McDonalds Thailand - A Big Mac in Pattaya

When you’re a tourist / traveller visiting Thailand, you’re not supposed to eat at McDonalds. It’s just not ‘cool’. You’re a stranger in foreign exotic lands. And you’re supposed to dive on in and absorb the tastes of Thai culture, challenging your taste buds with the types of authentic Thai cuisine that you just can’t find back home.

Which is all well and good. And it’s true that a visit to the land of smiles without at the very least trying a Pad-Thai (a fried noodle dish popular with tourists and Thais alike) is a visit wasted. Sometimes, when you find yourself alone in alien lands, and feeling a little disorientated, a little taste of something familiar, served-up somewhere familiar, can go a long long way!

And should you find yourself craving a Mc’ something-or-other, in the main tourist areas at least, a McDonalds is never too far away.

Mid way down Khao San Road, or inside the Royal Garden Plaza, Pattaya. McDonalds, in Thailand, offers up most of the foods and beverages, you’ll be familiar with back home. And, if the currency exchange rate is balanced in your favor, Big Macs and Mc’Chicken Nuggets, can be purchased at a fraction of the price you might pay back home. And while I’ve heard that McDonalds in other parts of Asia might serve up treats more targeted towards the native palate. Such as ‘green tea and red bean ice cream sundaes’ in Hong Kong, and the ‘Mc’ Chicken Porridge’ offered in Malaysia. In Thailand, the fare was fairly standard. With the only variants from the UK menu I noticed being the inclusion of the ‘Samurai Pork Burger’, a Pork patty, served with teriyaki sauce and pickles. And that Mc’Chicken Nuggets in Thailand came with (in addition to barbecue sauce) a sachet of Thai Sweet Chilli sauce (which quickly became my dip of choice).

And, while eating at McDonalds may be seen as something of a travellers faux-pas among your backpacking buddies. Among the Thais themselves, eating at McDonalds (so I’ve heard) still retains most of the prestige, and excitement, that eating at McDonalds at home lost a long time ago. And while a McDonalds in Thailand is a cheap option for most Falang visiting the country - with the wide variety of far cheaper local cuisine available for feasting on, eating at McDonalds is still something of an ‘experience’ for many native Thais. With a meal out at the world's most popular hamburger eatery, still being seen as something of a special treat.  And why not?  Because during those brief moments of isolation felt by every traveler alone in foreign lands, a BIg Mac, with large fries, and large Coke, was just the re-centering, and re-energizing non-adventure I needed.  

Before getting right back out there...

For more information, you can visit the official McDonalds Thailand website: HERE

Thai Women and Skin Whitening Cream

If you’ve visited Thailand, and especially if you’ve formed any kind of relationship with a Thai woman while there, you may well be aware of the ironic phenomenon that exists there. When compared to the current beauty regimes of women from the West. And the ‘ironic phenomenon’ I speak of, is the popularity of ‘whitening creams’ with Thailand’s female population.

That’s right. While women back home are spending ever more time, and money chasing that sun-bronzed look, both from travel to sunny climates, and/or achieved artificially, Thailand’s coffee skinned Goddesses appear to be doing all that they can, to achieve the exact same opposite. Talk about the grass always being greener on the other side! In fact; whitening creams in Thailand, are as commonly found on the shelves of stores in Thailand, as shower-gel would be here back home. With everything from face masks, and deodorant, through to foot-cream containing whitening agents.

But why?

As with the tanning of Western women, the process is to some degree fashion based, and born from the desire to appear more attractive to potential mates. Especially with the current (at time of writing) popularity of Korean, and Japanese culture (such as television soap operas) within Thailand (places where women tend to be of a more porcelain complexion). Thai women seek to imitate them.

However, arguably the most powerful incentives to appear white of skin; for Thai women, are based on social status. Being white of skin in appearance separates and elevates paler Thai women from, and above Thailand’s rural laborers, and farmers, who toil all day under the scorching sun. As in most countries, and arguably - especially in Asia, class, and ‘face’ (how others perceive you) is incredibly important in Thailand. So being, or appearing to be, of a higher ‘caste’, for Thai women, increases both desirability, but also, can even go as far as opening up social, and employment opportunities, that would not be open to those of darker skin.

Jobs in Thailand for Travelers - Work Online Selling Stock Photos

So far we've taken a look at 'Freelance Travel Writing', 'Video Blogging', and 'Paid Surveys' as a means of making money in Thailand for those without a degree, TEFL certificate, or the desire to teach English as a foreign language. And while there are a few alternatives such as teaching Scuba diving, or part-owning you own business in Thailand, working online can provide a far more accessible (and profitable) opportunity for those willing to invest a little time and effort into carving out an income from online ventures, that due to Thailand's relatively low cost of living can be used to live more than comfortably, within the land of smiles.

Selling Stock Photos for Cash

Selling Stock Photos

There are a wide variety of businesses out there that require photographs for use within their advertising campaigns, brochures, etc. but don't have the time, equipment, or resources available to them to create their own. This is where you come in.

As a traveler, expat or tourist within Thailand you'll find yourself perfectly positioned to take advantage of the natural beauty and tropical landscapes with which you'll find yourself surrounded. And as you'll most likely be taking photos anyway as you explore and adventure, it would seem wise to upload your photographs to one of the many stock photography websites out there, and make a little cash from them to add to your traveling kitty, as you continue along your path.

Do I Need to be a Professional Photographer to Sell Stock Photos Online?

No.

People are looking for all kinds of photos online for all kinds of reasons, and most modern digital cameras are more than good enough (with a little skill behind the lens) of taking photographs that are of a high enough quality for sale online.

So as long as you have a relatively good eye for composition and access to the sort of things people are looking for photographs of (and as a traveler you will) then selling stock photographs online makes perfect sense, and is the ideal online earning opportunity to compliment both freelance travel writing and video blogging. As essentially all three can be conducted in unison, making three ways to earn from every single adventure.

Jobs in Thailand for Expats and Travelers - How Much Can I Earn?

As with most online earning opportunities the rewards directly correlate with the effort expended into making them a success.  Travel around every day taking good quality photos and upload them and you’ll soon start to see the cents rolling in, followed closely by the dollars.

But as a rough guide earnings are usually between 50 cents and $3 per use (download).  With commissions as high as $60 (and potentially more) paid out for special usage licenses.

Work in Thailand, Asia, and Beyond
If you’re serious about earning money whilst travelling or living abroad then working online is the ideal opportunity for those who don’t want to be tied down, or lack the qualifications to teach. 

And the smart traveller who learns to combine the various methods of earning online will soon find that the money to be made can easily match that earned from a traditional 9-5 slaving away in the office back home, whilst offering the freedom to truly live out your dreams, in relative luxury.

Sell Your Photos Online

Join Bigstock

One Night in Bangkok – The Taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport

One Night in Bangkok

I was three seats wide from the window, a position which failed to offer me the views I’d hoped for as my plane dropped down from above Bangkok. I was here for mixed reasons; fuelled by a confused hybrid purpose, partly here to give chase, and partly here to escape.

We circled briefly before nose tipped down we dropped from the sky, landing perfectly, no need to worry, but still all those around; my self included; stole a hushed sigh of secret relief before waiting for the neon sign to signal the all-clear. We removed our belts and collected our things. With the plane stopped and all inside clamouring down the stair well, the bus pulls up to take us to the terminal. From here we part and scatter, with passport ready I wander lost, looking for the point at which to display my papers, finally I queue, and with a quizzical stare and a cursory examination, one by one, they turn us loose inside.

Approach to Bangkok Airport

See all 5 photos

Bangkok International Airport

Airport Taxi's Bangkok

Bangkok Taxi Ride

Bangkok Taxi Driver

Bangkok Bar Girls

Luggage collection, watching them circle around and around I regretted having not placed some kind of extravagant decoration upon it, now unsure of which was mine, until finally it appears, still in one piece, I heave it off and watch the others chug on by, awaiting owners. I needed a cigarette, I’d been twelve hours in the sky and whilst I hadn’t suffered the urge to smoke too badly whilst up, now grounded strong cravings kicked back in, locating the exits I dragged my suitcase behind me, expectant as I made my way on through.

Perhaps I was famous here I thought as I neared the terminal doors, flocked around a small turnstile a hundred or so Thai’s attempted to catch my eye, waving signs and pleading to be heard. I rushed through quickly head down, needing tobacco, unknowing of what was expected from me. I hadn’t prepared for a welcome quite like this, and I wasn’t ready for it quite so soon.

Rolling a cigarette I pondered my next move, I’d decided against a package deal, opting for just the flight, but had pre-booked the first four nights at a hotel in Bangkok via the internet to gain bearings before deciding where to move onto later, which meant that now; there would be no special bus here ready to whisk me away to my place of lodgings, I would have to navigate my own way there.

Within seconds of inhaling my first puff of smoke, I found myself in conversation with a man I couldn’t understand and who clearly couldn’t understand me either, offering to take me somewhere for just five hundred baht. Trying to explain as best I could that I wanted to finish my cigarette unrushed and uninterrupted, he wandered off a little, lurking nearby, never taking his eyes from me as I finished my smoke. Stubbing it beneath my shoe, I wheeled my suitcase past him and down the ramp towards the main road and found another tout willing to take me to my hotel; again the price was five hundred baht. This time I agreed keen to be settled, needing of a hot bath, a short kip, and some food and beer, before trying to figure out some kind of agenda.

Led towards an unmarked grey car, and ushered into the back, my new friend got inside, introducing me to his colleague who would be doing the driving, kicking the engine into touch, we drifted away from the curb and off into the chaotic traffic on this road to Bangkok. Handing the tout my hotel information, he sighed, “very expensive” he informed me, “not very good”. ‘Oh well’, I thought uncaring, ‘as long as there’s a bed I’m happy’. Pulling from his pocket a glossy flyer, he opened it, pointing to the pictures of rooms and a pool, he grinned wide; “very good” he said, “my brother own”, “very good price”. and it did look nice, his brother had no doubt done well for himself, it looked like a fine place of lodgings and a business to be proud of, but I’d already paid for my first four nights in advance, and unwilling to lose money on this, I insisted in being taken to the ‘Manora’, it was from here that my holiday would begin.

Visibly unhappy with my decision, the tout and the driver mumbled briefly between themselves, but the tout quickly returned his attention back to me. Reaching under his chair, he passed me a blue ring binder; it was full of coloured brochures, for museums and tourist trips, and for temples, etc. They looked beautiful for sure, of blue seas and mystical monks, the tout explained in fragments half understood that he would be willing to arrange such excursions. He then Reached over and turned the pages to the back, the final pages held photos of beautiful young Thai women, posing provocatively, the tout grinned wider still; as my eyes grew larger taking in the silken flesh and gentle smiles of what the tout now seemed to be offering me.

“You like?” he questioned knowingly…

One Night in Bangkok - The Great Tuk Tuk Ride

One Night in Bangkok - The Great Thailand Tuk Tuk Ride

It was my first night in Bangkok, and it was already dark outside when I decided to venture out to buy a newspaper and familiarise myself with the local surroundings, I’d planned to go for an event-less stroll and stretch my legs after the long flight, but the hotel doorman had different plans for me. Almost pleading with me and seemingly in fear for my safety he explained that Bangkok was a dangerous place at night, and that I would be far better off hoping into the waiting tuk-tuk (a motorised rickshaw of sorts), which would happily whisk me away to anywhere I wished to go, for a reasonable price.

Bright lights in a big strange city, pollution, cooked chicken, and sweet chilli, a swirling vortex of counterfeit consumer goods, dancing girls, Thai beer, and cheap cigarettes, and then nothing but the sinking sea-sick sensation that comes with sleep, after a night of unexpected excesses enjoyed.

Upon waking my head was a mess of fragmented memories, and the room held evidence of crimes too heinous to recall. But I knew that somewhere between stepping inside the tuk tuk of the grinning Thai who’d been my driver for the evening and waking this morning, I’d enjoyed a very expensive sea food meal at a very posh restaurant the likes of which I would usually avoid, I’d been cajoled into shopping for antique statues of questionable origin, and amongst other things, the Thai woman that now lay beside me still snoring softly, did more than suggest that at some point I’d ventured into Thailand’s notorious red light scene, and I hadn’t returned alone.

