MattOwensRees
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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…
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Part 7 of 14 in the Behind the Bamboo Curtain series on Derek’s Escape to Thailand. With the exception of breakfast, we seldom had a meal at home, as Toy preferred to go out for meals. Before she met me, it would have been at a roadside stall .This is where most Thais eat and the staple…
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Part of the Behind the Bamboo Curtain series. Relevant to Thailand as elsewhere. As a junior accountant, in my first job, I helped my boss sort though stacks of computer printout to identify mistakes. In fact, I did most of the work! Those inputting the data on product yield were incorrectly interpreting the quantities of…
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🧠 A recent AI-generated video doing the rounds features a fictional “Captain James Mitchell” receiving a royal visit. It’s slick, dramatic—and completely made up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSkDfl2v9CE There’s no such officer, no such event, and the King certainly wouldn’t be turning up in full regalia, wearing his crown to comment on matters relating to British Airways uniform…
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Chapter 6 Talking to my son My hospital appointment came more quickly than I had expected. Hooked up to several machines by what seemed like an endless flow of wires, I spent two hours on a bed while examinations on my heart were completed. The good news was that the hospital had found nothing out of…
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Beyond the Bamboo Curtain It seemed like longer, but Toy and I had been together for only nine days. Were we going too fast? Was I going too fast? Did I know enough about her after such a short time? Much of what I’d gleaned about Thailand had come from internet forums and from Richard’s…
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And why the founding abbot’s name is not being mentioned, even though today is his 80th birthday.Today marks Earth Day in the Buddhist calendar—a time for reflection, renewal, and reverence. At Wat Phra Dhammakaya and other temples in Thailand, the celebrations are vast and well-orchestrated: mass meditation, offerings from tens of thousands of followers, and…