My Thai Friend

Buddhism-Releasing Life

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:33:00 +0000

As a wildlife lover and keen conservationist I find that I am at odds with the Buddhist belief in releasing life or at least in the way that it manifests itself at many temples throughout Thailand and other Asian countries.

On our way to complete my monkey business in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park on Saturday we stopped off at the Buddhist temple in Kuiburi. MTF had seen advertisements asking for donations on the highway and she wanted to make merit. The wat covers a large area of land right in the centre of Kuiburi and has some fantastic architecture, icons and murals.

However this post is not about the beauty of the buildings but instead about the sale of birds, animals and reptiles at temples throughout Thailand to satisfy the Buddhist belief of releasing life.

It is common to see caged birds, which the faithful purchase and release from captivity but I have never come across captive yellow headed temple turtles for sale and release before. Perhaps I have not looked hard enough because the reasons the turtles have this name is that they are frequently found around Buddhist temples here in Thailand.

As you can see from today's image I found a dry plastic bucket displayed near the "commercial" part of the temple with ten or more yellow headed temple turtles inside. Although the bucket was partially shaded it had no water in it and it is clear to see that the reptiles were stressed.

Just above the turtles where several very small cages stuffed with wild birds, also for purchase and release.

I couldn't identify the birds but they are some sort of finch. So how did the turtles and birds end up at the temple for sale and release? Quite simple really since there is a huge trade in such wildlife. Trappers net the birds, cage them and then sell them to the temple. While the turtles are either netted from ponds in the temple grounds or nearby waterways.

Chances are that many of the creatures are subject to capture and release several times over.

There is also a chance that the captured bird or reptile will be released away from its natural environment which can lead to further stress or in worst case scenario's lead to the introduction of alien species into a country which in turn can affect the natural balance of the eco-system.

While I do not pretend to be fully conversant with the teachings of the Buddha this particular practice of releasing life seems to me to fly in the face of Buddhists love for animals.

What do you think?

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Monkey Business Thailand

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:28:00 +0000

Monkey business was very much on my mind yesterday when I paid another visit to Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, Thailand(mountain with three hundred peaks). To be more precise I was on a mission to observe and photograph the Spectacled Langur also sometimes referred to as the Dusky Leaf Monkey or Spectacled Leaf Monkey.

As you can see from today's image(view in full size) the Spectacled Langur is somewhat unique in appearance, normally a fairly timid animal, their habitat is usually different types of forest areas where their diet consists of leafs and fruit. Interestingly when the babies are born they are bright orange and it is only later that they develop their unique markings.

This primate is only found on the Malaysian Peninsula, Thailand, Myanmar and nearby islands. Although it is not an endangered species it is classed as threatened mainly due to habitat loss. Because of the animals status, it is protected in Thailand and in Khao Sam Roi Yot there is a programme in place to encourage breeding and stop habitat loss. Foreign volunteers often come to work in the park where they study the animals and help with conservation.

I knew from previous experience(when I didn't see Langurs) that I was most likely to see a Spectacled Langur near the park headquarters so thats where we headed yesterday. Well I wasn't disappointed and managed to find a few nearby, one particular old male was quite photogenic and actually allowed me to approach quite closely.

I also got a chance to observe Crab Eating or Short Tailed Macaques yesterday. There was a large troop in the vicinity and I managed some good photographs. These primates do eat crabs which are available in the mangrove area of the park although this is not their sole diet. Macaques like other primates are also good swimmers and as we left the park we briefly stopped to watch a group frolicking in the water. Short tailed Macaques seem less aggressive than their long tailed cousins and were quite tolerant of human intrusion into their territory.

Khao Sam Roi Yot also provides a fantastic habitat for birds although yesterday I did not see anything unusual. The park also has several cave systems and we had intended to visit Tham Phraya Nakhon, a cave which houses a Royal Pavilion that at a certain time of the day is illuminated by the sun. Access is difficult and best approached from the sea, but no boats were available yesterday due to high winds and waves. No doubt we will return to further this adventure later.

Entry to Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park is free for Thais but foreigners pay 200Baht(£4) with a 30Baht levy for your vehicle. There are plenty of great places to eat at very reasonable prices, lunch by the sea for the three of us cost the princely sum of 320 Baht which included a thirst quenching beer for me and a tip!

All in all a very satisfying day especially as I completed my money business!

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Thai Neighbours

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:16:00 +0000

Love them or hate them I reckon Thai neighbours are pretty unique. True they are just ordinary folk like you might find back in the UK or US but they seem to possess this ability to operate at the extremes of human tolerance. Often they demonstrate great acts of kindness or on the other hand acts of selfishness and a total disrespect for anyone else.

Take this morning for instance, Saturday, no school and a planned lay in before a trip to Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park for a bit of wildlife watching. So I was less than impressed when at 5.30 am I was blasted awake by loud music from just down the road. Clearly Annan was up early and wanted everyone else to be the same. Well not wishing to disappoint him I grumpily got up, made a cup of tea and headed out onto the veranda to watch the sun rise.

While I sat there contemplating my life in the tropics my next door neighbour, her mother and a friend returned home, clearly having taken advantage of Annan's early morning wake up call, to visit their animals on the farm.

We exchanged a few words before the air was filled not with loud music but the sound of an animal crying in apparent pain. Alerted by the sound Ge-eps mother uttered those words I least like in Thai after farang, ngoo(sounds a bit like new)she repeated, which means snake! She then made a hand gesture in the shape of a Cobra!!

Now I actually have a different attitude to snakes after a couple of years here, now its more a case of live and let live unless its in the house or trying to dispatch me. However what happened next was pure poetry. Quick as a flash the old girl was over the garden wall (the gate was locked) searching the garden. I for my part continued to sip my tea, since there was no sign of anything untoward, only to be joined by Duen, the rest of my neighbours and an assortment of soi dogs, since my partner had now opened the gate.

The wounded animal sound continued and seemed to be emanating from the side of the pond. Equally quickly mother grabbed a sharp stick prodded at the side of the pond and announced that the ngoo was no more. Now I like a bit of evidence to convince me but all I have found so far is a few bit of mangled frog or is it snake?

By this time the music had stopped, Annan had gone out and everyone retired to their respective homes, perhaps to try and catch up their sleep. Me I just stayed up, which is why I am penning this post at 7.30am!

Thai neighbours? Don't you just love them?

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Thai Women and Marriage

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:40:00 +0000

Two seemingly unconnected stories, one from the Thai media and one from a UK local newspaper, involving Thai women and marriage caught my eye today.

In the first case reported in the Harborough Mail(Northants,UK) under the headline, "Thai woman and lover jailed over murder," the paper reports the life sentences handed out by a Thai court to the murderers of Ian Beeston a British Expat who was married to a Thai woman and living in Thailand at the time of his death. The convicted couple were Beeston's former Thai wife and her lover.

