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10 things I wish I knew before going to Thailand

Article by Norbert Figueroa

Sawasdee!

Did you know that Thai people have four square meals a day? That every Thai male is expected to become a monk for a short period in his life? And that the world’s biggest Chinatown is located in Bangkok? These are just some facts that make Thailand an interesting and entertaining destination.

It’s no surprise that Thailand is one of the most visited countries by backpackers and Independent travelers. Everything from the stunning beaches on Southern Islands and beautiful landscapes on the North, to the rich culture found all throughout the country, lures you into experimenting what this country has to offer. Oh, and lets not forget the never-ending wild parties. But as in any other city, there are some facts you would like to know before going there to help you understand things, adhere more easily, or just avoid if possible. So, here are the things I wish I knew before going to Thailand…

* The head is considered the most sacred part of the body and the feet the least. Never touch anyone in the head and never point at anything with your feet. Both acts are considered disrespectful. Also, try doing everything, including any type of interaction with a local, with your right hand (i.e. paying for your food, handing something, waving, etc.). Using the left hand is considered disrespectful because Thai people use it as the bathroom hand. Although they tolerate the use of the left hand among tourists. I’m left handed and I had no problem there.

* Scammers are all around Bangkok. In fact, it’s a well developed network that has been around for decades. Don’t buy any type of jewelry that is “promoted” by anyone on the streets, and don’t believe in the “one week only sale at huge discounts… ending today” selling phrase. That’s their way of putting some pressure on you to convince you into buying jewelry at “exclusive” prices. These scams are usually done by tuk-tuk drivers and some local aides (and even foreigners) that catch any unsuspecting tourist by offering some sightseeing “advice”. After the “advice” they offer you an all-day special tuk-tuk ride for 10 Baht (which is true), but after some quick sightseeing they take you to some jewelry and “fashion” stores where the driver will earn a commission whether you buy something or not. The stores might look authentic, but the jewelry is fake.

* Thailand’s health care system is considered one of the best in the world. Don’t be afraid to use it, if necessary.

* Know that tuk-tuk’s will try to overcharge you at first. Negotiate and settle the price for your ride right before hopping in.

* It’s good to be up to date on Thailand’s current political status. Local politics are unstable and the panorama can change at any moment. It’s always good to have a plan “B” (another Thai province or bordering country). Just in case…

* Wearing sandals/flip-flops most of the time is very convenient. You will be taking them off constantly as you visit the temples or sacred places, and as you hop on and off of the long tail boats.

* The official year in Thailand is 2553 (not 2010). Since several decades, the westerner New Year’s day is also a public holiday in Thailand. But the popular New Year’s Day for Thai people happens from April 13 to April 15; it is called Songkran. The reference point is Lord Buddha’s birth 543 before Jesus Christ. Also, if you manage to be there during this time of the year, you will see and participate in the most insane water-fight. Thais celebrate the New Year by throwing water at EVERYONE!!

* Monks are not allowed to beg for money. If you see a monk begging, then it’s just someone trying to pass as a monk just to get your money.

* Whenever possible use the Wai – saluting with your hands together and bowing slightly – Thai people appreciate when foreigners show interest in their customs.

* Bring earplugs. Thailand is a noisy country, especially Khao San Road in Bangkok. Even though you will inevitably spend some nights partying, there will be other nights where you will just want to have some peace and a good night sleep.

And just for fun…

* It’s illegal to own a copy of the Movie The King and I. This movie is banned in Thailand (I wonder why?!)

* Try spelling this!… “KrungThepMahaNakhonAmonRattanakosinMahintharaAyutthayaMahadilokPhop NoppharatRatchathaniBuriromUdomRatchaniwetMahasathanAmonPhimanAwatan SathitSakkathattiyaWitsanuKamprasit” Finished?… That’s the real name of Bangkok. It’s the longest in the world. Phew!

