Best Books About Thailand

Books on Thailand

Here are the best books about Thailand to delight and distract you: A History of Southeast Asia: Critical Crossroads  Southeast Asia can fall between the two stools of China and India, overlooked or viewed merely as a reflection of either or both of these two major historical, political and commercial entities. It is, says Anthony Reid […]

Thai Monks Chant The Buddha’s Wholesome Victories

Thai Monks

Thai monks chant The Buddha’s Wholesome Victories Creating a form, thousand-armed, each with a weapon, Mara on the elephant Grimekhala roared frightfully with his soldiers. The Lord of Munis conquered him by means of Dhamma-giving and so-on: By the power of this may you be of wholesome victories. More than Mara making war all night […]

Thai Buddhist Amulets

Thai Buddhist Amulet

Thai Buddhist amulets are something of an obsession in this Buddhist land. Buddhist amulets are part of Thai culture and you see them everywhere. Amulets, on the other hand, ward off evil and repel bad luck. The word itself comes from the Latin amuletum, ‘to protect a person from trouble”. They can be gems, paintings, […]

Retire in Thailand

Thai Monks Chanting Buddha Sutra

If you’d like to retire in Thailand, here are a few ideas to get your started: 1. Subscribe to our free newsletter, Life in Thailand. 2. Download one of the books: How to Retire in Thailand (and Double Your Income), or Making Money in Thailand. 3. Check out our moving to Thailand Concierge Service: we get […]

A Moving to Thailand Letter

Glen and Gi crop 2

Glen Rutherford’s thinking about moving to Thailand. Here’s his ‘moving to Thailand’ letter: I’ve just finished reading two of your e-books: Making Money in Thailand and How to Retire in Thailand and Double Your Income. They offer a fantastic insight into how Thai’s think differently to us. I’m drawn to Thailand because of the friendly attitude that […]

Scooters in Thailand

Scooters in Thailand are dangerous, even for Thais. I know because I’m a trained rider and I had two spills. But if you’re going to ride a scooter, get the safest. Here’s a road test video of the Honda Click: And here’s a reminder about riding scooters in Thailand: Riding a motorcycle or scooter in […]

Thailand on $4 A Day

thailand_budget

Can you live in Thailand on $4 a day? Can you make it in Thailand on $4 (100 Baht) a day? Well… sort of. Here’s a fun video of a young Brit, Alex Putnam, who’s experimenting with living on the Thai minimum wage. It’s not a lifestyle I’d recommend, but it’s an interesting exercise and it […]

Thai Grilled Rats

Thai Grilled Rats, nu phook, are hunted in the rice fields and grilled for sale as a rural delicacy. They’re a regular source of both protein and income during the last two months of the year for villagers across Thailand. The greater bandicoot rat (bandicota indica) is a rodent of the muridae species found in China, India, […]

Volunteer in Chiang Mai

If you have the urge to volunteer in Chiang Mai, here’s a complete guide to Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand and Burmese opportunities. But before you do, a few words of advice: To enter Thailand with the purpose of doing volunteer work you must have a Non-Immigrant O Visa. Here’s what you’ll need to apply at […]

Thai Street Food Safety

Thai street food safety is not mysterious. Apply this rule of thumb to eating Thai street food and save yourself embarrassment and discomfort: freshly cooked and freshly peeled food only. You’ll notice that Thais always choose their meat from the griddle – not from meat that’s already cooked and removed from the flame – because […]

Live A Middle-Class Life in Thailand?

Could you Live a Middle-Class Life in Thailand? Do you want to live as you did in your $7,000/mo, $750,000 California-style house? Or would you be content to live a middle-class life in Thailand like a middle-class Thai person would? What would it feel like to live a middle-class Thai life in Thailand? Well, take a close look at […]

Find a Mate in Thailand

Want to find a mate in Thailand? A French client recently wrote to ask about a very promising relationship he’s commenced with a Thai woman. He concluded his letter with the question, “Are there any major pitfalls I should be looking for?” Here’s my answer: Dear Francois, In addition to the pitfalls inherent in all relationships, you […]

Thailand Classified Ads Directory

Here’s a handy Thailand classified Ads directory. Each classified ad directory has its peculiar strengths and weaknesses but, somewhere, the item you’re looking for is available! If you’re concerned about delivery, ask the seller to invoice you via PayPal, giving the item name and serial number of the item she’s selling. That way, PayPal’s Buyer […]

Making Money In Thailand

What About Making Money in Thailand? A British friend who’s making money in Thailand by managing Chiang Mai’s swankest private hotel told me he’s “a slave to TripAdvisor”: as soon as he wakes he checks TripAdvisor. A bad review can wreck months of hard work. You, too, can be such a slave… May 10, 2016: Several of […]

Markets in Chiang Mai

Markets in Chiang Mai

Every day, dawn until dusk, Chiang Mai is bustling with a variety of markets squeezed onto sidewalks, set up under rows of tents, or spread out under huge pavilions. Here’s a look at some of the most popular wholesale, fresh food, secondhand, walking street markets in Chiang Mai: Sompet Market This market is best known for […]