The second report is from the Bangkok Post forum under the title, "Foreign husbands move to impoverished Isan," this post has been running a while and explores the motivation and background to elderly(mostly) Western males marrying Isaan (pronounced e-saan) women and moving to this somewhat remote rural area of NE Thailand.

While both of these stories are unlikely to make international headlines they do for me at any rate once again raise the thorny issue of relationships between Thai women and Western men, along with the motivation behind such unions which I explored in a post entitled, "Thai women-for love or money."

In the Beeston case you have a 69 yr old man married to a woman 26 years his junior. He had moved to Thailand about 10 years ago and set up a business. Reports suggest that he had invested his life savings of £350,000 (20 Million Baht) in this business and a home in Thailand. Being married to a Thai he effectively owned very little here and his wife stood to inherit everything on his death.

Now I am not suggesting for one minute that its just Thai women that marry older men for money, lets face it it happens all over the world. Here's a quote from a comment by Sheila to a previous post I wrote on this subject.

"Love is often nothing but a favourable exchange between two people who get the most of what they can expect, considering their value on the personality market. "

The quote Sheila used is from psychologist Eric Fromm.

My main concern is that the outcome of many of these relationships, particularly in Thailand, seem to end in tragedy, usually nothing worse than divorce in which the foreigner loses everything, but occasionally as in the Beeston case something far more devastating.

So what do the foreign correspondents to the Bangkok Post forum think about the thread regarding relationships with Isaan ladies? As with any forum the posts are a mixed bag and of course you can read them for yourself. Some contributors are positive while others remain very sceptical. Here are a couple of quotes:

"To me, Farang guys who end up in Isaan with some uneducated, "Baan Nawk" girl, who's hardly been anywhere, but the bar in Bangkok or Pattaya from which she was "rescued" are deluding themselves and have compromised greatly, for a bit of easily-obtained LoSo sex and a simpler, quieter (read: mind-numbingly boring) life."

"Wise up suckers, if you want to marry a Thai you'd better be bloody sure you've got a good one, or you might spend your life in a state of paranoia. My Thai wife is fantastic, but I know, absolutely, that in the case of my life in her country or, (hopefully not), our divorce, I will be mercilessly screwed. It's just a case of managing the situation with a bit of maturity and a lot of prior knowledge!"

The suggestion in both news sources is that many relationships between older foreigners and Thai women are based solely on money and perhaps that the principle of "buyer beware" should be applied. Of course some older men may well be happy to "purchase" a few years of happiness with a beautiful Asian lady, but the consequences can sadly see them in the same boat as Mr Beeston.

Thai women and marriage? Personally I go along with Eric Fromm.

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Jazzmen or Jasmine Rice

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:49:00 +0000

Thai jasmine rice or hom mali is in my opinion one of the best types of rice for both quality and flavour. It is renown throughout the world and the product bearing the name Thai jasmine rice can only be grown in Thailand, or to be more specific certain areas of Thailand.

Since Thai jasmine rice is such a unique product it is perhaps not surprising that the Thai authorities are getting a little hot under the collar with the arrival on the rice growing scene of Jazzmen Rice from the USA. Although I can find no claim, on their web site, from the producers of this product, that it is in fact hom mali the clever use of the products brand name might well confuse some customers.

"For twelve years, the "AgCenter" has been evolving, testing and improving a varietal (variety) of rice intended to compete head on with the quality, taste and cost of the thousands of tons of Jasmine rice coming into America each year from Asia. It has reached perfection." read more

This has led to Thailand patenting the brand Thai hom mali in an attempt to stop Jazzmen being confused with jasmine. It has also led to testing of the Jazzmen product here in Thailand.

"A DNA test of the new US fragrant rice strain known as Jazzmen shows it is developed from a Chinese strain and is inferior to Thai Hom Mali fragrant rice when cooked" read more

Clearly concerned about the new products effect on jasmine rice exports, some 10 million tons in 2008, Thai exporters have been warned to ensure quality control of their product and not to mix hom mali with inferior rice.

Now aside from the flash packaging I wonder what the difference is. Have you tried Jazzmen Rice?

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In the Google Bin?

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:15:00 +0000

I apologise this morning for doing a blogging post here, but I need this to go to a wide an audience as possible in the hope that someone can help.

Until around August this year the traffic had being growing nicely on MTF and I was getting around 6000 hits a month. Since that point traffic has declined considerably and last month (October) hits had almost halved. Google Analytics in August was indicating 57% of traffic from search engines (mostly Google)which is down to 30% in October. Clearly something is not right so I started some lengthy research to try and track down whats happening.

Now a simple answer would be that no one is searching relevant keywords on my site since August but I think you would agree that is unlikely. So it has to be something else.

During my research I discovered that although Google webmaster tools will indicate a page is indexed on Google this does not mean it will show up in search results (SERPS) believe it or not they appear to have TWO indexes the main and a supplementary(supplemental). I even found the search query to find what is in the two indexes.

The results shocked me but perhaps help explain why suddenly the search traffic is drying up. Out of 518 pages that are indexed by Google for MTF only 41 show up in the main index!

So why I wonder has this happened? Why is MTF mainly in the second eleven. Possible answers would of course include rubbish content-which might well be true- but surely I reason there are a few more pages that are worthy of reference.

Now during my search for answers I have also looked at lots on Search Engine Optimisation(SEO) and again perhaps MTF is just not search engine friendly since I know naff all about SEO. Which brings me round to a possible reason that might be linked to this. My Google Webmasters Tools(GWMT) has recently started showing a single 404 error (page not found).

The URL of the page is as follows: http://www.my-thai-friend.com/ps/rpc_relay.html now I haven't a clue what this missing URL is BUT according to GWMT 100 of my blog pages link to it and of course its missing. Now the 100 pages that link to the missing page, although previously in the main index are now gone!

There is little intelligible information on the web regarding the missing file string but some correspondents suggest it is linked to the followers widget and Google friends connect. As a temporary measure I have removed this widget from MTF to see if a future crawl rectifies things (I doubt it).

BTW if you don't believe me regarding two indexes (Google say they only have one) try this little search in Google.

1. site:www.yoursite.com-this will give you all the pages indexed by Google.

Now just as you are feeling pleased with the return try this search.

2. site:www.yoursite.com/* this gives you your pages in the main index.

Take the total of 2 from 1 and you have the amount of pages in the Google bin oops sorry the Google supplemental index.
So over to you, has anyone got any ideas why I appear to be in the Google bin or how to get out of it or indeed solve the mysterious URL that so many pages link too.

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Loi Krathong Khlong Wan Thailand 2009

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:08:00 +0000

Loi Krathong the Festival of Light took place in Thailand last night. As part of the celebrations we headed into the nearby Tabon of Khlong Wan where the local authority had laid on some entertainment to accompany the ceremony of launching our krathongs into the sea.

