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10 Best Thailand Blogs

Godfree Roberts — Mon, 14 May 2018 03:42:36 +0000

Back by Popular Demand: The 10 Best Thailand Blogs

These bloggers know more about their Thailand than any visitor could – and they’re passionate about it. Bookmark this page because they really are the 10 best Thailand blogs of 2014.

1. AUSTIN BUSH PHOTOGRAPHY

That’s Austin’s work, above. But his blog is about food in Thailand. Much more useful than reviewers whose only experience with Thai food is from their local restaurant at home. Well-written and illustrated by a professional photographer. Who could ask for more?

2. THAI TRAVEL NEWS

Richard Barrow’s industriousness has created a huge readership because he does something so well and has been doing it for a long time. He also has useful advance news of interesting events. Thai Travel News has something for tourists, travelers, expats, and even residents.

3. BANGKOK NOIR

An American artist in the Bangkok night life. Keen observations plus Chris Koles’ unique rendering of nighttime Bangkok. This blog is not so much a tourist guide as an artistic rendering of an exotic human demographic. The drawings themselves are worth the visit.

4. VILLAGE FARANG

My Thai Village Life in Chiang Rai by Village Farang. Village Farang is an inspiration to travelers, lovers of country living, and bloggers alike. This blog, by a longtime resident of Thailand, about his beloved village home in Northern Thailand is a fine example of blogging, both intimate and expansive. It balances the beauty of the Thai countryside as viewed through the lens of his camera, with his personal introspection and insights on life in Thailand.

5. THE THAI PIRATE

Thai Blog and Travel Stories. An Englishman’s Perspective and Life and Work in Central Thailand. A piratical look at life in Thailand from almost every perspective. Wildly varied, beautifully photographed, and funny in a low-key, British way that makes it an addictive read.

6. STICKMAN

Thirteen years and millions of faithful readers testify to the worth of this wryly funny, educational, and highly amusing blog about real expat life in exotic Bangkok. Don’t miss it.

7. STILL LIFE IN MOVING VEHICLES

Bangkok From the Passenger’s Seat. The author is a University Professor and photographer who turned a 9-month contract into an 8-year passion. He’s the author of Thai Taxi Talismans, a book inspired by the blog and available at Asia Books and, of course, through Amazon. He’s created one of the most idiosyncratic blogs in the history of blogdom–and that’s saying something. Funny, mordant, quirky, it’s blogs like this that leaven earnest blogs like mine. Enjoy!

8. JAMIE’S PHUKET BLOG

The Real Phuket. More timely (today!) and more personal than any tourism guide could hope to be, Jamie’s love of Phuket (a large varied island with a blend of people and religions, lively tourist beach areas and many quiet places) shines through. While highly personal, it is also well-indexed and extremely useful for anyone planning a visit. Once again, excellent photographs not only adorn the site, they reveal a great deal about Phuket and its real-life inhabitants.

9. ISAAN LIVE

A blog/Internet broadcast about a northeast Thailand (isaan). It’s featured here because this labor of local love shows how much a determined blogger/broadcaster/narrowcaster can accomplish by getting off his backside, visiting, and accurately documenting the secrets of the region. It has put Isaan on the map and inspired emulation and…a visit to Isaan.

And your special bonus for reading this far:

10. IAMKOHCHANG

The independent Traveler’s Guide to Koh Chang. Written from and about one of the world’s most beautiful islands, this is another excellent example of advocacy blogging. Once again, the elements are all here: love for the place, good writing, a keen eye, and excellent photographs. If you read this blog you will be compelled to visit.

A video about the best Thailand Blogs:

Singapore-Chiang Mai-Kunming Rail Line

Godfree Roberts — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 03:26:47 +0000

All Aboard the Singapore-Chiang Mai-Kunming Rail Line

The Thai government has approved a $23 billion infrastructure project including two lines that could revolutionize the region’s freight service, linking ports around Bangkok and in Singapore with Kunming and onward to Berlin. The pan-Asian rail network has been on the drawing board for decades. Some routes were mapped when British and French colonialists wanted to counter Russia’s Trans-Siberian railway. Now China is driving the project.

Singapore and Bangkok are closer to China’s vast southwest than China’s east coast ports. Singapore and Bangkok also offer access to strategic shipping lanes where much of the world’s oil is transported, along with service to he world’s fastest-developing nations in SE Asia. China has now pledged $11.4 billion to build two rail lines–one from Kunming (capital of Yunnan) to the Laos border and the other from Dali in western Yunnan to the Myanmar border. Both tracks must run through Thailand, the only land bridge to Singapore. Malaysia and Singapore have already approved a high-speed line to be finished by 2020.

Chalongphob Sussangkarn, a Thai government advisor, says China’s participation as a rail partner and a business competitor, is on everyone’s mind. “But, if you don’t have a link to southern China in the next 20 years, this will really be an enormous lost opportunity.”

Thailand was among Asia’s earliest exponents of rail: the Royal State Railways of Siam was formed in 1890 and, within 15 years, lines were running north and south. It became the State Railway of Thailand in 1951. But modernization and maintenance failed to keep pace. Investment shifted to roads as new policies encouraged private automobiles. Now the pendulum is swinging back. A daily air service opened earlier this year that connects KunMing and Chiang Mai. And here’s an item from last week’s APEC meeting:

BANGKOK: — THAILAND is more than ready to cooperate with China to develop the road-transport network that is part of the economic quadrangle linking Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and China, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told China’s President Xi Jinping during a meeting in Beijing yesterday.

Chiang Mai Kunming Railway Here we Come!

Prayut, who arrived in this Chinese capital yesterday to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit, met Xi and told him that Thailand appreciated China’s strategies in developing the R3A route – which when constructed could become one of the world’s prominent economic routes. China has been hailed for initiating the land and sea ‘Silk Roads’. The route would link China and Thailand through Laos.

Route R3A is part of the so-called North-South Economic Corridor that will link Thailand with Laos and China. The road route from China’s Kunming will cross the Mekong River at Huay Xai in Laos at the Friendship Bridge and enter Thailand at Chiang Khong in Chiang Rai province.

Government Spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp quoted Prayut as referring to a proposed railway project, that Bangkok was ready to cooperate with China in developing the dual-track rail link that would connect Thailand, China and other countries.

Prayut also thanked Beijing for continuously importing Thai agricultural products particularly fruit, jasmine rice, and rubber, the spokesman said. Both leaders agreed to hold further talks in a bid to alleviate problems and obstacles in bilateral trade of agricultural products between the nations.

Beijing was told that Bangkok backed its policy to use of the yuan as a common currency of Asia, the spokesman said, adding China would support business transactions in yuan to decrease currency exchange risks and costs. “They also hope the agreement on the Chinese Yuan and the Thai Baht Bilateral Currency Swap Arrangement which will expire next month, could be extended.”

Referring to the education cooperation between the countries, the spokesman said Thailand and China agreed to expand cooperation on science, technology, research and innovation because China had advanced technology and a forum could be held so scientists from both countries could work and study together more closely.

China also wanted to support the development of Thailand’s vocational education.

Prayut also invited his Chinese counterpart to attend the Great Mekong Sub-region Summit to be held in Thailand on December 19-20, the spokesman said. Read more…

The next we’ll hear is the cry, ‘All aboard the Singapore Chiang Mai Kunming Rail Line!

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