Thailand takes first steps on long road to inclusive mainstream education.
The strict hierarchy of Thai society means the drive for inclusive education needs strong commitment from both politicians and school leaders. In the past decade, there has been significant political progress in moves to implement a system that ensures children with disabilities have access to mainstream schools. However, with cultural barriers and resistance from some headteachers, the journey towards fully inclusive education has only just begun.
"Even when I offered to work for free, they still could not be convinced," explains Paul Lennon, a British ex-pat whose son was born with Down's syndrome. When he started looking for mainstream schools for his son in Chanthaburi province six years ago, headteachers in the local area refused him a place. Yet the National Educational Act, passed in 1999 – and accompanied by posters declaring: "Any disabled person who wishes to go to school can do so" – supposedly guaranteed all disabled children access to state education.
Some headteachers Lennon spoke to were amenable to the concept of inclusive education, but didn't feel they had the resources or training to implement it effectively. Others, with decades of experience of working in special schools, felt this institutional model was more suitable.
The education act did have some success. Between 2000 and 2004, the number of students with disabilities accessing education increased from 145,000 to 187,000. These students were taught at more than 18,000 inclusive schools, defined by the government as those that teach children with and without disabilities. There was further legislative progress with the Education Provision for People with Disabilities Act, passed in 2008, which made it illegal for schools to refuse entry to children with disabilities.
After much perseverance in securing a school place for his son, Lennon turned his attention to helping other children gain access to inclusive education by helping to set up the Good Child Foundation.
Nanthaporn (Nuey) Nanthamongkol, a six-year-old girl with Down's syndrome, was due to be sent to a distant boarding school before he intervened. "Without our work, Nuey would have been separated from her parents, sent to a school 80km away," says Lennon. "For kids with Down's syndrome, this is the worst possible thing you could do."
Nuey's story also highlights the cultural complexities of disability in Thailand. Sermsap Vorapanya, who is the author of A Model for Inclusive Schools in Thailand and has conducted a study on Thai inclusive education practices, explains: "It is critical to understand that most Buddhists [in Thailand] believe in reincarnation. Disability is widely viewed as a deserved failure to lead positive previous lives."
Theravada Buddhist teaching on rebirth led some families to report feeling shame about having a disabled child.
However, many headteachers in Vorapanya's study cited the Buddhist belief in the need for compassion as a reason they support inclusive education. Meanprasat private school in Bangkok, which combines western-style "child-centric" learning with a Buddhist ethos of moral ethics and regular meditation, is recognised as a national leader in integrated educational practices. In total, 130 of its 1,300 students are disabled. The school's philosophy is that children with disabilities "should have the chance to mix with society and be accepted by it". More than 5,000 teachers visit the school annually and attend workshops held to help spread good practice.
State schools, however, which have much less funding, have been described by Vorapanya as having "woefully insufficient resources" to implement inclusive education properly. Headteachers have complained that while schools can now access a minimum of 2,000 baht (approximately £41) funding for each disabled child, this is not enough to cover the required resources or training expenses. Another problem is that this funding can only be given if the child has been officially certified with a disability. Teachers have reported that some parents do not want this social stigma or are fearful that this certification will lead to discrimination.
Despite the significant challenges, Lennon is optimistic. "We are making great strides," he says. "If we keep doing good, the results will surely follow."
Chanthaburi province is moving away from the special schools model, placing students with moderate special needs in mainstream schools. Lennon helps place volunteers in local schools with children with Down's syndrome, and is working with local government to demonstrate how this practice can be replicated across the province.
Inclusive education remains in its early development stages in Thailand. But, as Vorapanya says, the country has "made a great beginning" to a monumental task.
Read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2012/mar/27/thailand-first-steps-inclusive-education
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Showing posts with label Thai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thai. Show all posts
Monday, August 6, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Thai Schools Urged to Boost Speaking
Thai Schools Urged to Boost Speaking.
The Thai government has embarked on an ambitious nationwide programme to teach English at least once a week in all state schools as part of the new 2012 English Speaking Year project.
The initiative is intended to ease Thailand's entry into the Asean community in 2015, when southeast Asia becomes one economic zone and a universal language is required for communication and business.
The project will focus on speaking English rather than studying its grammar, with teachers provided training through media modules and partnerships with foreign institutions, including English-language schools, according to Thailand's education ministry.
The initiative, which started in late December and is still being ironed out, is a formidable task, aiming to reach some 14 million students in 34,000 state schools across Thailand from pre-primary to university age, said Ministry of Education permanent secretary Sasithara Pichaichanarong.
"Our goal is to reach students all across Thailand – from the remote, far-reaching villages to the capital – by teaching them English through educational tools on TV, the radio and internet, and conversations with native speakers," said Sasithara. "Obviously the students are not going to be fluent immediately, but the idea is to get them speaking English better today than they did yesterday."
While the ministry aims to incentivise teachers to create an "English corner" in classrooms containing English-language newspapers, books and CDs, the programme is in no way mandatory and will rely instead on a system of rewards. Those who embrace the project may receive a scholarship to travel abroad or be given extra credit at the end of term, Sasithara said.
The programme saw a recent publicity boost when former UK prime minister Tony Blair, who visited the education ministry as part of a three-day trip to Bangkok, taught some 100 Thai students basic English and called the Speaking English Year project a "brave … and sensible decision for Thailand". Now the ministry is discussing a partnership with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation for assistance with the project in upcoming months, Sasithara said.
To date, government-run language programmes have focussed on rote learning that makes for poor improvisation when it comes to having conversations in the real world, critics argue. Recent university admission exams show that Thai students scored an average 28.43 out of 100 in English, according to the National Institute of Educational Testing Service.
Native speakers will have a role to play in the project, said Sasithara, who expects to start recruiting teachers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and US, as well as from countries where a high level of English is spoken, such as Singapore, the Philippines and India.
School director Panya Sukawanich said his Bangkok school would go ahead with Speaking English Year modules but that they may not reap the benefits the government was expecting.
"Many of our students have poor English – some Mathayom 1 [first-year secondary school] students still can't write A-Z," he recently told the Bangkok Post. "We have to teach them the fundamentals again and again."
Final-year student Rossukhon Seangma, who has been learning English for the past 10 years, explained, in Thai, why that was the case. "Thai students don't speak English in their daily life, so we are not familiar with using it," she told reporters. "When the class finishes, we switch to Thai."
If English fails, perhaps Mandarin will succeed – as the Ministry of Education has also been in discussions with China about creating a similar "Speaking Chinese Year Project", Sasithara said.
"Chinese officials were very interested in the English programme and offered to create a Chinese version – where they would send over 1,000 Chinese teachers to Thailand and provide scholarships to 1,000 Thai students to study in China," said Sasithara. "I told them, 'Yes, why not?' If we can learn both, it would be a great success."
Read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/feb/14/thailand-speak-english-campaign
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
The Thai government has embarked on an ambitious nationwide programme to teach English at least once a week in all state schools as part of the new 2012 English Speaking Year project.
The initiative is intended to ease Thailand's entry into the Asean community in 2015, when southeast Asia becomes one economic zone and a universal language is required for communication and business.
The project will focus on speaking English rather than studying its grammar, with teachers provided training through media modules and partnerships with foreign institutions, including English-language schools, according to Thailand's education ministry.
The initiative, which started in late December and is still being ironed out, is a formidable task, aiming to reach some 14 million students in 34,000 state schools across Thailand from pre-primary to university age, said Ministry of Education permanent secretary Sasithara Pichaichanarong.
"Our goal is to reach students all across Thailand – from the remote, far-reaching villages to the capital – by teaching them English through educational tools on TV, the radio and internet, and conversations with native speakers," said Sasithara. "Obviously the students are not going to be fluent immediately, but the idea is to get them speaking English better today than they did yesterday."
While the ministry aims to incentivise teachers to create an "English corner" in classrooms containing English-language newspapers, books and CDs, the programme is in no way mandatory and will rely instead on a system of rewards. Those who embrace the project may receive a scholarship to travel abroad or be given extra credit at the end of term, Sasithara said.
The programme saw a recent publicity boost when former UK prime minister Tony Blair, who visited the education ministry as part of a three-day trip to Bangkok, taught some 100 Thai students basic English and called the Speaking English Year project a "brave … and sensible decision for Thailand". Now the ministry is discussing a partnership with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation for assistance with the project in upcoming months, Sasithara said.
To date, government-run language programmes have focussed on rote learning that makes for poor improvisation when it comes to having conversations in the real world, critics argue. Recent university admission exams show that Thai students scored an average 28.43 out of 100 in English, according to the National Institute of Educational Testing Service.
Native speakers will have a role to play in the project, said Sasithara, who expects to start recruiting teachers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and US, as well as from countries where a high level of English is spoken, such as Singapore, the Philippines and India.
School director Panya Sukawanich said his Bangkok school would go ahead with Speaking English Year modules but that they may not reap the benefits the government was expecting.
"Many of our students have poor English – some Mathayom 1 [first-year secondary school] students still can't write A-Z," he recently told the Bangkok Post. "We have to teach them the fundamentals again and again."
Final-year student Rossukhon Seangma, who has been learning English for the past 10 years, explained, in Thai, why that was the case. "Thai students don't speak English in their daily life, so we are not familiar with using it," she told reporters. "When the class finishes, we switch to Thai."
If English fails, perhaps Mandarin will succeed – as the Ministry of Education has also been in discussions with China about creating a similar "Speaking Chinese Year Project", Sasithara said.
"Chinese officials were very interested in the English programme and offered to create a Chinese version – where they would send over 1,000 Chinese teachers to Thailand and provide scholarships to 1,000 Thai students to study in China," said Sasithara. "I told them, 'Yes, why not?' If we can learn both, it would be a great success."
Read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/feb/14/thailand-speak-english-campaign
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Thai Language Alphabet Vowels Numbers
Thai Language Alphabet Vowels Numbers.
The language of Thailand is one of most ancient of languages in the East and the South Eastern part of Asia. It is monosyllabic and uses the five basic tones of high, mid, low, rising, and falling tone to change the meaning of a single syllable. It is this particular aspect that makes it a difficult language for most Westerners to master but learning it is helpful never the less.
The Thai language is both the national and the official language of Thailand and it is also the mother tongue of the local people.
The Thai language is one of the members of the Tai Group that belongs to the Tai- Kadai family. The Tai- Kadai group of languages has originated from Southern China though linguists have linked it to the Austronesian, the Austroasiatic, or Sino-Tibetan family of languages.
The Central Thai or the Siamese or the Standard Thai is the main language spoken by approximately 25 million people. This is the main language. But there are derivatives like the Khorat Thai that is spoken by about 400,000 people in Nakhon Ratchasima. Along with the Standard Thai there are many important dialects that are spoken and some of them are-
Isan is known as the North Eastern Thai and it is the language of the Isan region. It bears a close resemblance to the Lao language though it is written in the Thai alphabet.
Galung language spoken in the Nakhon Phanom province
Nyaw language is spoken in Sakhon Nakhon province, Nakhon Phanom province and Udon Thani province of Northeast Thailand.
These are the main dialects but besides these there are the Lü (Tai Lue, Dai), Phuan, Shan, Southern Thai (Pak Dtai) and Thai Dam to name a few others. The dialects are spoken by people in the different regions of Thailand.
Besides the variations in dialects Standard Thai is composed also of different very interesting social contexts. These are spoken outside Thailand as well.
Street Thai
Rhetorical Thai
Elegant Thai
Religious Thai
Royal Thai
Most find the Thailand language difficult especially those who do not speak a related language.
Read more at http://google-learnthailanguage.blogspot.com/
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
The language of Thailand is one of most ancient of languages in the East and the South Eastern part of Asia. It is monosyllabic and uses the five basic tones of high, mid, low, rising, and falling tone to change the meaning of a single syllable. It is this particular aspect that makes it a difficult language for most Westerners to master but learning it is helpful never the less.The Thai language is both the national and the official language of Thailand and it is also the mother tongue of the local people.
The Thai language is one of the members of the Tai Group that belongs to the Tai- Kadai family. The Tai- Kadai group of languages has originated from Southern China though linguists have linked it to the Austronesian, the Austroasiatic, or Sino-Tibetan family of languages.
The Central Thai or the Siamese or the Standard Thai is the main language spoken by approximately 25 million people. This is the main language. But there are derivatives like the Khorat Thai that is spoken by about 400,000 people in Nakhon Ratchasima. Along with the Standard Thai there are many important dialects that are spoken and some of them are-
Isan is known as the North Eastern Thai and it is the language of the Isan region. It bears a close resemblance to the Lao language though it is written in the Thai alphabet.
Galung language spoken in the Nakhon Phanom province
Nyaw language is spoken in Sakhon Nakhon province, Nakhon Phanom province and Udon Thani province of Northeast Thailand.
These are the main dialects but besides these there are the Lü (Tai Lue, Dai), Phuan, Shan, Southern Thai (Pak Dtai) and Thai Dam to name a few others. The dialects are spoken by people in the different regions of Thailand.
Besides the variations in dialects Standard Thai is composed also of different very interesting social contexts. These are spoken outside Thailand as well.
Street Thai
Rhetorical Thai
Elegant Thai
Religious Thai
Royal Thai
Thai Alphabet
 |
| Thai Language Alphabet |
Thai Vowels
 |
| Thai Language Vowels |
Thai Numbers
 |
| Thai Language Numbers |
Read more at http://google-learnthailanguage.blogspot.com/
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thai Schools Urged to Boost Speaking
Thai Schools Urged to Boost Speaking.
The Thai government has embarked on an ambitious nationwide programme to teach English at least once a week in all state schools as part of the new 2012 English Speaking Year project.
The initiative is intended to ease Thailand's entry into the Asean community in 2015, when southeast Asia becomes one economic zone and a universal language is required for communication and business.
The project will focus on speaking English rather than studying its grammar, with teachers provided training through media modules and partnerships with foreign institutions, including English-language schools, according to Thailand's education ministry.
The initiative, which started in late December and is still being ironed out, is a formidable task, aiming to reach some 14 million students in 34,000 state schools across Thailand from pre-primary to university age, said Ministry of Education permanent secretary Sasithara Pichaichanarong.
"Our goal is to reach students all across Thailand – from the remote, far-reaching villages to the capital – by teaching them English through educational tools on TV, the radio and internet, and conversations with native speakers," said Sasithara. "Obviously the students are not going to be fluent immediately, but the idea is to get them speaking English better today than they did yesterday."
While the ministry aims to incentivise teachers to create an "English corner" in classrooms containing English-language newspapers, books and CDs, the programme is in no way mandatory and will rely instead on a system of rewards. Those who embrace the project may receive a scholarship to travel abroad or be given extra credit at the end of term, Sasithara said.
The programme saw a recent publicity boost when former UK prime minister Tony Blair, who visited the education ministry as part of a three-day trip to Bangkok, taught some 100 Thai students basic English and called the Speaking English Year project a "brave … and sensible decision for Thailand". Now the ministry is discussing a partnership with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation for assistance with the project in upcoming months, Sasithara said.
To date, government-run language programmes have focussed on rote learning that makes for poor improvisation when it comes to having conversations in the real world, critics argue. Recent university admission exams show that Thai students scored an average 28.43 out of 100 in English, according to the National Institute of Educational Testing Service.
Native speakers will have a role to play in the project, said Sasithara, who expects to start recruiting teachers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and US, as well as from countries where a high level of English is spoken, such as Singapore, the Philippines and India.
School director Panya Sukawanich said his Bangkok school would go ahead with Speaking English Year modules but that they may not reap the benefits the government was expecting.
"Many of our students have poor English – some Mathayom 1 [first-year secondary school] students still can't write A-Z," he recently told the Bangkok Post. "We have to teach them the fundamentals again and again."