About the Author

Norbert Figueroa is the author of this article and provides additional information about Backpacking and Independent Travel at GloboTreks.com. GloboTreks gives you all the insider tips on how to travel cheap and smart.

Dating Advice For Women: 5 Effective Tips That You Should Know About

Is dating something that you have decided to try? Before you start getting into the dating scene, here are a few dating advice for women that you should remember. Some women get so thrilled at just the thought of being asked out on a date that they often tend to go right into it without being equipped. This often leads to them making mistakes and ending up not having such a good time in their dates at all. Read these 5 dating advice for women before you go out on your date and prepare yourself.

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First thing on this list of dating advice for women is you need to do before you go out looking for a date is to ask yourself what kind of man you’re really looking for. Finding out just what kind of guy you like means you’ll spare yourself the time spent on a date with someone you don’t like. You won’t have to waste time getting irritated over dates that just don’t work out well because you’re just not attracted to your date when you could spend those precious moments trying to get to know someone you do find charming.
Second piece of dating advice for women, if the man who approaches you and asks you out for a date is someone who bothers you and someone with whom you don’t feel comfortable, don’t go out with him. What’s the point of going out on a date with a man who makes you feel awkward? Stop thinking that there will no more guys left who will want to ask you out. There will be. There’s no need to go through a bad date with someone you don’t like.
Another great dating advice for women is to just to be yourself. When on a date don’t forget to just loosen up and be who you are. If you don’t pretend to be someone you’re not you’re likely to give out a better impression. If in the end your relationship does end up working then starting it out with honesty is a good idea. A good relationship is something that is based on truth and honesty. Starting out with pretense will just give you more heartache.
Dating advice for women would be incomplete without this next advice. On a date be sure that you stop yourself from going on and on about the pessimism in the world. Keep in mind that you’re there to get to know someone better and also to give a chance to let that someone see that there’s more to you. If all your date gets from you is negativity then he’s not going to find you very attractive.
Finally, a last point on this list of dating advice for women, use your reasoning.  Learn to decide between the right kind of guy and the wrong kind. When on a date also try to use your judgment to determine whether things are going down the right path or not.

There are a lot of dating advice for women online. These are just some of the few but remember that the advice mentioned above will help you increase your chances in the dating scene. When on a date remember this one last dating advice for women and that is to make sure you have a wonderful time.

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Online dating advice for women

Online dating is becoming more and more popular these days and as a matter of fact, the facility of online dating has made it a lot more easier for attaining a good date for women. However, not all women succeed in attaining satisfying online dating. With the help of proper dating advice for women from men, anyone can attain a good dating experience online. Online dating is considered as the safest means of dating experience, however, one need to be careful to avoid the hidden dangers of online dating that may lead to date rape and abuse.

Dating is an art that includes sharing and submission of feelings. Online dating advice for women will allow them the ways to maintain a good insight about how to make friends online and how to start conversation with them. The internet dating advice for women will also offer them knowledge about the ways to check the validity of the men approaching towards them. On internet, you may create user profiles on popular social network chatting and dating websites such as Facebook, Talk, Twitter and many more. With the help of these facilities, you can make friends from all around the world. Once you familiarize yourself with the common platforms for chatting and dating with men, it will become easy for you to make friends with genuine people with whom you can enjoy having romantic dates online.

Internet is considered as the best place to meet men and to date with them. The best dating advice for women will let them earn knowledge about various behaviors of men on internet and how to filter the good men from the bad lot of men. With the proper online dating advice for women, a woman can learn how to accept and reject an online friends request and how to proceed with an accepted friendship. Often women find it difficult to decide whether the men they are dating with is seriously interested in them or is he just enjoying their presence for a little while without any thought of committing to a long term relationship. With proper dating advices for women from men, a woman will be in a position to assess her relation with her online friends on a closer and reasonable level. The experts offering the best online dating advices for women will let you know the right time when you can think of preceding your online relation to the levels of phone friends and when the right time comes, you may decide to opt for meeting your online date in real life. However, one need to remain very alert before deciding to accept a real life meeting without actually checking that your online friend has shared his true information on the user profile or is he a fraud.

