Meet The Fantastic Sailomjoy Team

Why Do We Like It So Much

There are a number of reasons why we love this restaurant. First of all the food is fantastic and that includes the Western food and the Thai food. Secondly the service is fantastic and even at the most busy times you will find the proprietors Khun Pom and Khun Weil and staff are so ” cay yen” very cool, not stressed and always polite. Thirdly it is the atmosphere, ambience and lovely personalities of the owners and staff of this restaurant that make breakfast and lunch such great events to look forward to.

Finally it is the traditional northern Thai feel of a family run business that makes ” Sailomjoy ” so special You will find husband and wife so cool calm and organised and running the show, you will find father mixing in with great service and the sister of Khun Weil preparing food and when out of school time the children will assist as well. The complete traditional Thai family business and how well they do it.

Entrance To Sailomjoy Restaurant

So Whats On The Menu

Western Food

Sailomjoy serve great pancakes, with my daughter’s favourite being Mango and Banana, but they do many different flavoured pancakes. Some other delightful treats at a glance…. Muesli fruit salad, an array of club sandwiches, Pizza, French toast, french fries, Set menu cooked breakfast consisting of eggs and bacon etc, Macaroni, Spaghetti, Milk shakes, Smoothies, Fruit juices, Tea and a number of various ”wake up” coffee’s.

A Great Western Breakfast

Fabulous Thai Food

The ubiquitous ”Phat Thai noodles”, the north of Thailand’s own delicious ” Khao Soy noodles”, Fried Chicken and cahew nuts, Chicken and ginger, an immense tom yum soup ( packed with tremendously healthy ingredients and flavours),Spring rolls, sticky rice and mango slices and this barely scratches the surface.

A Delicious Thai Lunch

So Many People Love Sailomjoy Restaurant

It is not hard to see why Sailomjoy restaurant is so popular and why they have so many friends worldwide. On the first account the food is delicious and secondly the owners and staff make you feel so welcome, but finally it is the ambience and personality of this wonderful little restaurant that sets it apart from the rest. Don’t just take my word for it, but read the comments on the wall of the restaurant of those who came, loved and continually miss Sailomjoy until the next time they return and they always return.

Just A Few Of Many Letters Of Thanks

The owners Khun Pom and Khun Weil treat everyone like family and are always delighted when they get letters from those around the world who have graced the Sailomjoy restaurant in Chiang Mai with their presence. In fact so happy are they that the letters usually end up decorating the restaurant walls along with the many wonderful photos.

Precious Memories Of Customers, But Now Friends

A Few Of My Favourite Comments From The Sailomjoy Restaurant Walls

”To all the staff thanks so much for the great food and great service you are the friendliest staff in Chiang Mai” Canada

” We love coming every morning for breakfast, we are going to miss this place ” California

I have eaten here with friends over 100 meals and I look forward to 100 more… yummy. Expat

A Very Nice Letter

How Can I Find Sailomjoy

You will find Sailomjoy at the entrance to the old city, they are literally adjacent to the Thapae gate area on Ratchadamnoen Road. If you were to stand by starbucks and Mcdonalds ( but certainly keep moving away from Starbucks and Mcdonalds) , just look straight ahead to the gate, walk through and Sailomjoy is across the road on Ratchadamnoen road about the second place on the left hand side.

Go Straight Through The Gate

Final Tip

Don’t waste good time on your vacation looking for somewhere nice to eat, just head straight to Sailomjoy Restaurant they have everything there and its all absolutely ” aroy maak ” delicious.

Happy Smiles Khun Weil on the right and sister Khun Nok left

Watch This Space For Part 2

Have you seen this before very special coffee design by Khun Weil who is an extremely clever lady and the coffee I can tell you is so delicious. I will tell you the story very soon. In the meantime have a dragon coffee by Khun Weil.

Special Coffee in Chiang Mai Made By Khun Weil

For more information on Thailand, articles, products and stories. Please visit  http://www.engagingthailand.com/

Lamphun History

Lamphun often gets overlooked by its bigger sister Chiang Mai, but is in fact one of the oldest cities in Thailand. Lamphun is quite a lot older than Chiang Mai and was formerly named Haripunchai. It was in fact founded by Queen Chama Thevi in the 9th century as the capital of Haripunchai kingdom and is the last most northerly mon kingdom in the area. In the south-west part of Lamphun a statue still remains of the queen and offerings are still made by the citizens.

In 1218 King Mengrai defeated the Mon kingdom and added the wealthy city of Lamphun to his own kingdom. Lamphun became part of the new Lanna kingdom with Ai Fa appointed king whilst king Mengrai set about building Wiang Kum Kam as his new fortress and capital. Lamphun is host to one of northern Thailand’s most important temples called Wat Phra That Haripunchai.

Wat Phra That Haripunchai 

The temple grounds of Wat Phra That Haripunchai is full of beautiful architecture and sculptures and well worth spending some time at. There is a 46 metre tall golden chedi restored in 1443 by a king of Chiang Mai and a superb brick arch with a pair of sculptured lions at the door. The chedi is said to contain relics of the lord Buddha.

Climate

The weather can be cool in the winter, but because it is situated more inland and away from the sea it has a very long dry season and the weather is then very hot. The dry season lasts for 6 months.

Prize Production

The fruit ” Longan ” is the prize production of Lamphun and 60 percent are exported to Europe. The population of Lamphun is approximately 409,056.

Famous Quote

” Somebody once said that Lamphun was famous for its beautiful women and tasty longans ” and this is still absolutely true.

A Walk Around Lamphun

Allow one day to visit Lamphun scheduling in the getting there and back if you are traveling from Chiang Mai. We took a walk through the town first with its delightful moats and every day life activities and finally rested up in a delightful coffee shop. One cappuccino later and we were on our feet again heading for Wat Phra That Haripunchai the famous temple. Time certainly needs to be spent in the temple grounds as there is so much to see and do.

Outside the temple grounds is a fantastic market selling all sorts of products, there seems to be some outside vendors and some under cover in a bit of an indoor market. Passing through the indoor market and coming out the other side we walked a further 100 yards and found a nice place for a spot of lunch.

Northern Lunch Speciality

A northern speciality is called ” Khao Soy noodles” and I have never had these before so it was time to try them. The result was a massive thumbs up as the staff mixed in the essential condiments to give the true taste. I am sure if left to my own devices to mix in the extras I would have got it horribly wrong and not been so impressed. Anyone who heads north do your self the pleasure of trying this tasty treat. Don’t make the mistake by thinking I will try some of an evening as Khao Soy noodles are a lunch time selling product.

Getting To Lamphun

You can get to Lamphun from Chiang Mai by bus departing from Chang phuak bus station or take a blue taxi (songtaew) just south of Narawat bridge opposite Rimping Supermarket. We took a mini bus in to Lamphun from Chiang Mai which cost 20 baht, but came back on the songtaew for 15 baht. All that way for just 15 baht approximately 35 pence…. incredible.

Website

For more information, articles and stories about Thailand, please visit

http://www.engagingthailand.com/

If you happen to be visiting Kanchanaburi in Thailand the home of the ” bridge over the river kwai” and are looking for an excellent little hotel that is very conveniently located then I suggest you take a good look at  the Luxury Hotel. The place is not riddled with technology in regards that it does not have a website to look at or email as such, but does have a lot of other things going for it.

The rooms cost approximately 600 baht per night without a fridge and 700 baht per night if a fridge is something you just can’t do without. All in all you are looking at about 12 – 14 Great British Pounds per night. Take the 600 baht rooms for instance and these are equipped showers with running hot and cold water, television, a big king size bed, 2 big armchairs, a writing-table and a very spacious room at that. For me its all about finding a place comfortable enough to lay my head, I mean I only want to sleep there and not live in the place. However if living here is your goal then it is more than adequate to do so.

