Working in Thailand

One Night in Bangkok?as the famous song goes, but there?s much more to this city, including fantastic culture, great value shopping, exciting entertainment and plenty of sights to point a camera at. With only a few days in the Thai capital, here are ten things you really must see or do.

Shopping
Whether you hot-foot it around Bangkok?s latest glitzy addition to its long list of shopping malls ? Siam Paragon, or you spend hours sifting through the bargains at Pratunam Market, shopaholics will not be disappointed with Bangkok?s offerings. Ranking as one of Asia?s top shopping hubs, it is no wonder that shopping is a favourite pastime of the Thais. With all of the main centres within walking distance of one another, you can start at Siam Discover Centre pass through Siam Square on your way to MBK, then hit your final destination, the World Trade Centre. The biggest problem will not be finding what you want it will be getting it back home.

Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew
The royal residence known as the Grand Palace sits adjacent to Thailand?s most famous temple complex, Wat Phra Kaew. Home of the Emerald Buddha statue, made of jade contrary to what the name suggests this is one of the most revered religious sites in Thailand and the location of many prestigious ceremonies. Make sure you wear appropriate clothing if you want to visit these must-see landmarks.

Wat Arun
You can catch a glimpse of this important Buddhist temple on the back of a 10 baht coin if you want a taste of what to expect. Nestled between Chinese-style pavilions on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, the highlight of Wat Arun is its Khmer-style tower. At the base of the tower is a sculpture of the Hindu god Indra and depictions of Chinese soldiers and animals, while the tower itself is intricately decorated with seashells and small pieces of porcelain. Once the home of the Emerald Buddha during the time of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, this temple remains one of the most important religious sites in the country.

Lumpini Park
Sit back and relax in the shade of palm trees or rent a peddle boat and explore the lake and its canals, Lumpini Park is a haven of tranquility, ideal for those in need of a rest from the urban jungle. Interesting features include the Thai Lanna and Chinese pavilions, while there is also a pretty Chinese-style clock tower. In addition to some impressive sculptures, there is a children?s play park and a new pavilion designed as a rest area. And if you miss the buzz of the city, the park is right in the heart.

Patpong
The go-go bars and wild nightlife often overshadows Patpong?s other offerings, of which there are plenty of the tame variety. People-watch from one of the caf?s, relax and listen to some live music, barter for some bargains at the night market or enjoy a tasty meal however, if it is trouble that you are looking for, you won?t need to walk farther than a couple of meters before being approached by a tout promising a menu of sexual delights. While this can be annoying, there is no denying that this is a novelty for many and the reasonable percentage of non-sleazy venues makes it a friendly, non-intimidating place to browse.

Chatuchak Market
If you want something specific but you?re not sure where to find it, this is the place. Chatuchak weekend market has vendors selling literally everything, from books to kittens. Busy all year round, expect to be pushed, shoved and pulled at as you wind your way through the narrow alleys. But don?t worry there are plenty of places to stop for a rest and eat some delicious, inexpensive food. It?s a good idea to decide on a landmark before you begin to explore as the size and crowds here make it easy to loose your hopping companions. A bargain lover?s hunting ground this is a shopping experience you will not want to miss.

Jim Thompson?s House
Thompson was responsible for rebuilding the Thai silk industry, for which he gained recognition as making an outstanding contribution to Thailand. Before his mysterious disappearance in 1967 on a vacation to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, Thompson built this impressive Thai-style teak house, which became the talk of the town. Now a museum, visitors can explore the building and gain insight into this colourful characters life.

Dreamworld
Not all stomach-churning rides, this popular adventure theme park has dozens of attractions including gardens, miniature replicas of seven wonders of the world, live shows and performances, a cable car and even a snow field where you can sling snow balls at your friends. A lively alternative to Bangkok?s traditional sightseeing attractions, the park is easily accessible by train, bus or car.

