Justin Dupre » Thailand

This Is What Bangkok Has Become

Justin Dupre — Wed, 19 May 2010 10:54:23 +0000

This is Bangkok. I don’t have much to say. You can follow any news source if you want. Basic jist is: red shirt leaders surrendered and told everyone to go home. Some rogues broke off from the main group and are causing havoc around Bangkok.

Currently, I’m watching one of the largest malls in world burn out of control and it probably won’t survive. Earlier, I watched as army helicopters picked up people from atop a burning news station.

It’s shocking, saddening, to see a country, a home, I love so much be torn apart by its own people.

I don’t know what I’ll do now. I have the choice to stay here, but it sounds like guerrilla warfare may take place over the coming months. I have the choice to go home, but honestly, I can’t stand living in America. I love Thailand. I love the people. I love the sites, the food, and the oddity of it all. But this is just… overwhelming.

Follow me on Twitter for updates.

I’ll have several video updates, hopefully uploaded all tonight. I’ll be bunkering up in my condo as there is a curfew from 8 pm to 6 am. Kind of a surreal day. Haven’t felt like this since 9/11.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-sjc1/hs525.snc3/29851_408009575664_207730000664_4410735_7204261_n.jpg

The Real Shit Going on in Bangkok

Justin Dupre — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:26:08 +0000

Someone has pointed out to me that my political commentary is pretty bad in the comments of one of my posts. I’ll admit, I never paid much attention in my world politics courses my freshman year. Honestly, I don’t even remember if I actually took a politics course or I’m just imagining that. I’ll try and keep the politics to a minimum here because its such a touchy subject, and because I am a Farang (foreigner). I have no business sticking my nose in to what I think Thai’s should do. This is a Thai issue – a slight speed bump in Thai society – that Thai’s will have to work together to solve.

So am I safe? Despite being only about 5 miles away from the crisis zone, I actually am and feel very safe. Hell, I walked outside to grab a burger at McDonalds wearing a yellow shirt (the exact opposite party and some would say enemies of the reds) without a single incident. Mind you, I would never step one foot into the danger zones, but the area I’m living in is very safe despite a somewhat close proximity to all the fighting.

The international media like BBC and CNN have really shown some terrible images, and like any media source knows how to do, want to use shock-and-awe to get sales. It is a very confined riot zone and most areas not directly surrounding it have been unaffected (Unfortunately, the affected areas are Bangkok’s main business and shopping districts). Those actually joined in the protest are very few compared to the shear population of Bangkok and the country as a whole.

Is it safe to travel to Bangkok? The airport isn’t a risk, but I’d hold off on tourism in Bangkok. The sky-train links and subways have been shut down, and the main shopping district malls are closed (That’s about 10+ very large malls and hundreds of boutique shops). Traveling to the northern hills or southern islands won’t be a problem, though. There are some smaller protests in the northern regions, but nothing as violent as what is happening in Bangkok.

Is the violence justified? If you’re watching international TV news, you are probably being fed that most of these people dying are innocent by-standers from the poor, rural northeast farms. Probably feeling pretty sympathetic for them, right? However, most of these people being shot are in areas they know bullets are being used in, and I don’t believe people are being randomely picked off. They’ve got from a somewhat peaceful protest, to very frustrating for Bangkokians, to very violent and threatening. Many use molotov cocktails; m79 grenade launchers have been seen; a rogue army (The black shirts?) that might be shooting innocents, medics, police, the army and even red shirt protesters as a way to gain more sympathy from international media. That’s a rumor though, so I won’t talk about it anymore.

What seems to be coming out of this is that there are 2 groups here. 1 is the group of peaceful protesters sitting in their encampment and sometimes going out for a look at what all the ruckus is all about (and subsequently being caught in the middle of gunfire). The other are the extremists, who want to dissolve parliament immediately no questions asked, and they’re willing to attack innocents, burn tires setting fire to homes and businesses, and shoot at police and military with rockets, steel ball slingshots, fireworks, flare guns, grenade launchers and any other weapons they can get their hands on. Many protest leaders seem to have fled the country already, seeing that they can’t keep their own group in control and know it will be their heads on the line when they’re caught.