Depending where you are in Thailand, you will find the Loi Krathong celebrations taking place on any convenient water, be it river, pond or as in our case the sea.

Sadly last night the weather was not brilliant, although it was clear and fairly cool there was a very strong wind caused by a tropical cyclone passing Thailand to the East. This strong wind made it near impossible to launch our hot air balloon's (ours crashed and burned-literally) and also made getting your krathong into the sea from the slippery jetty a bit hazardous.

Despite the wind the evening was very enjoyable. We ate at a sea front restaurant, watched fireworks and a live show before launching our krathongs into the ocean. There was a display of large krathongs that local businesses and groups had made. Well it was actually a competition and as you can see from the photographs there were some pretty impressive entries which made the ones MTF had constructed look somewhat small!

Talking about the krathongs Duen made(top left) and the materials she used see "How to make a Krathong," I was most impressed at her efforts. The krathongs drew several admiring glances as she proudly displayed them in the restaurant as we were eating.

The only downside to the evening, apart from the high wind, was the total chaos trying to park your vehicle in Khlong Wan. Equally trying to negotiate your way along the jetty through a hundred plus motorcycles proved an additional hazard. Just why Thais cannot park away from an event and walk continues to baffle me!

When we returned home we found that the person who lives in the recycling shack down the lane had organised an impromptu karaoke among the coconut grove around his pond. This went on till 2am this morning. Not wishing to deny my neighbours their fun I dug out the ear plugs before retiring and offered a silent prayer about gravity and coconuts in high winds!

Despite the noisy and chaotic end to the evening I really enjoyed celebrating Loi Krathong in Khlong Wan this year. If you are ever in Thailand at this time of the year i would recommend you go along to your local celebrations.

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How to Make a Krathong

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:16:00 +0000

You can bet its a no news day in the Thailand media when you see under "breaking news" on the front page of the Bangkok Post that Manchester City and Birmingham City fought out a goalless draw in the UK yesterday! Thank God I didn't stay up to watch it.

Of course here on the news desk of MTF we are never short of editorial copy but things have been put on hold as the household prepares for the Loi Krathong Sai Festival tonight. Now since I am the sort of guy who likes to share things I though I would let you into the secrets of how to make a Krathong.

Here's what you need (see above photo):

1. Slices of banana tree-one for each krathong.
2. Lotus flowers.
3. Roses-preferably red
4. Marigold flower heads.
5. Banana tree leafs.
6. Piece of oasis flower arranging foam (optional).
7. Incense sticks.
7. Stapler and some small plastic pegs(super glue also works fine).

How to make the krathong:

1. Cut the banana leafs into narrow strips approx 4"x 6."
2. Shape the leafs into triangles since they will form a coronet around the base of the krathong.
3. Fix triangles in place-staples or glue. You should now have something a bit like a crown.
4. Fill the centre of the base with more banana leafs and fix in place.
5. Fix Oasis in centre of base. (if using).
6. Create your own unique design with the flowers you have purchased and fix in place.
7. Add some incense sicks, fireworks if you really want to make a splash or go out with a bang!
8. Test float in pond-if you have one, otherwise the bath will suffice!

OK before you say it, I know you don't all live in Thailand, but imagine the stir you could cause floating your boat on the Trent or Hudson rivers!

Whats that no banana trees near you? Well you will just have to improvise won't you?

Happy Loi Krathong

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Muay Thai Training

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:46:00 +0000

Yesterday I happened to stumble upon the local Muay Thai training camp in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Its housed at the back of the football stadium in the town and I was unaware it existed.

Muay Thai is often referred to as Thai boxing or kick boxing although the hands, feet, shins and elbows may be used in the sport when fighting a opponent. Muay Thai, the art of eight limbs, is also big business in Thailand and yesterday I was lucky enough to watch two local fighters training for a while.

Each fighter took in in turn to enter the ring with the trainer, a huge guy by Thai standards, who was wearing body armour that would not have looked out of place in a SWAT locker room. He certainly needed the protection as both fighters didn't do things by half measures delivering kicks and punches as full impact blows.

I have actually watched Muay Thai bouts before, but in all honesty I fancy they were more exhibition stuff laid on for tourists than the full bloodied affair. I couldn't help but admire the athleticism of the two young men and the trainer as they went through their routines.

With a strong smell of the local embrocation(Namman Muay) wafting up my nostrils I was briefly reminded of the sweaty backstreet establishments in the East End of London that spawned the likes of Henry Cooper. But this was no back street sweat shop, no broken nosed, punch drunk has-been hanging around, no cigar smoking manager flashing expensive jewellery. Instead the bodies of the two highly toned fighters glistened in the afternoon sunshine in a ring constructed under a large Thai sala (shelter) and open to the air on all four sides.

A lovely setting for a very tough sport.

Reluctant to interfere with their routines I only managed a few photographs, I was ill prepared and the action shots are abysmal! However I got chatting to one of the fighters as he took a brief break and ascertained he is the local champion who regularly fights in Bangkok. His next TV appearance is on November 11th so I shall tune in to see how he fairs.

I was also invited to return whenever I liked, so next time I shall plan my photographic mission a bit better. After we had watched the Muay Thai training for a while Doy became bored so we headed to the park where I also found an interesting surprise -but more of that tomorrow.

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October in Thailand-A Lot of Hot Air.

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:37:00 +0000

October in Thailand is the end of the rainy season, signalling a cool period of weather across the country. This might well have arrived at just the right time as far as Thailand's politicians are concerned since much of this month has seen them exhaling a lot of hot air over issues such as climate change, Thai Railways and the ASEAN summit in Hua Hin. Sadly this month has also seen HM the King hospitalised were he currently remains although the latest reports suggest he is on his way to recovery.

Thailand has once again hosted an ASEAN summit amid huge security, following the disaster that surrounded a similar conference in Pattaya early this year. This time Hua Hin was chosen, quite a clever choice of location in my opinion, with its royal connections. HM the King has a palace there and it has always been considered a no go area as regards political demonstration for this reason.

With thousands of police and military deployed on security duties, events outside the conference location passed without incident. While inside and out intense debate was created when it was revealed that the Cambodian leader might well offer a refuge for Thaksin Shinawatra, the ex-Prime Minister of Thailand, in Cambodia. With relationships between the two countries already strained over a border dispute this suggestion only served to add more fuel to the fire.

With all the hot air around at the conference it is perhaps appropriate to mention that earlier in the month Bangkok hosted a climate change conference at which the delegates remained cool in their air conditioned rooms but achieved absolutely nothing in the green sense.

