This is a good and compelling question. Just speaking from personal experience, I would not up and move to another country unless I had a job and a place to live already lined up first. Doing so seems to be such a risk. If you have room and board set up, and then some time to look for a job under se...

I have experienced culture shock, and even worse, I have experienced really bad home sickness. Leaving behind friends and relatives to go to a new country was the hardest thing for me to endure. Plus, you have to figure out everything that was commonplace to you all over again, such as where to do l...

I think that the comments here regarding the U.S. are very interesting. The way the media works in the U.S., as opposed to how it works in Thailand, is pretty over the top, and it encourages sensationalism and over-reaction among the people. A lot of this is a news strategy to increase advertising a...

The night life, the food, the culture, the music, the people--all of these are reasons to travel to Thailand in order to soak up and absorb a unique and amazing culture. Once you have experienced this place, it is an addictive sensation, and you will always want to go back.

The fruit markets all over Asia are amazing. How you can eat Durian is beyond me, and I commend you for it, but the smell of it alone makes me want to retch. I am American, and so I have seen and eaten fruits in Asia that I do not even know the name of, and I have found many delicious surprises at f...

I generally try to be very careful and pick my battles cautiously when it comes to getting into religious discussions. I am always respectful of others' belief systems, but I have an aversion of being preached to, judged, or condescended based upon someone else's religious inclinations or procliviti...

This post was very informative--I am not much of a shopper, but this forum has provided me with a lot of options for acquiring attire. I think that with any consumer products one has to shop around and really look for bargains, but this is true in any country or in any market, if you ask me. There a...

I am a freelance writer, and I came across this forum from another forum group that I write for, and it suggested this as a site I would be qualified to submit content for and to learn from.

My grandmother always said, when someone is being rude or awful to you, to always "consider the source". Don't take it personal because, obviously the rude person has the issue and not you. Walk away if possible and do not engage the negative energy. If you have to be there, and you are st...

I agree with a lot of the advice offered here, and staying out of dark alleys and lonely places is good advice for anyone travelling anywhere. Westerners abroad can definitely be targets, and we tend to "stand out". You have to be "street smart" wherever you go, and trust your in...