Thailand. Visakha Bucha Day Pictures. Buddha Day.

Today we celebrated Visakha Bucha Day here in Isaan country Thailand. We didn’t go to the morning ceremony as my girlfriend Noot didn’t want to get out of bed early today. So we traveled this evening to the village and went to the temple for the ceremony or service.
I explained in a brief overview about Visakha Bucha Day in a previous post that you can view here http://isaanstyle.blogspot.com/2007/05/thailand-visakha-bucha-day-buddhas.html

We arrived at the village around 6pm and then it was the usual sitting around and watching kids playing and life unfolding in an Isaan village. I have a lot of photos to post over the coming days but will take a little time as there are a few blogs in them all.

This morning we bought some fish and brought them home and added them to our fish tanks. This is a symbol of freeing people who are trapped, imprisoned, or tortured against their will. Usually people release these animals into the wild but these fish are going to be really well cared for here at home and spoiled. It’s much nicer than the fish tanks at the fish shop.

Tonight we started the ceremony by lighting candles and putting them on the fence out the front of my family’s house on the fence in the village. This is a symbolic gesture to show that everything starts with life but eventual dies just like human existence. We are born, grow old and then die. Like the candle burns and then goes out.

(Noot, sister Benjawan and friend with our candles)

(A neighbour and their candles)
(My beautiful girl with our flower offerings)

Tonight the ceremony was meant to start at 7pm but because and elderly person had died today the monks from the village were attending the house for the blessing of the body and spirit and only 1 monk was able to arrive back at the village by 8pm, an hour late to start the ceremony.

There were around 50-60 people at the temple and mostly were elderly women and young girls. The older men were nowhere to be seen and the young boys don’t attend these ceremonies unless it involves drinking and dancing.

(The elder women at the front of the temple)

The elder women of the village sat at the front of the temple looking and helped lead the chants (prayers). The younger people sat towards the back. Young children ran around and played and yelled and light firecrackers outside. Dogs roamed around inside the temple as well and no one really cared they just kept on chanting.

(Looking from the back of the temple)

(Young kids running amok)

(Noot and some younger girls sittiing and praying with the monk)

I will post more tomorrow and more pictures of the ceremony and descriptions but for now I must go to bed. It’s nearly midnight 11:56 pm and I have to work tomorrow and I have a busy day. So goodnight to my readers and there will be more tomorrow. Brunty

Thailand. Travel Warnings. Stay Away from Protests.

A rally was organized by a satellite TV station started in Bangkok today at around 4:30pm. The rally started at The Royal Plaza but police stopped the people from using this area and they moved onto Suan Missakawan (garden).

About 400 people took part in the protest and around 150 police, bomb squad and and police dogs were deployed to watch the crowd. Protesters who wanted to join had to walk into the area as it had been cordoned off by the police.

A small skirmish happened sometime later in the evening with police it has been reported with young men who were protesting trying to remove the barricades and then threw water bottles at the police for around 10 minutes. Both sides then retreated from the barricades. There were no injuries reported thankfully.

This could be a sign of what is to come in the future but hopefully not. You should be safe in Bangkok as long as you stay away from any protest areas. Well that’s what I believe. Brunty

Story here http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30035682

Thailand. Visakha Bucha Day. Buddha's Birthday or Buddha Day

This is a very brief overview of this important Buddhist holiday.

This is meant to be the most holy time in the Buddhist calendar. It’s celebrated on the full moon in May or in June in leap year. On this day Buddhists from all over the world celebrate but some at different times. In India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia celebrated on the 2nd of this year and Thailand and Singapore on the 31st.

Buddhists all over the world commemorate traditions: The birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Gautama Buddha. In the morning usually before dawn Buddhists gather at their local temples and make offerings of flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at the feet of their teacher.

These offerings are meant to show that life comes in a cycle life to death. Such as flowers wither and die, candles and joss sticks burn out. Just like the human body that grows old and frail and eventually dies.

Also on this day people are encouraged not to kill anything and be vegetarian for the day, many people go to pet shops and buy fish, turtles, insects and birds and many other kinds of animals to release back into the wild to be free. This is seen as a symbolic gesture of freedom to those who are in captivity, imprisoned, or tortured against their will.

Now the important rules to follow for being a good Buddhist are:

“The Eight Precepts:"
1. Not to kill
2. Not to steal
3. Not to engage in improper sexual activity
4. Not to indulge in wrong speech
5. Not to take intoxicating drinks and drugs
6. To abstain from taking food at unreasonable times
7. To refrain from sensual pleasures such as dancing, singing a self- adornment
8. To refrain from using high and luxurious seats in order to practice humility.

(Sadly many Thais do not follow these principals.)

Buddhists listen to monks give sermons (talks) that were uttered by the Buddha 25 centuries ago. This day is also meant to bring fortune for the less fortunate as in the handicapped, aged and sick by giving gifts usually money to charities.

Tradition ascribes to the Buddha himself instruction on how to pay him homage. Just before he died, he saw his attendant Ananda, weeping. The Buddha advised him not to cry, but to understand the universal law that all compounded things (including even his own body) must disintegrate.

I have seen this sadly through my own eyes with the death of my girlfriend’s father. Yes, there were tears for a few hours of the initial shock and then everyone seemed to go about everyday life and the wake and funeral became a celebration of his passing and not a sad mournful mourning.

Buddha also stressed that the way to pay homage to him was not merely by offering flowers, incense, and lights (this is why you always see chritmas style lights draped over the coffin during the wake) , but by truly and sincerely striving to follow his teachings. This is how devotees are expected to celebrate Vesak: to use the opportunity to reiterate their determination to lead noble lives, to develop their minds, to practise loving-kindness and to bring peace and harmony to humanity.

Again this is a brief outline or the holiday and there is so much more involved. Brunty

Tomorrow I hope to post pictures of the ceremony but it will depend on the time I arrive home from the village.

Thailand. Now I Have Seen it All. Where is the Motorbike?

I really have seen it all now, hang on. That’s probably not true as this is Thailand and anything is possible.

I came across this picture when surfing some blogs and newspapers on the internet. Now I have seen many motorbikes that are overloaded to a point that I don’t know how the person can ride or control it.

I mean it’s common that there are 3 to 5 people on 1 motorbike. You see 3 teenagers with no helmets as they aren’t cool, mum and dad and 3 children heading home from the market after buying the groceries, 2 teenage girls doing 60klms plus an hour while both are talking on their telephones. These are normal everyday things.

