Thailand Travel Tragedies

Thailand Travel Tragedies is a new website being developed by the parents of Sarah Carter who died mysteriously after staying at the Downtown Inn Hotel in Chiang Mai back in February. Originally it was thought that Sarah and her friends had eaten some toxic seaweed at a local night market that made them ill but it soon became clear that there was more to the story.

Sarah Carter’s friends Emma Langlands, 23, and Amanda Eliason, 24 also became ill that day but with milder symptoms. After food poisoning was ruled out disturbing news of other deaths at the same hotel started to come out. A month before Sarah Carter took ill an American, Mariam Soraya Vorster, 33, of Seattle, died under similar circumstances but not at the same hotel. Within days of Sarah Carter’s death an elderly British couple were found to have died together in room 423 of the Downtown Inn Hotel. A week prior a Thai tourist guide died under similar circumstances.

All together there have been 7 deaths attributed to a mysterious illnes in Chiang Mai. Not helping matters much Chiang Mai Governor Pannada Disakul made the announcement before tests had been completed and came to the conclusion that these deaths were all a coincidence. An independent report has come to the conclusion that at least three of the deaths were due to myocarditis, the enlargement of the heart, cause unknown.

There have been quite a few conspiracy theories making the rounds MSG poisoning to puffer fish disguised as salmon. And while the Downtown Inn Hotel figures prominently in the deaths at least one death, Mariam Soraya Vorster, had no connection whatsoever to the hotel.

Food poisoning is most likely the culprit but because of the way the case was handled it’s doubtful we will ever know.

This has been a tragedy for all concerned and gives us all pause for thought about the things we often eat in Thailand but I have to wonder what a Thailand Travel Tragedies website will really bring to the table.

Richard Carter says the website Thailand Travel Tragedies has been set up because of the cover-ups the family has experienced in Thailand.

I can’t begin to know or understand this mans pain of losing a child and while I’m not sure of a coverup, once again Thailand authorities have bungled an investigation that is important, not only to those involved but to Thailand tourism. Time and time again Thailand has dropped the ball in such cases.

While Thailand Travel Tragedies is still being developed you can go to the home page and read the mission statement which reads in part:

This website has been set up to list all occurrences of fatalities or serious illness contracted while visiting Thailand.

This could be a very good thing. A website dedicated to tracking fatalities and serious illnesses in Thailand. In theory over time we may be able to see seasonal trends or work practices in certain parts of the tourism industry that need to be addressed. If they indeed gather information on all fatalities and serious illness this would be a very resourceful site for travelers as well as Thai authorities because it would be independent. Of course this would all depend on how they gather the information and if all cases are independently confirmed. Rumors and hypotheticals wouldn’t be helpful.

Unfortunately the mission statement goes on to say the following:

Its intention is to make all travelers to Thailand more aware of the very real dangers they face in a country which appears a tropical paradise on the surface but in fact has very low health and safety standards and an undercurrent of drug and human rights crimes covered up from exposure to the rest of the world.

This belies the initial statement in total. While bringing up health and safety standards is definitely within the realm of scope for a website that claims to want to document fatalities and serious illnesses in Thailand the drug and human rights statement pretty much tells the tale. This won’t be an impartial website to help travelers to Thailand understand the trends and risks.

I get it, I really do. The mans daughter died and that has to be an unbearable pain and I would want to lash out against the perceived bad guys too.  But, when you start to look at the facts it becomes a whole lot less clear.

Yes, Thailand is perceived by most of us westerners to have low quality health and safety standards…but do they really? I have always assumed so because I come from America that has some of the strictest health and safety standards in the world. That means it’s the safest, right? Wrong. In 1999 The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta compiled statistics from the most complete food poisoning study ever done in America. The study found that over 76 million Americans suffer food poisoning every year and that results in about 5000 deaths.

The agency’s estimate of annual illnesses caused by food poisoning is more than twice as high as that suggested in earlier studies, which put the figure at 30 million. Its estimate of deaths, on the other hand, is much lower than the old figure of 9,000. We aren’t just talking about mom and pop restaurants here either, major corporations have let everything from contaminated peanut butter to salmonella laced lettuce loose on the public knowingly and people have died.

