Settling in Thailand


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A guide to relocating and settling in Thailand, covering practicalities, lifestyle, social and cultural considerations.




Geek in Thailand


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A Geek in Thailand is a light-hearted but perceptive look at one of the world's most visited countries from the viewpoint of a young foreign resident. More than just a Thai travel guide, it offers a concise but insightful take on Thailand for tourists, expats, would-be expats, and others--anyone, in fact, with interest in visiting or learning about the Land of Smiles. Packed with short articles accompanied by sidebar stories and interviews and evocative color photographs, the author paints a vivid and revealing picture of a country built on a deep reverence for nation, religion and monarchy, yet with its own distinct, individualistic perspective. Subjects range from the touchstones of Thai culture and history, such as its politics and economy, Buddhism and folklore, to chapters on traditional Thai design and craftsmanship, including its highly acclaimed architecture and fine silk textiles. There are also chapters on the globally popular Thai food and entertainment like kickboxing and cabaret. Chapters on the Thai character and cultural do's and don'ts will allow the reader to go beyond the Thai smile. For visitors to the country, the author includes his top ten things to see and do in the main tourist destinations as well as an account of the main festivals and tips on getting around.




Land Settlement in Thailand


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Minority Groups in Thailand


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History of Thailand


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If you want to discover the captivating history of Thailand, then keep reading... Did you know that Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that a European power has not colonized? Thailand has seen its fair share of struggles. Today, the Thai government struggles to find its place in the world, oscillating between democracy and authoritarian regimes. Even though its name translates to "Land of the Free," it seems the country has some trouble living up to that name. This captivating guide to the Thai people and their history details the interesting events that led the country to where it is today. In this book, you will learn about the country's rich history, from when the first people settled the land hundreds of thousands of years ago to its modern-day role in the world. Although Thailand's prehistory and early rulers are discussed in the book, the book focuses more on Thailand's history after 1238, as this was the year the people broke free of the oppressive Khmer rule and adopted the name "Thai," which means "Free." Thailand was greatly influenced by the Western nations, which was one reason why a European power never conquered it. However, despite embracing Western ideas and intertwining them with their own culture, Thailand has not followed in the West's footsteps when it comes to governing, as the country has had only brief periods of true democracy. Learn how a country whose history is marked mostly by absolute monarchies and military dictatorships prides itself on its freedom. In this book, you will discover: Thailand's prehistory and early rulers The liberation from the Khmer Empire Thailand's golden age under the Sukhothai The powerful Ayutthaya Kingdom The Chakri dynasty, which still rules Thailand today 20th-century coups and rebellions And much more! So if you want to learn more about the History of Thailand, scroll up and click the "add to cart" button!




How I Moved to Thailand, Retired Early, Found Love, Built a Mansion, and Live Like a King on a Dime


