This summer, if your destination of choice happens to be Thailand, then the first thing that you should ask yourself is “Are you sure you are not visiting Thailand during it’s summer season between March and June? (even though it will be the Thai high season, the hi-light of which would be the Thai New Year or Songkarn Festival from April 13th -15th)”. Can you handle the heat at that time of year, with temperatures that can reach 45c during the daytime? Even the air conditioning in a hotel room can’t cool you down that much when the weather outside is extremely hot like this. If possible, please pick a room that also has an electric fan installed too… if there’s one thing that I know about you guys from the EU or other generally colder countries, it is that you find it hard to cope with the humidity sometimes, and it can make it hard for you guys to breathe. Try not to worry however, be happy and enjoy a trip to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world!

“Amazing Thailand” 

Trip in summer 2010-2011-Udon Thani, Thailand With my Boyfriend Terence

So, it’s not only the heat you guys need to prepare for, there are other things too… namely insects! Oh yeah, I have seen my Brit friends suffer from those insects many times, particularly mosquitoes for instance. There are a lot of them during hot season (unlike the cold season), and this can be pretty scary because these mosquitoes bring diseases to us humans. Also, after you have been bitten, if you are itchy and cant stop scratching, then your wound could get infected badly (it gets worse with farang’s skin in my experience, they are way too sensitive). Another thing that you shouldn’t forget to bring are light-weight clothes. I would suggest to you guys to wear cotton clothes,as this is the best fabric to wear in a tropical climate, and of course feel free to bring flip flops! So yeah, when its hot flip flops are good to wear, or women may wear high heels/sandals instead, which I love to wear! The thinking here is that if the feet feel cool, then the whole body is cool! My boyfriend finds it sexy too with toenails painted! We apply the same idea in reverse when the temperature drops during the cold season. The average temp is around 18-25c then (which is warm by most EU/farang standards), but for us Thais it already feels freezing! So we start wearing socks, the wisdom here being that if you feel warm at your feet then your whole body feels warm too, but it does work heh!

10 Travel Tips – for travelling in Thailand during the summer (March-June)

1. Powder that protects you from the insects 

Not only mosquitoes, but other kinds of insects that can cause irritation as well. This kind of powder can be found in most supermarkets, it’s not too hard to find.

2. Clothes for foreigners (farangs) 

This is one my farang friends complain about to me as well! It can be hard to find in the right size here in Thailand, and this also happens with me as well, as my body is bigger than average Thai. So for this one I’d suggest that you guys to bring a decent supply of clothes from your own country with you, so that you won’t waste your precious time searching for them. What we call “farang size” is rare here in Thailand. For example I think you’d be surprised if you picked a t-shirt size L here, as for you it would probably turn out to be more like a size M haha!

in fact this has just reminded me of a close friend, one that I used to hang out a lot with in the past. We liked to go shopping in the main shopping centre in Udon Thani quite often. One day she was looking for a t-shirt for her farang boyfriend. She was looking at one particular brand name, which was good quality, but sadly it seemed they didn’t have any in his size! So I asked my friend “What size does your boyfriend wear?”, she said “2XL”. So, after looking around briefly I said “Look at that, many 2XL shirts out there!”. So, off she went and had a look again at the t-shirts, although she needed to be careful, as she didn’t want to get the wrong size as they were a bit expensive. After looking around carefully, she then turned around to me and replied “Duh sis! these are XL for European!”. We then asked the seller “Do you have 3XL size then?”… haha big disappointment because the answer was “NO, sorry”. So the moral of this story is that Thai 2XL size turned out to actually be European XL size! Haha!

As I have mentioned before, I am a size 16 UK, and this is equivalent to the Thai XL size, so I was having hard time searching for stylish clothes in my size in Thailand. My brother has the same problem, as we are both bigger than the average Thai person. Luckily, I don’t have that problem any more as I have a farang boyfriend who buys me clothes from the UK which makes me very pleased! Thanks a lot Terry! It felt like moving a big mountain out of my chest… oops! Or not? Still two big mountains? (I think BF would never ask me to remove them) LOL . Mostly, I try to pick a dress length to cover my knees, as this makes me feel comfortable, but this is also suitable for when visiting Thai temples for example, because even though the weather is hot, women can’t use this as an excuse to wear shorts in the temple, as this is forbidden.