Food poisoning happens every place in the world and people are dying from it as you read this and there is nothing you can do about it. How outbreaks of food poisoning are handled are critical and this is something Thailand has yet to understand. Hopefully the events of the past few moths in Chiang Mai have provided a wake up call to Thai authorities that they need to do more sooner and give the facts instead of trying to put a good face on things to save tourism.

I’m not going to comment on the human rights violations and drug crimes part of the Thailand Travel Tragedies mission statement as they are just ridiculous additions to what could have been a very resourceful site. Have there been human rights violations in Thailand, YES. Have there been drug crimes in Thailand, YES. As there have in every country in the entire world. Human beings are animals and yes kiddies sometimes we eat our own.

I really hope Mr. Carter can see past his recent tragedy to the point where he does develop Thailand Travel Tragedies into what could be potentially a very resourceful site for both travelers and Thai authorities alike. Not only might he change the climate in Thailand as it concerns reporting and handling such incidents but I think it would be a fitting tribute to a daughter he obviously loves greatly and misses dearly. Maybe through her he can help prevent similar incidents from unfolding as they have in Thailand.

One way to prevent any travel disaster is by using a great holiday provider, this will ensure airfare and accomodation are guranteed in terms of availibility and in case of any other disruptions. I normally use www.cheapholidays.com as they offer travel insurance also which gives me peace of mind and the only thing i worry about is packing for my next destination.

Related Articles of Interest:

• Travel Insurance, Don’t Leave Home Without It!
• Thailand Tourism Bargains
• Travel Insurance
• What Thailand Really Needs is…
• Thailand in the News Week Ending 07/31/2010

Two years ago today I started Thailand, Land of Smiles without a real clue as to what I was doing or how I would do it, the early posts really bring that point home well. I started this blog because I had a real passion for Thailand that carries on to this day and I wanted to share that passion with as many people as I could.

I wanted to share my experiences and adventures along the way and I think I’ve done that pretty well . Over time I believe I’ve become a better writer and a little bit better photographer ( still breaking camera’s though). I think what I’ve been able to put into words so far has been full of helpful information and a pretty good testament to my time spent in Thailand.

The blog has really grown since those first days when the only visitor was me. Checking the stats was a daily depressing habit  and I wondered if anyone would ever show up. Well, they did but it took time.

Today Land of Smiles brings in well over 20,000 unique visitors a month who average close to 40,000 visits and account for over 150,000 page views a month. About 60% of those visitors monthly come from search engines, with Google being the clear leader. 15% of those visitors are from referrals, mostly from other blogs in the Thailand niche. And the last 25% come from direct traffic.

Now, I’m not bringing the above numbers up to brag and I didn’t add in pictures of my Google analytics and monthly stats for a reason, it doesn’t matter. It’s not about where I am now but how I got here and how I plan to move forward. It took two years to get to this point and you can bet the first year I was writing for very few people. After the first year I saw more people trickling in here and there and I continued to write. Google doesn’t trust you for a while and as much as Google doesn’t trust you, other bloggers trust you less. After the 8 month mark Google started to relent and send me much needed traffic and other bloggers started to give me some much needed back links. It takes time and patience but if you keep at it it happens.

That being said it also involves work. Aside from writing content if you want to move forward and stand out you can’t ignore search engine optimization ( SEO ). Without SEO no one will ever find you, it literally makes the difference of being on the first page of Google or on the the 300th page. Here’s a hint,  no one goes past the first few pages of search results in most cases. Using WordPress as a blogging platform takes care of 80% of the SEO you need right out of the gate. You need to keep up with the other 20% by doing the little things. Keywords, correct permalinks and the all important back links. All these things together help the search engines to find and rank you.

Don’t neglect the theme you use for your blog either. How your site looks is second only to the information it provides. People really do make decisions about you and your blog based on it’s look and navigation. Take the time to get it right. You wouldn’t believe the amount of e-mails I have gotten in 2 years about how nice the theme is here. It’s the main reason I haven’t thought of updating the theme, but when I do I will be keeping similar color schemes and layout. By the way the theme was free and luckily it was one that I haven’t seen used much.

