Thailand can be a quirky, strange and intriguing place. So it should come as no surprise that the many expats and foreigners who live here are any different!
Read on and I'll introduce you to the crew of On The Road Thailand...
The Patrician
The spirit of On The Road Thailand. As mysterious as he is benevolent and sanguine, he is the driving force behind this website, as well as a patron to those who support it. To those close to him he is both a friend and a mentor. To his enemies, he is a constant thorn in their side.
From his ivory tower in Northern Thailand he moves behind-the-scenes; observing, directing, planning and acting for the good of all.
The Watcher
Once a nameless wanderer from a faraway realm, for now his wandering is at an end and he roams Thailand instead. A force for the good and a friend to local and foreigner alike. The Watcher watches and listens for the benefit of the good farang in Thailand. On a noble but forlorn quest to expose con-artists, dual-pricing and scam-artists in thailand his watchful eye is never still.
Person, establishment and machine are under constant scrutiny from The Watcher. If all is well, the report delivered to OTRT's editor will reflect glowingly. If all is not well, the report delivered will be damning indeed.
His Watching of the many wrong-doers and places see's a flood of data pour into OTRT headquarters. Here it is sorted, correlated, photo edited and prepared for inclusion onto the OTRT website.
He is the bane of the low-life farang and a constant headache to those out to scam others. Death threats and danger may see The Watcher fade into the shadows from time-to-time, but only until the coast is clear, then he will emerge, ready to begin Watching again...
The Watch-Rider
Where the Watcher watches, the Rider rides.
On a quest for answers, truth and knowledge, he will cross mountains to reveal the elusive secrets of Thailand's roads. His Watching and Riding see's a flood of data pour into OTRT headquarters. Here it is sorted, correlated, photo edited and copy-protected for inclusion onto the OTRT website.
It's a dangerous job and Thailand's roads are not for the fainthearted, but one that the Watch-Rider is more than ready to perform.
Known more commonly amongst his fellow bikers as 'Rider' he will leave tips and hints on the website on the many tours and routes he has scouted.
The Editor
A brooding, furious, hive of activity surrounds The Editor. Imagine a mad professor gone into magazine editing and behold The Editor; both eccentric and edgy. Approaching his sphere of operations with field reports demands skill and timing; too soon and his madcap plans will come to naught, too late and OTRT HQ shakes to the core with The Editors wrath.
All content that is to be published must first pass through The Editor's hands. He must decipher the data that floods in from not just the Watchers, but from the many contributors to OTRT. Having deciphered the ramblings, musings, hieroglyphics and reports he must ascertain it's suitability, credibility and accuracy. Then it is sorted, correlated, photo edited and copy-protected for inclusion onto the OTRT website. Occasionally you'll see his quirky second opinion pop-up in italics (like now! - Ed).
Zoonie
Zoonie The Night Owl is the mascot of On The Road Thailand, he's also on the company logo.
Say 'hello' Zoonie!
Zoonie doesn't fly outside much, the heat and humidity of Thailand (even at night) normally sends him flapping back inside after an hour or so to cool down.
He doesn't say much, but when he hoots away The Editor make some sense of it. The Editors a bit of a night owl himself, which is probably why Zoonie is always perched in his office. Either that or Ed's a bit of a Dr Doolitle on-the-side. (You'd better believe it! - Ed) I haven't heard any of words of wisdom from Zoonie yet, but The Editor says I'm just got to listen in the right way...
Johnny B.
Hi there! This is me 'The voice of the unspoken majority' Johnny B. I'm a quirky colourful character just like the rest of the crew and contribute to the columns on OTRT. I try and pick up on farang current affairs at 'grass roots level.' I could be the face in the crowd listening to your views and ideas, the farang sat next to you in a bar just making normal conversation. I usually try and take a balanced view of most things that get discussed on the expat scene. When I'm not busy doing my day job I'm normally writing the weekly/monthly (sporadic at best!- Ed) colums for us here at OTRT. Whatever the buzz on the streets is usually ends up in columns. Although it can take awhile to get onto here!
The Associates
On The Road Thailand is often assisted, both knowingly and unknowingly, by the expatriate network that exists in Thailand. Secrecy is paramount and membership is a privilege and not a right. Indeed the benchmark set by The Patrician is as follows:
All Associates must have the rugged adventure credentials to be considered.
They also must have a vested interest in seeing OTRT do well and are an invaluable asset to us. Expat, traveler and tourist are all equal as an associate to OTRT.
Anyone interested in joining OTRT as an Associate can contact OTRT here with the heading 'Join On The Road Thailand' and await further instructions. There is no charge for joining but you will be put to the test!
Contributers / The General Public
We listen to any decent suggestions, comments and reviews relevant to Thailand and this website. Anyone with a thought, idea or review they have or a road route they wish to share feel free to share it with us.
