Chiang Mai – Tom Vater

Please take off your Hat! I did.

August 17, 2015tomLeave a Comment

Currently on the road researching Reise Know How Thailand Handbuch, a bestselling German language travel guide to the kingdom. The real joy of this job is finding new places or rediscovering old ones like Wat Bupparam temple in Chiang Mai last week.

Sacred Skin – Airport Reading!

August 8, 2012August 8, 2012tomLeave a Comment

Airports in Ko Samui, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh all continue to stock Sacred Skin prominently. The first illustrated Sak Yant book in English featuring detailed portraits of masters and devotees paired with an insightful text. Described in TIME as a book that “… will further popularize a centuries-old tradition.” Sacred tattoos, […]

Sacred Skin in Chiang Mai

July 31, 2012July 31, 2012tomLeave a Comment

Sacred Skin, the first English language book on Thailand’s sacred tattoos, is now available at the excellent Backstreet Books in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Why is this remarkable? Well, Backstreet Books and its owner, bookmaster George O’Brian, have been a source for much of my reading matter in the past decade – the selection, especially […]

Who Killed Chea Vichea? opens Chiang Mai Documentary Art Festival

February 19, 2012February 19, 2012tomLeave a Comment

Who Killed Chea Vichea? is the featured film on the opening night of the Chiang Mai Documentary Arts Festival, which runs February 24-26, 2012. WHO KILLED CHEA VICHEA? Friday, February 24th at 7:00 pm Documentary Arts Asia Center Gallery 12/7 Wualai Road Soi 3, Haiya District Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand In 2004, Cambodian union president […]

William Young is dead – Former CIA agent shoots himself in Chiang Mai

April 5, 2011June 24, 2013tom6 Comments

William Young, the CIA agent who is credited with allegedly discovering Long Cheng in northern Laos, a remote valley which became a top secret CIA air base in 1965 – and soon after the busiest airport in the world – shot himself in Chiang Mai, Thailand a few days ago. During the making of the […]

The Most Secret Place on Earth – Chiang Mai Screening at Lifescapes Festival on February 6th

February 4, 2011February 2, 2011tomLeave a Comment

The Most Secret Place on Earth – The CIA’s Covert War in Laos will be shown as part of the Lifescapes Film Festival in Chiang Mai this week. The screeing is on Sunday, February 6th at 14.30. For further details, please visit the Festival Website. For an enlightened and accurate telling of the CIA´secret history […]