Happy Sunday, Thailand!
Another crazy hot week in what has been, so far, a blisteringly torrid ‘cool’ season. And, of course, there’s been the usual #ThailandOnly high jinks: Maeklong Train Market making international headlines after a travel blogger posted a dangerous selfie there, a Bangkok wedding planner running off with hundreds of couples’ deposits, and traffic so bad that it even holds up a train:
Let’s see what else has been entertaining and enraging Bangkok this week…
Post Contents
News
Norwegian man found hanging in full view from Pattaya condo
This is the unsettling story that a 69-year old Norwegian man was found hanging in full public view from the top of a 31-storey condo building in Pattaya this week. After a lengthy rescue process, complicated by the location of the body, investigators found that the man, identified as Max Holden from Oslo, had sustained other injuries as well, including deep cuts on his wrists.
Police apparently found no signs of foul play, but did find a handwritten note containing names, as well as a boxcutter, in Holden’s room. The body has been sent for autopsy.
Aussie man and Thai wife sentenced to death in Thailand for drug smuggling
34-year old Australian Luke Cook and his 40-year old Thai wife Kanyarat Wechapitak have been sentenced to death in Thailand for their alleged role in smuggling half a tonne of ice — crystal methamphetamine — worth a whopping AU$300 million into Thailand in 2015 via yacht. The intention was apparently to then smuggle the drugs on to Australia but the drugs ended up being dumped off Chonburi, before eventually washing up on shore, after being spotted by the Thai authorities.
Cook is apparently a known member of the Hells Angels biker gang and owned the Piss Stop Bar in Pattaya, as well as running a boat rental with his wife.
The death sentences are expected to be commuted to life in prison.
City Hall commit to ‘humane’ round-up of stray dogs
Anyone who’s spent any amount of time in Bangkok knows that the city has a huge problem with stray dogs. After receiving over 6,000 complaints over the last year, City Hall have committed to rounding up the dogs and placing them in shelters across the country in order to stem the problem — which currently stands at about 140,000 stray dogs on the streets of the city.
But experts aren’t convinced that this is quite as humane as promised — after all, most of the dogs on the streets are peacefully settled into their communities and, frankly, many of the shelters simply aren’t able to provide adequate care for such huge numbers of dogs.
Money would be better spent on trying to stop the cycle of street dogs breeding more street dogs, with vaccination and sterilisation drives to keep the population down. Educating people that ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’ would go some way to stop people abandoning their pets once they get bored with them too.
Blogs
Are the Thais killing their own tourist industry?
A blog post here by ‘Albert Jack’ that looks to be more like an extended rant that you’d find on Thaivisa than anything particularly well researched or thought out.
The author seems to believe that Thailand is running its tourism industry into the ground as its own people are treating tourists badly, by scamming them out of money, being violent towards them and just generally mistreating them.
He apparently seems to have missed the memo that tourist numbers are up in the Kingdom, and continually growing.
Sure, Thailand certainly has it’s problems that affect tourists, but these are generally along the lines of an over-inflated baht rather than random acts of violence against tourists. Indeed, most well travelled people would agree that Thailand is one of the safest places to travel to.
Albert Jack likens Thailand’s apparent tourist demise to that he perceives in Spain, Greece and Turkey but, of course, any problems in these countries aren’t because of pickpocketing and waiters watering down wine but rather due to seismic economic problems in the first two and serious threats of terrorism in the latter. To compare them to Thailand is misguided.
This blog post is a perfect example of the attitude of some Western expats and tourists who visit Thailand and expect the country to bend to their will without consequence. We’re not saying it’s right, but you shouldn’t be too surprised to receive a whack to the back of your head if you’re turning off people’s motorbikes because you think it’s too loud while you eat your street food.
Forum Threads
Expat alternatives to Thailand
A potentially useful Thaivisa thread here for any expats considering moving elsewhere in the region to places with more welcoming/suitable visa policies. Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines and India are all discussed in detail — both their visa policy and their various pros/cons.
Let’s be real though: it’s pretty easy to live in Thailand for long stretches at a time as long as you play by their rules. It’s only when expats start looking for cheaper and sneaker ways to stay long-term that they run into problems. And it’s this kind of attitude that will likely catch up with them wherever they are in the world.
