Apolitical Thai Hangover Causes & Cures

The real art these days in Thailand is to say something by not saying it. What cannot be said can still be said, just chose a careful wording. Some say though that some are still too cautious. As a trusted friend advised: “The boundaries have been stretched enough to allow you more space to roam.” Well, I don’t trust the “Thai spring” yet. There’s no Thai spring far and wide and I wouldn’t be surprised if all of a sudden reactionary hard-hitting forces take over again, killing all dissent and throwing the kingdom back into even darker ages. Common sense is hard to find in these divisive times. Just look what’s going on with our costly dowsing rods aka GT200.

They’re a con, a fraud, a crime, reports the Bangkok Post, but our honorable army defiantly insists they’re working. It’s encouraging to say the least that there’s an open conflict between the civilian and army leadership. Our dear prime minister, all diplomat, implicitly called the dowsing rods a fraud. Without actually being aware of it even our dear army chef confirmed they’re hardly working. The device had performed some 300 rounds successfully over the past few years, Anupong Paojinda was quoted as saying. Some 535 devices are used in the violence-plagued south. Do the math. Meaning, roughly every second device worked once over the past few years …

There’s actually no difference between a soldier trying to detect bombs holding a GT200 and a Big Mac … This is Thailand. If you dare to and have the backing you can just stand there and say something is true even though the whole world knows it is not. Anyway, this blatant mockery of sanity and reason makes it an even bigger pleasure to introduce Chef Tummy, an American and chef dedicated to adventurous Thai cooking who will hopefully become a regular writer on aB.com with his focus on Thai food culture. Trying to stay sane we have to have some more positive content on this site. Got a politics hangover? It’s good to stay away from politics – Thai politics! – once in a while. And Chef Tummy may have an answer or two:

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February 19, 2010 | Filed Under Being Farang, Culture & Arts, Food & Drink, TTT - Top Thai Things, Travel & Tourism | 3 Comments 

Thai Cheese? You Bet

There is a limit to what the human mind can absorb. Especially in Thai politics. Hearing the names of Abhisit, Thaksin and the likes just gives me a bad mood these days. The latest newsletter by the one sent into exile a year ago on February 6th was a lonely bright light amid cheats and pretenders. But hey, I still feel good, and this is why:

Am eating nothing but bread and homemade cheese products made from pure natural ingredients only, with no preservatives or artificial additives, produced from fresh, straight-from-the-farm organic milk – and yes, made in the heart of Bangkok. I’m living on Thai cheese and yogurt these days. And it feels great.

Once in a while you just have to ignore these political clowns out here and enjoy the beautiful sides Thailand has to offer. One of them is fresh Thai cheese. Yes, I’m a cheese addict, and to know that from now on I can get natural homemade cheese at decent prices delivered to my doorsteps is kind of the best news of this year so far.

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February 8, 2010 | Filed Under Being Farang, Food & Drink, TTT - Top Thai Things | 12 Comments 

Hail 2010, Year of More Liberal Booze

As we all know, being a wine lover in Thailand is an elitist thing. Imports being taxed over 200%, because wine lovers are considered to be snobs who can afford any price. An average bottle sets you back at least the double of the price you pay in the West. Or even in Vietnam or Cambodia for that, former colonies still honoring their former master’s way of life.

Some good news for a change. There’s a fierce price war between local alcohol producers and importers looming. Prices could fall, partially at least. Starting 2010 the Asean Free Trade Area Afta will be fully established. Afta reduces and – for some products – entirely drops import taxes. Darn free trade and globalization. Meaning imported alcohol will also be cheaper. Import duty on alcoholic beverages is cut down to zero, nullifying the customs tariff.

That doesn’t go down well with our purists who not only pushed for laws that reinterpret what a beer calendar can look like. The radicals of Chamlong Srimuang’s Santi Asoke sect successfully prevented legal Thai companies producing legal alcoholic products from listing on the Thai stock exchange. Perfectly consistent with his yellow insurrection against Thai democracy. But change is in the air:

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December 26, 2009 | Filed Under Business & Economics, Food & Drink, Health, Body & Mind, Nightlife & Entertainment, Society | 5 Comments 

Beauty’s Moral Decay

Finally we see some focused government action in these trying times. Not only the Ministry of Information & Communication Technology is overly active these days to ensure a pure and prosperous society.

We learn that the Ministry of Health “is considering action against alcohol beverage firms that distribute calendars clearly showing their brand names or logos – but with no constructive or educational information of value to society.” Instead they show sexy girls. Wow.

Another Protect-the-Nation’s-Dignity campaign by our puritan leaders. Say thanks to the chosen ones behind the yellow movement who want to ban alcohol altogether. Mens sana in corpore sano. Never mind the endless political bickering and hate. It all comes down to, it seems, loose morals and abounding obscenities in today’s Thai society.

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December 16, 2009 | Filed Under Bangkok Sirens, Culture & Arts, Food & Drink, Nightlife & Entertainment, TTT - Top Thai Things | 17 Comments 

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 local food market. The love of food does tells you a lot about sanuk, the joie de vivre Thais have. E.g. Thai language is soaked with proverbs regarding food.

A VIP is a sen yai (a big noodle), to camouflage something is pak chee roi nah (to straw coriander) … It seems like the whole country is either cooking or eating. Just like Italians can get poetic about the right olive oil or pasta, Thai people go crazy for the right noodle soup. Thais eat around the clock and travel the country to sample a specific dish. Just like Italians will have their café culture, Thai seem to have a food market culture. A place where people get together to socialize, drink and eat.

What is unique in Thailand is the abundance and wealth of food that’s on offer out in the streets. For a first time visitor the hustle and bustle of the street food is overwhelming. The language is often a barrier, hygiene standards not secure. After living in Thailand for two years I have never been ill from eating out in the streets, I have been I’ll from eating in very posh five star hotels.

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December 14, 2009 | Filed Under Books & Movies, Food & Drink, Truly Bangkok | 3 Comments 

No Fuss Pizza & Pasta Lunch @ 150 Baht

That’s right, to this day some things that seem to good to be true still exist. I’m talking about the No Fuss Pizza & Pasta Lunch over at Witch’s Tavern, Thonglor. A whole pizza with a salad prepared by Italian pizzaiolo Francesco. Or a plate of pasta with salad prepared by Italian chef Francesco. For 150 baht the set.

Chief sorcerer Eddie, who also owns Witch’s Oyster Bar over at Ruamrudee, built a new pizza oven especially for Francesco after the arrival of the world-traveling chef a few months ago. What a no-brainer, a pizza handmade by an Italian master who’s insisting on only Italian flour, salt, olive oil and yeast in the dough and a temperature of some 200°C for two minutes in the oven.

There’s a high probability you bump into this pizza lover, BangkokDan, when you give Francesco’s Italian cuisine a go for lunch. The offer is valid from Monday to Friday until 4 pm, so the tavern is your ideal place for a late lunch in peace and quiet before the beer starts flowing and the loudspeakers are turned up. And the prices rise.

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October 29, 2009 | Filed Under Food & Drink | 1 Comment 

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