With the ever-increasing popularity of massage therapy, it will not come as a surprise if most people who regularly go to a spa house to avail themselves of it don’t have sufficient knowledge regarding the massage type of their choice. This, perhaps, is a product of the fact that for most individuals, what matters is what the massage does to and for them.

While the aforementioned attitude is okay, no doubt a bit more knowledge always pays. If you are a fan of Thai massage, you might find the following facts interesting:

Thai massage is recognized as a branch of traditional Thai medicine.

Said to be founded by Dr. Jivaka Komarabhacca in the 5th century B.C., Thai massage is one of the three branches of traditional Thai medicine. The other two are meditation and nutritional healing.

It is regarded as a medical discipline by a lot of people.

This notion may have resulted from the fact that it is widely utilized as a form of treatment for various ailments. Another contributory factor is the fact that traditional Thai medicine or TTM is recognized, regulated, and monitored by the Thai government. However, although this is the case, it is important to note that there are a lot of non-medical practitioners of this TTM branch, especially in Western countries and nowadays when it has become more popular than ever.

It has its roots in Ayurvedic healing and Chinese medicine.

Most accounts detailing the birth of this branch of traditional Thai medicine support the theory that it is a combination of both Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. The first clue that points to this conclusion is that Dr. Komarabhacca was an Ayurvedic healer prior to founding Thai Massage. His travels led him to an appreciation of Chinese medicine, which – when he arrived at Thailand – he combined with his healing expertise to come up with what is now known as traditional Thai medicine.

The second, more obvious clue lies in the procedure employed by Thai massage practitioners. The sen lines – where the various massage techniques are focused on – are similar to the Ayurvedic/ yogic notion of nadis or energy centers. Others, though, find that these “lines” bear a semblance to the meridian/energy theory in Chinese ancient medicine; the only difference is that in the Thai concept, sen lines are not connected to the person’s internal organs.

There is a touch of Indian philosophy in Thai Massage.

Ayurvedic philosophy – particularly that pertaining to the concept of tridoshas – plays a crucial role in the success of a genuine Thai massage session. This is because determining the constitution or nature of the recipient – that is, whether he/she is vata, pitta, or kapha – precedes and dictates the type of yoga postures that will be used by the practitioner in order to induce a sense of balance in the person on whom the massage is being done. If the recipient is a pitta, for instance, the practitioner will assist him/her into a yoga position known as cobra; if he/she is a kapha, the plough position will be used instead; and if the person is a vata, the palming technique will be employed, with focus on the recipient’s shoulders.

Muay Thai is a great sport that not only helps you to be athletic, it also helps you learn how to protect yourself. The sport has also been shown to increase your self-confidence. For you to get the most from it, you need to train. Studies by experts show that plenty of people make plenty of mistakes that jeopardize their training success. Here are some of the common mistakes and how to go about it:

Not investing in the right training gear

Just like in any other sport, you can’t get much if you don’t wear the right outfit. There are plenty of Muay Thai gear in the market, but few are right for you. In addition to considering the size of the gear, you should also consider the quality. To be on the safe side ensure that the gear is of the highest quality. Muay Thai gear should include the following: headgear, stand-up shin guards, mouth guards, boxing gloves, and elbow pads. As rule of thumb avoid gear that is too cheap.

Failing to warm up

Remember that Muay Thai is like any other sport-you have to warm up before you get into it. One of the most effective ways of warming up is stretching. To be ready for the sport you should stretch until your body gets past its comfort zone. Many people make the mistake of getting directly into the sport which results in injuries.

Focusing on complex combinations

This is a common mistake made by beginners. While the combinations may look fancy, they often aren’t effective. They also tend to make you lose your concentration. Many beginners choose the combinations as they want to show off their skills, which is wrong. To be on the safe side you should focus on one or two combinations and master them. When you master them you will always concentrate on the sport and be able to easily knock out your competitors.

Breathing improperly

The way that you breathe has a great impact on how effective you are in the sport. Many beginners don’t know how to breathe properly. Most of them are tense and make short breaths. This often makes them tired thus ineffective in the sport. To be successful you should learn how to breathe properly. The best way of going about it is being calm and relaxed. This way you will be more comfortable thus take in as much air as possible. The more air you take in the more productive you are.

Conclusion

These are some of the common mistakes made by many Muay Thai enthusiasts. You should avoid making the mistakes and you will be on your way to stardom.

