41. Even though he was the 13th Prime Minister of Thailand, M.R. Kukrit Pramoj is more famous for his artistic skills; not only was he an established writer, he also wrote the legendary novel 'The Four Reigns', was once named 'National Artist' for literature and even founded The Siam Rath newspaper. On top of all that, M.R. Kukrit, 12 years prior to becoming the Prime Minister, played the part of the 'Prime Minister of Thailand' alongside Marlon Brando in the movie 'The Ugly American'.

42. After the revolution of 1932 and the overthrow of absolute monarchy, the monarch of that era King Rama VII abdicated and moved to England. For the last three years of his life in England prior to his death in 1941, King Rama VII a fervent gardener, was glad to spend his time happily helping other neighbours with their gardening duties.

43. The Thai greeting Sawatdee (or Sawasdee) is derived from the Sanskrit - Svasti. Svasti, meaning 'well-being' is called in English 'Swastika'. The word Sawatdee is Hindu in origin.

44. In the late 17th century, the country's most powerful man second only to the king (King Narai) was a Greek.Constantine Phaulkon was Thailand's Foreign Minister and played the part of Prime Minister.

45. Thailand's national anthem was composed by a German, Peter Feit.

46.Roundabout July 22’ Ask any Bangkokian to the origins of the name of this well-known roundabout and there is a big chance that he won't have a clue. It was in fact, named after the date in which Thailand entered World War I and declared war against Germany and Austria-Hungary - in 1917.

47. Thai soldiers were killed in World War I. It is claimed that Thailand's nurses were the only women to have served in the trenches of the Western Front. In January 1920, Thailand became a founding member of The League of Nations.

48. There's a square near Harvard Square dedicated to the King's Honor. It is the only such square in the United States that honors a foreign monarch.

49. Before The King married Queen Sirikit, it was decided that HM too, in accordance to official procedures, had to sign a register stating his actual 'occupation'! At first some government officials wished that his occuption be listed as 'King' but others wanted simply 'Government Official'. After a long debate, it was decided that HM's occupation be described as 'Ruler of the Country'.

50. As you will probably know, Thailand's white elephants have always been considered auspicious and used in numerous traditional ceremonies. One discontinued tradition however, is feeding white elephants from the bare breasts of young women.

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Read more 100 Things You Didn't Know about Thailand at ThailandQA Forums.

You know, my mum asked me to do something I really hate. She asked me to shave all my hair and eye browns off. She said I have to put on an orange robe and not wear any underwear too. Do you want to know why? She wanted me to become a novice monk for my great grandmother (on my father‘s side) who died recently.

My great grandmum died when she was 95 years old. My mum told me that she was a very kind person and my mum really loved her. I didn’t really know her that well because I only saw her when I was a baby and a couple of times when I was a kid.

Now, my great grandmum is in a temple and my parents and relations are preparing a funeral for her. The funeral will be going on for seven days. My parents and grandparents will have to go to the funeral every day. Really I have to be there to help them too but I am a bit busy with my work so I told them I can’t go every day. They seemed to be a bit angry with me when I told them that.

I went to the funeral on the second day. When I was there I saw that they were tired. My mum was sitting down at the table in the kitchen area with sweat all over her face and clothes. I saw that she was holding a big tray in her hands. She must have just come back from serving water to people at the funeral.

I walked into the kitchen to meet her and paid her my respect, but she didn’t say anything back to me. She must still be angry with me after I told her I won’t become a novice monk. At that time, I asked her “Why don’t you get Guy (my younger brother) to do it. Why me? Do I really have to do it?”. She replied back to my face that “Guy has already agreed to be a novice monk. What about you? Can’t you be a good great grandson like your brother?” Those words kept me quiet for a while. A few seconds later I asked her about why should I have to do it while Guy has agreed to do it already. She replied that it’s because I am the oldest great grandson in the family and really I must do it, not Guy. I told her my excuse that I was very busy. I had lots of work to do. But, really I just didn’t want to shave off my hair. It takes a long time for me to grow it long like it is, especially as I have curly hair. It takes a longer time to grow than other people.