Keywords are easy with a Thailand related blog because it’s hard to write an article without bringing up the main keywords in this niche: Thailand, Bangkok, Thai food, Thai women, Thai girls, Thai language, Pattaya, and or ladyboys…big breasted young teen Asian ladyboy’s, naked. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist

Those words are relatively easy but I have taken ranking for certain keywords to a new level. For instance, I rank #1 in Google for Brown Nipple…go ahead, check. I’m proud of that one although I really don’t know why and I’m quite certain that many a young man has been disappointed when they got to my blog and there were no brown nipples to be found. I don’t think I even rank in the top 100 pages for black nipple, talk about a tough keyword to rank for. I plan on being around for a while so who knows maybe in 2 more years I can be #1 for black nipple too…a boy can dream.

All of that is fine and well but it really doesn’t mean all that much over time unless you have people engaging with your content and in that regard I have been fortunate to make friends with a lot of great Thailand bloggers and bloggers in general that have become part of this community and a larger Thailand community overall. That’s what keeps me going, the fact that people are reading my content and they are responding to it. Not only that but they are expanding on it and bringing more to the conversation through comments here and blog posts on their blogs. That is really cool and and a major motivation to keep me blogging.

Page Rank,  Alexa, SEO, and all the social networking tools are great for distracting you from the most important part of blogging, writing original content. They are all meaningless if you don’t keep writing and reaching out to others in your niche and becoming involved. Don’t write for search engines, write for people because when you write for people the funny thing is they usually show up and read. If you engage those people and give them what they are looking for they will most likely come back. All the various metrics used to measure success only tell you part of the story.

Like many bloggers I have read all the A-list bloggers on blogging and have researched all of their works and have sometimes let myself be drawn into it all . What I’ve learned in the last 2 years is that most of what they tell you is all incidental to the important equation:

Passion+Content+Time=Results

Passion. If you aren’t passionate about your subject matter your readers will know it and eventually you will get tired of writing it or you’ll get tired of no one reading it.

Content is key. If you write on a regular basis  they will come. It doesn’t have to be daily but if you post on a regular basis you will see regular readers. More to the point it’s not just content but original content. Original content is written through your eyes or through your experiences. You can write about anything but unless you put your spin on it, your point of view or your thoughts then you are just rewriting news that someone else has already written…Make it yours.

Time is the hardest part of the equation. Time isn’t something you can force or bend to your will. You may write daily and have the passion,  but everything takes time. It takes time for Google to trust you and to build up content in the search engines. It takes time to get to know others in your niche and have them trust you. It takes time to figure out your direction. Give it time.

If you put in the time to write original content about a subject you are passionate about then you might be as fortunate as I have been and realize you have become part of something bigger, a community.  Big or small that community means so much more than statistics.

This post has run a lot longer than I wanted it too but hopefully it made it’s point, love what you do and do what you love. I’ve learned a lot in the past two years about Thailand, blogging and community. Where Thailand, Land of Smiles will be in the next two years, I don’t know,  but I do know that I’ll still be learning, exploring and writing about the place I love and hopefully you’ll continue to  be a part of that journey.

Related Articles of Interest:

• New Years 2011 in Thailand
• Accolades & Interviews
• Heading to Thailand, Blogging & Thailand Blogs
• Thailand Blogs Part 6: More Expats & Travel Blogs
• The Move to Thailand, So Much To Do…

I’m going to wrap this love fest up today and start posting new adventures from Thailand tomorrow. I just thought it a good idea to let you know that the previous posts, up to and including this one, are only a small sampling of all the great Thailand blogs out there.

There just isn’t enough time to cover them all at the moment but you can check out my sidebar for more great Thai blogs ( the thumbnail changes with each refresh) or check out the links section. In all there are links to over 150 Thai blogs and as soon as my lazy ass gets back from Thailand I have a bunch more to add.

Now on to the blogs…

The Lost Boy

Matt was an expat living in Thailand and now he is an expat living in East Timor. There is still a wealth of backlogged Thailand information as well as new posts about his experiences in East Timor. This site is really well worth your visit and full of great articles. It’s also home of The Top 100 Thailand Blogs. It took Matt a good while to complie that list and it’s sent all of us blogging about Thailand a lot of traffic. So, My thanks to you Matt and I hope your adventures in Dili are going well.