Recently, I set out across the globe to study Muay Thai in Thailand. There were many reasons for this journey. What had initially been a quest to increase my knowledge of Muay Thai in order to improve my curriculum at my Muay Thai gym in Salt Lake City, rapidly became much more than that.

In preparation for my trek, I began obsessively studying all there was to know about Thailand. I have not traveled abroad much, so I didn’t really know what I was looking for. I learned that Thailand is 95% Buddhist. In contrast, I hail from the state of Utah, where it often tomes feels as though you are surrounded my Mormons, member of the Mormon faith make up less than 50% of the local population. This intrigued me. I’m not exactly a religious man, but religion has always fascinated me. So much of our history is filled with conflicts, wars, murders, terrorist bombings and other outright despicable acts of violence, all in the name of religion.

I began reading everything I could about Buddhism, as it seemed logical to me that familiarity with the religion that is so prominent in an area would help better prepare me for visiting their country.

In my studies, I learned about the amazing Buddhist temples that are present in Thailand. One, in particular, caught my eye. It was the Big Buddha statue that sits atop a mountainside, overlooking the city of Phuket.

I also learned that Tiger Muay Thai, the gym I was traveling to train at organizes a run up to this monument once a week. I recent Facebook post about the run, reads as follows;

The Big Buddha run in Phuket, Thailand; You either love it or hate it, it’s either your best friend or your enemy, regardless of how you feel about it it’s a workout unlike any other.

Tiger Muay Thai offers the Big Buddha run every Tuesday, as part of its daily body fit classes. Guests meet in front of Tiger’s office and are transported to the base of Big Buddha to begin the journey. Big Buddha is one of Phuket’s most important and revered landmarks. It’s a large Buddha marble statue that sits on the highest point in Phuket. It’s a steep 4KM (2.5 mile) climb from the base of the hill, where we begin our Buddha run.

Each time you do it you will see new things. Elephants, monkeys, butterflies, birds, lizards, and more.

Along the way there are also spectacular viewpoints overlooking Phuket. It’s challenging mentally and physically. Come join us for a run/walk up the Big Buddha here at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand.

I came to the conclusion that I had to traverse that mountain and see Big Buddha up close.

I found some footage on line that showed the run up that mountain. It looked treacherous!

After a great deal of internal debate, I decided I would make this climb, but I would do it on my own. I had experienced my first Muay Thai class at Tiger Muay Thai. That was on a Friday. I decided I would make this trek on my own on Saturday. So much of this trip has become more about personal discovery than what it initially set out to be. I wanted to know if I could do it, and I wanted to do that by myself. I didn’t need anyone yelling at me, or pushing me… it was time for ME to push me.

I got up early, and set out for my climb. I asked the lady at the front desk what would be the best route to walk to Big Buddha. She laughed at me and said, ‘It may look very close, because it is so big. It is actually quite far, so let me call you a taxi.

In hindsight, I am very glad I took her up on that advice. The base of the mountain was 10 miles away from my hotel. My personal challenge was to climb that mountain, not go on a 10 mile hike, then climb that mountain.

Immediately upon arrival at the base, however, I was stunned at how steep the terrain was. There were places that were near vertical climbs.

My taxi driver estimated it would take me an hour to get to the top, and said he would pick me up then. I actually made it inn 35 minutes. A time I am quite proud of, given my age and condition. I would like to make that climb again after this training camp to see how much better I would do, but my knees were swollen for weeks after this climb. My next visit, I would take the taxi all the way to the top.

As was described in the Facebook post above, there were beautiful things to see, from lush green landscape, to elephants, monkeys, and other such indigenous wildlife. It was an amazing experience indeed, but all that was overshadowed by the beauty of the shrine itself. It is an amazing spectacle. Inside, there are many smaller Buddha’s and a temple, with living quarters for the Buddhist Monks. The view from the top of the mountain, offers an opportunity to see the ocean on both sides of the island, as well as the city of Patong. This is a must see for anyone visiting Phuket.

My legs were pretty much seized up by the time the taxi returned me to my hotel. I plopped down on the couch with a bag of ice on each knee, and began to mentally prepare myself for the rigors of the week to come. Two-a-day training session, one in the morning, and one in the afternoon was on my agenda. My entire body was sore from last week’s training session, and now my legs were trashed from the hike… what have I gotten myself into?

In the holistic community, the term Thai massage is referenced by many names. Some of those names include Ancient Thai massage and Yoga massage. In Thailand, Thai massage is referred to as Nuad Phaen Boran.

