Today I bring you another great Thailand blogger – Martyn (aka Hoo Don) from Beyond the Mango Juice. I truly enjoy Martyn’s humor and photography and if you head over to his blog I think you’ll find that you will as well. Martyn is actually quite popular this month having been featured in an interview on the Jonny Foreigner blog a couple weeks ago. So, if you missed that interview here’s another chance to get to know this engaging Thailand blogger.

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: Martyn
Thailand Blog: Beyond The Mango Juice

Subject: My thoughts and experiences on Thailand with Udon Thani and the Isaan people being foremost in my selection of subject matter.

2. How long have you been blogging about Thailand ? What was your inspiration to start Beyond the Mango Juice? Did you (or do you) blog about any other subjects?

Since August 2008. Not that long really but I do enjoy it although work does tend to limit my time spent working on the blog. I don’t have another blog just a type of photo site called Photo Caption which takes very little input to update. My big passion in life is sport and one day I’m gonna knock out a sports blog, wow, just the thought of doing that makes me excited. Unfortunately the project will have to wait until I can actually live in Thailand and spend lots of free time writing.

Inspiration…I think that stuff comes in a bottle and I drank mine many years back. Simply put, I love writing so I started a blog and decided it would be about the one place in the world I really like to be. Inspiration…..perhaps I should have drank it with coke, it might have lasted a bit longer.

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’m not an expat. I live in the UK, the place where they sold all the milk and traded the honey for a huge soapbox. It’ll probably be about 4-5 years before I can call myself an expat. You never know I might grow into a cynical bugger by then.

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 been visiting Thailand for just over 10 years. Nowadays due to work commitments and a foreign voice on every street corner I’m forced to hold down my present job. That severely restricts the time I can spend in the Land of Smiles. Years back I would go for at least a month at a time with my longest trip lasting four and a half months. Happy memories that are only broken by the sound of foreign voices through shivering teeth.

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?

For the last six years I’ve been visiting Udon Thani as that’s where Wonderful Wi hails from. I love the village life and the occasional run into Udon Thani city. It’s just the snakes that scare the ass out of me.

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 just knew you were going to throw in a difficult question. In a word no, but…
I’m slowly getting used to eating spicy food, but it doesn’t really float my boat. If it’s too spicy then I’ve got to leave it alone but medium I’m starting to handle. There are some dishes which I really enjoy but I wouldn’t call them ultra spicy as such. A good green chicken curry I adore, but forget the rice as it has to be accompanied by chips (french fries). A bit barbaric I know but I’ve always said when in Rome eat potatoes.

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?

Hotels, cigarettes, Pattaya bar girls, clothes, beer and coach travel.

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 ?

I don’t think air travel is overly cheap by Thai standards and a walk into a Boots chemist makes me wonder if I can afford to be clean shaved, smelling like roses and germ free. As far as food goes I think cheese is expensive in Thailand so I always take a couple of blocks with me. On my recent trip I was amazed to discover that our new puppy dog Pepsi loves the stuff. I’ll have to take an extra chunk next time. He’s only four months old and I’m praying that when he reaches doghood he doesn’t start drinking and smoking.

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 ?

I love the Thai’s mai phen rai way of life and also the fact that if someone does stand on a soapbox I can’t understand a word they are saying.

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?

My answer to the question is quite simple. It’s their country and their rules, if you don’t like it then turn off the lights and shut the door when you leave.

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’m not a political person at all although being involved with Thailand I can’t obviously help but notice the country has been split in two since my early days in the Kingdom. I don’t know the answer to the current problems and can only say that I’d much rather wear red socks than yellow ones.

As far as non political changes to the country goes then I can’t say as I’ve noticed anything major in my 10 years of travel. The people tick along and take whatever comes their way. As I said earlier, mai phen rai.

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?

As you know I live in the UK and so the question takes on more of a holiday perspective to me. My money goes a whole lot further in Thailand so that makes me feel good straight away. I feel comfortable amongst the Thai people and the way they view life. Sure they want a good car and a nice home but it just ain’t going to happen for the majority of them, so they handle it in their own special way. With a smile and a mai phen rai. I feel a lot more like that when I’m in Thailand than I ever do in the UK. Thailand relaxes me in a way the western world has never been able to do.

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

Crossed Wires – It’s a short post in a play format about a strange telephone conversation I had with Wilai.
The Beginning Part Two – This one tells the story of my very first day in Thailand which was over ten years back.
Being Frank, Regrets I’ve Had a Few – I borrowed the famous song lyrics for this one and laid out a story amongst it.
Two Cakes and One Schizophrenic – This was my joint birthday bash post and gives a bit of background to myself and my blog.
Traveling Thai Style With An Old Friend – This is a recent one and was written on my recent holiday and I enjoyed writing it. I also like the photo of the bus conductor doing his balancing trick.

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

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