Final-year student Rossukhon Seangma, who has been learning English for the past 10 years, explained, in Thai, why that was the case. "Thai students don't speak English in their daily life, so we are not familiar with using it," she told reporters. "When the class finishes, we switch to Thai."
If English fails, perhaps Mandarin will succeed – as the Ministry of Education has also been in discussions with China about creating a similar "Speaking Chinese Year Project", Sasithara said.
"Chinese officials were very interested in the English programme and offered to create a Chinese version – where they would send over 1,000 Chinese teachers to Thailand and provide scholarships to 1,000 Thai students to study in China," said Sasithara. "I told them, 'Yes, why not?' If we can learn both, it would be a great success."
Read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/feb/14/thailand-speak-english-campaign
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
The Thai government has embarked on an ambitious nationwide programme to teach English at least once a week in all state schools as part of the new 2012 English Speaking Year project.
The initiative is intended to ease Thailand's entry into the Asean community in 2015, when southeast Asia becomes one economic zone and a universal language is required for communication and business.
The project will focus on speaking English rather than studying its grammar, with teachers provided training through media modules and partnerships with foreign institutions, including English-language schools, according to Thailand's education ministry.
The initiative, which started in late December and is still being ironed out, is a formidable task, aiming to reach some 14 million students in 34,000 state schools across Thailand from pre-primary to university age, said Ministry of Education permanent secretary Sasithara Pichaichanarong.
"Our goal is to reach students all across Thailand – from the remote, far-reaching villages to the capital – by teaching them English through educational tools on TV, the radio and internet, and conversations with native speakers," said Sasithara. "Obviously the students are not going to be fluent immediately, but the idea is to get them speaking English better today than they did yesterday."
While the ministry aims to incentivise teachers to create an "English corner" in classrooms containing English-language newspapers, books and CDs, the programme is in no way mandatory and will rely instead on a system of rewards. Those who embrace the project may receive a scholarship to travel abroad or be given extra credit at the end of term, Sasithara said.
The programme saw a recent publicity boost when former UK prime minister Tony Blair, who visited the education ministry as part of a three-day trip to Bangkok, taught some 100 Thai students basic English and called the Speaking English Year project a "brave … and sensible decision for Thailand". Now the ministry is discussing a partnership with the Tony Blair Faith Foundation for assistance with the project in upcoming months, Sasithara said.
To date, government-run language programmes have focussed on rote learning that makes for poor improvisation when it comes to having conversations in the real world, critics argue. Recent university admission exams show that Thai students scored an average 28.43 out of 100 in English, according to the National Institute of Educational Testing Service.
Native speakers will have a role to play in the project, said Sasithara, who expects to start recruiting teachers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK and US, as well as from countries where a high level of English is spoken, such as Singapore, the Philippines and India.
School director Panya Sukawanich said his Bangkok school would go ahead with Speaking English Year modules but that they may not reap the benefits the government was expecting.
"Many of our students have poor English – some Mathayom 1 [first-year secondary school] students still can't write A-Z," he recently told the Bangkok Post. "We have to teach them the fundamentals again and again."
Final-year student Rossukhon Seangma, who has been learning English for the past 10 years, explained, in Thai, why that was the case. "Thai students don't speak English in their daily life, so we are not familiar with using it," she told reporters. "When the class finishes, we switch to Thai."
If English fails, perhaps Mandarin will succeed – as the Ministry of Education has also been in discussions with China about creating a similar "Speaking Chinese Year Project", Sasithara said.
"Chinese officials were very interested in the English programme and offered to create a Chinese version – where they would send over 1,000 Chinese teachers to Thailand and provide scholarships to 1,000 Thai students to study in China," said Sasithara. "I told them, 'Yes, why not?' If we can learn both, it would be a great success."
Read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/feb/14/thailand-speak-english-campaign
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Monday, May 28, 2012
36 Hours in Phuket Thailand
36 Hours in Phuket Thailand.
THE teardrop-shaped island of Phuket has long been known for its dazzling beaches and naughty night life. But for many, it was the catastrophic Asian tsunami in 2004 that finally placed Phuket on the map. Recovery has been swift, and in recent years the island has firmly reasserted itself as a premier beach resort in southern Thailand, with a growing crop of luxury hotels, top-notch restaurants and even a thriving art community.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) PARADISE LOST
The beach town of Kamala was hit hard by the tsunami, but today the town has sprung back to life with renovated cottages that dot the hillside and beach bars along the promenade. Grab a crepe-like roti — this Thai version is filled with egg and fruit and topped with condensed milk — from the Chef Roti stand (near the Coconut Garden bungalows; banana roti, 30 baht, or 95 cents at 32 baht to the dollar), and stroll along Kamala’s wide crescent of sandy beach, dipping your toes in the mesmerizingly clear water.
5:30 p.m.
2) BIG BUDDHA IS WATCHING
Seek nirvana at the top of Mount Nagakerd, where an enormous, white jade marble-covered Buddha is close to completion. Follow the red-and-white signs from the town of Chalong pointing the way to the 147-foot-tall Big Buddha, officially known as Phraphutthamingmongkhol-akenagakhiri Buddha. Workers are still finishing the Buddha’s big lotus seat, but already it’s an impressive sight, with magnificent views of the Andaman Sea.
7 p.m.
3) STALL TACTICS
Skip the tourist-filled beach restaurants and instead follow the locals inland to Phuket town and the night food market on Ong Sim Phai Road near the Robinson Department Store. A food market by day, it’s a lively food court at night. Portable stalls and carts pull up to the curb, and a sea of plastic tables and chairs spills onto the street. Tasty Thai and Chinese dishes include spicy papaya salad, barbecued pork buns, coconut curry, grilled fish balls and, for dessert, sticky rice with mango. Having trouble deciding what to eat? Look for the stall with the longest line and join it. The whole meal, plus a couple of beers, shouldn’t cost more than 200 baht.
9 p.m.
4) KICK FACE, WIN PRIZE
Thailand’s national sport is brutal. In the ancient martial art of muay Thai, fighters pummel each other with fists, feet, elbows and knees. An authentic place to catch a fight is Suwit Stadium (15 Moo 1, Chaofa Road), where ceremonial prefight dances and traditional music are reminders that this is more than just violent entertainment. Friday night fights start with a few pipsqueak bouts, so if you’re opposed to watching oiled-up 10-year-olds duking it out in the ring, plan to arrive an hour late, around 9:30. Itching to get into the ring yourself? The stadium doubles as a gym and runs a training camp for aspiring fighters. Fight tickets start at 900 baht and include free transportation to and from the stadium.
Saturday
9 a.m.
5) ELEPHANT EXPRESS
Start the day precariously perched on a pachyderm. Bang Pae Safari (12/3 Moo 5, T. Srisoonthorn Road) offers elephant trekking excursions through shallow streams and groves of rubber trees. Midway through the trip, you can scramble down from your seat and take a turn in the mahout’s spot, riding on the elephant’s head. A 30-minute trek costs 900 baht per person, or 1,300 baht for an hour.
10:30 a.m.
6) WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
Next door is the Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary (entry, 200 baht), where singsong gibbon calls lead you to the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, a nonprofit organization that works to return captured gibbons to their natural habitat. If you can pull yourself away from the adorable, acrobatic apes, hoof it a few minutes into the rain forest to Bang Pae Waterfall and take a refreshing dip in the pool below.
1 p.m.
7) MOM’S COOKING
Mom Luang Tridhosyuth Devakul, better known as Mom Tri, is a local architect and entrepreneur who runs a growing empire of respected hotels and restaurants on Phuket. His latest restaurant, Mom Tri’s Boathouse Regatta, is a breezy spot on the boardwalk of the Royal Phuket Marina. The service is as polished as the colossal yachts docked out front, but the real star is the food. Recommendations include lobster ravioli with morel mushroom velouté (500 baht) and curried fried rice with seafood, pineapple and cashews (300 baht).
3 p.m.
8) CANVAS COMMUNITY
The laid-back village of Rawai, near the island’s southern tip, has emerged as an enclave for talented local artists. Leading the way is the Red Gallery, where the artist Somrak Maneemai shows trippy paintings imbued with a whimsical dreaminess. The gallery recently relocated to the Art Village, joining a cluster of other small studios and galleries, like Tawan Ook Art Gallery and the Love Art Studio. On an island inundated with mediocre imitation art, the originality of this bohemian art colony is refreshing.
7 p.m.
9) BOX ON THE ROCKS
With sweeping ocean views, floor-to-ceiling windows and an elegant terrace, White Box Restaurant (245/7 Prabaramee Road) has been a foodie favorite since opening two years ago on the rocky beach north of Patong. The menu is a mélange of Thai and Mediterranean flavors, and as the name implies, the design is sleek with white décor. Dinner with drinks for two is about 3,000 baht. After dinner, linger upstairs in the trendy open-air lounge sipping spicy Tom Yum martinis, made with vodka, galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaf and chili (280 baht).
11 p.m.
10) BEER ON WHEELS
Beer-soaked Bangla Road in Patong is Phuket night life at its brashest and seediest — a heaving crush of hostess bars, go-go clubs and “ladyboy” cabaret. But if that’s not your thing, head south toward Rawai to the bright orange Volkswagen minibus parked along the right side of Viset Road, just past the Art Village. Customized with a bar, the minibus is a party on wheels that attracts a mix of locals, expatriates and sunburned Swedes sipping ice-cold Chang beers (35 baht).
Sunday
10 a.m.
11) WAKE UP, RUB DOWN
Inexpensive massage parlors staffed by gaggles of young Thai girls are everywhere in Phuket. For a quick foot rub, these places will do just fine. But for a head-to-toe treat, go to the sprawling Sukko Cultural Spa & Wellness. Book a traditional Thai massage, a method that incorporates acupressure and yoga-like poses to stretch your aching limbs into glorious submission (1,300 baht for 60 minutes).
Noon
12) PARADISE FOUND
For miles of untouched golden sand all to yourself, head to the blissfully deserted Mai Khao Beach, part of Sirinat National Park, along Phuket’s northwestern shore. Between the warm, cerulean water stretching out to the horizon and a backdrop of lush forests filled with palms, a wide swath of powdery sand sits tantalizingly undisturbed. So sling up a hammock and pretend that you’re stranded on a deserted island for a few hours.
Read more at http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/travel/21hours.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
THE teardrop-shaped island of Phuket has long been known for its dazzling beaches and naughty night life. But for many, it was the catastrophic Asian tsunami in 2004 that finally placed Phuket on the map. Recovery has been swift, and in recent years the island has firmly reasserted itself as a premier beach resort in southern Thailand, with a growing crop of luxury hotels, top-notch restaurants and even a thriving art community.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) PARADISE LOST
The beach town of Kamala was hit hard by the tsunami, but today the town has sprung back to life with renovated cottages that dot the hillside and beach bars along the promenade. Grab a crepe-like roti — this Thai version is filled with egg and fruit and topped with condensed milk — from the Chef Roti stand (near the Coconut Garden bungalows; banana roti, 30 baht, or 95 cents at 32 baht to the dollar), and stroll along Kamala’s wide crescent of sandy beach, dipping your toes in the mesmerizingly clear water.
5:30 p.m.
2) BIG BUDDHA IS WATCHING
Seek nirvana at the top of Mount Nagakerd, where an enormous, white jade marble-covered Buddha is close to completion. Follow the red-and-white signs from the town of Chalong pointing the way to the 147-foot-tall Big Buddha, officially known as Phraphutthamingmongkhol-akenagakhiri Buddha. Workers are still finishing the Buddha’s big lotus seat, but already it’s an impressive sight, with magnificent views of the Andaman Sea.
7 p.m.
3) STALL TACTICS
Skip the tourist-filled beach restaurants and instead follow the locals inland to Phuket town and the night food market on Ong Sim Phai Road near the Robinson Department Store. A food market by day, it’s a lively food court at night. Portable stalls and carts pull up to the curb, and a sea of plastic tables and chairs spills onto the street. Tasty Thai and Chinese dishes include spicy papaya salad, barbecued pork buns, coconut curry, grilled fish balls and, for dessert, sticky rice with mango. Having trouble deciding what to eat? Look for the stall with the longest line and join it. The whole meal, plus a couple of beers, shouldn’t cost more than 200 baht.
9 p.m.
4) KICK FACE, WIN PRIZE
Thailand’s national sport is brutal. In the ancient martial art of muay Thai, fighters pummel each other with fists, feet, elbows and knees. An authentic place to catch a fight is Suwit Stadium (15 Moo 1, Chaofa Road), where ceremonial prefight dances and traditional music are reminders that this is more than just violent entertainment. Friday night fights start with a few pipsqueak bouts, so if you’re opposed to watching oiled-up 10-year-olds duking it out in the ring, plan to arrive an hour late, around 9:30. Itching to get into the ring yourself? The stadium doubles as a gym and runs a training camp for aspiring fighters. Fight tickets start at 900 baht and include free transportation to and from the stadium.
Saturday
9 a.m.
5) ELEPHANT EXPRESS
Start the day precariously perched on a pachyderm. Bang Pae Safari (12/3 Moo 5, T. Srisoonthorn Road) offers elephant trekking excursions through shallow streams and groves of rubber trees. Midway through the trip, you can scramble down from your seat and take a turn in the mahout’s spot, riding on the elephant’s head. A 30-minute trek costs 900 baht per person, or 1,300 baht for an hour.
10:30 a.m.
6) WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
Next door is the Khao Phra Thaeo Wildlife Sanctuary (entry, 200 baht), where singsong gibbon calls lead you to the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project, a nonprofit organization that works to return captured gibbons to their natural habitat. If you can pull yourself away from the adorable, acrobatic apes, hoof it a few minutes into the rain forest to Bang Pae Waterfall and take a refreshing dip in the pool below.
1 p.m.
7) MOM’S COOKING
Mom Luang Tridhosyuth Devakul, better known as Mom Tri, is a local architect and entrepreneur who runs a growing empire of respected hotels and restaurants on Phuket. His latest restaurant, Mom Tri’s Boathouse Regatta, is a breezy spot on the boardwalk of the Royal Phuket Marina. The service is as polished as the colossal yachts docked out front, but the real star is the food. Recommendations include lobster ravioli with morel mushroom velouté (500 baht) and curried fried rice with seafood, pineapple and cashews (300 baht).
3 p.m.
8) CANVAS COMMUNITY
The laid-back village of Rawai, near the island’s southern tip, has emerged as an enclave for talented local artists. Leading the way is the Red Gallery, where the artist Somrak Maneemai shows trippy paintings imbued with a whimsical dreaminess. The gallery recently relocated to the Art Village, joining a cluster of other small studios and galleries, like Tawan Ook Art Gallery and the Love Art Studio. On an island inundated with mediocre imitation art, the originality of this bohemian art colony is refreshing.
7 p.m.
9) BOX ON THE ROCKS
With sweeping ocean views, floor-to-ceiling windows and an elegant terrace, White Box Restaurant (245/7 Prabaramee Road) has been a foodie favorite since opening two years ago on the rocky beach north of Patong. The menu is a mélange of Thai and Mediterranean flavors, and as the name implies, the design is sleek with white décor. Dinner with drinks for two is about 3,000 baht. After dinner, linger upstairs in the trendy open-air lounge sipping spicy Tom Yum martinis, made with vodka, galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaf and chili (280 baht).
11 p.m.
10) BEER ON WHEELS
Beer-soaked Bangla Road in Patong is Phuket night life at its brashest and seediest — a heaving crush of hostess bars, go-go clubs and “ladyboy” cabaret. But if that’s not your thing, head south toward Rawai to the bright orange Volkswagen minibus parked along the right side of Viset Road, just past the Art Village. Customized with a bar, the minibus is a party on wheels that attracts a mix of locals, expatriates and sunburned Swedes sipping ice-cold Chang beers (35 baht).