The focus of this kind of massage is to align the misaligned energies of the body. Contrary to European style massage, this massage stresses circulation and pressure points thus enhancing internal health as well as muscular flexibility. The main difference between Thai and Western massage is that Thai massage involves peripheral stimulation; i.e. it acts as an external source of stimulation to create specific internal effects inside the body.

In a traditional Thai type massage, the massage therapist will make use of their hands, elbows, knees, and feet to apply different pressures to the energy lines, also known as sen, along the body. These energy lines are considered the keys to a happy and healthy lifestyle. If an energy line becomes occluded, or blocked, the client can suffer a range of sicknesses that include chronic pain, disease, and potentially death.

In this kind of massage, there are about 72,000 energy lines inside the human body. However, there are ten (10) that take priority over the rest. Perfect harmony and health within the body can only be achieved by the freedom of energy that flows through all the energy lines.

This ancient massage is practiced on a firm mat on the floor in place of a massage table. The massage therapist will only use her body weight to apply various pressures to the energy lines. In this particular kind of massage, the client normally remains clothed with the exception of their feet.

The pressure applied in this massage varies with each massage therapist. Compared to the pressure used in Western massages, Thai massage may be harder on people than what they are accustomed to. This foreign massage can be too strenuous on the client. The last thing a client would want to do is tense up in order to guard himself against the pressure of the therapist’s strokes. This can damage the client’s muscles and cause unnecessary strain. For this massage to be effective, the client must fully relax and let the therapist freely manipulate the client’s extremities to promote blood and lymph flow and promote the removal of blocked energy lines.

Thai cuisine is famous for its intriguing delicacy and spiciness. However, Thai desserts have been overlooked. The three Thai desserts famous outside of Thailand are mango with sticky rice, deep-fried bananas and coconut ice cream. There is a broad tradition of desserts in Thailand over the centuries which offers many ideas and choices.

Thai desserts have long been with the Thai people, certainly back to the Sukhothai period (1238-1350). Thais had long traded with China and India, which helped in exchanging cultures and traditions as well, including food. In the Ayuthaya period (1350-1767), Thais started trading with Western countries. The Portuguese were the first westerners to introduce the use of eggs and the oven. Thai desserts like Thong Yip (Pinched Gold), Thong Yod (Drop of Gold) and Foi Thong (Golden Threads) originate from Portugal, not Thailand as most people would guess, including Thais.

Thai desserts are renowned for intricacy and elaborateness, their organization, and the punctilious and patient care with which they are created. Characteristic of Thai desserts is not only a range of sweetness, but also other elements such as a good fragrance, achieved starting delicately and exquisitely from the ingredient preparation to the final product. There are many methods to make Thai desserts, varying from steaming, baking, boiling, or deep frying, to complex processes like cooking egg yolks in syrup. The main ingredients for most Thai desserts include coconut milk, sugar, flour, eggs, salt, food coloring and fragrance.

To make high quality Thai desserts, fresh coconut is a must. Back in the old days, only fresh coconut was used in making Thai desserts. And at present, to make coconut milk, finely grated coconut meat is still steeped in warm water, not hot water. It is then squeezed until dry. The white fluid from the first press is called “Hua Ka Ti”. Warm water is then added again to make the second and third pressed coconut milk, which is called “Hang Ka Ti.” Finely grated coconut meat is generally used about 3 times and then discarded. Freshly pressed coconut milk has a better taste and aroma than commercial coconut milk in a can. However, with a fast pace of life, or the focus more on other elements of life, it becomes more common for a family to use commercial coconut milk.

Sugar is one of the main ingredients in Thai desserts. The two common sugars used in Thai desserts are Coconut Palm Sugar and Palm Sugar. Coconut palm sugar is made from coconut palm, whereas palm sugar is made from the sap of the sugar palm or palmyra palm, called Taan in Thai. Palm sugar is often used interchangeably with coconut palm sugar but they are different in many ways. For instance, palm sugar is dryer and more solid than coconut palm sugar. It is also more expensive than coconut palm sugar. In some dessert recipes, coconut palm sugar is often replaced with palm sugar. The replacement may lend the same general look to the dessert but the dessert will be different in taste and aroma.