3. Flip Flops – Is it difficult to find my size in Thailand?

The same rule applies here as with clothes I think, and I have also faced the same problem haha. I know you guys may find it a bit odd trying to fit them in your suitcase, but don’t worry, its not that desperate compared to the clothes situation, and they’re very cheap. However, always try to pick ones of good quality because if you have seen the average footpath in Thailand, you’ll know that there are plenty of food stalls along the way, and they also do the dishes on the footpath so it can be very wet… you need to be careful so you do not slip ok? The funny thing was… when me and my boyfriend were walking together on the footpaths there were always plenty of flower pots, and the owner would pour water on their plants every morning and evening, which would make the footpath wet. We had to walk very carefully, and my boyfriend kept saying that in the UK u cant do that without permission from the authorities, because the footpath is a public area not your own private property! Err…tell them then babe! So make sure you pick some nice Flip Flops and walk carefully, especially if you are not too keen on flip flops like my boyfriend!

Funnily enough, when I was a kid my parents bought me new shoes made of materials such as leather, which were not always that soft at the beginning so when the shoes were rubbing against my feet I got bruises that was hurt a lot, ouch! Then I’d run to tell parents that “The shoes bit me!”, to which my dad would reply “Why don’t you bite the shoes first?”… never mind… it’s a Thai joke . Luckily my mum was there too tell me not to do it because it was a joke… oh c’mon I was too young to understand!

4. Drinking water from the bottle has a plastic sealed

I’ve mentioned this before in a previous blog, but I’d like to remind you guys again anyway. If you happen to visit Thai people you know, or go to eat from food stalls beside the street, they usually serve you drinking water from the jars they have. I’d suggest that you guys stick to ordering/buying drinking water from bottles only. You can get them from most superstores and it usually only costs around 10 baht. Also, always make sure the bottle has a plastic sealed top before buying.

5. Bacteria in food

You guys have to be careful about this, especially in the summertime as it can be quite easy to pick up food poisoning from food in Thailand. If you do fancy having some Thai food, then please avoid the dishes that use coconut milk as an ingredient (those Thai curries). If the taste is sour then beware, and you should stop eating immediately. Or If you buy food that has coconut as an ingredient, such as the famous Thai dessert called “Kao Niew Mamuang” (sweet sticky rice with ripe mango), then make sure that when you back to hotel you put them in to the refrigerator immediately.

6. Let’s go eating outside – LOL – get some fresh air in the evening

Usually in the major parks in Thailand there are bicycles for rent, these shouldn’t be more than 1 USD/hour in the evenings. Thai people like to go to the park for a walk, jogging, riding a bicycle, aerobics or to find something to eat. When I was there last time with Terry I was standing in the park and pondering… in the past me and my friends we used to sell beer there. Here in Thailand people like going out to find something to eat in the evenings. They prefer eating outdoors, as it’s a warm country, so the popular eating places like that are usually packed at the weekend. My boyfriend says it’s a bit different where he lives because the weather is generally colder… so want some beer anyone?

7.Thai fruits 

Please don’t pass up the chance to try some these fruits that they sell in summer – Mangosteen, Lychee, Rose Apple, Watermelon and Mango are incredibly sweet and juicy, and give you energy when the heat wears you out or when you feel exhausted.

I mentioned at the beginning of this blog another way for you guys to cool down, and this is the Songkarn Festival which is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year’s Day from 13th to 15th April. Besides the throwing of water, people celebrating Songkarn may also go to the temple to pray and offer food to monks, and also cleanse Buddha images from household shrines by gently pouring water mixed with a Thai fragrance over them. It is believed that doing this will bring good luck. They may also celebrate with their elders/ parents by pouring water gently into their hands. This is really like a family’s day, so grab the opportunity to learn our wonderful culture. I believe there are some foreigners who have got no clue about this apart from enjoying splashing and drinking.

9. waterproof cosmetics please!

