CULTURAL AND CHARITABLE RESOURCES

An eclectic mix of Web resources involving Thai culture and shopping. The lower half of this page includes information on a variety of charitable efforts that families with children from Thailand may be interested in. Please e-mail the Webmaster with your suggestions and recommendations.
 

Apple Tree Dolls 'N Bears. Retail site run by Merrily Ripley of Adoption Advocates International; excellent selection of Asian and other multicultural dolls.

Asia for Kids. Big mail-order retailer of books, videos, language resources, toys and other multicultural items. A few Thai things, not an abundance. (Be sure to check for Thai titles in the general social-studies type series books and videos; they carry several of these.) Good source for Asian-featured dolls.

AsiaBooks, the large, Thai-based bookseller, now has created a comprehensive Website of its offerings. "Mai Pen Rai Means Never Mind," "Phra Farang," and other excellent titles currently unavailable in the U.S. are available from AsiaBooks. 

Audrey magazine. Does your Thai daughter  lack validation in the fashion magazines showing mostly white girls? Check out Audrey, a new (2003) periodical billing itself as the “premier Asian American Women’s magazine.” Articles focus on Asian beauty, celebrities, fashion, and lifestyle information.

The Bangkok Post. An extensive, frequently updated site operated by Thailand's leading English-language newspaper. Wonderful starting point for exploration of current issues in Thailand. Also has a student weekly.

Choosing Thai Names. Chapter from a book by Thai author Pensri Kiengsiri explaining the thought process used by Thai people to choose names for their children. Kindly submitted to the Webmaster by a-parent Marg Dochoda. Also see a limited list of the meanings of Thai names from the Korat cat fanciers' website.

Eastern Serenity. Buddha images, statuary, wall art, thai pillows, furniture, bells and gongs, other decor items.

Escati. Idiosyncratic but interesting site, from a person who combines an e-business Website with Thai resource pages. Don't miss the huge, colored map of Thai provinces.

e-Thaimarket. Small U.S.-based business selling traditional craft items imported from Thailand and Laos.

Exchange students. CCI, the Center for Cultural Interchange, is a nonprofit group that sets up foreign exchange student matches. They usually have Thai students looking for host families.

Getting to Know Thailand. A personal Website with tons of far-better-than-average photos of popular Thai travel subjects. Great for armchair tours. Slow download due to the large number of color pix.

Glenn's Thai Language Pages. Extensive information and discussion on the Thai alphabet and language, including information on downloading Thai fonts for your computer. 

Good Orient. Asian retail site with a fair amount of Thai merchandise; use the search engine and the word "Thai."

Lonely Planet: Destination Thailand. Big travel site from the premier "edgy" guidebook publisher. See Book Recommendations for the related printed materials.

Maps of Thailand. Detailed student project with multiple useful maps, including regional, city, island, hotel, and other categories.

Mei Mei's Room. Soft Waldorf-style dolls made by an a-parent. Customized according to gender, ethnicity, costume, and special needs if applicable.

My Thai Mart. Children's books (Thai and English/Thai), learning resources, and games, plus Thai groceries and recipes.

My Imports.   Classic blue & white porcelain Thai dinnerware at reasonable prices, plus a lot of other Thai decorative goods (benjarong porcelain, bronzeware, wood carvings & statues, elephant carvings, wall decor, pictures & mirrors, room dividers, lamps, furniture, etc.) They specialize in helping Thai restauranteurs furnish their places, but happy sell retail to individuals as well.

Nancy Chandler Graphics coloring book, maps, gift wraps, and cards. A time-honored staple for those who love to shop in Thailand, the colorful and idiosyncratic Nancy Chandler maps are now available in updated editions, which Nancy regularly augments on her website. Chiang Mai and Bangkok versions sell for $9.95 apiece. Kids' coloring and activity books are also available.

Novica. An incredible range of artisan-made products awaits the collector at this online retail site. Selecting "Thailand" under the "Explore by Region" pulldown menu will take you to an index of unique offerings.