I went to get a big tray from the kitchen and then I went to get bottles of water to put on it. It was quite heavy to carry around. Now I understood why my mum was sweaty. I went to serve the water to the guests. While I was serving, I saw my dad and other relations running around doing something. They looked very tired. There were a lot of people who came to the funeral but not many people there were helping. I was walking and serving all day. I didn’t even have time to eat. Then I knew why they wanted me to come to help every day.

I didn’t go to the funeral on the fourth and fifth day. I went there again on the sixth day in the late afternoon. My parents were running around. They looked like a ghost when I saw them. I quickly went to help. When the day finished, my uncle came up to me and told me that tomorrow is the last day and the busiest day so they need me to come to help.

The seventh and last day for the funeral. I went to the temple with my girlfriend. I asked her to come to help with the work. We were there quite early but not early enough to have a rest first. Tai went straight to help my mum in the kitchen while I went to park my motorbike. Then I went to help my dad set up the crematorium by putting some flowers on the steps. After we had finished setting up, I followed my dad to help the others prepare flowers made from thin pieces of wood or “Dok Mai Jan” in Thai.

A few hours passed. I was very tired and hungry so I went to have a rest with Tai at a noodle shop. When we came back, we heard monks chanting and I saw them next to the crematorium. Everybody was sitting down on a chair listening with their hands together at chest level. I knew then that it must nearly be time to cremate my great grandmum. Tai tapped me softly on my back and asked me to take a look at a group of novice monks or nehn in Thai. I looked at them and then I started to laugh when I saw my brother, Guy or nehn Guy I should say. He was the fattest novice monk in the group. Tai and I walked toward him to take a closer look, also teasing him.

The monks had finished chanting. I felt so much better because I don’t like to sit still without doing anything. The details of my great grandmum were read out on the microphone by one of my relations. While she was reading it, some people started to go up to the crematorium to put Dok Mai Jan under my great grandmum’s coffin. My aunt’s little daughter (about five years old) was standing by the stairs giving out a souvenir to everyone when they came down. I waited for a while until there were less people then I went up there with Tai. She asked me while we were walking up what she had to do when she got up there. I laughed at her question. She was a bit moody and said that she had never done it before. She said that this time was only the second time she had been to a funeral since she was born. I laughed again and then told her that what she needed to do is pray for great grandmum to go to the heaven and put the flower under the coffin when finished. We came down and got souvenirs from my cousin then I went to talk to nehn Guy while Tai was helping my aunt.

When most people had gone home and there were only close relatives of my great grandmother left around, it was a time to open the coffin to let everyone see her and say goodbye to her for the last time. I was about to go up the crematorium to see her but there were to many people there so I didn’t go at first. Tai said she wanted to take a look. She looked very excited maybe because she had never seen a dead body before so I went up there with her. I took her to the front of the people there, most of them were very sad. I paid respects to my great grandmum and took a last look at her then I went down to wait for Tai to come down. She came down with a shocked face. I couldn’t see any of her excited face anymore. I asked her what’s wrong? She replied with a quiet voice saying that she was scared of my great grandmother. I saw her eyes were watering and the tears were about to come out. She told me she will never go to a funeral again.

The coffin was closed and moved inside the crematorium by some people at the temple. Those people then lit the fire. I saw some smoke coming out from the top of the crematorium. My grandfather was walking up the steps with some of those wooden flowers in his hands. He walked to the fire and then put those flowers in the fire with tears in his eyes. Everyone in the family, including Tai, followed him up and did the same thing. Everyone tried not to cry because Thai people believe that if your tears drop on the dead person, you will make them worried and they will have to swim through your tears to reach heaven.

I felt terrible while I was standing and looking at the fire. I said to myself “I am sorry, great grandmum. I know that I am a terrible great grandson. I should have become a novice monk for you. I should have felt this earlier. Now I can’t really do anything about it. I can’t go back in time to change it. The only thing I can do for you now is pray and make merit for you to help you go to heaven. I shall keep doing that. I promise great grandmum.”

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This is the uncut version of Panrit's article that first appeared in his Gor's World column in the Bangkok Post when he was 16 years old. We will be posting his full versions every Sunday for him while he is still in prison. Read more about Gor at his website www.ThailandLife.com.

