Archive for the 'Books & Movies' Category
Al Jazeera: Slingshots & Firecrackers, That’s All They Had
Relive Black May with Al Jazeera’s “The Rageh Omaar Report: The Year of Living Dangerously.” As if the Thai government’s PR campaign fell on deaf ears you’re left wondering if the red shirts are no front. The last words belong to the opposition, it’s the government that’s in need of explanations. Add some somber music
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Thai Politics Go Blockbuster
Hollywood has discovered the power of the misery of Thai politics. Guaranteed box office hits soon to arrive in a theater near you: “The Happiness of Sondhi,” “Prince of Montenegro,” “Thueag, I Love You.” Release dates of the latest Thai blockbusters are not yet finalized, but expect the Thai film scene to take the world
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To Invest Or Not
Ever lost or gamed away money in Thailand? There’s a new bible for investors: Your Investment Guide to Thailand. I had a word with the author Bruce Bickerstaff who has more than twenty years experience in professional and management roles in both the Australian government and private sectors. Over the past decade Bruce has been
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Street Food
It’s hard to not notice the Thai passion for food. Most first time visitors to Thailand are impressed with the sight of people cooking along street corners and alleys. The scent of garlic burning in hot oil, the fragrance of sweet sticky rice and mango (khao niauw ma mouang), the activity early morning at a
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Calvino Is Back
Every city has a dark side. Hardly anyone paints the dark underbelly of Bangkok more vividly than Christopher G. Moore, whose latest Bangkok novel The Corruptionist just hit the shelves. 466 pages of dark Bangkok. I had a word with Chris about his new book, his work and Bangkok. Most expats here are familiar with
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Thai Literature Made Easy
So you’re in Thailand maybe since years and you’re not able to speak a single coherent Thai sentence. Told me an Aussie friend here recently whose local business spiraled downwards that in a meeting with his Thai in-laws the long unsaid was finally said to him: “You don’t speak Thai, that’s why!” There’s a hidden
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BKK Film Fest
If the following sounds like Spanish to you, you have to read on: “Double Take. Weirdness involving Hitchcock and the Cold War. World cinema fans are into A Prophet, Antichrist and 35 Shots of Rum. Independencia and Manila from the Philippines, Here from Singapore, The Forbidden Door from Indonesia, Agrarian Utopia from Thailand, Burma VJ
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Girlfriend For Sale
Not much to add. This is a YouTube upload of “Girlfriend for Sale” filmed for Britain’s Channel 4. It’s been a while since it was on air in December 2007. But hell, while some get wiser and learn, some don’t – and are not less happy. It’s the same old story over and over again.
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A Sad Story
A few days ago, after a fairly good Aikido session at Thai-Ippun Dojo in Din Daeng, I had dinner at one of my usual restaurants. I was quite hungry but I didn’t want to eat too much as it was already late, so I ordered just one plate of fried rice. As the owners of
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TIME Archive & The Art Of Titillation
TIME Magazine’s online archive is a compelling treasure trove. The archive reaches back to – believe it or not – the year of 1924. That is, if you search for bangkok. Searching for thailand, the archive starts in April 1931. Because Thailand didn’t even exist yet back then? Covers are available back to 1923. My
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