Thailand Blogs – October 2010 Review
Before I start this month’s Thailand Blogs review I’d like to offer my congratulations to Thailand Voice’s Blog of the Month winner for October. Paul Garrigan Addiction and Recovery deservedly picked up the award and I’m proud to say Paul’s site is one which features in my Thailand Blogroll. Well done Paul.
The photographic theme for this review is ladies of Thailand and Beyond The Mango Juice’s blog review for October starts off with Paul Garrigan’s top notch blog.
My pick of Paul’s posts from October is The Ghosts of Thailand Should be Taken Seriously which explores Thai peoples absolute belief in the spirit world. This is a superb article which probes into the mystique behind Thai spirit houses, explains the link between strange Thai nicknames and ghosts, as well as the story of a drunken man pushed off his motorbike by a ghostly apparition. Lift your spirits with a visit to the Thailand Voice Blog of the Month for October.
Choosing a destination to visit or relocate in Thailand leaves you with a choice of settling for the quiet rural life, bar girl nightlife, cultural city sights or the tranquility of an island’s sun, sea and sand. Thailand Musings dissects three very different Thai cities in its post Choosing the Best Thai City, and blog host Steve gives his own take on the differing merits of Bangkok, Pattaya and Khon Kaen. Get your very own whistle stop tour of Thailand by hitching a ride with this one.
Siam Rick has finally made his move to Thailand and last month he was apartment hunting in Bangkok. Behind the Noodle Curtain’s post The ‘hood’ is the thing in Bangkok takes a look at Rick’s new neighbourhood in Din Daeng District and has photos of his newly acquired bachelor’s pad. Rick gives the lowdown on what’s good in the hood of Din Daeng.
Crash Bang Wallop, what a photograph. Camille’s Samui Info blog has pictures of a couple of vehicles that had a crash, bang and wallop on Koh Samui’s roads, proving once again that Amazing Thailand has some amazing drivers too. Click on your seat belt and get over to Samui style car parking!.
Catherine Wentworth’s top Thai language site Women Learning Thai …and some men too lists The Top 39 Thai Words You Must Know. If you are currently learning Thai then the list is a good test to see if you have progressed beyond the beginners stage of learning the language. If you know at least 35 of the 39 words then I’d say you’re progressing very well. Take the test, on the best Thai language learning site.
Talen and Thailand, Land of Smiles enjoy A Night Out on the Town in Chonburi and Pattaya. Pattaya’s new expat jumps in his jeep with three Thai ladies in tow and enjoys a meal at a restaurant on Chonburi’s waterfront. The ladies even pick up the bill before all four friends head back to Pattaya’s famous Walking Street to enjoy the best live blues and rock music in the city at the Blues Factory. There’s plenty of cute Thai girl photos with this one and a couple of videos of the Blues Factory in full swing.
If you asked me to name the two things most Thai women are obsessed about, my answer would be the Thai lottery and white skin. Thailand Blogs (photo left) scrapes away the epidermis and peeks below the surface at Thai ladies fixation with skin whitening products and their perceived benefits in Thai society. Thai Obsessions – White Skin Lottery is my pick for October from Mike Rose and his Thailand information station.
Retired in Thailand and Loving It published a short post with some amazing photographs in Run for your Life. Jing Jok’s are better known as gecko’s (small lizards) and Malcolm was on hand to capture some eye bulging shots of a large jing jok giving a real shock to a baby one. Cannibalism is the keyword here and Malcolm zooms in on the act.
New (stray) Dog is a touching story from the Thai Pirate and dog lover Ben. After scaring away a stray dog Ben notices the injuries it is carrying. Days later Ben discovers the whimpering dog hiding in his garden, and after coaxing him out sees the reason for the animal’s distress. Half of the dog’s side is eaten away. Visit the Thai Pirate to find out how big hearted Ben comes to the rescue, but be warned the post contains a disturbing photo of the dog’s wounds.
Jonny Foreigner dots the eyes and….. paints the squiggles, as he lays out his very own format for learning Thai. In February 2009 Jon set his mind about learning to read Thai in an effort to master the language, and in My “long” journey learning Thai, Jon narrates the methods he has employed to master reading Thai and pronounce its difficult characters. If you are currently learning Thai then check out how a Londoner has conquered the tribulations of deciphering all those squiggles and funny signs, which for most of us represent the Thai language.
One month after the end of Thailand’s Vassa, when Thai monks retreat to their monasteries for three months during the rainy season, the Kathin ceremony is celebrated and money is raised for each Wat, and traditionally new robes are presented to the monks. Thai Life in Phana and Kathin celebrated in Phana and Devon reports on expat Thais living in England celebrating the Kathin ceremony alongside their British counterparts. Lawrence and his wife Pensri visit the Hartridge Buddhist Monastery in Devon to witness the festivities and enjoy the huge feast of food laid on by the Thai Buddhist community. There’s plenty of colourful photos attached to this one.
Finding handicap parking in Thailand is an arduous task, in most towns and cities it might just prove impossible. Life in rural Thailand came across a handicap parking slot which left blog author MeMock scratching his head about its design. Handicap parking – Thai style has the picture, you just need to work out what’s behind it.
My Jungle Life’s post Here Comes the Rain (Little darling, it seems years since it’s been clear) probably needs little explaining with the rainy season and subsequent flooding that has wreaked havoc in Thailand over the past weeks. This one is about the vulnerability of living in the middle of a river’s floodplains on an island in Southern Thailand. Jungle Jill has photos and a video showing the carnage and upheaval caused to everyday life by Thailand’s monsoon season.
That’s it from my Thailand Blogs October 2010 review. I hope you enjoy the posts and wherever you are in the world, have fun.
Thanks for the mention Martyn. My favourite BMJ post this month was ‘Elephants on the Streets of Thailand’. There seems to be a lot of good Thailand blogs at the moment. I remember a few years ago that people were saying that blogging was dead – how wrong they were.
Paul I see you’re up and about early again.
Personally I think like you that blogging is alive, well and prospering. I also think with the right effort and commitment someone could make a tidy pile of money out of it. In fact plenty do. Unfortunately Thailand blogging hasn’t got a big share of the readers market but hopefully it is slowly growing.
There are a lot of quality Thailand blogs out there and as one drops out there seems to be at least two replacing them. That’s healthy.
Martyn, thank you for this. Not only for the mention, but for pointing to what everyone is up to. Life is heading into ott busy zone and your end of month reviews are pretty much going to be the only way I’ll get to catch up with at least a few of the best posts going around.
And after I’ve just spent the time writing my own end of month review, I marvel at the smoothness of yours. That’s a talent I’ll need to work on for the next one.
Catherine I’m heading into a very busy period myself, I’m currently in the process of having my property (okay it’s a flat) revamped. The next stage is a completely new kitchen and a bit of updating in the bathroom. I’m getting workers in to do it all but it’s the running around and preparation that’s taking up my time.
I read your October review and in comparison yours is as smooth as the best butter and mine as lumpy as the peanut alternative. Thanks for the read.
I do like to get up early – I can get some work done before the family wake up. Mind you, I tend to be in bed by nine o’clock most nights.
There are people making a bundle out of blogging for sure – it seems to take a lot of hard work though and is no get rich quick scheme.
Paul here I am up again at five in the morning on my day off. I enjoy getting up early, it’s the best time for me to get things done on the computer. I’m certainly not making a bundle from blogging although thanks to ThaiLoveLines I have now nearly surpassed my best month’s earnings and we’re only four days into the month.
My favourite BTMJ post from October was the lao khao one.
Paul’s site should be read by many of us expats – alcohol is part of the lifestyle but can also destroy your life.
If you have time, please do check my Phuket Blog, the last month there were lots of reports from the Phuket vegetarian festival, sorry in advance for scary photos.
Cheers
Jamie
Jamie – As I’m not an expat does that mean I can have a good drink today. I intend having a few lunchtime.
I’ll check out your post shortly. BTW I do have your blog on my Extra Thai Blogs blogroll.
Martyn, thanks for the mention.
I know you didn’t get the opportunity to blog much in October but I really enjoyed the “whiskey” post.
Thanks also for the other links…..the MeMock photo made me smile…So Thai.
I think blogging remains strong here, its just a niche unfortunately, so I don’t imagine anyone getting too rich from it. Personally I just enjoy sharing stuff that I find here.
The ads just about pay for the hosting 😉
Mike my lao khao post was my favourite from BTMJ during October, I enjoyed writing it. It’s still getting quite a few hits now and I’ve seen a few links to it.
My ThaiLoveLinks affiliate program is starting to kick in, I’ve had a nice little earner from it already this month. Nothing big but something which gives me encouragement.
Hits on the Juice appear to be on the up again after dropping away last month. Good old Google, he must have been a fiddler in his previous life.
What a useful wrap-up!
mvs – Thanks for the read. I’ve just visited your blog and I will drop a comment in shortly. Your post about the seven most influential farang living in Thailand has caught my eye.
BTW, you are using the wordpress Magazine theme for your blog, I use it on two of my other ones. I think it has a real neat look to it.
Martyn, Thanks for the mention as always and I’m glad to see you opened up the comments again on these posts. It takes a lot of time to put this type of post together and you always do it well.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t point out some of your fine posts made during the month that definitely made me smile and think.
https://www.thaisabai.org/2010/10/100-proof-lao-khao-is-a-knockout-drink/
https://www.thaisabai.org/2010/10/elephants-on-the-streets-of-thailand/
Talen when I closed the comments box previously is was partly as an experiment to see how much it affected hits on the post. They (the post) were down for the month but not alarmingly so.
Thanks for taking the time to include two links to BTMJ posts in October. I like the lao khao one myself.
Martyn, thanks so much for the mention here and my congratulations on your record earnings so far this month.
