February 2014 Thailand Trip

This Thailand Report covers the third and final leg of my February 2014 SE Asia trip. In the event you might have missed the earlier reports, you can see the Cambodia segment by clicking here, and you can see the Myanmar segment by clicking here. Leaving Myanmar, I headed straight for Pattaya, Thailand where I […]

February 2014 Myanmar Trip

Here’s a report on the Myanmar segment of my most recent trip Just getting to Myanmar is a bit more of a hassle than traveling to other countries in SE Asia. Myanmar requires a Visa – in advance. That involved downloading the proper forms, sending them along with my passport and a $20 money order […]

February 2014 Cambodia Trip

This most recent trip to SE Asia was a particularly long and busy one. So, I’ll report on it in three separate sections — one for Cambodia, one for Myanmar, and one for Thailand. Here’s the Cambodian segment. In Siem Reap I connected with my good friend Jana Stanfield and joined in with a group […]

My November 2013 Thailand Trip

This most recent trip to SE Asia was a very busy and productive one, with the full three weeks spent in various locations in Thailand. I was particularly pleased to be joined for the first week of the trip by a long-time friend and colleague, Peter Scontrino. Together, we began working with the Fountain of […]

Sangkhalaburi & Myanmar

Here’s the final episode in what has been a long, busy trip to SE Asia this time. Returning from Cambodia, I was met at the Bangkok airport my my good friend and colleague living in Thailand and Myanmar, Treasure Shine, Thailand Project Manager for Partners Asia, a US non-profit headquartered in Seattle and San Francisco. […]

Fourth of July … and Cambodia

Future of Khmer Children - Jana, Bill, and Scott

My Fourth of July was amazing. Along with a couple of my American colleagues and dear friends (Scott Friedman and Jana Stanfield) here in Siem Reap we concentrated on being the best of Americans and demonstrating what caring, compassionate Americans have to offer to the less advantaged people in the world. Jana, Bill, Scott We […]

Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai

Good Shepherd Sisters – Chiang Rai entrance

Still catching up on my recent travels — this time about my visits in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. Entrance First stop in CR was to visit the Good Shepherd Sisters Girls Home an hour south, in the town of Phan. Sister Lena is still in charge there, but otherwise there has been turnover in […]

Two Days in Bangkok

Good Shephers Sisters - Bangkok entrance

Entrance Upon returning to BKK from Nong Khai, (which is in the north east of Thailand, not the north west, as one of my astute readers pointed out to me) I was met at the airport by Sister Louise who escorted me to her facility in central Bangkok. This a very large facility that I […]

Two and a Half Days in Nong Khai

Nong Khai - Friendship Bridge

Nong Khai is an important town located right alongside the Mekong River in the northwestern part of Thailand, known as Isan, a mostly agricultural region. Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is right across the Freedom Bridge. People here speak their own dialect of Thai. And, they face the many challenges of a rural life, impacted […]

Three Days in Bali

Widhya Asih in Bali - Stiti, Development Director

Hi All, Busy time in Bali to begin this trip. Three-day off-site meeting. 30 people. No opportunity for an advance design. It was all on the fly. Arrived Sunday afternoon. Met with Nengah and Yati right after that to plan the first 1/2 day. Began the meetings first thing Monday morning (no time for jet-lag […]

A Recent Trip with the TWCCTW Group

Good Shepherd Sisters - Chiang Rai - staff

I recently returned from another interesting and highly productive trip to SE Asia. This trip was a little different because I was traveling with Scott Friedman, Jana Stanfield, and a very talented “Together We Can Change The World” (TWCCTW) group of 10 people, including Rhonda Faught, Maria Kassova, Lynn Leahy, Jonathan Low, Rebecca Morgan, Robert […]

A Visit with Jit at Baan Saan Rak

Alt text: Baan Saan Rak - Jit with pictures of children

Today, I had a nice visit to reconnect with Jit, a delightful Thai lady that runs a small, 21 child orphanage on her family property in a fairly remote outside Chiang Rai. Most of the information about Jit and her Baan Saan Rak (home with love) project is already on my website, but here’s an […]