The Oracle

I am a retired former educator, IT specialist, and security and threat assessment manager.

I hold numerous academic qualifications in the education, security and information technology industries.

When travelling, I really enjoy meeting the locals and taking in the atmosphere. I eat the local food and drink the local brews.

Having grown up in a developing country in the seventies, I appreciate how the people in many of the SE Asian countries, including in the rural areas I have visited, struggle to meet the basic needs of decent shelter, potable water and access to sustainable foods; things I used take for granted.

Since 2008 I have concentrated solely on SE Asia and have recently set about seeing as much of SE Asia as I can. 
To date I have visited: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Cambodia, and Hong Kong.

Since April 2016, I have toured around Thailand a lot, using a house on a massive rice plantation in the northern region as my base of operations as it is about five hours to the whole central and northern/north eastern regions of Thailand. I am the only foreigner for around 40km. No-one speaks English. 
After spending nine to eleventh months a year travelling in and around Asia and a couple of trips to the UK, I decided to get a Retirement Visa at the end of 2019, and fully relocated to Thailand in January 2020, just days before the first case of COVID-19 was found here.  Inter-provincial travel hampered my tourism plans and I returned to Australia in mid 2022 after the airports re-opened.

I have returned several times to Thailand and continue to expand my touring to yet-to-be-experienced sites in the wonderful country.
In 2026, I am going to Vietnam and The Philippines.


My advice to tourists is:

GENERAL

• Show respect. YOU are the visitor.

• Do NOT expect to be waited upon hand-and-foot by the local people.

• Learn to say at least "hello" and "thank you" in the local language; more if you can manage it.

• Be aware as you would be in any other area you don't know, especially at night.

• A smile goes a long way. Use it.

MONEY and the Socio-Economic factors of the area

• In the majority of SE Asia most "Western" currencies enjoy a pretty good exchange rate and the locals generally live closer to subsistence level than what you're used to - especially in rural areas. With that in mind, don't haggle over the value of something which will save you a buck; a dollar in many regions can go a lot further.

• Of course, as with any society, there is a criminal element. Don't flash great wads of cash around. Not only is this like flies to a turd for criminals, it is a blatantly rude display of wealth and should be avoided.

• Go to the ATM in pairs.

• Spread your cash around your person. Have a modest amount in an easy-to-reach spot but secrete any additional cash (especially higher denominations) in hard-to-access areas.

TRAVEL

• Get a price to your destination from your tuktuk (pron. "tooktook") or taksi driver before you get in.

• Roads during the wet (monsoon) season can become unstable and subject to land/mud slides and flooding

• Allow for congestion in many urban areas of SE Asia as well as many of the rural roads can be of poor condition generally the further you get from the urban areas

• Buses, trains and other public transport are often used to transport anything, including livestock.

PARTYING

Well, let's be honest, the majority of western tourists - particularly the younger ones - go to tourist hotspots for one thing: partying. Advice for young players:

• Be aware of where you are and how to get back to your accommodation.

• Ensure you have enough cash to pay your bar tab.

• Hold onto your ATM Card at all times if paying by card. Even better - don't take it with you in the first place.

• There is no such thing as a "private party" - be expected to pay. Young tourists are targets for sex, drug and drink scams as much as elderly people are targets of online scams.

• Use condoms. EVERY time. I've even known people to use two!

• Keep your eyes on your drinks.

• Stay polite.

• Don't abuse tuktuk or cab drivers. There are more of them than you!

• DON'T DO DRUGS - penalties are very harsh. Many SE Asian countries including Thailand (Phuket) Indonesia (Bali) and Malaysia (Langkawe) have the Death Penalty for serious drug offences. Even buying small amounts of marijuana will land you in jail/gaol.

THE LADIES

Be careful what you promise any local girl you may get close to. Promises are taken very seriously. Putting dishonour on a family can have dire consequences for both the girl involved and yourself.

THE MEN

Men in most Asian countries have a different attitude toward women than most European-style cultures. While some countries treat men and women equally (such as most Buddhist countries like Thailand) you may be offended if you are ignored by local men or the locals will only speak to the men in your group. Just remember that cultures vary. You can always choose not to return!

CHILDREN

Yours:

• Keep your eye on them and don't let them travel alone. Blonde-haired girls especially are expected to get some extra attention due to their rare looks in Asia.

Theirs:

• Children in many countries start working very young. Many sell flowers, bracelets and other fare outside, or even inside, bars well into the night and early morning. While it may seem strange to you, everyone in the family is expected to pull their weight. This is their way of putting their share of cash on the table each day. The prices aren't high and they are also set by the parents. Trying to save a dollar/euro when buying a rose from a five year-old is a bit rough and doesn't look good, does it?

• Also in Thailand for example, it is not considered polite to "ruffle" the head of children so don't touch their heads with your hands.

BUSINESS

Business dealings between foreigners and locals have their own set of issues in addition to those in your home country.

• Language - Have any contracts interpreted or translated by your own legal team "at home" prior to signing

• Retribution - There has been an increase in the number of reports of serious assaults - even quite gruesome murders - including Thailand's hotspots of Pattaya and Phuket - against foreigners who have fallen out of sorts with their business partner/s.