The hotel is very nicely located with plenty of things to do nearby. Come out of the hotel, turn left and walk about 15 minutes and this brings you to a big intersection, turn left there and you will find yourself  in the town centre and market area. The main Kanchanaburi bus station is also situated here. Besides the main bus stations there is also the option to take mini-bus to where ever you want to go. Mini bus stops are situated near the main bus station.

Food In Kanchanaburi

Many a treats and delights can be found down here and as per usual in Thailand good food is never in short supply. Two of us sat down for some good roadside eating and chose food from three roadside vendors. The first vendor was selling Chicken Satay with a combination of cucumber dip and the peanut dip, the second vendor was selling Hoy Thot fried muscles, egg and beansprouts… just simply delicious and the last one was selling Gai Phat Grapow with a fried egg on top, rice and finally all washed down with bottled ice-cold water. The bill came to under 300 baht which was approximately 5 British Pounds and fifty pence… fantastic.

A Must Have Treat

One of my favourite vendors in Kanchanaburi literally just outside the main bus station is the ” Nam Da Huu” vendor or warm soya bean milk and Chinese doughnuts stop. I love this stuff it is absolutely delicious, but the doughnuts are very much an in moderation thing for me. Besides the soya bean milk you can also have ” Nam Da Huay” a very healthy Ginger drink great for the aid of digestion. One of these treats will set you back about 12 baht about 25 pence and you can even sit at a roadside table to have it.

The Bridge Over The River Kwai

If you come out of the luxury hotel and turn right instead of left then you are literally within a 5 minute walk of the Kanchanaburi war cemetery which contains the remains of 66,982 allied prisoners of war who perished during the construction of the death railway. Further on from here about a 20 minute walk or a 5 minute taxi journey costing between 50 – 80 baht is the ” bridge over the river kwai itself and the museum.

Contact The Luxury Hotel, Kanchanaburi

The Luxury Hotel can be located at

284/1 Sangchutoe Road, Kanchanaburi, 71000, Thailand

Telephone Number: 034-511168, 516805

Other Things To Do In And Around Kanchanaburi

There are plenty of things to do in and around Kanchanaburi to keep you occupied besides the bridge over the river kwai. There is elephant riding in the forest at Kwai Noi river , bathing with elephants, a monkey school and the Safari park.

Just outside of Kanchanaburi is ” The Tiger Temple”, don’t wear red, pink, orange or yellow and ladies must wear a shirt to cover shoulders and also wear long trousers in order to visit the temple.

Photos and more information will be added to this post shortly on my return to the UK.

Website

For more information, articles and stories about Thailand please visit http://www.engagingthailand.com/

In the first part of the interview Kade gave ”The Corn Loft” in Chitlom as one of her favourite places to eat in Bangkok. So on my recent trip to Bangkok in January 2012 it became our meeting point to discuss more about Thai and Bangkok lifestyle alongside some general likes of Kade herself. A great venue over a very tasty ” Tom Yum Gung” dish accompanied by some delicious Vietnamese spring rolls and the tone was set for more great information from local Bangkok lady Khun Kade.

Trevor: I am sure you all know Khun Kade by now, but for those who have not read her other 3 parts of the interview firstly here is a reminder about our guest and secondly don’t forget to read the rest of her great information. I have provided links to the rest of the interview at the bottom of this post.

Kasinee Silapee (Nickname Kade)

About Kade

Kade: Usually, my foreign friends will call me “Ke-si” as it is easy for them but for my Thai friends, they usually call me “Kade”.

My name is Kasinee Silapee, Thai single female. I was born in Bangkok 47 years ago. You can tell that I am a real Bangkokian, and I have seen a lot of changes and developments in Bangkok. I graduated my 2^nd Master Degree in Communication Arts from Chulalongkorn University since 1997. I love traveling, music, arts and movies as well as books.

My hobbies, besides watching movies and playing sports are taking photographs. I love to do handicraft works as well and my favorite ones are knitting and costume jewelry designs.

Currently I am working as Creative Group Head for Net Genius Co., ltd., this company does website development, marketing on-line, SEO strategy and also event organizing.

I can speak Thai and all native Thai, English, fair French and Japanese, Khmer and Bahasa Maly.

I love singing and playing guitar. If I could turn back the clock,  I would learn how to be a good chef, as I absolutely love cooking food for people  as well as love to invent new recipes.

Kade’s Thai Music Choices

Kade On Music

Trevor: The thing that comes across from Kade most is her zest and passion for life, she has so many things that she enjoys to do that it would have been quite possible to stay and talk all day. However one of her big passions is music and so I asked her about her favourite Thai singers and Thai songs, it was no surprise when Kade gave me favourites from different types of music.

Trevor: Could you give us a couple of your favourite Thai songs?

Kade: It is hard for me to give you just a couple as my tastes and preferences come from different types of music. I am a fan of Country, Pop and Classical tunes so I will give you my favourite in these categories.

One of my very favourites is ” Tongchai Mcintyre ” almost all of his albums are brilliant such as

1) ก้อนหินกับนาฬิกา by Tongchai Mcintyre

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k3eFBMDyCE

2) หมั่นคอยดูแลและรักษาดวงใจ by Tongchai Mcintyre

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWgDkDZG5NI

3) คนไม่มีแฟน by Tongchai Mcintyre (kon mai mii feen)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geeCiuUMhW4

4) Too much, so much, very much

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDjvjTkFoyE

The next artist is Phumphuang Daengduen

นักร้องลูกทุ่ง (nak rong luuk thung)

ผ้ชายในฝัน (Phuu Chai nai fan)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsQ0NuO992M&feature=related

คนดังลืมหลังควาย (Khon dang luum luang kwaay)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yb-G9jdUgO0

 The next artist is called ” Soontaraphorn”

ขอให้เหมือนเดิม (Khoo hai muan derm)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CEgarTyBHA

The final track is สุขกันเถอะเรา (suk gan thee raw)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWZmLulis9M

I think that will give you enough to listen to for the moment.

Bangkok City, Thailand

Kade On Favourite Night Spots

Ask Kade about where to go of an evening in Bangkok and this is also simple for her as she knows every inch of Bangkok having spent her life here. It may have been simple for her, but yet again the choices were built around varied musical tastes that emerged from Jazz, Blues, Dance and she really comes alive at the mere mention of Salsa music.

Trevor: When you get time out of your busy schedule where are a couple of your favourite night-time venues?

Kade: For nightlife when I have time and when I am not working too late I enjoy to socialise with friends at many places, but my favourite’s are ….

1) The Saxaphone (Jazz and Blues pub)  3/8 Phayathai Road, Victory Monument, Bangkok.

http://www.saxophonepub.com/index.php

2) Brown Sugar (Jazz Pub and Restaurant) On Soi Sarasin, Opposite Lumpinee Park

http://www.brownsugarbangkok.com/

3) Route 66 On PraRama 9, Bangkapi, Bangkok.

http://www.route66club.com/

4) Brick Bar (Ska, Ragge and Dance music) 265 Khaosan Road, Taladyot, Pranakorn, Bangkok.

http://www.brickbarkhaosan.com/

Trevor: Having worked with many different nationalities throughout her career and for many different nationality bosses I asked Kade about perhaps offering foreigners a bit of advice in regards of working with Thais and overcoming cross cultural challenges.

Trevor: What would you say were the three most important tips for foreigners with regards to forming good working relationships with Thai people.

Unmistakably Thailand, Floating Markets

Kade On Cross Cultural Relationships

Kade: So often I have seen many foreigners approach situations here exactly in the same way they would in their own countries and quite often hit a brick wall. I would certainly advise that in the beginning you do as much homework as you can with regards to learning as much as possible about Thai people and Thai culture and then gently get to know one another.