With the help of genuine and expert dating advices for women any woman can get a chance to make a strong emotional and committed relationship online that will grow to establish itself as a real life never ending relationship.

Disqualified From The Dating Game: Part One

Article by Joe Mohs

With Valentine’s Day approaching, a lot of guys my age are planning special occasions for their wives or girlfriends, and I sure hope for their sake that they put a little more effort into this special day by avoiding the usual flowers and chocolates. Fortunately, for the many that come to this site on a regular basis to read thought-provoking material, I did not write this article to give romantic advice– at least not the kind from the latest issue of Seventeen.<!–more–> I would be the last person anyone would want to get dating tips from. How could I tell others what to do on a date when I have no idea what to even say to a girl I find attractive? It’s not like I’m a complete turn-off to women, either. From time to time I’ve been complemented on my looks, intelligence, talents, sense of humor, and especially my height, measuring at approximately 6’4″ since my days in middle school.

If this is the case, then why is it so difficult for a guy like me to find Miss Right? It’s because a “guy like me” has lived with autism all my life, and although I recovered over 23 years ago, I still haven’t taken the opportunity to date regularly. The reason for this annoying type of insecurity is because anyone diagnosed within the autism spectrum is almost guaranteed to lack in the most crucial, imperative ability that ultimately determines the success of a potential date or relationship: social interaction with peers.

Thanks to the expanding influence of autism treatment providers similar to the one I work for, children currently diagnosed with ASD have access to therapy programs which are customized to fit their specific developmental needs. This was not the case when I received treatment myself. Upon completing ABA treatment from UCLA and returning to my hometown, my parents were warned by Dr. Ivar Lovaas, founder of the cutting-edge behavioral approach, that I would still have deficiencies in social skills, most likely with anyone outside the family. The treatment program was still in its infancy when I entered it in 1987, shortly after the breakthrough study that indicated an approximate autism recovery rate of 50 percent in children, conducted by Dr. Lovaas and Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh. A rigorous schedule of 56 hours of work-intensive therapy per week enabled me to recognize and love my family and the bizarre ritualistic, repetitive behaviors I once practiced obsessively were replaced with those of a typical child, if not better. The autism community was astounded at how quickly my behavior transformed and developed in a matter of eight months.

Unfortunately however, at the time, therapy addressing social skills did not reflect the immense depth and detail covered in contemporary ABA programs. As a result, throughout my childhood and into my early adult years, I’ve learned a lot of social customs and taboos the hard way. With my difficult and often humiliating experiences in understanding relational chemistry came wisdom and self confidence, which now allows me to provide advice to those looking for that special someone. Both past experience and advice will be covered in the next two segments.

This article will be an extended three part series not only because of the subject’s relevance this time of year, but also because I have a lot to say about it, and to be honest, I feel a massive sense of relief while typing this. It feels very comfortable to share information with the public which I have mostly kept to myself until now. This is more than just another blog submission to me. It’s a confession.

About the Author

Joe Mohs is a determined and creative individual whose life can be defined as a success story. Having recovered from severe autism at the age of four, Joe shares a special history with the famed Dr. Doreen Granpeesheh, in which she personally treated Joe using ABA treatment at the UCLA where Joe recovered. Now, at 26, Joe holds a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Minnesota Duluth and is the founder and co-owner of Living Proof, an inspirational web organization dedicated to addressing that recovery from autism is possible, as well as any personal or family crisis. Joe has spoken publicly about his life before and after autism at a number of venues across his home state, Minnesota, and reunited with Dr. Granpeesheh in the summer of 2009 to catch up and receive advice about his future goals. Joe is currently writing a biographical book and adapting to his new home in sunny Tarzana, California, where Joe works as a Project Coordinator at an influential, nationwide ABA provider. His passions include music, art, history, film and video games.