Thailand is surrounded by dubious neighbors and autocracies: this is how grim the region is in 2026.
Thailand borders four countries where human rights, press freedom, and democracy are under severe pressure. Myanmar is waging a bloody civil war, Cambodia is hardening under a dynastic autocracy, Laos remains a closed one-party state, and Malaysia is abandoning its reform promises. Five years after the coup in Naypyidaw and three years after the transfer of power in Phnom Penh, the balance looks bleaker than ever. And Thailand itself is becoming increasingly entangled with the problems of its neighbors.
Why does she always get the blame? On money-grubbers, generous farangs, and shared responsibility
In Thailand, Thai women are often branded as money-grubbers, while their Western partners foot the bill themselves. This is evident from practices in Isaan and Pattaya as well as from academic research into Thai-Western marriages. It is time to take an honest look at who actually gives, why, and what role the farang himself plays in the dynamic he often denounces in retrospect.
The forgotten meaning of the white thread around your wrist after a Thai temple ceremony
Many travelers leave a Thai temple with a thin white thread around their wrist, knotted by a monk. For most tourists, it is a lucky bracelet or a vacation souvenir. But those who look further discover an ancient ritual centered on protection, blessings, and the recall of the soul.
Visiting Luang Pu Waen
Madame Tussaud in London made a wax figure of him. Every day dozens of people visited the famous monk. But had he really been high up in the sky on a cloud?
Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress are much more common among Thai sex workers than among the average Thai woman. Research from Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket, and Bangkok outlines a pattern of violence, stigma, and self-medication that spans years. The figures vary significantly by location and research group, but the direction is the same everywhere.
Many foreigners marrying in Thailand believe that an old-fashioned matchmaker is involved. In 2026, things are different. The classic mae sue has largely disappeared, while the thao kae, the older mediator who negotiates the dowry, is alive and well. He plays a decisive role, especially in the countryside and in Isaan.
The image of paid sex in Thailand is dominated by Walking Street and Soi Cowboy. Yet that is merely the upper echelon. By far the largest part of the market is served by Thai men themselves, in soapy salons, karaoke bars, and rural brothels that you, as a foreigner, rarely or never visit. A look at a sector that is many times larger in scale than the tourist circuit.
Lending money interest-free to your Thai in-laws: why a 'loan' almost always turns out to be a gift
An envelope on the kitchen table, a smile from your mother-in-law, and the words “no interest, you family.” This is how an interest-free family loan begins in countless Dutch-Thai households. What legally appears to be a loan turns out to be something different culturally. The amount is rarely repaid, the agreements are rarely put in writing, and Thai law offers less security than you might think.
Cannabis in Thailand: what is still allowed in 2026 and what is absolutely no longer allowed
Since June 26, 2025, recreational cannabis use has been prohibited in Thailand. The thousands of shops are still there, but anyone who buys without a Thai prescription, smokes in public, or takes anything home risks hefty fines, jail, or worse. What exactly has changed, and how can you handle this wisely as a Dutch or Belgian traveler in 2026?
One day too long in Thailand: what really happens at the border and when does an entry ban threaten?
Anyone in Thailand who goes one day past the stamp date risks a 500 baht fine under the law. In practice, officials at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang often turn a blind eye to overstays of less than 24 hours. This normally does not happen at land borders and smaller airports. An entry ban only comes into play after a 90-day overstay, or if you are arrested beforehand.
Why most bargirls come from Isaan
Anyone who talks to women in bars in Pattaya, Bangkok, or Phuket usually hears the same answer to the question of where they come from: Isaan. Often, a specific province follows, such as Udon Thani, Buriram, or Sisaket. That pattern is no coincidence, but the result of poverty, a matrilineal culture, and the lasting legacy of American air force bases from the 1960s.
International driving licence in Thailand and why insurers are massively rejecting claims after a scooter accident
An international driving licence offers you less protection in Thailand than you might think. It is not an additional authorization, but a translation of what you are already allowed to do at home. Anyone who gets on a rental scooter without a motorcycle licence is effectively riding uninsured. In the event of an accident, hospital costs can quickly run into tens of thousands of euros, and the travel insurer often simply rejects the claim.
Hundreds of thousands of Thai women work in the sex industry of Pattaya, Bangkok, and Phuket. Officially, they do not exist, because their work is illegal. When they stop around their fortieth birthday or even earlier, they fall into a gap of fifteen to twenty years without a pension, without benefits, and often without savings. What does that life look like?
Thai bunkhun turns family care into a lifelong moral duty and directly impacts relationships with Dutch and Belgian men. Money for parents, loyalty to family, and the inability to say no often stem not from greed, but from a deeply rooted social norm. Those who understand this recognize more quickly where loyalty turns into pressure.
Isaan is home to a third of all Thais, but for decades has contributed only about a tenth of the national GDP. The gap with Bangkok remains enormous, despite new roads, factories, and a high-speed rail line under construction. A combination of barren soil, a centralized political system, and a history of marginalization keeps the northeast trapped in poverty.
In Bangkok, Chiang Mai, or Phuket: the water leaving the treatment plant officially meets World Health Organization standards. What comes out of your tap is another story. Outdated pipes, poorly maintained rooftop water tanks, and local soil contamination make tap water unsafe to drink without treatment throughout virtually the entire country. What is the situation in each region, and what really helps?
Loneliness after the loss of your Thai partner
For Dutch and Belgian men who lose their Thai wives in Thailand, the grief is only the beginning. They mourn in two cultures at once, in a language that is not their own, and with their own families thousands of kilometers away. On top of that comes a pile of paperwork and legal decisions immediately, often at a time when clear thinking is impossible.
The Thai genre phleng phuea chiwit, or “music for life,” emerged from the student activism of the 1970s and grew into the soundtrack sound of ordinary Thais. The bands Caravan and Carabao built upon it for half a century, with songs about rice farmers, buffaloes, exploitation, and resistance. Today, their work still resonates, from protest rallies to village barbecues in Isaan.
This is how you determine the correct amount in the envelope for Thai weddings, ordinations, and funerals.
At a Thai wedding, ordination, or funeral, you do not give a gift, but money in an envelope. What is inside partly determines how you and your partner are perceived in the village or family. Too little means loss of face; too much turns you into a walking ATM. In this article, you will read which amounts are customary for each occasion in 2026 and which unwritten rules you had better not overlook.
Thai babies grow up between three generations: grandmother raises them, parents work far away.
In Thailand, hundreds of thousands of babies and toddlers do not grow up with their own parents, but with their grandparents. Their father and mother work in Bangkok, on Phuket, or in a factory near Samut Prakan. Three generations under one roof constitute the largest household type there, while over 400.000 families even function entirely without the middle generation.
From street stall to publicly traded tycoon: Thai entrepreneurs consult a fortune teller (mor du) or feng shui master (sin sae) en masse before making a major decision. It concerns timing, naming, location, and personnel. Prices range from 100 baht for a street consultation to tens of thousands of baht for a complete office audit. For you as a foreign partner, this is not folklore, but simply part of doing business in Thailand.
Literacy and Libraries in Ancient Siam
How was the literacy of the Siamese in ancient times? What do we know about that? Not very much I'm afraid, but let me try to say something about it. And something about libraries and a bibliophile monk.