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If you are a Thai person studying aboard in another country, could you write to me and tell me about your life there? Example: How do you live there? What is different from Thailand? How do you learn? How do you find a friend? What was difficult? Did you have culture shock? etc. Tell me if you want to add your ICQ number or e-mail address for other Thai students to contact you. I think this page will be useful for not only Thai students wanting to learn abroad, but others interested to see how Thai people manage to live without Tom Yum!

Please use the link to the right to send me your stories:

Every day I think about Thailand My name is Wisawa and my English name is David. I am male, currently living and studying in Australia. I have been here ever since I was 6 years old so that is a very long time. I am 18 now. This is my final year of high school and hopefully I can get into a good college to study further. I cant really speak Thai anymore but I can understand it. I came from Issan (North-east area of Thailand). I visited Thailand late last year and I love it very much. Every day I think about Thailand as I love my King. I dont mind Australia. People say that I am more Australian than Thai but I don't believe so. I can never ever forget where I came from. Even though I have been rasied up in an Australian Culture, I am still Thai no matter what. When I first arrived here in Australia I had a big culture shock. It took me a while to adjust and make new friends and learn another language. I was very fortunate to come to Australia because it is a very lucky country. In Thailand not very many opportunites exist for jobs today and the economy is on the down side. I love Australia as well but Thailand is where I came from. It is very depressing and makes me sad to see Thai people in a bad state. I was born near Udon Thani and over in that area things aren't so good so I can see how fortunate I am. I am going to Thailand again at the end of this year to visit family and check out Bangkok. Thank you! Thai - Aussie I can't deny my love for the people of Thailand Hey there my name is Ploy Swatdisuk. I was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia (that's about a few miles out of Washington D.C) I'm now 15 years old and experiencing all the joys of an American teen, even though my parents are both Thai. I go back to Thailand every year and I travel all over thailand. I've been to Lad Buri, Chang Mai, Puhket, and Phattaya beach, but Krung Trep ( Bangkok) is where my extened family lives. All of my life I have compared Thailand to America. My conclusion is that I prefer America. Now don't get me wrong, I'm very proud to be Thai but I can't say that I love Thailand. It's a wonderful place to vist but not to live (only my opinon). I could stand a couple of years of living there but I couldn't live my whole life there. Yes, the people are nice and wonderful but it seems to me that they aren't very open to change. The younger people I know are bright and wonderful people they accept me most of the time. It's the older people that get to me. Like when I wear my everyday clothes to Thailand I could see people staring at me and talking behind my back. It's just a tank top and shorts..... I speak thai and I understand it very well. I feel so alien there sometimes and I'm the odd one out. They call me an Eakan (it's suppose to mean typical dumb American or something). My family could never be able to imagine that I went out with a black guy for 2 years. They want me to settle with a nice Thai guy. People don't seem as open I think because they didn't get exposed to all the different types of people in the world. My school has a diversity of people from 86 different countries. The last things that upset me about Thailand is that it's also very polluted (I can't take the air), and there is corrpution in the government and the authorities. Yet even with all these faults, I can't deny my love for the people of thailand. At heart Thai people are good people. Life is always changing and Thai people are making great leaps ahead, whether it be changes in social or political life. Sometimes I do miss thailand though. It could be a paradise in the future for me.... I'll just have to see as I grow up. And to all my friends in Thailand, I'll see you next year.