Sunday
10 a.m.
11) WAKE UP, RUB DOWN
Inexpensive massage parlors staffed by gaggles of young Thai girls are everywhere in Phuket. For a quick foot rub, these places will do just fine. But for a head-to-toe treat, go to the sprawling Sukko Cultural Spa & Wellness. Book a traditional Thai massage, a method that incorporates acupressure and yoga-like poses to stretch your aching limbs into glorious submission (1,300 baht for 60 minutes).
Noon
12) PARADISE FOUND
For miles of untouched golden sand all to yourself, head to the blissfully deserted Mai Khao Beach, part of Sirinat National Park, along Phuket’s northwestern shore. Between the warm, cerulean water stretching out to the horizon and a backdrop of lush forests filled with palms, a wide swath of powdery sand sits tantalizingly undisturbed. So sling up a hammock and pretend that you’re stranded on a deserted island for a few hours.
Read more at http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/travel/21hours.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Hua Hin Beach Resort Quiet Enough
Hua Hin a Beach Resort That’s Quiet Enough for a King.
AS the late afternoon sun bathes the horizon in purple and crimson, I wander slowly down the long, curving beach. Though rocks mar part of the five-mile-long stretch, most of the waterfront is covered with white sand. On the southern end of the beachfront, a towering, slim golden Buddha statue peers out over the sea, and I can see small white and yellow shrines cut into the rocks of a nearby mountain fringed with low mist.
When I sit in the surf, I notice young Thai men riding black-and-white spotted horses up and down the beach, offering rides to tourists. Thai families doggy paddle near me, luxuriating in the bath-warm water and searing sunlight. Not one Jet Ski, tour group or powerboat in sight.
There aren't many places left in Thailand where travelers can sit in the surf undisturbed. Over the past decade, it seems that clusters of hotels and condominiums have colonized nearly every strip of beach. So I was surprised, on a trip in March, to find that Hua Hin, the country's oldest beach resort, just a three-hour train ride from Bangkok, had not yet fallen to the wave of building and water sports.
Arriving in Hua Hin, in fact, I quickly notice the mellow atmosphere far different from the blaring beer bars and neon dance shows of other Thai beaches like Pattaya. At Hua Hin's colonial-style train station, all white-and-red columns and mahogany floors, a small group of taxi drivers sleeps in the shade of a jackfruit tree. When I try to rouse them for a ride into town, they nod “no” to my offer and then nod off again.
Friends explain to me there are several reasons for Hua Hin's slow pace of life. Because it sits so close to Bangkok, many foreign tourists skip it for other beach resorts like Phuket; Hua Hin now attracts mostly Thai families. Because Thailand's revered royal family spends much of its time in Hua Hin — in a palace of marble and teak named, aptly, Far From Worries — developers may be reluctant to overbuild, knowing that the king has made sustainable development a centerpiece of his reign.
The laid-back, small-scale life has also made Hua Hin Thailand's pioneer in boutique hotels and spas. (The Hua Hin area set the world record for the largest group massage.) Thirty minutes south of Hua Hin town, I drive to Aleenta, an intimate boutique hotel in the beach village of Pranburi made up of bungalow-style buildings with gleaming white walls and thatched roofs. Aleenta seems to attract Thai artists seeking a private but avant-garde resort — I overhear two Thai men with thin goatees and long ponytails discussing the latest films to hit Bangkok art theaters.
Aleenta's burnt siena walls, curving outdoor staircases and crimson tiles give it the feel of a Mediterranean or Mexican beach resort. A resort at the end of nowhere: in the lap pool adjacent to a swim-up bar, I paddle around without seeing another guest.Aleenta also quickly coddles me with homey touches. My room, the size of a large New York studio and built from natural wood, thatch and smooth tile, looks out onto a lonely longtail fishing boat bobbing in the surf outside. The hotel staff has programmed an iPod in my room, and when I request coffee at bizarre, late-night hours, they laugh and bring Thai java. At the hotel's Frangipani Wing, where cooks teach Thai cuisine in an open kitchen, the chef takes time to demonstrate to me how she makes piquant Thai salads of fresh squid, basil and chopped chilies.
Aleenta has spawned a boutique hotel industry. Along the Pranburi beach road, other developers are building small bungalows and spas with Mediterranean and Moroccan themes, and Hua Hin town now features Let's Sea Hua Hin al Fresco Resort, a cheaper yet still charming 40-room boutique hotel on the water. Near the Aleenta lies the Evason Hideaway, another high-end boutique. Even the bigger hotels have gotten into the act. This spring, the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin will open its own boutique, the Barai, eight suites with their own gardens or plunge pools.
I wander up to Aleenta's spa, which advertises unique detox treatments featuring Thai herbs and tamarind juice and massages with kaffir lime, lemongrass and jasmine flavors. On the roof of the hotel restaurant, it commands a stunning panoramic view of the sea, but I decide to head back into town, where massages will be cheaper.
In central Hua Hin, I stop for a break from the 105-degree heat at the Sofitel Central, a renovated version of the town's classic colonial-era Railway Hotel, famed for its topiary gardens full of bushes shaped like elephants and its wide, curved balconies. Gardeners obsessively trim the bushes with clippers so small they look like nail scissors.
FROM the beginning of the 20th century until the development of other resorts like Phuket, Hua Hin was the place for wealthy Thais to escape Bangkok's heat. The Sofitel's coffee bar, which still serves high tea each afternoon, features aging photographs of that older era, a time when the king and queen were host to royal parties at the hotel, and people gathered around the radio to hear the latest jazz coming from America. (The king is a jazz maven who once played with Benny Goodman.)
From the Sofitel, I can walk right onto the beach. Children play on the boulders jutting out of the water in low tide, and on one end of the beach, families clamber up small hills covered in thick forests with clusters of small monkeys.
I stroll into the quiet town, just a grid of small interlocking alleys. No one grabs my arm or tries to sell me anything, as often happens in Phuket. I stop in the central market, where vendors sell piles of stinky dried shrimp, fresh fish on ice and luscious mangoes topped with coconut custard, to be eaten with glutinous, sweet sticky rice.
I peek into Hua Hin Thai Massage, a small shop near a beach market selling towels and trinkets. The massage parlor truly feels like a family affair. Local women sit in circles massaging one another's feet and gossiping about their clients. When I interrupt them to ask for a foot rubdown, one reluctantly pulls herself away to bathe my feet in warm water and then prod and poke them for an hour, all for only $10.
For many Thai tourists, the greatest attraction of Hua Hin is neither the miles of beach nor the multitude of spa treatments. With fishing boats pulling into Hua Hin pier every day packed with bass, giant prawns, lobster and other delicacies, the town has built a reputation as one of the finest places to try Thai seafood dishes. On recommendations from friends, I stop at Ketsirin restaurant on Naresdamri Road. The back of the dining room sits on a pier moored over the ocean, and crowds of Thais dig into whole steamed fish flavored with chili and lime juice. I order geng som, sour orange soup with vegetables and shellfish. It hits my tongue hard, the fiery spices tempered with a hint of sugar, and I order a platter of giant local shrimp to go with it, the prawns charcoal-grilled over a barbecue and topped with a tangy, delicious garlic-and-lemon sauce.
When dessert arrives, a plate piled with fresh papaya, guava and watermelon, I can barely finish half of it. I sit at Ketsirin for another hour, digesting my feast and watching fishing boats bobbing in the water, their lighted-up masts gleaming in the dark sky like light sabers.
Read more at http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/travel/06Next.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
AS the late afternoon sun bathes the horizon in purple and crimson, I wander slowly down the long, curving beach. Though rocks mar part of the five-mile-long stretch, most of the waterfront is covered with white sand. On the southern end of the beachfront, a towering, slim golden Buddha statue peers out over the sea, and I can see small white and yellow shrines cut into the rocks of a nearby mountain fringed with low mist.
When I sit in the surf, I notice young Thai men riding black-and-white spotted horses up and down the beach, offering rides to tourists. Thai families doggy paddle near me, luxuriating in the bath-warm water and searing sunlight. Not one Jet Ski, tour group or powerboat in sight.
There aren't many places left in Thailand where travelers can sit in the surf undisturbed. Over the past decade, it seems that clusters of hotels and condominiums have colonized nearly every strip of beach. So I was surprised, on a trip in March, to find that Hua Hin, the country's oldest beach resort, just a three-hour train ride from Bangkok, had not yet fallen to the wave of building and water sports.
Arriving in Hua Hin, in fact, I quickly notice the mellow atmosphere far different from the blaring beer bars and neon dance shows of other Thai beaches like Pattaya. At Hua Hin's colonial-style train station, all white-and-red columns and mahogany floors, a small group of taxi drivers sleeps in the shade of a jackfruit tree. When I try to rouse them for a ride into town, they nod “no” to my offer and then nod off again.
Friends explain to me there are several reasons for Hua Hin's slow pace of life. Because it sits so close to Bangkok, many foreign tourists skip it for other beach resorts like Phuket; Hua Hin now attracts mostly Thai families. Because Thailand's revered royal family spends much of its time in Hua Hin — in a palace of marble and teak named, aptly, Far From Worries — developers may be reluctant to overbuild, knowing that the king has made sustainable development a centerpiece of his reign.
The laid-back, small-scale life has also made Hua Hin Thailand's pioneer in boutique hotels and spas. (The Hua Hin area set the world record for the largest group massage.) Thirty minutes south of Hua Hin town, I drive to Aleenta, an intimate boutique hotel in the beach village of Pranburi made up of bungalow-style buildings with gleaming white walls and thatched roofs. Aleenta seems to attract Thai artists seeking a private but avant-garde resort — I overhear two Thai men with thin goatees and long ponytails discussing the latest films to hit Bangkok art theaters.
Aleenta's burnt siena walls, curving outdoor staircases and crimson tiles give it the feel of a Mediterranean or Mexican beach resort. A resort at the end of nowhere: in the lap pool adjacent to a swim-up bar, I paddle around without seeing another guest.Aleenta also quickly coddles me with homey touches. My room, the size of a large New York studio and built from natural wood, thatch and smooth tile, looks out onto a lonely longtail fishing boat bobbing in the surf outside. The hotel staff has programmed an iPod in my room, and when I request coffee at bizarre, late-night hours, they laugh and bring Thai java. At the hotel's Frangipani Wing, where cooks teach Thai cuisine in an open kitchen, the chef takes time to demonstrate to me how she makes piquant Thai salads of fresh squid, basil and chopped chilies.
Aleenta has spawned a boutique hotel industry. Along the Pranburi beach road, other developers are building small bungalows and spas with Mediterranean and Moroccan themes, and Hua Hin town now features Let's Sea Hua Hin al Fresco Resort, a cheaper yet still charming 40-room boutique hotel on the water. Near the Aleenta lies the Evason Hideaway, another high-end boutique. Even the bigger hotels have gotten into the act. This spring, the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin will open its own boutique, the Barai, eight suites with their own gardens or plunge pools.
I wander up to Aleenta's spa, which advertises unique detox treatments featuring Thai herbs and tamarind juice and massages with kaffir lime, lemongrass and jasmine flavors. On the roof of the hotel restaurant, it commands a stunning panoramic view of the sea, but I decide to head back into town, where massages will be cheaper.
In central Hua Hin, I stop for a break from the 105-degree heat at the Sofitel Central, a renovated version of the town's classic colonial-era Railway Hotel, famed for its topiary gardens full of bushes shaped like elephants and its wide, curved balconies. Gardeners obsessively trim the bushes with clippers so small they look like nail scissors.
FROM the beginning of the 20th century until the development of other resorts like Phuket, Hua Hin was the place for wealthy Thais to escape Bangkok's heat. The Sofitel's coffee bar, which still serves high tea each afternoon, features aging photographs of that older era, a time when the king and queen were host to royal parties at the hotel, and people gathered around the radio to hear the latest jazz coming from America. (The king is a jazz maven who once played with Benny Goodman.)
From the Sofitel, I can walk right onto the beach. Children play on the boulders jutting out of the water in low tide, and on one end of the beach, families clamber up small hills covered in thick forests with clusters of small monkeys.
I stroll into the quiet town, just a grid of small interlocking alleys. No one grabs my arm or tries to sell me anything, as often happens in Phuket. I stop in the central market, where vendors sell piles of stinky dried shrimp, fresh fish on ice and luscious mangoes topped with coconut custard, to be eaten with glutinous, sweet sticky rice.
I peek into Hua Hin Thai Massage, a small shop near a beach market selling towels and trinkets. The massage parlor truly feels like a family affair. Local women sit in circles massaging one another's feet and gossiping about their clients. When I interrupt them to ask for a foot rubdown, one reluctantly pulls herself away to bathe my feet in warm water and then prod and poke them for an hour, all for only $10.
For many Thai tourists, the greatest attraction of Hua Hin is neither the miles of beach nor the multitude of spa treatments. With fishing boats pulling into Hua Hin pier every day packed with bass, giant prawns, lobster and other delicacies, the town has built a reputation as one of the finest places to try Thai seafood dishes. On recommendations from friends, I stop at Ketsirin restaurant on Naresdamri Road. The back of the dining room sits on a pier moored over the ocean, and crowds of Thais dig into whole steamed fish flavored with chili and lime juice. I order geng som, sour orange soup with vegetables and shellfish. It hits my tongue hard, the fiery spices tempered with a hint of sugar, and I order a platter of giant local shrimp to go with it, the prawns charcoal-grilled over a barbecue and topped with a tangy, delicious garlic-and-lemon sauce.
When dessert arrives, a plate piled with fresh papaya, guava and watermelon, I can barely finish half of it. I sit at Ketsirin for another hour, digesting my feast and watching fishing boats bobbing in the water, their lighted-up masts gleaming in the dark sky like light sabers.
Read more at http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/travel/06Next.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Saturday, May 26, 2012
36 Hours in Chiang Mai Thailand
36 Hours in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
BLESSED with a cooler climate than Bangkok and buffered by lush mountains, Chiang Mai has long served as a backpacker’s gateway to Thailand’s northern reaches. But an influx of Thai artists and Western expatriates has turned this quiet city into a vibrant destination in its own right. Design studios have sprung up in town, fusing traditional Thai with modern twists. Age-old curries are now paired with Australian red wines and croissants. The area around Nimanhaemin Road now looks like South Beach, packed with BMWs and Art Deco homes, alongside contemporary art galleries run by young Thais with purple hair and nose rings. But traditional Chiang Mai is still there. Walk away from Nimanhaemin into the old city and you’ll see shaved monks meditating and backpackers chowing down on banana pancakes.
Friday
3 p.m.
1) OLD KINGDOM
Packed with crumbling old stupas, jewel-encrusted temples and wooden houses, Chiang Mai’s central old city hasn’t lost its old charm. And since Chiang Mai was once the capital of the Lanna kingdom, its temples and other historic sites have a unique look, with starker lines and darker woods. Start a long walk at Wat Chiang Man, the city’s oldest temple, built in the late 13th century, and then wander southwest, to Wat Chedi Luang, which houses a giant, partly damaged traditional Lanna-style stupa. Get your exercise by continuing on for about a mile, southeast, just past the old city walls, where you can stop for a break at a branch of Wawee Coffee, a local chain serving northern Thai joe. (Inside the Suriwong Book Center; Sri Donchai Road, near the intersection with Thanon Chang Khlan.)
6 p.m.
2) BODY SHOP
The bumpy roads can take their toll on your legs. Rejuvenate them at the Ban Sabai Town (17/7 Charoenprathet Road). The spa offers aromatherapy and other treatments, but the specialty is, of course, Thai massage — a method that emphasizes stretching. The masseuse pulls and prods your limbs in every direction, like a chiropractor. Your muscles might be tempted to scream, but they’ll end up feeling like soft butter. An hourlong Thai massage costs 1,900 baht (or around $60 at 32 baht to the dollar), far less than you would pay at most hotel spas.
8 p.m.
3) CRABS AND KARAOKE
For a taste of the city’s cosmopolitan edge, stroll along the Ping River, where university students and young professionals gather at a strip of rollicking restaurants that serve modern Thai, Japanese and Western food. Among the liveliest is the Good View, a sprawling pub and restaurant where the young patrons sing along to live Thai country and rock music, while downing pitchers of beer and shots of Johnnie Walker. Try the geng som, a soup flavored with a sour Thai orange, and the poo phat pong kari, crab stir-fried with yellow curry. Dinner for two people costs about 1,000 baht.
Saturday
7 a.m.
4) HOLY MOUNTAIN
Get up early — it’s worth it — for the classic Chiang Mai experience: a morning hike on Doi Suthep, the 5,498-foot peak that overlooks the city. Many residents consider Doi Suthep a holy mountain, and hike it as often as they can. Head to the base of Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, a Buddhist temple that, according to legend, dates from the 14th century, and is topped by a glittering gold chedi. On a clear day, the temple’s terraces afford views across northern Thailand. You’ll see Thailand old and new: monks in sandals begging for rice and young couples smooching in the corner (a taboo among older, more conservative Thais).
Noon
5) RENEWABLE DESIGNS
Chiang Mai has become a design laboratory, with foreign and Thai designers blending traditional styles with minimalist lines. Head to Nimanhaemin Road, a major design drag, for boutiques that sell textiles, pottery and other crafts. Thai art students wander the street in packs, occasionally whipping out sketchpads. Stores like Studio Kachama (10-12 Nimanhaemin Soi 1) and Gerard Collection sell funky lamps with shades made from local mulberry paper, furniture constructed from bamboo and women’s suits made from a traditional, thick-spun cotton.
2 p.m.
6) CLASSIC CURRIES
New, stylish bistros have colonized the city, but true fans of northern Thai cuisine — which incorporates Burmese and Chinese spices, and is lighter than southern Thai cooking — congregate at the classic Huen Phen. The restaurant’s cramped tables are packed with taxi drivers who dig into heaps of steaming curries and fiery salads. Have the khao soi, a delicious mix of creamy curry, crispy egg noodles, slices of pickled cabbage and bits of shallot and lime. Lunch for two is about 300 baht.
4 p.m.
7) ARTIST CROP
In recent years, many of Thailand’s best-known artists have moved to Chiang Mai from Bangkok. Several have won global recognition: Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, a performance artist who reads poetry to corpses, was featured at the 2006 Venice Biennale. And Navin Rawanchaikul, who paints cartoonlike murals inside taxis and tuk-tuks, has exhibited his work at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in New York. For emerging talents, visit La Luna Gallery).
9 p.m.
8) SPICE MARKET
For a late dinner, the fashionable crowd migrates to Dalaabaa for cocktails and small Thai plates like spicy squid salad. The midcentury modern bungalow is furnished with eclectic furniture, polished wood and tons of glass, as if Frank Lloyd Wright had gone East. The young crowd includes rail-thin women in slinky black dresses smoking from long cigarette holders, Frenchmen tossing back martinis, and students with ponytails and wispy mustaches engrossed in conversations about Buddhism and art. Dinner with drinks for two is about 1,200 baht.
Sunday
7 a.m.
9) TUSK TIME
Every travel guide recommends an elephant ride, but the typical trip involves a short, bumpy elephant walk led by a bored trainer. Skip that and take a taxi instead to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center between Chiang Mai and the town of Lampang. The center will not only teach you how to command and handle a tusker, but also how to honor the pachyderm, a revered animal in Thailand. Classes, which last most of the day, start at 3,500 baht.
4 p.m.
10) ROCK OUT
With its cooler climate and rugged terrain, Chiang Mai has become the hub for adventure sports, including rafting, trekking and mountain biking. An American expat, Josh Morris, pioneered the rock climbing scene, especially at Crazy Horse Buttress, a rock face that overlooks lime green, terraced rice fields. Mr. Morris’s outfitter, Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures offers introductory courses starting at 1,800 baht per person. After sweating to the top, head back to the bars along the Ping River to cool off with a Singha beer and cap off your adventure in style.
Read more at http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/travel/13hours.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
BLESSED with a cooler climate than Bangkok and buffered by lush mountains, Chiang Mai has long served as a backpacker’s gateway to Thailand’s northern reaches. But an influx of Thai artists and Western expatriates has turned this quiet city into a vibrant destination in its own right. Design studios have sprung up in town, fusing traditional Thai with modern twists. Age-old curries are now paired with Australian red wines and croissants. The area around Nimanhaemin Road now looks like South Beach, packed with BMWs and Art Deco homes, alongside contemporary art galleries run by young Thais with purple hair and nose rings. But traditional Chiang Mai is still there. Walk away from Nimanhaemin into the old city and you’ll see shaved monks meditating and backpackers chowing down on banana pancakes.
Friday
3 p.m.
1) OLD KINGDOM
Packed with crumbling old stupas, jewel-encrusted temples and wooden houses, Chiang Mai’s central old city hasn’t lost its old charm. And since Chiang Mai was once the capital of the Lanna kingdom, its temples and other historic sites have a unique look, with starker lines and darker woods. Start a long walk at Wat Chiang Man, the city’s oldest temple, built in the late 13th century, and then wander southwest, to Wat Chedi Luang, which houses a giant, partly damaged traditional Lanna-style stupa. Get your exercise by continuing on for about a mile, southeast, just past the old city walls, where you can stop for a break at a branch of Wawee Coffee, a local chain serving northern Thai joe. (Inside the Suriwong Book Center; Sri Donchai Road, near the intersection with Thanon Chang Khlan.)
6 p.m.
2) BODY SHOP
The bumpy roads can take their toll on your legs. Rejuvenate them at the Ban Sabai Town (17/7 Charoenprathet Road). The spa offers aromatherapy and other treatments, but the specialty is, of course, Thai massage — a method that emphasizes stretching. The masseuse pulls and prods your limbs in every direction, like a chiropractor. Your muscles might be tempted to scream, but they’ll end up feeling like soft butter. An hourlong Thai massage costs 1,900 baht (or around $60 at 32 baht to the dollar), far less than you would pay at most hotel spas.
8 p.m.
3) CRABS AND KARAOKE
For a taste of the city’s cosmopolitan edge, stroll along the Ping River, where university students and young professionals gather at a strip of rollicking restaurants that serve modern Thai, Japanese and Western food. Among the liveliest is the Good View, a sprawling pub and restaurant where the young patrons sing along to live Thai country and rock music, while downing pitchers of beer and shots of Johnnie Walker. Try the geng som, a soup flavored with a sour Thai orange, and the poo phat pong kari, crab stir-fried with yellow curry. Dinner for two people costs about 1,000 baht.
Saturday
7 a.m.
4) HOLY MOUNTAIN
Get up early — it’s worth it — for the classic Chiang Mai experience: a morning hike on Doi Suthep, the 5,498-foot peak that overlooks the city. Many residents consider Doi Suthep a holy mountain, and hike it as often as they can. Head to the base of Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, a Buddhist temple that, according to legend, dates from the 14th century, and is topped by a glittering gold chedi. On a clear day, the temple’s terraces afford views across northern Thailand. You’ll see Thailand old and new: monks in sandals begging for rice and young couples smooching in the corner (a taboo among older, more conservative Thais).
Noon
5) RENEWABLE DESIGNS
Chiang Mai has become a design laboratory, with foreign and Thai designers blending traditional styles with minimalist lines. Head to Nimanhaemin Road, a major design drag, for boutiques that sell textiles, pottery and other crafts. Thai art students wander the street in packs, occasionally whipping out sketchpads. Stores like Studio Kachama (10-12 Nimanhaemin Soi 1) and Gerard Collection sell funky lamps with shades made from local mulberry paper, furniture constructed from bamboo and women’s suits made from a traditional, thick-spun cotton.
2 p.m.
6) CLASSIC CURRIES
New, stylish bistros have colonized the city, but true fans of northern Thai cuisine — which incorporates Burmese and Chinese spices, and is lighter than southern Thai cooking — congregate at the classic Huen Phen. The restaurant’s cramped tables are packed with taxi drivers who dig into heaps of steaming curries and fiery salads. Have the khao soi, a delicious mix of creamy curry, crispy egg noodles, slices of pickled cabbage and bits of shallot and lime. Lunch for two is about 300 baht.
4 p.m.
7) ARTIST CROP
In recent years, many of Thailand’s best-known artists have moved to Chiang Mai from Bangkok. Several have won global recognition: Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, a performance artist who reads poetry to corpses, was featured at the 2006 Venice Biennale. And Navin Rawanchaikul, who paints cartoonlike murals inside taxis and tuk-tuks, has exhibited his work at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in New York. For emerging talents, visit La Luna Gallery).
9 p.m.
8) SPICE MARKET
For a late dinner, the fashionable crowd migrates to Dalaabaa for cocktails and small Thai plates like spicy squid salad. The midcentury modern bungalow is furnished with eclectic furniture, polished wood and tons of glass, as if Frank Lloyd Wright had gone East. The young crowd includes rail-thin women in slinky black dresses smoking from long cigarette holders, Frenchmen tossing back martinis, and students with ponytails and wispy mustaches engrossed in conversations about Buddhism and art. Dinner with drinks for two is about 1,200 baht.
Sunday
7 a.m.
9) TUSK TIME
Every travel guide recommends an elephant ride, but the typical trip involves a short, bumpy elephant walk led by a bored trainer. Skip that and take a taxi instead to the Thai Elephant Conservation Center between Chiang Mai and the town of Lampang. The center will not only teach you how to command and handle a tusker, but also how to honor the pachyderm, a revered animal in Thailand. Classes, which last most of the day, start at 3,500 baht.
4 p.m.
10) ROCK OUT
With its cooler climate and rugged terrain, Chiang Mai has become the hub for adventure sports, including rafting, trekking and mountain biking. An American expat, Josh Morris, pioneered the rock climbing scene, especially at Crazy Horse Buttress, a rock face that overlooks lime green, terraced rice fields. Mr. Morris’s outfitter, Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures offers introductory courses starting at 1,800 baht per person. After sweating to the top, head back to the bars along the Ping River to cool off with a Singha beer and cap off your adventure in style.
Read more at http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/travel/13hours.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Education Market Offers Salvation for Ailing Tech Vendors
Education market offers salvation for ailing tech vendors.
The education sector, particularly in developing markets, is an ideal arena for struggling tech vendors to stage their comebacks as they can build brand awareness and credibility among youths to reap long-term benefits, as well as help local governments strengthen their education IT infrastructure.
According to Peter McAlpine, senior director of education sales for Asia-Pacific at Adobe Systems, beleaguered tech companies should look to expand their presence in the education market as it could prove lucrative in the long run.
He noted that should these companies deliver a good product and user experience to the students, they would want to continue using these brands' products and services even after they leave school and enter the workforce.
Frank Levering, research manager of IDC's Government Insights, agreed. He said ailing companies should look at building their credibility among students, such as providing support and repair services when needed, will give them a "large competitive advantage" over IT vendors that do not have a presence in the education sector.
"The education [market's] transformation [in general] is at a very early stage, and any company with the right focus on a specific solution or a significant contribution to the education ecosystem will definitely see a good return on investment," he said.
Target developing countries
The analyst went on to suggest that the companies should focus their efforts on developing countries in order to generate market traction for their products and re-establish fundamental best practices in order to scale beyond these markets to more developed economies.
Furthermore, developing markets usually have a specific government budget set aside to improve the quality of education, Levering stated, citing Thailand's "One Tablet Per Child" initiative which aims to equip all Grade 1 child with a tablet PC device as an example.
The government was reportedly poised to ink a 2.2 billion baht (US$70.6 million) deal with Chinese manufacturers for 900,000 tablet devices to fulfill its election promise. A subsequent report by Thai news agency The Nation in April stated that the country's Cabinet had signed off on the revised tablet deal for 1 million devices at 2.4 billion baht (US$77.9 million), even though the Chinese manufacturer Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development had not yet signed on.
The IDC analyst also pointed out that the focus of developing countries is to improve their existing education levels by using technology as an enabler. Infrastructure, too, is commonly lacking in these countries. As such, ailing tech vendors can step up and push their offerings as these are viable market openings, he noted. By comparison, the education sector in developed markets has a more "conservative attitude" toward tech adoption in that the product or service being considered needs to produce a certain benefit or positive outcome for stakeholders, he noted.
"Developed countries will embrace technologies especially if they have a proven track record elsewhere and will transform at a much greater pace from there onward," he added.
Hence, this is why emerging countries may lead in innovations on many occasions over their more established counterparts as they are driven by necessity, Levering surmised.
Already, two regional companies have made moves to enter the education sector to revive their fortunes. Taiwanese display manufacturer BenQ, for one, announced plans to introduce three tablets in the Thai enterprise and education markets amid expectation that the tablet growth in these two areas is "poised to increase exponentially", according to a March report by Bangkok Post.
Singapore-based Creative Technology and its wholly-owned subsidiary ZiiLabs too unveiled its HanZpad in February, targeting China's education market. "This is [an] opportune time when its government aims to transform the conventional education system to one that embraces the latest in digital technologies," its press release stated.
Challenges loom
However, there are challenges vendors such as Creative and BenQ, among others, will have to face in order to see an upturn in their fortunes.
Levering pointed out that it's important tech vendors take time to thoroughly understand the sector in order to create the right offering that would integrate with institutions' existing systems and education methods.
Felicia Brown, Asia-Pacific education programs manager at Microsoft, concurred, saying that the education market is "unique". She noted that this requires a lot of understanding in areas such as creating the right content and curriculum, as well as incorporating "ruggedness" in computing devices meant for students, she explained.
To address this, Redmond works with global and local advisory councils made up of education thought leaders and youths, and also hires ex-teachers who understand specific local markets to develop its education offerings, she added.
The IDC analyst also noted that companies will find developing a generic, international product a "massive challenge". This is because there is too many different needs between schools and countries, and constant customization to the product would prove expensive for a sector with its limited budget, he explained.
High costs of education tech offerings was highlighted by Adobe's McAlpine too, who said that while governments can help financially in facilitating tech adoption, the education market will need to be self-sustaining at some point. This is especially so when the local government decides to shift its priorities to other sectors of the economy, he said.
Read more at http://www.zdnetasia.com/education-market-offers-salvation-for-ailing-tech-vendors-62304528.htm
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
The education sector, particularly in developing markets, is an ideal arena for struggling tech vendors to stage their comebacks as they can build brand awareness and credibility among youths to reap long-term benefits, as well as help local governments strengthen their education IT infrastructure.
According to Peter McAlpine, senior director of education sales for Asia-Pacific at Adobe Systems, beleaguered tech companies should look to expand their presence in the education market as it could prove lucrative in the long run.
He noted that should these companies deliver a good product and user experience to the students, they would want to continue using these brands' products and services even after they leave school and enter the workforce.
Frank Levering, research manager of IDC's Government Insights, agreed. He said ailing companies should look at building their credibility among students, such as providing support and repair services when needed, will give them a "large competitive advantage" over IT vendors that do not have a presence in the education sector.
"The education [market's] transformation [in general] is at a very early stage, and any company with the right focus on a specific solution or a significant contribution to the education ecosystem will definitely see a good return on investment," he said.
Target developing countries
The analyst went on to suggest that the companies should focus their efforts on developing countries in order to generate market traction for their products and re-establish fundamental best practices in order to scale beyond these markets to more developed economies.
Furthermore, developing markets usually have a specific government budget set aside to improve the quality of education, Levering stated, citing Thailand's "One Tablet Per Child" initiative which aims to equip all Grade 1 child with a tablet PC device as an example.
The government was reportedly poised to ink a 2.2 billion baht (US$70.6 million) deal with Chinese manufacturers for 900,000 tablet devices to fulfill its election promise. A subsequent report by Thai news agency The Nation in April stated that the country's Cabinet had signed off on the revised tablet deal for 1 million devices at 2.4 billion baht (US$77.9 million), even though the Chinese manufacturer Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development had not yet signed on.
The IDC analyst also pointed out that the focus of developing countries is to improve their existing education levels by using technology as an enabler. Infrastructure, too, is commonly lacking in these countries. As such, ailing tech vendors can step up and push their offerings as these are viable market openings, he noted. By comparison, the education sector in developed markets has a more "conservative attitude" toward tech adoption in that the product or service being considered needs to produce a certain benefit or positive outcome for stakeholders, he noted.
"Developed countries will embrace technologies especially if they have a proven track record elsewhere and will transform at a much greater pace from there onward," he added.
Hence, this is why emerging countries may lead in innovations on many occasions over their more established counterparts as they are driven by necessity, Levering surmised.
Already, two regional companies have made moves to enter the education sector to revive their fortunes. Taiwanese display manufacturer BenQ, for one, announced plans to introduce three tablets in the Thai enterprise and education markets amid expectation that the tablet growth in these two areas is "poised to increase exponentially", according to a March report by Bangkok Post.
Singapore-based Creative Technology and its wholly-owned subsidiary ZiiLabs too unveiled its HanZpad in February, targeting China's education market. "This is [an] opportune time when its government aims to transform the conventional education system to one that embraces the latest in digital technologies," its press release stated.
Challenges loom
However, there are challenges vendors such as Creative and BenQ, among others, will have to face in order to see an upturn in their fortunes.
Levering pointed out that it's important tech vendors take time to thoroughly understand the sector in order to create the right offering that would integrate with institutions' existing systems and education methods.
Felicia Brown, Asia-Pacific education programs manager at Microsoft, concurred, saying that the education market is "unique". She noted that this requires a lot of understanding in areas such as creating the right content and curriculum, as well as incorporating "ruggedness" in computing devices meant for students, she explained.
To address this, Redmond works with global and local advisory councils made up of education thought leaders and youths, and also hires ex-teachers who understand specific local markets to develop its education offerings, she added.
The IDC analyst also noted that companies will find developing a generic, international product a "massive challenge". This is because there is too many different needs between schools and countries, and constant customization to the product would prove expensive for a sector with its limited budget, he explained.
High costs of education tech offerings was highlighted by Adobe's McAlpine too, who said that while governments can help financially in facilitating tech adoption, the education market will need to be self-sustaining at some point. This is especially so when the local government decides to shift its priorities to other sectors of the economy, he said.
Read more at http://www.zdnetasia.com/education-market-offers-salvation-for-ailing-tech-vendors-62304528.htm
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Thailand - One Man’s Dream Becomes a Bangkok Sanctuary
Thailand, One Man’s Dream Becomes a Bangkok Sanctuary.
BUDDHIST temples in Bangkok are about as ubiquitous as hot dog stands in Manhattan, and after a day or two of playing duck-the-camera with tour groups, even the most devout tourists can become shrine shirkers. But Bangkok has a fantastic sanctuary from the sanctuaries that stands out for both its secret grandeur and for its ancient style. You just have to find it.
It took our cab driver two calls on his mobile phone before he was able to navigate Bangkok’s traffic jungle a half-dozen miles east of downtown. He dropped us off on the side of a street that had evidently once been a quiet country lane, but over the last decade had become absorbed by the suburbs. Entering a nondescript gate we emerged into a six-acre compound of languorous gardens and ponds surrounding ancient temples and pagodas — an urban Angkor Wat whose exotic Technicolor setting could have been painted by Gauguin.
As my two sons, aged 10 and 8, and I made our way farther into this unexpected oasis, Bangkok’s pervasive diesel fumes were replaced by the scent of wildflowers, plumeria and incense. Prickly pears, ficus and fantastically gnarled trees — deliberately twisted according to classic Thai gardening traditions — framed aged statues and temples above koi-filled ponds. It was one of the most transcendent, bewitching places we’d ever been, as if Kurtz’s compound in “Heart of Darkness” were situated on a remote tributary of Bangkok’s airport highway rather than on the Congo River.
And like Kurtz’s compound, all of this came from a single man’s vision.
“I saw so many of our national treasures disappear or leave Thailand,” said Prasart Vongsakul, 67, a real estate tycoon turned collector and gardener. He was sitting cross-legged in a teak pavilion where he often greets visitors wandering through his gardens. “I have worked most of my life preserving our heritage so that it can be cherished by future generations.”
Mr. Prasart’s serene, broad face mirrors those on the dozens of Buddhas inhabiting his gardens. Once a samurai in Bangkok’s cutthroat business world, he now seemed as whimsically rooted to this lush spot as his fantastically sculptured trees. “My father disappeared in the war, and my mother couldn’t afford to send me to school,” he said. “I started work when I was 7, and I learned the value of being an honest middleman in buying and selling property in Bangkok.” As his fortune grew, so did his garden. “I never married, and I never had children,” he said, gesturing around him. “What you see here are my children.”
Over the course of two decades Mr. Prasart and his staff have assembled and recreated a dozen shrines, ranging from a 30-foot-tall Khmer temple surrendered by the Cambodian jungle, to a classic Sukhothai teak library pavilion suspended on stilts over a lotus pond — insurance against insects, fires and rats.
Mr. Prasart personally sawed, painted and masoned much of this complex, sometimes resurrecting long-forgotten building techniques in his quest. He even fired up and painted much of the Chinese and Thai reproduction porcelain lining the pavilions to complement the remarkable array of treasures he has amassed during six decades of wandering.
An exquisitely carved Qing dynasty screen elicited a tale from Mr. Prasart’s early, leaner years. “When I was studying real estate I would go every day for years to the store to look at the screen,” he said. “One day the owner said, ‘I’m tired of seeing you in here all the time. If you give me 20,000 baht right now, you can just take it.’ He was bluffing because he thought I was still poor, but right away I went to my bank, withdrew the money, and bought it. He was very surprised, but he couldn’t withdraw his offer without losing face. It’s probably worth at least a million baht now.” (This would mean that Mr. Prasart paid about $675 for a screen now worth more than $34,000, at the current exchange rate.)
Despite having a staff of 30 gardeners and caretakers, Mr. Prasart said, he usually rises at dawn from his Chinese-style one-bedroom pavilion to personally tend to the plants. “I am the head gardener,” he announced. “I get to sing the loudest when we water.”
He is joined by the sounds of chimes, swaying palms and balmy breezes blowing through ancient relics. Not included in the chorus are the mosquitoes and flies that regularly hover above Bangkok’s swamps and canals like a dark mist. To keep the insects at bay, Mr. Prasart has lined his paths with barrel-size water-filled porcelain jars and vases — some more than 500 years old. Bugs alighting on the water’s surface are swallowed by fish lurking beneath — antique fly zappers.
Mr. Prasart hasn’t neglected the more modern, Western-facing Thailand in his collections. A green-and-white Italianate building in the neo-colonial style popular in Thailand during the 19th century houses a “Citizen Kane”-like bewilderment of European statuary and art, including a collection of elaborately decorated French and German porcelain plates, vases and figurines.
“These were for the Thai royal family’s private use,” Mr. Prasart explained. As tribute to the royal family’s Westernized tastes, Mr. Prasart has placed an offering of a cigar and a glass of Cognac before an Italian bust of King Rama V, the great modernizer of what was then known as Siam. His exploits are celebrated in dinner theaters around the world thanks to the memoirs of his tutor, Anna Leonowens of “The King and I.”
The relatively high entrance fee (about $16) and remote location ensured that despite being here during the packed tourist season, we had the place almost to ourselves. “Sometimes we get tour groups and we’ve even rented the place out for cruise ship dinner parties,” said Benjawan Kayee, 39, the museum’s docent. “But otherwise visitors come here to enjoy the museum in peace and privacy.”
Visitors are usually given an hourlong guided tour after which they are free to wander at whim. I was worried about the guided tour part, especially as I was traveling with two short attention spans, but under the gentle direction of Ms. Benjawan, the boys, who protest when being dragged to so much as a Christmas service, became ardent acolytes, bowing forehead-to-floor before centuries-old Buddhist altars, ringing holy bells and waving incense while absorbing the ethereal designs.
“Why do you think we elevate our doorways?” Ms. Benjawan asked, as we stepped over a foot-tall doorsill into a soaring Ayutthaya-style royal pavilion built entirely without nails. “To keep out rats?” volunteered my older son. “Close,” she responded. “To keep out evil spirits.”
Not that more earthly matters are neglected in this celestial place.
Over on the western reaches of the compound a blood-red Chinese temple guards the collection. Within the temple, an 18th-century gold-covered Goddess of Mercy dominates the altar, her eyes half open as if bemused at having ended up back here after a long odyssey that ended when Mr. Prasart bought her at an auction gallery in England. She was illuminated by candles and sweetened by incense for worship by Mr. Prasart’s employees and their families.
A local woman circled through the temple twice, using two separate doorways for exits. “The left door is for luck in love, the right one for luck in money,” Ms. Benjawan explained.
My sons instantly darted through the right door. I somehow managed to circle through both.
Read more at http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/travel/20cultured-bangkok.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
BUDDHIST temples in Bangkok are about as ubiquitous as hot dog stands in Manhattan, and after a day or two of playing duck-the-camera with tour groups, even the most devout tourists can become shrine shirkers. But Bangkok has a fantastic sanctuary from the sanctuaries that stands out for both its secret grandeur and for its ancient style. You just have to find it.
It took our cab driver two calls on his mobile phone before he was able to navigate Bangkok’s traffic jungle a half-dozen miles east of downtown. He dropped us off on the side of a street that had evidently once been a quiet country lane, but over the last decade had become absorbed by the suburbs. Entering a nondescript gate we emerged into a six-acre compound of languorous gardens and ponds surrounding ancient temples and pagodas — an urban Angkor Wat whose exotic Technicolor setting could have been painted by Gauguin.
As my two sons, aged 10 and 8, and I made our way farther into this unexpected oasis, Bangkok’s pervasive diesel fumes were replaced by the scent of wildflowers, plumeria and incense. Prickly pears, ficus and fantastically gnarled trees — deliberately twisted according to classic Thai gardening traditions — framed aged statues and temples above koi-filled ponds. It was one of the most transcendent, bewitching places we’d ever been, as if Kurtz’s compound in “Heart of Darkness” were situated on a remote tributary of Bangkok’s airport highway rather than on the Congo River.
And like Kurtz’s compound, all of this came from a single man’s vision.
“I saw so many of our national treasures disappear or leave Thailand,” said Prasart Vongsakul, 67, a real estate tycoon turned collector and gardener. He was sitting cross-legged in a teak pavilion where he often greets visitors wandering through his gardens. “I have worked most of my life preserving our heritage so that it can be cherished by future generations.”
Mr. Prasart’s serene, broad face mirrors those on the dozens of Buddhas inhabiting his gardens. Once a samurai in Bangkok’s cutthroat business world, he now seemed as whimsically rooted to this lush spot as his fantastically sculptured trees. “My father disappeared in the war, and my mother couldn’t afford to send me to school,” he said. “I started work when I was 7, and I learned the value of being an honest middleman in buying and selling property in Bangkok.” As his fortune grew, so did his garden. “I never married, and I never had children,” he said, gesturing around him. “What you see here are my children.”
Over the course of two decades Mr. Prasart and his staff have assembled and recreated a dozen shrines, ranging from a 30-foot-tall Khmer temple surrendered by the Cambodian jungle, to a classic Sukhothai teak library pavilion suspended on stilts over a lotus pond — insurance against insects, fires and rats.
Mr. Prasart personally sawed, painted and masoned much of this complex, sometimes resurrecting long-forgotten building techniques in his quest. He even fired up and painted much of the Chinese and Thai reproduction porcelain lining the pavilions to complement the remarkable array of treasures he has amassed during six decades of wandering.
An exquisitely carved Qing dynasty screen elicited a tale from Mr. Prasart’s early, leaner years. “When I was studying real estate I would go every day for years to the store to look at the screen,” he said. “One day the owner said, ‘I’m tired of seeing you in here all the time. If you give me 20,000 baht right now, you can just take it.’ He was bluffing because he thought I was still poor, but right away I went to my bank, withdrew the money, and bought it. He was very surprised, but he couldn’t withdraw his offer without losing face. It’s probably worth at least a million baht now.” (This would mean that Mr. Prasart paid about $675 for a screen now worth more than $34,000, at the current exchange rate.)
Despite having a staff of 30 gardeners and caretakers, Mr. Prasart said, he usually rises at dawn from his Chinese-style one-bedroom pavilion to personally tend to the plants. “I am the head gardener,” he announced. “I get to sing the loudest when we water.”
He is joined by the sounds of chimes, swaying palms and balmy breezes blowing through ancient relics. Not included in the chorus are the mosquitoes and flies that regularly hover above Bangkok’s swamps and canals like a dark mist. To keep the insects at bay, Mr. Prasart has lined his paths with barrel-size water-filled porcelain jars and vases — some more than 500 years old. Bugs alighting on the water’s surface are swallowed by fish lurking beneath — antique fly zappers.
Mr. Prasart hasn’t neglected the more modern, Western-facing Thailand in his collections. A green-and-white Italianate building in the neo-colonial style popular in Thailand during the 19th century houses a “Citizen Kane”-like bewilderment of European statuary and art, including a collection of elaborately decorated French and German porcelain plates, vases and figurines.
“These were for the Thai royal family’s private use,” Mr. Prasart explained. As tribute to the royal family’s Westernized tastes, Mr. Prasart has placed an offering of a cigar and a glass of Cognac before an Italian bust of King Rama V, the great modernizer of what was then known as Siam. His exploits are celebrated in dinner theaters around the world thanks to the memoirs of his tutor, Anna Leonowens of “The King and I.”
The relatively high entrance fee (about $16) and remote location ensured that despite being here during the packed tourist season, we had the place almost to ourselves. “Sometimes we get tour groups and we’ve even rented the place out for cruise ship dinner parties,” said Benjawan Kayee, 39, the museum’s docent. “But otherwise visitors come here to enjoy the museum in peace and privacy.”
Visitors are usually given an hourlong guided tour after which they are free to wander at whim. I was worried about the guided tour part, especially as I was traveling with two short attention spans, but under the gentle direction of Ms. Benjawan, the boys, who protest when being dragged to so much as a Christmas service, became ardent acolytes, bowing forehead-to-floor before centuries-old Buddhist altars, ringing holy bells and waving incense while absorbing the ethereal designs.
“Why do you think we elevate our doorways?” Ms. Benjawan asked, as we stepped over a foot-tall doorsill into a soaring Ayutthaya-style royal pavilion built entirely without nails. “To keep out rats?” volunteered my older son. “Close,” she responded. “To keep out evil spirits.”
Not that more earthly matters are neglected in this celestial place.
Over on the western reaches of the compound a blood-red Chinese temple guards the collection. Within the temple, an 18th-century gold-covered Goddess of Mercy dominates the altar, her eyes half open as if bemused at having ended up back here after a long odyssey that ended when Mr. Prasart bought her at an auction gallery in England. She was illuminated by candles and sweetened by incense for worship by Mr. Prasart’s employees and their families.
A local woman circled through the temple twice, using two separate doorways for exits. “The left door is for luck in love, the right one for luck in money,” Ms. Benjawan explained.
My sons instantly darted through the right door. I somehow managed to circle through both.
Read more at http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/travel/20cultured-bangkok.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Cambodia - Koh Kong Emerges as an Eco-Tourism Destination
In Cambodia, Koh Kong Emerges as an Eco-Tourism Destination.
INSIDE a breezy bamboo structure in Chi Phat, a village in the remote province of Koh Kong, near the Thai border in southwestern Cambodia, a dozen or so foreigners sat down to a communal dinner of chicken curry and Angkor Beer. Cinnamon-hued cattle and elderly women wearing ikat sarongs and checkered scarves ambled along the dusty road outside.
Eating by the light given off by fishing cages doubling as lamps, the group recounted the day’s activities: bird-watching at sunrise, mountain biking across rocky streams, swimming in waterfalls. And fending off rain forest leeches.
“The bite is no worse than a large mosquito’s,” said David Lambert, a strapping Englishman.
Katrin van Camp, from Belgium, had returned from a guided overnight jungle trek, then spent the afternoon in a hammock and playing with local children eager to improve their English. “When I go home, this is the Cambodia I’m going to remember,” she said.
For decades, Koh Kong villages like Chi Phat had little contact with the outside world. Marginalized by a lack of infrastructure, a Khmer Rouge presence that endured into the late 1990s, and some of Southeast Asia’s wildest, least-explored terrain, the region remained virtually forbidden to outsiders.
But new roads now penetrate the jungle and scale the hills; new bridges traverse the area’s numerous rivers. And as Cambodia has achieved a level of political stability, a small but diverse array of Western-run accommodations — including the makeshift restaurant in Chi Phat, part of a project called Community-Based Eco-tourism — has opened in the last few years, catering to both backpackers and the well-heeled.
Thanks to this new accessibility, travelers are now discovering the area’s awe-inspiring biodiversity, which includes one of Southeast Asia’s largest tracts of virgin rain forest; some 60 threatened species, including the endangered Asian elephants, tigers, Siamese crocodiles and pileated gibbons; and a virtually untouched 12-island archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand, with sand beaches and crystal-clear aquamarine waters.
The Koh Kong region spans 4,300 square miles, about the size of the Everglades National Park. But the charms of Cambodian rural life are readily apparent in Chi Phat, home to about 2,500 people. The village sits at the foot of the Southern Cardamom Mountains, about 10 miles inland, up the mangrove- and bamboo-lined Preak Piphot River. Wooden houses on stilts, painted mint green and baby blue and shaded by towering palms, line the main dirt road. Children wearing navy blue and white uniforms and broad smiles cycle to school on adult-size bikes, passing by toothpick-legged white egrets hanging out on the backs of water buffalo in neon green rice fields.
It wasn’t always this peaceful. Chi Phat was once infamous for its abundant poachers, loggers and slash-and-burn farmers, who were forced to turn to illegal practices to make a living. That began to change in 2007, when the conservation group Wildlife Alliance started to work with the community on a project that would turn hunters — who knew the forest’s hidden gems better than anyone — into tour guides, and local families into guesthouse owners.
“Chi Phat was home to the most destructive inhabitants in the whole of Koh Kong province,” said John Maloy, a spokesman for Wildlife Alliance. “By participating in the eco-tourism project, community members would not only receive income that would greatly improve their situation, they would be provided with incentives to protect the forest rather than exploit it in an unsustainable manner.”
So far, the initiatives seem to be working. Last year, Chi Phat welcomed 1,228 visitors, according to the alliance, an increase of nearly 50 percent from 2009. Residents are receiving much-needed income that allows them to reside year-round in the village, allowing their children to go to school and get to health care. (When locals relied on logging and hunting, they had to spend long stretches in the forest.)
Travelers, meanwhile, can leave the pressures of the developed world behind. Days begin with the rooster’s crow and end when the village’s generator goes silent at midnight. On trips organized by the Community-Based Eco-tourism office, visitors can trek through fields filled with canary yellow and electric blue butterflies to reach bat caves hidden behind curved waterfalls, or plant a tree at a reforestation nursery. Recent visitors reportedly caught a glimpse of a few of the area’s roughly 175 endangered elephants.
Janet Newman, originally from England, fell for Koh Kong while documenting the province’s wildlife in 2005. Within three years, she had decided to stay for good, and opened the eco-friendly Rainbow Lodge.
“I looked at many parts of the country but always had a big smile on my face when I went to Koh Kong,” Ms. Newman said. “It was just the sheer unspoiled beauty of the area.”
The lodge, on 12 acres along the Tatai River about 50 miles northwest of Chi Phat, is thick with palms and brightly colored flowering bushes. The seven wooden thatched-roof bungalows have hammock-strung terraces that overlook the trees.
Guests at the lodge — who recently ranged from a young Australian family of five to adventure-ready couples from Europe — can kayak to the nearby Tatai waterfall, a wide expanse that creates small bathing pools and pummeling massage spots between black rocks; head into the jungle on guided hikes, spotting and identifying birds and insects as they go; or just lounge in the wicker sofas in the open-air restaurant, whose thatched roof features a nightly display by limb-size polka-dotted geckos.
If you are lucky, the spot might just live up to its name: three rainbows streaked the sky during a November visit.
Read more at http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/travel/06nextstop-kohkong.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
INSIDE a breezy bamboo structure in Chi Phat, a village in the remote province of Koh Kong, near the Thai border in southwestern Cambodia, a dozen or so foreigners sat down to a communal dinner of chicken curry and Angkor Beer. Cinnamon-hued cattle and elderly women wearing ikat sarongs and checkered scarves ambled along the dusty road outside.
Eating by the light given off by fishing cages doubling as lamps, the group recounted the day’s activities: bird-watching at sunrise, mountain biking across rocky streams, swimming in waterfalls. And fending off rain forest leeches.
“The bite is no worse than a large mosquito’s,” said David Lambert, a strapping Englishman.
Katrin van Camp, from Belgium, had returned from a guided overnight jungle trek, then spent the afternoon in a hammock and playing with local children eager to improve their English. “When I go home, this is the Cambodia I’m going to remember,” she said.
For decades, Koh Kong villages like Chi Phat had little contact with the outside world. Marginalized by a lack of infrastructure, a Khmer Rouge presence that endured into the late 1990s, and some of Southeast Asia’s wildest, least-explored terrain, the region remained virtually forbidden to outsiders.
But new roads now penetrate the jungle and scale the hills; new bridges traverse the area’s numerous rivers. And as Cambodia has achieved a level of political stability, a small but diverse array of Western-run accommodations — including the makeshift restaurant in Chi Phat, part of a project called Community-Based Eco-tourism — has opened in the last few years, catering to both backpackers and the well-heeled.
Thanks to this new accessibility, travelers are now discovering the area’s awe-inspiring biodiversity, which includes one of Southeast Asia’s largest tracts of virgin rain forest; some 60 threatened species, including the endangered Asian elephants, tigers, Siamese crocodiles and pileated gibbons; and a virtually untouched 12-island archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand, with sand beaches and crystal-clear aquamarine waters.
The Koh Kong region spans 4,300 square miles, about the size of the Everglades National Park. But the charms of Cambodian rural life are readily apparent in Chi Phat, home to about 2,500 people. The village sits at the foot of the Southern Cardamom Mountains, about 10 miles inland, up the mangrove- and bamboo-lined Preak Piphot River. Wooden houses on stilts, painted mint green and baby blue and shaded by towering palms, line the main dirt road. Children wearing navy blue and white uniforms and broad smiles cycle to school on adult-size bikes, passing by toothpick-legged white egrets hanging out on the backs of water buffalo in neon green rice fields.
It wasn’t always this peaceful. Chi Phat was once infamous for its abundant poachers, loggers and slash-and-burn farmers, who were forced to turn to illegal practices to make a living. That began to change in 2007, when the conservation group Wildlife Alliance started to work with the community on a project that would turn hunters — who knew the forest’s hidden gems better than anyone — into tour guides, and local families into guesthouse owners.
“Chi Phat was home to the most destructive inhabitants in the whole of Koh Kong province,” said John Maloy, a spokesman for Wildlife Alliance. “By participating in the eco-tourism project, community members would not only receive income that would greatly improve their situation, they would be provided with incentives to protect the forest rather than exploit it in an unsustainable manner.”
So far, the initiatives seem to be working. Last year, Chi Phat welcomed 1,228 visitors, according to the alliance, an increase of nearly 50 percent from 2009. Residents are receiving much-needed income that allows them to reside year-round in the village, allowing their children to go to school and get to health care. (When locals relied on logging and hunting, they had to spend long stretches in the forest.)
Travelers, meanwhile, can leave the pressures of the developed world behind. Days begin with the rooster’s crow and end when the village’s generator goes silent at midnight. On trips organized by the Community-Based Eco-tourism office, visitors can trek through fields filled with canary yellow and electric blue butterflies to reach bat caves hidden behind curved waterfalls, or plant a tree at a reforestation nursery. Recent visitors reportedly caught a glimpse of a few of the area’s roughly 175 endangered elephants.
Janet Newman, originally from England, fell for Koh Kong while documenting the province’s wildlife in 2005. Within three years, she had decided to stay for good, and opened the eco-friendly Rainbow Lodge.
“I looked at many parts of the country but always had a big smile on my face when I went to Koh Kong,” Ms. Newman said. “It was just the sheer unspoiled beauty of the area.”
The lodge, on 12 acres along the Tatai River about 50 miles northwest of Chi Phat, is thick with palms and brightly colored flowering bushes. The seven wooden thatched-roof bungalows have hammock-strung terraces that overlook the trees.
Guests at the lodge — who recently ranged from a young Australian family of five to adventure-ready couples from Europe — can kayak to the nearby Tatai waterfall, a wide expanse that creates small bathing pools and pummeling massage spots between black rocks; head into the jungle on guided hikes, spotting and identifying birds and insects as they go; or just lounge in the wicker sofas in the open-air restaurant, whose thatched roof features a nightly display by limb-size polka-dotted geckos.
If you are lucky, the spot might just live up to its name: three rainbows streaked the sky during a November visit.
Read more at http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/travel/06nextstop-kohkong.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Songkran Water Festival in Thailand
Songkran Water Festival in Thailand - April 13, 14, 15.
April 13th-15th marked the annual Songkran Festival in Thailand. How did you celebrate!?
Commonly referred to as the water festival, Songkran marks the Thai New Year, and is one of the biggest celebrations of the year throughout the country. Many people take to the streets with water guns, balloons, or just plain old buckets, in order to drench passerbys with water. Traditionally thought to cleanse the mind, body and spirit, and wash away bad luck, you might consider yourself fortunate if you find yourself getting drenched with water during the Songkran festival! Fortunately, this is typically the hottest time of year in Thailand, so a light soaking might come as a nice relief!
Have Fun Teaching English in Thailand!
Visit: http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
April 13th-15th marked the annual Songkran Festival in Thailand. How did you celebrate!?
Commonly referred to as the water festival, Songkran marks the Thai New Year, and is one of the biggest celebrations of the year throughout the country. Many people take to the streets with water guns, balloons, or just plain old buckets, in order to drench passerbys with water. Traditionally thought to cleanse the mind, body and spirit, and wash away bad luck, you might consider yourself fortunate if you find yourself getting drenched with water during the Songkran festival! Fortunately, this is typically the hottest time of year in Thailand, so a light soaking might come as a nice relief!
Have Fun Teaching English in Thailand!
Visit: http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
 |
| Songkran Water Festival in Pattaya |
 |
| Songkran Water Festival in Chiang Mai |
 |
| Songkran Water Festival in Bangkok |
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Living in Thailand
Living in Thailand.
Living in Thailand might be something you are considering at this time. There are many questions and areas to consider before you pack up and leave your home country for Thailand. This article will review some of the major considerations you will need to put thought toward if you are serious about living in Thailand for a long or short time.
Income?
Unless you are going to live in Thailand off your savings, you are going to have to figure out a way to make money to pay your bills. Yes, you have bills in Thailand but, they are quite affordable. Rent for a house might cost you two hundred dollars in a town away from Bangkok. In Bangkok an apartment might be four hundred dollars. Food outside Bangkok will be about three hundred dollars. In Bangkok, the sky is the limit.
Most choosing to live in Thailand are teachers. In Bangkok, with a bachelors degree and a TEFL (Teacher of English as a Foreign Language) certificate one could make $1,500 per month on average. Some teachers make quite a bit more than that. Outside Bangkok the average starting teacher salary is about $1,000 per month.
Finding a teaching job in Thailand is quite easy if you have a bachelors degree from your home country and English is your native language.
If you do not wish to teach English then the other primary option is to work in Bangkok with one of the many companies there which need English speakers. There may be companies from your home country with an office in Bangkok that need employees. Use online research to find these positions.
Choosing a Place to Live in Thailand
Thailand is quite a large and diverse country in terms of climate and terrain. There are mountain areas, virtual desert areas, and lush tropical jungle. Where you live in Thailand will be a major consideration. The right place for you to live is here - the issue is just choosing where to live.
The warm months in Thailand are February through June. The rainy season runs May through December. From November to January it is usually cool.
Northern Thailand is characterized by mountains, heavy rains, and very cool temperatures in the winter months. It never snows in Northern Thailand, and it gets quite hot in the summer.
Central Thailand is mostly flat and includes Bangkok and surrounding provinces. The central region is very hot when it is not raining, and when it is raining - floods often. Bangkok is known as the hottest city in the world due the night time temperatures remaining very warm. You will need air conditioning in Bangkok.
Northeastern Thailand is flat and very dry, even during the rainy season and the summer months are blistering hot. During winter it does get very cool and if you are riding a motorbike you will need a winter jacket to remain warm enough.
Southern Thailand is lush jungle and, though it's quite warm even during winter months, the nights are cool enough that no air conditioning is needed. The land is mostly flat in the southern provinces with rolling hills and stunning limestone mountain topography.
If you need to be near the ocean, the southern provinces are where you will need to be. If you like the mountains, the north is for you.
If you are concerned about the friendliness of people in Thailand, you need not be. Thai people are friendly across the country, but most visitors say the northern and northeastern Thais are the friendliest.
Safety?
There are a number of safety considerations you should be aware of. Thailand is a country far different from wherever you hail.
Thailand has 45 species of poisonous snakes, 9 types of scorpion, and many other stinging animals like jellyfish, spiders, and insects. One of the smallest biting pests is the most troublesome... mosquitoes.
Malaria, Dengue Fever, Chikungunra, and encephalitis are all found in Thailand and transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Mosquito repellant is a must - and anything with DEET 28+ usually works well.
Driving in Thailand is a real horror-show, and you would be wise to ease into it. First, you will be driving on the left side of the road, which might be a change for you. Secondly, the driving habits in Thailand are quite different from anywhere you have probably been. To say driving in Thailand is dangerous is vast understatement.
If you are a person that intends on enjoying the nightlife in Thailand there are numerous considerations to take into account. Use and possession of illicit drugs are penalized very strictly in Thailand and for anything with heroin or methamphetamine you might be looking at more than ten years in a Thai prison.
Fights often erupt in bar situations and you really should know what to do in these instances.
There are many safety issues that confront the visitor or person wishing to live in Thailand long-term. Below I have linked to an entire survival guide dedicated to the topic of safety in Thailand. It just might save your life.
One of my passions while living in Thailand has been developing the "Thai Black Book" for visitors and persons looking to live in Thailand either briefly or long-term. This book covers many safety issues that you need to be aware of, but that are not covered in any other Thailand guidebook.
Read more at http://ezinearticles.com/?Living-in-Thailand&id=3186331
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Living in Thailand might be something you are considering at this time. There are many questions and areas to consider before you pack up and leave your home country for Thailand. This article will review some of the major considerations you will need to put thought toward if you are serious about living in Thailand for a long or short time.
Income?
Unless you are going to live in Thailand off your savings, you are going to have to figure out a way to make money to pay your bills. Yes, you have bills in Thailand but, they are quite affordable. Rent for a house might cost you two hundred dollars in a town away from Bangkok. In Bangkok an apartment might be four hundred dollars. Food outside Bangkok will be about three hundred dollars. In Bangkok, the sky is the limit.
Most choosing to live in Thailand are teachers. In Bangkok, with a bachelors degree and a TEFL (Teacher of English as a Foreign Language) certificate one could make $1,500 per month on average. Some teachers make quite a bit more than that. Outside Bangkok the average starting teacher salary is about $1,000 per month.
Finding a teaching job in Thailand is quite easy if you have a bachelors degree from your home country and English is your native language.
If you do not wish to teach English then the other primary option is to work in Bangkok with one of the many companies there which need English speakers. There may be companies from your home country with an office in Bangkok that need employees. Use online research to find these positions.
Choosing a Place to Live in Thailand
Thailand is quite a large and diverse country in terms of climate and terrain. There are mountain areas, virtual desert areas, and lush tropical jungle. Where you live in Thailand will be a major consideration. The right place for you to live is here - the issue is just choosing where to live.
The warm months in Thailand are February through June. The rainy season runs May through December. From November to January it is usually cool.
Northern Thailand is characterized by mountains, heavy rains, and very cool temperatures in the winter months. It never snows in Northern Thailand, and it gets quite hot in the summer.
Central Thailand is mostly flat and includes Bangkok and surrounding provinces. The central region is very hot when it is not raining, and when it is raining - floods often. Bangkok is known as the hottest city in the world due the night time temperatures remaining very warm. You will need air conditioning in Bangkok.
Northeastern Thailand is flat and very dry, even during the rainy season and the summer months are blistering hot. During winter it does get very cool and if you are riding a motorbike you will need a winter jacket to remain warm enough.
Southern Thailand is lush jungle and, though it's quite warm even during winter months, the nights are cool enough that no air conditioning is needed. The land is mostly flat in the southern provinces with rolling hills and stunning limestone mountain topography.
If you need to be near the ocean, the southern provinces are where you will need to be. If you like the mountains, the north is for you.
If you are concerned about the friendliness of people in Thailand, you need not be. Thai people are friendly across the country, but most visitors say the northern and northeastern Thais are the friendliest.
Safety?
There are a number of safety considerations you should be aware of. Thailand is a country far different from wherever you hail.
Thailand has 45 species of poisonous snakes, 9 types of scorpion, and many other stinging animals like jellyfish, spiders, and insects. One of the smallest biting pests is the most troublesome... mosquitoes.
Malaria, Dengue Fever, Chikungunra, and encephalitis are all found in Thailand and transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Mosquito repellant is a must - and anything with DEET 28+ usually works well.
Driving in Thailand is a real horror-show, and you would be wise to ease into it. First, you will be driving on the left side of the road, which might be a change for you. Secondly, the driving habits in Thailand are quite different from anywhere you have probably been. To say driving in Thailand is dangerous is vast understatement.
If you are a person that intends on enjoying the nightlife in Thailand there are numerous considerations to take into account. Use and possession of illicit drugs are penalized very strictly in Thailand and for anything with heroin or methamphetamine you might be looking at more than ten years in a Thai prison.
Fights often erupt in bar situations and you really should know what to do in these instances.
There are many safety issues that confront the visitor or person wishing to live in Thailand long-term. Below I have linked to an entire survival guide dedicated to the topic of safety in Thailand. It just might save your life.
One of my passions while living in Thailand has been developing the "Thai Black Book" for visitors and persons looking to live in Thailand either briefly or long-term. This book covers many safety issues that you need to be aware of, but that are not covered in any other Thailand guidebook.
Read more at http://ezinearticles.com/?Living-in-Thailand&id=3186331
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Educational Tablet To Be Made in Thailand
Educational Tablet To Be Made in Thailand.
Getting closer to becoming a reality, 800,000 tablets at 3,000 baht each could jumpstart Thai-language content such as ebooks and learning games.
Forth Corporation has introduced the first Thai-made educational tablet computer priced at 3,000 baht in a bid to join the government's 4-billion-baht One Tablet per Child programme.
Mr Sawat says controls on the tablet help ensure only appropriate content can be used.
The SET-listed electronic equipment manufacturer spent three months redesigning its controller board to integrate it with a base to reduce size and bring the cost down from 5,000 baht earlier, said R&D director Sawat Erbchokchai.
As well, he said, the fact that the government wants as many as 800,000 tablets means the company can achieve economies of scale to keep costs low.
"We're confident our current tablet price could easily compete with those of Chinese manufacturers, while our production capacity could serve the government's demand," he said.
The tablet programme was one of the high-profile election promises of the Pheu Thai Party. Responding to critics who said the cost would be too high, party strategists said they believed they could source cheap equipment from China.
Forth is in talks with advisers to the Education Minister and local software companies about cooperation on educational content development.
Featuring a 7-inch display and both a pen- and touch-based interface, Forth's tablets enable students to automatically receive educational content after they register their personal data and log in - without the need for downloads.
The management software enables screening of content and applications supplied to students to make sure it is appropriate. "This will facilitate primary school pupils, considered too young to download applications by themselves.
Mr Sawat said it was not easy in the past for Thai companies to make tablets, given small local demand. However, the school tablet project opens the doors to local IT and technology firms.
"If the government promotes greater use of local content and opens more opportunity for local IT and telecom firms to participate in state bidding projects, the ultimate result will be a new ecosystem and a new momentum for the industry," he said.
Mr Sawat said that if Forth's tablets proved successful, it would attract other industries to commercially adopt the first Thai-made products. As a result, he said, both hardware makers and local application developers would benefit.
Read more at http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/256904/educational-tablet-made-in-thailand
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Getting closer to becoming a reality, 800,000 tablets at 3,000 baht each could jumpstart Thai-language content such as ebooks and learning games.
Forth Corporation has introduced the first Thai-made educational tablet computer priced at 3,000 baht in a bid to join the government's 4-billion-baht One Tablet per Child programme.
Mr Sawat says controls on the tablet help ensure only appropriate content can be used.
The SET-listed electronic equipment manufacturer spent three months redesigning its controller board to integrate it with a base to reduce size and bring the cost down from 5,000 baht earlier, said R&D director Sawat Erbchokchai.
As well, he said, the fact that the government wants as many as 800,000 tablets means the company can achieve economies of scale to keep costs low.
"We're confident our current tablet price could easily compete with those of Chinese manufacturers, while our production capacity could serve the government's demand," he said.
The tablet programme was one of the high-profile election promises of the Pheu Thai Party. Responding to critics who said the cost would be too high, party strategists said they believed they could source cheap equipment from China.
Forth is in talks with advisers to the Education Minister and local software companies about cooperation on educational content development.
Featuring a 7-inch display and both a pen- and touch-based interface, Forth's tablets enable students to automatically receive educational content after they register their personal data and log in - without the need for downloads.
The management software enables screening of content and applications supplied to students to make sure it is appropriate. "This will facilitate primary school pupils, considered too young to download applications by themselves.
Mr Sawat said it was not easy in the past for Thai companies to make tablets, given small local demand. However, the school tablet project opens the doors to local IT and technology firms.
"If the government promotes greater use of local content and opens more opportunity for local IT and telecom firms to participate in state bidding projects, the ultimate result will be a new ecosystem and a new momentum for the industry," he said.
Mr Sawat said that if Forth's tablets proved successful, it would attract other industries to commercially adopt the first Thai-made products. As a result, he said, both hardware makers and local application developers would benefit.
Read more at http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/256904/educational-tablet-made-in-thailand
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Chinese Teaching and China Learning Cooperation
Chinese Teaching and China Learning Cooperation.
Ms. Churairat Sangboonnum, the Deputy Permanent Secretary for Education, presided over a signing ceremony of cooperation under the project of quality learning and teaching of the Chinese language in educational institutes located in Bangkok Metropolitan and networking schools, Thai - Chinese networking schools and, the Center for Chinese Language Development (Hanban), Beijing Normal University. This event took place at Ratchavallop Meeting Room in the Ministry of Education.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary informed all in attendance that the government had delivered a policy on moving forward to the ASEAN Community in 2015 through human resource development in order to provide access to quality education and lifelong learning as well as to develop innovation, research and development and ASEAN integration for all Thai citizens.
The provision of basic education is a crucial educational system in borderless communication. It must achieve educational standards in response to the free trade areas both in ASEAN and in the WTO. In this regard, educational cooperation amongst neighboring countries is important, especially as China is developing educational standards which will stimulate internationalization and international standard schools. This will also facilitate collaboration in developing teachers, students and educational administrators and an information exchange. Thus, it was a great opportunity for Thai educational administrators and distinguished delegates from the Chinese government to strengthen their close cooperation in quality Chinese learning and teaching under the support of the Center for Chinese Language Development (Hanban), the Beijing Normal University that reflects the valued friendship which exists between both countries.
Read more at http://www.en.moe.go.th/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=469:chinese-teaching-and-learning-cooperation&catid=1:news&Itemid=42
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Ms. Churairat Sangboonnum, the Deputy Permanent Secretary for Education, presided over a signing ceremony of cooperation under the project of quality learning and teaching of the Chinese language in educational institutes located in Bangkok Metropolitan and networking schools, Thai - Chinese networking schools and, the Center for Chinese Language Development (Hanban), Beijing Normal University. This event took place at Ratchavallop Meeting Room in the Ministry of Education.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary informed all in attendance that the government had delivered a policy on moving forward to the ASEAN Community in 2015 through human resource development in order to provide access to quality education and lifelong learning as well as to develop innovation, research and development and ASEAN integration for all Thai citizens.
The provision of basic education is a crucial educational system in borderless communication. It must achieve educational standards in response to the free trade areas both in ASEAN and in the WTO. In this regard, educational cooperation amongst neighboring countries is important, especially as China is developing educational standards which will stimulate internationalization and international standard schools. This will also facilitate collaboration in developing teachers, students and educational administrators and an information exchange. Thus, it was a great opportunity for Thai educational administrators and distinguished delegates from the Chinese government to strengthen their close cooperation in quality Chinese learning and teaching under the support of the Center for Chinese Language Development (Hanban), the Beijing Normal University that reflects the valued friendship which exists between both countries.
Read more at http://www.en.moe.go.th/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=469:chinese-teaching-and-learning-cooperation&catid=1:news&Itemid=42
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Friday, March 16, 2012
Eating Your Way Through the Streets of Bangkok Thailand
Eating your way through the streets of Bangkok Thailand.
Sweet and spicy flavours - often combined - are the specialty, from pad Thai to suckling pig.
Bangkok is like your favourite e the one you carry a secret torch for, the one that could have been - should have been - the best thing that ever happened to you and was wrong for all the right reasons.
It's a city that you can feel against your skin, taste on your lips. Your clothes still reek of it weeks later when you return home. You'll smell it on your suit coat driving into work or when you open your wallet at the corner store to buy a litre of milk.
The moment I leave Suvarnabhumi Airport, it all comes rushing back to me. Everywhere I look during the drive into the city, people are eating. A girl dangling helmetless off the back of a scooter feasts on fried rice out of a Styrofoam container. A young mother and her son sip cola out of plastic bags with straws. A taxi driver alternates between smoking and gnawing on pineapple chunks.
Four years ago when I first came to the Kingdom of Siam, the food here was a gut-wrenching spicefest. All sweat and tears. Let's just say that I've come back to get my fill. Thais eat up to eight meals a day and I plan to do the same.
Before my flight, chef Angus An of Maenam fame in Vancouver made me promise to visit Nahm at the Metropolitan Hotel on my first night in Bangkok. David Thompson is expecting you, he told me. These five simple words will prove to be the blueprint for a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience.
Bangkok rush hour, 30-minute traffic jams at every intersection, forgetting to ask the concierge at the VIE Hotel to write down the restaurant address in Thai - this is exactly what not to do on your first night in Bangkok, but our pilgrimage to Nahm is worth it.
In London, Thompson runs the first Thai restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star. He has been both praised and skewered as the Westerner who had enough cajones to open a Thai restaurant (also named Nahm) in Bangkok.
"When I first came here in the 1980s, Thai cuisine had become a take-away culture," he tells my business partner Steve and I during a behind-the-scenes tour of his kitchen. "You would never eat it in a fine-dining environment."
Even though he's reluctant to talk about it, halfway through dinner, it's clear that Thompson is an expert at isolating the key flavours of traditional Thai dishes and combining them with surprising new textures.
His spicy pork with mint, peanuts and crunchy rice on betel leaves is the ideal example of this - the crunch of the leaf and rice and the play between mint and spice is sublime.
His blue crab coconut curry juggles sweetness and eye-watering heat perfectly.
Thompson brings us a durian rice pudding to close our meal.
"You'll either love durian or hate it," he says.
I tell Thompson about a poet I know who wrote a series of odes to the fruit - she couldn't get enough - and then tell him that his pudding tastes like someone shat in the middle of a smoking lounge.
"Your friend, she sounds like my kind of poet," he laughs.
After dinner, Thompson joins us for a few bottles of wine on his poolside terrace. He is more comfortable joking about politics and staying out until 9 a.m. than he is talking about food. He loves what he does and lets his cooking speak for itself - in other words, the perfect chef.
He suggests we visit the twisting Yaowarat Road in Chinatown tomorrow night to "eat in the dragon's belly."
The following evening, Bangkok smells like an overripe papaya slowly roasting over a charcoal fire. The city is on edge. This is the day the flood water is supposed to break through the levies and consume downtown Bangkok. Sandbags line the fronts of businesses and the tourist districts are deserted.
Bangkok's Chinatown is located in a low-lying district close to the Chao Phraya River and Hua Lamphong Station, the end of underground MRT subway line.
We are repetitively warned by wellmeaning locals to stay away from this part of the city, but the temptation is too high.
We catch a cab, expecting to find empty streets submerged under waistdeep water.
Instead, we find a three-ringed circus of food carts and curbside diners divided down the middle by an unrelenting cacophony of honking cars and scooters. During the resettlement of the Chinese community to this district in the late 1700s, Yaowarat Road was built in a series of twists and curves - like a dragon's body. The vendors fight to sell here because they believe it will make them rich.
It's a dizzying crush of bodies and smells, the complete antithesis of North American dining culture.
Corner barbecue huts offer traditional Chinese and Thai delicacies - from bird's-nest and shark fin soup to pepper blue crab and chestnuts handcooked in steaming vats of black sand. Space here is at a premium. Long common tables are packed elbow to elbow with friends, strangers and entire families, and it's legal to drink open liquor on the street.
Our final destination is Tang Jai Yoo, a restaurant at the intersection of Yaowarat and Yaowa Phanit. Its signature dish is roast suckling pig, which to me represents the kind of gluttony and gastronomic excess I've dreamed of since I was boy. After all, who in their right mind would settle for a mere pork chop in place of the whole pig?
This dish is served in two courses, beginning with the roasted skin sectioned off into two-inch squares and the fat removed. Served with green onion, cucumber, hoisin sauce and flatbread, you can opt to make crispy pork skin tortillas or try crunching on the cartilage and soft skin from the ears, nose and feet.
