Travel to Thailand – My Wife’s Home Country

March 28, 2009 by Thai Traveler  
Filed under Thailand, Travel

 

Thailand Buddha

Thailand Buddha

In October 2004, after all the online chats; tons of IMs and calling card phone calls, I decided to travel to Thailand to meet my future wife, Ning. 

My plane was due to arrive at Don Muang Airport outside of Bangkok, Thailand at 11:50 PM.  My connecting flight out of Narita International Airport in Japan was 3 hours late. I did not get out of customs till 3:30. This was the only problem I had during my travel to Thailand.  This was on a Sunday night and all of my wife’s family that came to greet me had to go to work that very morning.  Even with this, I have to say this was the friendliest bunch of people I have ever met. I knew, then, that my travel to Thailand was going to be very special.

U.S. citizens staying for less than 30 days do not need a Visa to travel to Thailand. You must have a passport and may be asked to show an onward/return ticket.  Effective Oct. 1, 2006, persons entering Thailand without a Visa will be allowed to stay in Thailand for 30 days per visit.  The total number of days in Thailand for persons who enter Thailand without a Visa cannot exceed 90 days during any 6 month period. Travelers must pay a Passenger Service Charge in Thai Baht when departing from any of Thailand’s International Airports. There are all kinds of Thailand travel deals online. The only Thailand travel warning you will find is about the 3 south most provinces that border Malaysia.

My accommodations in Thailand was at Amari Hotel by the airport for my first night in Thailand.  My wife-to-be was back at my hotel at 7:30 in the morning. For the remainder of my first Thailand trip, we moved from the Amari to the Novotel Hotel outside of Bangkok.  

After my first trip to Thailand, Ning and I stayed at the D.C. Palace Hotel.  D.C. Palace is located in the business and entertainment district of Samut Prakan. This province, just outside Bankok is were most of Ning’s family lives.

During my first trip to Thailand, Ning’s family took me to the old Capital in Ayutthaya, Thailand.  Ning and I made several trips into Bangkok to see several Wats (Temples) and the Grand Palace.  Bangkok is packed with places to visit. We also went down to island of Ko Chang and stayed for 3 days and 2 nights at Chang Park Resort & Spa.

Asian food… Thailand has the best!  Thailand is unique for it’s selection of seafood and different fruits native to the land. Thailand food varies from not spicy at all to very spicy.  There is food to satisfy all tastes.  Many Thai people make their living as street vendors.  Take a walk down any street in Thailand and marvel at the different varieties of food and drink available.

So far, I have been to Thailand four times.  My wife, Ning, came back to the USA with me in October 2005.  Our future plans are to return to Thailand for our retirement.  I must say that every time I was there I felt very much welcome by all that I had contact with.  My wife’s family treats me as one of their own now.  The turning point was after Ning and I went back to Thailand and had a Thai wedding in December 2006.  Family is very important to Thai people. They are very proud of their culture.  Besides family, the two most important things to Thai people are their King and Buddha.

If you ever get the opportunity to tour Thailand, don’t pass it up!  Tourism is one of Thailand’s main businesses.  Thai’s will see that you are taken care of.  Thailand is known as The Land of Smiles.  Thailand weather is warm to very hot. Summer in Thailand is very hot and in the winter if you go north it will cool down alot at night. Remember to pack a light jacket. The best time to travel Thailand is anytime.


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Retirement in Thailand

March 10, 2009 by Thai Traveler  
Filed under Lifestyle

If a good lifestyle is the secret to a healthy retirement, then for anyone considering retirement, Thailand will awaken your senses and astound you with its amazing, live-and-let-live lifestyle, wonderfully diverse nature of its people, and gracious hospitality. And then there’s the Thai women too. But, prepare to forget everything you once thought was ‘normal.’

Because to be honest, although you might love the idea of retiring in Thailand, it’s not always easy! Living here often transforms itself into an adventure of some sort or another. You’ll be bombarded by a whole new way of thinking. And it may seem as if no one in Thailand is even remotely serious, even about anything they should be serious about!

In other words, choosing to retire in Thailand, will probably be the healthiest thing you ever do! Would you like to know why?

It’s very simple. There’s an abundance of lovely Thai women, and the relaxed, peace loving Thai people have an enjoyable laid back attitude. And that’s only the beginning. The all-embracing and heart felt welcoming that you’ll get from coming here will melt all your worries away.

Maybe, just maybe, you’ll fall in love with this country too.

And speaking of Thai women, if they’re an important part of your retirement Thailand ‘vision’, then prepare yourself to be impressed. Or mildly concerned! It’s a big kick-in-the-pants for any Western man who’s never ventured to an Asian country. Indeed the ‘Thai woman factor’ seems to rub off on all men, one way or another, who come to travel or live in Thailand.

Having said all that, you may find that the culture is just too alien for you at times, the weather incredibly hot, and that the language is way too hard to learn. But these are small challenges to deal with. It’s a tropical country, and the language is very learnable with some persistence (and especially with a Thai girl friend helping you!)

Of course you don’t need to live right in the heart of Bangkok (Thailand’s busy capital) either. There’s an abundance of smaller cities and lifestyle options available to you. You could easily live comfortably in the mountains far north, or go south west to the coast and beach lifestyle of places like Phuket.

Either way you’ll find that the low cost of living, interesting expat community, internet access, and low crime all add up to a rather attractive ‘retirement lifestyle.’

Oh and one more thing – we haven’t even touched on the food yet! (The Thais live for their food!) Prepare to be impressed. And prepare yourself to never stop wondering just why Thai people like to eat so much spicy hot food in a tropical, always-hot climate… I’ll urge you to try to work out that one for yourself.

On the other side of the coin, the Thai people can tend to be a bit on the loud side sometimes, can suffer from a lack of creativity and originality, and their driving manners can be rather unnerving. But, not to worry, the only person to get serious about something like that will be… (can you guess?) You!

And what about Thailand living costs? Well guess what? It costs so little to live here, (in comparison to other ‘Western’ countries) that you’ll think twice about ‘ever’ buying something in your own country again!

All in all, if you are considering retirement, Thailand is quite possibly the perfect Eastern lifestyle that could become your beautiful rainbow after a summer rain! There’s only one real way to find out… come and see for yourself.
Author: Martin HurleyFinally, discover how the http://www.thewhiteapeinthailand.com can help you see the real Thailand… and learn what happens behind the scenes (from a guy who lives there). Visit now to get amazing tips, ideas and secrets and sign up to the free Thai Girl – Thai Life ezine. Learn more about Thai Girls And Retirement Thailand here!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Hurley

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