1995: Sarah Esme Nolan served in Thailand in Phetchabun beginning in 1995



Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Sarah Esme Nolan can be contacted at sarahesmeahotmaildcom

Country of Service: Thailand

Training Group: TEFL

Cities you served in: Phetchabun

Arrival Year: 1995

Departure Year: 1997

Work Description: Teacher

Bring us up to date on your life after the peace corps:

Working on Master's in Education

Originally posted: January 7, 2002

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By Yakatony (adsl-1-123-39.bna.bellsouth.net - 65.1.123.39) on Tuesday, April 19, 2005 - 2:03 am: Edit Post

Hi Sarah;

Am interested in the Petchabun area, and any descriptions, impressions, comments would be very much appreciated.

Yakatony

By Sarah Nolan (168.99.130.254) on Wednesday, April 26, 2006 - 4:17 pm: Edit Post

Sorry, I rarely check this thing!
Petchabun is a very interesting province. Hardly any tourists visit there because it is off the beaten track, no trains etc...However, it is very famous with Thais because of Khao Kaw, where the communists hid out and the King has a palace there...and Nam Nao (Cold Water) very lovely mountains to the east. Petchabun is best known in Thailand for Sweet Tamarind. Tamarind grows everywhere, but in Petchabun it's the sweetest...ask any Thai! They have a giant gold Tamarind pod right in the middle of the provincial capitol! The most popular town is Lom Sak, where my best friend was stationed. It's a nice little town surrounded by gorgeous mountains and green rice fields. I was stationed further south in Phet Lakorn, in Ampur Nong Phai. Not much to see there, just one long road and a very large secondary school. I hear the village has grown a lot and there is a market in town now! Yea! I had to travel into Nong Phai to get food, then a 10 K ride on bumpy dirt roads through the rice paddies. But I loved my rural village in my own way. The senior who, after school, walked his herd of cattle back from the fields, noisy 3 day weddings, bags of makhamwan and all. A nearby town, BungSamPhan (3,000 crocodiles) hosts a fabulous cave temple with monkeys. Also, some of the best grilled chicken can be found in the rural town of Wichianburi (I think that's the name). The best way to get around Petchabun is hitchhiking, if you can speak Thai. My friend and I used to hitchike over the mountain from the Crossroads near Lom Sak into Phitsanalok. There is a really great resort type place at the top where they roast their own coffee. I think it's called the Rain Forest or something. Also, there's a great little town at the top where you can get nice cold Beer Singha. Often we'd stop here to catch another ride. If you are adventurous, the trip directly north from Bangkok is fantastic, true Thailand. You pass through Lopburi, where Monkeys rule, Saraburi, then Petchabun and if you keep going north you get to go to Loei, a very green, hilly province, home of the Phi Da Khon festival (Zombie festival), it's like Thai Halloween. Or you can take a left and head into Pitsanalok (neat little town with a gorgeous temple, great market and Mien Kham. If you need a nice shower and a mall trip, head to Topland. If you're a volunteer, these things are desireable, if not, then you might not be interested From Pitsanalok you can catch a train North or South...In my two years I hitchiked almost everywhere, better to see the country this way! Petchabun is a great starting point to many destinations up north. Choke Dee Na Ka!

By uthaipon (d163.hsaitamafl6.vectant.ne.jp - 163.139.49.163) on Wednesday, March 14, 2007 - 4:46 am: Edit Post

Hi teacher, This is Uthaipon.. Do you still remember me? Long way back at Phetchabun Thailand. You used to teach me long long time ago.Its been 10 years that we did not see each other. How are you? I hope you are doing alright. By the way, are you still teaching.?And where are you now? I'm looking forward for your reply. love nad respect . Uthaipon