The Journey(s) of Ian

This or this ? Why do western men (farang—the local term for westerners) come to Thailand, and why do some of them stay in Thailand—is the attraction Thai women (ser-way mark mark = girls very beautiful) or something else? The usual answer to this question is ‘Yes’ (to the former)! The common belief is that farang men come to Thailand for sex with Thai women (some come for sex with ladyboys, many Australian married men, so it seems—but that is a story for another day), however, I will put forward a counter view, that in fact most western men do not come to Thailand primarily for women, rather they come for the entire lifestyle experience—warm weather, low cost of living, a new environment, not being at home, away from their family and friends, an opportunity for greater personal freedom—and that the ‘Thai women’ are incidental. Of course, I make all of these claims without any hard numbers, based solely on personal accounts, so I could be 100% wrong! The western men I will discuss fall

My 5 days in Laos or ‘How to get a Thai visa in Savannakhet’ In need of a new Thai visa, and wanting to try something new, I decided to travel to the central Laos town of Savannakhet (hereafter referred to as 'S'). S is a smallish town immediately across the Mekong from the Thai town of Mukdahan (‘Mook-Dar-Harn’—hereafter referred to as 'M'). The attraction of S is the presence of the Thai embassy, which can issue Thai tourist visas. There are also a few interesting attractions which are worth a look. I had originally planned to travel south from S to see the town of Pakse and the nearby temple of Champasak, but heavy rain in the area rendered the road impassable. I did not know how long this would last so I headed back to Thailand after a few days. Next time. Mukdahan I arrived in M a day before my Thai visa was to expire. This gave me a day plus to sample the delights of M. My bus was delayed in reaching Surin (my starting point) and delayed in reaching M, by rain. M

********************* a few snaps of the event, some have asked for. Keep in mind, I did not pause to photo document every action as it occurred. I was busy doing other things. There is also a rule in Thai hospitals—no pictures, so I was not able to get a snap of me in the medical sections of the hospital, but not to worry. Here I am being brave in 2D. ************************* Hi all, One week after the attack I am ok. I still have more inoculations to take but these are low stress. The result of the full course of vacination will be continued immunity to rabies. It was a revealing experience, the prospect of imminent death, one which should not be repeated unnecessarily, however, as with most things a rational approach produces the optimum outcome. The consolation of philosophy. I found myself thinking of how I should organise my affairs for a smooth transition. I am also further convinced of the necessity of taking precautions. Over the last three years I have visited the Travellers