Tag: Thai Culture
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Mai Pen Rai-NOT! A Lesson in Thai Culture
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“Mai pen rai” is a very common Thai phrase you may hear during your vacation to Thailand. But let’s get real: the phrase is NOT a profound lesson in Thai culture! A good translation of the phrase could be “never mind”, depending on circumstances. Or, “that’s ok”. Sometimes “no big deal” is the best translation…
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Farang Price & Thai Price: A Dirty Secret
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It’s Simple-Farangs Pay More. Huh! A dirty little secret of Thailand is the practice of “Farang Price” versus Thai price. Thais pay the standard price, while farangs pay a higher price. That’s right! It’s setting prices according to ethnicity and race. [Side note: A farang is Thai slang for a White person.] You can find Farang…
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Thai Silk: A Buyer’s Guide
This tutorial is a detailed guide about Thai Silk. Where to buy, prices, quality and spotting fakes. Everything you need to know to be a smart consumer.
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A Fabric Safari to Mae Chaem
A Fabric Safari to the town of Mae Chaem (pronounced “jam” like you spread on toast) is a wonderful way to get off the beaten tourist track and see some of the finest cotton weaving in The Kingdom. The weavers here specialize in sarongs, and more specifically the bottom apron to a sarong. They take…
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What is Pandan in Thai Cuisine?
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Eat Pandan With Abandon! Thai pandan cuisine always makes my tongue wag. I eat pandan with abandon! If your experience with Thai food is going out to a Thai restaurant in the U.S. or Europe every month or two, then you may not be familiar with Thai dishes that are flavored with pandan. Seldom do…
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Songkran: A Thailand Moral Controversy
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Thai Songkran is a traditional Buddhist event. Tourists who get drunk and cavort with bar girls insult this most important Thai event.
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Is There a Doctor in the House?
The bad news is that while on vacation in Thailand, you need medical treatment. The good news is that at least you’re in Thailand. The above statement certainly holds true in big and medium-sized cities. Thailand has modern hospitals and competent doctors who speak very good English. You may well die on the way to…
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Elephants!
The only thing more revered in The Kingdom than elephants is The King himself. Elephant icons are often plentiful at the altar of most statues of Lord Buddha. They have their own shrines where people kneel and pray. A long deceased war elephant even has it’s own stupa in Lamphun for worship! Elephants bring luck. Elephants repel…
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Death in Buddha Land
There are these small temples (wats) that dot the rural landscape of Thailand-especially in the North. From a distance, these little wats look almost identical to their bigger counterparts which are often nearby. The difference, from a distance, is that the “little” wats have a long, tall chimney that protrudes into the sky. The “little”…
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The Old Dog and the Wat
I attended a Buddhist Lent ceremony at a very old, important Wat in Lamphun Province years ago. My father-in-law was still alive, but very old and in poor health. With great effort, he came to the ceremony. He was an important person in the community and a benefactor of the Wat. His attendance gave the…
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Kao Jai Mai? Understand?
Don’t visit The Kingdom without knowing just a little bit of Thai.
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Thai Temple Manners
Going to Thailand without visiting a Thai Wat is like going to Yosemite and not seeing Half Dome.