Why Foreigners in Thailand Should Wear a Face Mask During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Wear a Face Mask During the COVID-19 Outbreak

There’s a controversy brewing here in Thailand. In a nutshell, Thais are becoming increasingly upset about farang (Caucasian foreigners) who refuse to wear a face mask during the COVID-19 outbreak. For Thais, the decision to wear a mask is easy. Thai culture (and that of most Asian cultures), places the good of society above the … Read more

PHOTO: Thailand’s Traditional King Ka-La Dance

Traditional King Ka-La Dance is performed during the Umbrella Festival in Bo Sang Village in northern Thailand

Decked out in spectacular fan-shaped costumes, a troupe of Thai dancers at the Bo Sang Umbrella Festival performed the traditional King Ka-La folk dance. Their mincing steps and fluttering arms so perfectly mimicked the movements of birds that I seriously thought they might take flight. Traditional dance is an important cultural art form in Thailand, … Read more

Bo Sang Umbrella Festival in Northern Thailand

Artist paints a giant handmade paper umbrella at the Bo Sang Umbrella Festival

Across Thailand, thousands of small craft villages dot the landscape. Each one specializes in the manufacture of a particular handicraft. Especially in northern Thailand, the choices seem endless. In tiny Ban Ton Pao in northern Thailand, everyone in the villages is involved in the production of handmade paper from Mulberry bark. In nearby Baan Tawai, … Read more