Happy Sunday, Bangkok!
What a week.
What with the disappearance of a certain high-profile someone, the launch of Spotify, and Pattaya hosting the trans beauty contest ‘Miss Tiffany’s Universe’, it’s been a riotous seven days in the Land of Smiles.
And sadly the venerable Stickman shut his column’s doors for what may be the last time.
Here’s what else has been entertaining and enraging Bangkok this week…
Post Contents
News
4 French women rescued on Phuket Beach in red flag zone
Just in case we needed another story to tell us to take heed of the red ‘no swimming’ flags at the beaches around Thailand, this week four French women were rescued from Surin Beach on Phuket after being swept away by a flash current.
A red flag was flying but thankfully lifeguards spotted the women as they got into trouble, two of which had to be towed in using rescue tubes.
Tourists help save family who crashed car into Chiang Mai khlong
Another inspiring rescue story this week as a young tourist couple in Chiang Mai were recognized as heroes after pulling a family from a sinking car that crashed into a khlong. Inside the car were a mother, father, and their son. Apparently the mother, who was driving at the time, accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake.
Can you help save Thailand’s street dogs?
Tamara Johnston runs Thai Street Paws — a rescue mission for the street dogs of Songkhla, that works to feed, sterilize, heal and rehome the thousands of dogs that roam the streets and beaches in southern Thailand.
They are currently in crisis mode — desperately over capacity and under funded — to the extent that Tamara doesn’t know how much longer she will be able to keep running the rescue and foster homes she has in place to care for these pups.
80 dogs are in foster care, with countless more being cared for on the streets every day. The current vet bill stands at over 60,000 baht and the cost of food alone comes to over 1,000 baht a day. Sterilisation for female dogs also costs 1,000 baht per case.
If you’re able to spare any cash at all to help Thai Street Paws and the dogs of Songkhla, please consider making a donation to Tamara’s Paypal account (oztam76@hotmail.com). She has Australian and Thai bank account details included in the above post as well.
Plus, if you’re willing and able to adopt a Thai Street Paws dog, or keen to volunteer with Tamara, do get in touch with the Facebook page. Even sharing the Facebook post and ‘liking’ the page is much appreciated.
You can read more about Tamara and Thai Street Paws here.
Blogs
Bangkok vs Ho Chi Minh City
This is a really good post on the Nomadic Notes blog on the differences between Bangkok and the former Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City. Unlike other travel blogger ‘city vs city’ posts, however, this is based on data and lived experience, leading to a very fair comparison. While we love both cities — and although Bangkok definitely has our heart, for now — we’d have to agree that public transport wise, both cities are somewhat disappointing.
The faces of Bangkok
This is a beautiful photo essay on the faces and places you’ll come across on the streets of Bangkok, by South African photographer, Duran Levinson. From Nana Plaza to Hua Lamphong and everywhere in between, there are some haunting and telling scenes captured here.
How to be a vegetarian in Thailand
A great guide to travelling around Thailand as a vegetarian or vegan. It includes dishes you should order, the notorious vegetarian festival in Phuket and even Thai phrases to help you avoid meat and animal products when you dine. No more accidental fish sauce!
Forum Threads
What’s the lowest rent for a 1-bed apartment in Bangkok?
A quick survey on Thaivisa on the lowest possible rent one might expect for a simple 1-bedroom apartment in Bangkok. Of course, everything here is location dependent: a nice studio on Ratchadamri is going to be significantly more expensive than the same in On Nut.
One of the lower prices being bandied around is a tiny 3,000 baht a month — with air con! It just goes to show that expats can and do find very cheap lodgings in and around Bangkok; you just need to be happy to compromise on location and square footage.
YouTube
Love your work Bangkok pic.twitter.com/l9dH3vbJbW
— Glenn (@_GlennCollier) August 21, 2017
Soldiers board a bus in Phichit to look for supporters of ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra heading to Bangkok for her verdict on Friday. pic.twitter.com/lgJWfRdhur
— Khaosod English (@KhaosodEnglish) August 23, 2017
Aug 2017 ✿ Bangkok, Thailand https://t.co/jf5BXyDU8z pic.twitter.com/OlpgkY9jgO
— Strays’ Streets (@strays_streets) August 21, 2017
Just spent 1 hour unblocking the drain. This is what life in Phuket is really about. I never ever sip cocktails while lounging in a hammock.
— Jamie in Phuket (@jamiemonk) August 23, 2017
Thailand. Walked away from Yingluck crowd to find quiet spot to do French TV interview and came across this contemplative scene pic.twitter.com/m5fW5zVHW7
— Jerome Taylor (@JeromeTaylor) August 25, 2017
And that’s been The Week On Sukhumvit — see you next time!
Featured photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash
