Siam, Cradle Of Humankind

In case you missed it, this topic has been briefly touched upon by readers’ comments in the earlier post Earful of Nonsense. Main question arising was – this being Siam – how to gauge the intellect of a people. Now we have proof. Siam is the cradle of humankind.

Forget the Romans, forget the Greeks, forget the origins of mankind in Africa where 32-million-year old fossils of anthropoid primates were discovered. An ancient ape fossil found in a Krabi coal mine links earliest man to Thailand.

“The anthropoidia primates – an order that includes humans like us – might have originated right here in Thailand, the recent discovery of a 35-million-year old Siamese ape fossil has suggested,” we learn from The Nation.

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January 7, 2010 | Filed Under History, Tidbits | 7 Comments 

The Ultimate Thai Ringtone

Thanks to good friend Andy who, while shooting a film upcountry, came across this so typical Thai sound. And caught it.

He played around with it, cleaned up background noise, edited it – et voilà, here are the MP3 and MP4 ringtones for your phone.

Says Andy that recently in a Bangkok taxi his phone rang and the surprised taxi driver was so astonished to hear that sound in his car that he started looking around for …

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November 28, 2009 | Filed Under TTT - Top Thai Things, Tidbits | 5 Comments 

Of Mystery Deaths, Patpong Clashes & Quite Some Skeletons

Glorious kingdom. Today’s news alert by Thaivisa contained three teasers leading to stories, well … Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra was right on target in the recent Spiegel interview when he assured that “in Thailand, the law of the jungle prevails.” And you expect harmony?

The first story linking to the Phuket Gazette is a kind of mild: “Mystery illness kills foreign tourists on Phi Phi.” Concludes the paper: “Poisoned drinks, faulty air conditioning, carbon monoxide and chemicals from a water treatment plant near the guesthouse have all been mentioned as possible causes.”

The second story “Patpong vendors clash with pirate good police” is only surprising because shots were fired and tourists ran for cover. But now get this, the third story: Containers full of bodies reported discovered off the coast of Sattahip. Why does Thailand never seize to amaze.

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May 7, 2009 | Filed Under Being Farang, News & Media, Tidbits | 12 Comments 

Tidbits: Read & Write Thai + Thailand Sports

The probably best Thai language course out there Learn Thai Podcast LTP just added a Reading & Writing Course. Thumbs up to Jay and his team. Another innovative add-on.

LTP’s approach based on repetitive memorization works. It’s money most well spent if you finally want to master that beauty of a language after years of not understanding your hosts.

And for the sport fanatics out here looking for new kicks and like-minded people: the Sports Network went online, “connecting sporting people throughout Thailand.”

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April 23, 2009 | Filed Under Being Farang, Culture & Arts, Sports & Fun, Tidbits | Leave a Comment 

Atomic Thai Chili? Try Blair’s Reserve:

An insurance salesman in Bangkok once told me that most Thai health insurances exclude kidney diseases – as kidney ailments are a common disease among Thai people due to the spicy, salty food. Thai food takes pride in its hotness, said to be not only healthy, but good for your stamina and everything.

But even the most atomic of Thailand’s atomic chilis called phrik khii nuu – literally “mouse shit chili” – is as mild as a glass of milk compared to “Blair’s 16 Million Reserve” – a beautifully crafted little bottle containing the world’s spiciest spice: pure capsaicin crystals, easily taking out the most chili-hardened Thai.

Pure capsaicin contains 16 million Scoville heat units, the industry’s standard for measuring a pepper’s punch- while Tobasco has some 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville and the hottest fresh Thai chili reaches 350,000 Scoville. The world’s hottest chili is some paltry 855,000 Scoville units. Pure fire, but if you like it reeeally hot:

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March 19, 2009 | Filed Under Food & Drink, Tidbits | 5 Comments 

How To Plan A Successful Bangkok Jailbreak

It took him two years – and was the only Westerner ever to break out of Thailand’s Bangkok Hilton. A wanted man in Thailand and Australia, David McMillan, author of “Escape: The True Story of the Only Westerner Ever to Break Out of Thailand’s Bangkok Hilton,” today lives legally and peacefully in the U.K.

The convicted drug trafficker who makes no excuse for his life as a drug smuggler spent two years plotting his escape from Klong Prem in 1996. He told the BBC how much planning this kind of operation takes. He didn’t have any choice, he says. I guess you will want to read the whole book that you find here.

He’d been planning his escape from the moment four policeman came into a travel agency and arrested him in Bangkok’s Chinatown. As soon as he actually got to the prison about a week later he started looking at bars and walls and electric fences and began looking for the best place to be. Building six, that was.

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March 1, 2009 | Filed Under Being Farang, Society, Tidbits | Leave a Comment 

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