Over the past several years I have been fortunate (or unfortunate depending on how you look at it) to travel to many places in the world and I figured I would throw together a few tips of my own, as well as comment/expand on a few that were mentioned in the original article linked above.

#1 Book a flight on a non-domestic airline (i.e. not an airline operated within the United States) – I cannot agree with this more. To put it bluntly, most of the US based airlines suck, but they behave like they are the best. Trust me, once you have traveled on non-US based carriers, you will agree with me. My favorite US carrier is United, but they ares the best of the worst in my experiences. My favorite non-US airlines include Emirates, Qatar, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airlines. The international carrier I dislike the most is Philippines airlines. I have never had an airline actually look for ways to charge me extra fees like PAL has.

#2 Get international Mobile Phone service - My recommendation & experience on this is to avoid roaming all together. If your going to visit a location for a few hours, okay maybe. If you’re going to be there for a few days, just go to the nearest 7-11 or convenience store and buy a SIM card. Most Americans don’t understand this concept, especially if they are new to traveling internationally. The US is really the only country that has mobile service provider that predominately offer post-paid billing plans. All of the other countries I have traveled to (46 of them) offer simple pre-paid SIM card. Most can be bought with little more than a few dollars and then a “top-up” card to provide credit. You can then buy more credit at anytime from almost any store. Some countries may require a copy of your passport (see my notes below) before they will sell you a SIM card. Its their way of tracking the SIM card in case it ends up being used for something “bad”.

#3 Get an Unlocked Backup Mobile Phone – Absolutely positively get an unlocked cell phone. Many of the phones purchased in the US from carriers are locked onto their networks. Many times you can get them unlocked from the carrier if you contact them weeks before you travel and explain you will be outside the country. They will typically email you an unlock code (T-Mobile) that can be entered to unlock the phone from their network. ALmost ever other country in the world sells phones that are already unlocked. If your going anywhere in Asia, you can buy a simple Nokia for about $10. If you are the “connected” type, then bring a smart phone. Almost every country has caught onto the Internet and provide some type of Internet service. Some just offer simple browsing, which can be extremely useful when in a foreign country. Others offer blackberry/iphone planes that can be paid by the week or month and are very cheap (<$25 for a month of unlimited data). This allows you to get email, stay in contact and communicate with family/friends very inexpensively.

#4 Include country codes in your contacts or rolodex – I agree with this. It will be a time saver if you need to call back home. Without the country code, the call will just fail and many people will get confused as to why they cant call back home. I remember years ago when I was giving a family member my international number and I said “+66xxxxxxx”. They said “plus”?? how do I make a plus?? Again, this is known to everyone outside the US at birth. Almost every phone known to mankind can signify a “+” by holding the “0″ (zero) key. The “+” is another way of saying “00″. In other words if you were overseas and needed to call a family member in Los Angeles, you could dial +1213555-1212 or 001213555-1212. If you have a international number, for example in Doha, Qatar, and you give the number to a family member, they will need the mobile number and the country code. For Qatar that would be 974, so they would need to dial +974 ########. Many countries have a preceeding zero for their numbers. Here in Thailand all numbers (mobile and landline) are preceded by a zero. When calling a number in a country that uses a preceding zero from outside the country, you have to drop the zero. For example, if I was in Thailand and I had a mobiel number, it might be 0859297935. If someone wanted to call me from inside Thailand they would dial exactly that number. From outside the country a person would need to dial +66859297935. The country code (+66) then the number without the preceding zero. If your staying in any location longer than a day, get the local consulates phone number for your country. Most consulates have a help assistance line for citizens of that country that are abroad. They can help in the case of an emergency, car crash, disaster or political unrest. You will also want to contact the Regional Security Office (RSO) of your embassy if you are a victim of a crime or having anything valuable or personally identifying (passport, wallet, etc) stolen.

#5 Plan for Jetlag - I somewhat agree with this, but also believe that jetlag and sleeping patterns are somewhat of a mental thing. If you are traveling outside the county, look at your itinerary and figure out how many segments and how long you will be traveling. Work out the time difference and figure out what time it will be when you land. If you will be landing in the middle of the night after a long flight, avoid sleeping during the end part of your flight. Sleep at the beginning, then stay awake till you land.Drink lots of water on the plane and for the next day or so. Airlines typically will feed you several times during a long flight. Avoid eating just because they give it to you. Part of getting your body into a routine and a new schedule is not eating every couple of hours on the flight. Try and get your body into a habit for food as well as sleep.