Thailand is NOT perfect and there are so many things that need improvement re: "Visions for Thai education" Khun Tinya, I would like to commend your good intention for wanting to change things in Thailand. I used to romanticize changes and was idealistic like you when I was younger. However, after seeing how the system and the people's attitudes are back there, I think it would be very difficult and would take a very long long time for any real changes to happen. Apparently you are younger than me, that may explain why you are much more optimistic. You are right that despite many criticism, hardly anything is being done to create real change. I believe this is because there is just so much status quo and barriers there. Many people with good intentions either 1) give up or 2) get absorbed and become a part of the system themselves. We probably need a cultural revolution or something similarly radical to really overhaul the whole system and the way the country is run (by the elite few). Unfortunately that can't happen unless more people see WHAT'S WRONG with Thailand and some of the Thai attitudes and thinking. Many Thais don't see (or refuse to see) the many problems that Thailand has----just take a look at this page for an example, it's so full of patriots (agree with Ms. T, the graphic student here.) Read Khun Jaidee's post, and you will see how he thinks Thai education is the best. That's why I had to respond to that post. I understand that it's hard to see things clearly unless you try to separate yourself out and be more objective, looking at things from an outsider perspective. Ask any foreigners who have lived in Thailand and they probably can tell you many things that are run so badly and disfunctionally in our country, but it is interesting to see how the Thais, even those who are educated abroad have different (may I say distorted) views of things. You shouldn't feel hurt hearing farangs criticize our country because many times those comments are true. Please see them as constructive criticism. Most of the time because us Thais cannot admit that those facts are true, we can't improve or don't see the need to improve things. Like Ms. T (the graphic student) mentioned, many Thais have blind patriotism and are so blindly proud. I am not saying that we shouldn't be proud of our culture and heritage (I AM PROUD OF BEING Thai, AND OF OUR CULTURE AND HERITAGE!), but Thailand is NOT perfect and there are so many things that need improvement, even things that we should be ashamed of----like the way our country is run (so corruptly), and problems with human rights, education, poverty, and prostitution, just for some examples. Higher education, for example, is accessible only by the elite few, who mostly and unfortunately are comfortable with the status quo. Why not?--they are the ones who benefit from the ignorance and inequality of others. Many also do not necessarily know how to think for themselves. Like YOU said (I totally agree with you) "So far, we want to have "khon keng", but what kind of "keng"? We Thais mostly think in terms of titles - one won't get employed because of one's experience and skills, but because of one's certificates which is a mere sheet of paper. Unfortunately many "khon kengs" also don't know how to think in term of big picture or to apply their knowledge into practice. Even many folks who receive government scholarships and have opportunities to study abroad are that way, and they are the people who are supposed to go back and create "change" or improve things. I hate to say this because I know so many of these people and many are even my friends (although we have completely different views of things). Thailand is NOT perfect----Wake up people! It's hard to say this because then the patriots would get offended and they just hate your guts. But hey, that's the truth. All in all this is why I am working abroad, doing things in my own way to make the world a better place. Yes, I am one of those brain-drains---I have a doctorate degree and I definitely don't want to go back if I would have to become an idling intellectual OR an outcast in an idling society. Making a difference is probably an easier task out here than going back to fight with the system (and the people in it) and try to make Thailand a better place. Too much energy would probably be spent fighting with the system than to create any changes. I prefer to use my creativity and energy for a more positive and worthwhile cause----with real tangible results in the horizon. Like you, I consider myself a citizen of the world, so it doesn't really matter to me where I do my good deeds. Perhaps one day Thailand might be ready for a real change, and THEN may be I will go back to help out. Never say never... Good luck to you! I truly hope you would go and pave the way!! We definitely need more people like you. Regards, Bangyekan

Well, as far as I have read our friends's life in foreign country, I guess I'm not so much into being a patriot like the others. Actually I think I'm an outcast weirdo pessimistic one. What the hell, I get used to it. I'm 23 yr old. Now I'm Studying another BA for Graphic Designed in some new born arts school in US, LA State. I went to US last Dec. (2000). My decisio, my pick, not my money. How is my life here? I can't expalin it clearly, I just have been here for 8 months. If you plan to live abroad with your family or your relatives or someone you knew, that's fine, you got a lot of helping hands, no need to worry about finding the house or any problem. But I live alone. No no ! Don't think I'm in trouble or feeling lonely, I love being alone. Maybe because I can do anything I want without have to consider about other's feelings - I'm a very selfish person. Besides, no parent or my older relatives tell me what to do, COOL !!!!! This is heaven for someone like me. I live in the apartment, one of my Thai friends lives in this apartment too. I don't know what she thinks about me, but I think we don't click with each other. We never hang out together. Reason? It's long story and out of the topic so I will not write it in here. Besides the reason might offend those who love Thai so much, so I prefer to be silence. There is Thai town in LA, so if you study here and crave for Thai food or getting homesick (not me), you can go there. But.....living in LA, if you want to go to some place that isn't close enough that you can walk, you need a car. (not mine) LA is not so different from BKK, if you are not in the tourist attraction or in Beverly Hill. We have the same traffic jam and pollution here, but less than BKK. In summer (like right now, the temp is about 27 - but this is just the beginning, I dunno what's next in the future) But for another season, the weather is pleasaning, cool breeze mostly. Chilling in the morning, very cold in the night, and warm at noon (except in winter). So if you like cool/cold weather you will have 9 months of happy moment and 3 miserable months. Hint: vice versa for those who hate cold. In my school, we study in a small group. Because it's an (digital) Arts school, mostly you study stuff in computer lab. Of course, for those who know about studying abroad, we can sit on any chair and the chair doesn't have to be neatly arranged. (if any of you who read this in and knew Thai school have this kind of chair system, that's school Rock !) We have critique here, either after we done our project or before the school closes for vacation, some teachers may allow you to sit on table if you don't have a chair. The thing is when you critique or present your work, if you aren't good in eng or have an accent problem, you are in trouble. I don't have problem listening, I have problem talking. Plus, even when I'm in Thailand I've never been good at talking. I have a problem about communication by speech. That's why I didn't have so many friends here or even in Thailand, I am working on it. And as I told you before I mostly enjoy being alone. However, if you are in US, when you have any opinion, just say it. People will listen to you and you might have a friend who agree with that thing you said. It might be a little embarrassing if they ask you to repeat, but that's ok. Or if you are not sure about your Eng, sometimes you can be quiet. But I don't recommened that, at least you got to say something to excercise your english or it will be useless coming here. Some teachers will treat you like normal student and some will act nice specially with you as well. One of my typography teachers, one who acted specially nice asked me while we were in class, the questions like " Do you know Toy's Story?" I smiled, nodded. " Yes, I knew that". Ironically, with my nature I must be angry with her by now, but I used to read forum in mtvasia about racist, and I knew some people who say that kind of question sometimes they don't mean it. So I don't mind. Actually, she is the one I felt most comfortable asking questions at this time . And I used to have worst situation like this in Japan already so I chilled down. Like big cities around the world, LA is full of people from around the world already, mostly Latin, asian, american, europe. People here are mostly mind opened, there is a guy from Corolado. He said LA is so much different from where he lived back there. I partly agree about study in US is better than Thailand, because there are more factors than that. It's not about the country. It's up to the person whether he/she is studying hard or not. It's about luck, you might be lazy but somehow you manage to understand the lesson easily without studying hard. It's about how well you get connected with your teacher. You know the times we hate the teacher and then we don't like to study that subject, the next thing you know - your grade goes downhill. It's about how we like that subject. It's about technology, I think this is the good side about studying here - if your major has to deal with machine or high technology stuff. Even though how hard you studied but if you don't have a proper hand on experience how can we become good at it, isn' it? It's about each education institute's policy. And a whole nine yard. I didn't miss Thai that much (sorry for all the patriots if I say something to offen). I know Thailand has many good things like nature, some traditions, some culture, food, architecture, and so on. But we have to accept that we are not in a perfect country - someone has to do something with them. I lived in BKK, and when I think of Thailand, I got the picture of hot weather (I hate hot weather), traffic jam and pollution, trash and bad smell, politics, some freaking careless people (I have a shocking sad story from my friend about that). The things I miss in Thailand is my own bedroom. My bed here is almost set in the same corner, same direction like my bed in Thailand. One day I woke up and I had a flashback picture of my own bedroom in Thailand, then I realized that I was in US. That was sad because it makes me miss all the important things to me. Manga, I put all my mangas in my bedroom. Then I start to miss the ohayo shop in Central Ladprao and animation on Channe! ! l 9. That's all I miss. Ah'hem, I think I'm the first one who blab too much, right? So I will stop it now. Take care T

"When blood runs thicker than the time - or a story of an obstinate expatriot" Name: Tinya Sex: male Age: 27 (maybe the oldest in here...) Current occupation: M.A. student (Cultural Anthropology) at the University of Hamburg, Germany First of all, I am not typical. How should I be, being born in the States, having Thai parents but divorced, lived for some years in Thailand and then having grown up in Germany? Maybe I should call myself a world citizen. Where is my home? Unfortunately, I look like a Japanese... So what to do? I wandered through the worlds. In the first years I was rather American (as far as I know). Then, in Thailand I was Thai, went to the Kindergarten and the primary school. But just the first grade. Anyway, enough to read Thai books for children. Then my mum married a German and I was forced to move again. The first years were strange. On one hand I was treated like an exotic, especially my class-teacher made me so. On the other hand I was teased because I was like Chinese for the German. It did not remain without effect. After that I wanted to be German and to be integrated. So did my Mum. Because my stepfather didn't make any effort to learn Thai, we all spoke German. My Thai abilities remained at the simple level. On the opposite I went deeper into German culture than any other German does... The first step of