Khao San Road
If you don?t fancy staying in among hundreds of backpackers, this travellers? mecca is still worth a look, if just for its cheap pirate CDs. Renowned as a party street, things are unusually quiet until street vendors set up shop in the afternoon. By nightfall, the street is unrecognisable as it fills with throngs of youngsters dining, drinking and watching football. A great place to meet people and make friends, this is also the spot to get cheap travel deals to onward destinations.

Muay Thai Boxing
Only football inspires as much passion as boxing in Thailand, with the latter being considerably more violent. Even if you are a bit reluctant to spend your money on watching men sling punches and lethal kicks, it is surprising how the electric crowd can soon have you up there cheering with the rest of them. Fights are held almost nightly at Lumphini and Ratchadamnoen stadiums, with tickets sol in three tiers, depending on how close you want to be to the action.

Often in Bangkok Sue Mumford is a travel writer who rates this city. She specialises in online media and finding good websites to help her travels, she recommends
Online Bangkok nightlife guide
Sightseeing Bangkok travel guide

On March 9, Bulgarian Parliament allowed foreign citizens to buy land in Bulgaria. Now foreigners and foreign legal persons may acquire land, plots, forests, forest stock land tracks and agricultural land. This law also regards the adjoining land of apartments, flats, houses, etc. Now it can be bought as easily as the building itself.

Foreigners, who are not permanently resident in Bulgaria will be able to own land for a second home after the expiry of the terms set in Bulgaria's EU accession treaty.

Non-Bulgarian citizens will also be allowed to have forests and land in preserved areas, unless these areas are not exclusive state property. A buyer of a piece of land in Bulgaria should make sure whether the property he is about to buy is a part of a protected area or not, because if he buys a property in a protected area he will have to follow the rules for using a land in a protected area.

Citizens of the EU who want to buy agricultural land in Bulgaria for farming and/or agriculture in Bulgaria are also allowed to do so.

So far, foreign citizens who want to acquire land in Bulgaria had to establish a local company and buy the land on their company's behalf. This was a routine, legal procedure, used by the thousands foreign buyers of Bulgarian properties. Now, after joining the European Union, Bulgria harmonized this law with the EU legislation. And foreigners who want to have land in Bulgaria no longer have to settle a company to buy it. This made acquiring land from non-Bulgarian citizens a much easier and less expensive procedure.

Land and plots attract the attention of foreign investors. Their price has been continuously increasing in the last years. The new coming obstacle for those investors is the project “Natura 2000″ declaring a number of plots in different parts of Bulgaria as preserved nature areas. This is a new project for Bulgaria, triggering a number of debates and discussions and if somebody is about to buy a plot or agricultural land he should be sure that it's not a part of “Natura 2000″.

Penka Atanasova
Morada real estates Bulgaria
http://www.moradabg.com

Useful Thai Phrase: Learning how to express Can and Cannot in Thai

Dai means can and Mai dai means cannot.

To express that you can do something in Thai, you can use the word “Dai” which means, can. If you would like to express that you can't do something, simply negate the verb dai with “Mai”.

Dai krap/ka.Yes, I can.

Mai dai krap/ka.No, I can't

In Thailand, you would use the polite particle krap at the end of your sentence if you're male and ka if you're female. The purpose of using krap or ka is to make the sentence polite, much like Japanese's version of -masu.

Let's say you want to ask someone if he can speak Thai. How would you ask him in Thai?

Koon poot passa Thai dai mai?Can you speak Thai?

Koon is you, Poot means speak, and passa is langauge. Literally, the above sentence would mean “You speak language Thai can?”

Mai, before a verb = no / do notAfter a verb = question marker

As you have noticed, mai, when used before a verb, means no or do not. If it is used after a verb, it acts like the Japanese version of ka - a question marker.