Thai desserts are well known for their intriguing light tones. Generally the colors used to attract people are made from natural flowers or plants. The following are examples of the most common color sources used in Thai desserts:

• Pandanus leaf (Bai Toey): giving a dark green color;
• Spathe of coconut or palmyra palm leaf (Kab Ma Prao or Bai Taan) : giving a black color;
• Turmeric (Kha Min): giving a yellow color;
• Flower of Chitoria Tematea Linn (Dok Un Chun): giving a blue color (adding lime juice will give a purple color);
• Flower of Aeginetia Pedunculata (Dok Din): giving a black color (but the flower is actually a dark purple color);
• Saffron (Yah Fa Rang): giving a yellow-orangish color;
• Roselle (Kra Jiab): giving a dark red (maroon-like) color;
• Lac (Krang): giving a red color;

Fragrance is another unique characteristic of Thai desserts. There are many ways of making good aromas with Thai desserts but the most common ones are using jasmine flowers (Dok Ma Li), rosa damascene (Dok Ku Laab Mon – roses family), cananga odorata flowers (Dok Kra Dang Nga) as well as fragrant incense candles (Tien Ob). Since the old days, Thais love using jasmine water in desserts because of its aroma. Thais would pick jasmine flowers around 6pm and gently rinse with water so that the flowers do not get bruised. The jasmine flowers (Dok Ma Li) are then soaked in water with a closed lid, and left until around 6am-7am the next morning. The resulting scented water is then used to make the dessert. Keeping the jasmine flowers for more than 12 hours will start to bruise the flowers and the water will not have a good aroma. Rosa damascene (Dok Ku Laab Mon) is used in a different way. Thais only use the pedals. Each pedal is torn into 2 or 3 pieces and then placed in a closed container that has a dessert in it for a certain period of time, usually overnight. For cananga odorata flowers (Dok Kra Dang Nga), Thais first burn them with a fragrant incense candle, and then place only the pedals in a closed container that holds the dessert. For some desserts, burning fragrant incense candles next to desserts in closed containers will be enough to give the desserts an intricate aroma.

What are the common desserts that Thais eat? Thais loves desserts (called Khanom in Thai). The well known dessert is Mango with Sticky Rice, but it is a seasonal dessert, around April to June. Deep-fried banana fritters (Gluay Tod in Thai) or bananas in coconut milk (Gluay Buat Chee) are also well known desserts in Thai restaurants in the U.S. In Thailand, there are all kinds of desserts, both non-seasonal and seasonal, from deep-fried to steamed. Some of the most common Thai desserts include the egg-yolk desserts; Thong Yip (Pinched Gold), Thong Yod (Drop of Gold) and Foi Thong (Golden Threads). Thong simply means Gold. The color of these three desserts is a yellow-like golden color from the egg yolk, and is used to signify prosperity and auspiciousness. These “three musketeers” desserts are often used in wedding ceremonies or commemoration of a new house as well.

Khanom Chan or layered dessert is another common dessert. The name of the dessert comes from the fact that it has 9 layers with color variations. The dessert uses only 2 colors: white and a light tone of a color like green or purple. White is used in every other layer. This dessert is also used in important ceremonies like weddings or the grand opening of a new business. Thais believe the number “nine” is an auspicious number which represents progress and advancement.

One of my favorite desserts is Luk Choob. Made from mung dal beans, this dessert is a collection of miniature replicas of fruits and vegetables. The fruits and vegetables are colorful and glossy, artistically carved, and styled with vegetable dyes and glazed in the gelatin-like agaragar. Bua Loy Benjarong is another interesting dessert. Bua Loy Benjarong is gluten balls in coconut milk, a dish that has been with Thailand for over 200 years. The little balls, the size of the tip of the pinky, are made from sticky rice flour mixed with natural colors. Benjarong refers to 5 natural colors: green (from pandanus leaf), purple (from taro and Chitoria Tematea Linn flower), yellow (from pumpkin), blue (from Chitoria Tematea Linn flower) and white (from jasmine water).

Additionally, tapioca and black beans in coconut milk (Sakoo Tao Dum), coconut custard in a hollowed pumpkin (Sangkhaya Fak Thong), grilled coconut cakes (Paeng Jee), mung dal beans and lotus seeds with coconut topping (Tao Suan Med Bua) are desserts, to name a few, that are common in Thailand.

Thai desserts have always been a part of Thai culture. They reflect caring, patience and an enjoyable way of life. Unfortunately, as time passes, some of the traditions and beliefs are being forgotten in Thai society, although most kinds of desserts still exist. Their tempting and satisfying tastes leave a lasting impression – which is in turn an integral part of why Thai desserts have not been lost with time.

Thai dessert is often extremely sweet and is usually heavy opposed to light and airy. Coconut cream, sweet sticky rice, custard, and an array of fruit are popular characteristics. Here are a few of the most popular Thai dessert dishes.