Brit in Bangkok

Brit in Bangkok, not surprisingly, is written by a British female expat who’s been living in Thailand for the past 5 years. Writing about her experiences and travels in Thailand as well as world politics. It’s a very engaging read and well worth spending some time getting to know her point of view.

Lost in Translation-Life in Bangkok

Lost in Translation is written by an expat named Jewie who’s been at it since 2005. Lots of great posts and pictures to be found. Covering everything from news to travel and giving his opinion where it’s needed as well as showing you Thailand in beautiful Pictures. Definitely one to add to your reader if you haven’t already. Ok, anyone else notice a bunny thing going on in the last 2 blogs or am I just getting delusional with my flight so close?

The Thai Pirate

The Thai Pirate is written by Ben Shingleton an English expat living and working in Thailand. I know I keep saying it but this yet another great read covering travel and attractions in Thailand as well as news, Thai culture and Thai life. Besides having a great name for a blog I didn’t see any bunnies lurking there so stop by and give The Thai Pirate a good reading.

Naked Farang

Without trying to sound like a broken record I’ll just say that Naked Farang has great articles on Thailand travel, Thai culture and Thai life. With lots of pictures and reviews. Stop by you’ll be glad you did.

Bulgarian Slivatree- An Expatriate’s Eye in Bulgaria

Alright, I know you are thinking ” how is this a Thailand blog?” Very perceptive of you…it’s not. But it is Bulgaria and everyone knows it’s same same but different. Martin is an English Expat living and working in Bulgaria and telling you about it all on his blog. This really is an excellent read and not to be missed.

Newley Purnell-Blogging from Bangkok

An American freelance journalist bringing you news and travel related stories from Thailand. Lots of good stuff here. He’s been at it since 2002 so there is a lot to read.

Serrated Edges

Serrated Edges is written by Lana, an expat that moved to Phuket  a decade ago. Lots of great views and opinions here and definitely worth spending a considerable amount of time going through the archive.

Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site & Travel Blog

Simply put Nomadic Matt’s is one of the best travel sites and blogs out there. Matt used to live in Thailand but now he is calling Taipei home if I remember right…hence the whole nomadic thing. Matt’s travel site and blog is chock full of tips, views and opinions on everything to do with travel. A lot of great articles on Thailand as well as various other destinations around the world …including great pics too. He gave up the rat race to travel and I would say it suits him well. Make sure to visit  Matt’s site you’ll be very glad you did.

Put a fork in it…I’m done. Gotta plane to catch. I had really hoped to cover more ground over the past few days but time just didn’t permit it. I think what I’m going to do is a monthly article on a Thai or travel blogger from now on possibly with interviews. There really are a lot of great sites out there and if I didn’t get to yours this round I’ll be getting to you sooner or later.

Hopefully right now I’m sitting on a beach somewhere in Thailand drinking one of those newfangled Siam Sunray’s and not gagging…Maybe tomorrow I’ll post about the dangers of drinking too many Siam Sunray’s and falling asleep on the beach!

Related Articles of Interest:

• Heading to Thailand, Blogging & Thailand Blogs
• Thailand Blogs Part 2: Photo Blogs
• Thailand Blogs Part 3: Thai Food
• Thailand Blogs Part 5: Expats
• Thailand Blogs Part 1: News & Politics

Over the next 2-3 days I’ll introduce you to the expat bloggers as well as Some travel blogs not about Thailand but definitely worthy of inclusion because they are just that damn good!

Issan Style

Issan Style is written by Brunty, an Aussie expat living and teaching in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. Aside from bringing you stories from his daily life in Issan he also writes about Thailand in general. Lots of good reads on Thailand holidays and festivals, Thai culture and some aspects of Thai life that the tourist might not run into often such as wedding and funeral ceremonies. Also plenty to read on things to do and see in Issan.

His humerous posts and rants make for some great reading, and the pictures he ads to his posts really bring Issan and Thai life in general into a clear crisp focus. All in all a great read.

My Thai Friend

My Thai Friend is written by Mike Rose, an English expat living in Thailand and writing about the world around him. You’ll find a good mix of everything from village life to Thai news stories and everything in between. You get a good sense on what it’s like to pull up roots in the West and move to a village in Thailand. His views on Thai life and Thailand in general are always a great read and his stories about his house and garden will always put a smile on your face.

Retired in Thailand and Loving it

Malcolm is a retired expat living in Kanchanaburi,Thailand with his Thai wife CieJay. Malcolm tells a pretty good story that always draws you into his posts. Whether he’s writing about life in the village or his travels around Thailand you know you’ll be treated to an adventure and there is always a great picture or four  to prove it. Even his smaller posts can be a poignant reminder of what life is really about…Let There Be Light.

Beyond the Mango Juice

Martyn technically isn’t an expat but he writes with the heart of one. Writing about Village life with his lady, and the occasional wars she has with Mama, Martyn really brings the village to life in his writing. Of course he also writes about other aspects of Thailand and with his particular style you are always guaranteed a good read.

Life in Rural Thailand

Life in Rural Thailand is written by MeMock who lives in the province of Ubon Ratchatani in Thailand.  Another great peek into village life and Thailand in general. Very good reading.

Pattaya Days

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Expat living in Pattaya, Thailand writing about his life and experiences in Thailand. Very good read. Most Thailand blogs I’ve seen with Pattaya in the title don’t seem to hang around long but I suspect this one will because it’s about much more than Pattaya.

HaPPy Like a HiPPo

HaPPy Like a HiPPo is written by an expat that’s been living in Bangkok since the 1980′s. Covering a little bit of everything from food to gadgets with welcome observations on life in the Big Mango. Always an interesting read.

Thai Girl

Written by best selling author Andrew Hicks who has retired to Sangkha, Surin, Thailand to live with his Thai wife Cat. Andrew’s posts are more like chapters in a favorite old novel that you can’t wait to get home to pick back up again. Great insights into Thailand covering everyday life and everything else Thailand. Make sure you have a little time when you visit Andre’w's blog because you will get drawn in.

Well that ends another day of  kissing ass…I mean, showing you more great Thailand blogs. Tomorrow will be another shot at the mango with yet more blogs and bloggers to tell you about. Not sure how far I’ll get though as I’m actually writing this about 10 hours before my flight and I’m seriously running out of time here…

Related Articles of Interest:

• Thailand Blogs Part 2: Photo Blogs
• Heading to Thailand, Blogging & Thailand Blogs
• Thailand Blogs Part 3: Thai Food
• Thailand Blogs Part 6: More Expats & Travel Blogs
• Thailand Blogs Part 1: News & Politics

Before my first trip to Thailand I started looking into the language which led me to certain words and phrases that would be useful. Actually learning the Thai language is not an easy feat for a westerner. The Thai language is a tonal language and not easy to grasp at times. Luckily there are quite a few sites and blogs out there that I highly recommend for anyone interested in learning the Thai language.

Learn Thai the Easy Way

Learn Thai the Easy Way was the first site I came across when I got interested in learning the Thai language.  Covering everything from reading, writing and grammar with MP3′s and talking interactive books so you can hear and reproduce the tones. An excellent resource for studying the Thai language.

Women Learning Thai…and Some Men too

Cat is an expat living in Bangkok exploring the Thai language and culture. She reports her experiences and opinions on learning the Thai language using various books, sites and software. She has great tips and insights on the Thai language as well as Thai culture and travel. If there is a resource pertaining to the Thai language Cat knows about it, writes about it and links to it. Her blog is very well done and an excellent resource on the language and the country.

Thai 101

Thai 101 is another excellent resource for learning Thai. As well as Thai language you’ll find a wealth of information on Thai books, cinema, and Thailand in general. Definitely a great read.

Learn Thai From a White Guy

The name of the blog almost says it all…the Bio of the author says the rest “Kinda like a crazy old cat lady.  Except I’m not that old, and its languages running around my place rather than cats.  And I’m a guy.” If that doesn’t get you interested then the fact that it’s a great Thai language resource should.

Learn to Speak Like a Thai

Lots of good stuff here if you want to learn Thai. From podcasts and free downloads to using Thai T.V. and radio as learning tools. Every little bit helps and they have a great site to help you learn Thai.

Learn Thai Podcast

Learn Thai podcast helps you learn Thai with video and audio lessons. While they do have some free resources it’s the premium content you’ll be after. At $14.95 a month it’s not expensive but a really good deal.  I’ve started the premium course but over the last few months with everything going on in my life I haven’t made time to get back to it…I plan to rectify that when I get back from Thailand and let you know how it’s going for me.

Another good day for Thai blogs and tomorrow promises to be even better. I’ll be introducing you to some great expat and travel blogs as well as a few kitchen sinks over the next couple of days. Be sure to check back and check them out.

Related Articles of Interest:

• Thailand Blogs Part 3: Thai Food
• Thailand Blogs Part 2: Photo Blogs
• On Polyglots, the Thai Language & Time
• Learning the Thai Language
• I Learned to Speak Thai Fluently & You Can Too

I guess since were talking about food I might as well serve up some of the best Thai food blogs out there.  Yes, you could go to a Thai restaurant outside of Thailand and get so-so Thai food, or you could visit these blogs and learn how to cook authentic Thai dishes. Warning…they will make your stomach growl!

Joy’s Thai Food

Joy’s Thai Food is all about authentic Thai food by an authentic Thai woman. Over 230 recipes including directions, pictures and videos. This is really an excellent resource for anyone interested in Thai cooking. Even if you aren’t a good cook  you can learn about your favorite Thai dishes and maybe pick up some pointers to Impress your friends.

Thai Table-Learn Thai Cooking

Another excellent Thai food resource for anyone wanting to learn or just look up Thai dishes. Thai Table also has articles on travel and food culture. Lots of pictures to make you hungry and tips on where to find ingredients if you aren’t in S.E. Asia.

Thai Foodcast

Thai Foodcast is about delicious Thai food and how it’s prepared. Each recipe is accompanied by a step by step video so you can see exactly how the dish is prepared. There is also a lot  of insight given on the various ingredients. There isn’t a lot of recipes online yet but what they do have will help you cook a wonderful Thai Meal.

Thai Food Blogs

Thai Food Blogs is loaded with recipes, pictures, videos and they even have a bustling Thai food forum if you find yourself getting lost. Lots of great information here.

Appon’s Thai Food

Appon’s Thai Food is the newest Thai food blog find for me. Filled with authentic Thai recipes and pictures that will make you drool. I’ll be visiting her blog quite a bit me thinks.

Thai & Lao Food

Thai & Lao Food is yet another great Thai food blog with Lao recipes as well. Filled with recipes, pictures and videos to help you cook authentic Thai and Lao meals.

These are my go to blogs when I can’t figure out what I’ve eaten or when I know what I’ve eaten and I want to make sure I get the facts straight on what I’m talking about. I’m hungry now…anyone else? I really hope I’m somewhere in Bangkok right now eating a great Thai meal!

Onwards and upwards. Tomorrow I’ll be talking a little about Thai Language blogs and resources. I can honestly say they have all helped me to butcher the Thai language at one time or another.

Related Articles of Interest:

• Thailand Blogs Part 2: Photo Blogs
• Snack food Thai style
• Mmmm Thai Food
• Thai Food Gallery
• Thailand Blogs Part 1: News & Politics

I love to take pictures in Thailand and while I’m an amateur at best,  having Thailand as a backdrop sure helps to make the pictures better. The below photo blogs are full of beautiful pictures that hopefully will inspire the photographer in you as much as they have in me.

Austin Bush Photography

Austin Bush Photography is a photo blog filled with interesting stories and beautiful pictures. Austin is a freelance photographer/writer that has had his works published by Lonely Planet, The Bangkok Post, The Nation, Food & Travel, The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post to name a few. Austin’s photos are a feast for the eyes and always accompanied by interesting stories of his travels. With a palette that consists of South East Asia and beyond I have a feeling there will be plenty to see and read for a long time to come.