My stance on the whole thing is that the government stepped in way too late. The protesters went way too far. This situation should have been avoided, and could have been by either side. Once you learn to understand something about Thai society called “losing face” and why it is such a big deal here, you’ll understand why neither side backed down.

That’s as far as I’ll rant today. Check out Twitter and search for redshirt for live updates, images and videos.

How Not to Salvage Your Reputation

Justin Dupre — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:16:51 +0000

For those of you that keep up with international news, or for any expats like myself in Thailand, you probably know those called the “red-shirts” have been protesting in downtown Bangkok. In short, they want the Prime Minister ousted and new elections brought up for the seats in legislature. The red-shirt would like their old PM, Thaksin Shinwatra, back in his seat. He was ousted in a milatary coup in 2006 for abusing his powers for monetary gain. Currently, Thaksin is living outside Thailand to avoid a 2 year jail sentence for this.

To get their message across, the red-shirts are “peacefully” protesting in the streets of Bangkok. They’re causing major problems for road traffic (like it wasn’t bad enough), and thought it would be a good idea to do a large blood drive and splash it on the government’s houses gates while performing an Indian ritual to curse the current government. They’re becoming a bit of a laughing stock, especially to foreigners living here, because we know no one would take this seriously in western culture.

However, Thaksin seems to be a puppet-master in all these red-shirt protestors. The red-shirts, mostly made up of poor people from outside of Bangkok, love him because of his plans to help those with lower incomes (while the current government seats are held by Bangkokian elites and they say this government’s policies favor the rich). He leads these people, probably paying most of the “volunteers” just to show up, and many from Bangkok showed up just to get 500 baht ($15) because that is more than they would make sitting in their office all day.

When you look at what Thaksin has to say here about the current Prime Minister… can you really expect anyone to take the red-shirts seriously anymore?

Thaksin has accused the government of trying to bribe some protestors into leaving the rally and said that someone laced the protestors’ water with poison.

However, the ousted premier thanked his supporters and asked them to remain patient, saying that the current government has a hearing problem.

Thaksin also talked about the yesterday’s blood collection. He said that despite the disapproval of many people, the Red Shirt protesters have done the right thing in sacrificing their blood for democracy.

In his speech to the Red Shirt protesters, the fugitive former prime minister claimed that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has some psychological condition similar to Adolf Hitler’s.

Thaksin added that just like the German schizophrenic dictator, Abhisit does not like to talk alone, has problems controlling his ambitions, and violent tendencies.

Thaksin also said that Abhisit is surrounded by homosexuals with emotional problems.

Toward the end of this call, Thaksin thanked his supporters again and urged them to continue their fight against the government for the sake of the younger generations.

However, he warned the protesters that the government might resort to violence since Abhisit has a mental disorder.

Watch what you say, people. The world is watching you, even online, and can strike down any little bit of reputation you still have. While this is a political example, I can’t remember how many times I’ve seen Internet marketers get them self in a fix. Hell, even I’ve said and done things I shouldn’t have. You have to be careful, because one wrong step, can cause the destruction of your business plan.

Why Thailand?

Justin Dupre — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:35:56 +0000

Someone asked me why live in Thailand? This is why…

And that’s why… btw that last girl is about 32 years old. So I think I have a lot to look forward to if I decide to get old here.

But in all seriousness, Thailand is a wonderful place. The food is the best in the world (I could hardly find any food I enjoyed in America after being in Thailand so long). There is a lot to do and see. The people are amazingly friendly. The beaches are gorgeous and the clubs are bouncing. It’s a great place for a young, single entrepreneur like me to live. On top of all this, its sooooo cheap. My daily expenses can be as low as 10 dollars (not including rent). You can live comfortably here on less than $1000 per month.

Sorry for the random post, but just wanted to get something up quick. I’ve got a few new consulting clients to attend to as well as a lot of personal campaign management to do. If you’d like to get some consulting done with me, check out this page. I’ve got a special price I just emailed out today, so that should be really exciting for some of you without a big budget but in need of some guidance with your affiliate marketing campaigns.

I’ll also be putting up some new landing pages in the marketplace, and don’t forget Freebie Friday in a couple days here!

How Much Will I Need to Live in Thailand Comfortably?

Justin Dupre — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 06:32:35 +0000

I get this question a lot. I received it in the Ask Away Round 2 post, as well, so I figured I might as well make a post about it to welcome in my first post of the new year.

