About Ken May
Ken May is a lecturer at the Rajabhat University Phranakorn Si Ayutthaya, where he has taught English and tourism studies for a total of four years. He has published approximately 50 articles about education in the Bangkok Post newspaper, contributed over 75 pieces to various websites, and co-authored guidebooks about Thailand and Cambodia. His photojournalism work has also been featured in several international newspapers and websites.
He is also the author of “Road Rash:Western Tourists and Expatriates at Play in Asia’s Global Village (Postbooks) and “The Deserted Temples of Ayutthaya” (Ayutthaya Studies Institute). The entire stock of both books has been sold out.
Ken May lives a semi-nomadic lifestyle, and his research has taken him across America and into approximately 50 countries around the world. He has a BA in Liberal Arts, an Area Studies Certificate in International Development, and a Master’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. He has also taught English in Hungary, South Korea, Thailand, and the United States. Ken May has helped produce the following websites:
www.ayutthaya-history.com and www.ayutthaya-info.com.
Contact Ken May at: soulhouse69@yahoo.com
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The contents of this website include:
Education Articles - This collection of material was written for the Bangkok Post newspaper (where I once worked as a writer/subeditor). These article are posted in their original and unedited draft, plus I have also included all my more controversial and unprinted submissions. (visit)
Travel Articles - This is a collection of travel essays and research projects. The majority of this material focuses on Thailand and Ayutthaya. (visit)
Views from the Outside - This collection is comprised of material I wrote for the Bangkok Post as a weekly columnist. It focuses on my teaching experiences at a Thai university and my attempt to introduce my students to Western methodologies. Each article appears in its original draft, and I have added material that was viewed by my editor as too controversial to print. (visit)
Ajarn Island - This novella is about teaching a tourism studies class in Thailand. A reoccurring theme is how difficult it is to get Thai students interested in their own history and tourist sites. I also explore various elements that have had a surprising impact on my style of English teaching. (visit)
Lifting Fire - This bluntly honest autobiography focuses on poverty and debt in the United States. It explores the mind frames that arise out of poverty and articulates how difficult is is to get off the streets. Lifting Fire ignites a whole new set of questions about homelessness, African-American ghettos, trailer homes, social work, pacifism, violence, responsibility, protest movements, and flag burning. Ultimately, this book asks what it means to be an American. (visit)
Road Rash - This book is a collection of travel stories and essays. The focus is on the politics of being a western tourist or expatriate in Asia. It follows my development from a naive tourist, to a seasoned traveler, to a full-blown expatriate. Road Rash was originally published by Postbooks but is now out of print. (visit)
Whiteboard Wanderlust - This novella explores one year as an English teacher at a Korean private school. It looks at a number of controversies within the TEFL industry and the standard frustrations or working at a Korean “hogwon”. (visit)
Male Bonding - This collection of controversial research is from my graduate thesis: Male Bonding and Inter-Male Conflict in US Fraternities. It dissects the nature of these secret societies, the rituals the bring them together, and the conflicts that tear them apart. (visit)
Deserted Temples in Ayutthaya - This book was published by the Ayutthaya Studies Institute in both English and Thai. It focuses on my research about 100 countryside temples in Ayutthaya. All copies have since been sold out. This section includes my original draft based on 175 temples in the city. (visit)
Short Stories - This section is still under construction. It will include a variety of fictional material that I am about to write. Nothing academic here; just interesting stories about imaginary people. Character development and plot shifts will abound. (visit)