I closed my eyes and tried to remember the events of the night before, and I recalled that it had all started innocently enough. The tuk tuk driver had explained to me openly that if I was willing to visit his friends store, he would be given free petrol tokens for taking me there. And with little else to do I agreed.

But the store I was taken to was way out of my league, full with antique statuettes and carvings of exquisite craftsmanship, with price tags to match. So I browsed swiftly like a man in a museum that held little of interest, and then I got the hell out of there.

So with the night lit up light a dirty Christmas tree we sped off again into the darkness. Passed towering malls, and food stalls, and near collisions, and t-shirt vendors, and prostitutes of ambiguous gender, completely at the mercy of the grinning Thai behind the wheel.

And at some point during the night I’d chosen a big pink fish from a tank, and then eaten it with Thai style side dishes, copious amounts of beer, and complimentary schnapps. Dining alone at a restaurant that was far too posh for me.

There were more drinks along the way, shared with my driver who by this point had wormed his way into the action, and positioned himself as a confidant of sorts, and a drinking partner for those who found themselves alone in strange lands. And it was upon his suggestion that we headed towards ‘Jasmines’, “to watch girls dance” as he put it. And with a belly full of fire; I needed little in the way of convincing.

To be continued.

Work in Thailand - How to Earn Money While Travelling

If you've spent any time online trying to find jobs working in Thailand then you'll have probably found that opportunities are scarce. If you have a degree and a TEFL certificate then you'll have a reasonable chance of picking up an English teaching position, jobs teaching scuba are not unheard of for those who know how, and perhaps if you're lucky you may stumble across an I.T. position, if the required skills can not be found locally.

But that's about it.

So whether you're a first time traveller heading out to Thailand and hoping to earn as you travel, or a seasoned veteran of the land of smiles who dreams of being able to retire to its shores but lack the funds to do so, unless you have the skills/qualifications for one of the careers mentioned above you're going to have a very hard time trying to find work in Thailand.

Work in Thailand - Thinking Outside the Box

What I'm about to sell you now is my dream, but don't run away at the word 'sell', because this dream isn't going to cost you a cent. But it is going to take a little work on your part.

Welcome to the World of Online Writing

Perhaps you know somebody who does 'blogging' online or who makes money from their website(s), perhaps this a part time endeavor on their part or a full-time enterprise through which they pay their bills and mortgage, but you've never really given it due serious thought yourself. Well, then it's time to think again. Because people are making serious money online simply through sharing their thoughts and insights, and there is no reason what-so-ever, that you can't grab your piece of that pie. And as a traveler or tourist in Thailand looking for work you'll find yourself perfectly placed to make money writing online.

Working in Thailand - Who's Paying Me?

Whilst essentially self-employed your online earnings will most likely (to start with at least) be predominantly earned via directing traffic through one or all of the three main online affiliate or advertising networks.

Google Adsense, Amazon, and eBay.

You'll notice that within this article sits adverts served up by Google via its advertising network, and in addition you may also notice adverts for Amazon or eBay products. If visitors to this article are interested in these adverts or products and end up clicking thorugh out of curiosity or better yet buying the products displayed within this page I get a cut of the profits. In exactly the same way that you will should you start working online.

The Hard Truth

If you can't string two sentences together then I'm afraid that this is another dead end for you, and I wish you luck elsewhere. But for those of you who can put together an at least semi-coherent couple of hundred words then this could be just what you're looking for.

Work in Thailand - What Should I Write About?

The reason I stated above that as a tourist or traveller you'll find yourself perfectly positioned for the job of travel writer is because no doubt you've flown out to Thailand in search of adventure (of one kind or another) which means that all you'll need to do in order to make money whilst travelling is to share those adventures with others. It doesn't matter where you go, or what you do, I guarantee you that somebody out there on the internet will be looking for information about it.

How Much Can I Make Writing Online?

Whilst there are people making hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars a day writing online and earning from advertising revenue it is important to understand that such feats take time, patience, and a significant amount of effort. But after just 14 months of working online, with not a huge amount of effort or skill on my part I'm seeing returns from my time spent writing as shown below.