Then there is this. This is a mobile motorbike shop that I have never seen like before. I see the mobile food motorbikes but this one takes the cake and by a long way.

I don’t know how the motorbike doesn’t fall over each time she stops to serve someone and what would happen if it was a little windy? Well this is Thailand and anything is possible! Brunty

Thailand. More Showers in Far North East Thailand. And Noisy Frogs

We have had more afternoon showers today so that's around 5 days in a row. Nothing really heavy just constant rain. The frogs are in full voice at the moment and will probably continue well into the night. Thankfully, now I can ignore them and only when there is one right outside our bedroom window will I venture outside to try and move him on.

I recorded the noisy little pests tonight and they actually sound like they are harmonising together. You can listen to them here and maybe it will help you go to sleep if you are having any problems in this area. http://blip.tv/file/246117/
Brunty.

Thailand. Crazy Roosters in Isaan Country. Cannot Tell the Time.

This morning I was rudely awoken by a loud banging at my door. Usually I get up between 6:30-6:45 am but this morning I had to rise at 5:45 am because of a horrible and irritating friend of mine.

I have been having a running battle with this friend for over a year and many times I have had to open my front door and throw shoes and sandals at him to make him go away.

My friend is a stupid rooster that likes to have cockfights with his reflection in my heavily tinted front doors. He hits the glass doors so hard with his beak when pecking at his reflection it has to hurt. He puffs up his feathers and then leaps up off the ground with his feet trying to rip his reflection apart.

This stupid animal after all this time still doesn’t realize this and wants to protect his turf and harem of 2 lady chickens. I have lost count of how many times I have been woken up by him and the amount of shoes that have nearly taken his head off. I have videoed him and you can see here. http://blip.tv/file/215117/

Why haven’t I chopped his head off you ask? Well, it must be because I am a really big softy and maybe also that I am a really lousy shot with a shoe. I really hope he doesn’t start again tomorrow as he could be in for a quick scanter around the yard with a very big and angry farang in chase with a broom in hand. Brunty

Thailand. Weird News Story. Man Threatens to Post Nude Pictures of School Girl.

Now this weird case takes place from Phuket. A Swiss man who apparently is an entrepreneur but who must also have been lonely was surfing the internet and speaking to Thai ladies in chat rooms. He found a lady in a chat room and after flirting with her offered to pay her school tuition fees and also fly her to Phuket. The catch! He wanted naked photos of her. Now this obviously rang little bells in her head and flashed dollar signs in her eyes as she must have sent them to him.

It doesn’t actually say this in the article but she has gone to the Paweena Foundation for Children and Women after he threatened to post the pictures on the internet after she refused to go out with him.

So she has obviously taken his money and when it was time to go and meet him in person she pulled the pin, the problem was he had pictures of her.

Now they are both not very smart. Firstly he is meant to be an entrepreneur and if he is living in Phuket I am sure there are more than enough ladies there who would be willing to relieve him of his money.

Secondly she is a fool for sending him the pictures and then trying to get out of their little arrangement. Thais say karma is strong and here it looks like both of them are getting a good dose of it.
Brunty

Thailand. Stay Away from Bangkok the Next few Days.

I would strongly advise anyone in Bangkok or thinking of travelling to Bangkok over the next few days (30th-31st of May) to stay well away from any areas were protesters are gathering to hear the verdicts of the 2 major political parties dissolution cases. Australian, British, Canadian, French, Japanese and US embassies have all updated their travel warnings because of the unknown events that will unfold after the verdict.

The Thai government will have some 13,000 men from the armed forces and the police to prevent unrest and the movement of mobs from the countryside to Bangkok. "Mobs" must be the Far North East and Northern Thai people they are referring to. For a democratic country where people are supposedly allowed to express their opinions it's not true.

If I was in Bangkok I would not be there tomorrow, I would take a trip out of the city for the day and watch what happens somewhere safe. Again hopefully nothing happens and everyone returns home safely after the verdicts.

I for one tomorrow will be watching not that it affects me but for Thailand as if it does get out of control tomorrow with all that has happened in Thailand since the coup on September 19 2006 we could be looking at the same happening again and that would be farcical in western eyes. Brunty.

Thailand. Two Young Children Killed in Southern Violence.

It doesn’t affect Isaan as it is so peaceful here and the level of crime is miniscule compared to our Southern neighbors. It’s so sad that the international community don’t really seem to care and also the Thai government as well.

So many innocent young people are dying by these terrorists in the south. The Thais and Muslims really need to work this out and stop killing 2 and 8 year old children.

4 people died in a bomb blast in Thailand’s restive south and 2 of the victims are from above 2 and 8 year old girls. Now the death toll for this stupid fight is 2,200 plus people. It wouldn’t worry me so much if it was political targets they were attacking but innocent kids and people is inexcusable.

I know that this is happening all throughout the world and isn’t an isolated incident, it’s just happening in the beautiful country I am calling home at the moment and I personally believe not enough is being done.

I know for sure if this situation was happening in Australia even the useless government at this time (Mr. John Howard and his liberal cronies) would be able to put a stop to it.

Hopefully the new elections brings a new government and also new hope for the southern Thais and Muslims but sadly this is still months away. Brunty.

Story here http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/05/28/headlines/headlines_30035407.php

Another Rainy Afternoon in Isaan Country.

Well it is raining again something that's common now. It hasn't been the torrential downpours that we do get more just light steady rain. I like it like this as it cools the nights down and make them very enjoyable for sleeping. The only real pain is the non stop croaking of frogs that continue throughout the night, just like right now as I am writing this. I don't mind them too much it's only every now and then you get a Pavarotti Tenor croaking at the top of his voice right outside the bedroom window. Last year I remember going out looking for such a culprit but every time you got near the area, of course it stopped croaking. Five minutes later when you are back in bed it would start again. I am sure they have a sense of humour and are sitting around with fellow frog friends laughing with each other at the big farang with the flash light (torch) and a piece of bamboo searching for them

The air conditioner hasn't been used much this last month maybe 3 or 4 times. When I go to work and the other teachers have the air conditioners blasting I have to sit around with a jacket on as it's freezing. I have lived in very tropical climates for around the last 19 years. So the weather here in Isaan country Thailand is much the same. Yes, I feel the heat in summer but not many people wouldn't; but now it's very pleasant.