Sometimes especially as bosses the foreigner can be too demanding and set expectation levels massively high. Goals and objectives are of course great to aim for, but a bonding and a unity put together from getting to know each other is certainly the way to build a trustworthy relationship.

Trevor: I found once again here a keyword that Kade reiterated was ” patience ” and you will find its a word the Thai’s often use and show and perhaps one word in the west that seems to be disappearing from the vocabulary.

Kade On Proverbs

Trevor: As you know I am a fan of proverbs and quotations, could you give us a couple of your favourite quotes , sayings or proverbs that have meant something to you over the years?

Kade: This is hard as there are so many, but off the top of my head the two that spring to mind are…

1) Do a good deed  and receive good, do a bad deed and receive bad

ทำดีได้ดี ทำชั่วได้ชั่ว (tam dii dai tam chua dai chua)

2) Time and tide wait for no man

วันเวลาไม่เคยคอยใคร (wan wela may khey khooy khrai)

Trevor: For those foreign students of the Thai language who wish to enhance their learning of Thai language and Thai culture what would be a couple of favourite books that you would recommend they get a copy of.

Kade: 1) I would certainly recommend Si Phaendin

2) I would like to recommend Luuk Isaan

Kade With An Eye To The Future

Kade On Her Goals

Trevor: Do you have a dream or an end goal that you are aiming for, what would make you happy if you achieved it.

Kade: My goals will be complete when my mission is completed and my work is done. I want to go on and continue learning in life and continue to give back in life. I want to continue to do good in life, not for the sake of receiving anything back for myself, but for the sake of making some one less fortunate than me smile in life.

I am also currently working on a hat knitting project for the hilltribe children of Northern Thailand and the goal is to knit as many as I possibly can. It is colder in the North of Thailand and especially in the cold season and the Hilltribe people ( or people of the mountain) are very poor. Being poor of course prevents the families from buying products to prevent the coldness so I am happy to use my ability to help.

The other day I saw a homeless man who looked so lonely and hungry so I gave him a bit of money to get some breakfast with or something . As went by him again I noticed he still had nothing and I noticed how lonely he was looking, so I went and got him a box of Kentucky fried Chicken and told him to enjoy the new year and to keep trying. The smile on his face was reward enough as the feeling I felt was good. There is always a reward, but the reward is far greater than a material reward it is the pure satisfaction of doing good for others.

Hilltribe Lady From The North Of Thailand

One Final Piece Of Advice

Trevor: Finally, if you had to give one piece of advice to any newly arriving foreigner planning on a life in Thailand. What would it be?

Kade: Purely to give yourself time to get to know and learn about Thailand and Thai people and the emphasis should very much be on giving yourself time.

Trevor: With all personal goals set, a busy working life, a thousand hobbies, more languages to add to her already impressive list, good deeds to carry out  and lunch at the corn loft finished I said farewell and thank you to the very talented, intelligent and charming Khun Kasinee Silapee.

As I travelled back to Ramkhamhaeng I was already thinking I wished I asked her this and I wished I asked her that, but I fear I was in danger of becoming one of those over demanding foreigners that Khun Kade was talking about. To be quite honest she has no need for anyone to be demanding of her as she demands and delivers a lot of herself. I thank her once more for taking time out of her very busy schedule.

Make sure you catch-all of the fantastic interview with Khun Kasinee Silapee

Part One Was On Thai Food

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/my-thai-food-dinner-party-interview-with-kasinee-silapee-part-1/

Part Two Was On Thai Travel

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/thailand-itinerary-samet-island-ayutthaya-mae-hong-son-pai-and-bangkok/

Part Three Was For Tips On Living In Thailand

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/tips-for-living-in-thailand-by-kasinee-silapee/

Part Four today was about Thai and Bangkok Lifestyle

The rooms are equipped with …..

• satellite/cable T.V
• Air Conditioning
• Fridge
• Bath and shower
• Telephone

The Hotel also offers these facilities…

• Restaurant ( serving good food from Breakfast through to Evening)
• Landry Service
• 24 hour security
• Free usage of the health club
• Snooker Table
• Squash Court
• Internet Facilities
• Nice comfortable seating area in the foyer with Thai and English newspapers
• Attractive tropical fish in tanks all around the foyer
• All for the very reasonable price of  (690 Baht per night for a Deluxe room or 890 Baht should you want to go really mad.) Looking at roughly 14 – 16 G B Pounds per night.

Front Of The Nasa Vegas Hotel

Health, Fitness And Relaxation

One of my favourite things about the hotel is you get free usage of the gym and health spa for each night you are booked in with the hotel. The receptionist will give you stamped dated tickets which you daily hand over to the health club assistant and after signing in with your room number you are permitted free use of the gym and spa. So you can have a run and a  work-out to burn off all that good Thai food and then relax in the jacuzzi for 20 minutes really great stuff.

Around The  Hotel Area

There is not a dramatic amount of things to see and do in the immediate  area of the Nasa Vegas hotel, but there are a few food spots just down the road from the hotel. If you come out of the hotel front entrance and head straight down the road you have a few food vendors and restaurant type places on the right, a few more eating establishments by going down the road and turning left and a whole load of food vendors and a night food market straight on for about a 5 minute walk. Whichever way you decide to go there are a couple of rather big, fast-moving roads to negotiate so just be on your guard when crossing there. On three separate evenings we managed to eat at the vendors on the right at the night market and had a sit down meal by going down the road and turning left at a Chinese/Thai restaurant that served delicious Guay diaw noodles, spring rolls and a lovely Chinese dessert.  Across the road from the hotel is a relaxing Thai Massage venue an internet cafe and a family mart convenience store for anything that you might need.

What Else Can I Find On Ramkhamhaeng Road

You would probably not specifically plan to go to Ramkhamhaeng Road as there is not an awful lot of attraction there for a visiting tourist, but it does have a major Cineplex if you have children and want to go and see a movie and also a big shopping centre. Ramkhamhaeng Road is also home to one of the biggest Universities in the world with two campuses and it was also the first to become an open university. It is said that the University was named in honor of King Ramkhamhaeng The Great Of Sukhothai who is credited with the creation of the Thai alphabet. Lots of sought after foreign professors teach courses here and the University also has studies for foreign students from all over the world. Other nearby areas are New Pheburi Road and also Sukhumvit Road which is about three blocks away.

Shopping Malls

Take a trip in the opposite direction along Ramkhamhaeng Road from the nearby amenities I was telling you about (from the rear of the Nasa Vegas hotel) and you come to a bigger shopping complex of malls and various big shops. Here you can basically find anything that you could possibly need in the format of Thai food, foreign food, banks, books, clothes, phones in fact everything.

As of the 22nd January 2012 I ordered ” Khao Man Gai” steam chicken and ginger for 50 Baht and a bottle of passion fruit juice for 20 baht . A very tasty and filling snack for 70 baht about  one pound and 50 pence, however there are many great value snacks on the ground floor of this mall.

The first 10 minutes of the walk and you would think you were walking the wrong way as there is nothing at all in the way of shops at all. If you keep going you will come to a big intersection where crossing the road needs great care and attention and after that its about a further 10 minutes on foot. For a taxi the shopping complex is located between soi 13 and soi 15 on Ramkhamhaeng Road.

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/my-thai-food-dinner-party-interview-with-kasinee-silapee-part-1/

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/thailand-itinerary-samet-island-ayutthaya-mae-hong-son-pai-and-bangkok/

Guest Introduction

Trevor: Sawat dii krap Khun Kasinee and great to have you here. I know I am fortunate to catch up with you as you are such a busy lady. I know you have a few names people call you by so could you tell us what you prefer to be called and tell us a little bit about yourself please.

Kasinee Silapee (Nickname Kade)

About Kade

Kade: Usually, my foreign friends will call me “Ke-si” as it is easy for them but for my Thai friends, they usually call me “Kade”.