Sticky Rice with Mango is one of the most famous and popular options. It is made with a combination of sweet sticky rice, a slice of very ripe yellow mango and topped off with a drizzle of sweet coconut cream. Sticky rice mango is common in Thailand and something that almost everyone loves!

Tong Yip, Tong Yord and Foi Tong, are three desserts that come hand in hand. The trio are all made from egg yolks and loads of sugar, but each are formed into different fun shapes. All three are often eaten together.

Coconut Rice Dumplings, known as Khanon Krok, are found all over Thailand. They are made with rice flour, sweetened with coconut and sometimes topped with a variety of toppings. The dumplings are then cooked like a pancake in a hot griddle.

Takoh is basically a heavy coconut cream custard. The custard is made with tapioca flour, plenty of coconut cream and sweetened with sugar. It is usually served in a banana leaf wrapper to hold it’s shape and gain firmness.

Mixed Ice Dessert, known as Nam Kang Sai, is a combination of jellies and candied fruits that are chosen in a bowl and then covered with crushed ice and a splash of sugary syrup or condensed milk. The result is a refreshing Thai dessert that’s great on a hot day!

The American Board of Prosthodontics is a certifying body that is a good way to identify a high class dentist Thailand could have. After passing from a dentist school a Thai prosthodontist is free to practice but some choose to study for an extra three years for post graduation and also get certified. This means that the dentist has passed a standard exam and has also undertaken prosthodontic training.

Prosthodontics is a very tricky subject. Usually anything to do with teeth could have a major impact on the looks and hence the personality of a person. Clinics related to dental Thailand has pay special attention to Thai prosthodontist to ensure they have the best ones especially those certified by the American board of prosthodontics. A Thai prosthodontist of this caliber and ability is capable of a variety of things like restoring teeth which have been damaged due to various reasons or replace the teeth that have been spoilt etc. with artificial fixes.

A Thai prosthodontist could be crucial in fixes for jaws, structuring them and fitting the right dentures. Though there are many a dentist Thailand has, specialized prosthodontists are in demand for making crowns and fixing facial deformities, sometimes caused by accidents, fights etc. Crowns and dentures go a long way in determining the structure of a person’s face. Many people in Thailand prefer to go to a Thai prosthodontist, to ensure that their teeth are not projecting outside the normal angle, looking odd and ugly and at the same time increasing the risk of them getting hurt due to their outward projection.

The American board of prosthodontics also advises dentists to ensure ethical treatment of patients that is free of bias and is based purely on the need of the patient. Many a dentist Thailand has go through this rigorous education and training and make diligent effort in passing the exam to be certified by the American board of prosthodontics to get more trust from the patients who are looking for a good Thai prosthodontist.

Fitting crowns and bridges are the most frequent activities of Thai prosthodontist. These are done to restore the shape of teeth lost due to decay or fracture. A bridge is a fixed structure cemented to make up for a missing tooth. Gold crowns or those made of porcelain give more strength and hence preferred to replace broken tooth in the interior. Porcelain with a bit of gold is shaded to match the color of the teeth and used on the front part where appearance is more or equal in importance to strength. A good Thai prosthodontist could decide if a temporary crown or a permanent crown is required and also if a given deformation etc. asks for a bridge. The percentage of porcelain and gold in the fusion used is also a very important statistic considered by any dentist Thailand has.

Root canal also leads to increased in brittleness of teeth and a Thai prosthodontist would consider using a crown to increase their strength and hence prevent them from breaking. All in all though many a dentist Thailand has are good, the best Thai prosthodontist are those who underwent further elongated training and have acquired certification from the American Board of Prosthodontics.

Being married to a Thai for the last few years has meant learning a fair amount about Thai food. This isn’t such a great accomplishment because it’s usually the main topic of our conversations.

My wife once told me that a Thai would be most happy if she could eat seven times a day and I think she is pretty close to that mark. Any time she’s not actually eating she can be counted on to be thinking of what or where to eat next.

There’s obviously some kind of health secret here. If she’s carrying two pounds extra, I have no idea where she’s hiding it. If I ate like she did, it would take a crane to get me out of bed in the mornings. The answer must be that what she’s eating must be healthy as well as delicious. Her number one favorite meal, snack, between meal pick-me-up, comfort food and health potion is … somtam.

I confess that I had been thinking of somtam as a low class street vender food until I read a newspaper review of a local restaurant in Chiang Mai (Huen Phen) that quoted world class chef and author, Anthony Bourdain as saying that “their papaya salad is in fact the best salad he has ever eaten.” Interesting.