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Posted on August 10, 2006

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RippaSama is a passionate Thai language lover who just can't stop learning Thai when he is on fire. If you want to read and learn more about his Thai language lessons and tips, you can visit (http://MyThaiSensei.com)

Copyright 2006 - RippaSama. You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author's name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.
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People may be quick to tell you that you have a dream job. They see the nice house you live in and the new car in your driveway. You can pay your bills every month, and you have money left over to take trips for vacations or go out and buy your fabulous flat screen television (latest model, of course!).

Yet, deep down, you know this isn't your dream job. It might have been so a few years ago, but now you may be feeling like that once-upon-a-time dream job has turned into a bit of a nightmare - and it's getting worse. Sure, it pays well, but, actually, you realize you hate your job. Time for something new and a change?

Look at these top eight reasons for a job change and see any fit your situation:

Challenge

Your days at the office could be long and boring, and you are lacking something to get excited about. Been there, done that. People need challenge to stay motivated and be productive otherwise, they'll drag their feet. Changing careers can put the spark back in loving your job.

Learning

You may be the type of person that enjoys learning and gets motivated about new things. If your job is boring and a routine that you know like the back of your hand, a change of jobs to something new could be a nice switch.

Happiness

If you are unhappy, you can feel it and it shows. Your family life might be suffering from bad moods that you bring home or needing time to unwind before being able to play with the kids. You are suffering and your happiness with life is taking a hit. A better job can turn your mood around and make you someone that's smiling - MUCH more.

Fulfillment

Many people enjoy jobs that leave them feeling a sense of accomplishment or having helped someone. Many jobs are ones that seem to have no purpose or effect on the world at large. Changing careers for a job that gives you a sense of fulfillment can help you feel like you make a difference.

Location

Commuting is rarely considered a good part of a job. Your time traveling to and fro is wasted time that accomplishes very little besides getting you from point A to point B. Also, commuting long distances or through heavy traffic can be wearing, tiring, and stressful. Changing jobs to have one closer to home may leave you feeling more relaxed and happy, as well as giving you more spare time to enjoy life.

Personality Fit

A job isn't just something we do. A job is part of WHO we are and should be a reflection of what we're good at. If your job is about aspects that don't fit your personality (like math or working in the public), then change it! The relief you'll feel at doing something you like better, is definitely worth it.

Personal Potential

Many people enjoy seeing just how much they can do or how far they can go in life. If you have always dreamed of being something more or playing a much bigger game bigger, staying boxed into a job that doesn't go anywhere can feel like a cage. A job switch can open up plenty of opportunities for growth.

Feeling Valued

There is nothing worse than feeling like you are just another number in the big scheme of things. We all like to be valued and feel important, but there are situations that can leave us feeling like a nameless worker that doesn't matter. A place of work that doesn't value you isn't the type of place you want to work.

Eight simple steps to consider when you are thinking about a change in your career direction. All very simple very logical. So, which of these will be your trigger your realization that you have opportunities to take and places to go. Only you can decide!

? 2007 “How To Land Your Dream Job”. You can have the job of your dreams. It takes application, attention and the information you need to get you there, young or old. There's all you need at Martin Haworth's website, http://www.howtolandyourdreamjob.com

Losing your job can be devastating. You have to deal with loss of income, colleagues, perks (e.g. a company car) plus wondering how you will manage ? when will you get another job, how will you cope financially etc. There is also the underlying feeling of rejection ? rejection from the job you have lost, plus more rejection each time you don?t get a job you have applied for.

The hardest part of job search is keeping up a positive attitude, and it?s imperative you do this!

The whole process of job search can make people feel depressed so you need to take good care of yourself. If you do become run down it can affect you mentally, physically, and socially. It can show itself in both body language and tone of voice. This will greatly reduce the likelihood of a successful interview.

Here are 8 key ways to stay positive during job search:

1. Look after your physical self Make sure you take good care of yourself physically. It is very easy to slip into unhealthy eating, drinking or smoking habits during a period of unemployment or stress. Take time for regular exercise which accelerates the pulse beat, simple, daily, relaxation exercises, healthy eating and drinking habits. They will benefit your whole person, reducing stress, enabling you to work more calmly and efficiently, and to perform better at interview.