#6 Wear compression gear or compression tights on the plane - Never used it, but I have heard good things about them. I can attest that if you take your shoes off during long flights, they generally do not fit when you try and put them back on at the end of the flight.

#7 Carry power adapters and converters for electronics – this is another commonly overlooked issue for non-travelers. There are not many countries that use US style plugs. Be prepared to have adapters to fit all your electronic needs. I commonly travel with a small power strip that you can buy from any hardware store. Then I use one adapter to interface that power strip to the wall of my hotel or wherever I need it, then I have 5 or 6 US style plugs I can use without adapters. Be mindful of voltage differences. Most modern electronics will work with both voltages. The exception are printers and many Linksys devices. Also battery chargers bought in the US are commonly 110volts only. Check you camera and phone chargers. Most laptop are dual voltage, but many desktops are not.

#8 Get Your Passport - This is kind of a “no-brainer”. Can’t really go anywhere without one (Mexico/Canada being the exception). Keep in mind of Visas. Americans are somewhat spoiled lucky that many countries do not require visas for Americans traveling as tourists. Do your homework and check the Internet. May countries that dont require a visa to enter may put a fairly short limitation on how long you can stay, i.e 21 days. Also keep in mind that many countries *require* you to leave the country to renew your visa. You can always risk by over-staying, but there will likely be penalties and some countries are threatening jail time for people who overstay by more than a few days. Also keep in mind that many countries *require* at least 6 months remaining validity on your passport before they will issue a visa. Many countries have US embassies that Americans can go to in case they lose their passport or need to renew it while overseas. Get a few extra “passport” style photos and put them in a plastic bag and store them with your passport. You made need them if you apply for a visa while abroad and sometimes finding a place to get them can be difficult.

#9 Be aware of local customs and culture - Agree. Many counties are forgiving and understandable with tourists, but they can wear thin after a little time so its best to know what is considered offensive (showing the bottom of your feet) as well and dangers (the left hand). Kowing a few simple words in the language found in the area you are visiting can go a long way. A simple “hello”, “goodbye” and “thank you” in the local language will go a long way. Also, when in Rome…try local cuisine. If you end up at business meetings or with local friends, it is likely they will introduce you to local cuisine. Try it. No matter what it is, just try it. Almost everything that seems undesirable is mental. Just suck it up and at least try it. You are likely to offend your friends/business collegues if you dont at least try it, After a few botes if you dont like it, then politely say so, but dont say “no” without at least trying something. Half the fun of travel is experiencing local culture.

#10 – Have everything synced up in the cloud – Agree with this one as well. Couple things to think about. Many banks require you to authenticate the computer you use to login and see your banging data. I am not talking about your password. I am talking about a cookie that the website sets on your home computer or the one you typically use. If you login from a different computer, you may have to register or receive an SMS message on your mobile to “confirm” it is really you. Keep this in mind when traveling and you may or may not have access to your US based mobile. Also, make a copy of your passport and digitize it and save it in your email inbox, dropbox or wherever you can get access to it easily from the Internet.

My additional suggestions:

Join a airline mileage club. Preferably on an airline that you will likely fly again. Even if you feel you wont really be flying a lot, join the club and bank the mileage credit.

Print a few copies of your itinerary and keep them with you. Many airports in other countries want to see the printed itinerary before they let you in the front door.

Wear comfortable clothing while flying, preferably with very little metal. Sweats are great if they have pockets. Avoid belts and large wristwatches that are likely to set off the security detector. Wear shoes that can easily be slipped on an off.

Bring noise -canceling headphones. If you can afford a nice pair of Bose, they are worth it. If not, buy what you can afford. Sometimes, just turning on the noise-canceling feature and putting them with no sound on will help relax you. Especially on a plane when there is a lot of ambient noise.

When booking your flight, use seatguru.com to pick the beast seats in the cabin class you are traveling in. Get to the airport early, but understand that many ticket counters don’t open or accept check-ins more than 3 hours from your flight. Treat it like a family outing. Travel to the airport early. Have lunch, dinner, coffee or whatever there. Take your time. You less likely to be stressed and you will be way more organized.

Bring a pen (or two) with you on the plane that is easily accessible. You may need to fill out customs/immigration forms while in-flight, to save you time once you land from standing at the counter trying to fill it out in a rush.

Get a spare ATM card, store it with your passport and keep it in the safe in your hotel once you are in-country. ATMs are fairly safe to use and give good exchange rates, just beware of fees that your bank may charge, typically up to $5 per transaction. Use travelers check or buy a pre-paid *international* credit card. Make sure its designed to be used internationally. You can charge it up and then take it abroad for simple convenience items. Keep in mind that many vendors in most countries will charge you an extra 2-3% for credit card purchases. Cash always negotiates better, but can be risky when you carry a large amount. Don’t use debit cards fort hotels, etc. They are likely to place a large hold as a deposit and that can take awhile to clear even after you have left.

