Word: thais
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...computer all day, hasn't imagined owning a personal slice of paradise, lush with bougainvillea and frangipani, perhaps a sea breeze carrying the scent of exotic herbs and barbecued delights? Southeast Asia abounds with such dream locales, but two destinations trump all others: Bali and the southern Thai island of Phuket. It is on these two chunks of land, a mere 2,400 square miles (6,200 sq km) combined, that thousands of expatriates have bought tropical vacation homes. Indeed, a global real estate slump notwithstanding, Bali and Phuket's residential sectors are still booming, in part because most...
...there only one heaven on earth? As the holiday-home market has taken off in Asia, Phuket and Bali have nurtured a healthy rivalry with each other, trading off the honor of being listed as Asia's best island in travel magazines. Phuket aficionados talk loftily of the Thai island's superior beaches and cheap but professional hospitals, while Bali fans boast of the island's volcanoes and great surfing spots. Nevertheless, the business of vacation villas isn't a zero-sum game, largely because the members of the international jet set who dig Phuket are a breed apart from...
...islands in Southeast Asia with international airports, abundant marine life and plenty of cafés serving espresso and freshly baked croissants - Bali and Phuket offer vastly different real estate experiences. First off, Bali is much cheaper than Phuket. Because the Indonesian island is so much larger than its Thai counterpart, Bali offers a wider diversity in terms of topography: verdant rice paddies, soaring volcanoes and several distinctive urban centers. The Indonesian island cherishes its deep cultural roots, with traditions interwoven into daily life, not manufactured for some cheesy ethnic show at a beach resort. But because of these bountiful...
...destroying national sovereignty by not immediately protesting UNESCO's decision. Samak resigned last month, and his successor, who hails from the same political party, will surely be accused of similar weakness if Thailand's troops don't match Cambodian numbers. On Wednesday, Thailand's military T.V. network showed Thai tanks rumbling toward the border region, and one officer has said the country is prepared...
With tensions flaring, Thailand's Foreign Minister Sompong Amornvivat urged Thai citizens in Cambodia to leave immediately. The Thai Foreign Ministry has said it may airlift out Thai nationals, should they have trouble exiting Cambodia. For his part, Hun Sen has already vowed to make the Preah Vihar region a "death zone" if the Thai army doesn't back down. Given the historic enmities between the Khmer and Siamese empires, threats of violence aren't easily ignored. After all, the modern-day town near the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex is called Siem Reap, which in Khmer means "Siam defeated...