Thailand: Paradise or Not?

Finally, after nearly a year away...the return to Thailand.

"I see my path, but I don't know where it leads. Not knowing where I'm going is what inspires me to travel it." -Rosalia de Castro.

I am emotionally involved with Thailand. This love affair has lasted years, with my first visit in 2006. In 4 years, living and working in Southeast Asia has taken me to the most incredibly highs, yet I've also suffered the most painful lows.

At first glance, this country is near paradise perfect: pristine jungle, exotic wildlife, smiling and friendly locals, towering limestone cliffs, remote and isolated islands, emerald oceans with vibrant corals and reefs, mountains that seem neverending, temples full of life with incense and music, monks quietly blending into traffic, sweet and spicy curries, coconut concoctions, and a pace of life that feels 100 years behind what we're used to.





Scratch the surface though, and you'll find something more in us. I've had the glamourous job, the lifestyle of envy, but such is life that nothing is ever as perfect as it seems. Thailand has brought me heart-breaking failed relationships, near death experiences, moments of insanity questioning who I am and what purpose life in this world has. I've also borne witness to a country of suffering, human poverty and enslavement; a country in need that most tourists are blind to.

Most of what I know, the life lessons learned, I have learned here.

I have trekked for days in the mountains to remote villages, I have kayaked from island to island in search of the perfect squid, I have discovered a profound respect for the power of coconut milk and hot chilis to any dish, I have spent enough time in temples with monks to understand that within each of us lies enough compassion & love to end human suffering if only we would listen to our hearts more often.







I have also worked hard to rescue and rehabilitate animals enslaved to the tourism industry (elephants, bears, gibbons), I have fought against the wildlife trade, against poachers, violent and abusive pet owners. I've sweat blood and tears to build houses, bridges, temples and understanding between the wealthy and those in remote, poverty stricken villages. I have walked hand in hand with Burmese refugees, writing down the names of those lost in the war that is tearing Burma apart; the war that the rest of the world seems to be completely blind to. I have opened my heart and arms to sick babies, whose HIV & AIDS ridden mothers were too poor or sick to take care of anymore. I have battled to free women from the sex slave industry, and I have struggled to teach tourists that ping pong shows & prostitutes are only fuel to the fire in the trafficking of innocent women and children.

I have traveled the world, come and gone, lost focus, only to realize that this is my true home now. I have made the decision to stay, as long as there is meaningful work for me to continue, I will fight the good fight. I'm afraid though. My family is so far away, and it is inevitable that physical distance creates emotional distance too. But this life, is the only I have to live, and I pray they understand.

My heart is full here in Thailand. I have taken so much, and I have given back as much as I could in return. You can too... Next time you visit, volunteer.

Head to the Northern mountains and volunteer with community development organizations in the remote hill tribe communities. Work with organizations in the fight for wildlife conservation. Discover homestays and the hard labor-intensive lifestyle in a Muslim fishing village. Head to the border, and lend a hand in the fight against the Burmese Military Regime. Teach English, educate the youth about human trafficking and the dangers of neglecting your health. The possibilities are endless...

A list of organizations I have worked with to consider:

• Elephant Nature Park Foundation: Learn about the inhumane treatment of elephants trapped in the tourism industry. This sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates Asian elephants from Thailand and Burma. There is real need to get their Surin Project off the ground, travel to the quiet Eastern region tourists seldom ever visit.
• Khom Loy Development Foundation: Work with ethnic minority groups in Northern Thailand to find sustainable ways of dealing with social deprivation and poverty. Projects focus on agriculture, water/sanitation, education, and handicrafts/income generation.
• Mae Kok Foundation: Works strictly with children of minority ethnic groups, rescued from the human trafficking industry and rehabilitated from drug and opium addiction. (The website's a bit rough, but contact details are available in 'profile'.)
• Wild Animal Rescue Foundation: Southern Thailand, works closely with sea turtle projects, Gibbon and Macaque monkey rehabiliation projects, marine rescue, and local community outreach programs.
• Bring the Elephant Home: Antoinette was first inspired by the heart breaking reality of street begging elephants in the cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Now she has a foundation in the hopes of stimulating animal friendly eco-tourism and getting elephants off the streets and into sanctuaries.
• Lanna Dog Rescue: Rescue and rehabilitate street dogs in and around the city of Chiang Mai.
• Baan Unrak: Sangklaburi is a remote village on the Burmese border. A Neo-humanist foundation supported orphanage, with a focus on children and mothers in need of rescue from the sex slave industry, the war in Burma and human trafficking.
• DEPDC Development and Education Programme for Daughters and Communities: Fight against child prostitution in Northern Thailand.
• Burma Volunteer Program: teach English and report writing & documentation of human rights abuses in Burma today. Fight for a democratic and free Burma.
• Thai Red Cross Society: Volunteer for medical and healthcare services, disaster relief support, and community programs.
• Ko Yao Children's Community Center: Volunteer and live within Muslim fishing villages on the quiet island of Koh Yao Noi. Teach at local schools and promote environmental awareness, study with organic farming and sustainable fishing projects.

This is just a small sample of what's available out there...be inspired to be the change.


For more information about the war in Burma, please visit friends at Burma Matters Now...

Elephant Nature Park teaches local children about elephants & conservation...