change began 1994 as I was at my grandfather's house in Lamphun for one month. I discovered Thai life anew - the simple life in the countryside. After that my consciousness of being Thai grew bit by bit. Until I began studying in the university. At that time I wanted to get to know Thai students. It was something in my heart that told me so. After having got to know them (there were quite many now) I began a Thai resocialization. I improved my language skills (both speaking and reading/writing) and learned a lot about the country. I have chosen Thai studies as my side object and now have more Thai friends than German ones. I feel pride for Thailand - I am proud of being Thai with my blood. And it hurts me to hear someone (especially a farang) criticizing our country..... I cannot tell whether the way I am is a result of growing up in Germany – but doubtlessly I carry lots of German influences in me. The next year I will finish my Master degree. I plan to return to Thailand to work for some time before making my PhD. My future is imagined in Thailand. Or Southeast Asia in general, since I still need to see the world. But all the knowledge and creativity I want to dedicate to Thailand. My vision is Thailand to have a creative and responsible society managing to find solutions of its own without copying other countries. And my blood remains Thai and I want to see my blood reunited with our motherland. Tinya "Visions for Thai education" I want to express my deepest appreciation for the article of Mr. Bangyekan. Unfortunately, despite many who critcize Thai educational system, any attempts to change it is hardly done. Maybe we just sit and hope for the government to make that change... But it is the same like "hai phuyai tham hai" We would get to nowhere if these phuyai won't do. I think it is up to us to begin that change. Although it must be said that education in general has one basic dilemma: People of the past teach people to live in the future. I think is a matter of principle. What kind of society do we want to have? So far, we want to have "khon keng", but what kind of "keng"? But we Thais mostly think in terms of titles - one won't ge employed because of one's experience and skills, but because of one's certificates which is a mere sheet of paper. For a better educational system it is also misleading to copy those of other countries. For my example, the German educational system has its good features, but is also criticized by the Germas themselves for different reasons... I wanted to say that we must formulate what we consider as things children have to learn and find a way to achieve this. May all who have a viaion of a better Thai education (society building) unite and make this vision come true. Tinya

"Our Thai educational system consists mostly of passive learning" I would like to make a comment in response to Khun Jai Dee's comment on the U.S. vs. Thai education system. As someone who has been in both (I was raised in Bangkok and went to school there until I was 16 years old, then started school in the U.S. from 10th grade on through graduate study) I feel the biggest difference between the two systems is the encouragement for the students to think for themselves. Before I explain why I feel this way, l would like to first make a disclaimer that this may very well be changing now, since I am discussing from my own experience of 10 + years ago, although I still don't believe that it has changed all that much or completely. The Thai educational system unfortunately doesn't encourage active learning----to learn, to think for yourself, and to take a stance on a subject or topic. In our Thai culture, to question the wisdom of your teachers (or parents, or the elders) or rather to question any established, conventional wisdom that is being taught to you is seen as disrespect and arrogance. Not only Thai, but in many Asian cultures, in general, we value absolute obedience: children are to be seen but not heard, and good children are those who obey. Wisdom is also believed to come from age and seniority, as if being older always translates to experience and smart, like in the saying "Poo yai aab nam ron ma gon" or "the elders have been through hot water before." We know that sometimes it is not always true that the elders are wise and know best---that really depends on the person. Some people go through life and grow old without ever learning or experiencing much of anything. Nontheless, that's how we treat our children---discouraging their creativity, blundering their natural curiousity for learning and innovative desires to seek alternative truths (As we know there is NO such thing as an absolute truth; any so called "truth" changes with time and new information.) Our Thai educational system therefore consists mostly of passive learning: students study and memorize the passed along knowledge and theories. The extreme competition also makes students care mostly about making the grades, what's going to be on the exams, and not about the learning of the subjects for the sake of learning itself. The consequences of passive learning unfold in many aspects of our society. Are we surprised then that we don't have as many innovative scientists (or innovative anything) from our country vs. the west despite so many smart Thais who study abroad and so many PhDs walking around? We can't even solve our own problems, most of the time, and need to bring in the "experts" like the IMF to come into our home and solve the problems and the mess we created. And are we surprised that we rarely see originality, independence, intuition, leadership, and creativity v.s. conformity? Are we surprised that in the workplace, or any place, seniority is emphasized more than performance and productivity, which hinder our business, government, industry, and economy greatly? An ironic example is how, in attempts to modernize Thailand and improve our economic and social development, we have often blindly taken in western culture, technologies, and methodologies without evaluating its applicability within the context of our culture and society. Like the elder knows best, we think the West knows best. What can I say, it is sad. I only hope that the new generation, people like yourself, who seem to be smarts and have courage to be creative and different, will make our country different than how it has been. - "Bangyekan"