My name is Kasinee Silapee, Thai single female. I was born in Bangkok 47 years ago. You can tell that I am a real Bangkokian, and I have seen a lot of changes and developments in Bangkok. I graduated my 2^nd Master Degree in Communication Arts from Chulalongkorn University since 1997. I love traveling, music, arts and movies as well as books.

My hobbies, besides watching movies and playing sports are taking photographs. I love to do handicraft works as well and my favorite ones are knitting and costume jewelry designs.

Currently I am working as Creative Group Head for Net Genius Co., ltd., this company does website development, marketing on-line, SEO strategy and also event organizing.

I can speak Thai and all native Thai, English, fair French and Japanese, Khmer and Bahasa Maly.

I love singing and playing guitar. If I could turn back the clock,  I would learn how to be a good chef, as I absolutely love cooking food for people  as well as love to invent new recipes.

Trevor: I hope you don’t mind and although I am not Thai I still like the Kade variation of the name, so I hope you don’t mind if I call you Kade. Congratulations also on all your achievements and I am massively impressed with your language ability, excellent.

• Incidentally all the fantastic photos on this blog post have been kindly provided by Kade.

Living In Thailand/Bangkok

Trevor: Can you offer any money-saving tips with regards to living in Thailand that perhaps you use, which may help others?

Kade: For any visitors who come to Thailand, the best way to save your money and ensure survival is to split up your money. For instance  your transportation fees in one part; accommodation in another part; food in another part and spare money for any extra expenditure or emergency cases. The emergency funds should be kept safely with you and should not be used until necessary.  Try to study how to use the public transportation system more than taking a taxi, this will save your cost. Eat at the food court or side-walk restaurant. Food in Thailand is very cheap compared with other countries and is all perfectly edible. We all eat the same as you do. Don’t worry about the hygiene as I never heard any visitors die because of eating Thai food, I guarantee. Try to learn how to bargain whenever you buy things, it’s quite a fun game in Thailand, and you will feel proud with yourself when you make it and count your change every time.

Food In Thailand Cheap And Delicious

Trevor: I think it must be my Englishness Kade, but I have never been any good at bargaining. I have however watched some tremendous bouts between buyers and sellers before. Sometimes the sessions seem to go on forever before reaching a conclusion, but I must admit it is all carried out in a light-hearted manner and does look fun. I will have to get over my hang – up that I am always offending somebody by bartering. Some good money-saving tips here.

 Trevor: If you were to split life in Thailand by living 4 days a week in one place and 3 days a week in another where would it be and why? Of course one of those places might well still be Bangkok?

Kade: If I have to split life in Thailand I would live for 4 days a week in Bangkok and the other 3 days my decision would depend on the climate and the season at the time that I am in Thailand. For example, if I arrive Thailand during the summer time, going to stay in the South like Phuket, Krabi, Phang – Nga or Koh Samui might be the best choice to relax on the beach before flying back home. If I arrive in Thailand in winter time, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son will be my alternative choice for me to stay another 3 days whilst living here. But there are a few provinces in the North eastern part that I would like to recommend for anyone who loves to sample Isaan life and those are  Khon kaen, Udon Thani and Ubon Ratchthani. These provinces are very convenient and have everything that you could want  including natural places for visiting, historical sites and long stay homes.

Beautiful Pang Ung Lake: Mae Hong Son

Trevor: Good points Kade, follow the climate. I am very interested to spend longer periods of time in the North East. I have sampled shorter spells in Nakhon Ratichima and Buriram, but not much more, but the North East is certainly an area I intend to explore.

 Trevor: What would you say as a Thai national were the three most important tips for new arrivals with regards to adjusting to life in Thailand?

Kade: As I am a Thai national; there are three important tips that the visitors should know to adjust yourself for spending your life here; those are Thai culture, Thai language and Thai food. For Thai culture, you should learn the Do’s and Don’ts for being here to avoid creating any conflict with the local people. With regards to the language if you try to learn some Thai words, it is very useful for you in communicating with Thai people in their own language and you will notice that they will welcome this and they can be a good teacher and advise you whenever you make any mistakes. Thai people are very kind and generous, they always love to teach if you are willing to learn and will never offend you when you make mistakes. The last thing is Thai food, many visitors know about the reputation of Thai foods before they come to Thailand. Most of Thai foods have a lot of herbs and spices, so you should inform the chef  if you cannot eat the spicy food. Try to learn the names of the foods and their ingredients; it will make your life easier when you are living here.

Gaining Knowledge Of Thai Culture And Traditions

Trevor: What would you say the crime rate was like in Bangkok, is it quite a safe place to live?

Kade: In my opinion, the crime rate in Bangkok is not really high and it is quite a safe place to live, as I have to work and get home very late many nights per week. I use public transportation to go to the office and back home. Most of the time, I can trust the public transportation in Bangkok. Only when I am on the congested MRT or BTS am I much more aware with my bag. I am not saying that it doesn’t happen but shootings and bank robberies are rare in Bangkok.  You can access the policeman and the tourist police very easy. So I still think, Bangkok is a safe place to live. I have been living here since I was born.

Times that you have to be more careful when there was the incident like the protest or mob. I just avoid  those areas.

Trevor: I must admit I have always felt safe walking around Bangkok and in fact far safer than walking around in the UK, especially at nights.  I know things do change, but aside from as you say mobs and political movements I still consider Bangkok a relatively safe place to live in the world. However where ever you live in the world these days there is always some mad man with an axe to grind.

 Trevor: What about the cost of living in Bangkok, have you found things more expensive in the last couple of years. On the other hand what is still great value?

Kade: Basically, the cost of living in the big cities  not just in Bangkok is rather higher.  Truly though in the last couple of years, the prices of consumer products have risen, because of the prices of  fuel and the production budgets are higher. But the government tries to help the lower-income people by providing the free buses and trains for them. Reduce the electricity fee and water fee to help them economise their budget.

Obviously, people in Bangkok spend money carefully and they will spend their money on necessary things only. Many of them try to save their money in the bank for the unpredictable phenomenon or as contingency plans for the  future.  The luxury items are hardly  sold.

The real estate such as Condominiums and houses are still  great value for sales in Bangkok, you will notice the new constructions of condominiums around Bangkok, particularly, Sukhumvit and Lad Phrao areas.

For me, I am still happy with the fees of public transportations such as MRT and BTS. Both services remain the same price and they are worth paying for and save travel time.

Thank You Kade

Trevor: Thank you once again Kade, good solid tips here to help anyone thinking of spending time in Thailand. I hope to catch up with you soon for one final light – hearted chat about Thai lifestyle and find out a few of your favourite Thai songs, books and Thai proverbs. Kade I thank you and it has been a pleasure reading your tips and advice.

Please Note:

Postings might be a bit irregular for the next month as they will be coming from Thailand. I will try to keep you all up to date with the travels and intend to embark on some of Khun Kade’s great travel tips.

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http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/my-thai-food-dinner-party-interview-with-kasinee-silapee-part-1/

In part two Khun Kasinee talks about her favourite places to visit in Thailand and must see places in Bangkok for visitors. I have added the introduction again on Khun Kasinee and I am sure you are going to be elated with the wonderful insights Khun Kasinee reveals.

Guest Introduction

Trevor: Sawat dii krap Khun Kasinee and great to have you here. I know I am fortunate to catch up with you as you are such a busy lady. I know you have a few names people call you by so could you tell us what you prefer to be called and tell us a little bit about yourself please.

Kasinee Silapee (Nickname Kade)

About Kade

Kade: Usually, my foreign friends will call me “Ke-si” as it is easy for them but for my Thai friends, they usually call me “Kade”.

My name is Kasinee Silapee, Thai single female. I was born in Bangkok 47 years ago. You can tell that I am a real Bangkokian, and I have seen a lot of changes and developments in Bangkok. I graduated my 2^nd Master Degree in Communication Arts from Chulalongkorn University since 1997. I love traveling, music, arts and movies as well as books.