I am looking forward to a holiday on Thursday even though I have only been back at work for 2 weeks. I am going out to my girlfriend's village for a ceremony and then playing golf in the afternoon. So I will have photos and I will also explain what the ceremony is for (At the moment I haven't enquired too much).

Apart from this Isaan is being Isaan. Very quiet and peaceful.

Thailand. Another Tuff and Stressful Day in Paradise.

Every Saturday and Sunday I go to a friends business. He has an two curriculum schools and I teach for him 1 hour each day. Today I was making my way there and had to stop at a traffic light as it just changed. I was maneuvering through the cars to get to the front of the line of cars.
(My friends school)

I was approaching an old looking pick up truck that had about 10 people in it. It was the usual mix of 3 elderly looking grandparents a middle aged lady, 2 younger girls around early 20’s and 4 or 5 kids. The middle aged lady’s eyes met mine and she immediately said to the others “Look a farang” heads started to turn and gawk at me. I mean I am sure they have all seen foreigners before but Thais villagers always seem to think that we are an attraction for some reason.

I had to pull up next to the pick up truck and the little boys and girl’s faces had huge smiles and eyes wide open. One young boy around 8-9 years old said to his mum in Isaan (a Lao/Thai language) Ask the foreigner where he is from. I told him Australia and they all bust out laughing thinking it was so funny I answered his question. A young girl then asked my name also in Isaan and when I said Jason there was a chorus of them trying to repeat my name. I asked the girl what her name was and she was to busy laughing to answer. The small boy reached out and touched my arm and so did the young girl as if I was from another planet.
(In Isaan 2 in the front and as many as you can fit in the back)

One of the young 20-25 year old girls was jaw dropping and breathtakingly beautiful and she looked so shy. She was bright red for some reason and it couldn’t have been sunburn as Thais don’t really burn but I knew the reason as the mum had told her to ask if I had a girlfriend. I replied that I had many but then said I was joking and again they all roared out laughing. The lights had changed and I had to go and they were saying that I spoke Thai/Isaan well (only very basic) and the young boy reached out again and I shook his hand and I putted off to my job.

This all took place in 60-90 seconds at the main road intersection that goes to the airport and continues through the city. This really made my day and it just reinforces the respect I have for Isaan villagers. They are amazing.

This afternoon after I had finished teaching it was off to Nong Bua Park to run a few laps and my girlfriend does aerobics. Well today we were there for about half an hour and then some really dark clouds started blowing in and you could hear the thunder and see the flashes of lightning. This is very common around this time of year. Most afternoons we have late storms. We stayed for another 10 minutes and then decided to go home as it looked like it was going to rain cats and dogs.
(Nong Bua Park. My little Haven)

We got home and 5 minutes later it started to pour and the thunder was deafening. The sky was pitch black and the wind was blowing from everywhere. My girlfriend is petrified of lightning as when she was really young and lived in a Village on the Mekong River near Khong Chiam a lady suffered really bad burns when lightning struck her house and it went through the house and blew an electric fan apart next to where the lady was sitting. She is middle aged now and her face and arms look horrible with scars from the burns.

So when there is a lot of lightning and thunder Noot will be about 1 foot away from me. She shuts down all the electrical appliances (the first time she did this I thought and told her she was insane). She has got a little better but like right now she is in the bedroom with me while I am on the computer on the bed watching Thai TV which I really hate (I want to watch the AFL football) and she won’t go out into the living room as she is by herself out there and there is lightning and thunder still rumbling and flashing about.



This is what I am expecting for the next 6-8 weeks or longer with many of these storms and sometimes rain that comes down in buckets loads and maybe if I am lucky the odd flood that might close the school for a day or two but this is wishful thinking.

I love Isaan country. Brunty

Thailand. May 30th Judgement Day. Political Party Dissolution Rulings.

Coming on Wednesday the 30th of May 2007 is another judgment day for Thailand. On this day there will be announcements on the rulings in electoral fraud cases from the last democratic elections.

2 major political parties are facing dissolution, and many Thai people are worried that this is a forgone conclusion and the decision has already been made by the current Junta government.

Many people are predicting trouble for the 30th of May believing which ever way the ruling comes for these political parties there could be chaos. It has been so worrying that even His Majesty the King of Thailand addressed Supreme Administrative Court judges to express his Majesty’s concern and even said he believed that their was going to be trouble no matter the ruling.

People who are loyal to the former Prime Minister Thaksin are expected in huge numbers in Bangkok on Wednesday for the decision. One anti coup group vowed Saturday to hold a mass rally at Sanam Luang to wait to hear the electoral fraud cases' rulings on May 30th and warned a political upheaval could take place if the two major parties are dissolved. He said even if only the party leaders and certain executives and banned from politics, their supporters would not accept it and would definitely cause trouble. Now these words “definitely cause trouble” are very worrying to me as a lot of the Thai people would be following the leader and it could get very ugly in Bangkok on Wednesday.

Suchai said his group would distribute 70,000 Jatukham talismans to draw people to join the rally. These Buddha amulets have been scene of chaos lately with their rumored power they posses and have caused horrible scenes in places where being released and even some people deaths when people were crushed or stomped to death when over zealous people rushed to purchase them. Story here http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30035266

The current Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has said he doesn’t believe there will be any problems on Wednesday. He also said there would be no violence and that numbers of protesters would not exceed 100,000 people. I would be happy if this is true that it pans out this way and I am sure the government have set up many roadside checkpoints like I have already read about, where officials are stopping any elders from Thailand’s North and North East rural villages and not permitting them to travel to Bangkok by confiscating the cars they are traveling in but many are continuing on foot or by other means I have read. Mr. Surayud has said he spoke to rural Thai’s and Bangkokians and they have expressed they will take the decision peacefully and this I hope is true. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30035259

So come Wednesday all eyes are going to be on the televisions, internet and radios as all are carrying live telecasts of the decisions. I will be watching with wide eyes and praying that all is peaceful no matter the decision and that the Thai people listen to their very wise King.

The decision will not affect me but will affect the Thai people and the fairness of the upcoming elections and I would hate to see naive people caught up in the political problems they don’t really understand. Brunty.

Massive Wild Boar Shot in USA.

I have never seen a wild boar anywhere near this size. When I was younger I used to go shooting or pigging in Australia around a place called Mildura and Renmark with a friend of mine Paul Hatten.