2. Look after your mental health If you are not in work or if you have to do quite low level temporary work, look for ways to stimulate your intellect. You can catch up on your professional reading, write an article or learn a new skill. Could you update your technological skills?

3. Stay in contact with people Make sure you remain in contact with people. Just because you no longer work with your former colleagues you can still meet people. Perhaps others in a similar position or people who will let you know about possible future changes in the companies you want to work with.

4. Understand about rejection If you do get rejected, remember that rejection is just a short term set back. You are only being rejected for one job, not for every future possibility. We need to pick ourselves up and apply for the next job. Accept that rejection is part of the job search process. With every job advertisement, there is one winner and many people who receive the ?regret? letter. Perhaps you were a very close second but someone else?s experience was a closer match. We need to treat it more like an audition.

There are also reasons outside your control that may be the reason you are not getting short-listed

? Some recruitment agencies will place ads to get people on their books

? The job is already filled but the company policy is such that they have to go through the motions of an advert

? Organisational changes may mean there is no longer a need for the job to be filled

? Other candidates more closely match the employers requirements.

5. Focus on the progress you are making It is highly unlikely you will be offered the first job you go for, and we improve with each application and interview. Each time you go for an interview you are likely to improve in the way you come across and the belief in yourself.

6. Seek and use feedback Find out why you didn?t get the job. It is not always offered, but generally if you ask, the company will explain in what area you didn?t meet the criteria. Getting feedback isn?t enough. You also want to treat it as a learning opportunity and put your new found information into practice.

7. Keep busy You will want to spend at least 10 hours a week on job search, but fill your day with other activities as well. Perhaps you could take some time to do what you have never had the time to do when working full time, such as collecting your children from school, learning a new skill, becoming a volunteer.

8. Talk it through Discuss how you are feeling with a friend or job search coach. An outside perspective can help you to reassess your self and move forward.

Brought to you by Denise Taylor, Chartered Occupational Psychologist. Denise is a careers expert who specialises in helping individuals achieve career satisfaction and to take a systematic approach to job search. Do you need help with job search? Whether it?s CV preparation, interview practice, increasing your profile or self marketing, let Denise guide you though the maze so you get a job quicker, make more money & have fun while you do it. http://www.amazingpeople.co.uk

Milton Glaser

You may not know the name of Milton Glaser, but you probably knowat least one of his works of art ? the ?I 'Heart' NY? logo. Inhis book, Art is Work, Glaser provides these provocativedefinitions of work

1. Work that goes beyond its functional intention and moves us indeep and mysterious ways we call great work.

2. Work that is conceived and executed with elegance and rigourwe call good work.

3. Work that meets its intended need honestly and withoutpretence we call simply work.

4. Everything else, the sad and shoddy stuff of daily life, cancome under the heading of bad work.

I combine Glaser?s second and third distinctions to have justthree categories: Great Work, Good Work and Bad Work. (And by?Work?, I?m talking all of ?the stuff you do?. It?s not onlyabout what you do in the office, but what you do 24/7. Workincludes looking after your children, watching TV, preparingmeals, exercise, being with friends, being by yourself, and soon).

How do you know what?s what? Here?s my litmus test.

Great Work

Great Work brings with it both exhilaration and terror. You?redelighted when someone asks you what you do, and they havetrouble getting you to stop talking about it. You tap intoreserves of courage and chutzpah to get done what needs to bedone. You often have no idea how to do what needs to be done ?and are only a little fazed by that, because you are certain thatthis is truly what needs to be done.

Great work is a place where impact and effect trumps overefficiency and process. It is often a place of waste, becausecreativity needs waste to thrive. It is a place of inspiration,where suddenly all your past makes sense (?A-ha! That?s why Idid that, learned that, experienced that?). It is a place thathonors your skills, your passion and your experience.

