Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [669]
wá·tá·ná·tam – culture
wát àh – forest monastery
wí·hhn – (wihan, viharn) any large hall in a Thai temple, usually open to laity; from Sanskrit term vihara, meaning ‘dwelling’
Yawi – traditional language of Malay parts of Java, Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, widely spoken in the most southern provinces of Thailand; the written form uses the classic Arabic script plus five additional letters
yài – big
yâhm – shoulder bag
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The Authors
CHINA WILLIAMS Coordinating Author Getting Started, Events Calendar, Itineraries, Thailand & You, The Culture, Arts, Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand (Lamphun Province), Directory, Transport, Glossary
For many years China hopped across the Pacific Ocean to work on Lonely Planet’s guidebooks to Bangkok. But a baby in 2007 segued her career from dusty backpack to dirty nappies. After a year’s ‘retirement’, China has resumed the twice annual pilgrimage with her son in tow. With each visit she falls in love with a different region of Thailand and for now her heart is pledged to Chiang Mai, a city that suits her post–flower child temperament. She first came to Thailand to teach English in Surin more than a decade ago. In between trips, China lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with her husband, Matt, and son, Felix.
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MARK BEALES Central Thailand
Mark moved to Thailand in 2004, leaving behind life as a journalist in England. Various jobs, including English teacher, TV presenter and freelance writer, have given him a chance to explore almost every part of the country. During his trips, Mark has swum with whale sharks, been bitten by leeches and watched gibbons threaten to invade his log cabin. When Mark isn’t on the road he teaches English near Bangkok and attempts to improve his Thai with help from his ever-patient wife, Bui.
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TIM BEWER Northeastern Thailand
While growing up, Tim didn’t travel much except for the obligatory pilgrimage to Disney World and an annual summer week at the lake. He’s spent most of his adult life making up for this, and has since visited over 50 countries, including most in Southeast Asia. After university he worked briefly as a legislative assistant before quitting Capitol life in 1994 to backpack around West Africa. It was during this trip that the idea of becoming a freelance travel writer and photographer was hatched, and he’s been at it ever since. This is his 11th book for Lonely Planet. During the half of the year that he isn’t shouldering a backpack somewhere for work or pleasure, he lives in Khon Kaen.
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LONELY PLANET AUTHORS
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Catherine Bodry Southeastern Thailand, Upper Southern Gulf
Catherine grew up in the Pacific Northwest and moved to Alaska in her early 20s, so it’s no surprise that frequent, extended tropical vacations were often in order. She first visited Thailand in 2004 as part of a round-the-world trip (which included only countries where the temperature stayed firmly above 30°C) and returned a year later to perfect her bargaining skills and eat as much curry as possible. This research trip marked Catherine’s third visit to the country, and