Matt Owens Rees

expats

  • My Life in 3 Years Time

    My Life in 3 years time. I’m a 77-year-old writer on Thai culture and lifestyle, and have lived in Thailand for just under 2 decades. So yes, I am taking up Rank Math’s invitation to write about what my life will be like in three year time. This is the suggestion I received this morning,…

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  • Phuket Crackdown. Foreigners Arrested

    Phuket Crackdown. Foreigners Arrested

    Phuket crackdown. Foreigners Arrested. Phuket Immigration officers arrested four foreigners for illegally operating businesses in Patong, including a motorcycle rental shop, a travel agency, a barber shop, and restaurants. Immigration officials launched raids on five businesses along Phra Baramee Road and Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road in Patong sub-district, Kathu district, following tip-offs from residents. There is no suggestion or…

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  • Prostitution Beyond the Curtain

    The title above probably gave you a little chuckle. In Thailand, there’s a clever little hack for couples who need a quick hideaway: the maan root, literally “curtain room” — ม่านรูด. In our series, Beyond the Bamboo Curtain, the word “curtain” suggests we’re peering into a Thailand that we don’t always see. A bamboo curtain…

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  • Your Neighbours in Thailand

    Behind the Bamboo Curtain: The Quiet Art of Thai Neighbourliness Being neighbourly—particularly towards foreigners—is different from what we have in the West, where we usually keep our neighbours at a distance, at arm’s length. We may help them if they are close friends. We’ll acknowledge them when we meet. We may like them, we may…

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  • Derek’s Escape to Thailand

    Derek’s true story of his time in Thailand is also recorded in more detail in my book Escape to Thailand, available at all on-line bookstores. If you want a discounted, or even a free copy, visit my website http://www.mattowensrees.com or drop me a line at mattowensrees@proton.me The book and this post, the last part of…

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  • This Beer Tastes Like Rain

    To make cultural points in the “Beyond the Bamboo Curtain” series, and to make the story more interesting for readers, I often give examples of true stories from other cultures. Different nationalities have different senses of humour. I recall being in a UK pub one overcast day in winter. A few of us were sitting…

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  • The Friends Continue To Comment

    They said Alex is a nice chap—an American gay man who lives in a rented house with his young male Thai partner, Ae. Alex’s story begins here. What follows is a carousel of characters—each navigating Thai life in their own way, with humour, hesitation, or quiet resolve. Alex inherited some money from his mum when…

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  • Derek Talks to His Friends

    Part 9 of 14 in the Behind the Bamboo Curtain series of where Derek “escapes ” to Thailand. Observing and Integrating Some expats rush in. Others wait, observe, and learn. In this section, we meet those who’ve taken a slower path—cautious, curious, and quietly adapting to life in Thailand. Although I feel happily married in…

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  • You are in My Country Now

    Behind the Bamboo Curtain – Part 8 : You Are In My Country Now From honeymoon haze to household budgets, Derek’s escape to Thailand takes a turn. He’s no longer a visitor. He’s a resident—having to report to Immigration every 90 days, remembering to re-apply to stay in the kingdom every year, and dealing with…

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  • A Thai Thief

    In case you missed it, this is an earlier part of Derek’s story. In his own words and style. There are twists, turns, and confusions. You may notice that the narrative sometimes oddly flips from topic to topic. These are not editorial errors. That’s exactly how Derek spoke. It says much about his ego, lack…

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