Depending on the country, taxis can brutal. Always request to use the meter before you start your journey. It is kind of expected in the American culture, but many places won’t start the meter unless you tell them. If you don’t, you will probably be unhappy with the result.

Expect to get a little sick. Especially if you are not a frequent traveler. Your body has become tolerant of the bacteria you are exposed to at home, but when you travel abroad, you will likely encounter bacteria your body is not used to and this will commonly upset your stomach, give you a little diarrhea and mild flu type symptoms. You may want to pack some pepto and/or Imodium A-D. Try and get the tablets, they travel easier. Depending on where you travel to, you may be able to walk into any pharmacy and buy anti-biotics. Doxycycline is a very common general use anti-biotic that you can easily buy over the counter without a prescription. Azithromycin (Zithromax, aka: Z-pack) is another stronger antibiotic that can be purchased easily from any local pharmacy. If you will be traveling frequently or for long period of time, I would suggest getting some that you can have on hand in case you become ill. Its not the type of stuff you want to take as precautionary medicine, but when you have a sore throat or other non-cold type symptoms, it helps to try and get to it early.

Bring some small pocket sized tissue packs. Girls are used to this, but for men, this is unusual. Depending on where you travel, you are likely to encounter restroom facilities that are “different” than you are used to. That may include a water hose and no tissue.

When you arrive at your hotel, grab a few business card and put them in your pocket or with your other common pocket items. Once your out and about, you may not remember how to get back or even a taxi driver may not understand what hotel you are staying at, especially if its a small boutique type hotel. Show them a business card and it will likely have an address and/or local phone number they can use to find your hotel. Carry a zerox copy of your passport, not your original. Your original should be stored in your safe at the hotel or other secure location. You will generally never need it unless you are going to a government-type building or your local consulate.

Bring one or two medium sized plastic bags with handles. The nice heavy duty thicker ones you get from department stores. They weigh nothing, fold up very small and can be used to hold your dirty clothes separate from your clean ones while in your suitcase and for carrying them to a local laundry place to avoid the very high priced hotel laundry. Bring a box or two of the small “on-the-go” crystal light packets of lemonade or your other favorite flavors. Its a good change to plain water and can easily be carried in your pocket.

Be mindful of your luggage and its weight. Most carriers operating internationally to/from the US allow at least one bag up to 23 kilos (50lbs), some offer two. Get locking suitcases, preferably the TSA locks. I religiously lock my suitcases and the US has been the only location that has needed access to look inside and with the TSA locks, its no hassle. Remove all the previous stickers, bar code stickers and luggage flight tags from previous flights. If you leave those small stickers that look like the bar codes on the bottom of a cereal box, your luggage might find its way back to a previous location that you dont intend on visiting anytime soon.

I am sure there are more, but these are the ones that easily come to mind as I sit in a hotel room in Doha, Qatar  getting ready to travel to another country

Meanwhile, children and family members walk out into the ocean and play or just sit to escape the heat. Its amazing to see hundreds of people all here to enjoy the company of family and let their kids play on the beach. People swim all day and all night long, only getting out of the water to sleep, eat or sing. It is fascinating to watch small little children walk out into the water and play for hours.

I miss Bangkok, but this is not a bad place to be….;)

For the past several months I have watched the sad events unfold in Thailand since the UDD (United Front for Democracy, AKA “Red Shirts”) began protesting the current government and occupying various street locations in Bangkok. As the actions of the Red Shirts began to unfold, I was immediately reminded of similar events that took place  just over a year ago. In October 2008, a political faction known as the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), also know as the “Yellow Shirts” in honor of  the color of the King of Thailand,  began protesting after thousands of Yellow Shirt protesters who were unhappy with the then seated Prime Minister, marched to the government house and forcibly occupied it for several weeks. Amazingly, government officials were forced to “relocate” their offices and meetings to another location since the Yellow Shirts took control of the government building. The Thai government is well know for not wanting to take any action which results in a use of force.

In December 2008, I had just began to travel back to Thailand from the U.S. when the Yellow Shirts decided that they were not getting the answers and response they wanted from the government and decided to take over the main international airport in Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi). As I reached Narita airport in Japan, the protesters entered the airport in Bangkok and physically began ejecting all the employees, airline workers and security staff out of the airport. The protesters occupied the airport for more than a week, literally crippling the Thai transportation system, stranding tens of thousands of travelers and severely damaging the tourist trade.

