Thailand

I have lived in the country and know its culture and politics well. I have written on the property market there both for Thai and UK magazines. I understand Buddhist traditions, have visited and photographed many of the temples, attended funerals, weddings and dedication ceremonies with Thai friends.

I consider myself an expert on Bangkok, a constantly changing city. I keep up with the changes by visiting it yearly. I know its hotels, its bars, its restaurants, its nightlife area and its sophisticated area. The famous Chao Phaya river that runs through it gives Bangkok its buzz and provides entertainment itself whether it's on the river or along its banks.

The islands of Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Chang and the southern area of Krabi are all places I visit during my trips to the country and I keep up with the changes that are happening so that my information is always up to date. What I am unsure about I can get checked out by my contacts on each island.

The resort areas of Hua Hin and Pattaya are where I base myself when in the country as both these towns/cities have good transport links and excellent accommodation. I would say I watched them grow from villages to towns to cities. I first visited Hua Hin in the early seventies when it had only one 4 star hotel and a few guest houses. Now it even has a Tesco! Pattaya was similar except that it had more hotels due to it being a popular place for r. & r. for the Americans on leave from the Vietnam war.

The northern provinces and towns like Pai, Mae Hong Song, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are on my regular visiting lists, and the National Parks of Thailand I try and visit every other year. It's not possible to do them all in one year.