Racist ads, bad tattoos and cute bus conductors – it’s been another riotous week at the Bangkok news desks.
We’ve compiled the stories, discussions and social media blasts dominating the city’s zeitgeist this week.
Enjoy!
News
Can you save this girl’s life?
The featured image is of Lara, who was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia at the end of 2015 and needs to have a life-saving bone marrow transplant before April. The problem is that Lara is mixed race – half Chinese-Thai and half Italian – and finding a suitable genetic match for the transplant is proving difficult. Her family have launched a global appeal in a bid to find potential donors with similar Asian/European heritage.
The link contains further details on Lara herself and how you can join the bone marrow donor registry. Take a look at the Match4Lara Facebook page too. Spread the word to save a life!
Cosmetics company behind racist advert pull video and apologise
An advert for Seoul Secret Thailand has been slammed for its blatant racism. Advertising a beauty product, the video features two versions of a model; one with pale, white skin and another with a charcoal-black complexion. It also sports a pretty shocking “you just need to be white to win” tagline. They’ve now pulled the video and apologised, claiming they never meant to convey a racist message.
What happens when lip fillers go wrong…
A British teacher woke up with some wart-like lumps on her lips a few months after a dodgy lip filler procedure in a Bangkok clinic. Attempting to emulate the plump-pouted Kylie Jenner, Amelia Greville bought a cheap voucher for the procedure on the now defunct Thai Groupon site. The unnamed clinic in question is now funding Greville’s corrective surgery after she went to the British press with the story.
Thailand is one of the best places in the world to retire to
Citing the low cost of living, tropical climate and national respect for the elderly, BBC Capital chose Thailand as one of their top seven places to retire in the world. The Land Of Smiles joins countries like Panama, Spain and Malaysia as a haven for the older generation. There’s no mention of the fact that a certain breed of bargirl is ready and willing to welcome the old fogey brigade…
Forum Discussions
‘Cute’ bus conductor brightens up the morning commute
Referencing the press attention given to a certain attractive conductor on the No. 44 bus route, ThaiVisa users pontificated on the aesthetic merits of the young chap over three pages. The thread opened with the inevitable, homophobic “No thanks, I’m not gay,” to which one wise user asked what everyone else was thinking:
Sure.
How to greet a Thai girl on a first date?
A sweet Reddit thread sees a novice dater wondering about the appropriate greeting for a first date in Thailand. A kiss on the cheek? Handshake? Hug? There’s a few snippets of interesting Thai first date etiquette in here, such as the idea that a girl will probably bring along a friend with her in a chaperone-like role.
Video
Thai driver lies on camera after a serious bout of road rage
This is what flying First Class to Bangkok with Qatar Airways looks like…
A tour of Bangkok’s thriving Arab district (feat. Nana Plaza)
Tweets
Tourist police at Benchasiri Park looking 4 foreigners littering like hungry wolves. #Sukhumvit #Bangkok
— OrbisDomum (@OrbisDomum) January 5, 2016
#BREAKING: 7 people including #children #injured at “Pokemon Day”, when #stage collapses at Siam Paragon in #Bangkok pic.twitter.com/rhOh79dsJt — Or Ravid אור רביד (@OrRavid) January 9, 2016
Woke up in Bangkok with this ???? #bangkok #thailand pic.twitter.com/RNSZCZYH0c
— Ry (@ryan_1110) January 9, 2016
Looking good, broseph…
Featured image is from the Match 4 Lara Facebook page