DON'TS:

Don’t bother paying for a room at a dingy guesthouse, just check into the local temple and stay for free.
Don’t bother having your breakfast and lunch at the market, all that’s free at the temple too!
Don’t bother getting yourself a pricey tourist visa, the 30 day freebie one on arrival will do.
Don’t, if you stay at the guesthouse, get a lonely boring room all to yourself, just ask for the dormitory.
Don’t even think of going to the cinema, you can watch a string of freebie movies at the guesthouse all for the price of a Pepsi.
Don’t go paying for pricey beers at a bar, get sloshed on the 37 baht big Beer Changs at 7-11 first before ‘going out’ and ordering ‘a bottle of water please’
Don’t, when on the islands take any of those darned pricey tuk-tuks, just walk everywhere, you could probably do with the exercise.
Don’t bother taking any of those pricey boat trips to nearby islands, just swim there yourself.
Don’t even think of eating at the guesthouse, the food on the street is twice as cheap and twice as good.
Don’t, when arriving at the airport take one of their Farang-priced taxis, just walk out on to the main road and get the bus.
Don’t bother giving the waitress a tip, she has to be taught that her 100 baht a day salary is more than enough to live on.
Don’t bother taking your dirty laundry to be washed outside, buy some detergent and wash it yourself.
Don’t even bother wasting your money searching the Net, just go ask for freebie advice from other travellers.
Don’t even think of giving money to a beggar, his agent probably has stacks more cash than you.
Don’t bother going for a massage, just do it yerself.

DOS:

Do go for one of those freebie tuk-tuk rides, you’ll only have to pop into the Indian tailor’s shop for ten minutes and say ‘No thank you belly much’.
Do forget about any pricey taxi ride, Bangkok’s little green buses are lots more fun at just four baht a go.
Do just ask for a ‘darned cold Pepsi’, you don’t need to be paying two baht for a glass of ice.
Do, as a Farang guy flirt with any lusty old divorcee with stacks-a-cash, you could end up on a freebie hoilday.
Do, if you get married to a Thai girl explain to her parents that ‘Paying a dowry is well… against my religion’
Do learn a few phrases of Thai, you will be wanting to pay the ‘Thai priced’ admission fees.
Do, as a guy, when you are at a bar, explain to the girls that buying them a coke is ‘bad for their teeth’
Do take the overnight buses everywhere, you don’t need to go wasting your money on a ‘crappy’ airplane ride.
Do, when wanting to buy a new shirt at Chatuchak ask around at 20 different stalls first, you will be wanting the best price going.
And finally, do, as a Farang girl, just flirt a bit with a bunch of the local guys, you don’t need to be buying your own beers!

Well this blog is for all of you right stingy Farang wanting to come to Thailand on the cheapo. Got the idea for this from the forums over there on www.ThailandQA.com our sister site that has had a stack of posts over the past six months reading to the likes of ‘Hey man how much money I need like, if I wanna go to Thailand?”

Here they go again, another new law to stop teenagers like us having our fun. The interior minister is bringing out a new law to stop people under 20 years old going in karaoke booths. They said that they are afraid about them doing something they shouldn’t do in the booth. Most people who are using it are teenagers. I believe it’s because they aren’t old enough to go to a real karaoke place so they come to a karaoke booth instead. I am sure that this news will be big for a while and then it will be gone like the wind. Believe me it has happened before. For example, not long ago they tried to stop teenagers under 18 years old going out after 10 o’clock at night time. It was big news for a while but then a few weeks later everyone forgot all about it and it has never showed up in the newspapers again.

This reminded me that once I did a project about age limits at Sriwittayapaknam school. I was about 11 years old back then and some laws shocked me. For example, I did not know before that you have to be older than 18 to buy cigarettes. I was surprised because I have bought cigarettes for my dad since I was about five years old. Also I remember another law that said you have to be 18 years old or older to join a snooker club. But my friends and I have been playing at snooker clubs since we were fourteen years old. No one seemed to care that we weren’t old enough to be there even when some policemen saw us there in our school uniform. One of my friends was even smoking in his school uniform near those policemen. They still didn‘t care. They didn’t even tell my friend to stop, they just kept playing their game. I was curious about that a lot since then. Even now it bothers me sometimes. Why didn’t they say or do anything to us? I am sure most shop owners care more about money than our ages. But what about the policemen?