All the pigs we seen or shot were not even close to quarter of this thing. It weighed 467 kilograms and measured 2.74 meters from snout to its tail. I used to get excited if we seen something around 60 plus kilos and thought this was big.

The young 11 year old who shot the boar put 8 .50 caliber bullets into it and chased it for 3 hours before finally putting it to rest. Man the kid has to have some big balls. I have seen angry pigs and they are scary. Much braver than I. Brunty.

Thailand. Sometimes you Forget How Great you Have It.

It’s amazing how you can forget how good your life is sometimes. I mean I have been getting so angry over what is happening in Thailand with the government doing a bad job running the country and the stupid censorship laws and the continued deaths of innocent people in the South of Thailand.

This isn’t my country but it does annoy me as I love the Thai people and especially Isaan people where I live. I am so happy here in Isaan in Ubon Ratchathani as it is to me the best place in Thailand. So many Thai city people speak bad about Isaan people calling them “country bumpkins” which when said in Thai is a rude or a derogatory term. The thing is I have so much more respect for the people here in Isaan than the Thai’s of the South.

The people are the nicest I have met anywhere I have traveled in the world and 99% of them are genuine not like the South Thai’s who are out to make a dollar no matter how.

My life is great here in Thailand in Isaan. I make good money and live so cheaply. I have everything I need that a city has but even though I live in a very big city it’s more like a country town. There are so many places to escape that are close by if needed to do so. I am never angry when I am outside in Ubon it’s only when I am sitting at the computer reading about the silly things happening in Bangkok that gets me annoyed. As soon as I walk out my front door I am fine and feel great.

I can buy the freshest vegetables and fruit from the local market and so cheap, much better quality and a lot cheaper than in Australia.

When I go to the supermarket I don’t walk out feeling like I have been robbed blind but thinking I have robbed them.




I

I can watch all the sporting programmes I like. AFL, rugby league, rugby union, golf, football and the list goes on and on. Movies channels, documentaries and the Aussie news every night. Back in Australia I was paying over $100 Australian dollars for this sort of thing but here in Isaan I pay 350 baht a month ($12.50) for 2 separate stations, one in the living room and one in the bedroom. This is cheap. 5 AFL games a weekend and 2 are shown 30 minutes delayed. Tonight I watched the rugby union live between Australia and Wales and now I am sitting and watching my beloved Collingwood Football Club play Brisbane Lions.

My rent for my house is an insane 4,000 baht a month ($142). It was 4,500 but I complained as I said I had seen some really nice places for this price so they dropped it 500 baht. All up with power, water, internet and cable TV around 6,500 baht a month ($232 Aus). I was paying $450 Aus dollars a week just for my house on the Gold Coast in Australia.

I bought a motorcycle 2 years ago for 24,000 baht ($857 Aus) and it has ran like a dream all that time with not a problem except for the odd flat tire which is 80 baht ($2.80) for a new tube or 15-20 baht ($0.53-0.72 cents) for a patch. A service at my local mechanic is 80 ($2.80) baht so I take it to him every month I am sure he thinks I am insane.

All these positives are here for me but sometimes I have blinkers on and forget all these great . I get angry over what affects the Thai people and not me, so maybe I am thinking too Thai or becoming too Thai. This is what the Isaan people do to you, they make you care!

If I was offered big money to go to Bangkok to work, would I go? Not a chance in the world. I would go to another country or even return home to Australia before that. I could not live in the city of concrete and mayhem. It would drive me insane I am sure. I have always had country blood in me even though I have mostly lived in large overpopulated cities the last 12-15 years and that was mostly for the chase of good money that was on offer.

So it’s Isaan for me. I am going to think about all the great things going on in my life here and every time I read about something that irritates me. I will take a deep breathe and count to ten then go out and look at the big smiles on the Isaan peoples faces which always makes me feel better. Brunty

Thailand. Have to be Careful on my Comments

I have been warned by a very smart friend of mine to be very careful of what I post on my blog. He is worried as we all know what Thai government and MTIC are like and it wouldn't take a lot to make them angry and they deport me for some made up reason even though I really haven't done anything wrong.

I did get a little carried away, I forget that this isn't the USA, Australia or England where you can express your personal views about something. Democracy and freedom of speech are just words here and not really real.

So I have edited some of my posts and taken out the very harsh words that I wrote at the time when I was angry and tried to make it more politically correct. As my smart friend said I am only a visitor or guest in Thailand and it doesn't take a lot to get you deported. So until the elections are run and finished I will have to be a bit smarter, which is something I lack sometimes and my fingers just type what my stupid brain is thinking.

So I will censor my brain for awhile MTIC style and hopefully keep everything politically correct. Brunty.

Thailand. More Lies and More Lies.

It really is unbelievable. I called my Internet Service Provider today from school to ask why I still hadn't had someone call me about my Internet connection dropping out all the time. I was told they were very busy in Ubon Ratchathani and I asked why they were so busy when I am being told that there aren't any Internet problems in the area.

It's now coming up to 4 days since I first complained about the problem and tomorrow they are going to be in for a really big shock. I was hoping to go to their office today but I didn't get the chance because of a few things happening at work.

I also asked TOT why they had submitted to the MTIC of Thailand and blocked blogger. The lady asked for the website details and went away and then came back and said it hadn't been blocked. Bullsh*t! I cannot view my blog from my computer but when I use "Hide my ass" it comes up fine. So how the hell does that happen then. I asked her to make sure that the site hadn't been blocked again as I had read about TOT blocking it on an Internet forum and many people all over Thailand using TOT are having the same exact problem.

Again she went away and came back a minute later and said again that it hadn't been blocked by TOT. I am having real trouble understanding how she can say this. If I don't use Hide my ass I cannot view my blog but if I do, no worries. Man I hate people who lie. maybe someone can explain it to me!

So they can stick there Internet service in their butt and I am going to sign up with TT &T tomorrow. I tried to log into the MTIC website but it is only in Thai and my reading of Thai language isn't that good to understand where to go to write a comment abusing them for being incompetent fools but I will try tonight with the help of my lovely girlfriend.

It pisses me off as I have a few readers from Thailand and they wont be able to see my blog unless they use Hide my ass or another company the same. It will mean a drop in my traffic but not a lot as most of my readers are from out of the country and all across the world.

I do hope for a lot of the bloggers that somehow common sense prevails and they take the ban off all of blogger and only block the blogs they want to blog. These are the blogs I have read they wanted to ban as they were part of the radio stations that broadcast Taksin's voice last week.

saturdayvoice.no-ip.info
shoutmix.com/?saturday
www2.shoutmix.com/?saturday
satradio2.myvnc.com
satradio1myvnc.com
http://www.saturdayvoice.blogspot.com/

Thailand. Having a Really Bad Week.

When you think things cannot get any worse, they do somehow. My Internet connection has been going on and off for the last 4 or 5 days. Sometimes it's fine then other times it just drops out. My home phone works fine and I have checked again and again all the connections from the computer to ADSL modem and so forth but all to no luck.

I went to TOT my ISP provider and complained and they said they are going to ring me and send someone out to take a look but they have no technical problems. That was 2 days ago and no one has called and I rang them again tonight and spoke to someone in Bangkok who told me he would register the problem with Ubon Ratchathani TOT office. I informed him I had already done this 2 days ago and hadn't heard a thing. I was very polite to him as he is too far away to help me and this always happens in Thailand.

I wanted fly screens for my front doors of the house so we could leave them open and not have mosquitoes in the house everywhere. So I contacted a guy and he came around and measured everything and gave me a price which I bartered down a bit and then off he went. He returned 3 and a bit months later. I thought he had died or something but no this is just Thailand.

You go to Big C or Tesco and want to buy something be it electronic, clothing or anything else and you often see groups of workers together chatting away not even looking interested in helping a customers. I have been there when soccer games are on and 10-15 workers are crowded around the TV's watching and don't give a damn about the customers. I am serious about this, it's not a joke.

Thailand and customer service don't go hand in hand. I would go insane if a ran a business here and the people who worked for me would think I was insane when I started chewing their as* about sitting around doing nothing as this is a Thais favourite pastime at work.

So tomorrow this really "big Farang" is going to TOT tomorrow and I am not going to be a happy little camper and really give them a piece of my mind. I usually don't lose it to often in Thailand as it never does any good anyhow but it could be on the cards. I have been paying for their number package and lately it has sucked and the Internet has been slow. If a page doesn't start to download in around 3 seconds for me then I am an out click and gone. So I am going to research the other big ISP provider TT&T and look at closing this account at the end of this billing period and start afresh with the new company. It couldn't be any worse than now, I hope. Brunty.

Thailand. Angry Farang Loses it in Isaan Country.

Today I really lost it. First of all the idiots in the Thai government who are totally against free speech and democracy decided that a website being hosted on blogger.com was saying to many bad things against the government and has banned blogger.com being viewed in Thailand. I am lucky as this site is hosted from the USA and I can view and see my blog but my other blog about teaching here in Thailand is hosted by blogger and I cannot log on to view it. I can log in and post and view as a preview but anyone in Thailand wanting to view it cannot as it's under the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MCIT) banned list.

Apparently they are not happy with only a few certain blogs and ordered blogger banned so this has affected so many people with blogs about all different things. These fools really don't have a brain in their peanut shaped heads and for the gutless Internet Service Providers (ISP) they don't have to ban these sites as it is only a request but in 2006 the coup government threatened ISP with bandwidth restrictions and loss of licences, so many choose to conform to this form of bribery. The Thai government are really becoming a laughing stock to all western societies (sorry already have). Oh someone is expressing their views on how bad we are running the country and the terrible job we are doing and it's all true so shut them down.

Thankfully I have heard the government has announced a September election and hopefully it is not corrupted by the coup government and is fair and the people vote for who they want to run the country. The sad thing is any Tom, Dick or Harry with little or no intelligence could do a lot better job than the neanderthals that are running this country at the moment. If I could vote I would vote for a pink flying pig before someone endorsed by the current Prime Minister. Man sorry but I had to get that off my chest. Brunty

Isaan Country. Barn Nong Khai. Far North East Thailand.

Nong Khai in Isaan country here in Thailand is a very busy border town on the mighty Mekong River. It has really grown in size since a friendship bridge linking Thailand and Laos together was completed in 1994.

The bridge was funded by the Australian government at a cost of around $30 million US dollars. It spans 1,170 metres across the Mekong River and if you do drive across the bridge into Laos remember to follow the sign at the end of the bridge to drive on the right hand side in Laos as in Thailand we drive on the left.


There are many things to see in Nong Khai and you definitely need at least a one night stopover.

The main attraction in Nong Khai is a temple called “Sala Kaew Ku” or also known as Wat Khaek. It is full of strange but impressive Buddhist-Hindu statues. Some of these are over 20 metres in height. There is also sculpture that’s called the “Wheel of Life” which is meant to show the cycle of life.

Also the Buddha Luang Pho Phra Sai the areas most important Buddha is housed in the temple Wat Pho Chai. As usual there are many beautiful buildings in and around the town to see. Also there are the usual waterfalls to be seen at Phu Wua Wildlife Sanctuary.

There is a good Indo China market in the town with many things that can be found for a bargain with some good bartering skills. The native products of the area are hand woven textiles, wickerwork, silverware and more. There is a good level of English in the town as it has become a popular place to cross over into Vientiane.

There are plenty of places to stay from backpackers to very nice hotels and you don’t really have to book unless you are going there when the Fire Rocket Festival or Buddhist Lent Festivals are on and can be busy but even then you should find somewhere to stay.

Nong Khai is 615 kilometers from Bangkok and you can get there by Train, plane or bus.

It is definitely worth a trip and spending a day or two in the area and the people are really nice. I can never say it enough. No matter what you hear in Bangkok about Isaan people they are heads and tails above Bangkokians. Isaan people are the best. That’s a money back guarantee. Brunty.

Internet Connections Down in Ubon

Sorry to my readers as the Internet connection from my server TOT has been terrible the last few days and today I called them about it but they said that they have no technical problems. My As* they don't.

I am off to their office this afternoon to see them and if it isn't worked out I will cancel my subscription with them and go to TT&T. I am paying good money for the best Internet connection plan they have but lately it has been a joke.

The problem here in Thailand is that none of these companies ever seem to take the blame or really care what their customers think. Brunty

Thailand. Sleepy before the Storm. Isaan Girls Return Home.

Well things have been a little quiet the last few days. I have been very busy as I have gone back to work which is sad after having 8 weeks holiday. It's been a little humid the last couple of days but nothing too bad. It's been around the low 30's I would say.