I am the one who won’t go out without make up… I admit it! What I am about to describe happened to me, so I’d like to share it with you guys even though it was a bit odd… but alright… I warn you if you don’t want people laughing at you having Panda eyes, you had better make sure your mascara is 100% waterproof, and this includes eyeliner and eyebrow pencil too!. I’ve made mistakes before, in that I bought eyeliner thinking it was waterproof and it was not! I was thinking it should be waterproof… the eyeliners they sell in this tropical country should be waterproof only! I just assumed and I was wrong… on the minibus I was thinking how come those passengers keep looking at me and smiling… I am too pretty? Hehe, and I was wrong again. I found out later on when I came back home… I grabbed the mirror and… OMG! Maybe Chaing Mai Zoo need me… Kitty the Panda! That’s why I prefer cold season.

10. Staying “cool” in the hot weather

By this I mean trying to keep your composure, not literally staying cool. I hate the hot weather myself, and I find it makes me very irritable and annoyed quite often (the curse of living in Thailand!). My advice for you guys is, that where possible you should try to get out and about (unless you have amazing air conditioning in your house, most Thais don’t), but of course try to stay in the shade as much as possible.

And this is my fave place to go have a manicure as always during BF visit.

If you have friends you can hang around and chat with even better, especially if you can find a good drinks stall or bar and enjoy a few cooling drinks while you chat! I find it’s a good idea to try and keep yourself as occupied as possible anyway, as this will take your mind off the heat and prevent you from thinking about it too much. For myself I like to either go into town (usually the shopping centre as it has good air conditioning), or if I’m at home, I chat with my boyfriend or friends on the computer, or try to work on new ideas for blogs.

Anyway, try to enjoy the summer in Thailand whatever you do, and whenever you come, because as soon as you get back to whatever country you’ve come from, I guarantee you that you will miss Thailand!

Until next time,

Kit

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Where do ghosts and spirits dwell? This is an interesting question if you ask me. I can give you an answer if you like, but I haven’t actually seen one in my whole life, although I’ve experienced mysterious incidents related to Thai ghosts and spirits and I am going to share them with you guys.

As I said, I can give you guys some answers about where they come from, as I have been told these stories by old people I’ve known since I was very young. One of them of course is my dad, who has always been interested in this sort of thing. He has told me that spirits and ghosts can live almost everywhere; for instance in large-old trees.

Examples include the famous female Thai ghost called “Thani”, (นางตานี) who lives in banana trees, and this reminds me of our old house, which used to sit among banana trees that my dad grew.  I’m going to tell you a scary story from my own life, one that I have never forgotten, although it is still mysterious to me. I named this story “Who was that?”

It was a wooden house that we rented, there were many big trees around and of course banana trees. Every evening, after 6 pm it would become very quiet, and we could only hear the crickets making a noise outside. The neighbours had already closed their doors and windows and gone to bed early. There were also some Geckos in our house. Geckos generally stay in wooden houses, so when they made a noise, especially in the night time, I felt scared to death… then one day something mysterious began.

Songkarn Festival or Thai new year happens between April 13-15, and we were planning to travel to the north of Thailand at this time. Before we left my mum went to see the local laundry lady, who we hired, and told her that we would not be at home between the 12-16th of April because of our travelling plans. My mum thought that the lady understood, but as it turns out she went to our house on the wrong day!

She had taken some clothes to our house on April 12th at around 6 pm. When she arrived, she was confused,  as she thought we were leaving on the 13th, the day the festival actually starts, but we had left one day early to avoid the traffic jams. The house was quiet and dark and she said to herself “how come this family didn’t turn the lights on as usual?”. She started yelling “Hello! Is Anybody home?”. Guess what? No reply.

So, she looked up to the balcony, and suddenly she spotted a little girl… whom she assumed was me. This girl was wandering around, seemingly in a world of her own. “Alright” she said “Would you please take these clothes into your house before they get lost?”. No reply. She asked once more “Little girl! Can you take these clothes into the house please?!” …. still no reply. Thinking this very odd, she gave up and left.