"I was lucky that I had support from other Thai friends" My name is Pusit Sompong. I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. I left Bangkok in 1994, came to a graduate school here in Minnesota, and graduated with a degree in Software Design in 1997. I got a job a few months later, and I've been working since then. I had a pretty hard time adapting and adjusting to a new environment during my first year in Minnesota. I got home sick, I didn't like the food, my English was not good enough, it was too cold, etc. I was lucky that I had support from other Thai friends who helped me go through all these issues and troubles I had. Things became better, and I liked Minnesota after all. The climate in Minnesota is rather extreme compared to the rest of the country. While as hot in the summer as Bangkok, the cold season can last as long as six months. We have lots of snow, and the temperature in January is colder than Alaska. People in Minnesota are very friendly and sometimes curious about different cultures in other countries. I met a few people who went to Thailand. They like our country, they love our culture, and some of them even revisited our country several times. Thai food is also a well known ethnic cuisine here in Minnesota. Most of the Thai restaurants here, however, don't provide authentic dishes. Since I can't find a good Thai restaurant, I often cook Thai dishes myself. I even cook for my American friends sometimes. I miss my family and Bangkok once in a while. But when I go to Bangkok, I begin to miss Minnesota. I guess it's because I have lived in Minnesota for many years, and Minnesota has eventually become my second home. My personal web page is http://www.gimonca.com/psompong Thanks, Pusit

"Before I came, the first thing that worried me was food" Name: Komsan Nakavid. Sex: male. Age: 14 Place of birth: Trang Thailand I live in a place called Kolsaas just outside Oslo which is the capital of Norway. In Norway there are approximately 4.5 million people. It is one of the smallest countries in Europe, but it has the longest border of all the European countries. So as you understand it is a long country and the northern part is above the arctic circle. Norway is rich in several things. It is one of the largest producers of oil in the world and one of the biggest fishing nations. I came to Norway two years ago because my mother married a man from Norway (my real father is Thai). After a lot of paper struggle with the Norwegian government I got the visa to come here too. When I walked down from the plane I was thinking that it cannot be as cold as mum had told me, and guess what, I looked at the thermometer and it was close to minus 7 Celsius and I started to freeze and thought "I will miss Thailand". After one month in Norway I found out that it was not a bad place at all. Before I came, the first thing that worried me was food. I was afraid that there would be no Thai food here but I was wrong. There are plenty of Asian shops with all sorts of food available, even fresh vegetables from Thailand. The second thing was the weather. When I came it was at the end of the winter season. Norway has four distinct different seasons like many other European countries. The summer is warm and you can swim in the sea, but the temperatures are not like in Thailand. I still think it is a bit of a cold place. The coldest temperature I have experienced so far is a bit below - 20 Celsius. The third thing was the Norwegian language. It is a bit more difficult than English. It has some words from both English and German but this is mixed with the old Northern European dialects. When I came here I was sent to a special International school not far away to learn the language and to be prepared to start in a normal Norwegian school. Last autumn I started in the Eighth grade which is the first year in Junior high school. My best friends so far are boys I met in the international school. They are from China and Kenya. At my new school I also have got many new friends, but still the three of us from the old school hang together very much. I am very happy that the people in Norway accept foreign people and culture in the same way as I accept them and their culture. When living in a foreign country you meet a new culture with new customs and many things are different. Of course you have to adjust yourself to the local customs, but that is not the same as forgetting what you have learned in your old country. The positive thing of free religion is one thing that all countries should respect. Teachers in Norway are very different from Thai teachers, they are very kind and they are really trying to help us learning the things we are supposed to learn in school. Here you also can have opinions different from the teachers and have free discussion about problems. The teachers respect that you can have a different opinion in many matters such as politics and how to solve a problem. That is what I really like about the schools in Norway. My hobbies are fishing in the sea and the fresh water lakes. When we have holidays we almost always have opportunity to fish. Because of the different seasons fishing is something you can do only in the spring, summer and early autumn. When it is winter there are other things to do such as skating, skiing and snowboarding. I tried snowboard the first time only a few weeks after I came here. In the beginning it was a scary experience but now I have a lot of fun using my snowboard. I also have another hobby which is model railroading. Together with my stepfather I am making a railroad that is a copy of a European place from 1970. We have named it "Small-town" and we can run 4 trains at the same time carrying cargo and passengers. We have made landscape and houses to make the scenery as correct as possible. Everything is controlled electrically so operation can run smoothly. I am also a Playstation maniac. Whenever there is time I play games alone or with my friends. Some of the games are really difficult but if you take time and use the internet you will always find your way out of the problem. I have been back to Thailand one time since I came here. That was last year at Songkhran. That was a strange experience I suddenly was feeling like being a tourist in my own country. The contrasts are so big. I am not missing the life in Thailand so far, but the rest of my family is still living there and many times I miss them. Luckily there is something named telephone and e-mail so when I miss them I can make a call or send mail, but it is not the same as talking face to face. Regards Komsan Nakavid komnak@yahoo.co.uk