Very soon we will come into our rainy season and if the Thai farmers and Isaan people are lucky that means lots of rain late in the afternoons and that continue through the evening. When it rains here in Ubon it really rains. Inches in hours and sometimes hours turns into days. My street flooded a few times last year and I couldn't get the motorbikes out as the water would have covered the engines. Luckily last year it happened on a weekend and on the Monday I managed to wheel my motorbike out of my street and up the road a little until I could start it and go to work.



Since last year new drainage has been put in and we had a good bit of rain the other week and the street didn't even have enough water to cover my feet so hopefully things will be fine.



Ubon has become a hive of activity again with students returning to the city after holidays from working in the cities. Each holiday season the university students go off in search of work to help pay for their tuition fees and also help with living expenses when they return to Ubon. Many University students like elsewhere throughout the world have to work part time jobs to make ends meet but also their parents help them when they can. Families in Isaan country are very loyal to each other and do as much as they can to help each other.

Children from Isaan support their parents by sending money home to the villages when they are working in the cities and sadly many young people don't get the chance to finish a university degree as they often have to leave school early in pursuit of work to help their families. This is why many young Isaan girls are found in Pattaya and Bangkok and people speak bad about Isaan girls but this is a very bad assumption.

Many Isaan people are very poor hard working farmers and they work their farms and make a very minimal wage and like most people have big debts so when their children are old enough to work they are sent off in the hope of finding a good paying job.

Many of the beuatiful Isaan girls end up in prostitution as it can pay extremely good money. The average wage in Isaan is around 4,500 baht per month and Isaan is know as a poor area of Thailand and people in Bangkok and other cities really look down on Isaan people. so when a girl can go to say Pattaya and earn up to and more than 30,000 baht a month then this is where they go. I have meet a few young girls who went to work in Pattaya and Bangkok when the were early 18-20 and did 1 or so years of prostitution and got out after making enough money but sadly many don't get out and get caught up in the ugly side of it.

They become obsessed with the money and all else that goes with it and then they become the girls you read about in so many blogs and posts on the Internet. Can I blame them? No, of course not. Anyone living the city lifestyle after a while probably wouldn't want to return to the small village in the middle of no where and work on the family farm or business.

Luckily some of the girls do get out and return to Isaan and go to university and study and then go on to live and work normal lifes. Isaan is a massive area and I have read so many fools who say 'Be Wary' of Isaan girls. These idiots should understand that Isaan covers 160,000 square kilometres or 62,000 square miles and that's a lot of area and people.

Isaan girls are the most beautiful and respectful girls you will meet. True Isaan girls are amazing. I have not met girls anywhere in the world where I have travelled that have so many great qualities. Bangkok city girls V's an Isaan girl there isn't even a competition. This is just my opinion and my belief but from what I have experienced over the years I also believe it to be pretty accurate. Brunty

Thai Man Pleads to Marry 17 Year Old girl. Who he had just Raped.

This is not some crazy man who is mentally retarded this is a man who is desperately trying to use a Thai law the needs to be changed and changed in a hurry.

You see in Thailand if a man rapes a girl between the age of 13 – 18 he can marry the girl if she agrees and then he cannot be charged with rape. Yes, this is true I am not making it up it is stated in Thai Law 276 and 275.

The legal age of consent for a Thai girl is 15 years of age but the man must have the consent from the parents of the girl to have sexual intercourse with her.

Just on the 5th of May a Thai construction worker living in a construction camp raped a 17 year old girl who was living in the same compound with her relatives. Her relatives were working overtime one night (I have seen construction workers on jobsites after midnight) but she was in her room as she wasn’t feeling well and this is when a 27 year old Thai man went into her room at 2:30am and raped her.

She told her relatives what had happened and they approached the head of the construction site and he summoned the man and questioned him. He confessed and then pleaded to the girl and relatives that he would look after the girl by marrying her. Yes, he asked for her hand in marriage. She said “NO”

You see a construction worker has hardly anything and nothing really to offer but if it was a man who had money and power and he offered the same thing many Thai families will accept the offer and receive ‘compensation’ from him for his disgusting act of rape and he walks away a free man with no charges against him. The marriage isn’t legally binding and is more just a Traditional Thai village style ceremony that is performed by a village monk or ex monk.

So a man can rape a 13 year old girl forcibly and then offer money for his crime and walk away as if nothing happened. Disgusting, isn’t it? The Thai law even states that a husband can rape his wife and not be charged as it’s her duty to please him whenever he wants.

The Thai law also states that a Thai man can file for a divorce just on the grounds of his wife being unfaithful but a Thai wife has to have actual proof that he is cheating and also supporting another wife. Without the evidence she can not file a thing before a court of law.

So for Thai laws to be supporting this sort of thing in this day and age is a disgrace and the government needs to amend and change these laws quickly.

Many Thai men treat Thai women as possessions and see them this way and you can even see the trait in young Thai teenage boys with the way they look and speak to Thai girls. It’s not hard to see why a lot of Thai girls choose to be with the same sex and you cannot blame them. Maybe when a new and sensible and people elected government is finally elected somewhere in the future they will look at these laws and act upon them for the better of Thai women.

Well that’s my views and rant anyway. Brunty
Story here http://www.pattayapeople.com/default.asp?Folder=16&IdArticle=5608

Thailand. Serial Pedophile who has Raped 30 Young Girls on The Run.

This a story that will not even make the International newspapers. But it is a serious problem here in Thailand of older people taking advantage of young Thai girls and boys. The Thai people just have too much faith in their own people and especially the children. They are brought up to believe in elders and trust elders especially in the villages of Isaan. Village elders have a lot of respect from their people. Some of the elders abuse this power by duping the kids into things that they are embarrassed to admit to or tell even their parents about as they are worried about losing face with their friends and to the family and also the effect it will have on their family.

So many cases are not reported to the authorities because of this and this story is the same as a 60 year old man made 30 young girls and boys, obviously over a bit of time into believing he could exorcise evil spirits from them. You see Thai people are obsessed about ghosts and spirits and have such a belief in these supernatural things. There are stories told again and again to kids about these sorts of things so they have such a belief in it too.

Anyway, the 60 year old tells them he can exorcise the spirits by “having sex” with them and the kids do not know any better because they are young and innocent and a have faith in the elders and this filthy scumbag takes away the innocence of these children leaving them mentally and physically scared for the rest of their lives.
Then finally they found out what was happening when one of the children a young boy 13 years old told a village elder about the abuse. The child was too embarrassed to approach his own parents because of shame and he felt that he had done something wrong. The village elder went to the family of the boy and confessed all to them and they in turn called the police, thankfully.

One 12 year old girl has told the police she had been raped at least 30 times by this monster as she was told by him that he could see evil spirits in her but he could rid them from her by having sex with her.

The young boy said he had spoken to other children in the village and at least 30 admit the same thing happening to them as well. The problem the offender got wind of the trouble and has fled the area and an arrest warrant is out for his arrest. I personally hate pedophiles and I hope they catch him and they hand him over to the men of the Thai village and they take his life slowly and painfully like he has done to the innocent children he raped. Yes’ this is brutal, but if it was my child I know for sure that I would not let this man walk into a courtroom to face a judge. That day would never come. If it meant that I went to jail, so be it. I would wear that on the chin to get the satisfaction of putting a slimy child molesting pig in the ground where he belongs and can only hope that this happens to this man.
Brunty.
story here http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30034644
These are purely only my personal thoughts. If you don’t agree please leave a comment of your own thoughts.

Thailand. Take up Arms and Fight Criminals say Thai Police.

The scary thing that is happening in Thailand at the moment is the Thai police are encouraging and helping Thai gold shop and grocery stores (7 Eleven, Carefour) and such to take up weapons and fight back against would be robbers. Yes, the Thai police are supporting these people by offering them help in learning how to use the weapons.

You see there has been a very big increase in thieves lately targeting these shops in certain provinces of Thailand. The Thai police take the shopkeepers to a shooting range in the picture at a place called Samut Prakan. They teach them how to hold and shoot the new weapons they have acquired. Now if you look at the picture you can see the 2 people holding the gun like "Dirty Harry" style. one armed; I have shot and been taught how to shoot a pistol and it is definately not one handed, it also takes a lot of shooting practice to shoot a pistol accurately.

The barrel is so short, it's small and hard to hold and it doesn't have a stock you can rest against your shoulder. It took me a lot of time at a pistol range to become accurate with a pistol and also you need a really strong stance and both the people in the photo do not look to be standing strongly. Maybe the policeman in the picture isn't a handgun expert and was just getting his 2 minutes of fame and hopefully the real teacher was just waiting for the photos to finish before teaching the 5 very important steps to shooting a pistol.

Now is it just me or does this sound like disaster? I mean desperate people who are going to commit a serious crime are willing to risk everything that they do have and this also means their life when committing the crime and here in Thailand there are many desperate people who have hardly anything. All I can see happening sadly will be many store owners losing their lives trying to shoot these criminals.

Okay many criminals rob stores with as little as a large knife or metal bars or something as such but also many have guns and the papers advertising the fact that these store owners are arming themselves I am sure that the criminals will be better prepared in future robberies. I just have these terrible visions that you see all the time on the front pages of Thai newspapers of these shop keepers becoming another front page story of a gruesome murder.

Why don’t these shop keepers put in better security measures. I mean they could really do it with things like bars or grills and even bulletproof partitions. Just like the setups of money exchanges. How hard would they be to rob? I am sure that if the Thai police and government consult a professional in the security field from abroad this would be a much better option and will definitely result in a lot less deaths in the future.

So I am waiting for the horrible headline something like ‘Gold Shop Employee Shot Dead Trying to Stop Thief.’ I hope it doesn’t happen and even pray that it doesn’t happen and ask everyone to cross their fingers as untrained people with guns and too much adrenaline means trouble and death. Brunty

Best Thai Massage in Thailand in Isaan Country. Ubon Ratchathani

If you want proper real Thai massage not the type you get in Bangkok and Pattaya there is a place here in Ubon Ratchathani that is just amazing. The place is immaculate clean and skilfully and wonderfuly designed. It is a members club but also open to the public and you have to make a booking. I couldn't even take photos of inside as the staff said 'no' but I have meet the owner at golf and hope to get some in the near future.

You walk in and the polished timber is just exceptional and gleams. The smell of aroma oils burning relaxes you straight away. The waiting area is like a 5 star hotel with soft leather recliners and couches and a beautiful water feature. You can sit and relax and listen to pleasant calming music or read a magazine or newspaper.

Just being in the building makes you feel better without even being touched. The Thai massage lasts for 2 hours and costs a massive 300 baht (how cheap is that! Not even $11 dollars Australian). The staff are very professional and are properly accredited.

You are lead out to a room to start the Thai massage but first you are sat down and they wash your feet in rose petal water. This could be a problem if you are ticklish. Then you are taken to your massage room and given a pair of pants to wear for the massage. You can ask for a gentle, medium or hard massage and believe me these little ladies are very strong. You are massaged from head to toe for 1 and a half hours with them using their fingers, palms, knees and elbows. Sometimes it is very hard to not jump up when an elbow is dug into a sensitive spot. Even with all the pain it still feels so good if this makes any sense at all.

After the massage you are left for around 10 minutes to recover and then you can change and go back out into the waiting area. The next day you feel like a truck has hit you as your muscles are sore like you have done a massive workout the day before. 2 days after the massage you feel like a million dollars and have a new bounce in your step.

Massages available

Thai massage- 300 baht for 2 hours

Foot -240 baht for 1 hour

Herbal -300 baht for 1 hour

Foot, back, shoulder- 400 baht for 90 minutes

Swedish-800 baht for 90 minutes

Aroma- 800 baht for 90 minutes

The works-2,200 baht for 150 minutes

Facial- 700 baht

Ear candle massage-1,200 baht.

The place is called Guy Jai (sorry I have translated this from the Thai) and is just around the corner from Robinson Mall or opposite Toyota’s service department . It is 200 metres down from the traffic lights on the right hand side. The receptionist speaks good English and also a few of the staff aren’t too bad.


Contact
Guy Jai
242/2-4 Upalisan road
Ubon Ratchathani
Ph 045-250471
Ph 045-243225

If you are in Ubon Ratchathani and feel a little sore then definitely go here and you will have the best massage ever and that’s a money back grantee. Brunty

Khong Chiam. Isaan Country Thailand. Beauty with Peace and Quiet.

Not far from the city Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand is the city of Khong Chiam (Jiam) 75 kilometres away. It is the easterm most district of Ubon and is the gateway to Laos. Khong chiam is where the mighty Mekong river meets the Mun (Moon) river and is called the two tone river as the Mekong is brown and the Mun is blue.