Great Work is also a difficult place to be. The temptation to?downgrade? to the comfort of Good Work is constant. Your ?innercritic? is rampant, whispering ?Who are you to try this? Who doyou think you are to be this ambitious? Don?t you know you?redoomed to failure?? Great Work can also be elusive, because itcan degrade in a moment to be simply Good Work. To do Great Work,you must be ever vigilant.

Good Work

With Good Work, there is no shame attached. You?re doing workthat uses your skills, it gets stuff done, it may well pay you awage. It?s comfortable, because you know what you?re doing. Itis probably something of a routine or a habit.

So it?s not that you?re having a bad time. It?s just that whenyou?re asked by strangers what you do, sometimes it feels likeyou?re trying to convince yourself more than them that this isgreat. Good Work is often about ?being efficient?, without everasking the difficult question ?is this the right work to beefficient with?? (Peter Drucker says this: ?Efficiency is doingthings right effectiveness is doing the right things?). In ayear?s time, you won?t remember the Good Work you were doing ayear ago.

And as for Bad Work, the test is simple. It?s when you have thatsudden flash of realization and you ask yourself: Why exactly amI wasting my life with this?

Take action

Here?s a quick exercise. Draw a biggish circle on a piece ofpaper. Now, divide it into three segments that represent theproportion of each of these types of work in your life today.

How much Great Work are you doing? More than 80%? Less than20%?

In my experience, many of us are doing a fair amount of Good Work? but very little Great Work. The goal is to remove Bad Work fromour lives, and continually increase the amount of Great Work.

What would you have to say ?no? to, to double the amount of GreatWork in your life? What would you have to say ?yes? to, to halvethe amount of Bad Work in your life?

Resources for Great Work

Hmong are one of the hill tribes that live in Thailand. There are two major sub groups in Thailand namely the White and Blue. These people are found mainly in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. The Hmong have supposed to have migrated to Thailand from China and Laos. They settled in the hills of Thailand and carried out their traditional shift cultivation in relative peace and isolation. There are approximately 60,000 Hmong living in the northeast Thailand. In addition, there are another 50,000 living as refugees in Thailand. They came in small groups, crossing the Mekong River. Later they moved to the northern province of Phetchabun and joined their relatives in Ban Huay Nam Khao.

They live in houses that sit on earth not on stilts like other hill tribes. Their main occupation is cultivating opium poppy. After a government initiative, the Hmong have gradually changed their ways and have started to sell needlework, which is exquisitely designed.

The Hmong people are experts in needlework. They make clothes for themselves as well as sell them. Their clothes are decorated with rich embroidery work and silver. Each sub group has its own way of dressing. The Blue Hmong women wear rich embroidered clothes with attractive colors, while the White Hmong women wear black baggy pants and simple jackets. The Hmong men produce musical instruments and items of wood. They are also skilled as blacksmiths and gunsmiths.

The Hmong people are animists and are strong believers in spirits. The Hmong shamans perform many unknown rituals to invoke spirits.

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Santa Cruz Church, the church of the holy cross, was first built the reign of King Taksin, a legacy of Thai-Portuguese relations that date back to the 16th century.

Nestled among old houses on the river banks and newer buildings inland, the reddish dome of the old Catholic church is a prominent landmark on the Chao Phraya.

Descendants of the early Portuguese traders built the first Santa Cruz Church in 1770 after the fall of Ayutthaya. The Portuguese, the first Europeans in Thailand, arrived in Ayutthaya shortly after they captured Malacca in 1511.

As the area was also claimed by the Thai King, the Portuguese shrewdly dispatched an envoy to the court of Ayutthaya in the same year to reassure the Thais of Portuguese intentions.

In 1516, Portugal signed a treaty with Thailand to supply firearms and munitions. With the treaty came with the rights to reside, trade and practice their religion in Thailand. This brought the first Portuguese friars in 1567 who established the Catholic Church in Ayutthaya.

After the destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767, the Portuguese continued with their military support to King Taksin in his efforts to drive the Burmese out of Thailand. The supply of cannon and muskets contributed significantly to King Taksin's army.