When finished, we asked the kitchen to deep fry the moist meat and bones with garlic and black pepper. The end result is similar to pub-style dry ribs - make sure to have this last course with a local beer.
On our final day in the city, we have enlisted a Thai guide, Sam Doungpraton, and a driver under the guise of a city tour, though we really just want them to take us out for lunch. We ask them to take us to the best street pad Thai in Bangkok. It's the one Thai dish that every westerner knows, but Sam tells us that it didn't become popular locally until the 1930s or '40s.
He takes us to Pha Tu Pee, a fourtable open-air restaurant next to Wat Saket in the Pom Prap Sattru Phai district.
After parking the car, our driver asks Sam if it's okay to join us. Sam translates, "He has heard of this restaurant from friends and has always wanted to try it."
The pad Thai is prepared out front over a charcoal fire by a young woman in flip-flops and shorts.
"The charcoal fire is the key," Sam explains. "This is the best in the city because of the way they cook the noodles."
We order the Super Special with Egg and Prawns for a whopping 70 baht - roughly $2 Cdn - and it's served with bean sprouts, green onions, limes and something unexpected: banana flowers. This bitter garnish tastes like Lily of the Valley and helps combat spice and heat. The pad Thai arrives plain and we are expected to customize it individually with chilies, sugar, peanuts, fish sauce and vinegar.
Sam didn't lie.
The noodles are so soft it's like eating a mouthful of butter. Mid-meal, a cat chases something up and down the aisles, but nobody seems to care. There's even an elderly man snoring in the back, shifting every few seconds to follow the cool breeze from a rotating fan. Our driver admits that it's the best he's had in Bangkok before shyly vanishing across the street. I have to agree.
The most rewarding meals in Thailand are usually small and simple. There are chicken/pork noodle soup and iced Thai tea stalls on nearly every block in Bangkok-and it's in these places that you really get to know the city and the people who live here.
On the way back to the airport, I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment, the same kind you have when you meet an old ex again for the first time in years.
I've grown up and so has Bangkok - the skyline is dotted with construction cranes and new buildings and communities have sprung up everywhere, rendering parts of the city virtually unrecognizable.
Sure, I'll eat anything nowadays, but I still feel like I'm about to return home, hungry for more.
Read more at http://www.canada.com/travel/Eating+your+through+streets+Bangkok/5883093/story.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Sweet and spicy flavours - often combined - are the specialty, from pad Thai to suckling pig.
Bangkok is like your favourite e the one you carry a secret torch for, the one that could have been - should have been - the best thing that ever happened to you and was wrong for all the right reasons.
It's a city that you can feel against your skin, taste on your lips. Your clothes still reek of it weeks later when you return home. You'll smell it on your suit coat driving into work or when you open your wallet at the corner store to buy a litre of milk.
The moment I leave Suvarnabhumi Airport, it all comes rushing back to me. Everywhere I look during the drive into the city, people are eating. A girl dangling helmetless off the back of a scooter feasts on fried rice out of a Styrofoam container. A young mother and her son sip cola out of plastic bags with straws. A taxi driver alternates between smoking and gnawing on pineapple chunks.
Four years ago when I first came to the Kingdom of Siam, the food here was a gut-wrenching spicefest. All sweat and tears. Let's just say that I've come back to get my fill. Thais eat up to eight meals a day and I plan to do the same.
Before my flight, chef Angus An of Maenam fame in Vancouver made me promise to visit Nahm at the Metropolitan Hotel on my first night in Bangkok. David Thompson is expecting you, he told me. These five simple words will prove to be the blueprint for a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience.
Bangkok rush hour, 30-minute traffic jams at every intersection, forgetting to ask the concierge at the VIE Hotel to write down the restaurant address in Thai - this is exactly what not to do on your first night in Bangkok, but our pilgrimage to Nahm is worth it.
In London, Thompson runs the first Thai restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star. He has been both praised and skewered as the Westerner who had enough cajones to open a Thai restaurant (also named Nahm) in Bangkok.
"When I first came here in the 1980s, Thai cuisine had become a take-away culture," he tells my business partner Steve and I during a behind-the-scenes tour of his kitchen. "You would never eat it in a fine-dining environment."
Even though he's reluctant to talk about it, halfway through dinner, it's clear that Thompson is an expert at isolating the key flavours of traditional Thai dishes and combining them with surprising new textures.
His spicy pork with mint, peanuts and crunchy rice on betel leaves is the ideal example of this - the crunch of the leaf and rice and the play between mint and spice is sublime.
His blue crab coconut curry juggles sweetness and eye-watering heat perfectly.
Thompson brings us a durian rice pudding to close our meal.
"You'll either love durian or hate it," he says.
I tell Thompson about a poet I know who wrote a series of odes to the fruit - she couldn't get enough - and then tell him that his pudding tastes like someone shat in the middle of a smoking lounge.
"Your friend, she sounds like my kind of poet," he laughs.
After dinner, Thompson joins us for a few bottles of wine on his poolside terrace. He is more comfortable joking about politics and staying out until 9 a.m. than he is talking about food. He loves what he does and lets his cooking speak for itself - in other words, the perfect chef.
He suggests we visit the twisting Yaowarat Road in Chinatown tomorrow night to "eat in the dragon's belly."
The following evening, Bangkok smells like an overripe papaya slowly roasting over a charcoal fire. The city is on edge. This is the day the flood water is supposed to break through the levies and consume downtown Bangkok. Sandbags line the fronts of businesses and the tourist districts are deserted.
Bangkok's Chinatown is located in a low-lying district close to the Chao Phraya River and Hua Lamphong Station, the end of underground MRT subway line.
We are repetitively warned by wellmeaning locals to stay away from this part of the city, but the temptation is too high.
We catch a cab, expecting to find empty streets submerged under waistdeep water.
Instead, we find a three-ringed circus of food carts and curbside diners divided down the middle by an unrelenting cacophony of honking cars and scooters. During the resettlement of the Chinese community to this district in the late 1700s, Yaowarat Road was built in a series of twists and curves - like a dragon's body. The vendors fight to sell here because they believe it will make them rich.
It's a dizzying crush of bodies and smells, the complete antithesis of North American dining culture.
Corner barbecue huts offer traditional Chinese and Thai delicacies - from bird's-nest and shark fin soup to pepper blue crab and chestnuts handcooked in steaming vats of black sand. Space here is at a premium. Long common tables are packed elbow to elbow with friends, strangers and entire families, and it's legal to drink open liquor on the street.
Our final destination is Tang Jai Yoo, a restaurant at the intersection of Yaowarat and Yaowa Phanit. Its signature dish is roast suckling pig, which to me represents the kind of gluttony and gastronomic excess I've dreamed of since I was boy. After all, who in their right mind would settle for a mere pork chop in place of the whole pig?
This dish is served in two courses, beginning with the roasted skin sectioned off into two-inch squares and the fat removed. Served with green onion, cucumber, hoisin sauce and flatbread, you can opt to make crispy pork skin tortillas or try crunching on the cartilage and soft skin from the ears, nose and feet.
When finished, we asked the kitchen to deep fry the moist meat and bones with garlic and black pepper. The end result is similar to pub-style dry ribs - make sure to have this last course with a local beer.
On our final day in the city, we have enlisted a Thai guide, Sam Doungpraton, and a driver under the guise of a city tour, though we really just want them to take us out for lunch. We ask them to take us to the best street pad Thai in Bangkok. It's the one Thai dish that every westerner knows, but Sam tells us that it didn't become popular locally until the 1930s or '40s.
He takes us to Pha Tu Pee, a fourtable open-air restaurant next to Wat Saket in the Pom Prap Sattru Phai district.
After parking the car, our driver asks Sam if it's okay to join us. Sam translates, "He has heard of this restaurant from friends and has always wanted to try it."
The pad Thai is prepared out front over a charcoal fire by a young woman in flip-flops and shorts.
"The charcoal fire is the key," Sam explains. "This is the best in the city because of the way they cook the noodles."
We order the Super Special with Egg and Prawns for a whopping 70 baht - roughly $2 Cdn - and it's served with bean sprouts, green onions, limes and something unexpected: banana flowers. This bitter garnish tastes like Lily of the Valley and helps combat spice and heat. The pad Thai arrives plain and we are expected to customize it individually with chilies, sugar, peanuts, fish sauce and vinegar.
Sam didn't lie.
The noodles are so soft it's like eating a mouthful of butter. Mid-meal, a cat chases something up and down the aisles, but nobody seems to care. There's even an elderly man snoring in the back, shifting every few seconds to follow the cool breeze from a rotating fan. Our driver admits that it's the best he's had in Bangkok before shyly vanishing across the street. I have to agree.
The most rewarding meals in Thailand are usually small and simple. There are chicken/pork noodle soup and iced Thai tea stalls on nearly every block in Bangkok-and it's in these places that you really get to know the city and the people who live here.
On the way back to the airport, I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment, the same kind you have when you meet an old ex again for the first time in years.
I've grown up and so has Bangkok - the skyline is dotted with construction cranes and new buildings and communities have sprung up everywhere, rendering parts of the city virtually unrecognizable.
Sure, I'll eat anything nowadays, but I still feel like I'm about to return home, hungry for more.
Read more at http://www.canada.com/travel/Eating+your+through+streets+Bangkok/5883093/story.html
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thai Education An Escalating Problem
Thai Education An Escalating Problem.
You might think that three years in kindergarten, 12 years in school and four years in university would teach all the basics needed for daily life. If not, then your parents should have helped bridge any missing gaps in your knowledge. Apparently however, neither the education system nor many parents teach children about some important manners. It might sound like a trivial thing, but for a society in which department stores are everyone's second home, escalator etiquette is important.
According to my parents (blame them if I'm wrong, not me), Bangkok's first escalator was installed at the Thai Daimaru Department Store, back when my mother was still a primary school student. It was a big thing at the time and lots of people went there just to try the escalator. Almost 50 years later however, many still aren't even aware that there's such thing as escalator etiquette. You just stand on one step, wait until it goes to the end, and leave. Simple, right?
From my own experience, a lot of problems can occur during that 30 second ride. I can't remember where I learned this, but I've always known that on escalators, you stand on the right and walk on the left. I've also learned that many people don't know or simply don't care about basic escalator etiquette; that couples will stand side by side, blocking two of the escalator's invisible "lanes".
Groups of friends crowd the steps and refuse to break up their cluster, so everyone behind them has to wait.
Another thing, which is more common sense than etiquette, is when you reach the end of the escalator, you don't stop. In real life, however, a lot of people go blank and stand at the end of the escalator, causing a domino effect behind them. As crazy as this sounds, there are actually a lot of "reasons" for people to stand still when the ride on the escalator ends. One example, is when I was going down the escalator at a BTS station and the national anthem began to play. A man in front of me, showing his devoted love for his nation, stood still from the start to the end of the song. Yes, when that song plays, you should stand still, but at the end of a moving, jam-packed escalator?
Some children, left unattended by their parents, also use escalators at department stores as treadmills, running in the opposite direction to the one the escalator is going. This one goes up? Well, I want to go down and see if I can make it to the other side! And of course, along the way, these little sprinters bump into innocent people standing on the narrow, moving steep steps. One push is all it takes for someone to lose balance and fall all the way down.
There are also other basics that everyone should know, such as strollers are not allowed on escalators. My own son almost tumbled out of his once, and that's how I learned.
Don't wear miniskirts if you know you will be using an escalator, because the person behind might not want a sneak preview of your yellowing underwear. Please don't grope your boyfriend/girlfriend because everyone else on the escalator will be forced to either watch you or jump off.
It would be ridiculous for schools to have escalator etiquette courses, considering most don't have an escalator for demonstration. However, since so many children grow up in malls these days, it would be good if their parents would teach them how to use an escalator properly.
That's if the teachers and parents are even aware of escalator etiquette themselves.
Read more at http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/280796/an-escalating-problem
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
You might think that three years in kindergarten, 12 years in school and four years in university would teach all the basics needed for daily life. If not, then your parents should have helped bridge any missing gaps in your knowledge. Apparently however, neither the education system nor many parents teach children about some important manners. It might sound like a trivial thing, but for a society in which department stores are everyone's second home, escalator etiquette is important.
According to my parents (blame them if I'm wrong, not me), Bangkok's first escalator was installed at the Thai Daimaru Department Store, back when my mother was still a primary school student. It was a big thing at the time and lots of people went there just to try the escalator. Almost 50 years later however, many still aren't even aware that there's such thing as escalator etiquette. You just stand on one step, wait until it goes to the end, and leave. Simple, right?
From my own experience, a lot of problems can occur during that 30 second ride. I can't remember where I learned this, but I've always known that on escalators, you stand on the right and walk on the left. I've also learned that many people don't know or simply don't care about basic escalator etiquette; that couples will stand side by side, blocking two of the escalator's invisible "lanes".
Groups of friends crowd the steps and refuse to break up their cluster, so everyone behind them has to wait.
Another thing, which is more common sense than etiquette, is when you reach the end of the escalator, you don't stop. In real life, however, a lot of people go blank and stand at the end of the escalator, causing a domino effect behind them. As crazy as this sounds, there are actually a lot of "reasons" for people to stand still when the ride on the escalator ends. One example, is when I was going down the escalator at a BTS station and the national anthem began to play. A man in front of me, showing his devoted love for his nation, stood still from the start to the end of the song. Yes, when that song plays, you should stand still, but at the end of a moving, jam-packed escalator?
Some children, left unattended by their parents, also use escalators at department stores as treadmills, running in the opposite direction to the one the escalator is going. This one goes up? Well, I want to go down and see if I can make it to the other side! And of course, along the way, these little sprinters bump into innocent people standing on the narrow, moving steep steps. One push is all it takes for someone to lose balance and fall all the way down.
There are also other basics that everyone should know, such as strollers are not allowed on escalators. My own son almost tumbled out of his once, and that's how I learned.
Don't wear miniskirts if you know you will be using an escalator, because the person behind might not want a sneak preview of your yellowing underwear. Please don't grope your boyfriend/girlfriend because everyone else on the escalator will be forced to either watch you or jump off.
It would be ridiculous for schools to have escalator etiquette courses, considering most don't have an escalator for demonstration. However, since so many children grow up in malls these days, it would be good if their parents would teach them how to use an escalator properly.
That's if the teachers and parents are even aware of escalator etiquette themselves.
Read more at http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/280796/an-escalating-problem
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Apple Approaches Thai Education Ministry
Apple approaches Thai Education Ministry. Educational Technology.
Computer giant Apple has expressed interest in making a deal to supply its tablet computers to the Education Ministry for use in Thai schools.
A delegation from Apple Inc met Education Minister Woravat Au-apinyakul on Monday and proposed that its products could benefit the ministry's student tablet project.
The minister said Apple and his ministry would form a working group to test how Apple products could serve the project. If the test proved positive, the ministry would be interested, despite the high prices. If not, the ministry would choose an Android operating system, Mr Woravat said.
"What is needed today is technology that can be really applied. We are not buying devices because all of them are the same...
Read more at http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/267253/apple-inc-approaches-thai-education-ministry
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Computer giant Apple has expressed interest in making a deal to supply its tablet computers to the Education Ministry for use in Thai schools.
A delegation from Apple Inc met Education Minister Woravat Au-apinyakul on Monday and proposed that its products could benefit the ministry's student tablet project.
The minister said Apple and his ministry would form a working group to test how Apple products could serve the project. If the test proved positive, the ministry would be interested, despite the high prices. If not, the ministry would choose an Android operating system, Mr Woravat said.
"What is needed today is technology that can be really applied. We are not buying devices because all of them are the same...
Read more at http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/267253/apple-inc-approaches-thai-education-ministry
http://www.languagecorpsasia.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)