Cultural anthropology
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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 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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Sunday’s short post in the Beyond the Bamboo Curtain series of Thailand topics. All my family will be there including my cousin’s German husband. You’ll enjoy meeting him and joining in with the village festivities. It lasts all day. Plenty of food, plenty of drink. Khun Fon said I would be able to talk to a fellow…
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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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Beyond The Bamboo CurtainThe curtain is lifted on Thai Immigration Busy day at Chiangmai Immigration. Not easy to find a parking spot and even more difficult to get a seat. Rules and regulations are not standardised in Thailand. Each government official interprets them differently. Requirements for documentation at Immigration vary from office to office. Applies…
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Thai lifestyle curiosities explained In this blogpost in the Beyond the Bamboo Curtain series—our regular lens on Thai life, the curiosities of Thai lifestyle are explored under 6 main headings. Reflections on the main features of Thai society, drawn from my own experiences and observations of the culture I’ve lived in for several decades. thai…
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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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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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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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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…