Bangkok Taxi

Bangkok Taxi is a unique photo blog in that all of the photos are taken from the back seat of a Bangkok Taxi. Taking it’s cue from the book Drive by Shootings where pictures were taken from the back seat of  New York City cab, Bangkok Taxi is re-creating the experience in an infinitely more interesting city, Bangkok.

Catherine Wentworth Photography

Catherine, as some of you may know, has a great Thai Language blog called Women Learning Thai…and some men too all about Thai language and culture. What I didn’t know, until just recently, she also has a photo blog. As an expat living in Bangkok she has access to some great scenes and you can tell by her photos she takes full advantage of that fact. Her photos are simply beautiful and must be seen.

My Thai Photo Blog

My Thai Photo Blog is a great companion blog to Mike Rose’s other Thailand blog My Thai Friend. Mike is an English expat living in the land of smiles and sharing his views and photos of Thailand. Often taking pictures around his new home and while on walks around the countryside. The pictures are always beautiful and there is always something new to learn about Thailand when seen through his lens.

Thai Photo Blogs at Paknam Web

Thai Photo Blogs always has an interesting story behind the photos they post. From political rallies to the tapping of rubber trees in Thailand there is always something new to see and learn about this land we love so much.

Check back tomorrow for more interesting blogs on Thailand!

Related Articles of Interest:

• Heading to Thailand, Blogging & Thailand Blogs
• Thailand Blogs Part 3: Thai Food
• Thailand Blogs Part 1: News & Politics
• Gallery
• Fallout From Big Trouble in Thailand Documentary

So, today and the following few days will be dedicated to these blogs and the bloggers that write them…because without them the blogosphere as it relates to Thailand wouldn’t be what it is …a thriving community of voices and shared ideas.

Today I’ll focus on the Thailand news and political blogging scene.

Absolutely Bangkok

Absolutely Bangkok as described by it’s Author, Bangkok Dan:

absolutely Bangkok.com is like a wild garden, an other, more subtle, no copycat take on lifestyle, politics, travel, food & events in Bangkok. An insider’s take on this wildly poetic city, which deep in its heart remains a wildly charming village.

I couldn’t have put it any better. Absolutely Bangkok is always a great read and one of my favorite Thailand blogs. BKK Dan is always up on the latest news in Thailand and his insights about Bangkok and Thailand in General are amongst the best I’ve seen.

Bangkok Pundit

Bangkok Pundit is a blog dedicated to Thailand politics and the insurgency in Southern Thailand. This blog is very focused and well written. If you want to learn more about Thai politics or whats going on currently on the Thai political scene then this is the blog to read.

Thai Opinions

Thai Opinions is another great blog putting forth academic opinions on current Thai news and politics. Well worth the read if you are interested in learning more about Thailand.

Thailand Jumped the Shark

Jumping the shark was coined back in the days of the T.V. show Happy Days when Fonzi literally jumped a shark pool with his motorcycle and moved the show further away from what it was originally about with absurd story lines. The term has come to mean when something inexplicably goes off course.  Thailand Jumped the Shark is a great name for a blog that covers the daily absurdities that are Thailand. Another great blog for opinions and insights on Thai news and politics.

Thailand Crisis

Thailand crisis is another great blog for current news and political stories and how they relate to a deepening crisis in Thailand. showing how today’s events are shaping tomorrows Thailand and what that means for the foreigners living there and why they should be concerned.

Rule of Lords

Rule of Lords is a blog focused on the rule of law and human rights in Thailand and Burma. Covering all the news regarding censorship, lese majeste, politics and human rights. A must read if you really want to know more about how things really are in this area of the world.

New Mandala

New Mandala covers news around South East Asia. Excellent resource for news and commentary on goings on in S.E.Asia.

All the blogs I’ve featured today definitely deserve a spot in your reader or bookmarks. These are the blogs I look to when I want to get a better understanding of whats happening in Thailand news and politics.

Tomorrow there will be more blogs that deserve your attention so make sure you come back and check them out!

Related Articles of Interest:

• Thailand Blogs Part 2: Photo Blogs
• Heading to Thailand, Blogging & Thailand Blogs
• Thailand Blogs Part 3: Thai Food
• Accolades & Interviews
• Thailand Blogs Part 5: Expats