Happy Sunday, Bangkok! Who’s been making the most of the long weekend?
If you weren’t chilling out at the beach or cooling down in the jungle, chances are you were sweating it out back in old Bangkok, just like us. While the roads may be a little emptier, the heat and pollution of a city can certainly take a toll…
Dominating the news desks this week has been the fire that destroyed a brand new, ฿200 million house in Pattaya, threats of a defamation lawsuit from the Bangkok governor regarding the Bangkok New Year’s light show, and the fact that the rapid aging of Thailand’s population is contributing to ever higher levels of household debt.
As always, there’s been plenty more excitement coming out of Bangkok and wider Thailand this week – let’s take a look at the best of the week’s news, views, videos, discussions and more.
News
Siam Discovery to reopen at the end of May
Following a ฿4 billion facelift, Siam Discovery is set to reopen at the end of this month as a ‘lifestyle specialty store’. Products will be organised by lifestyle rather than by brand, and shoppers will be urged to, er, rediscover themselves. Intriguing…
2 motosai drivers arrested with 900kg of marijuana
Two motorbike taxi drivers were arrested as part of a sting operation for selling marijuana to an undercover police officer this week. Following arrest, a further 877 kg of the drug was found in a Phra Khanong apartment associated with the men. Other members of the drug ring have reportedly been identified with further arrests expected shortly.
Thai policeman pulls out all the stops to find westerner’s iPhone
A good deed news story! A Thai policeman helped to track down the much-treasured iPhone of a westerner who’d left it on an unknown bus on his way back from Immigration. Using a combination of ‘Find My iPhone’ and a police bike, the phone was safely recovered, seeing everyone celebrate with a selfie. Huzzah!
Blogs
Owning a gay bar in Silom
The Nomadic Boys interview the fabulous M, owner of Stranger Bar on Silom Soi 4. As well as exploring what it’s like owning a bar on the hallowed gay street, they discuss Thailand’s acceptance of homosexuality ahead of it’s time – the Kingdom apparently decriminalised sodomy over ten years before the UK – and its current stance towards gay marriage. The article also features a wide array of fierce outfits.
How moving to Thailand affected this dad’s quality of life
This blog examines the good and bad parts of moving to Thailand from the fresh perspective of a dad with two young daughters. Whether you have kids or not, the honesty and relatability of this post should definitely strike a chord with many expats as we treasure the extra time and (physical and mental) space for family that Thailand affords us, alongside concerns regarding our safety and health.
The wonders of Khao San street food through the eyes of a US chef
Penned by professional chef Dylan Benoit, this blog is a charming look at the brilliance of Thailand’s street food through the eyes of a fly-by-night visitor. It’s so easy for us to take for granted the delicious food on the roadside that we buy for less than a bottle of water back in the West, so it’s refreshing to hear someone’s first wowed impressions of the Thai food scene.
Forum Discussion
American guy starts Thai online dating, now in over his head
In what we imagine may be a somewhat common move, this Reddit thread follows a guy currently living in the US who’s headed out to Bangkok later this year. In a bid to make ‘friends’ before he moves, he starts a Thai online dating profile and gets chatting to a number of women, one of which he is particularly attracted to. Until his Thailand-dwelling friend informs him that his new amour is, in fact, a bloke.
What’s the best way to definitively prove a Thai woman’s sex when you’re talking online? We’re sure he’ll find out…
Is Thailand a good place to find true love?
This is a revealing Thaivisa discussion on both the opportunities and challenges of finding true love (whatever that may be) in the Kingdom. There’s plenty of honesty here, with posters being quite candid about some of the obstacles of finding something more than companionship across the cultural divide – age gaps and, of course, the language barrier being two of the main ones.
And, for many posters, it depends exactly where in Thailand you’re searching if you want to find that elusive love…
YouTube
Just how grimy is Bangkok? My kids don’t trade baseball cards at schoo; trading mini hand-sanitizers all the rage. pic.twitter.com/idMEoqz4hA
— Justin Dunne (@justindunne) May 1, 2016
“Feels like 50°C” Yup Yup Yup. Wrong day to decide to chop down dead trees in my back garden. ???????????? #bangkok pic.twitter.com/LEBu1AsPIn
— Andrew Clark (@qandrew) May 5, 2016
An endangered species known as a reader on the bts in #bangkok pic.twitter.com/AsWUX4Ku2w
— Jim Algie (@jim_algie) May 4, 2016
A photo posted by Alberto Cuadros (@alberto_cuadros) on
A photo posted by Lori (@lorirachelgold) on
That’s been the Week On Sukhumvit – see you next time!
Featured is by norsez {Thx for 13 million views!} and used under a Creative Commons licence