What was the cause of the protest in late 2008? Ironically, it is the same reason as the current civil unrest now in 2010. During that time the PAD was unhappy with the current government and wanted the Prime Minister to resign and new election to be held. Eventually the government agreed to the demands and the Yellow Shirts left the airport and a new Prime Minister was appointed on December 18, 2008. Who was the newly appointed Prime Minister? The current Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva. Amazingly, he was the fourth Prime Minister to be appointed in 2008, all because of political turmoil and Constitutional Court rulings.

Today, a different political faction calling themselves the UDD (Red Shirts), disagree with the government’s policies and have decided to take similar action as the PAD did in late 2008 by protesting the government and occupying key positions of Bangkok. In early March 2010, thousands of Red Shirt protesters began to flood into Bangkok from many different provinces outside of the capitol. For the most part, the protests began peacefully with the protesters setting up stages and holding rallies to voice their cause and gain support.

One of the areas the Red Shirt protesters decided to occupy was Rama I, one of the biggest tourist areas in Bangkok. This area has several huge shopping malls (Central World, Paragon, Discovery) that attract thousands of tourists and shoppers everyday. Once the protesters moved into this area, the police and military essentially took a “hands off” stance of governing their actions. Because of the area and amount of protesters, most of the shopping malls and retail stores were forced to shutdown from late March until now. I had the opportunity to walk through this particular area in early April and what I saw amazed me. I was shocked at the number of resources, supplies and infrastructure the Red Shirt protesters were capable and allowed to bring into this area. Rama I is normally one of the busiest streets in Bangkok. Instead, it was completely shutdown and blocked off for at least a 1 KM stretch directly in front of the largest commercial shopping areas of Bangkok. The protesters managed to erect hundreds of tents, awnings and makeshift structures. They included sleeping areas, kitchens, medical tents, massage areas, press booths, food stands, latrines, showers and a very large stage.

I could not believe the Red Shirt protesters were either directly or indirectly permitted to establish such a huge presence and fixed infrastructure. Ironically, this part of Rama I is also tone of the Headquarter buildings for the Royal Thai Police and the protesters had transformed this portion of  a normally busy street that I would not dare try to cross as a pedestrian, into a huge outdoor fair and gathering. People were smiling, laughing, eating and serving food, selling items and souvenirs and generally enjoying themselves. As I walked through this area, I noticed several  civilian “guards” that were wearing red shirts and visually checking people as they walked through the area. Again, it amazed me that this entire area went unpoliced and had no visible signs of law enforcement or military. Other areas of Bangkok were also being occupied by protesters, but this was clearly their “home base”. The Red Shirt protesters had even set up national and international press booths for members of the press to get the latest information. Propane gas is the most common type of fuel that is used for cooking in Thailand and hundreds of small propane tanks were brought in and being used to cook food. Protesters were able to tap into electrical power lines all along Rama I to provide power and lights to their tents and stage. Huge commercial generators, sounds systems, busses and trucks were also brought in and lined areas of Rama I. I again wondered to myself why the government would allow these protesters to establish such a firm presence and construct such an elaborate infrastructure on this road when the government had already denounced their activities and declared their gathering to be unlawful.

In the final days of March, the protesters had several violent clashes with the military who setup blocking positions in certain areas, but were not taking aggressive action. At first, many of the military personnel were deployed in armored vehicles, but with no weapons. They were told to just block and guard certain locations in Bangkok, but not to take any aggressive action. The protesters, who claim the military became aggressive, a point which is disputed by both sides, began to advance on the military blocking positions and over-ran several of them. In several locations protesters actually seized military vehicles and weapons. Protesters are seen running away with military rifles, ammunition and other equipment. In a few cases, several military members were captured and taken to a main stage area of the protesters, essentially being kidnapped. Then, in a weird twist of events, the protesters displayed all the weapons and items they seized from the military, including the captured military members to the press and explained that the protesters were unarmed, but the captured weapons were what the military had or prepared to use against the unarmed protesters. The protesters then called the leadership of the military and arranged for them to come to the protester’s base camp and pick up the seized weapons and captured military personnel, which they promptly did. In the following days, the protesters held demonstrations that depicted the Prime Minister ordering the military to use force against the UDD protesters.

