BARE FACTS
Who And What Is the Naked Farang?

Who's my Daddy?

WHAT IS NAKED FARANG?

Naked Farang is the creative writing division of Bangkok BC Writing Services, founded in 2007 by Paul Snowdon.

My aim is to provide informative and amusing insights into Thailand from a variety of perspectives and for a range of audiences. To achieve this goal, I have developed and continue to work on the Naked Farang website, the Naked Farang book series, and Naked Farang articles written for third party websites and print publications.

The Naked Farang philosophy is simple. I believe that everyone has a story to tell, and on the Naked Farang website, I give them the opportunity to tell it. The Naked Farang articles and books are an extension of this credo as they allow me to share my own anecdotes from almost ten years of living, working and travelling in this amazing country.

The website, books and articles are not intended to be used as guide books per se, but I hope that they can become useful companions for both visitors and expats in the Land of Smiles. Guide books present information. Naked Farang offers insights. Naked Farang goes behind the smile to bring you the real Thailand.

WHO IS NAKED FARANG?

I grew up in Yorkshire, England and was bitten by the travel bug at an early age. I spent most of my 20s travelling, living and working in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, New Zealand, and increasingly in Asia.

Having previously enjoyed extended trips to Thailand dating back to 1994, I have lived here since 1999, although I didn’t actually realise that I had settled here until late 2000. During my times here, I have gone through various metamorphoses: the adventurous back-packer, the discerning tourist, the sex-mad night owl and the working expat. I have had spells as a telemarketer and an English teacher, working in a financial consultancy and a number of language schools. I was also the manager of a large, international language school for almost five years.

I am happily married to Pim, who is just as mad as I am and can always make me laugh, and the proud father of Tommy, who will one day play international football for England or Thailand, depending on just how good he is. If he’s really good, he may even be lucky enough to play for Leeds United.

Life here is just about perfect. Apart from family and friends, who are all regular visitors anyway, and Leeds United, there is nothing that I miss about England. Everything I like about my homeland is here. I can watch more English football here than I could in England. There are English TV channels and newspapers. I can eat quality fish and chips at the Offshore Bar, monster-sized portions of roast beef and Yorkshire puddings at Jools or pork pies at the Black Swan. But of course, what I really like about living in Bangkok are the differences. In fact Bangkok is most definitely a city of contrasts: old and new, traditional and modern, east and west, rich and poor, sweet and sour.

Thais often ask me why I choose to live in Thailand, and my first answer is always, “Every morning I wake up, and it’s summer.” I love the climate, the people, the culture, the food, satho (homebrewed rice wine), Bangkok, the beaches and islands, the rural north and north-east, and the inexpensive and easy-going lifestyle. Most of those things also drive me up the wall at times, as you will discover when you read Naked Farang. The candid nature of my writing means that I will give you the good, the bad and the ugly. I do not possess a pair of rose-tinted spectacles, nor do I profess to be a saint. It is often said that sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, but you’ll just have to bear with me on that one as I start at the bottom and work my way up the comedic ladder.

Sometimes, it seems that the longer I live here, the less I really understand Thai people. Nevertheless, Thailand is my home of choice. I will live here until I die, or until immigration finds a reason to kick me out.

I have travelled, lived and worked all over the world, but there is no other place on earth that I would rather live than the City of Angels in the Land of Smiles. Who could ask for more than to be surrounded by smiling angels? This is possibly the most welcoming and easy-to-live-in country I have ever visited, with genuinely friendly and warm people.

After almost a decade in the Land of Smiles, I suddenly found myself with the motive, the means and the opportunity to start Naked Farang. I gladly accepted the challenge, and it is truly a labour of love.

Whether you are a Thai, a farang on holiday, an expat living in Thailand, or someone who has never had the pleasure of visiting this truly amazing country, I hope that you will find Naked Farang both informative and amusing. I don’t really care whether you end up liking me or hating me. I know my karma is good.

Paul Snowdon – October, 2007

------------------------------------------------