A recent issue of the Atlantic Monthly magazine had a short article about the popularity of American style cowboy culture in Thailand. Can't say I ever expected to hear of cowboys rounding up cattle in Thailand! The article says in part:
Thailand’s northeast, the center of the country’s cattle industry, has long been home to Wild West fans. During the Vietnam war, GIs in Thailand (where the U.S. had enormous air bases) brought their Clint Eastwood photos, Ennio Morricone albums, and taste for steak and burgers to the region, and the cowboy culture took hold. To the locals, the sun-baked cornfields of the northeast are kin to the decaying plains and mesas portrayed in Western films, and their traditional music—all jangly guitars and wailing songs of loss—could fit right in at a Tucson bar. (link)
Dude ranches in the area now attract tourists both Thai and foreign. Check out the video slideshow here. Or read the full article here.
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