My hobbies, besides watching movies and playing sports are taking photographs. I love to do handicraft works as well and my favorite ones are knitting and costume jewelry designs.

Currently I am working as Creative Group Head for Net Genius Co., ltd., this company does website development, marketing on-line, SEO strategy and also event organizing.

I can speak Thai and all native Thai, English, fair French and Japanese, Khmer and Bahasa Maly.

I love singing and playing guitar. If I could turn back the clock,  I would learn how to be a good chef, as I absolutely love cooking food for people  as well as love to invent new recipes.

Trevor: I hope you don’t mind and although I am not Thai I still like the Kade variation of the name, so I hope you don’t mind if I call you Kade. Congratulations also on all your achievements and I am massively impressed with your language ability, excellent.

• Incidentally all the fantastic photos on this blog post have been kindly provided by Kade.

Kade On Travel Outside Bangkok

Trevor: I know your home is in Bangkok, but what are your three favourite places to visit in Thailand outside of Bangkok?

 Kade:  (Samet Island, Pae District, Rayong province)

Originally, I was born in Bangkok and I grew up here, but I always feel alive and fresh, whenever I go out of Bangkok to get some pure fresh air and sunlight. If I have a couple of days off at the weekend, I usually like to go to the sea somewhere like Samet Island, this leisure place is located at Ban Pae district, Rayong province in the Eastern region of Thailand. It’s about 2-3 hours driving from Bangkok to Ban Pae. In Ban Pae you can  park your car at the car parking service on the shore before you take the boat from Ban Pae Pier by the local ferry to Samet Island. It’s only 100 Baht for a round trip and you can keep the ticket to be used on the day you return home.

Ban Pae Pier

My favourite beach on Samet Island is Tuptim beach, I fell in love with the beach here, it’s so clean and clear, the water in the sea is crystal clear. I love to play beach sports before going to swim in the sea after sweating. It’s the place that I can wear bikini and walk along the beach without being stared at like some sort of a strange thing , as when you are here, its quite normal to do so. Actually, there are a lot of foreigners who love to come here to sun bath and relax by lying on the beach with their mats.

The best things of Tuptim beach are people who I feel familiar with, the great location where the accommodations are situated,great sea food and spirits. I can sit and sip beer for the whole night long here without being bothered by anyone. The recommended menu will be grilled sea bass fish and squid with the spicy sauces especially for sea food, grilled corn and potato with melting butter on the top, Bar-B-Q pork ribs with great Bar-B-Q sauce, just the first bit you can feel the happiness already. You may finalise your order with Tom-yum mixed seafood for warming up your stomach and increase your appetite. How wonderful the meals are, right?

In the morning, when I wake up, I usually jump into the sea before having breakfast on the beach and waiting  to shoot some sunrise photos. You can have American Breakfast with fruit juice and hot coffee or even breakfast in Thai style, like Khao Tom or congi.

I spend my lazy time like that every day until I return home, I feel totally energised by doing nothing and release my mind with the infinite scene of the sea. At least I can throw the rubbish out of my head and be ready to return to work fully energised and with a clear mind.

Kade Clearing her Mind On Samet Island

My second best place that I love to go whenever I get spare time is Ayutthaya province, this place is a historical area, in the former time, Ayutthaya was the second capital of Thailand after Sukhothai period. Ayutthaya was the capital of Thailand for about 417 years and there were 33 dynasties who ruled Ayutthaya. It’s about 2 hours driving from Bangkok to here. I love to come to this province because I come to make a merit in many temples here; those are Wat Phanacherng; Wat Na Phra Men, Wat Yai Chaimongkhol and Wat Mongkholborphit.  But of the place that I never miss when visiting Ayutthaya is Bang Pa-in Summer Palace of King Rama the IV and the V.

In Ayutthaya, you will find a lot of many interesting places to go, including the Portuguese Community which is one of archaeological site; the Japanese village. The Ayutthaya floating market which will have traditional Thai dance performing shows every day and you can find nice local food with fantastic cheap prices. The thing that I love the most here is the hospitality of people in this province and the historical sites and I always love to come back to visit from time to time I have often taken my foreign friends to visit and shown them around. There are many beautiful sights to see you know besides the women and Pat pong, Thailand has so many interesting places that they can visit and enjoy on their vacations here.

River shrimp in Ayutthaya is very famous for all visitors as well as “Sai Mai and Roti” the famous sweet of here that every visitor must buy and take back home as a souvenir. I love this province.

The third place that I love to visit whenever I have a chance is Mae Hong Son, this province is located in the northern region of Thailand. It’s really good to visit this province in the winter time around November through to February, because of its good climate. You can arrive by train and get off at Chiang Mai, take the plane or the van to Mae Hong Son or even the public buses. The transportation to go to Mae Hong Son is very convenient at present. What will you find here, along the way to Mae Hong Son? The routes will be like a snake’s trail, because the roads were cut along the mountain, so there are at least more than 700 curves and these can be quite dangerous. So why drive to this province then I hear you say? Well, it’s worth it just for the scenery alone.  The road along the route is  covered with beautiful yellow flowers name “Dok Bua Tong” , it is similar to Sunflower , and they all blooms together covering the mountains and they are really beautiful. Mae Hong Son, has one famous tourist site name Pai. Nowadays, it’s really convenient for everyone to find  accommodation here and there is every type of accommodation that you could dream of, such as The Bungalows in the rice field, the cottage on the bank of the river or hotels inside the town. During the evenings, inside the town centre will transform in to a  night bazaar or the night market and the vendors will sell all kinds of creative products.

A Beautiful Sunset In Pai

When you come here, you must be an early bird, if you want to see the fog sea. You will need to leave your accommodation about 5 a.m.and arrive there at 6 a.m. to see the Fog Sea. The view is so  beautiful it takes your breath away and your fingers will be busy operating  the camera.

Stunning Early Morning Fog – Sea

Afterwards you can go to visit the beautiful lake at Pang Ung. This is the place that I wanted to come to the most when I arrived in Mae Hong Son.

The Natural Beauty Of Pang Ung Lake

In Mae Hong Son, there are some hill tribe people living here such as Hmong, Pagalong or Karen, so it will be easy for anyone who loves hill Tribe’ Handicraft works such as skirts, embroidery shirts, bags, shoes or anything else to find it here. In fact you can find it all here at the Hill tribe handicraft centre.  The place sells the products from the hill tribes in order to increase  income revenue streams for their families and finally you can visit the Yunnan Chinese village to have lunch and buy some nice tea.

Hill Tribe Handicrafts

Hill Tribe Lady, Time To Relax

Yunnan Chinese Village

The journey will end at the point to shoot the sunset. People who love  being among nature really need to come here. There are some coffee shops in Pai that you should not miss and these are ” All About Coffee”,  and don’t forget to try a piece of delicious carrot cake with passion fruit sauce it is so yummy and so is the cappuccino. Next is ”Coffee in Love” located along the road from Pai to Chiang Mai, this place is good for shooting photos and having coffee with the superb mountainous scenery all around you. Finally” Pai in Love ”another coffee shop in Pai town.

Time For A Cappuccino

And A Delicious Treat

The last day I will save for visiting the historical bridge. If I have a chance and more time, I will visit the fish cave climbing the mountains to stay overnight in the Karen’s village as it’s a brilliant  experience even though I have already had that experience. Mae Hong Son, still has a good atmosphere, natural beauty and the local people are still kind and generous. It’s the province that I want to stay when I retire… I love the climate here also.

Kade On The Historical Bridge

Trevor: That is superb Kade you paint a lovely picture here and a wonderful contrast between the history of Ayutthaya , the culture and scenic beauty of the north and peace and tranquility of the south. The perfect combination. I am off to Thailand very soon with my plan in place, but your description here makes me want to screw my plan up and follow yours….brilliant.

