My Other Thai Eye

By Edwin Tipple

My wry look at Thailand continues. Reviewers of 'My Thai Eye' wanted more, more of everything: humorous tales, more information and wanted to know more too, about 'the other side of Thailand': the military coup of May 2014; politics; corruption; prostitution; the dangers of holidaying in Thailand. So as you can see, this is no ordinary guide book.

In fact I wouldn't call it a guide book at all, more a collection of my observations and interesting articles gleaned from the national, world press and television. But I have added some Links to help you do some of your own research into visiting Thailand.

Despite what you may hear, Thailand a great laid-back country to visit and I hope you'll come and see it for yourself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Edwin Tipple
• Release date: Nov 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310677564

Edwin Tipple

My first book, 'My Thai Eye', is a collection of twelve short tales of my Thai experiences I originally wrote for friends and relatives in the UK. There are some 4,000 copies out there and it has mostly favourable reviews on the Amazon site. It is not a travel book in the true sense of the genre but I'm taking on board comments and will publish in 2014 a second edition with some useful information about coming to Thailand, too.I've published a one hundred-thousand word murder mystery in December 2013. It's set in post-war Britain and is a thriller based on England's worst train crash, which happened in October 1952. If you are familiar with the protagonists in Foyle's War and Morse, I hope you will like my DI Crosier.

Book preview

My Other Thai Eye

the second eBook in the My Thai Eye series

by Edwin Tipple

Cover design: Edwin Tipple

Published by: Edwin Tipple

Copyright © 2014 Edwin Tipple

Smashwords Edition

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this e-book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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My Other Thai Eye

Table of Contents

Author note

So you have decided to come

PART ONE

Getting about can be tricky

WALKING

Pavements/sidewalks are for farangs

We have a new pavement

Rules for crossing the road

TRAVEL by ROAD

Buses

Tuk-tuks

Minivans

Hitchcock’s ‘The Bikes’

Death on the Roads

TRAINS

To Hua Hin and Beyond

Was That a Freight Train?

The Strange Case of the Damaged Picture

SRT Wipers

PART TWO

People, Building, Shopping and General Tales

PEOPLE;

What's in a name?

Ways,

The Interviewer,

Ghostly Gold,

So sad saying, goodbye,

Zits and Selfies,

The Artist

BUILDING;

Another shopping mall

Let’s build a toilet

More Condos

SHOPPING;

Too much orange about the place, and maybe a charade too far

Getting on line

Shoes

Check bin

Concerts, Cinema & Theatre

GENERAL TALES

We’ve been fumigated including advice on ants

Well dressed

News on the beauty scene

The annual boat race

The last banana is at 17:30

Was Santa crucified this Christmas?

PART THREE

The not so amusing side of Thailand

What do you want to go there for? – she asked with a sneer,

A tale of John Thomas,

Thai women: 'They're all prostitutes.'

'But it's dangerous, surely?

PART FOUR

There's an old saying: 'The people get the government they deserve.'

Not another military coup!

Incompetent leaders

Corruption

Voting

The incredible 'rice pledging scheme'

What to do when the military invite you in

SOME USEFUL STUFF

VISAS

Travelling with Monks,

A little handy Thai

LINKS

National information

Hua Hin information

My Other Thai Eye

What most guide books don't say.

Author Note

Welcome to the second in the My Thai Eye series: My Other Thai Eye. A special thank you to all those who read the first, particularly those who posted reviews on amazon.com or amazon.co.uk – just why reviews on one site don't appear on all Amazon sites is a quirk beyond me, but I've taken on board most reviewer criticisms.

You wanted more amusing stories and more information. (I've included a handful of the original articles from MTE, so that new readers don’t miss out, and marked them ** so you can easily skip them). I hope that with some information about getting around Thailand and Links to useful websites you will find My Other Thai Eye a much better read. This edition is still a collection of my observations, most of which are humorous. But please note, this is not a standard guide book.

If you've thought before about visiting Thailand, you will probably have read some travel books already. Few guides, if any, give you that sideways glance, that insight to so many amusing things Thai, to prepare you for your visit: the way the people think; what they do; how they organize things. Thai antics never fail to amuse visitors. There are few days you won't see something to make you smile or gasp, like a woman breast-feeding her baby, while riding her motorbike! I hope my wry view will persuade you to come.

You also wanted to know more about ‘the other side of Thailand’, so I’ve included information relating to this year’s military coup of May 22nd – a result of the recent political unrest that had been going on for months; correction, years. Note: it is likely to last until at least the spring of 2016 when, it is hoped, elections will be resumed. Every article has been researched from news reports in the world’s press or broadcasting organisations.

But don't let the coup put you off coming. It really isn't bad; quite the reverse in fact compared to recent times. If you were not in Bangkok at the time or don't study the media, you may not even have been aware it's the latest in a long string of Thai political upheavals.

But isn't there another big problem: don't a lot of tourists get murdered? The death of one person is a tragedy which I don't set out here to demean. To put it into perspective, over the last five years 15 UK nationals were murdered in Thailand. Yet in the same period, in England and Wales alone, over 3,200 UK citizens were murdered.

But why come to Thailand? What is so good about the place? The answer is simple: the people; the food; and of course, the weather.

You'll probably know Thailand is known as 'The Land of Smiles', and it certainly is. No matter how many of the people are troubled by the lack of basic things, like enough money, they are generally happy. They make you welcome, stand up to offer elders – Thai or farang – a seat on the bus, are very hospitable and will help you as much as possible. They don't deserve most things thrust upon them, especially incompetent leaders.

Between stories – marked in bold italic text – you’ll find short paragraphs of unrelated issues: some bizarre, some funny, some simply unbelievable and some to make you think.

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So you decided to come.

You've booked your flight which will probably arrive at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport, an airport as modern as any western one you've passed through. From there, you can be whisked off by a large comfortable taxi to your three, four or five star hotel where you can unwind by the infinity pool which, if you have researched the Internet well, will be overlooking the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.

Just imagine, you'll be able to sip your gin and tonics, relax and tell yourself the journey was worth all the effort; and believe me, it will be. A very nice waitress will arrive, wai and ask you if you would like dinner. Apart from her beauty, you'll notice how slim and polite she is, and you will come to learn that she's just like all Thai people you will meet as a tourist.

Over dinner