I went to a karaoke bar the other week with my friends. It was my first time I had been to a real karaoke bar. This place is in the center of Paknam. I was so excited when my friend asked me to go there too. My friend comes here often. He said that we don’t need to worry about policemen at all because they never come to check here. We stayed there singing until about 2 a.m. then we caught a taxi back. After that time, we went back there often. Something like three or four times a week. I know we are not supposed to go there because we aren’t old enough. But if we don’t go to karaoke bars, night club, pubs, etc., where else can we go? Where can we have fun together? If you can remember when you were a teenager, you will understand how we feel.

I think instead of the government saying “what we can’t do”, they should maybe say “what we can do”. Also if they don’t want us to go to those adults places, they should find somewhere for us teenagers to hang out with friends at night. Somewhere like basketball court, football pitch, some youth clubs, etc. Adults keep stopping us doing this and that so there is nothing for teenagers like us to do. Now, do you think you can blame us? Give us something fun and exciting to do. I think this is a better way than stopping teenagers like us doing things. Teenagers like challenges and teenagers love to be with friends. We might do lots of crazy things in adult’s eyes but really we just want to find something fun to do with friends. I wish they would understand us.

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This is the uncut version of Panrit's article that first appeared in his Gor's World column in the Bangkok Post when he was 16 years old. We will be posting his full versions every Sunday for him while he is still in prison. Read more about Gor at his website www.ThailandLife.com.

31. Suvarnabhumi also holds the record for 'longest airport project in history!' First planning of the new Bangkok airport dates back to 1960.

32. The original name for the new airport, before it was changed to Suvarnbhumi, was 'Nong Ngoo Hao'. The name was changed as the original
1. Didn't have a very good meaning (superstition) and 2. No foreigner would ever be able to pronounce it properly!Say that again - Nong Ngoo Hao - what a tongue twister!

33. Thailand is the only country in the world where Scouting was directly founded by a monarch.

34. In 2005, Bumrungrad Hospital treated 400,000 foreign patients—the highest of any hospital in the world—from more than 150 countries.

35. Just one kilometre north of Ko Tao is the beautiful island of Ko Nang Yuan, the only place in the world where three islands are joined together by a sandbar.

36. 'Victory Monument' in Bangkok was built in 1941 by PM Phibulsongkran to celebrate a brief defeat of the French in Indochina the previous year. The name of the monument however, does not live up to much of a victory. Just four years later and with the defeat of the Japanese, Thailand was forced to hand, what it had won - back to the French!

37. Ancient City (Muang Boran), south of Bangkok, is billed as the largest open-air museum in the world.

38. In 1939 the country changed its name from Siam to Thailand. In 1945 the country changed its name from Thailand back to Siam. In 1949 the country changed its name again from Siam to Thailand. It is the only country in the world to change its name 3 times in 10 years.

39. Thailand is the largest producer of pineapples in the world.

40. In 1955, it supposedly snowed in Chiang Rai!

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Read more 100 Things You Didn't Know about Thailand at ThailandQA Forums.

DOS

Do hire a private detective for a few days; it could be money well spent.
Do get suspicious if you find names to the likes of ‘Ning’; ‘Nong’ and ‘Nat’ on his mobile, they could more than just friends.
Do cook for him and eat together; he would much appreciate and enjoy having a warm family.
Do show the upmost respect to his parents as they arent going to be too happy about you at first.
Do learn some Thai; you do want to verify from his friends his weekend seminars upcountry.
Do dress politely; your sexy tops will not be to his grandmum's liking.
Do do the housework he would very much prefer a wife that loves her new place.
Do try to stay at home as much as possible; he likes a family being together.
Do get up before him and cook his breakfast; he will love you for that.
Do put on sunblock when you go to the beach; he doesn’t want you looking like a country bumpkin.
Do stick food in his mouth at times; he loves to be pampered.
Do be of a similar age or younger than him; you don’t want him to get bored of you.
Do ask him about his hobbies and interests; he wants you to take an interest in him.
Do ask him if the relationship is going to be a serious one; you don’t need him to mess you around just for his fun of it.
Do, if you get married, register it; you will be wanting to sucker the scoundrel of his finances if he runs off with a new girl.