Since then I’ve eaten it there, ordered it in other restaurants and stood beside street vendors in back alleys as they made some for me. It’s always very good and I’m reminded of the great line that David Mamet wrote in Wag the Dog,”There are two things I know to be true. There’s no difference between good flan and bad flan, and there is no war in Albania.” My wife tells me that all somtam is good but there are some she likes more than others.

Regardless of where you get your somtam in Thailand, what I like is that it is always prepared fresh and usually in the front section of the restaurant (or behind the small glass booth perched on the street cart.)

The essentials are basic: a sharp knife, a spoon and a morter and pestle. The preparation is a blur of culinary poetry.

Throw a handful of chilies into the morter and give a good pound or two with the pestle to release the heat. In quick succession add some coarsely chopped tomato, a dash of sugar, a good splash of fish sauce (available now in most oriental markets,) a small spoon of lemon juice, a clove or two of garlic and (usually) some MSG.

The sauce is finished with the addition of a few tiny, whole crabs (poo) and some salted, fermented fish (balak.)

Pound and stir to bruise and mix the sauce then quickly julienne a firm green papaya and add the spaghetti sized pieces to the brew.

Pound and stir one last time to wilt the green fruit in the sauce. Spoon the salad to a plate or bowl and it will invariably look naturally elegant.

Now for the vocabulary to make sure it’s done to your taste. Order Somtam Lao if you want the pungent, sour taste of the balak (fermented fish.) Somtam Thai omits the balak and adds peanuts, which I prefer.

“Mai Sai Poo” means hold the crab. “Mai Pom Chulot” is “no MSG.” The somtam beginner should say, ” mai phet” meaning “not spicy.” I like to order “phet mai mak” or “not too spicy.” Only a serious masochist should say “phet gadai” and should not then whine about the fiery pain that the true somtam addict craves.

Hot or not, somtam blends soft with crisp and has an intense but surprisingly balanced flavor that is sweet, salty, sour and bitter in every bite.

A warning for the lovelorn, lonely, or those who play around to much, some of Thailand’s less scrupulous Isaan girls have come up with a new twist on an old technique aimed at leveraging extra money out of their beau’s.

According to Thai-language newspaper Kom Chud Leuk, bar girls in Northeast (Isaan) Thailand have discovered a new trick to extract money from their foreigner sugar daddies by pretending that they get “knocked up”.

It might sound like the same old story but not any more. According to some reports Isaan girls have added a new twist – injecting a chemical substance into their stomach in order to look like they really are pregnant. This unknown substance will reportedly inflate their stomach a few weeks after the injection and another substance is needed to flatten it. One shot is priced at only Bt3,000 (about $US100.00) and not very hard to find.

The main rationale for the pregnancy scam, say some of the girls who have succeeded with the trick, is to obtain commitment, money or even escape from forced marriages.

Gaew, 22, a university student who succeeded in her scheme said that she managed to blackmail the wife of the man who had a crazy crush on her. After she got her belly job done she telephoned his wife and bargained for some hundreds of thousands of baht for her abortion and for leaving him alone.

In another case Som, 20, a university student in the Isaan region, used the same scam to get out of an arranged marriage her parents were attempting to force her into. Now she can finally publicly date the man she is really in love with.

Who says pretty Thai girls can’t be clever as well? At least, they know how to make some real Baht.

Let’s say you’re on vacation and choose to stay on the beautiful Thailand island of Ko Samui. You’ve been here for a couple of days and met a nice Thai girl at one of the local bars. The next night, you and your Thai companion go out to eat at a romantic restaurant on the beach. You both have a few drinks and decide to go out for a short walk along the shoreline. You feel that this is the perfect time to land your first kiss. You look over at your girl and see those luscious lips and you just have to feel how soft they really are. You lean in with you lips open and… BAM! You get denied!

One interesting thing about Thai culture is that the mouth-to-mouth kiss is a bit foreign to them. Thai’s have their own method of kissing called a “hom”. The hom kiss is when you put your nose anywhere near the head. It could be the top of their head, their cheek or their neck. Then you quickly sniff them. What’s that? Am I serious? You bet I am! This sniff kiss has been used for generations throughout Thailand and is the preferred method. It’s also your best bet for the first kiss.

That’s not to say that Thai girls don’t kiss in the traditional Western sense. The definitely do! But if you want to be a gentleman about it and impress your Thai girlfriend by sticking to their traditions, go in for a hom. Do that and you’ll find that she’ll likely repay you with a nice big Western smooch!