When we came back home we found the basket with our clothes in it. A few days later the laundry lady came back to take our clothes to wash, and then she mentioned about how she had come to the house that day, and what happened. We talked about it for some time, and she told me about the little girl. She asked what was going on, and how come I didn’t reply to her? had I got mad at her for some reason? Argh! “NO! that wasn’t me!”  Who was that?!?

In 2010 my boyfriend visited me, and we booked a room to stay at a 3 star hotel.  During the first week things were just fine, and we had a lot of fun. The second week was a bit different though.. as one of the holy days or “wan pra” fell during this week. We awoke early on this morning, around 4am to get ready to visit a local temple. At around 5am, we were finished and ready to go. However, as I tried to open the door to leave  it wouldn’t move. I tried to unlock it and twist the handle, but still it wouldn’t budge. Was it broke? I called to room service to try and unlock the door from the outside with their spare key. We could see the locking button was released, as I could see the staff working from the inside as they tried to open the door, but still it would not open and we were starting to get frustrated.

Then. as I sat on the bed, giving a big sigh, suddenly something happened in my mind… and   I found myself communicating with some invisible person, a spirit in the room that was involved with the situation. I began to talk to that invisible person “Yes I know, I know, thank you for reminding me, I know you need it, but you don’t have to do this you know? I feel a little scared”. I then stood up and tried to open the door again, and guess what , the door opened! Later on I made a call to dad and told him the story and asked him “Why  this happened to me?” He replied “Because they knew that you could sense them and that it would work, you should be glad my daughter, go and help them”.

Or… it could be just the door was broken right? I wanted to think that way, or think that it could just be a coincidence. It’s funny how it  happened at that time, just when I was about to go the temple to make a merit, but then, when I sat down, and talked to that invisible person, promising them that I will make a merit… the door opened. We arrived at the temple, made a merit, and then, after the main ceremony was finished, we poured water at a big tree in the temple area, following the belief that พระแม่ธรณี (Goddess of Earth) will bring this merit to those dead ones.

Over 20 years ago my father journeyed with a famous monk from the north of Thailand, this monk has since passed away (over 10 years ago), but his dead body still lies in a coffin made of glass at his temple near Burma. At that time they journeyed to the mountains for many weeks. This monk was well known for good meditation and incantations. He also produced herbal medicines with incantations in them to heal up wounds. He gave my father a large amount of amulets at this time.

Influenced by my father I got a few but these amulets myself. I was especially interested in the “Boar Tusk” ones, and I own two of them. The boar tusk is a powerful amulet. It has special magic properties that protect you from harm, but my dad says that the owner has to keep at least five precepts, or this wont work, especially with a pharisee (a hypocrite) The boar is known as an intelligent animal, it has magical abilities, and can hide from the hunter well. The tusk I got was from an old boar that had died naturally.

In addition to being a Buddhist, I also worship Shiva,  a Hindu god, as well as Lord Ganesh and Lord Kreshna amongst many others. As a result of these beliefs, I do not eat beef. 

Talking about rituals related to animals reminds me of this story, that shouldn’t be forgotten. Hae Nang Maew (or Khor Fon ceremony) is a ritual custom in the north and north-eastern provinces of Thailand, especially during times of drought. Two people put a female cat put her into a kind of bamboo basket, which is then paraded around the village. Other villagers are invited to join the parade. The parade will travel to different areas to let villagers sprinkle water on the cat. After the ceremony, the cat will be set free. According to traditional belief, this is an auspicious sign for rainfall.

 An old Thai cat breed called “Malerd”, which is a grey colour is often used. The reason is that the grey colour is the same colour as the clouds when it’s about to rain… OMG! thats my cat.

Do you remember a couple of blogs ago when, when I talked about a trip to an elephant farm in Surin that me and my boyfriend went on? Well this blog has reminded me of another Thai tradition! It is believed that when you crawl under the belly of an elephant this will bring you good luck, and all the bad things will be gone… you will have a new  and better life!

Unfortunately my boyfriend wasn’t brave enough to try this himself when he was there, although he was offered the chance as you can see in the video below.

Supplied by Terence Jones. for more information : www.terencejonesmusic.co.uk

Take care then all, until next time,

Kit