DON'TS:

Don’t drink too much and definitely don’t smoke; he wants you to look presentable.
Don’t even bothering arguing; he wants you to know who is boss.
Don’t get to too open-minded; he is still a little old-fashioned.
Don’t go out at nights; he prefers a girl that stays indoors.
Don’t get too possessive; you don’t need to irritate him too much.
Don’t marry the guy just cause he has loadsa cash, you may be one wife of many in the future.
Don’t talk about marriage straight off; you don’t need to frighten the poor guy about the finances involved.
Don’t try to outsmart him; he wants to feel that he is the one with the ‘leadership’ qualities.
Don’t go telling his parents about your past boyfriends; they want their son to marry a ‘nice innocent girl.
And finally don’t answer back if he tells you off for forgetting to wash his socks; he would prefer an obedient wife.

Well, i got the idea to write this blog actually from a Thai girl brought up in the States. So, i am writing the advice for all the Farang, Eurasian and Thai girls brought up abroad that are interested in dating a Thai guy in Thailand.
Contrary to rumour not all Thai guys cheat on their loved ones. Guys renowned for playing around with other girls are: police, soldiers and guys with stacks a cash!

This list is pretty genuine and I’m not joking, a few of my Thai friends helped me to write it up. As you will see from the list, the BIG differences in mentality between Thai guys and Farang girls. That is the reason why you seldom see a Thai guy with a farang girl unless he has studied or lived abroad.

The big day has come at last. The day I am going to have my own motorcycle. I rang my aunt to find out about the best day and time to buy a motorcycle. She said the monk told her that I could buy it any day but it has to be convenient for me, nothing else going on. He also said that it will be better for me to buy it in the morning not in the afternoon or evening. I was kind of curious about that but I was too lazy to bother about it. I thanked my aunt and then hung up the phone.

They next morning I said a short prayer to the spirit house in our front garden and then I went to buy the motorcycle with my dad. We were at the motorcycle shop at about 10 o’clock. The motorcycle I wanted is called “Wave 110”. It is a popular one, lots of people use it. It’s popular because it has a good price, not too expensive and not too cheap. Also you can do lots of things with it. You can make it more powerful, make it look more cool, make the sound louder etc. Also, this is the one most people use to race at night time! I have gone to watch them race a few times, it was real fun. But it wasn’t fun when the police came. We had to run away quickly. If they caught us, we would have to sit down in the police station until sunrise.

My dad checked the bike and he went out to ride it for a while. He came back and said it was OK, no problem or anything wrong. We paid the money to them and they gave me a free helmet and jacket. My dad went back to work while I went to fill up the petrol. Before he left he told me to make sure I put on the helmet. I asked him why I have to wear it, none of the police in Paknam are strict. He stared at me and said “Just wear it and don’t even think like that. One day you will know”.

The first time I stepped near my bike, I felt strange, very strange and very excited. Now my dream has come true. I got on my bike and rode it to the petrol station. When I rode it, I felt like I was flying in the air and the whole world is mine. I was really really really happy. Since I got my bike, it has been easier and more comfortable for everything. I use it to go to the post office, use it to pick up some girls, use it to ride around etc.

Oh yes, can you remember I said that the police are not strict about helmets around my city? Well, guess what happened to me the other day? I got stopped by a policeman by the market while I was taking one of my girls to her friend‘s house. He fined me 200 baht for not wearing a helmet. Now I have learned my lesson after I lost my 200 baht. Well, maybe not yet. Keep reading.

Nearly a month has now passed and lots of things have been going on since I bought the motorcycle. I was thinking that maybe I should change the name of this story to “The Monk was Right”. So far I have been stopped by policemen twice for not wearing a helmet. Also two of my friends borrowed my motorcycle and had an accident. Actually, two accidents in one week from two different friends. Then yesterday I hit a car while I was taking my girlfriend home. No-one was hurt but my motorcycle is a mess. I have taken it to the garage to be fixed. I hope it will be finished in time for Songkran because I want to go out on my bike with my girls. If I don’t have a motorcycle, I won’t be happy for sure.

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This is the uncut version of Panrit's article that first appeared in his Gor's World column in the Bangkok Post when he was 16 years old. We will be posting his full versions every Sunday for him while he is still in prison. Read more about Gor at his website www.ThailandLife.com.