Incheon, Seoul’s Asian international airport is known to luggage taggers as ICN. I’ve been flying through Incheon regularly but only recently – thanks to a 12-hour overlay – did I notice how Korean it is!

What I love about Koreans is that they’re extreme about everything. They don’t do anything by halves. They’re not slackers. There’s no Korean equivalent for ‘whatever”.

When you see a KAL stewardess you’ll know exactly how God felt when He created the first

stewardess: extremely pleased with Himself. Everything came together just as He’d envisioned it: the scarf, hairdo, shoes, walk, even the rollons. All young. All pretty. They’re Divine.

Overdone. you say? All the better for it, I reckon.

But I digree. Back at Incheon on a typically overcast Korean Fall day the biggest kick is watching ordinary Koreans be Korean. Korean kids, especially the small sizes, are – how shall I put this? – un-neglected. Korean little girls are totally little girls like the illustrations of little girls you see in glossy magazines. Skipping along with mothers, learning the finer points of window shopping, they give off that happy  vibe of “I am loved”.

But watch the older kids: when Korean children turn 7 the love doesn’t slacken but the demand skyrockets. I’m not talking just ‘expectations’ here. I’m talking huge demand for perfection from mom, dad, uncles and aunties, neighbors, and anxious friends – 24 hours a day. What sets Korean parents above even their Chinese counterparts is that they’re not directing their kids to be good, or outstanding, or the best that they can be. They’re directing them to be extreme, as in ‘fanatical’. Korean teachers joke that parents have only two grades: A+ and F.

Tear yourself away from your culture-watching for a while and you’ll notice that Seoul Incheon Airport is big, as befits a major Asian hub. Such a hub that even Thai Airways has given up flying nonstop to the USA: they fly through Seoul now, too. Happily, Incheon was designed to handle the current volume while still feeling uncrowded. The ceilings, for example, are a zillion feet above you and the concourses are wide and handsome. It’s not as warmly embracing as Singapore’s Changi, but it’s tasteful, well laid out, clearly signed, and has helpful information desks pretty much everywhere. The place is spotless and the bathrooms have the best toilet paper of any airport on earth. (I defy you to come up with a promotional slogan that highlights this subtle delight).

Another extreme touch is their approach to WiFi. 10 years ago Koreans asked themselves what kind of Internet speed might be humanly possible in 10 years – then they designed everything around that, developed their own fiber technology and, ta-da! Incheon has blazing fast wifi in every corner of the airport. You don’t have to sign in; it’s totally free.

Though I always intend to ‘get a lot done’ during international layovers, most airports’ cranky, grudging WiFi makes me give up in frustration. Not Incheon. You can instantaneously download huge video files, watch Internet movies all day without a glitch, or send off big files to clients anywhere. I enjoyed the experience so much that I actually published a new web page on my Thailand retirement site and wrote two blog articles…complete with graphics. Friends with fiber have told me how much it improves their productivity. Now I understand why.

A few parting words about eating at Incheon: eat classic, simple Western, or eat Korean. Don’t bother with the other cuisines like Chinese, Korean or Indian. Somehow they all come out tasting Korean. Here’s a video of Incheon airport that tells you something about how front-and-center Korea’s ancient culture is in Asia:

The post Flying to Thailand via Seoul Incheon appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.

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:

 More reading about the 10 Best Thailand Blogs

• The Great Flood of 2011, Thailand: A Firsthand Account – CDC – Blogs – CDC – Blogs – Public Health Matters Blog – The Great Flood of 2011, Thailand: A Firsthand Account – Sharing our stories on preparing for and responding to public health events. … as the comment from the victim ,what should we train for thai people about how can they response to the situation and the preparedness is better than response.one of the best practice is the implementation of “are you ready project” by us cdc. Link to this comment. February 24, 2012 at …
• Paying It Forward – How Education Can Create a Better … – In celebration of Women’s History month, USAID interviews Nguyen Thi Kim Oanh, PhD, a professor at Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand. Read more >>
• A “State Dinner” Just For Kids | ED.gov Blog – Blog. Calling all kid chefs: The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge invites parents of kids ages 8-12 to submit an original recipe for a lunch that is nutritious and delicious. All entrants have the chance to win a trip to Washington D.C. …
• Sin Sod – What You Should Pay To Marry Your Thai Girlfriend – And so, using my own knowledge and experience, and through quizzing three of my good Thai friends, I decided to write a definitive guide to Sin Sod. Sin Sod – The Big Debate. You will find a huge amount of misleading information online regarding Sin Sod, and conflicting experiences can be found plastered all over forums and blogs. So, when a foreigner wants to marry his Thai girlfriend and the inevitable subject of Sin Sod arises, it is no surprise that he becomes confused over …
• Ten Best Blogs on Thailand Life and Travel | Understanding … – … Thailand blogs, Thailand Living Costs, Thailand Tourist Information, Thailand Travel, THILAND TRAVEL and tagged best thailand bloggers, best thailand blogs, cost of living in Thailand, live in Thailand, living in Thailand, …
• How to make money online by blogging | The Lost Boy – The best Thailand blogs for making money are those with a lot of broad content focused on travel. Not only do these do well in search engines but they also hit high paying keywords with Google adsnese. Google adsense is …

The post 10 Best Thailand Blogs appeared first on Thai Retirement Helpers: Retiring in Thailand Made Easy.