Several more clashes occurred over the next few nights and on April 10th 13 civilians were killed, including a Japanese cameraman working for Reuters and five soldiers. Both sides pointed the finger at each other as to who started the violence. The Redshirt Protesters claimed the military started attacking them and they fought back in self defense, while the military claimed they were attacked by protesters. Several pictures surfaced of unidentified people holding weapons and dressed in black clothing. The Red Shirts claimed they were not members of the UDD, while the military claimed it might be members from another political faction trying to blend in with the UDD and commit violence when possible.

Meanwhile, a rogue Thai Army Maj-Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, alias Seh Daeng, who is well known in Thailand for his tales of combat, had recently been jailed for assisting a known fugitive and possessing numerous weapons without the proper licenses. Seh Daeng was also well known during the PAD protests in 2008, when he began to train a militia group to take action against the PAD, since he claimed the Army was incapable of properly dealing with them. Since 2008, Seh Deang began to align himself with the UDD and became a proponent for the UDD cause. He was released on bail in March 2010 and began actively associating with the leaders of the UDD. Seh Deang was reportedly responsible for the security of the UDD members by training and using his own trained militia as a security detail for the UDD protesters. Many people speculate that he taught the Red Shirt protesters how to fight and defend against government crowd control tactics in case the government attempted to use force against them. On May 13, 2010, shortly after the military began putting pressure on the Red Shirt protesters, Seh Deang was interviewed  by reporters from the New York Times. During the interview Seh Deang was shot in the head by an unknown assailant using a high-powered rifle. He later died from his wound. Many people speculated that he was killed by a military sharp-shooter because of his rogue behavior and the feeling that he was providing tactics and urging the UDD members to commit acts of violence. Later that same night, several protesters were killed in clashes with military.

Fast forward two months later until May 16th, 2010 and finally the government decided they have had enough of the protesters and declared a deadline for the protesters to disperse and leave the areas they occupy by 3pm local time on May 17th or face the Thai Army. The dynamics of the preceding events begin to boggle a typical person’s mind. There was now an element of people consisting of thousands of protesters who have been allowed to setup a base camp, obtain supplies and fortify themselves for months prior to this, who have been ordered to leave. May 17th at 3PM comes and goes without any movement by the protesters. Instead, the protesters used the previous few weeks to construct bamboo spears, barricades and other blocking devices to thwart any future advancing police or military force. Protesters began to arm themselves with anything they could, including commercially made and homemade fireworks, bottles filled with petrol to be used as molotov cocktails and other weapons, including pistols and rifles.

May 17, 2010 and the Military begins to apply pressure against the protesters. Numerous violent clashes occur throughout the day and several people are killed. Later in the day the military stops their advance against the protesters. The military ceases all action until the following morning, allowing the protesters to resupply and rearm themselves. In the morning, the military advances on them using armored vehicles followed by thousands of Army troops advancing on foot. What happened next is predictable. Many of the protesters scattered throughout Bangkok and began to set fire to anything they could. They destroy ATM machines, offices, retail stores and begin to specifically target journalists who they feel have wrongly portrayed the protesters actions.  The main UDD leaders announced to the remaining protesters that the protest is officially over and they are surrendering to the police. Many protesters became angry thats the leaders were surrendering and throw items on stage where the UDD leaders are making the announcement. The major mall complexes and commercial buildings along Rama I are then set on fire and destroyed.

What is even more ironic about this whole set of events is that almost exactly 20 years ago, on May 17, 1992, a similar event occurred, now known as “Black May 1992″. After a successful coup lead by Army Commander Suchinda Kraprayoon overthrew the government and a new Prime Minister was appointed, hundreds of thousands of Thai citizens took to the street to protest. Army Commander Suchinda Kraprayoon ordered the military to begin using force to disperse the crowd, which later resulted in 52 official deaths and many others to go missing. Over 3,500 people were arrested. A few days later, on May 20, 1992, King Bhumibol Adulyadej intervened and summoned the Army Commander and the protest leader  to meet with him. The King scolded both the Army Commander and protest leader and told them to use the official process to resolve disputes.  The military troops withdrew and the protesters dispersed. A few days later the Army Commander resigned. Black May 1992 was the deadliest political unrest Thailand has experienced.

Oddly, during this current political unrest, the King has not intervened or even appeared in public regarding this issue. The conflict in May 2010 may turn out to be deadliest unrest since Black May 1992, or even deadlier.

