It's that time again to leave Myanmar on the 'visa run' to Thailand, this time not by air but overland. I get a front seat in a shared taxi with three local people who we pick up from their wooden house in the forest. It takes three hours through local roads and then a new highway to the border town of Myawaddy. A quick visit to the bank who very courteously tell me I need to change dollars into kyats into baht. I just ask for the final transaction and I'm on ...

Bangkok is famous for its nightlife and although this isn't my scene, I wandered through areas to have a glimpse into why its so popular with tourists. They have even coined an expression 'sexpat' to describe this type of tourist and you spot them everywhere. A favourite spot is called 'Soi Cowboy' - a narrow lane set amongst huge hotel and office blocks and which is the original 'red light' district. It is a place which many Amercians came to for R&R during...

I thought that I would be a tourist today and visit Jim Thompson's House, a big attraction in Bangkok. His house, or more specifically, his six linked houses are made in the style of traditional Thai village houses. Originally built in 1959, the area is now dwarfed by high rise buildings but it provides a little oasis in amongst the concrete jungle of the city. Jim Thompson was an American who settled in Thailand after WW2 and began to export silk garments to N...

I have no power from 4am this morning and so it is a cold bucket wash but I am looking forward to a hotel room tonight in Bangkok. It is a condition that foreigners working in Myanmar need to leave the country every 70 days. I also discovered yesterday that if anyone visits me here, then they officially would have to stay in a government registered hotel. I enjoy a very enjoyable chat with Murray, an Aussie married to a Thai woman and living in Bangkok - he is ...

I have a few days in Bangkok as my visa/work permit for Myanmar is processed. It's a city full of energy, colour and surprises. Here are a few of my first impressions during my week here in the city. Firstly the climate - it's about 36-37 degrees with a high humidity and so the sweat pours off me even though I am doing nothing. The air conditioning in hotels, restaurants and taxis is a welcome relief from the heat. The afternoon often brings strikes of lightnin...