Thailand blogging is probably not the way to get rich online, but there are so many other niche’s that do pay well. It just takes time and commitment to get your traffic to a level that is highly profitable. In the end I think its well worth it though and let’s face it, most well paying jobs take 5-10 years to get into when you factor in education, training, getting experience, etc. Besides blogging is just plain fun :>)
Steve no problem with the plug, it’s a pleasure.
Earnings…..due to a little bit of AdSense coaching and some excellent keyword tutorial my earnings for this month after only four days are approaching record highs. Another week should see the Juice break through my previous best month. That’s encouraging and only the start of what I hope to be a fruitful end to the year.
Cheers Steve and that’s one bar bill I owe you.
Thanks for this roundup of what is happening in the Thailand blogosphere.
I started to do a weekly Thai links roundup, each with a different theme, for example the “learning Thai edition”. I soon ran out of themes and think I might just do a general roundup in the future, and perhaps monthly instead of weekly.
Aaron thank you for your comment and I’m sorry I’m late replying, but it’s a busy time for me at the moment. Keep up the good work on your site, I was amazed at how fast it loaded and how slick it looked.
Martyn, thanks for all the work you do in putting the review together every month , and really thanks for the spot for Retired In Thailand and Loving It. I would like to also thank you for taking the time to stop by my post and commenting as I am sure you many others , and like everyone else the whiskey one ways a hoot . Malcolm
Malcolm it’s always a pleasure to include you and Ciejay in the review, I love all the photos you include as well. No worries about commenting on RITALI, I enjoy the read and get a little envious at times about you living such a sweet life down in Kanchanaburi.
Apologies Paul, I forgot to congratulate you on being Thailand Voice’s Blog of the Month. Mucho kudos your way 🙂
Martyn, I do not envy you your flat revamp. A short while back I started into a bit of a condo spiffing up myself. Getting knee-deep in painters, electricians, and general fix-it men is not as fun as it used to be. Just finding competent workers in Thailand is a chunk of the pain. Explaining the rest would take a blog full.
Catherine the flat revamp is proving a pain in the butt, there’s so many little things to do plus the major ones like ripping out a kitchen. That’s between working and trying to keep up with my blogs. Unfortunately the writing has to suffer short term. Thanks.
Hi Martyn,
Thanks for the mention.
My fave post on bmj was the Kao lao one as many others mentioned this also. Bloggers unite 😉
Where did you get your AdSense coaching? My income there pretty much vanished.
Camille the lao khao post went down very well, it’s still getting a few hits.
I won’t name the people who did the coaching but I was advised to use a wordpress plugin (might be multi blogger as well) called AdSense Targeting as well as tweaking the colour of my fonts. That has helped a lot.
My ThaiLoveLines advert is also earning a few dollars this month as well. Whether the rise in income lasts is unproven yet but I am grateful for the help and ever hopeful as well.
Martyn, I read your review when you first posted it and have been reading the blog posts I’ve missed in your review…which have led me to more and more great posts and blogs.
Finally I’ve made it full circle back to yours. Thanks for highlighting some wonderful stories and experiences!
Snap thanks for the read and comment. There are a lot of good posts on the Thai circuit each month, yours included. Unfortunately I can’t add any new blogs to my Thai blogroll because it will make the review even longer than it already is. Your site is included in my Xtra Thai Blogroll along with a few other good reads. Enjoy yourself in Chiang Mai.
Martyn, ’tis the season to slow blogs down… or it is for me. Like you, I have a schedule that is kicking my butt so the posts frequency is going down to two, with three on a good week. It’s all down to the run up to the back to back long-hauls and Ho Ho Ho’s
Catherine I’m looking at posting about six times this month but losing my camera and its post related photos has set me back a bit. I’m like an awards winner who has lost their winning speech. I’m scouring my photo archives when I do have time. Luckily I’ll be in Thailand for Ho Ho Ho. Work tonight, no Ho Ho Ho about that.
Not having photos has got to be a killer for inspiration. We get used to posting in a certain way, when it’s no longer available it can be difficult. I’m used to posting three to four times a week and paring it down is hard. I find myself staring at my posting schedule for the next two months. Just staring.
Catherine my posting schedule runs from post to post. I try and rack up some kind of inspiration literally near to posting day. However I do nearly have my next one ready which is way ahead of my normal timescale. I’ll finish it on my day off on Tuesday. I’m ahead of plan, that’s good.
Martyn, many thanks for another mention. Like many others, I use your monthly round-up to catch up on what I have missed. I have missed a lot recently, life is busier in UK even when you are retired. No lying around in a hammock like Malcolm here.
Right now I am in Abu Dhabi and find that Typepad is blocked here so haven’t been able to post or answer comments until now. Luckily my son has a way around it, but it took me a while to find that out. But I doubt I will find anything for you to comment on in your November round-up (now am I testing you or what?).
Lawrence you chose a good time to go to Abu Dhabi because England is wet and windy right now. Where you are it’s lucky if it rains once a year. Nice to see you are making the most of your retirement by visiting different places, but I bet you can’t wait to get back to Phana. There’ll be plenty of stories there for you to write about. I do like the photo of your spectacled niece in your opening November post, what a lucky man Ashleigh is.