So it serves a purpose after all

Blogging is a funny game.

Considering it doesn't pay (I run adverts on neither of my blogs, though the other one generates work on occasions) one is entitled to ask why we bloggers really bother?

Why do we regularly write, rack our brains for original ideas, scour the web for inspiration, remember the camera to even the most mundane social gathering, etc etc.

I'm not the greatest blogger out there, in fact this website has been somewhat neglected since my blog arrived but my reason for blogging are likely shared by many others - I blog because I enjoy writing (helps when it is your profession), arranging my thoughts and the interaction and engagement within the Thai-blogging community. Occasionally there is the unexpected bonus of seeing your content or name appear somewhere else, but this is the cherry that sits on the blogging pie, if you will.

Take for example this New York Times article from 'The Frugal Traveller' Matt Goss covering recent travel chaos in Thailand - which came in the form of both the current political unrest in Bangkok and the knock-on effects of European flight cancellations following after volcanic ash from Iceland covered the continent's skies.

Thanks Kat for tipping me off that this blog got a honourary mention (albeit without a URL link) in the article, which put a smile to my face.

In the case of Thailand, Mr. Waldman has done his research, following not just the news on CNN but going on travel forums (including LonelyPlanet.com’s Thorn Tree) and reading blogs by expatriates (like Jonny Foreigner, by a young Brit living 70 miles north of Bangkok). “Statistically,” he’s concluded, “I could get hit by a car here a lot easier than I’d get caught up in some protests in Thailand, because I’m not standing in the middle of the protest area.”

Don't get me wrong being mentioned in the article is flattering (even if there is no URL link - especially as I wonder why this blog has been picked out for special treatment when others are more regular and informative?!) but it gives me a greater sense of fulfilment to think that my oft-neglected blog has helped someone with the prepare for a trip to Thailand (I did say to check the blogsophere before you come over to Thailand).

That's given me the incentive to make more effort with Jonny Foreigner.

So thanks Mr Waldman for reigniting my blogging fire. To realise that people are watching is motivation enough for even the most inactive bloggers out there, all fingers pointed at me.

Guardian: Thailand "blank and unwelcoming"

Stumbled upon this interesting piece from (UK) Guardian online promoting Burma as underestimated tourist spot.

I've long been tempted to take a better look at the country know as Myanmar ever since my brother spent a week there in between a couple of stays with us last year.

He was full of praise of the country, particularly its temples, beautiful countryside, friendly locals and value for money (even cheaper than Thailand) prices.

Burma can sell itself based on its merits, so why on earth writer Jonathan Steele feels the need to jab at Thailand in the process is beyond me.

In the piece Steele writes:

In contrast to Thailand, where linguistic communication is a struggle and faces in public transport are blank and unwelcoming, Burmese friendliness is a delight. Burma is multi-ethnic and, until the military coup of 1962, was open to the world. For decades its elite spoke good English and even today most people in Rangoon and Mandalay have a smattering. Keenness for contact with foreigners is strong, for its own sake and as resistance to enforced isolation.

It is clearly a case of whacking the popular kid.

Yes, Thailand is more popular than Burma. It has been a long established holiday destination, one of the world's favourites (give or take the ebb/flow of holiday makers put off by political issues.)

Thailand isn't prefect but why Steele highlights faces on public transport I'll never know?!

Most Londoners are less than sociable on the tube or train but that doesn't make London any less of a destination for tourists, and so it shouldn't.

Thailand is know as the land of the smiles and, whilst I don't often agree with this (in time I've found Thais are smiley and be friendly once you engage first) it gets in name for a reason and - if we're going to dish out generalisations - Thais are incredibly friendly.

As for linguistic issues, sure if you venture off the beaten track English is not widely spoken but many locals are keen to practice and in general being understood is not a problem. As for the tourist destinations (where one finds locals are unfriendly on public transport) is English not only widely spoken, but locals will often approach foreigners to practice their English speaking skills.

So I'm sorry Mr Steele, whilst I am keen to visit Burma (mainly from my brother's recommendation) I think you're chatting utter rubbish. Then again, that can probably be down to the blank and unwelcoming demeanour I've inherited from Thailand.

For more on Thais smiles check out this post from a fellow Thai blogger.

Back

And yes, I'm back.

Coming back in to Thailand this evening was a little strange, so far everything seems fresher. We definitely picked the right time for a break.

Usually we'd fly direct but, with the recent one year old birthday boy in tow, we decided a two legged approach may help break up the flight for him, making it easier for us. That was pretty much the case although the outbound flight proved difficult to satisfy the typical all-action, exploring needs of said one year old in the cramped environment of a plane.