"I guessed I differ from most Thai students studying abroad is that as my dad would sometimes say 'You're more English than you are Thai'!" Name: Sasithron Sangnoi. Gender: Female Age: 18 years old ( will be 19 in August) Place of Study: University of Brighton, England. Subject: BSc Hons Product Design level 1 I am Thai but I have been living in England for most of my life. I moved here when I was about 8/9 years old, with my mum and brother. My mum married an English man, who I have grown to love and call him as my own father, though I use 'dad' instead. Remembering the first year of arriving to a new country and a city, Cambridge, not knowing any English except a few phrases that I have learned at school up to B.3. They were very basic ie. 'This is a cat, who sat on a mat', which were just not sufficient enough to communicate with my peers. However, the desire to make friends from both side of the language barrier helped my friends and I to overcome the lack of understanding, as we got by with the use of hand gestures and the aid of pictures for the first 4 months, if I remember it correctly. Thanks goodness for a natural child's love for drawing!! I remembered my mum having to sit in the class to translate what was being said by the teacher, that brings back funny memories of what my peers used to say during that period. They thought that my mum would be giving me answers to the questions that were being asked. It was only the language that I could not understand that stood in my way, as all of the mathematical ones, I could answer. I took extra hours English class after school until I left Primary school. It was at first strage that they never seem to have homework to take home, which differs from that of a Thai schooling system. Later on up the school years, I learned to appriciate that may be not having home work is sometimes a blessing. Being at University generates so much home work now, that when the load was lighter, may be it was better in the years passed. Four months after freshly arrived in England, my brother and I picked up the language and since then things got easier and harder at the same time, as we grew to teenagers. Throughout my school life, there were only my brother and I who were Thai nationals. However, schools which I attended were found to be diversed, as there were so many different nationalities within the school society which, along with the British culture, I learned many others at the same time. It was kind of strange that none of my friends would never seemed to understand the way I do things or how I would feel. Nevertheless, they were happy enough to be my friends and be there when they are needed. Having friends that perhaps did not completely understand the Thai culture never arises to be a problem. I was more wrapped and concerned with the process of having friends and making them, to ever think of reasons for a negative purpose which may be for a self distruction. I guessed I differ from most Thai students studying abroad is that as my dad would sometimes say 'You're more English than you are Thai'! I don't see this to be a negative deny of my own nationality, because I do not see it this way. I am proud to be Thai but after having grown up here, I see England as my home. When I do go to visit my relatives in Thailand, I see how it has changed. Sometimes seeing how people and the surroundings have changed really sadens me. Furthermore, the way Thailand is protrayed in the tourist industry, ie. the tourist industry in Pattaya. I am sure that you would also find it upsetting, if a total stranger started to describe your mother land in such a way which totally disgusts you and questions you of the pure and perfect picture which you have painted of the place. Almost three years ago, when I went back to Thailand, the sight of how people conducted themselves really upset me. Everything had been so commercialised and geared up for tourist purposes of the worst kind and the moral of which I was pround to be Thai seemed to be deteriating fast from the younger generations' conduct of themselves. It has been modernised with a wrong attitute and instead of picking up the good point from the western world, they chose the worst. I know that the morals with which we have all been brought up by our parents are good. Due to this reason that I am pround to call myself a Thai nationale. I am a easy eater, you could say. I have always been since I was younger, this is according to my mum. Sometimes, I miss Thai food as some ingredients we cannot get over here. I guessed I have survived! England has diffinately given me more freedom and holds more rights to be me than Thailand. I am able to express myself in a more diverse ways and manner than I could if I were in Thailand. It could be that when I woud go to visit my relatives, I am restricted due to my own safety, is the argument that my uncle would give in response of my request to venture out of the vicinity of the house! Sometimes, a girl just needs to go shopping by herself!!! If I were to ask him now, I would think he would have declined it still. I think the noticible culture shock would be their almost obcession with drinking tea! My dad drinks it so many time during the day that I refuse to make most of it for him. I never understood why they drink so much tea, as I have never liked it. Another thing is that as soon as you step off from the plane, it is necessary to put on a huge coat!!! The weather is not one to be considerd as being comparable to Thailand. It would be nice to have a Thai friend arround, as I miss not being able to speak the language. However, I am learning to read a Thai book at the moment, so that I would not forget what I have remembered and learned. I don't want to go back to Thailand without being able to talk to my cousins. Once I could not speak or reply to them because I could not remember how, that was embarassing!