When I came to Thailand over 3 years ago, I came as an exchange student. I was lucky enough to be placed with a host family that took me in, cared for me, and paid most expenses (food, shelter, fun, etc). That year, the most expensive thing I bought was an iPod. Other than that, I didn’t spend much money. A few dollars a day tops. Lunch at my exchange school was less than a buck per day, and phone service was pay as you go (pre-paid sims) cost me a couple dollars a day. I was easily living off less than $100 a day.

When I started going to college, besides my tuition expenses, I still wasn’t paying a lot for anything. I was outside of Bangkok, so that certainly lowered rent rates (I lived in a couple places in my time there, both under $200). Food there is cheap as always. Most of my meals were 1-2 dollars. I’d spend $3-4 on a burger meal if I really craved it. During this time I was a freelance writer, and that made me about $1000 a month (I was lazy; didn’t write a lot). In this case here, I lived off about $800 a month, give or take some.

I moved to Bangkok, before I really started balling, and things got a little more expensive. My room got smaller and stayed around $200 per month. Luckily, I lived next to a few mom and pop restaurants, which provided me food at around a dollar or two per meal. I also lived within walking distance to my school cafeteria with lots of different Thai and international food. 7/11 was around the corner and I’d spend a couple of bucks there everyday. Bangkok, however, has many more attractions. Night clubs, shopping, better restaurants and transportation. I started spending a lot more to go out with friends. I was over the $1000 mark now. Probably around $1500.

And now, well, I’ve got a two-bedroom condo, party a lot more, eat at better restaurants, order in often (thanks to ChefsXP.com), and generally throw away my money at stupid thing because I can. I worked hard for that privilege though.

So how much do you need to live comfortably in Thailand? Well, thats all based around location and what you plan on doing. Living outside of the “farang” infested areas will keep your comfort level pretty good at under $1000. Chiang Mai and Hua Hin might be good examples for that. Stick to Bangkok if you got a little extra to blow. I’d say depending on whether or not you plan on partying a lot, buy a ton of hookers and blow (ick), and if you can stomach Thai food or just have to have your daily fix of Starbucks and Burger King, you could live with $1500 – $3000 a month.

There are farang that live here off less than that, and I used to be one of them, so my statement here is just a typical observation.

And for all you affiliate marketers on a budget, why not buy some cheap landing pages to help you get your work started. For $5 a page, you can’t really go wrong. Click here to go to the affiliate store.

I Been Out and About

Justin Dupre — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:49:46 +0000

I haven’t exactely been around lately. Sorry for that. Work has been busy, and now I’m on the road. Nickycakes caught up with me on MSN and invited me to hang out in Chiang Mai with him. It’s been time for a break like this for a while, so I said what the hell, packed my bags and 6 hours later I was on a short flight to the northern province in Thailand.

I actually used to live about an hour from this place when I was an exchange student, so I’ve been here about 10 or so times. But the last time I was in Chiang Mai was over 2 years ago. It hasn’t changed much. With over 1 million people you’d think there would be tons of high rises and such, but there are still farms and roads where buffalo roam freely. It’s quite funny. The only tall buildings are hotels for foreigners… like the one I’m staying in. The Shangri La Chiang Mai

Me and cakes are hooked up. At only about 4500 baht (~$130 USD) a night, I got a ballin’ 43 sqm. studio room with a bathtub and shower, free broadband access, lots of TV channels and a view of the pool and garden with the mountains way in the background. Something like this in America would run you at least twice or 3 times as much depending on what city you’re in.

Because I used to study as a high school exchange student around here, I know a few people (read cute girls) that study in universities in Chiang Mai. One took me to a club until around 4 AM where I drank well past my limit (I’m a weak drinker). It was an interesting mix of young Thais and 60 year old, winkley white guys that would all try to hit on my date for the night. I didn’t have to try to hard to cockblock, because, well, I was the most handsome thing in there. HA!

I’ll try and get some pics tonight, but no guarentees. I’m lazy and just want to relax at this kick-ass hotel. Sorry for the lack of posts. I’ll get back to more usefull stuff next week. Also, the contest is almost over. I wil be announcing the winner in one week!

I’ve Got the Piggy Flu.

