New Mandala: Craving For Thai Politics

Got several warnings these days from friends. To tone down the postings on absolutelyBangkok.com. For fear of being troubled by the new rulers in town.

Hey, we talk lifestyle here. Compared to several Thai and foreign online sites, the observations on absolutely are quite flattering.

But we’re reasonable, we listen to advise.

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January 31, 2008 | Filed Under On Our Own, Politics, Society | 2 Comments

Hungry? Tuk-Tuk Terror In Bangkok

Hungry in Bangkok - and trying to find pad thai on a tuk-tuk? Good luck-luck.

Walking the streets of Bangkok is rather like being home alone. It’s possible to sing to yourself in complete privacy, your voice drowned out by traffic and ambient noise. And in many places you can fart without anyone in the vicinity noticing any deterioration in the quality of the atmosphere. There are some truly wretched aromas on stretches of Bangkok sidewalk.

That’s the price you pay for being the anti-Vancouver. Everything here is chaos. Yet Bangkok not only makes it work, it makes it appealing.

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January 29, 2008 | Filed Under Food & Wine, Truly Bangkok | 1 Comment

Survey: What Thai Women Want

Thai women are easy to please. If you know the how-to.

Unfortunately though, the correct how-to remains a great unsolved mystery to this day.

But we don’t want to give up, do we.

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January 27, 2008 | Filed Under Being Farang, Society, Survey / Poll, The Thai Mind | 3 Comments

The Illegal Prime Minister?

You heard it before: There are some controversies around our new prime minister, Samak Sundaravej.

We’re not minding his tongue. His tongue is clearly not as honey-coated as Chuan Leekpai’s. Maybe there’s even a chance in this un-Chuan-ness: Some serious tongue-blunders by His Excellency Samak - and he becomes an intolerability.

But there is more to it: Strictly by the constitution Samak is not allowed to become prime minister.

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January 25, 2008 | Filed Under Politics | 1 Comment

Lust Or Gluttony: Which Sin Brought You To Bangkok?

Does anybody look good in camouflage pants? My seatmate doesn’t. He’s a great big dude from Manchester, England, with the kind of mug that can win fights just by staring.

We’re on a Philippine Airlines flight. He’s on his way to go diving. Look out, plankton.

He’s an amiable sort, though, and pretty soon he’s showing me digital photos of his 10-year-old son. But before we get to those pictures, there are others on the camera to get through; more recent shots showing his buddies biting the nipples of a ladyboy in a Bangkok bar. But how about that good-looking sonny boy, huh?

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January 25, 2008 | Filed Under Travel & Tourism | Leave a Comment

Tidbits: Duo Infernale

Thais - as we know - are very creative in depicting their ill-gotten heroes. As we see, the new love affair with Thailand’s new leaders is in full swing already. Here are our two coyote boys - best enjoyed with your own music. And that’s just the beginning. Trust Thais: They’ll soon come up with much more solid, creative stuff dissing their leaders.

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January 24, 2008 | Filed Under Politics, Tidbits | 2 Comments

Thailand’s Most Beautiful Woman

The heavy flow of her playful long hair, that coy smile - and her money. She’s the Kingdom’s most desired woman.

Where she walks, cameramen go crazy. Where she shows up to dance, the floor erupts.

For the sake of the myriads of beauties in this country: I’m not talking about the mother.

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January 24, 2008 | Filed Under Body & Mind, Fashion, Politics, Society | 7 Comments

Go True Urban

It’s not the latest place in town, but whenever you want to feel like having your mind plugged into a power outlet, then take a timeout and head down to Paragon’s TrueUrbanpark.

You may shun TRUE, the monopolist of cable TV and slow-speed Internet in Thailand. But TRUE’s Urbanpark is the ugly orphan. The exception that proves the rule.

It’s all about electrifying IT and communication technology lifestyle up on the 3rd floor of Siam Paragon’s Living & Technology Zone.

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January 23, 2008 | Filed Under Culture & Arts, Fashion, Food & Wine, Gadgets & Shopping | Leave a Comment

The Thai Taliban

Some may vividly remember the resurgence of the Thai Taliban in 2005. When Thailand’s cultural authorities banned the “too realistic” Bangkok travel guide “Bangkok Inside Out”.

The bone of contention was a photo of a bar girl sitting on the lap of a foreigner. As furthermore “too realistic” were considered the parts about gambling, faked goods, gay shows, fraudsters.

No good publicity, isn’t it. But now, especially with Khun Samak in the seat, the cultural hardliners are back in force. What a timing. Because the cultural authorities had just reissued a book telling foreigners how to do what when and where.

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January 19, 2008 | Filed Under Being Farang, Culture & Arts, Society, The Thai Mind | Leave a Comment