In recognition of their services, King Taksin granted the Portuguese a plot of land to build a wooden church in an area called Kudi Jeen. Thus, the church is sometimes called Wat Kudi Jeen.

Over the next 65 years, the wooden church in Kudi Jeen fell into a state of disrepair. In 1835, Cardinal Pallegoix rebuilt and renamed the church, Santa Cruz Church meaning Holy Cross Church in English.

The present Santa Cruz Church was rebuilt again in 1913 and this structure has remained ever since.

The gate to the spacious courtyard is a short distance from the Santa Cruz Pier on the Chao Phraya. A crucifix is in one corner of the courtyard and a statue of Mary within a beautiful garden in the other.

Within a smaller courtyard, surrounded by a low wrought iron fence, stands the neat cream colored church trimmed in reddish-brown and topped by a domed belfry. The sidewalls of the church are decorated with stained glass etched with biblical images.

The church and the inner courtyard are closed on weekdays.To the rear of the church, away from the Chao Phraya, there's a little cemetery with nine tombstones encased in marble.

The well-kept church grounds are quiet on weekdays save for the rhythmic strains of children reciting their lessons in the Santa Cruz Convent nearby and the occasional passerby on the way to the pier.

Like an urban oasis with narrow sois (lanes) leading to the busy streets outside, the Santa Cruz Church is all that remains of Portuguese influence in Kudi Jeen today.

The Santa Cruz Church is part of the Bangkok Communities that make up the the rich cultural milieu of Bangkok.

Santa Cruz Church first appeared in Tour Bangkok Legacies, a travel site with a historical perspective of renowned places preserved for posterity and the legendary figures who left these legacies in the landscape of Bangkok. The author, Eric Lim, is a free-lance writer who lives in Bangkok Thailand.

For many visitors to Northern Thailand, a trip to visit one of the region's colourful hill tribes is a necessity. These minority groups have their photos splashed across tourist brochures and websites, adding to their appeal and intrigue. Some of the villages receive tour buses and trekking groups on a regular basis as the financial benefits outweigh any concerns over privacy.

The harsh reality of the situation is that most of these hill tribes have been marginalised and live in abject poverty. Few of them are officially recognised by the Thai authorities and they exist without any ID cards or rights. For the many tourists who are happy to get a glimpse of their rural lifestyles, they are often completely unaware of the hardship and suffering they endure.

There are over half a dozen different tribes in the area, and they are all unique in their own way with different languages, dress and customs. Among the poorest of these tribes are the Akha and consequently, they receive special attention from charity workers, anthropologists and missionary groups. They are known to the Thais by the somewhat derogatory name Egor and are usually considered worthless peasants at the bottom of the social scale.

Their origins can be traced back over a century to Tibet, before they migrated to Burma, Laos and Thailand, along with other hill tribes. Over the last two decades, they have been continually persecuted by the military regime in Burma, forcing them to flee and settle in Thailand as refugees. They remain stateless despite having been here so long, and are often exploited by corrupt officials and drug barons in the area.

The Akhas use a Lolo-Burmese language, although it has never been written down, making it difficult to trace its history accurately. Any known history has been passed on by mouth over the generations. Civil rights groups have recently created a system to document their language.

There are over 300,000 Akhas living in Thailand with the majority of the villages located in the province of Chiang Rai. They are usually subsistence farmers who grow vegetables and rice on the mountainsides, and raise pigs and chickens. The men often work in surrounding rice and tobacco fields, starting early in the morning and continuing until the last light. They receive about 100 baht per day, which is considerably less than the national minimum wage.

Their villages are often in remote locations and can be difficult to reach, meaning that the Akhas seldom leave their immediate area. Running water is still not available to all of the tribes so women are sometimes charged with the task of filling up large containers from a nearby well several times a day. A few villages have been fortunate enough to be electrified resulting in a marked improvement in living conditions. Entire families live in a simple houses constructed from bamboo and grass.