"For me I think that the schools in Thailand are just as good as the schools here." Sawadee krab everyone. I am Jai Dee Thanhtanaya. I am a Thai student going to university in the USA. My home is Phuket Thailand. I'd like to tell you about my experiences growing up in the USA. If you have more questions you are welcome to e-mail me at jaideethanhtanaya@hotmail.com or better yet you can ICQ me at 104315445 I love making new friends :) In many ways life in the USA is very different from life at home in Thailand. Some of these differences are very good. Others are not. Myself I prefer Thailand. It is my home. I love it's people, it's culture, and it's beauty. But first let me tell you about some of the really exciting things about the USA. I think one nice thing is it's size! America is about 25 times the size of Thailand. It has beautiful deserts with strange creatures found nowhere else on earth! It has tropical places much like home. Still other places are covered in snow everyday of the year. Another interesting aspect of living in the USA is the diversity of cultures. There are those that are Chinese, Thai, negro, white, and Hispanic. All with their own cultures and religions. This makes the USA a good place to learn about art and people. The city I live in has Chinese, Vietnamese, white, negro, and hispanic. But there are no Thai that I know of. Another difference in culture here is the clothes. Many ask me if they should go to school or move to the USA. I cannot answer that. Each person must decide for themselves what is best. For me I think that the schools in Thailand are just as good as the schools here. Actually, I think the schools in Thailand are better because there is more emphesis on learning. There is also more discipline in the classroom. In the USA many many students hit or swear at the teachers. I do not think that is respectful of people that are trying to help us learn. So while it is true that Thai schools are strict it is better. We learn better which makes us better prepared for success.:) Some on Gor's page have said they feel lonely outside Thailand. That is a true problem because although there are many cultures to learn from here, there are also many prejudices. So sometimes it is hard to make friends. So that is something to think about. It is not easy being in a different country without friends. I hope I have built your curiosity for this interesting country USA. I also hope you realize what a beautiful treasure you have in Thailand. It is as a famous poet once said: Wherever on this earth I roam.There is no place I love like home. If you want to know more about my life in USA just e-mail me or ICQ me. Maybe we can be a good friend.:) - Jai Dee Thanhtanaya

"My heart tells me that I should be in Thailand" - Khanittha My life in America is pretty simple. I am 17 years old now and almost 18 really soon. I lived in America since I was six and went back to Thailand in the summer of 1994, 1996, 1999 and 2000. I go to school for 180 days in a year. I'm in 12th grade right now and my graduation date is June 5, 2001. Here in America is alright... you can have anything you want, but I don't have any Thai friends around here. Sometimes you get lonely. I would like to have a friend who shares a cultural background and likes in music and stuff. I want to be able to communicate in Thai as often as I can so I don't forget it. The 11 years I was here, I tried so hard not to forget the Thai language since I only finished 1st grade in Thailand. I can speak, read, and write Thai, but sometimes I don't understand it. I can't understand, for example, school lectures, hard words, ancient words, slangs, and so on. Um...in school I take Physics, English 12, Chemistry Advanced Placement, Chinese 5 Honors, Latin 1, Advanced Drawing, and Physical Education 12. (I hope I'm not boring you!!!) I drive a car to school, only had my license for a little over 1 year, since I was 16. During my freetime I like to go to the mall and shop. I also like to draw, listen to Thai music, and chat on the internet with Thai people. It's very good that a lot of Thai people know a lot of English and could understand me. I'm so proud of that. Next year, I will go to a university in Thailand. Many people questioned me why I want to study in Thailand when I can study here in America. I know I'm not like anyone else in Thailand who tries so hard to come to study in America. My answer to them is that I don't think colleges in Thailand are worse than any other colleges in the world. They are all equally the same. Wherever I choose to go, I still will get a good education. The place you should go is the place where your heart wants to go and be at. My heart tells me that I should be in Thailand and finally be able to live a life like any other Thai people. Thailand fascinates me a lot with all the nice and fun people. I have so many more best friends there than here. I think I have been here long enough and everytime I go back to Thailand I feel closer to it. Thailand has this special power inside me that I can't explain. One of my dreams is to celebrate the Loi Krathong holiday. I just want to dress in a Thai outfit and set afloat the krathong. I get everything I want here, but it doesn't make me happy much. It's only a short term happiness. I can't even get to Loi Krathong!!! Khanittha

