After leaving my job and moving to Thailand I bought an old laptop in order to stay in contact with my grandchildren via email. I didn"t realize how much I"d be using it for other things...mainly making money online.

I had been working as a sports writer at a local newspaper, but the village I live in only had a small weekly paper and they were not hiring staff. The National newspapers come from the capital, Bangkok, almost 200 miles away. I called the editor of the largest daily paper, and inquired about doing correspondence work...covering news, features, brief items, etc. This was successful, and I now send everything, including digital photos, via my computer. Not only is the editor happy to have someone local when news breaks, the features have proven very popular with the readers.

When a recent bird flu outbreak occurred, I was available to cover it, thus saving the expense of sending a reporter and photographer from the city.

I find the extra income is great, and I am able to work at my own pace (most of the time). Newspaper experience is not always necessary when working as a correspondent. I suggest anyone interested in this type of writing to contact the nearest large-city newspaper.