I don’t pretend to fully understand the Thai culture and religious beliefs of many of the people in Thailand, but the actions of some of the protesters are not the type actions I expected. Having lived there for a short time and dealt with many Thai people, I have found them to be very kind, friendly and peaceful. The actions I witnessed these past few days are very sad. I can understand disliking or having disagreements with government policy, but I cannot understand sensless acts of violence or destruction just to prove a point. If these people truly want to change the system and make Thailand a better place, why destroy the infrastructure that so many Thai citizens rely on for work and tourism. On the other side, I believe the government of Thailand did not handle this crisis very well. I know the long-standing tradition of the Thai government is not to use force, and its unfortunate when force is the final option. But not doing anything while allowing general lawlessness is also contrary to public safety.

I can somewhat understand the Thai government’s hesitancy to use deadly force in an attempt to save lives and reduce injury to the public, but then I cannot fathom authorizing the military to fire live rounds over the heads of protesters. I know this is a old tactic that was used and accepted many years ago, but times have changed. Where do they think those live bullets are going to land? They will go over the heads of protesters and down the block a few kilometers and kill the innocent child playing outside on the street outside or strike a mother standing in her doorway. That decision seems completely contrary to the decision not to use deadly force in an attempt to save lives and prevent injuries. Then, once the government did decide and authorize the use of deadly force, why declare a street a “live fire zone” and then instruct military personnel they are only permitted to shoot people who are threatening another person’s life and only below the waist? Deadly force is exactly that, deadly. You either use it to defend and stop a person who is about to do something that will harm others or you don’t.  When you use it as a “deterrent”, bad things happen. I heard of once instance where a protester had a incendiary device and was shot in the lower extremity by the military. The only thing that stopped that protester was the mental deterrent of being shot. He still had the capability to do whatever it was he was planned to do, but decided to stop after being shot in the leg and was still able to run away. What if he hadn’t stopped and completed his objective? Innocent people and/or military personnel could have been killed because of the failure to take swift decisive action and sometimes that action will have deadly consequences, but that would be completely justified and understood. As for the protesters, if your decision is to hold some type of demonstration, don’t claim misconduct by the police or military when some of the protesters have armed themselves or use some type of deadly force against the military (molotov cocktails, grenades, etc). Any logical person can figure out what will happen next and what the expected response will be by government forces.

I don’t have a political side, but I do support democracy and free speech. I am sure many people will criticize both sides for various reasons and actions that are perceived as wrong. Ultimately, it is Thailand as country and Thais as people that will suffer from these events. The economy, the job market and the way people will view Thailand will be changed forever.

After being in law enforcement for many years, things were always very black and white to me. I spent years enforcing traffic laws. I would see someone cross over the dotted white line and think, “what is wrong with this person”? After traveling extensively throughout the world and living in Bangkok, I now understand.

White lines on the roadway are more artistic than anything. Nobody follows them. Heck, even the yellow lines are ignored. Traffic in Bangkok is very bad. It really does not matter what time of day, there are certain areas where the traffic is always bad. But the people who drive those areas know the traffic is bad and they all adapt. For instance, it is very common to have a roadway where there are two lanes in each direction. Depending on which way traffic is backed up, someone will arbitrarily decide to use one of the other lanes going in the opposite direction, and everyone adapts to that and is okay with it.

It is also very common for traffic to back up and all the scooters will then jump into oncoming lanes to pass up all the stopped vehicles and then group up at the intersection. It’s quite an amazing sight to see literally a hundred scooters lined up and squeezed in between all the vehicles. When the light turns green, its like water pouring down a riverbed where the water flows in and around all the different rocks. All the scooters quickly flow in and around all the slow vehicles until all the scooters are jamming down the road at about 60 kph, with all the vehicles catching up behind them. Then the vehicles start to overtake all the scooters until the next intersection and then process starts all over again.

Traffic laws here are very “subjective”, depending on the officer you run into. Rarely do you *ever* see the police in a vehicle pull someone over like you do in the  U.S.  99% of the time, the police are standing at a corner or on the side of the road and then they jump out into the street and wave you over to the side of the road. The first time I got pulled over, I was driving down the center lanes of a roadway. The policeman was standing on the corner and he stepped out into the roadway and signaled to me as I approached to pull over to the side. As I pulled over, he asked for my driver’s license and why my scooter didn’t have plates. I explained that my scooter was new and I had all the purchase paperwork with me. The roadway in this area has two lanes in each direction, divided by a yellow line, then there is a concrete divider on each side and a “frontage” type road on each side. The officer explained that scooters were not allowed to drive in these center lanes in this area and they must drive on the outer “frontage” roads.

hmm… no signs, no indication of these rule, but okay. So the officer kept my driver’s license and then told me to go down the street to the local police station to pay the fine. He gave me a piece of paper written in Thai and directed me to drive my scooter down to the police station. Once there, I had to see the fine clerk who decides how much to fine me. In this case, the officer decided to fine me 100 baht. Thats about $3 US dollars. I paid my fine and got a receipt and was sent on my way.

