Ron Emmons was born on the banks of the River Thames in Maidenhead, a small town in Berkshire, England, that lies about 30 miles (50km) west of London. Though this well-known river meant little to him during his youth, it was destined to draw him back to his homeland on several occasions – first to write a feature on the Thames Path for a major inflight magazine, then to write and update Walks along the Thames Path, his first guide book.
After studying sociology at London University, Ron went to work as a volunteer English teacher in Sennar, a small market town in the Sudan. This experience of living in a culture completely different to his own gave him a taste for travel, and shortly after returning to the UK, he went to Venezuela, where he taught English in private institutes and the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas for several years.
From Venezuela Ron went to live in San Francisco, USA, where he studied a Master’s degree in English (Emphasis: Creative Writing) and also worked as a cab driver for a while before returning to his native England. There he obtained a teaching degree at London University, after which he moved to Thailand to work for the British Council – first in Bangkok and then at their small school in Chiang Mai in the north. On completing this contract, he worked at Chiang Mai University, where he spent almost a decade teaching English, with main responsibility for writing courses.
Having lived in various exotic locations, Ron realised that Chiang Mai offered a combination of features that is difficult to beat – great climate, manageable size, friendly locals and intriguing destinations in all directions. He began his freelance writing and photography career by selling stories to the Bangkok Post and various inflight magazines while still teaching at Chiang Mai University, then in 1998 made the big decision to become a full-time freelancer.
Besides writing and photographing stories for magazines, newspapers and websites, his services have also been much in demand as a writer and updater of guide books. With the cultural knowledge and expertise that he has acquired during three decades in Southeast Asia, he is frequently called on by major publishers to provide content for both print and digital media on Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and China. For a complete list of Ron's academic and work experience and a list of all his book publications, click here. For a complete list of articles, click here.
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