Welcome to Sunday, Bangkok!
Another wacky week in Thailand, what with a naive Korean tourist stumping up a 160,000 baht bar bill in a Chiang Mai karaoke bar, a Thai ‘caveman’ making the news for his penchant for Western girlfriends, and the news that we’re due to enter the cool season as early as next week.
We’re ready to feel the chill.
Let’s take a look at what else has been entertaining and enraging Bangkok this week…
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News
Maya Bay to remain closed ‘indefinitely’
This is the news that Maya Bay — that beautiful, iconic, tourist hell hole — is to remain closed indefinitely as officials work to restore the coral in and around the national park in Koh Phi Phi.
Maya Bay, made famous in the Danny Boyle film The Beach, was initially ordered closed for a full four months from June to the end of September this year for the restoration work, which includes the planting of trees and installation of 1,000 corals.
After extending the closure for a further month, national park officials realised that it was still too early to open the popular bay to tourists and have so left the re-open date to be decided at a later date. We hope that they will continue to work in the best interests of the living wildlife of the park and not bow to tourism demands.
British DJ racks up huge hospital bill without insurance on Koh Samui
29-year old George Gannon, a social media consultant and DJ who’s been living on Koh Phangan since 2014, is facing a huge hospital bill — potentially reaching £100,000 if he is flown back to the UK — after falling ill on the island without health insurance.
George was rushed to a hospital by ambulance boat on Koh Samui and diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor that’s believed to have stemmed from a bout of skin cancer he’d battled years previously. He had apparently been suffering with headaches for a few weeks before suddenly losing his voice and mobility in his legs.
George’s friends and family have already raised a good deal of money on a GoFundMe page for his plight, but let this serve as a message to other Thailand expats on the merits of quality health insurance, covering pre-existing conditions, even if you’re otherwise seemingly young, fit and healthy.
Su su, George!
Can you help save this Bangkok dog’s life?
A dog blood donor is urgently needed in Bangkok to save William’s life — pictured above.
On the 8th October William will have a tumor removed at Kasetsart University hospital in Bangkok but needs a blood transfusion for it to be possible.
Do you have a dog that can help? You can donate on the 6th, 7th or morning of the 8th October. Please show the yellow card in the picture at the blood bank on the third floor of the building at the Kasetsart Vet that has all of William’s details on them.
You need to use the lift in main entrance and registration counter is just on the left of the 3rd floor. You can phone Bim on 0932518675 if you have any questions. (Thai / English).
The dog we need must be 17 kg or over in weight, vaccinated, having not received a blood transfusion in the past nor had any major surgery in the last 3 months. If female, must not be pregnant, giving milk or on heat, must not be on medication taken in the last 2 weeks, no big marks or skin disease, and requires a friendly owner who can control the dog.
Please help us save William’s life or help us by sharing the Facebook post above ❤️
Blogs
A day in the life in the ‘Land Of Scowls’
Surely, surely, this must be satire. No one can be this obnoxious and lacking in self-awareness, right? But, then again, it is a day in the life account of an ESL school teacher in Bangkok, so it’s anyone’s guess really.
Here we follow the author in what we assume to be an all-typical working day in his life — aside from the fact it’s his birthday, for which he almost gifts himself some trainers — as he moves through Bangkok, encountering beggars, shop girls with halitosis, and various service persons who the author believes harbour some sort of vendetta against him, or farangs more generally.
One of the common themes running throughout the day is Thai people refusing to converse with him in Thai. If this is happening multiple times per day, we’d hazard a guess that his Thai isn’t quite as ‘fluent’ as he likes to believe.
And, just generally speaking, if everyone you encounter is an arsehole, chances are that you too are indeed an arsehole. 🤷🏻♀️
7 reasons to visit Nakhon Si Thammarat
An interesting blog post here highlighting 7 reasons to spend time in Nakhon Si Thammarat, the province in Southern Thailand below Surat Thani. Included are pink dolphins, national parks, ancient coffee and a very special temple… plus, practically no tourists!
Forum Threads
Thailand vs Laos: which do you prefer?
An interesting thread on Thaivisa here on the merits and demerits of Thailand and Laos, and which comes out the winner for expats in Southeast Asia.
Some expats and tourists in the region write off Laos as something as a backwater, which probably makes sense if all you’ve seen is the Thai consulate in Vientiane as you line up for your 4th tourist visa in a row, but those who’ve travelled more widely believe that doesn’t do it justice.
See here those people share their warm feelings towards the Laotian culture and attitude — just bear in mind that they’re the same bitter expats slagging off Thai people and Thailand after a few years here.
The best Bangkok cafes to chill and work in…
A useful Reddit thread here for all you digital nomads — the best cafes in the city where you can easily while away a few hours with just your laptop and a few mugs of quality java.
We say avoid the noise at Starbucks and head down the sois to some of the independent coffee bars… Wonderwall, Hands and Heart, and Ceresia are some of our favourites right now.
YouTube
#Thailand tries to be the hub of many things but as the hub of dangerous driving, it’s a world leader. 😱 pic.twitter.com/629aZIwA1Y
— Thos Major (@ThosMajor) October 4, 2018
Why can’t some people understand the concept in queuing in 7-11’s and some coffee shops. As i’m handing the cash over, they are itching to get past me or have already put their stuff on the counter or even barked their order over my shoulder. #dailyannoyances
— BKK Aaron (@aaronflack) October 3, 2018
Makkasan Station, Bangkok back in 1968
(Pic cr. George Lane) pic.twitter.com/rQaPWFwdfg
— Stickboy Bangkok (@StickboyBangkok) October 3, 2018
The fucking irony of this sign. “Tomorrow’s heritage”. This is a project being built on top of land where a heritage wooden house stood. #bangkok pic.twitter.com/whkzVki2rD
— Sweaty Bear (@sweatyinbkk) October 3, 2018
The Opluang National Park is 20 baht for Thais and 200 for aliens. Worth every penny. I’ve rarely seen anything so gorgeous and well-maintained.#MaeHongSonLoop pic.twitter.com/MeRCeGSzRr
— Phil / Ajarn.com (@Ajarncom) October 4, 2018
The world’s FASTEST Tuk Tuk driver!
Check out the latest pre-event film…🎬
Bangkok to Buriram: Marquez’s banging arrival to Thailand#ThaiGP | VIDEO 📽 https://t.co/H2KfrNLtxE pic.twitter.com/jvtCtE7ptv
— MotoGP™🇹🇭🏁 (@MotoGP) October 4, 2018
You just drive wherever. I’ll just stand here with my little flag and whistle. #Bangkok pic.twitter.com/v5WZcu1CXo
— Bob James (@NotThatBobJames) October 3, 2018
View from the dinner table … #Phuket #sunset pic.twitter.com/Cs3z4Bp26v
— Jamie in Phuket 🌴 (@jamiemonk) September 29, 2018
We’re told over and over again tourist numbers are up. Way up. I believe them. I just saw 3 people get off the BTS at Rajadamri. That’s the most I’ve ever seen.
— Justin Dunne (@justindunne) October 4, 2018
Thank Buddha they got them bloody elephants off of the pavement, now i can ride my motorbike on them without the threat of hitting their big shits and falling off! pic.twitter.com/ceHOnxz02n
— Kevin Moore (@Cmhasia) October 3, 2018
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Your life, your choice of views ❤️👩🏻💻 @leni_travellover #digitalnomad #womendigitalnomads
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And that’s been The Week on Sukhumvit — see you next time!
