speak

Well my blogging buddies it is is time to bid a fond farewell to my home of the last month and head around the world again to my real home in the great white north. I can say without hesitation that Bangkok is a wonderful city to get lost in and enjoy all that it has to offer.I have felt welcome here and never once felt uncomfortable in my surrroundings or in danger or at risk. That is quite something for me to say after my last two international trips, but it is true. Friendly faces populate this city, a gentle people, perhaps stirred up at the moment, but that too will pass I am sure. Prapan, my landlord, has been helpful and his condo extremely comfortable and convenient and I would recommend staying here if ... read more

Hello again blogging buddies, I am sitting by the pool catching some afternoon rays and catching up on some walk abouts from last week. First off though on the security front, the situation is for the most part unchanged.The PM has said the Feb 2 election will proceed and the demonstrations continue in an attempt to change that course. The leader of the protest said the demonstrators would be on the move today in the hope of bringing traffic chaos to the city. I just came back from a trip out of town so have no true picture of what, if anything is happening. It is not unusually busy in front of my condo, so who knows. The other day I decided to take a walk to find the Golden Mount. At one time finding the ... read more

Hello again blogging buddies,time to tell you again about one of my recent days out and about here in BKK.I am still referencing the Lonely Planet guide book for inspiration and direction and on their list of must sees in Bangkok, Jim Thompson's house. Jim Thompson was the man credited with taking the Thai Silk industry and revitalizing it by introducing it to the world. Thompson was an American architect who worked for the OSS (spies before the CIA).After the war he settled over here and discovered a small cottage industly, making silk.He saw the potential and developed the markets in fashion houses around the world, making him very wealthy. He loved Thailand and the region of SE Asia and decided to build a house in Bangkok.Not just any house though,he went across the country side ... read more

Hello again my blogging buddies, I can report all is well here under the emergency decree.So far I have not noticed any escalation of activities on either side of the conflict as the days count down to the February 2nd election.There are advance polls tomorrow and the embassy warns me that things could get out of hand around the polls.Not knowing where these polls are the warning is of little value to me, and I am certainly not hiding out in Thonburi. I have been wandering about the last few days and it is time for me to catch you all up on what I have seen.The Lonely Planet guide book is always my source of information on these trips and I am always amazed how thorough and precise they really are.Often they simply highlight a ... read more

Good day to you all again from Thon buri here in the great, though troubled city of Bangkok.Let me start this blog with a security update.Things are becomming a bit more tense here, with the Shutdown Bangkok movement into week two, starting today.and i am seeing an escalation in violent incidents.Twice this week there have been grenade explosions at two demonstration sites, many injured and one death.Both attacks have been in broad daylight, the latest occuring yesterday afternoon at about 1:30.No one has claimed responsibility and no one has yet been apprehended for the crime.The good news is the rest of the city, beyond the demonstration sites, is calm and undisturbed by what is going on.I am moving around as usual and there are no outward signs of any heightened tensions, police or military buildup so ... read more