Trevor: For visitors arriving in Bangkok, what would you consider were the three places that people simply must visit in and around the area?

There are three places in Bangkok for any new arrivals who are going to visit Bangkok that should not be missed and these are “The Grand Palace” or “Wat Phra Kaew”; as this place is the milestone of Bangkok and it combines all the beautiful traditions and Thai arts here. Inside here, you will visit, “Phra Kaew Morakot” or the Emerald Buddha at the throne inside the temple; Phra thinang Jakkri Mahaprasart, this palace was built-in the reign of King Rama V in order to celebrate 150 years anniversary of Bangkok; the Ramayana Mural paintings around the main temple; Museum of old Thai Monastery (coins) and money .

The Magnificent Grand Palace

The 2^nd place that I would like to recommend to the visitors, who come to visit Bangkok, is ” Wat Pho or Wat Phra Chetuphon wimonmangkhalaram ”  the 1^st university of Thailand and also, it is famous for the biggest reclining Buddha in the main temple. Here if you are interested in having traditional Thai massage, then this is the place. In addition, you can learn to be the masseur also. Wat Pho is the temple with the genuine Chakkri Dynasty’s art with the Chinese influence; it was built-in the reign of King Rama the III.

Wat Pho or Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimonmangkhalaram

The 3^rd place to recommend for visiting while you are travelling around Bangkok is the National Museum. For me, I have a belief if I want to study about that country, I need to visit its national museum as you can learn so many historical matters from this place, and it is located closely with Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho. So it is very convenient.

The Incredible Reclining Buddha At Wat Pho

Trevor: That is fantastic Kade, I have visited all three of these places and highly endorse your recommendations for enhancing historical and cultural knowledge about the Kingdom Of Thailand. Wow Kade that was brilliant and I can’t wait for part 3 when you give some help and advice to foreigners who not only want to visit Thailand, but stay for longer periods of time or perhaps indefinite. Superb thank you Khun Kade I feel wiser already.

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For more information, articles and stories about Thailand travel, food and all things Thai related, please visit the website

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Health And Wellness Treatments In Chiang Mai And What They Involve

• The Ayurvedic  treatment of Shirodhara involves the constant stream of essential oils combined with herbs poured over a customers third eye, which is found in the forehead followed by the gentle massaging of the scalp. This is a great treatment for the restoration of mind and body to balance, and to assist the flow of energy around the body.Ayervedic treatment begins with a 30 minute consultation to establish your body type, or dosha (personality) before any Ayurvedic treatments are selected for you.  Once your body type is known the treatments can be tailored accordingly.  www.detox-chiangmai.com

• Moving from India and Ayurvedic techniques over to China and concentrating on natural ways for detoxification with a Chi NeiTsang massage. Chi Nei Tsang is the Chinese for internal organ and massage is carried out over the navel and surrounding abdominal area. The work of the Chi Nei Tsang massage is to release negative emotions, stress, tension and sickness, bring comfort to the abdomen area and supply vital energy to the internal organs. Chi Nei Tsang can also be helpful in  the treatment  digestive problems, like bloating, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. www.tao-garden.com

• The ancient treatment of Tok -Sen dates back some 5000 years and is only found in the Chiang Mai area of Northern Thailand. Tok-Sen translated means to ”clear blocked energy lines” and the process is carried out using a wooden instrument to tap away the negative energy and rid muscle tension. Tok-Sen can be carried out with the traditional Thai massage. If you are looking for instructions on this treatment in any books, you won’t find them. Tok-Sen is a treatment passed down through families in the Northern (Lanna) area of Thailand.www.lannacomespa.com

• Another ancient, but highly effective Thai treatment is the  Thai Herbal Hot Compress a very deeply relaxing and detoxification therapy. The Thai herbal hot compress has been known of since the battles between the Thais and the Burmese during the Ayutthaya period some 200 years ago. The therapy is a combination of warmth and over 20 blended herbs including kaffir lime, plai, som, citronella, lemon grass, turmeric, tamarind, galangal and camphor just to name a few. Thai herbal hot compress consists of pressure being applied in the form of the heated herbs massaging the body with a  rolling and kneading action. The treatment is used to treat illnesses and to alleviate aches, pains and muscle tension. www.lannacomespa.com

• Finally why not cap off any of your treatments with a very relaxing and rejuvenating  Aromatherapy Milky Bath .  The benefits here are immensely soothing to both body and mind and a nice soak in a petal filled warm milky bath is paradise. The treatment works in a way that some of the aromatic oils are absorbed in to the skin and soothe the body. The remainder of the aromatic essential oils are inhaled from the atmosphere and hence soothe the mind. http://www.cheevaspa.com/

Swimming Pool And Gym

• We have already discussed that Chiang Mai is a long way from the beach, but that there is plenty of sun and water available else where in Chiang Mai. If you are someone who whilst indulging in the culinary delights of Chiang Mai would like to offset it with some exercise to stop the unwanted pounds from stacking up in the form of a gym for a work out and a pool for a swim, then I know just the place. The Hillside Fitness Center which is on the 4th floor of the Hillside Plaza & Condotel 4 on Huaykaew Road chiang Mai has a great pool and gym. For a fee of 100 baht to use the gym single entry and then 50 baht to use the pool for a visit it is a very inexpensive way to spend a few hours. A day in Chiang Mai for me is not complete without a work out, swim and finally a long relaxing time in the sun by the pool with a quality book. A total of 150 baht  approximately £3-00 to stop myself feeling guilty from the curry and Singha beer and to learn something worthwhile whilst laying in the sun – who needs the beach. The gym has everything you could need with cardio machines, weight machines and plenty of free weights, the pool is quality as well. You can also buy or rent one of the condos in the building if you would like.

Hillside Fitness center And Pool: Huay Kaew Road

Breakfast

• My usual trick of a morning is to get up early around 6.30 am  and take a walk in  a different direction of the city. On carrying out this routine one morning I walked up near the entrance to what is called the ”old city” in Chiang Mai and passed a small place that catered for western and Thai breakfast so went back and rallied up the troops to try somewhere new for breakfast. The name of this wonderful little family run restaurant is Sailomjoy Thai Restaurant and it can be found at  7 Rachadamnorn Road, T. Phrasingh, Chiang Mai literally just inside the ”old city”. The proprietors Khun Pom and Khun Weaw are just delightful people as our all the staff here. The only morning out of the 10 left that we did not have breakfast here was when they had a well earned day off. This place became the normal breakfast venue for the fantastic food, both Thai and Western, the great service and more than pleasant company. Everyone was trying different things each day like  Muesli, yoghurt and fruit all washed down with a blueberry smoothie, porridge and banana, scrambled eggs, club sandwiches and delicious Thai dishes like fried chicken and ginger, phat Krapow and Phat Thai. This truly is a marvellous breakfast place and worth tracking down and the prices are fantastic.

Sailomjoy Thai Restaurant with proprietors at the front

Restaurant

• One of my favourite restaurants in all of  Chiang Mai, no sorry scrub that , one of my favourite restaurants in all of Thailand, let alone Chiang Mai is a place called Aroon Rai, which can be found on Kotchasan Road. It’s a place with very few airs and graces, but who needs airs and graces with the culinary delights that they serve up. I have yet to find anywhere in Thailand that does a better Yellow Chicken curry (Gang Gari), further more not only is the food fantastic, but the prices are more than reasonable. On a recent visit to Aroon Rai four of us ate an aray of dishes consisting of Gang Gari - Yellow Chicken curry, Spring rolls, Nam Prik oon – a mix of pork, garlic, chilli, onions and tomato,  Khao Niaw gap gai yaang - Fried Chicken and sticky rice plus ice Tea for all of us, which came to a grand total of 505 baht – just over £10-00. The food overall is excellent and the staff and service are prompt friendly and efficient.What more could you need.