Chong Chiam has around 32,000 plus people in the area and about 9,000 in the town itself. It also has many beautiful things to see and do. Sure there are the normal beautiful temples and such but there is also much more.

The people here are great. They are so friendly and make you feel so welcome. They just have the nicest smiles you will ever see. The area is known for its folk culture, traditional Isaan food, handicrafts, basket wares, silk and much more.

Also there are national parks and one of the most famous is very close in the area called Pha Taem National Park which covers 140 square kilometers and has some rock paintings dating back some 3,000-4,000 years ago. The pictures depict many things that show how life was back so many thousands of years ago. There are paintings of animals, rice farming, fishing, hands, people and others. This is the most extensive site for cave paintings in Thailand. There are also odd shaped rock formations and sheer cliffs and beautiful views. This is the best place to watch a beautiful sunrise in all of Thailand.

There are many waterfalls worth visiting in the area such as Namtok Saeng Chan and Namtok Soi Sawan. Also you can go to Maenam Song Si or the Bi colored river. This is where the two rivers actually meet, the Mekong and the Mun rivers. You can hire boats from here to see the alluvium.

A place called Sao Chalang is only 11 kilometres away and you can see very strange rocks that look like giant mushrooms and have seashells embedded into them. Geologists believe that this area was a seabed a long time ago.

There are many nice places to stay from backpackers to very nice resorts. 2 guest houses are Apple Guesthouse (045) 351 160 and Mangkhon Guesthouse (081) 312 0249. Fan rooms start from as low as 200 baht and Air conditioned rooms start from 500 baht. You can also hire motorbikes for 200 baht a day to get around.

2 really nice resorts are Tohsang Khongjiam Resort and Spa and also Khongjiam Riverside Resort . These are up market places but aren’t over expensive. Tohsang Khongjiam Resort and Spa has beautiful rooms and views and a lovely restaurant overlooking the river.

If you like seafood then you are in for a treat as there is so much fresh seafood available in the area and it is a main ingredient in a lot of dishes. One very nice floating restaurant on the river is called Baan Rim Khong. There are more floating restaurants but they serve similar food but are more expensive and there are also the usual roadside stalls that offer a wide variety of Thai foods.

A lot of the area is untouched and you can see everyday Isaan country Thai life taking place. Some tours operate out of Ubon Ratchathani offering 1-2-3 day trips. The 1 day trip is not enough as you really need 3 good days to see all the area has to offer. This part of Thailand is a must see and if you are in the area definitely drop in and tell them that Brunty sent you… Have a great day.

Thailand. Thung Sru Muang Park. Ubon Ratchathani

Thung Sri Muang is a very large park in Ubon Ratchathani. This park is similar to Sanam Luang Park in Bangkok. Its running track around the outside is around 1.5 kilometres. It is a very popular park here in Ubon and there are always lots of people there from 5pm until around 8pm when the park comes alive with football, badminton, basketball, Sepak Takraw, joggers, walkers and aerobic dancers and people relaxing in the afternoon shade and breeze.

The park is currently under going a redevelopment and is very messy at the moment but it does contain too much concrete for me. There is 1 large grassed area but apart from that the rest is concrete and pavers. There is a lagoon or moat that stretches around the outside of the park which does add some beauty at night. There are tall mature trees that border the running track that offer plenty of shade from the hot afternoon sun.

The park is also used for major events. It is the main area for the Lenton Candle Festival which is the biggest tourist attraction for Isaan Country. The main monument in the middle of the park is a massive wax candle that has been carved beautifully by skilled craftsmen.

The park used to be the residence for the governor to peform a rice growing ceremony but King Rama V stopped this and made it into a park for all the people to use and appreciate. The city pillar shrine is located in the South of the park.

It is right on the main road and virtually in the centre of the city and there is too much traffic and too many people for my liking but there are plenty of things to see within walking distance of the park, such as wats, museums and shopping.

If you are looking for a place to relax and chill out this isn’t a bad place as there are plenty of park benches to choose from. The scenery is very nice in the evening when young couples and singles venture out to exercise and leave their hot rooms and houses behind for a few hours. Brunty.

Holiday in Thailand. Bangkok or Isaan Country.

Thailand is the land of Smiles. And Bangkok is the capital. So many people come to this beautiful country and don’t set foot out of Bangkok or other westernized places.

Bangkok has a population of around 12 million plus people. The last official census was in the year 2000 and then there were 6,300,000. Its area is 1,578 KM2 squared. The majority of Bangkok is made up of concrete and smog. Sure there are many things to do and places to see but it is just like every other major city in the world. The traffic is bedlam and there are scam artists waiting to take anyone’s money who are willing to part with it. It is endless bartering and trying not to be ripped off because you are a “Farang”.




The heart and soul of Thailand is in the country. The area of Isaan is huge compared to Bangkok. 160,000 Km square and has a population of in excess of 20,100,000 and that was in 2000. 40% of the population is concentrated in the provinces of Khorat, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen. Here in Ubon alone now there is an estimated population of 1,000,000 plus people.

Isaan is amazing. It can be amazingly beautiful and also cruel. In the wet season it comes alive with flowers and crops bursting at the seams and turns a lush green. In the dry season it can be baron and brown and hot like you haven’t felt before. But this is the country and it’s what you expect.

One of the best things about Isaan, are the people. The Land of Smiles comes from this part of the Thailand. They see a tourist and their faces light up with the biggest, happiest and warmest of smiles and will start speaking usually in Isaan language like you understand them. They are the most generous and beautiful people I have ever met. Nothing is too much.


Isaan people don’t have a lot. Maybe they have an old motorbike and a tractor with 2 wheels that they use as their car to transport goods to and from the market and to work their farms. They have a basic house with the most basic of things just to get by.



Their aren’t any taxis in Isaan, there are small utes/trucks with a cover over the back and you put as many people that can sit or stand where ever they can and of course the Tuk Tuks.




There is breathtaking scenery waiting to be photographed and beautiful old ruins from times long gone bye waiting to be explored and admired.






There is the history of where Thailand today came from.



And there is the beauty of it all put together. There are so many things to discover and see in Isaan country and once you start trekking around you will never leave or not in a hurry. It will get into your mind, heart, blood and soul. It will change you forever for the better. It will make you see life clearer and it will make you love everything more.

Come to Isaan with an open heart and be ready for an experience of a lifetime that you will never forget.

Remember. If you never ever go, you will never ever know.
Brunty.