Missionary groups operating in the area have also increased problems of a religious nature. Their assistance is often dependant on certain conditions as they try to convert the Akhas to Christianity. Their methods are controversial, although the missionaries would say that they can help to improve their living conditions and future opportunities.

Questionable practices such as removing children from their family homes to give them a more civilised upbringing, has led to much criticism. The religion of the Akha people is closely tied to animism, with a strong focus on honouring ancestors and their parents, and a belief in both good and bad spirits. The presence of certain Christian groups has led to an erosion of their unique and fascinating culture.

The lack of ID cards has not stopped some of the women abandoning their villages in search of work in the big cities. Many end up working in prostitution or poorly paid massage parlours. Unfortunately, the young men often suffer a worse fate as they became smugglers for powerful drug barons. During the government crackdown on drugs in 2003, over 2,000 people were killed, many of them Akha.

The future for the Akha hilltribe is hard to predict as tourism continues to thrive in the area and the Thai authorities overlook them. Their unique culture is slowly fading away as the tour groups traipse through the villages and disturb their normal lives.

Andrew Bond is a journalist and has visited many countries and particularly loves Thailand and its northern city Chiang Mai, his recommendations online are:
http://www.1stopchiangmai.com
http://www.1stopthailand.com

With origins in Thailand, Muay Thai is a popular sport in many Eastern countries. Surprisingly, it began as a martial art known as Krabi Krabong (a Siamese martial art) in which weapons were used. This is quite unique, considering that in modern Muay Thai, weapons are not used at all. Krabi Krabong students will, however, use similar hand to hand combat techniques after they or their opponents have lost their weapons. This can be considered the true origins of Muay Thai.

Of course, with all martial arts, time and different generations have an effect on a particular art and it will often evolve or change with the world around them. Krabi Krabong soon morphed into the ancient Muay Boran, a martial art very close to the Muay Thai as it is known today. Again, with time, Muay Boran evolved yet again and was divided into four different art forms for different regions North, Northeast, Center Region and South and were called Muay ThaSao, Korat, Lobburee, and Chaiya.

Each of these different forms placed emphasis on a particular philosophy or technique the Center region (Muay Lobburee) took intelligent and quick movements to heart while the South (Muay Chaiya) preferred to emphasize a student's defense techniques and proper posture. The North (Muay ThaSao) placed much more importance on kicking speed and although each of these groupings symbolize and utilize different teachings, movements and philosophies, modern Muay Thai encompasses almost all of them as one.

Also in its roots, Muay Thai was considered a form of entertainment to be performed by players in the homes and kingdoms of Thailand royalty. The most famous of stories belonging to the history of Muay Thai involves a Master by the name of Nai Khanomtom. During a match with a Burmese martial artist, Nai Khanomtom performed his best for the king during that time King Mangra. He began the match by doing a strange war-like dance that bewildered and confused the Burmese opponent allowing Nai Khanomtom to defeat him fairly quickly.

Unfortunately, the mediator of the match decided that the dance diverted the Burmese fighter's concentration and the move was considered out of bounds and therefore did not count at all. King Mangra, however, was impressed and asked that Nai Khanomtom fight nine more Burmese opponents to prove himself. Of course, Nai Khanomtom fought and won against every single one of the Burmese opponents, impressing King Mangra and in turn, buying his own freedom.

Nai Khanomtom also received a National Boxer's Day (March 17th) in which his actions were to be remembered by the Thailand community. It is rare that a martial art would have such an enchanting history. It is a shame that Muay Thai is not more popular among other countries, however, it may quickly gain International popularity and recognition before too long. Although it is true that Muay Thai has had its hand in contributions to many martial arts that are, in fact, well known in other countries, such as kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts.

James Dunn owns and operates Martial Arts TutorVisit Muay Thai Lessons for more information about Muay Thai or MMA Lessons to learn about Mixed Martial Arts.