Aroon Rai Restaurant

Guesthouse

• I suppose it is occasionally nice to stay in a very posh hotel and be waited on hand and foot especially if your pockets flow with currency, but for me all that is required with the accommodation bit is an adequate place to rest up and some where I can leave my luggage.   However in Baan Pim  on Sittiwong road a small road off of the main Chaiyaphum Road  you have a very clean, comfortable, friendly and tremendously priced Guesthouse ran by a lady called Khun Pim and her family. The guesthouse is conveniently located with access to everything that you would want including the massive Sunday Thapae night market or also known as ”Walking street market”. Rooms are equipped with air-conditioning or a fan if you prefer, on-line facilities for your e-mail and a beautiful tranquil garden setting to relax in and take in a cool drink of an evening….. just perfect….. and so is the price approximately 500 – 700 baht per night depending on the room and facilities chosen. Lovely family run traditional Thai Guesthouse with pleasant and attentive staff. For more information or to make a booking please visit www.baanpim.com

Baan Pim Guesthouse

These tips for Chiang Mai have been made available by Engaging Thailand. For more information on health and wellness in Chiang Mai please visit

http://www.engagingthailand.com/Spahealthandwellbeingtips.html

For more information and articles about  Thailand, please visit www.engagingthailand.com

I am Very much hoping that this will be a regular feature on here  with people who visit Thailand often, take mini-retirements or perhaps live indefinite in the land of smiles. The point of the operation is to appeal to people who spend or want to spend different periods of time in Thailand according to their desires and circumstances and not a one size fits all plan. The overall purpose in the long run is to hopefully provide information that might be useful to those planning to spend more time in Thailand whether sooner or later.

1)What is your name and can you tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Trevor Bide and I am from the south – west of England and I am the author of this blog Engaging Thailand Tips. My work here covers a range of subjects but primarily is about Thailand, niche travel in Thailand, spending longer periods of time in Thailand and lifestyle design in all areas of life from an eastern and western perspective.

2) When you stay in Thailand how long are your periods Of stay

These are normally single monthly periods, but I have been going in and out of Thailand consistently since 1984.

3) When in Thailand where do you spend most of your time

I like to travel around a bit but I must admit that Chiang Mai in the north and the royal beach resort of Hua Hin on the west coast have been favourite locations over the past  few years.

                                  Chiang Mai

4) Do you have a goal to eventually spend longer in Thailand and if you do when do you think that will happen.

My youngest daughter is coming up 15 years old and deep in to exam territory in the UK, so not interrupting her schooling comes first at the moment. We have in the past few years taken her out of school for a month, but done it on the months where she actually had two weeks school holiday, but to say they are not too happy about it is an understatement and healthy debate has taken place. I have actually watched her grow, learn and adapt to a new culture whilst continuing to do her school work online, but I don’t want her penalised in an absence sense and that to affect her results, so I am playing ball for the moment. It means the forthcoming trip will be the first in a long time that she has not been with us.

Later it will be 3 month straight off visits and then I think the 6 month – 6 month format will suit us well, getting rid of those colder UK months sounds good to me.

5) Where do you stay and would this continue to be your accommodation method during later longer stays

Guest houses are our favourite method and we have made good friends with guest house owner families in both Chiang Mai and Hua Hin. We have even been invited to attend family meals and been looked on favourably with regards to rates. We pay about 500 baht per night roughly £10 pounds which includes a clean room with a fridge, television a bit of writing space and shower with hot and cold water. This is fine for us I have never required the comforts of the Sheraton just a place to lay my head. For later longer stays I will probably look at serviced apartments or doing a 3 month deal with one of our friends at the guesthouse.

Baan Pim Guesthouse Chiang Mai

6) How do you or would you fund your lifestyle what lines of income would you have in place

Well, at present our travel jaunts are supported by our Thai Catering business in the UK and other UK-based self-employed activities. At present it is the good old-fashioned way of living beneath your means and saving the money for things you want to do like spending more time in Thailand and other travel. I am currently working on building an online business to become more location independent meaning it won’t matter where in the world I am I will still be able to make a living. I must admit to always having had a dislike for conforming to the 9 – 5 formula and have been self – employed for more than 20 years, I certainly put major priority on creating as much freedom of time as is humanly possible.

7) What would a breakdown of your average daily spend in Thailand be?

This is something I will get in to deeper later on, but for the time being the best tips are to live a Thai lifestyle as much as possible.

Like I mentioned the accommodation is about 500 baht per night (£10.00) and I find some of the most delicious and least expensive food at the Thai markets. The best bet is to eat Thai food as much as possible. The only time I eat western food is for breakfast with a good helping of porridge oats and honey the rest of the time I eat Thai and love it. The internet cafe’s are mainly 30 – 35 baht an hour and I can do everything I need to do, I basically need an hour at the start of the day and an hour at the end.

Transport wise I enjoy to travel on foot most of the time, but for other journeys a short journey in a taxi if necessary or better and cheaper still the bus. I am not a collector or someone who wants to buy much stuff at all and find I don’t really need much. However my passion is reading so informational based books come in to the reckoning once in a while. There is one thing I always need and that is plenty of green tea.

 When in Chiang Mai I do pay the 99 baht fee to use the gym and swimming pool, but I class that as a continued health investment, in fact I find and pay to use a gym where ever I am. I made a habit out of keeping the joints moving about 8 years ago and have kept that going daily. The gym is preferable especially in Bangkok as Bangkok street running is not that kind on the joints, but you do learn to out run the stray dogs that want a piece of you.

A daily cost is obviously based on your type of lifestyle and whether you are single, married or married with children. I shall endeavour to cover more on this soon and under those various categories.

Delicious And Inexpensive Market Food

8) What possessions do you carry with you when you travel or are you able to stay fairly clutter free?

I am actually fairly adept at travelling light nowadays, but I am still trying to teach my wife this one. I actually despise endless bags and things to carry and have a basic small  bag with enough clothes for the duration and some valid reading material and a writing pad for note taking absolutely essential. I will of course also have wash bag and passport. This will of course be accompanied by my wife’s 4 suitcases, slight exaggeration as I have now got her down to one. I don’t even take a lap top with me, but make use of the many internet cafe’s in the area.                                                 

9) How do you manage the administrative side of your finances when on your travels including banking, insurance plans and any mail?

I always have a full yearly travel insurance deal and apart from taking a bit of getting started money the bank card and ATM machine is an extremely convenient method. Most of our business nowadays comes via e-mail which I will check once a day and the phone is switched to the answer machine back in the UK. Somebody monitors the calls and if there is anything urgent would let me know straight away on our away number. In the early day’s  I would worry about all these things when we first started going away, but when I get back the business is still in motion and we haven’t been missed.

Tip: Great breakfast Sailomjoy In Chiang Mai

10) Where in Thailand would you still like to visit?

The goal is to travel everywhere in Thailand over the next couple of years and especially more around the south. I have been to the south staying in Krabi, the Ranong hot spas ,Ao Nang and Surat Thani before and found it very beautiful, but I want to explore the south entirely and I have also only scratched the surface of the north – east of Thailand as well. I intend to take in some of the less well-known places and love just wandering and exploring.

11) Do you have any other travel goals left to fulfil, places around the world that you would like to visit?

When I was 18 years old and yes that was a while back, myself and a friend did an around the world trip where we worked our way around the world. There was no on-line world in those day’s, no chance of being location independent back then or connecting with friends and family on social networking sites.

In fact there was not even the mobile phone or the internet. Although my parents wanted to know where I was all the time I think they used to dread the collect call back from New Zealand from me to check on how Manchester United had got on. Do you remember those day’s you spoke to the operator who found out first if they would accept the charges and then connected you if they did. What a joy and oh how much easier that trip would have been back then if we could only have sent a text message from a cell phone.