The return leg was far easier being as it was around The Little One's bedtime meaning he spent a lot of the time sleeping and being pretty relaxed. Result.

One early observation of the trip is a renewed memory of why I hate so many of my fellow Brits. Much of the conversation and general rudeness and poor attitude of the flight was too much for me to bear.

Brits abroad.

Sadly I'm hitting the ground running this week so don't expect masses of updates (been a week already, after all) right away.

With Great Grandpa

This photo alone makes the 24 hours plus of travel time, jet lag, (many) tears and lack of sleep from our Thailand-UK roundtrip worthwhile.

For the record, that's an 86 year age gap - quite amazing.

UK bound

After months of planning, our trip to the UK was confirmed this week. Just in time, this coming weekend has been the estimated arrival date the folks at home have used to book various time off work and other activities.

Why the hold up?

The Missus, being the only member of our merry-3-man-band without a UK passport, requires a visa to return to the UK. We left it late but the process was almost single handily responsible for us booking the flights less than a week before we fly -- not to mention my nails are a little shorter than usual.

To explain why I feel like we pulled off a major coup in getting a visa, despite the fact our trip is 100% legit, here is an example.

I met the wonderful Missus whilst she was studying in the UK.

In order of action her processes were: arranging university course, booking halls and, last of all, applying for visa. With all the studying arrangements confirmed, getting a visa would be a doddle, right?

WRONG

The visa was rejected in one day (back when the process was a day rather than this "up to a month" malarkey we have now) yet when she reapplied, as a family friend in the immigration service advised, using the same docs it was approved.

Right, ok...any logic there?

Well, bizarrely yes there is. A visa application boils down to the person who is processing it.

How do they feel?

Are they having a good day?

Is your name too long?

Did they have an argument with the other half over breakfast this morning?

Office vending machine run out of Kit-Kats?

Wrong type of leaves on the tracks delay their train and get them a bollocking for being late to work?

You'd better hope the answers to these questions, and more, is no or you could have a problem... and an accompanying rejection stamp.

Absurd? Yes, but I can vouch for the authenticity of this astonishing dynamic, I've seen with my own eyes. The braincells left discarded in the Home Office from my post-uni stint data-entering are my proof.

I digress, back to the trip... we fly off in the early hours of Saturday morning, not returning for more than two weeks. During that period expect my updates to be less regular than usual.

La gone na, Thailand, catch you later.

Get to know Saraburi, Thailand (สระบุรี)

Few people know that my hometown in Thailand is Saraburi (สระบุรี). To those at home I live "just outside Bangkok".

Those living in Thailand have at least heard of Saraburi but generally it is a place they pass when travelling between Bangkok and the north of Thailand by bus, train or the motorway.

Saraburi doesn't make the cut of most travel guides, where it does the description is incredibly brief yet it has a lot going for it.So, without further ado, here’s my introductory guide to my home town formerly know as The Place Just Outside Bangkok.

For many Saraburi is just another town on a road sign [Credit]

I like Saraburi, whilst I realise I'm duty bound to say this, it is the truth. The city and its people are friendly and welcoming to foreigners as there are so few non-Thais living here. They are often genuinely interested in speaking to you in English, or better still Thai.

For a young family, like mine, the town offers an urban lifestyle without the constant hustle and bustle of a big city, like Bangkok. The city itself has ample shopping malls, sports centres, schools, superstores alongside more traditional Thai authenticities such as markets, temples, large scale festivals (like Songkran, Loy Krathong) and fantastic local cuisine.

Bangkok is close enough to commute so heading into the big smoke to visit the embassy, for work, for pleasure or to meet friends is entirely possible and easily done.

Away from the main city is a province filled with excitement and adventure, a visit to the Saraburi province is an ideal trip for anyone with an interest in nature or a desire to escape Bangkok and explore authentic Thailand.

SaraburiSaraburi is in central Thailand roughly 106km north of Bangkok. Thailand’s capital city is, in layman’s terms, a 90 minutes bus ride although the sprawling Rangsit suburb, with shopping malls, temples and Thammasat University, can be reached inside an hour.

Saraburi is thought to have been built in the 16th century, growing from a main road used by the Khmer for transporting goods and produce. The modern city’s importance is still linked to transportation, Highway Route 1, which begins in Bangkok, passing through the heart of the city on its way north to Chiang Rai and Highway Route 2 runs from Saraburi to Nong Khai, Issan, in the north.

Thankfully there is more to Saraburi than just transport links and closeness to the capital city, otherwise I might as well head back to Croydon.

Attractions

The province is best known for its glorious sunflower fields (in season) and it’s for this reason that the sunflower is the province's symbol.

Saraburi sunflowers in bloom

Saraburi city and its province were important towns in the past so the region is rich with historical architecture and Buddhist temples, Wats.

The most notable temple is Wat Phra Buddha Bat which houses one of Thailand's most notable Buddha footprints. The temple is a recommended visit as it is rarely overrun by tourists, instead maintaining its authenticity and a fascinating and calm insight into everyday Buddhism and a typical Thai temple.

The Buddha footprint at Wat Phra Buddha Bat [Credit]

Further north of Saraburi city, the venturing traveller will find quintessential Thailand, and with it vineries, highlands, national parks, waterfalls - Namtok Chet Sao, the seven sisters waterfall, is typical of the area.

Namtok Chet Sao Noi is a small waterfall at Tambon Muak Lek, on the same route as Namtok Muak Lek and continue on for another 9 kilometres on an asphalt road. The waterfall flows along a stream and has 7 levels. The height of each level is 4 metres and offers a spacious shady swimming area.

[Source: Tourismthailand.org]

After almost eight months here I’m still exploring and learning more about the province, but I love that authentic culture and adventure are so close to my door. I certainly recommend the wider province, in particular northern areas, for anyone seeking authentic Thai culture and an excuse to escape Bangkok.

The province is also famous for its marble and stone quarries, products are supposedly available at the lowest rates in all of Thailand. Though how you get a slab of marble back through customs without exceeding the baggage limit, I’m not entirely sure.

A nice concise list of major attractions can be found here.

Detractions

Reasonable real-estate prices and the city’s close proximity to Bangkok encourage businesses to locate warehouses and factories in the province. For us locals, this brings a daily deluge of lorries and trucks hurtling down the highway and local roads and, sadly, added pollution.

Well paid job opportunities are limited in the city. There are foreigners in town that are not employed as a teachers in the many local schools. Native residents aspiring greatness and financial wealth are likely to move to Bangkok, or take up one of the few high-flying, well paid positions at a local cement factory or legal firms.

Nightlife

Saraburi does have a bar street and a number of nightclubs but it’s unlikely to make anyone in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai or Phuket move over anytime soon. Half a dozen late night bars and a handful of clubs make up the town’s nightlife area. Don’t expect to find go-go bars here,Whitehouse is the stand out bar with its young, attractive bar staff, just don't expect prompt customer service here.

One major one benefit/problem (depending on personal preference) of a lack of farang is that foreigners stick out easily. Expect to receive plenty of attention from the locals when out partying.

Sport

Saraburi FC is the city’s semi-professional football side, a newcomer to Thailand’s Division Two (the third tier of the national football league, which is divided into five regions based on geography). Competing in the Central & Eastern region, the team is sitting in 6th place, very respectable considering this is the team’s maiden season.

Away from the glitz and glamour of Saraburi FC, locals head to the city’s sports centre for a kick-about most days of the week. Locals are welcoming to rare foreign visitors.

The sports centre is also host to mass daily aerobics sessions, a number of gyms, a swimming pool and various other sporting pursuits. You can find more information in this post.

Sports centres are a feature of any major towns/cities in Thailand

Local grub

Curry puffs were born in Saraburi, first made by a local teacher looking to supplement her income. The delicacy, which looks like a small Cornish pasty, is available across Thailand and is usually filled with taro, chicken or pineapple.

Curry puffs are native to Saraburi [credit]

The puffs come highly recommended and definitely are worth a try although, like much of the culinary temptation in Thailand, excessive consumption will affect the waistline.

Likelihood of farang encounters

Low – non-Thais are officially 0.6% of the population.

Travellers seeking the sight of farang residents are advised to make for the city’s Tesco Lotus superstore where the curious creature can be observed.

Trains, planes and automobiles

It's been a funny a week which has seen me add another two methods of transport to list which already includes tuk-tuk, bus, taxi, motorbike taxi and, of course, plane amongst others.

First off, I got behind the wheel of a car in Thailand for the first time when I borrowed FIL's pick-up to get to work and back for an interview.

Like the UK, Thailand drives on the left-side so there were no major issues of acclimbatising. That said there are a few major differences from the kind of driving I am used to:

1. Thai's drive aggressively - no sign of caution as in the UK, here if they want to change lane, undertake or cut you up they'll just do it.
2. Lots of motorcyclists - who drive as if they own the road, weaving in and out of traffic and dominating lanes. In the city centre they practically had their own lane, quite different to London.
3. Honking - Thai's use the horn much more than in the UK. At home it is primarily to vent fury on other drivers whereas Thais are a little more constructive and also use it to alert fellow road-users, e.g. making the motorcyclist your are overtaking aware of you or approaching a blind-corner.

This way just a wee run-out for me as I I'm determined to get my Thai driving license in the near future (now that I have the required work-permit book).

In other transport-related news this week I caught the train today. What an interesting experience, particularly when compared to London.

The train was late, common for the UK, yet the tannoy announcement was not greeting with a chorus of cynical rants from the public. How refreshing for me, someone who admits he finds the reaction reaction of London's commuting public more irritating that the inconvenience of a late running service.

What about the cost then?

Well, no arms and legs were sacrificed for this journey, between the two of us a return trip was 18 baht (around the price of a small bottle of Coke). The missus got on free, like all Thais, and the alien, yours truly, paid 9 baht (circa 20p) per leg.

Marvellous!

The train itself was not quite as comfortable as London trains or tubes and, true to the nature of Thailand, vendors walked up and down the train selling a range of food and drinks to the commuters. Unlike British trains the goods were without a hefty mark-up, although I would question the freshness of the cooked meat on offer...

I enjoyed the train and I will use it again in the future. The journey wasn't the most direct or speedy so I would recommend alternative options for travelling on a tight deadline.

I need to build on these by finally getting to grips with the motorcycle, so far I've preferred my bike (healthier and easier) but I definitely miss having my own form of transport out here.

I will post the photos I took once they are uploaded...

Bangkok Scams goes offline

Recently I wrote about Bangkok Scams, an excellent website which looks into the issue of tourist scams.

It's with great sadness then that I see (from a reader's comment) that the site has gone offline following a complaint from a company featured in a story.

Visitors to the website receive the following message.

"The Bangkok Scams Website has been told to go offline by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. Apparently the ICT received a complaint from one of the shops mentioned in the scam reports. At present we don't know whether the ICT are objecting to the whole site or just one scam report.While we investigate these claims, we have decided to cooperate and put the website offline."

Although concerned with dealings in Bangkok, the gist of most stories could be applied to holiday destinations accross Thailand, making it a recommended read for anyone visiting Thailand, particularly first-timers.

Those looking for information can use Thai web-forums (such as Thai Visa) or Google for individual stories but the ease of access to information on Bangkok Scams (which is/was recognised by Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Lonely Planet) will be missed.

Sadly this situation was was inevitable as once word of the site gets out any business will object to being named and shamed.

Faking It In Myanmar

This BBC story on fake goods today made me smile fresh from returning from a adminstrative trip to Burma, aka Myanmar, for my work permit. Bear with me whilst I explain...

Once you pass through the border check-point to the other side (of the road) you are greeted with the standard fanfare of taxi drivers, tour guides and generally dodgey folk that frequent red hot tourist areas.

After brushing off the tour guides ("I'm here an hour purely for visa administration purposes and they have my passport so no temple trip please") we headed down to the market, me in anticipation of some authentic Burmese culture and the missus complaining about the potential for authentic Burmese culture (the two countries aren't exactly too pally, but more on that later).

The market was quite frankly an incredibly depressing place. The fact that it was visited by tourists who are killing time in between updating their visa makes the place somewhat souless, like a pub that exists within a train station but on a whole new level. The markets were literally crammed with beggars and fake goods: phones, watches, games consoles, cigerettes, clothes, bags, anything you can imagine.

Being a bit of a geek I couldn't resits perusing the 'Sumsung' devices, and tested a fake Omnia and an incredibly fake iPhone. My favourite item was most definitely the Super Poly 64 Station billed "The Amazing Game Machine", so already setting pretty high expectations.

So how does the market fare in relation to the sound advice on fake goods issued from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)?

- "Buy from a reputable or regulated site"

Definitely a failure on this count, no Ian Beale style market inspector present

- "If purchasing from outside the UK or a new website research the site, check all the facts before you buy"

Not entirely sure how you can 'check all the facts' as many shopkeeps no speaky English, and I doubt they have all the facts to hand for the Super Poly 64 Station, alas.

- "When a deal looks to good to be true it often is"

When are items are blindingly fake they often go from being acutely undesireable to incredibly collectable. I'd love to have bought a 'Sumsung' but I frankly doubt it would work properly and didn't want to waste my money.

Fake goods in the UK are almost as easy to spot as those at Myanmar market so I have little sympathy for those who purchase them and keep the industry going.

And they may even fund Terrorism (note the capitalisation for addition emphasis)...that's final nail in the coffin then and is sure to make Mummy think twice about buying Little Johnny that fake DS, it's ok that might be faulty, combustable and dangerous but if it funds terrorism then it's definitely off the Xmas list.

Do we need to use terrorism as scaremongery for everything in life? I'd like to see the statistics that link the two together...not likely as they have only said it "could" fund terrorism.