What to do in Isaan
A comprehensive and useful Reddit thread here on everything there is to do in Isaan — that northeastern Thai region that many believe is just the birthplace of buffaloes and bargirls, but actually has plenty to offer those that pass through.
And don’t forget one of the best things about Isaan — the food. Definitely our favourite regional variety.
YouTube
A small but meaningful step fit in reducing plastic use would be for Thai bookshops to get over the fact that customers might want to leaf through a book before buying. The world won’t end. #Bangkok pic.twitter.com/cPiXZXZJu4
— Scott Laing (@slaings) November 14, 2018
Just one of the delicious Thai dishes visitors to Thailand can enjoy. pic.twitter.com/5XkxRCmUCo
— Ian (@iamKohChang) November 12, 2018
Trang,Thailand #Thailand #Trang #ตรัง #ประเทศไทย pic.twitter.com/LG4JReqGEV
— Palpatine Sith (@palpatine_sith) November 13, 2018
Night view in Bangkok🇹🇭 pic.twitter.com/SD7RdGX1dq
— keeper🎥 (@kieffurr) November 13, 2018
DID YOU KNOW! All of the temples pictured on Thai Baht coins are located in Bangkok. pic.twitter.com/Zi6cJx0K9q
— Amazing Thailand SA (@thailandsa) November 13, 2018
It really is quite bizarre how some people believe the street-side sale of counterfeit goods, banned cosmetics, weapons, sex toys etc..where children also walk, somehow make a city like Bangkok “charming”
“Bring back the street vendors”?
Bring back hanging I say.
— Steve Gell (@steviegell) November 13, 2018
Merry Christmas! Decorations and a tree going up in front of CentralWorld. Some of the other local malls already have their Christmas decorations up #Bangkok #Thailand pic.twitter.com/5mJLwbIMZw
— Richard Barrow in Thailand 🇹🇭 🇬🇧 (@RichardBarrow) November 8, 2018
After a year of taking a photo of ICONSIAM every week, I think I can finally stop. pic.twitter.com/DWDEtZcg0e
— Greg (@BkkGreg) November 13, 2018
Even spirits of the netherworld need Starbucks once in a while. Bangkok pic.twitter.com/1chyZU8uXy
— Zashnain Zainal (@bedlamfury) June 12, 2018
The 🌒 over the city is just so many kinds of wonderful. pic.twitter.com/luCXPiItW9
— Raj Palsingh (@HipsterYogi) November 13, 2018
PSA: He joined Twitter today… time to add to your Mute and Block lists. pic.twitter.com/l0mKSEct3D
— Stickboy Bangkok (@StickboyBangkok) November 13, 2018
Increasingly I find the classic ‘Thais not wishing to lose face’ is just their inability to own their shit
— Glenn (@_GlennCollier) November 15, 2018
Stuff you find in Big C:
$3 “Superme” pic.twitter.com/c7LP8fCsAk
— Blake (@bkkblake) November 14, 2018
Couldn’t resist going to look at #Bangkok‘s latest luxury shopping mall monstrosity. #IconSiam. It’s fooking huge. Absolutel vulgar in so many ways but some great design ideas. Good ferry service from Thaksin pier. Ground floor is the Thai floating market themed which was busy… pic.twitter.com/S6sh0ctvBm
— Talking Bullocks! (@roastbeef69) November 14, 2018
There’s a primitive tribe living in the jungles of Southern Thailand foraging & hunting with eight-foot long blowpipes & poisonous darts. They’re nomadic, following their dwindling prey deeper into the mountains. This may be their last generation as they’re exposed to modern ways pic.twitter.com/ugBhKzSBLu
— Smiling Albino (@smilingalbino) November 15, 2018
Be very wary of immigrants who claim to understand the needs of ordinary Thai people
— Prathan “Never Gonna Give You Up” (@scomma) November 12, 2018
How is it that the people who are fighting for illegal street food vendors in Bangkok are just some foreigners who would only come to enjoy Bangkok for just a brief period of time only? Where are all the Thais? 😂😂
— Ton (@TonsTweetings) November 13, 2018
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And that’s been The Week On Sukhumvit — see you next time!