Hua Hin also made the news in early October when a State Railway of Thailand(SRT) express train travelling North to Bangkok derailed just South of the city (Hua Hin). With several people killed in the accident the hunt for a scapegoat to hang the blame on quickly became the focus of media attention. The driver of the locomotive who allegedly fled the scene (unsubstantiated) was soon in the spotlight, with suggestions that he fell asleep and missed a danger signal. With headlines like, "Death Railway Thailand-SRT needs to take action," the SRT and its operating procedures also came under the media spotlight.

The subsequent witch hunt led to strike action by SRT Union members who complained that drivers were asked to work long shifts with only one rest day every two weeks. They also highlighted the poor state of SRT rolling stock and locomotives refusing to drive them. A resolution finally seems to have been found and trains are now running normally but not before the Thai government threatened to use military and retired drivers to man the loco's. Once again calls were heard for the privatisation of the SRT.

Just how important HM the King is to Thailand, its people and their economy was also demonstrated this month when, following wild speculation about the monarchs health, the Stock Exchange of Thailand(SET) and the Thai Baht crashed for a few days. Fortunately for everyone concerned HM the King continues to recover in hospital in Bangkok and the rumour mongers are being investigated. The SET and Baht have also recovered. Although the Baht has weakened a little.

Finally for today with all this talk of hot air, a word about the weather. This week has seen a shift in wind direction from SW to NE which heralds the arrival of the NE Monsoon or Cool Season here in Thailand. For those of us living here and for visiting tourists the promise of cool mornings (very cool in the North), clear blue skies, no rain to speak of and a humidity level of around 60% for three months are indeed a treat to be enjoyed especially after a rather hot, humid and wet October in Thailand.

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Thai Girl

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:08:00 +0000

I first met a Thai girl named Doy back in 2007 when I visited the family home of my partner Duen in Samut Sakhon, Thailand. I was taken with her from our first meeting, a fantastic smile, a happy go lucky kid who bonded easily with myself and Duen.

Later I learned of her unsettled life, abandoned by her mother with no one really taking responsibility for her. Whether I unconsciously made a decision to help her there and then I don't know but once we settled in Prachuap Khiri Khan we invited her to stay with us for school holidays. A few weeks in the fresh air away from the pollution of Samut Sakhon worked wonders. Each time she stayed with us getting her to return home at the end of the holiday became more difficult.

Well one thing led to another and in January this year we decided that there was a lot we could offer Doy on a full time basis, particularly regarding a settled lifestyle and a good education so we made the move and she came to live with us full time.

So here is a bit of an update on her progress since she has just started her second term at the private Christian school in Prachuap. Well that snotty nosed kid has certainly gone through a transition. Doy is tall for a Thai and is growing up in leaps and bounds. Since living with us full time her heath has improved and she looks so much better. She is a quick learner and already speaks some English with me, MTF also spends a lot of time with her teaching her Thai language and mathematics, making up for the lost time she spent in a Thai government school up North. She really likes school, much more than I ever did and seems to be making sound progress. Although she got a ticking off from MTF when her first full half year report stated she talked too much in class!

Of course having Doy here full time has effected our lifestyle but even I have managed to adjust to getting up at 6.30am on school days! We also go out more to the beach and other attractions since trying to keep a six year old entertained is the same the world over.

Putting on my school teacher hat I think I would say that Doy has made good progress living with us and has settled in well. More about a Thai girl named Doy next year when she moves into the mainstream classes at school.

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Loi Krathong Sai Festival Thailand 2009

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:35:00 +0000

This year the Loi or Loy Krathong Sai festival in Thailand falls on 1st and 2nd November.

"As the full moon of the twelfth lunar month (usually in mid-November) lights up the night sky, throughout the Thai kingdom, hundreds of thousands of ornately-decorated krathong or traditional banana leaf floats are set adrift in rivers and waterways in a spell-binding ritual called "Loi Krathong" - the 'festival of lights". This is one of the Kingdom's oldest and best-preserved traditions."

Loi Krathong is an extremely old Thai festival, perhaps linked to the early Thai civilisations reliance on the waterways that crisscross the country. As Loi Krathong is also known as the festival of light it could well be linked to Hinduism which of course is closely related to the Buddhist religion. Interestingly Hindus celebrate Diwali i.e. festival of light at a similar time of the year.

Whatever its origins Loi Krathong is a great spectacle, Thais spend hours designing and building their krathongs. The basic krathong is made using a slice from the trunk of a banana tree(it floats in water), which is then decorated with flowers and incense sticks. Different provinces of Thailand tend to have slight variations on the design of the krathong, some using an empty coconut shell in place of the banana tree base.

Since Loi Krathong is at a time that marks the end of the rainy season folk are always happy and a lot believe that by floating their krathong they will have good luck, since their bad luck or sins float away with the krathong. To help this happen coins are also placed on the krathong to help appease the "Mother of Waters."

Last year when celebrating Loi Krathong in Khlong Wan we also released "khom loy," miniature candle powered hot air balloons that light up the night sky although this is more normal in the Northern regions of the country.

Needless to say I am looking forward to celebrating my second Loi Krathong in Thailand and this year I intend to get up early, to visit the market, to buy the materials we need for making our krathongs. I am sure both MTF and Doy will enjoy making them as much as I will enjoy releasing them and photographing the activities.

More on the Loi Krathong Sai Festival 2009 next week.

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Thai Ladyboy Crackdown-Double Standards in Phuket?

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:32:00 +0000

According to Phuket Gazette the Royal Thai Police are about to implement a crackdown on criminal Thai ladyboys in Phuket. Yes I did say ladyboys, that's kathoey, kathoeys or third gender call them what you will and not the recently publicised jet ski scammers whose sexual orientation is irrelevant. Now since Thailand is usually quite accepting of Kathoeys I wonder what has prompted the sudden apparent change in the status quo?

Well it seems the US Navy is at least partly to blame, actually to be more precise I should say a couple of elements of it anyway, since they are due to arrive in Phuket this week for R & R.

Now personally I thought rest and recuperation (R&R) went out with the Vietnam War since it conjures up scenes of sex starved servicemen fleeing the hell hole of the then Vietnam in exchange for the brothels of Bangkok and Pattaya. Surely nowadays ships are making a courtesy call (diplomatic term for R &R) just like the UK marines did early this year. Now we all know what that led to don't we? What you haven't heard of the jet ski scam and Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand?

Now since the crack-down is on Thai ladyboys and not jet ski operators it does of course raise the question(in my mind anyway), why? Is it that the US sailors and marines have different needs to their UK counterparts? Or is it just the Thai authorities trying to prevent another international scandal with the arrival of the high season for tourists?

I also wonder what the local police chief meant when he said his officers will be "checking the ID and employment cards of any suspected criminal ladyboys" and any that were not in order would have "big problems." Now unless Thailand has suddenly become a police state overnight then freedom of movement remains unrestricted. Therefore any ladyboy who feels the need to travel to Phuket to welcome the sailors ashore is surely not breaking the law? Well they are if they offer sexual services for money, but heh this is Thailand.