The second time I got pulled over, it was again by an officer standing on the side of the road and he waved at me to pull over. I provided all my paperwork and he informed me that scooters were not allowed to drive down this particular single lane road during this time of day. It was interesting that as he said this, two other scooters passed down the same road unscathed. He then told me I had to pay a 500 baht fine ($15US) and directed me into a small single room police kiosk that are commonly on the corners of major intersections. Inside he told me I had to pay the 500 baht fine immediately. I removed a 1000 baht bill and he then quickly pulled out a 500 baht bill and gave me change.  No receipt, no ticket, no paperwork. This was just a simple payoff.

I then asked how I could leave and drive the scooter back in the direction I came and find my way to the location I was originally going to. The officer then told me to continue driving on the single lane road in the same lane and direction that I was just on and got fined for driving down…..hmm, interesting, but okay. So off I went.

I have since learned that this is a very common occurrence and these “payoffs” range anywhere from 20 baht (< $1US dollar) to 1000 baht ($33US dollars) depending on the officer.

There is an interesting saying here in Thailand that I have heard. “why hire a lawyer when you can buy a judge”.  I never knew corruption was so prominent and widespread here. It is not obvious. But as I spend more and more time here in Thailand, I have begun to see the signs of widespread corruption and the complete acceptance of this behavior by the public.

This also goes for businesses as well. I have encountered several different instances where I have been told one thing by a person at a business, but on a different day I get a completely different answer. For example, when I initially tried to open a bank account, I was told I needed a visa and a work permit. I have the visa, but not a work permit, since I don’t formally work here in Thailand. So initially the bank refused. But then I went to a different branch of the same bank and they said its okay, just bring your visa and paperwork showing you are a resident. Then when I went to a third branch of the same bank, they asked for completely different paperwork and opened my account with no questions about a work permit, etc..

I have begun to learn that it just depends on who you ask and even then, depending on the day, your likely to get a different answer each day. The moral of the story is that if you don’t get the answer you want, just wait and ask the same question the next day or to a different employee until you get the answer you want.

Once I got that, I had to take a medical exam, get a certified letter of residency here in Thailand from the US embassy and then go to the Transport Office, our equivalent to the DMV. Once there, I had to provide copies of all my documents and then take three vision tests, color, depth and peripheral vision tests. They are extremely efficient in administering the tests, nothing like what you would expect in the U.S. Everyone is placed into a group and quickly herded from station to station where you take the test and then move to the next station. If you fail a particular test, you stay and join up with the next group and take it again.

I then took a reaction test where I had to step on a simulated brake pedal within a certain time frame of seeing the red brake light and then I was ready to receive my drivers license, good for one year.

9. Shopping! Anything you want , possibly want or don’t even know you need till you see it! Everything is relatively close to downtown Bangkok. For a small taxi fare, you can shop for anything from great clothes, IT equipment, toys, games, stuffed animals, shoes, FOOD!!, etc.

8. Haircut is $6.

7. Food is plentiful and cheap. If you like Thai food, then you are in heaven. You can find food on every street corner. You can have a bowl of rice and any common thai dish for about 30-40 baht ($1).

6. Soda is cheap. I am a coke zero addict. A 16 oz (500ml) bottle of Coke zero is 17 baht (.50 cents).

5. Laundry is cheap. If you go to a hotel they charge per piece and it can be expensive. But leave the hotel and find a place on the street (probably the same place the hotel takes it to, but then marks up the price) and they charge by weight. Going rate is about 30 baht per kilo. That’s just under $1 US dollar for every 2.2 lbs of laundry!

4. Insurance is cheap. My annual insurance for my scooter is 300 baht. ($9 US).

3. Dental services. One of my crowns came loose. I called my dentist in the US and they said go to a local dentist and have them temporarily cement it till I get back to have it permanently re-cemented. I walked into a local dental shop near my apartment on a Saturday afternoon (sat in the US??). They asked why temporary cement and why not just have them re-cement it with permanent cement??? 20 mins later I was done. Cost: 300 baht ($9 US).