Name: Utsana (Nancy) Promphanich Age: 18 turning 19 Gender: Female Country: Australia Studying/living in Sydney is very exciting yet freaky. You will find that there is a combination of feelings running around your poor, innocent, little head ^_^ I have been here for more than 10 years (sorry I cannot be specific) Not only do I learn the traditions and cultures of the "Australians" but also other cultures, beliefs and ideas. Like many countries (namely America, Japan, England, Switzerland...) Australia is a multicultural country, consisting of a variety of nations, hence differs in thoughts, ideas and understanding of a particular subject. I attend a girl school located in Liverpool (mai chai Football team na ka.. -_-') and just through studying there, I have learnt to become extremely competitive!! I used to be quite "up-myself" and arrogant =P but that all changed (well...perhaps slightly..) Not many Thai students can be found, which is quite sad. Through this, I have always wanted to gain some sort of recognition and fame to (I guess you can say..Promote) my country (Thailand). I am aware that nowadays Thailand is stepping into the "Cyber World" and is becoming more and more internationally well known. Along with this in mind, I have created an art piece titled "I carry Home within My Heart" to reflect my life as a Thai living in Australia. It does not contain deep and meaningful concepts like many of my friends ^_^, but it still got me somewhere. I am proud to present my work to the Australian society so that they will learn more about Thailand....I know what you're thinking -_-'...ha ha ha...I am a girl with high expectations and ambitions!! JUST LOVE IT! ^.^ I will not go into more detail, but before I end I would like to say to other Thai students out there (yes..YOU reading this right now ^_^) that "..be proud to be Thai, don't bother listening to others' comments that only suggest negativity to your life... ACCEPT..... REJECT... or.... FORGET <---- three words which we all use in our everyday life (My little philosophy is simple but extremely powerful!! ^_^ ) CHEERS!!! Utsana

Golf Website Komsan Nakavid. I came to Norway two years ago because my mother married a man from Norway (my real father is Thai). After a lot of paper struggle with the Norwegian government I got the visa to come here too. When I walked down from the plane I was thinking that it cannot be as cold as mum had told me, and guess what, I looked at the thermometer and it was close to minus 7 Celsius and I started to freeze and thought "I will miss Thailand". After one month in Norway I found out that it was not a bad place at all. Woody Woody Utrapiromsuk - My name is Woody Utrapiromsuk and like you I am from Thailand, more specifically from Bangkok. I am 20 years of age and have been living here in America for 13 years now. I'm currently studying Biology in a University located in Washington (not Washington D.C). I'm working very hard towards my pre-medical requirement and plan to attend medical school at the University of California San Francisco. I find it interesting being Thai at my University because from what I know I'm the only "Khon Thai" on campus! The only time I use the Thai language is when I call my parents at home. I find that most of the time my thoughts drift towards going to visit my cousins and other relatives in Thailand, truly I believe Thailand to be one of the most wonderful places in the world. LINKS: Thai Student Associations Thai Universities Chat Rooms in Thailand Online Games   Please write to webmaster@thailandlife.com to add your own story. Thank you very much to everyone for your help! That will help me a lot on this web site (^_^)...

Kratae 46104505 Suphitcha Changmani (see picture). She saw my homepage and wrote a letter to me. Before, she lived in Thailand but now she lives in Virginia, America. She has gone to learn there with her family. Her nickname is "Kratae" but I usually call her "Tae" because it is easier and now she has a new nickname, "Mushroom Supizza". She told me that her teacher in America calls her that. She is 14 years old. Tant 54103029 Usana Usanachitt (Tant) - 16 years old exchange student (2000 - 2001) in Utah, America. More....>