Anyway I digress, the point I was getting to was that world trip gave me an ever lasting travel bug fever and I still have it. The plan is to spend longer periods of time in Thailand, but further world travel also.

The trip I and a friend embarked on took us to Canada, America, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Tahiti, New Caledonia and Europe. I never got to South America where I would have liked to have visited Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and the like, but perhaps the football world cup in Brazil for 2014 should be a major goal, now that would be a special carnival atmosphere. If there is two things the Brazilians do well it’s playing football and putting on a carnival.

There is also a lot of Europe I still want to see yet and much more of Asia as well of course. I say Asia of course meaning it’s the place where I feel most home.

12) What do you do with your spare time when in Thailand and would this change if you stayed indefinite or for longer periods of time.

Life evolves and people change, but the main of my day would remain the same. I always object to the phrase of going on holiday as I have never been one to just sit on a beach in the hot roasting sun looking like a lobster or roaming the tourist attractions with a bag of travel memorabilia.

I enjoy travel off the beaten track to learn new things and new ideas, but certainly travel for learning and pleasure.

                   Having A Wander

13) If money and time were not a problem what would be the thing that you could not wait to do each day

Learn something new in my many varied topics of interest (whether that be by reading something or by personal experience) and use the information or skill to benefit not only mine and my families lives, but the lives of other people also.

14)  If you could learn 3 subjects or courses, what would they be.

• The first would definitely be continued Thai language learning for better conversational ability I mean to really become fluent. My reading skills are not bad at all, but I spend more time on reading Thai than speaking or listening to it and that is obviously why it is the strongest element of my Thai language ability.
• The second would be a martial art
• The third would be a course on decision-making and problem solving if one exists

15) Where do you see yourself in 3 – 5 years time, what are your future goals

Basically more of what I have said above starting with 6 months of the year in Thailand, a bit of time travelling to other places in the globe and the rest of the time at our base in the UK. Finally all hopefully supported with a good online income, but there’s a way to go there yet.

16) Give us an outline of your ideal day in Thailand

It would not be a lot different where ever I was but Thailand would be the location of preference. It would consist of a few hours learning, some online work, reading, exercise, good family meals and match days with a cold beer watching and cheering Manchester United on to victory.Now that’s a great day.

The Manchester United Bar & Restaurant, Bangkok

For more articles and Information on spending longer periods of time in Thailand, life design and living in Thailand please vist the Engaging Thailand website . The specific articles for these categories can be found at the link below.

http://www.engagingthailand.com/LIVINGINANDLIFEDESIGNTIPS2.html

These posts have been  the most popular viewed over different time periods as obviously some were written and published before others. The time periods will be over 7 days, 30 days, the last quarter, this year and of all time. The number of posts written so far are 112 and these have been fairly lengthy posts, I am trying to write shorter posts, but seem to struggle with that challenge.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for following or reading this blog and also thank all those who have worked with me on some posts. The blog will be expanding to cover a wider range of subjects to be explained in a following post, but with Thailand of course remaining at the core.

I would like to wish you all a very happy new year.

1) Relationships Between Thai Women And Foreign Men

Top post for the last 7 days, the last 30 days, the last quarter, third over the whole year and 4th most popular of all time.

This was Part two of an interview carried out with Keown Wangwan who gave us an insight into the world of Thai women and foreign men relationships from her own experiences. Khun Keown has lived in the UK for  30 years and her punches are never pulled.

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/relationships-between-thai-women-and-foreign-men-part-2-interview-with-khun-keown/

2) Thai Proverbs And Culture

The most popular post of all time, top post of the year and second top of the last quarter

This article is packed with Thai proverbs, Thai culture, Thai language and a couple of absolutely fantastic recommended books.

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/thai-proverbs-and-culture/

3) 9 Favourite Thai Finger Food Party Treats

2nd popular post of all time, 2nd popular post of the year

Thai Gourmet food caterers in the South West of England reveal the regions 9 favourite Thai finger foods and why Thai finger food parties are such a big hit in the UK. Which is your favourite finger food or snack food? Also looking at information on food from the regions of Thailand. What region in Thailand does your preferred taste come from, the north, north-east,south or central?

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/9-favourite-thai-finger-food-party-treats/

4) Thai Herbs For Thai Cuisine, Thai Spas And Aromatherapy Part One

3rd popular post of all time

Herbs still play a very big role in the lives of Thai people not only for use in delicious Thai cuisine, but for traditional medicine and for use in Thai spas and aromatherapy. The Thai people have continued the healing wisdom and traditional beliefs from their ancestors. In part one we look at the general uses and health benefits of lemon grass, kaffir lime and ginger.

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/thai-herbs-for-thai-cuisinemedicine-thai-spas-and-aromatherapy-part-1/

5) Awesome Thai Finger Food Party In Dorset

5th most popular post of all time

The delightful tastes of Thai cuisine make that special occasion even more special. Prime beef fillet satay, crispy salmon in a rich chilli sauce, vegetable spring rolls and delicious Green chicken curry were just some of the dishes at this awesome Thai finger food party in
Dorset.

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/awesome-thai-finger-food-party-in-dorset/

6) 7 Day Thai Spa And Food Itinerary Bangkok To Chiang Mai

The 4th most popular post of this year

Make a trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai a part of your Thailand itinerary. Take a couple of days viewing the sights in the bustling capital of Bangkok before a relaxing 5 day spa and northern Thai food excursion in Chiang Mai. Time for some rejuvenation.

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/a-7-day-thai-spa-and-thai-food-itinerary-bangkok-to-chiang-mai/

7) 10 Famous People Past Or Present To Form Your Mastermind Team. Who Would They Be And What Would You Learn From Them.

3rd favourite post of the last quarter

In the book ”Think &Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, he talks of the mastermind principle and forming a mastermind alliance for the realisation of worthy goals. It got me thinking that what if you could form a mastermind alliance of favourite famous people past and present that you could drop in on for advice now and again on a specialised subject. So I rephrased the question to ” 10 famous people past or present to form your mastermind team, who would they be and what would you learn from them.

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/10-famous-people-past-or-present-to-form-your-mastermind-team-who-would-they-be-and-what-would-you-learn-from-them-part-1/

8) Finger Food Party Ideas

3rd Most popular in the last 30 days and 5th most popular over the last quarter.

Are you thinking of throwing a party or a big event to celebrate a special occasion, but struggling for ideas in both the food and the type of event you want to hold? When holding a party you really want simple but tasty food that can be delivered to the guests with the least amount of fuss and stress involved as possible. So what is the answer to the problem?  The answer to the problem is Thai finger food.

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2011/10/21/finger-food-party-ideas/

9) Bangkok 5 Day Itinerary

4th most popular post of the last 30 days and 4th most popular post of the last quarter

An often asked question is ‘’I am going on holiday to Thailand and planning on spending time relaxing at a beach resort, however I shall be arriving in Bangkok to begin with and was wondering how long I should  spend in Bangkok and what should I see and do?

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/bangkok-a-5-day-travel-itinerary/

10) Are You Thinking Of Moving To Thailand

2nd most popular post of the last 30 days

So you want to spend more time in Thailand and there is no doubt that Thailand is a fantastic country to spend longer periods of time in. There are so many things to love about Thailand from the delicious food, sunny days, beautiful beaches, the Thai people and culture, the laid back way of life and many more things. However like most things the project needs a certain amount of planning and experimenting in order for you to design your ideal situation.

http://engagingthailandtips.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/are-you-thinking-of-moving-to-thailand/

Thank you and see you all in the new year.

The Engaging Thailand Website

For more articles and information on all subjects to do with Thailand and Lifestyle Design pleas visit the article section of the website and click on the subject of your choice.

http://www.engagingthailand.com/articles.html