2. I went to get a local Thailand drivers license. It seems if you have an international license, you can get a Thailand drivers license without having to take any tests but you have to have a medical exam. Where do you go for a medical exam?? In the US you would make an appointment at a doctor’s office. Here in Thailand, you walk into one of the many different hospitals located almost every 2 blocks away and tell them you want a medical exam. I have never seen such medical efficiency. There were 5-6 people just waiting at the counter to help me. They quickly escorted me to a couple different areas to get weighed, height, blood pressure and temperature. I was given a number and ask to sit down. 3 mins later I was called and walked into a exam room with a doctor. A quick health exam and a dozen or so questions later and I was done with a certified letter of good health that I needed to take to the Department of Transport (DMV). Cost: 300 baht ($9US, starting to see a pattern here??).

1. I pay all my utilities at the ATM. My electricity, Telephone, Internet, etc. are all paid at the local ATM and deducted straight from your bank account. If you don’t have an ATM card or bank account, you can pay them at any 7-11 store. Here in Bangkok 7-11 stores are about 5 times more common that starbucks coffee. There are many places where there are literally two 7-11 stores directly across the street from each other.

Electricity cost: 500 baht ($15 US)

Internet Cost: 500 baht for 3mbps ($15 US)

Landline phone: 200 baht ($6US)

Water: 60 baht (<$2US)

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The pic above, to the left shows the las vegas strip.

While I was visiting there, the resort had a Thai cooking class they were offering one afternoon. I took the opportunity to attend and learn how to cook two common thai dishes:

Tom yam goong (spicy prawn soup)

Gaeng Khiew Waan Gai (Green curry with Chicken)

First was the soup. It was relatively easy to make. First chop up the vegetables and put them in a pot to cook.

Once all the veggies were cooking in some chicken broth, we added chilli paste for the red coloring

It cooked for a little while longer and then it was ready!

I didnt like it

After making (and eating) the soup, we then started on the main course of green curry with chicken. Again we chopped up the vegetables first and then added them to a green curry paste to boil.

After the veggies were added, then the chicken was added and cooked.

When it was all done it looked like this:

Served with a plate of rice, this dish is so good!

The next day, I arrived at the Bangkok airport at 1:45pm. We boarded the plane and left promptly at 3:30pm. After 8 hours, we landed in Nairobi, Kenya. The official currency in Kenya is the Kenya Schilling. The exchange rate is about 77 Ksh to 1 U.S. Dollar

I stayed at the Windsor Golf country club. The previous time I was in Kenya I stayed at the Holiday Inn. It wasn’t the kind of Holiday Inn you would expect in the U.S. it was actually very nice, but this time we stayed at the Windsor. I had visited the Windsor the last time I was in Nairobi to play golf, but I didn’t stay there. It is a older hotel, but nice. I stayed in Nairobi for 17 days to do some cyber training with the local police and had a chance to explore the city a little bit.

On fridays at a local shopping mall named Village market, there is a outdoor swap meet with vendors from the local Masi villages. They sell local handicraft:

Some pictures of the local shops and traffic:

There are frequent violent crimes that take place in Kenya. Lots of robberies and kidnappings. There are many police present and  officers from the Kenyan police are posted at many public areas where there are large amounts of people. The last time I visited Nairobi in Sept 2007, there was a driving gun-battle between police and robbery suspects. The police shot the robbers dead in the street. Most of the police here in Kenya do not carry pistols. Most carry AK47s. Even local security guards at the corner market are armed with AK47s. 7.62mm ammunition makes big holes.

The Windsor resort is very pretty. Everyday there are hundreds of monkeys that come out of the jungle and walk along the golf course looking for food.

The Internet in general is horrible in Kenya. The infrastructure must be very poor because everywhere we went, it was slow and unreliable. When the training was all over, I left Nairobi and flew directly back to Bangkok.

I live on the 5th floor with a balcony facing the street. Looking down I see many street vendors selling different types of Thai food:

Food like this:

Or you could opt for the fresh seafood not far away at the floating market:

Life in Bangkok as been great so far. So many wonderful places to see and adventures to explore. The people have been very nice and for the most part its about a 50/50 split of people who speak english, but nonetheless everyone is nice and polite. Living in Bangkok is relatively cheap compared to the west coast of the United States. Meals can be had from street vendors for about 30 baht (just under $1) all the way up to 300 baht ($8), with each being equally as good, depending on what you want.

My favorite foods so far are the classic and very common Ka Prao Gai (Chicken with Basil and chilies):

And Pad Prik Gai (Stir-fry chicken with chilies)

A couple of my favorite places to go are Suan-Lum Night Bazaar

It has excellent shopping for all different kinds of things and a great food court It is open every day from 4pm to midnight. Another great place is JJ market (Chatukchak). It is near the BTS skytrain and subway, but is only open on Friday night (limited) and Saturday & Sunday: