resurgence of interest in Thailand among Americans.

After all, it will take several months to a year for the stories and articles to be published and if the economy cooperates by improving during that time there is no reason that this cannot be a huge success. Add a concerted advertising campaign on the part of TAT and I would think that late 2010 and 2011 could see a huge spike in American tourists coming to Thailand.

What is in question in my mind is if they can actually pull it off. Thailand has been trying for years to market itself to a more affluent and upscale tourist and while there has been some success I think that the bulk of the Western tourists coming to Thailand are not in the 6 figure income bracket.

Do you think that Thailand can become successful in marketing it’s tourism industry as catering more to upscale tastes and needs?

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One very noticeable facet of Thai society is the uniforms worn by every Thai student, both girls and boys, from the youngest right through university students. Of course for us guys the Thai schoolgirl uniforms can be seen as very attractive, however it seems as if old school Thai elders don’t agree. The following article was run yesterday in The Nation, Thailand’s largest business daily newspaper.

BANGKOK: — Chulalongkorn University (CU) is campaigning for students to comply with its dress code, while Thammasat University (TU) wants to the government to launch a “Social Cabinet” to tackle the issue of students wearing uniforms inappropriately.

At the project launch yesterday, CU rector Pirom Kamolratanakul said wearing a Chula student uniform, the only one to be granted by the monarchy, is a privilege.

TU deputy rector for student affairs Parinya Thewana-ruemitkul said the president for Network of Deputy Rectors for Student Affairs supervised the student uniform code at each university. He added that Thammasat was less strict about the uniform than some other universities, but insisted students wear “appropriate clothes” to classes.

Celebrities’ influence

Blaming the influence of fashions worn by movie and TV stars, he urged that a Social Cabinet comprising the efforts of several ministries should be set up to help universities solve the problem. The Culture Ministry could ask celebrities to wear clothes appropriate to the time of day and occasion as well as promote good values, he added.

Deputy Education Minister Chaiwuti Bannawat agreed that students need good discipline and praised universities’ successful efforts in improving the standard of their students’ dress.

– The Nation 2009-08-19

Thai culture is grounded in conformity and part of that is the Thai school uniforms. No student should stand out from any other student. Do you think it is sufficient to simply monitor the student uniform code to maintain what is considered “appropriate” dress, or should the Thai school uniforms be scrapped altogether? In the 21st century is this type of standard a help or a hindrance to Thai society? Or maybe you think it makes no difference whatsoever to the actual education of the students. And what about enlisting the aid of celebrities, do you think this will help? Personally I think that oftentimes the celebrities dress may be determined by their PR people. In most cases celebrities are simply giving the people what they want to see.

Sound off below and let me know what you think about the standard Thai school dress code and the direction it seems to be taking.

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David Carradine, the noted star of the television series “Kung Fu” and the movie “Kill Bill” was found dead in Bangkok early Thursday morning.

Mr. Carradine, 72, was in Bangkok shooting his latest movie “Stretch” when his death occurred. Thai police are calling the death a suicide, however investigations are still ongoing. It seems that Mr. Carradine was found by a maid in room 352 of the Park Nai Lert Hotel on Wireless Road at approximentally 10am Thursday morning. He was described as half naked and was in the wardrobe with rope around his neck and body.

Police have said that he was dead for less than 12 hours and there was no sign of forced entry to the room or any sign of assault or fighting in the room.

His personal manager, Chuck Binder, told BBC that the news was “shocking”, adding: “He was full of life, always wanting to work… a great person.”

The star was best known for his role as the half Chinese Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the 1970s TV series Kung Fu. This role earned Carradine both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. He also starred in Martin Scorsese’s “Boxcar Bertha” in 1972, portrayed folksinger Woody Guthrie in “Bound for Glory” in 1976, acted in Ingmar Bergman’s “The Serpent’s Egg” in 1977 and co-starred with half brothers Keith Carradine and Robert Carradine in the 1980 western “The Long Riders”.

Carradine was part of an acting dynasty which included his father, John Carradine, and brothers Bruce, Keith and Robert.

Carradine was an accomplished composer, musician, musical performer and songwriter. According to his official website, he was also a sculptor and a painter.

He is survived by his wife, Annie Bierman, and three children including actresses Calista and Kansas.

Persoanlly I remember watching the “Kung Fu”, series as a child and David Carradine was nothing short of wonderful in the role. It was that show that first gave me my interest in Asian cultures and it remains an iconic role that lives in the memory of many Americans from my generation. David Carradine will be missed by many.

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When you consider the events of the past few months, the worldwide financial crisis, possible worldwide recession/depression and the closing of Suvarnabhumi Airport by the PAD protesters from November 25^th through December 5^th, do you still think the Thailand is a good vacation destination?

Golf and I have booked our trip to the Kingdom for April 2009 and nothing short of a civil war would make us change those plans. Of course we have close ties to Thailand and many reasons to return, but what about the casual tourist or first time visitor, do you think that recent events around the world and in Thailand will put people off of visiting? Add to that the drop of some currencies against the Thai baht and what was once a cheap destination for Australians and British tourists is now considerably more expensive.

Depending on what reports you listen to the hotel occupancy rates for December in all of the usual tourist hotspots were dismal. Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui and many of the other islands have had reports of occupancy rates as low as 20% throughout December, which is the beginning of the high season in Thailand and is usually characterized by rising numbers of tourists. True, some of the hotels are reporting that they are getting back to normal this week for Christmas and New Year bookings, but it’s possible that these are people who booked several months ago. It appears that new bookings for January through April are extremely low.

If you were planning on traveling to SE Asia in the next 6 months will you still make Thailand your destination or will you go somewhere else? And if you’re choosing not to go to Thailand what has influenced your decision the most; the political instability, the poor economy or the exchange rate? If you are still planning on heading to Thailand in the next 6 months why are you keeping it as your destination considering the above mentioned negative factors?

Personally I will keep traveling to Thailand for the culture, the people, the food, the weather and the sanook atmosphere. I’d love to hear what others are thinking about travel to the Land of Smiles in the coming year, please comment below and let me know what you’re thinking.

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