Last Months Google Adsense Earnings

Last Months eBay Earnings

Making a total of roughly £893 ($1305) or most importantly 42,394 Thai Baht (at time of writing) earned from Google Adsense and eBay combined, plus a few extra dollars earned here and there via Amazon and through other mediums, making for a pretty handy chunk of travelling money.

Work in Thailand as a Freelance Travel Writer

Because that's essentially what this gig is. Write interesting and captivating articles to post online as you travel around Thailand, and with a little effort you may be surprised at just how quickly your online earnings can snowball. And with the cost of living being low in Thailand, even just a few extra dollars a day can make a real difference.

And the best thing is that you don't even have to know how to make your own website. Simply sign up here, and post your travel articles at Blogger, then relax in your hammock and plan your next adventure, and watch your online earnings grow.

How much Money should I send my Thai Girlfriend? - Thai Bar Girls and Money

This is a question I see asked often by those who have fallen in love with a Thai bar girl. Because if you hadn't already agreed to do so before returning to your home country, you'll soon get the phone call asking you to send money.

And that's when it's decision time. If you know deep down in your heart that this was nothing more than a drunken fantasy or a holiday romance then face up to that fact now and move on, you'll save yourself a lot of bother in the long run. But if you've already read the thousands of horror stories littering the web and are still convinced that the love between you and your Thai girlfriend is genuine, then you have a long hard slog ahead of you, that begins with deciding just how much money to send your new love each month.

One way of deciding would be to base the amount you send upon the average Thai working wage. Assuming that this is an amount that the average Thai citizen is able to live on comfortably then this represents a relatively practical target to aim for. 

How much money should I send my Thai girlfriend each month?
Having looked around it appears that the average monthly wage in Thailandis somewhere around 10,000 baht, with some estimates being as high as 15,000 and some as low as 7,000 baht per month. So in theory sending the sum of 10,000 baht per month to your Thai girlfriend should allow her to live if not luxuriously, then no worse off than the average Thai citizen, and better than many.

However things are never that easy.
Because if your new Thai girlfriend was a bar girl, who enjoyed relative success within her chosen profession, then she is most likely accustomed to enjoying more money per month than the average Thai employee, and your new Thai girlfriend may well either through greed or through the need to support dependents be reluctant to settle for less.

Sending money to Thai Girlfriends

Some men will be too stingy, send the girl they 'love' peanuts, and then become angry when their Thai girlfriend is forced to return to the bars in order to be able to eat. Whilst others will re-mortgage their homes and sell their car, sending it all to their beautiful Angel of Thailand, who spoilt rotten will keep on asking for more, until there is nothing left of the money, or the man, to give.

My formula:

Another way of figuring out how much money to send your Thai girlfriend each month, and the one I personally used whilst 'sponsoring' a bar girl for four years was this. Instead of working out the average monthly wage for a Thai citizen, work out your own average monthly wage, and divide it into portions.

If you earn $1500 per month, subtract whatever the amount is that goes to pay for rent, and other necessities (but not luxuries), and then divide the remainder in two, and send half to her. Obviously this is not a completely equal split, because your Thai girlfriends rent etc. will have to come out of her half of the disposable money, whilst yours is taken from your base earnings, but life is far cheaper in Thailand, and in addition, if you intend to remain the main breadwinner in an international relationship, then you're going to need to be able to maintain rent and car payments, etc. in order to remain employed, so as to be able to continue sending her money, should you so choose to do so.

But how much should I really send my Thai girlfriend each month?

The answer to this is simple, if you really do love her, and you're 100% sure she loves you back, then you'll send her however much you can comfortably afford to spare, without putting yourself in financial or physical danger. Don't skimp, don't spoil, but communicate, the truth will soon out if she's only in this for the money, but after all, this is the woman you love, and just like when making financial decisions with a western partner keep her in the loop, talk it through with her, and find out just how much she really needs to live comfortably on each month, from her own mouth.

And if you don't have that much to spare, and you're still sure that your relationship is solid, then you'll do your damndest to get a second job, just like you would to take care of a woman you loved from anywhere else in the world.

Just don't become blinded by beauty.