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AN AMAZON BESTSELLER! LIVE YOUR DREAMS! RETIRE WORRY-FREE! FIND A LOVING COMPANION! Your buying power will almost triple in Thailand. If you're a pensioner or on Social Security and choose a city other than Bangkok, you'll probably feel like the richest guy in town! If you're younger and have enough savings, you can retire years early, like I did! It's so cheap to live here, on a modest budget you can live a life of luxury: Dining in the finest restaurants, having a maid, getting daily massages, staying in fancy hotels, vacationing on the beach, exploring Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket, Saigon, Bali, Angeles, and other exciting cities in Southeast Asia... In my beautiful city you can rent a lovely studio apartment with 60+ channel cable TV and views for as little as $100 a month! Or you can buy a nice cozy home or condo for as little as $20,000! Dental and medical care are world-class, and the price is low. You'll be living the American Dream- only in Thailand! LOVE IS HARD TO FIND IN THE US OR UK. IT'S EASY TO FIND IN THAILAND! I had a hard time finding a compatible partner in America. After my divorce I found that the kind of woman I wanted - someone like the girls I knew in high school - no longer existed. Instead I went on computer dates with women who seemed mostly interested in how much money I had and what kind of car I drove and did I own or rent? Nobody seemed interested in me. I was miserable. And lonely. I kept getting told I was too old for the women I was attracted to. After awhile, I stopped dating altogether. THAI WOMEN DON'T CARE HOW OLD YOU ARE! THEY LOOK FOR THE GOOD IN YOU! Much to my amazement, I found that age differences don't matter to most Thai women! That's not true in Latin America, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, or even the Philippines- and certainly not in the West. Thai women are Buddhists, and they believe we're all part of an endless cycle of birth and death, and it doesn't seem to matter to them where you are on that cycle. They have been taught to respect age- and they do. They've been taught to please men- and they do! You can be 40 or 70 - and many girls here will still find you attractive. Further, they look for the good much more than Western women. You can be overweight, plain, a smoker- girls there are much more accepting than back home. YOU CAN BE A PLAYBOY. OR YOU CAN DO WHAT I DID AND FIND ONE GIRL TO LOVE! Moving here, I totally transformed my life. I went from living poor to living like a wealthy man would back home. I went from living alone and miserable to being the biggest playboy- for awhile. I'd have 3 dates a day- and some of the girls were just knockouts. The sort of women who wouldn't give me the time of day in America were vying for my attention! But ultimately I found being a playboy just didn't suit me (although I have many happy memories!)- and I found a lovely and peaceful woman straight out of my dreams who was delighted to marry me! We've been together 12 years now. Plus, I have great friends, a lazy dog, a 4 year old niece who pops by to play with me everyday- and I live in a mansion I built for $60,000! This is my story. I tell it- not to brag- but to give you an example of what you can do in your own life. NOT READY TO RETIRE, BUT READY FOR LOVE? Lots of guys meet girls here and take them home- It's easy to fall in love with Thai girls! In the sequel to this book, FINDING THE LOVE YOU WANT IN THAILAND, I share comments and stories from 50 guys who looked for a devoted companion and found one- or didn't- in Thailand. Then, they and I share our personal and very detailed advice for how to succeed. Your dreams can come true... in Thailand!




Minority Groups in Thailand


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Siamese Melting Pot


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Ethnic minorities historically comprised a solid majority of Bangkok's population. They played a dominant role in the city's exuberant economic and social development. In the shadow of Siam's prideful, flamboyant Thai ruling class, the city's diverse minorities flourished quietly. The Thai-Portuguese; the Mon; the Lao; the Cham, Persian, Indian, Malay, and Indonesian Muslims; and the Taechiu, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainanese, and Cantonese Chinese speech groups were particularly important. Others, such as the Khmer, Vietnamese, Thai Yuan, Sikhs, and Westerners, were smaller in numbers but no less significant in their influence on the city's growth and prosperity. In tracing the social, political, and spatial dynamics of Bangkok's ethnic pluralism through the two-and-a-half centuries of the city's history, this book calls attention to a long-neglected mainspring of Thai urban development. While the book's primary focus is on the first five reigns of the Chakri dynasty (1782-1910), the account extends backward and forward to reveal the continuing impact of Bangkok's ethnic minorities on Thai culture change, within the broader context of Thai development studies. It provides an exciting perspective and unique resource for anyone interested in exploring Bangkok's evolving cultural milieu or Thailand's modern history.







Thai-Western Mobilities and Migration


Book Description

The chapters in this volume study transnational social relationships and cross-border connections between ‘ordinary’ people that arise from the increasingly large-scale mobilities and migrations between Thailand and ‘the West’. While Thai and Western people’s social relationships are usually studied as personal stories within a cross-border marriage migration perspective, this book considers it necessary to see them as more than marriage migration. Even though a focus on the ‘personal life stories’ of marriage migrants provides valuable insights, it can also mask consideration of the structural context of socially embedded cross- border connections and exchanges, as well as state restrictions, that, first, make people’s decisions to move a possibility in the first place, and second, shape a migrant’s post- migration life- trajectory and experiences, relative to others in their origin and settlement societies. The chapters on Thai women who marry and move with older Western men, Western men and women who move to Thailand to retire or for leisure, and Thai rural families transformed by mobilities and migration, try to draw out their gendered experiences of transnational living. The individual choices that shaped these lives, and the surprising prevalence of lives like these in Thailand and abroad, needs to be understood within context as an outcome of the specific globalisation processes that have shaped Thailand through transnational links to other parts of the world over the last decades. Globalisation and penetration by foreign capital, cultures, and people through mass tourism is key to this explanatory backstory as well as the internal rural/ urban cleavages that drive Thailand’s economic development. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.