Nongnit's Treasures. Beautiful and authentic wooden spirit houses, made of teak to withstand outdoor conditions, and ranging from inexpensive ($19) to very pricey, are available at this site. Nongnit’s Treasures, also carries fabrics/textiles, furniture, jewelry, decorative mirrors, decorative glass vases, teak panels, Buddha and angel statues, wooden boxes, models of royal barges, and khon masks. Nongnit also sells items regularly on E-bay (see the homepage for the link to any current auction items).

Royal Thai Embassy, Washington, D.C. Lots of info, lots of links. Has some nice information on various minority cultures of Thailand. Also has an Intercountry Adoption page.

Thai music. Looking for some authentic Thai pop music? Visit EThaiCD.com. Members of the thailandadopt listserv have recently recommended CDs by Siamese Kat, Laffer Ammer, and Ann Thitima. The site also sells DVDS and VCDs (make sure your computer or DVD player can handle the VCD format before ordering the latter).

Thai Table. A big Thai recipe site with extensive photos. Includes a locator to help users find restaurants and markets, plus lots of articles and general information. Also features an "ingredients" function that lets you check off the ingredients you have on hand from a list, and then attempts to find recipes that would help you use some or all of them in a Thai dish.

Thai Student Organizations. Comprehensive listing of college/university Thai student organizations in the United States.

Thaigrocer/ImportFood. Mail-order source of hard-to-find equipment, servingware (including blue/white dishes), and food items for Thai cooking, including fresh produce. Ships only within the Continental U.S. If you're a pan-Asian cook, try www.ethnicgrocer.com (carries some Thai things too, mostly the high-quality but somewhat pricey Taste of Thai and Thai Kitchen product lines).

Tourism Authority of Thailand. Contains a wealth of travel and cultural information. The "monthly activities" section at the right of the homepage offers a current list of festivals and holidays in Thailand.

U.S. Muay Thai Assn.  Huge site of the official U.S. Thai kickboxing association. Has extensive Thai history/culture pages (click on "history" on the homepage) as well as resources for finding kickboxing instruction in your area. Well worth a look, even if muay thai isn't your particular cup of tea.

Wat Thai in the USA. List of Thai wats (Buddhist temples) in the United States. Many wats are an excellent source of cultural and language instruction as well as religious instruction.
 
World Music Store. Retailer of "world music," including unusual selections from Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. If you're trying to cultivate a taste for Thai classical music, start here.

CHARITABLE EFFORTS

Families may also be interested in the following:

Asia Transpacific Foundation, charity founded by adoptive mom of Thai child who runs travel agency. Foundation supports orphanage in Chiang Mai, Thailand, that provides a home for children whose parents have died from AIDS.  Contributions fully tax-deductible.

The Darunee Fund. Michigan-based nonprofit organization has sponsorship program for middle-school children in Thailand and Laos. Note cards supporting this charity, showing fascinating Thai scenes in an attractive format, are available.

International Support Group Foundation, Thailand. International organization set up in 1990 to help needy and underprivileged people of Thailand, working alongside the Dept. of Social Development and Welfare. Efforts include education sponsorships, funds for orphans, wheelchair and blanket purchasing programs, eyeglasses donations, and a dental clinic. 

Human Development Foundation/Mercy Center, a nondenominational community-based field organization, was founded in 1974 in Klong Toey, Bangkok's largest slum, by Father Joe Maier, a Redemptorist Priest, and Sister Maria Chantavarodom, of the Daughters of Queenship of Mary Immaculate. Their first project was a one-baht-per-day kindergarten. Within the next two years, they opened Klong Toey's first outreach health clinic and a shelter for street children. Fires devastated slum neighborhoods, sometimes two or three times a year, and the HDF helped rebuild them. Over the past 30 years, the foundation has continuously initiated projects to help the poor. When a pilot program worked in one neighborhood, it was expanded to another, and in this way, with a staff of 250 dedicated men and women, the HDF now reaches out to friends in over 30 slum communities.

Comprehensive list of Thai charities involving children and education, hosted by the Bangkok Post. Most contributions would not be tax-deductible in the U.S., but a particular effort may catch someone's eye nevertheless.