Justin Dupre — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:49:23 +0000

I normally try to post every weekday here, but for the sake of my health I’ll be away for a little bit. I went to the doctor after feeling ill for the past two days and unable to eat. The doctor says I’ve got most of the symptoms of H1N1 (or the swine flu), although I’m not a 100% confirmed case.

So I’ll be away from here and work, and hopefully make it through this crap. It feels like shit, but the drugs have been doing a really good job.

Back to Work

I’m Hiring

Justin Dupre — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:23:13 +0000

I’m looking for some local talent in downtown Bangkok to help me out with all my work. If you know anyone that fits the bill below, let me know!

I am looking for a young and talented local (however, this position is still open to foreigners) graphic designer with the ability to work on data entry, as well. As of now, I run a business solely on my own, operating several websites and working on some client work. You will be responsible for some of the following tasks and more:

Web design
Online advertising banner design
Some data entry/form completion
Writing simple documents and spreadsheets
Image manipulation (resizing/cropping)

I am in need of a creative thinker and someone that is able to work with little instruction. The best applicants will be those with the following skills:

Proficient with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator (although not required), and Dreamweaver
Knows HTML/XHTML/CSS. PHP is a plus but not necessary
Proficient with Microsoft Word and Excel
Able to write and speak English (I can speak Thai, though)
Knowledge of how to use blogging software like WordPress

YOU DO NOT NEED ANY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE OR UNIVERSITY DEGREE TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION. ALL APPLICANTS WILL BE CONSIDERED.

I will provide a place and computer for you to work on at my air-conditioned condominium (about 1 km away from Ekkamai BTS Station). At the end of the day, I will need a summary of all tasks worked on and completed to check progress. You will be working, mostly, on your own with very little guidance from myself or others.

I am specifically looking for a younger person to come work with me. Current or recently graduated university students on break for the summer may even apply. This is an excellent opportunity for a young Thai or international student in Bangkok to pick up some work experience and cash in a very casual, friendly atmosphere. This position will be available for the next 3 months. After that, depending on what I’ve seen, I may keep you longer.

Hours: Flexible, but maximum of 40 hours a week, Monday – Friday
Payment: 12,000 Baht a Month + Performance Bonuses for excellent work (possibility of up to 10,000 extra baht a month or more!) + Extras (Paid lunch, transportation, etc.)
Payment Method – PayPal or paid with cash once per week (3,000 Baht per week)
Location: Ekkamai Rd. (Sukhumvit 63) Bangkok, Thailand

How to apply: All those interested in this position can apply by sending a CV/resume and design portfolio with examples of any design or websites you’ve created to buddydupre@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can contact me.

Note: I am looking for an employee to come work on location with me. I need to be able to give specific instructions to you, which is why I need to be able to talk to you face to face. With time, I may entrust you to complete some of the work out of home. However, atleast for the first month, you will need to be in my office.

Affiliate Marketing as a Foreigner

Justin Dupre — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 04:17:54 +0000

I love that I get to live my life out in Thailand. It’s a simple and inexpensive country, and far from being the dirty country the news sometimes makes it out to be (talking about the sex tourism and politics). There are a lot of personal problems I do have that get in the way of letting me be the best Internet marketer that I could be. Shall we examine them? Yes, we shall.

Number 1 is the time difference. There is a 12-13 hour time difference (depending on daylight savings) between Thai time and central standard time in America. This obviously gets to be annoying when I want to talk to anyone in America during business hours. I either have to stay up late, or get up extremely early. When I was addicted to this stuff, I just changed my sleep schedule all together, sleeping during the day and working through the dark night hours.

Another problem with communication is that using my cell phone to call over seas can get pricey. Obviously, this is countered by the use of emailing, IM clients and social platforms, however, there are some issues I just can’t solve without using a telephone to call a network or my bank to sort out problems.

I’ve run into trouble being able to manage my money. I’ve got a bank account in America, but my parents still hold a lot of control over my money and handle any checks that go into my account. I trust them, but I’d much rather have that responsibility on my shoulders. Without wires, which not all affiliate networks will give me, I can’t really do that. I am attempting to open bank accounts in America as well as Thailand on my own, which should help me gain a bit more control of cashflow to and from America.

To stay in Thailand, I’ve got to have a visa or do border runs every 15 – 30 days. Those border runs would be tedious, and the policies on them are always changing. I’d rather not deal with that. The easiest visa to get then is an educational visa which I have to attend college to get. I’d much rather just focus on business rather than school work, because I know this is what I’ll be doing for a long time. It kinda feels like a hassle at sometimes and it is another expense that I have to pay to stay here. But I love this country and if it is what I have to do to stay here, than I will until a better alternative opens up for me.

There are countless other reasons that living in Thailand has had an effect on my life, work and the way I have to go around it like slow internet speeds, legal issues, and insurance. If you are planning to move to a foreign country and do some marketing there for a living, be sure you have a contact in that country that can help you prepare for culture shock as well as what you’ll need to do to stay on top of your marketing game.

Make Money Get Paid – New Condo!

Justin Dupre — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 08:59:14 +0000

I’m finally settled into my new crib, which would be the cause of my long hiatus from posting here + some hugenormous campaigns I’m building on Google (ones got 2000 keywords with 250+ ad groups). So without wasting any extra time cause I gotta get ready for class, lets take a look at my crib.

If you remember this old post, you’ll see some pictures of my old apartment. It would be fine for someone who likes living in a cardboard box. Now with all this money I be makin’ on the Internets, its time to move out.

The aftermath of packing… Wonder how happy my landlord was to get to pick that shit all up. Made sure I threw away all my ex-gfs stuff she left at my place and never took back. Haha.

It took a while to get everything into my room as traffic was a bitch (even though this place is only about 2 km from my old place), and the elevator ended up taking my stuff up to my floor without me in it, but me and a few friends managed it. I bought them some food and drinks for payment in helping me set up… friends are easy to buy here. Lol

So lets take a peak shall we. You walk into the room and see this:

That would be the living room with a dining set on the left and an awesome balcony over looking the pool that all the sexy Japanese chicks swim in. I’ll try and get some shots when I spy them out there.

I used to have my two computers, TV and PS3 all on the same desk. Now, I’ve got separate area just for the sexy LCD screen and PS3 to entertain guests. I honestly don’t play that much anymore (waiting for Final Fantasy and the final version of Grand Turismo), but when my friends were in my room they were addicted to Soul Caliber.

To the right of the door is the kitchen. It’s pimping with a clothes washer (yes, clothes washer), full size fridge, electric stove top and over + hood, and microwave. I was hungry, so I decided to cook something for myself for the first time in about 1 year, or since the last time I went to America.

Was my bacon and egg sandwich good? Actually, it was the best bacon and egg sandwich I’ve ever eaten. I’ve hardly ever cooked a thing in my life, but day-ummmmmmn. This was tasty. The bacon was juicy, eggs were done just right, and the stove-toasted bread was just toasty enough. Be jealous. Not many affiliate marketers got cookin’ skillz like me. John Chow FTW!

Upstairs (Duplex condo… say what!? Hell Yeahz…) we’ve got my bedroom with another view of the sexy chicks swimming in the pool and those weird whities makin’ love in the opposite building. Bedsheets are for women. They’ll be put into use soon, but for now I need some time to unpack and rest.

My cleaned up workspace. This is where the Adwords and Facebook magic happens (fuck Myspace shinnanigans). The surround sound set up is awesome not that its a bit more spread out and wrapped around me. Porn never sounded better. Speaking of which I blocked out the porno I was DL’in on my notebook with my Plum card envelope. Plum FTW!

Finally, the master bathroom (there is a small half bathroom for guests downstairs) where I get to touch myself and get shiny. It’s got a bathtub! Most traditional Thai bathrooms don’t have one (just a floor with a hole for water to go down), so to get one is awesome. The ladies are gonna love it (or maybe they’ll be confused and wonder why there isn’t just a hole in the floor).

That’s it for my condo update. I’ve still got some things to move around, but it’s pretty much all set. It’s going to be awesome staying here, I can already tell. It’s quiet, in an amazing neighborhood surrounded by clubs, and there are hot Japanese chicks here. Japanese chicks in Thailand FTW!

If you’ve got some questions to ask, ask and I’ll try and follow them up in a couple days. I might work on a new layout for the blog with some links that should really help you guys get to at least 50 dollars a day in profit.