Recently I went shopping in my local produce market here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and there was a band of blind musicians performing for donations. I thought they were quite good, and I captured one of their songs on video.
There are quite a few blind street musicians in Thailand, but you rarely find any that play quality music. This band had a really good repertoire. It was evening, so there was not that much light, but since this is the best musical street performance by blinds that I have ever heard in Thailand, I thought it worth sharing.
Thailand is known as the land of smiles, but it is also the land of beautiful faces. Here is a stunning visual presentation of one the most endearing aspects of Thai culture, the naturally beautiful faces of the Thai people.
Elaborate Version of a Spirit House in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Anyone who has traveled in Thailand has probably noticed a little “toy house” near most buildings. Those are spirit houses. Thailand is a Buddhist country, but the Thais have retained quite a few of their animistic beliefs that stem from pre-Buddhist times. So Thai Buddhism is mixed with a spirit based religion.
The Thais hardly ever talk about their spirit beliefs with foreigners. It is almost like a well kept secret, and the only obvious evidence is the omni-present spirit house. The idea is that there are spirits everywhere, and some like to cause trouble for the humans. Therefore they have to be appeased so that they leave the humans alone. One way of doing that is to build them a separate little miniature home which is just for them only. Read the rest of this entry
Recently I went to my local fruit and veggie market here in Chiang Mai, Thailand. To my surprise there was a stage set up and there was a whole big show going on. It was put on by a phone company to promote their products, but the unusual thing was that they had some “ladyboys”, transsexuals, perform in the show. Luckily I had a camera with me and I caught the action. There are some pretty amazing things going on in Thailand, and this was definitely one of them!
So what is the secret? Unlike western countries where you really need to know the traffic rules if you don’t want to get into trouble quickly, in Thailand you might be better off not knowing too much about the traffic rules. This might be a little tongue-in-cheek, but there is definitely some truth to it.
Did you ever get a massage from a blind person, or from a prisoner, or from a trans-sexual, or ladyboy as they are called in Thailand? These are all fairly common scenarios here in Chiang Mai. I have tried them all and here’s where I tell you the story.
Here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, I see lots of people getting stopped by the cops for traffic violations. But why does the same cop give you a ticket for not wearing a helmet in the morning, but in the afternoon he could’t care less?
Many people think that driving in Thailand is chaotic. But if you just shift your expectations a little, you will do just fine. I have been driving in Thailand for many years, accident free – knock on wood! Here is my experience of handling traffic. There is no need to be afraid of it, all that is needed is an attitude adjustment. Here is the story on video:
Thailand is the country which I have chosen as my home, and I have had many wonderful experiences with the Thai people. Sometimes there are amusing experiences also, and here is one of them. In this case it shows the belief of many Thais that all westerners are rich. I wish they were right! Many Thai women see a relationship with a western man as a way to improve their economic standing, and in many cases, this is exactly what happens. In my story here one woman tried a little too hard.
Is living in Thailand paradise? What are the pros and cons? Who is this lifestyle for? This is a behind-the-scenes look at living in Thailand as a foreigner.
When I tell people that I live in Thailand, I often get feedback along the lines of “You are so lucky”, “I would love to be able to do that too”, “You live in paradise”, or “What an amazing lifestyle”.
Then there are the people who are not sure on which continent Thailand is and who could not find it on a map if their life depended on it.
Here is a tip. China is easy to find on a map, it is plenty big enough. If you look for the lowest or southernmost part of China, then you will see Thailand right below there along with some other small countries like Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam. This part of the world is called “southeast Asia”. Read the rest of this entry
So what is the secret? Unlike western countries where you really need to know the traffic rules if you don’t want to get into trouble quickly, in Thailand you might be better off not knowing too much about the traffic rules. This might be a little tongue-in-cheek, but there is definitely some truth to it.