I mean, what about the straight guys who come ashore, wander into a bar in Phuket and end up paying for the services of a female hooker? Or for that matter what about JJ and his mates and their jet ski's. Oops almost forgot, although female prostitution is illegal in Thailand everyone turns a blind eye including the police so that's OK and of course all the jet ski operators have now changed their modus operandi, have insurance following their recent television exposure and will co-operate fully with the local fuzz should there be any complaints!

Draw your own conclusions about this police action -I have, but then I live in Thailand. Ladyboy crackdown in Phuket? Talk about double standards!

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Thai Traditional Dance-The Dance of the Long Fingernails

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:30:00 +0000

Thai traditional dance which included the dance of the long fingernails (Fawn Lep) was performed at a Buddhist ceremony I recently attended.

Now as I knew little or nothing about Thai traditional dance I thought I would do a little research. This led me to discover that perhaps the dances should be more correctly referred to as Khmer traditional dance since the dances performed in Thailand today probably originated from a large geographical area which included Siam in the days of the Khmer Empire

It transpires that Thai dance (Fawn Thai) has five classic styles with regional variations on these styles. The long fingernail dance as already mentioned, the candle dance, a butterfly dance, a happy dance and a scarf dance.

The dance of the long fingernails is usually performed by five pairs of dancers. although in the case I watched there was only one pair, the long brass "fingernails" fit over the end on the fingers on the dancers hands and accentuate the hand movements during the dance. While the hands move gracefully around the body the head remains firm and the body is quite stiff-difficult to describe in words but beautiful to watch.

A traditional Thai orchestra accompanied the dancers that I watched perform, using instruments that are often not found outside Asia.

If you ever get the opportunity I would recommend you try and take in a show involving Thai traditional dance when I am sure, like me, you will see the dance of the long fingernails.

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Thailand Quiz-Red Thread

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:10:00 +0000

Time for another picture quiz from Thailand. As my regular readers will know the last week saw me take part in Buddhist funeral rites in Samut Sakhon, Thailand.

In a post describing the day of the cremation I mentioned that all the guests were given a white flower and a piece of red thread when they arrived.

What I would like to know today is as follows:

1. What is the significance of the red thread?

2. In what country (other than Thailand) might you find its origins?

Good Luck!

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Samut Sakhon Thailand

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Samut Sakhon is a large industrialised city about 50km SW of Bangkok, nestling in the NW corner of the Gulf of Thailand at the mouth of the Tha Chin Klong River. The principle industry is fishing and fish processing. In fact the stink of fish, pervades throughout the place, whether its the waste from the numerous processing plants or just the smell of rack upon rack of fish drying in the sun it gets everywhere, up your nose and even on your clothes.

The city is very close to or below sea level so flooding is common. To combat this a series of canal(klongs) have been built to try and keep the water at bay. This works to some extent but during high tides wide spread flooding often occurs. Part of the reason why flooding is common at high tide is that many of the klongs are blocked with all manner of rubbish. People seem to treat the klongs and river around Samut Sakhon as a large open rubbish dump and this combined with industrial effluent pumped directly into these water courses makes for some highly polluted and unattractive places. Its like living in a place with open sewers!

Even when I was at Wat Samakee Satharam I found mounds of rubbish everywhere, the area where the monks lived was actually the worst and I swear the toilets had no holding tanks but just drained into the nearby canal.

Quite how the Thai people can live in these condition I really don't know. Because as I pointed out to Duen, even collecting and burning the rubbish (not very green I know) has to be better than just throwing the stinking mess into the nearest canal or piling it high like in today's photograph. The only country that I have travelled too that comes anywhere near the pollution levels I witnessed in Sumat Sakhon is in fact India and certain areas of the big cities there.

The Tourist Authority of Thailand(TAT), rightly in my opinion, refers to Thailand, as "Amazing Thailand." Lets face it the country has some fantastic beaches, a great culture and breath taking scenery. However if you want to see another version of Thailand then I suggest you visit Samut Sakhon because if you do then your vision of this tropical paradise might well take on a different perspective.

Me? Today, fully recovered from my trip North I am heading to Hat Wanakorn to experience the amazing Thailand that the tourists see, not a plastic bag in sight, just miles of beautiful sand, blue sea and a cooling breeze that are there to be had in this wonderful little marine national park.

Enjoy your weekend!

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The Explorer-Technology for Tomorrow.

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0000

This last week has seen me dealing with a death in my adopted Thai family. I have had first hand experience of how it affects a family and of course how it coloured my own feelings as a Christian involved in the process observing the Buddhist way.

Many things are similar to the way death is dealt with in the West, given the numerous religions and cultures this is not surprising. I am however left with a sense that the whole affair to some extent was a commercial enterprise, with the family keen to demonstrate good face withing the local community. No expense seemed to be spared even though I know many of the family have little or no money. Fortunately Pearn had an insurance policy that paid about half the costs.

I am sorry to go on about money, which lets face still comes into play outside Thailand, however it was the way it was openly discussed and contributions counted that really got me going. It seemed irreverent and against my own cultural beliefs. When I first arrived at the Wat, before I had even said hello to everyone, Duen insisted that I present my own, hefty, contribution in full view of all the family to her eldest sister who was organising everything. Had I not had the where with all I wonder what the reaction would have been? Call me a suspicious foreigner but I have been around Thailand long enough to understand some of the process.

Money aside, a few other things I had to deal with made me question peoples actions, the room full of gamblers mentioned in an earlier post, the way the remains were dealt with after cremation at the temple, mobile phones ringing and kids running riot during religious devotions are but a few things that come to mind.

Why I ask myself was a portable movie theatre hired to belt out Thai horror movies when I am sure most folk if they were like me were ready for a shower and sleep. Now I am sure you might well be thinking, this is Thailand, the family are Thai Buddhists and its up to them and their cultural/religious beliefs to do what they like. You would of course be right but that doesn't actually make some of these things sit any easier with me and my own beliefs. I could have refused to attend, failed to contribute and left Duen and her family to get on with it. But I firmly believe that would have been an opportunity missed apart from also deeply offending my partner and her family.

Cross cultural understanding is often difficult but hit home to me during one very minor incident when I was sat watching a religious celebration in the funeral room. Pearn's brothers oldest son asked me for a light for his cigarette, I applied my own standards to the request, since I thought it inappropriate, so I politely refused in my best Thai his response of "Falang Kee Nok," was not only unwarranted but as I later found out probably brought on by drink and drugs. The cheeky sod even tried to bum a cigarette from me later clearly unaware of my understanding of the Thai phrase he used earlier.

Generally speaking I was treated with respect by most people and mild indifference by others, as usual the children once past their initial shyness reminded me of one of the many reasons I like Thailand, simply put they understand fun, sanuk in Thai, and I certainly had some sanuk with them.

Overall I would judge the experience as positive, which has indeed provided me with a valuable insight into the way people go about dealing with death in Thailand.

By the way in case you wondered about the title for the post today well these words, "the explorer-technology for tomorrow," were the advertising slogan slapped right across the front of the crematorium in English-sort of appropriate isn't it given the Buddhist belief in life's journeys?

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Buddhist Funeral Rites and Ceremony-The Final Journey

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0000

My third and final morning in Samut Sakhon found me at Wat Samakee Satharam at 7am. Barely time to snatch a coffee and bagel from a convenient 7/11 before I arrived to find several family members were already there sitting or standing in front of the crematorium. I then noticed a white cloth on the floor and realised that it was covered in human bone fragments.

On closer inspection I saw that the bones were roughly laid out in the shape of a human body about the size of a small child. It wasn't long before the undertaker arrived and proceeded to move things around a bit and with the aid of family members add flower petals to what I now correctly assumed were Pearn's remains.

There was a fairly sombre mood among the family and I sensed that this final preparation for disposal was equally as important as what had gone before. It was not long however before this serious ritual was briefly broken when the undertaker asked for a number of Baht coins. None were immediately available and the sight of everyone, myself included, searching for the coins was almost comic and broke the atmosphere that had previously prevailed. Well we did manage to muster enough coins to satisfy the undertaker, who then preceded to place them on the bones in the position of a persons vital organs, eyes, mouth and spine.

This was the cue for four Buddhist monks to arrive. A short ceremony took place and the family each took a small piece of bone from the cloth and placed it in an urn. The undertaker then reverently folded the cloth containing the remaining bones. A procession then led by the monks and a family member carrying the white cloth proceeded inside to the room where Pearn's coffin had earlier rested. The monks then retired.

An easel displaying a picture of Pearn and a gold chalice holding the white cloth were then erected. For me it was back to photographic duties taking more portraits of family members standing next to the newly erected shrine.

A little later this time accompanied by a single monk we entered the place in the temple were the ashes of the dead are stored. Very similar to what might be found as a garden of remembrance in a crematorium in the West, the urn was placed in a wall next to the ashes of Pearn's already deceased wife.

The final religious act at the Wat involved the four monks returning to the room where we had left the bulk of the ashes. A short ceremony followed, the monks chanted, ate some food and then departed.

Our departure from the Wat along with Pearns ashes was almost as dramatic as my arrival, a family member sat in the front of my truck holding his picture and the chalice containing the ashes, while no less than fifteen family members somehow got in the back. We drove the short distance to Pearn's house, where the family left his large framed photograph, before, thankfully this time spreading the passengers between two trucks, we headed to the river and our boat trip.

The trip to the mouth of the Tha Chin Klong River was enjoyable and interesting since the Captain of the boat took over as a sort of master of ceremonies. Instructing the family what to do, leading prayers and finally helping lower the cloth containing the ashes into the water. Flower petals were cast on the surface and we all watched as the receding tide carried them away into the Gulf of Thailand.

A fitting end for a man who in his early life had worked the fishing vessels out of Samut Sakhon and was now finally laid to rest at sea.

Well that is the end of my story about Buddhist funeral rites and ceremony. I hope perhaps it throws a little light on the way things are done by Thai Buddhists. For me personally it has been a interesting experience, one which answered many questions but equally created others.

Tomorrow I would like to share a few of my thoughts on the experience.

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Buddhist Funeral Rites and Ceremony-Cremation

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0000

The start of my second day in Samut Sakhon as a guest at a Buddhist funeral found me at Wat Samakee Satharam for around 9am in the morning. Most of the family were already there preparing food for the monks to eat during the first of two religious acts scheduled before the actual cremation at 4pm.

Today the family members wore all white clothes, while myself and many subsequent arriving guest wore black and white. Traditionally either style of dress will do. The boys who were to be monks for the day were already bedecked in their saffron robes. Since the first ceremony did not start until 11am I spent a little time exploring the Wat and taking lots of personal photographs for family members who wanted to be pictured next to the casket.

At the appointed hour a party consisting of all the monks from the Wat arrived in the room containing the coffin. They were joined on the plinth by the seven boys from the family who were to be monks for the day. The format of the proceedings was similar to the night before and also included traditional dance, although on this occasion this was after the monks had eaten.

At the end of the religious activities all members of the family sat on a circle on the floor in front of the monks. They were connected by a white string held by all the monks, one of the male members of the family then ritually poured (holy) water in a small container in the centre of the group while each family member touched another person sitting nearby so everyone was connected. A short prayer followed.

I have seen white string used many times at Buddhist ceremonies including house blessings and marriage and it clearly signifies a link or bond, perhaps with the Buddha or the monks and the prayers being made.

Preparations were now made for the arrival of funeral guests with chairs being set out in front of the crematorium. Meanwhile the band played on and the women folk went back to preparing yet more food. I resumed photographic duties taking yet more family portraits.

3pm saw the arrival of the Abbott of the Wat in the room where the coffin rested. On this occasion he was accompanied by four monks (required for the cremation). The Abbott sat in an ornate chair and addressed the family. I could understand some small parts of his speech where he talked about Buddhism, Pearn as a man and the journey he was undertaking. During this speech anyone wishing to make merit simply walked out, took a stick from in front of the Abbott and placed a note in a small split in the wood. The stick was then returned to a bowl in front of the him. Since it was after midday no food was offered during this ceremony.

Slowly guests started to trickle in until some 200 folk were in the seating area between the two rooms. At this point the coffin was moved from the side room. Led by a four monks, the young boys, pall bearers and family members who were all connected by a white thread from a reel held by the first monk. The entourage circled the crematorium three time before the coffin was finally laid to rest outside the rather stark steel furnace doors. The flowers and other gifts were also moved and laid out neatly around the coffins new resting place.

There then followed another performance of the traditional Thai dancers after which merit making took place, as different guests and some local dignitaries presented the monks with gifts consisting in the main of new saffron robes.

As each guest had arrived at the Wat they had been offered a white flower and had a red thread tied around a finger, now everyone stood while a few words were said then each guest passed by the coffin and deposited their white flower in a gold bowl. As they left the crematorium they were greeted by family members and given a small gift. Most guests then left the area of the temple for the more private act of cremation.

I was not well prepared for what happened next although Duen had tried to explain to me. The coffin was opened and family members washed the face of Pearn in coconut milk, they also scattered the white flowers inside the casket along with a kite (Pearn was an excellent Thai kite maker) and other small personal memento's. Baht coins were then placed on different parts of the corpse including the eyes and mouth. Everyone including all the young children viewed the body and paid their final respects. Finally just before the monks departed the coffin was placed in the furnace for cremation.

It was only after this final act that I saw any emotions openly displayed when two of Pearn's daughters were crying for a moment. To all intents and purposes they were just like one big happy family bidding an elderly relative farewell on a journey. Sad to see him go but happy that he was going to a better place in their eyes.

Which is perhaps a fitting place to finish today. Tomorrow I will recount Pearn's final earthly journey as his mortal remains were consigned to the sea, but not before I had witnessed yet more Buddhist funeral rites and ceremony some of which I found somewhat macabre.

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Buddhist Funeral Rites and Ceremony-The Day Before Cremation

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:51:00 +0000

I had planned my arrival at Wat Samakee Satharam in Samut Sakhon to be low key, my partner Duen was to pick me up from the minibus I had travelled in from Prachuap and take me to the temple to share in the preparations for Pearn's Buddhist funeral rites and ceremony. Things went fine until our actual arrival, when for some unknown reason, her normally good driving let her down and she managed to wedge the two nearside wheels of the truck in a drainage culvert surrounding the entrance to the temple.

Low key suddenly turned to high profile as family and friends tried to help lift a 3 ton truck out of its resting place. It was hilarious watching everyone having their input and I must admit that at times I thought the truck might well remain there for eternity. After a while, perhaps after finally listening to my advice, a tow was arranged and to much cheering the truck was back on the road, shaken but still intact.

My rather dramatic arrival over it was time to meet the family. Most of Pearn's immediate family I knew already but I was unprepared for the amount of cousins, aunts and uncles that I was introduced too, lots of wai's, even a few handshakes and I was finally sat down in front of a mountain of food while everyone babbled on in Thai. There were more than a few discreet glances to see what the foreigner would do with his meal. I ate most of it, I was hungry and everyone seemed satisfied.

With barely a moment to pause I was then taken on a tour of the Wat. Wat Samakee Satharam is certainly not the most beautiful of Thai temples, in fact if I am honest, it looked a little run down. However it transpired that it was only about 500 m from the house Pearn lived in, so it was the families choice.

The area reserved for funerals consisted of a large covered courtyard with two large rooms to the left and right with the crematorium at the front and centre. Behind this courtyard was a large kitchen area where the family prepared all the food that the monks and guests ate. One of the two large rooms included the coffin on an alter surrounded by flowers and gifts. A large picture of Pearn was on display next to the ornate casket in which he was laid. The other large room was being used by a group of Thai musicians who played suitable, but very loud music, which boomed out across the surrounding area. The central area of the courtyard was used to seat and feed guests.

There were numerous dogs around the temple and an old man, abandoned by his family, who slept every night in front of the crematorium.

The day passed by with most of the women busy in the kitchen preparing food for the evening, the men meanwhile busied themselves arranging chairs and tables, occasionally catching a nap on the raised plinth reserved for the monks in the room containing the coffin. I now found myself the centre of attention for the numerous children present, after a period of shyness, everyone suddenly wanted to practice their English. It was fun, we played a few games too! Seven of the boys went and got their heads shaved in the afternoon. They were to dress as Buddhist monks later and join the other monks from the temple during the religious ceremonies. Apparently this is common at Thai Buddhist funerals. The boys were great fun, but took their role very seriously as did their proud parents.

Finally the time came for the evening religious activities which lasted about an hour. Starting at 8pm four monks arrived in the coffin room. The local headman lit candles and the monks chanted for about 20 minutes. A break followed during which traditional Thai dancing took place, two members of the musicians, beautifully attired in their costumes entertained us with some truly breath taking dance routines. More chanting followed before the monks left us. This was the cue to serve the food to all the guests.

I had heard that guests at Thai funeral rites often play cards and other games. It was the same at Samut Sakhon, not obvious, quite discreet actually but behind a closed storeroom door I found a group of twenty folk happily gambling away, not 50 feet from where the religious rites were being performed.

Meal over guests and anyone in the area were invited to an outdoor movie, huge speakers and a screen having been set up on the car park at the front of the Wat. So the evening ended with lots of excited Thais watching the latest offering in Thai movies-me I headed back to my hotel for a shower and a beer!

It was to be an early start on the day of the cremation and as I was to find out later, a day packed with religious rights and ceremony that ended with Pearn's cremation.

More tomorrow.

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Buddhist Funeral Rites and Ceremony-Introduction

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:58:00 +0000

I have just spent the last three days as a guest at a Thai Buddhist family who allowed me an insight into the funeral rites and ceremony associated with death in Samut Sakhon, Thailand. My partners step-father, Pearn, who incidentally was a Mhong (originally from Myanmar), passed away a week ago and the family wanted me to attend for the final three days of the funeral.

Although I approached the trip with a little trepidation I must say that I have returned with a lot more understanding of the way things are done here. I believe I have been privy to a rare insight for a Westerner, particularly to be so closely involved.

I say closely involved in the sense that although I did not participate in the actual religious parts of the ceremonies, other than as an observer, I was expected to be the official photographer to record Pearn's passage from this life to his next one. Many of these photographs I shall not publish since I figure they are personal memories for his family and also that some people who read my pages might find them shocking if judged by Western standards. However I hope you enjoy sharing the ones you will find here and also on my Thailand Photo Blog.

So what about my time in Samut Sakhon? There were times when I was confused, others as if I was intruding and even times when my Christian beliefs made me question what I was witnessing and asked to record. I was quite shocked at the costs involved and the lengths the family went too to make sure they did not loose face. Money was often discussed and donations including my own, openly displayed and counted by family members. Paid officials came to pay their respects, even someone who was a minor Thai government official.

Family squabbles and some touching and quite funny moments also were part of the experience. Unlike many family funerals I have attended in the UK, things tended to be positive, upbeat and fun. The only tears I witnessed were from two of the daughters when the body was finally cremated.

My account of what I experienced will be through the eyes of a Westerner, what I saw, what happened and occasionally how I felt. It is not going to be an explanation of Buddhism and I may well get some things technically wrong, I am no expert after all. But over the next three days or so I want to share with you my experiences, from my dramatic, if somewhat unplanned arrival at Wat Samakee Satharam in Samut Sakhon to Pearns equally dramatic departure from a boat on the Tha Chin Klong River where it enters the Gulf of Thailand.

I hope you will come along for the ride, because as I found out through personal experience, Thai Buddhist funeral rites and ceremonies are something special.

Tomorrow we will take a trip through my first day, the sixth day in the Buddhist calender that led up to Pearns cremation and his subsequent departure from the decks of a fishing boat this morning.

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Thai Buddhist Funeral

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:00:00 +0000

I shall be away from blogging for a couple of days as I have to attend a Thai Buddhist funeral in Samut Sakhon. Sadly my Thai partners step-father passed away last Monday morning. She has been at the family home all week and keeping a vigil at the local temple where the body is awaiting cremation.

My own experiences of funerals in the UK is limited although I unfortunately lost a sister and my father back in the 1980's. I well remember those experiences and although I barely knew the deceased I am not exactly looking forward to the trip North.

However that said I fancy my experience of Thai Buddhist funeral rites will be a very different to what I went through as a Christian and hopefully I can provide a little insight on this blog when I get back on Tuesday or Wednesday.

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One Tambon One Product-OTOP

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Created during the administration of Thansin Shinawatra the One Tambon One Product(OTOP) initiative was designed to involve the rural (poor) people of Thailand sharing in the countries tourist wealth.

To understand this concept let me first briefly explain how local government in Thailand works. It starts at Provincial level (Changwat), District(Amphoe), Tambon(sub-district) and Muban(village). My postal address after the street (soi) and house number is Moo 2 (Muban), Khlong Wan (Tambon), Mueng Prachuap Khiri Khan (Amphoe), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Changwat), Thailand.

Now I actually live in the village of Nong Hin which is part of Muban 2. As an aside it always fascinates me how the postman finds my home since we do not have a soi name yet. So mail addressed to me after my name simply has the house number, followed by the other stuff!

Anyway, I am no expert on Thai administrative units but I know a man who his and there is loads of information at Changwat Amphoe Tambon.

Lets get back to OTOP. The aim of the project as I said above was to help the rural poor by getting them organised at Tambon level. Historically it would seem the idea might well have been adapted from a similar project run in Japan-one village one product. The basic concept is that each area chooses a locally produced product to promote, some examples include jewellery, cotton and silk garments along with pottery and food.

Local and International promotion is handled through a company called Info Systech Co.Ltd and also through trade fairs within Thailand. Besides promoting the products the web site for OTOP was also designed to include information on every Tambon in Thailand.

"To construct a comprehensive database system which accommodates necessary information from every Tambon in Thailand. The web site will be a resource centre for public use. The design covers Tambon general data, transportation system, official people in charge of administration, data on community and professional group including their products, problems, etc., highlights on One Tambon One Product (OTOP) Project. Additional information on tourism, hotels and restaurants are prepared for Tambon level and above."

Since my local Tambon is Khlong Wan I thought I would look on the OTOP site to see what our product is. Well I was a bit disappointed since I could find no reference on the site although I believe locally a rather nice sponge cake that is boxed in a package showing a Dolphin is in fact part of the OTOP promotion. There are several references to my local area of Prachuap Khiri Khan but the nearest listed for me is Ao Noi Tambon or Koh Lak Tambon.

I particularly like the concept of One Tambon One Product and would urge you to check it out next time you are in Thailand since the organisation has shops throughout the country.

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Dan Singkhon Border Market Thailand

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:46:00 +0000

Dan Singkhon border market is located on the Thai/Myanmar border in the narrowest part of Thailand some 13km West of my home at Nong Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. The border market principally sells three things, plants, wooden furniture and birds.

Two of these three products originate in Myanmar(Burma) and for the most part are obtained and sold illegally with the full knowledge of the Thai and Burmese authorities. The furniture, which many people think originates in Burma, is actually produced in the North of Thailand although it may well be made from hard wood that is illegally logged.

Today though I thought I might post about the plants and birds on sale at Singkhon that do originate from the Myanmar side of the border.

First a little background, the mountainous pass that forms the land border between the two countries is quite famous or maybe infamous in Thai history since it is one of the routes used by the Burmese to conquer Siam many years ago. Today it is a far more friendly place and cross border trade takes place although you cannot as a foreigner cross the border here into Myanmar.

Today's cross border traffic consists in the main of sellers of plants and birds. Most of the plants on offer are rain forest plants that have been illegally gathered and include many rare species of orchids and cycads. While small species of bird noted for their singing qualities along with the Hill Myna h (the one that talks) also can be found, although they are not always on display.

The market is always open but Friday, Saturday and Sunday see many Thai and foreign visitors attending mostly on the look out for rare orchids. Now I should point out that I have bought several plants from the market including orchids, however with my limited knowledge on these plants it is impossible to say whether they are rare or not. Prices for foreigners are certainly not cheap by local standards and it is difficult to judge the quality of what you are buying. Usually cheap orchids, not showing flowers can be had for 20-50 Baht while more prized specimens range from 100-1000 Baht a plant.

Of course many of the plants that are stripped from their natural habitat, which often includes cloud forest or dense jungle, are not suited to the baking heat of of a garden on the Thai plains. This results in many dead plants and disappointed customers.

If you are ever in the area I would certainly recommend a visit, if only to view what is on offer. The market is only about 7km further on from the Thai Immigration post of the same name which is signposted both North and South bound off highway 4.

For me with my leaning towards conservation of things like plants and animals I must admit that I do have some pangs of guilt shopping at Dan Singkhon border market.

I wonder were do you stand on this issue?

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Football Hooligans inThailand

thetefldon@gmail.com (The TEFL Don) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:06:00 +0000

Football hooligans in Thailand? No you have to be joking surely not here in the Land of Smiles! Perhaps they are foreigners from the UK enjoying the International break from league action?

Well if an article in today's Bangkok Post is anything to go by then yes sadly the Thai Premier League(whats that you've not heard of it), is starting to get blighted with the same mindless disease that prevailed in the UK during the 1980's and 1990's.

It would seem that a reorganisation in the Thai Premier League has led to much increased attendances and subsequent violence. Anyway you can read the Bangkok Post article, "Hooligans not welcome-league must tell fans," yourself.

The article got me thinking a bit as I am a long time soccer fan, supporting Nottingham Forest, who during their glory years attracted a fair few of the hooligan element. Forest along with clubs like Liverpool attracted bad press because of the behaviour of their travelling football hooligan element. Even today fans of clubs like Millwall and West Ham still have a reputation for violence.

Now I have never really understood what led fans, many of whom had respectable day jobs, to become mindless morons as soon as a soccer match was being played or for that matter why soccer associated violence has largely died out in the UK. Certainly events like the Hillsborough disaster had an effect along with the all seater stadia that followed this and other tragedies.
Perhaps it was events off the pitch that fuelled the hate and violence that often erupted at games. Certainly in the UK the two decades I mentioned saw huge changes in UK society. So why I wonder has this sort of behaviour suddenly surfaced 20 years on in Thailand?

Has it something to do with modern Thai youth? Is it a result of the political uncertainty that pervades in Thailand at the moment? Is it something more to do with culture? Perhaps its even learned behaviour from watching the Premiership matches on TV here. To be honest I don't have a clue. But sadly it seems to becoming a fact of life.

Generally speaking, large scale gatherings in Thailand, including political rallies are fairly disciplined affairs, I personally hope things stay that way, because I can't for the life of me take on board the idea of football hooligans in Thailand.

Can you?

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