Welcome to Sunday, Bangkok!
It’s been another busy week in Thailand: what with the arrival of the Bangkok Michelin Guide (foodies — contain yourselves), authorities pushing for Phang Nga Bay to be recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, of course, three horses found galloping through Chiang Mai traffic without anyone knowing why:
Let’s see what else is entertaining and enraging Bangkok this week…
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News
Bangkok’s first Michelin-star restaurants are awarded
The Bangkok foodies community has been alight this week for the arrival of the Michelin Guide in Thailand, announcing which of the city’s restaurants will be awarded with the highest accolade in the global culinary world: a Michelin star.
While no restaurants managed to take home the pinnacle of three Michelin stars, three restaurants were awarded two: Gaggan, Le Normandie and Mezzaluna. BK Magazine have the full list of restaurants that received one star, and have highlighted the surprise absences on the list.
Israeli is given death sentence for murder of friend
Shimon Biton was handed down a death sentence at the Bangkok Criminal Court this week after having been found guilty of the murder of his friend in 2016. 51-year old Biton apparently confessed to the crime after he was charged with murder at the end of last year, saying he was motivated by jealousy after finding that the victim, fellow Israeli Eliyahu Cohen, had been having an affair with his wife.
The new begpackers: farangs selling Thai flags
There’s a new breed of begging backpacker in town: westerners trying to sell Thai flags to Thai motorists. That’s right, Westerners standing on the side of the road, trying to sell the flag of a country that is not their own, to people whose country it is.
Commentary so far has focused on these people trying to save money for a cause: for instance, the European girl who was selling flags to apparently fund a hearing aid. But that begs the question: why not get a real job that presumably offers a better ROI on your time? And why try this in Thailand, of all places?!
Blogs
Behind the scenes at Jay Fai
There weren’t too many surprises in the Bangkok Michelin Guide this week, although one of the most notable one-star awards was to the famous street food stall Jay Fai in the old city. Coconuts goes behind the scenes here to discover the magic of those incredible crab omelettes and Drunken Noodles, and why Jay Fai is the queen of Bangkok street food.
Postcards from Railay
Some beautiful photographs and commentary here on one of Thailand’s most magical beaches: Railay.
Forum Threads
How long did your Thailand honeymoon last?
An interesting Reddit thread this week which asks expats how long it took for the rose-tinted glasses to come off after moving to Thailand. Answers vary quite widely: some insist they have always viewed Thailand with a realistic eye so there was no honeymoon to speak of, others say that they’re still in this phase, while a smorgasbord of others take the medium route — about a year in the honeymoon phase.
All things considered, we’re certainly in this camp:
How to meet Thai girls away from dating apps
If you’re interested in dating Thai girls but don’t want to bother with the quagmire that is the wilds of Tinder and Thaifriendly, there’s a boatload of advice in this thread about where to meet and how to approach Thai girls in real life.
Of course, we’d advise to take all this with a pinch of salt: whereas some girls might appreciate being approached during the daytime by an overconfident Westerner (one respondent actually advocates for prowling the floors of a mall for university students), most girls — the world over — will find this creepy and intrusive.
YouTube
I'm not in this photo by the way. I'm at the bus stop outside. With a bit of luck I'll be home for 9.00 pm. get settled, get curtains drawn. I might even have an Ovaltine. pic.twitter.com/slLO27NghN
— Phil / Ajarn.com (@Ajarncom) December 9, 2017
???
(Pic cr.@allUneedisbacon) pic.twitter.com/1k2gPvxvAj
— Stickboy Bangkok (@StickboyBangkok) December 9, 2017
Strips of sun-dried meat are one of those oddly typical sights in #bangkok #thailand #foodies #thaifood pic.twitter.com/2DYXF2LM8T
— Jim Algie (@jim_algie) December 7, 2017
Meanwhile in Pattaya, Ronald thinks he’s in with a chance tonight. pic.twitter.com/Lf5XlNMdvR
— Ian (@iamKohChang) December 6, 2017
Trip to #Pilok on the #Thailand & #Burma border. Gorgeous. pic.twitter.com/RHArpuVdg0
— Bill Glenwright (@BillGlenwright) December 6, 2017
And that’s been The Week On Sukhumvit — see you next time!
Featured photo by Evan Krause on Unsplash
