Sunday, again? These weeks are just slamming on by now — it’ll be the close of rainy season before we know it!
It feels like it’s been another slow week again here in Thailand. Pattaya seems to be where all the action was at: there was the German tourist who went to the police after his restaurant-cooked lobster turned out to be rotten, the busting of an illegal penis enlargement gel smuggling ring and, of course, the photos that surfaced of some local ‘crocodile fishing’ — more on that later.
Of course, the news came in thick and fast in the international arena: carnage in Nice as France was the target of yetanother presumed terrorist attack and an attempted military coup in Turkey which, at the time of writing, was on its way to a painful surrender.
If you need any tips for next time…
Anyway, let’s take a look at the best of the week’s news, views and social media updates from Thailand.
News
Pattaya tourists feed hungry crocs from wooden shack in the middle of a lake
Come to Pattaya, they said. Get up close with nature!
Woe betide the group of tourists who signed up for the “crocodile fishing” excursion, which sees you board a shaky-looking raft equipped with just a stick and a fresh meat with which to entice the friendly crocs. Check out the photos — they’re pretty astonishing.
หยุดยาว ขอเชิญเที่ยวล่องแพ ตกปลา เที่ยวชิวๆกับสายน้ำครับ อิอิ pic.twitter.com/xUvIbNlgff
— มอเตอร์ไซค์รับจ้าง (@motorcyrubjang) July 14, 2016
Apparently, croc fishing in Pattz has been popular with Chinese tourists for about 10 years now. We wonder if anyone else will take the bait…
Suspected bank robber found hiding out in Bangkok hostel
A 26-year old Canadian was arrested in Bangkok last Sunday for allegedly robbing a Standard Chartered bank branch in Singapore for around SG$30,000. He was found in the Boxpackers Hostel in Ratchathewi.
Shares in LINE surge forward at company’s IPO
The ubiquitous LINE instant messaging app launched its IPO at the New York and Tokyo stock exchanges this week. Stock climbed to $41.58 on the NYSE — 27% above the targeted IPO price — and to 4,375 yen on the Tokyo bourse — almost 32% above the target.
Blogs
The data guide to Bangkok’s prostitutes
A fascinating — if not remotely titillating — guide to Bangkok’s bar girl scene that relies on data derived from the women on the front line.
This analyses such topics as how vital body measurements compare in Bangkok’s seediest districts, the type of services performed and their popularity, and prices charged.
Deciding whether to leave Thailand
An interesting post on the Ajarn blog that we imagine many expats have or will consider at some point during their time in Thailand — when do you know when it’s time to up sticks and leave?
The author is pretty far into the Thailand lifestyle at this point — with a steady girlfriend and a condo to pay off, namely — but also feels that the adventure is coming to an end and doesn’t want to continue teaching forever. Interesting discussions in the comment section too.
Forum Discussions
Is it likely that my Thai girlfriend has an STD?
While we would commend anyone for some concern and research about sexually-transmitted diseases before embarking on a sexual relationship, this Reddit post just seems a little backward and lightly sprinkled with some racial prejudice.
The poster is in a relationship with a Thai girl that he met in the USA — where they both still live. Despite practicing safe sex, he is worried about catching an STD from her — so decides to consult a forum about the STD rate among Thai girls still in their native country.
There is an interesting discussion about HIV transmission here, and how Thailand is actually reported to have lower rates of some diseases than some Western nations, but we can’t shake off the feeling that the guy needs to exercise some common sense here. The only way to know if someone is carrying an STD is to have a health screening — whatever their nationality or ethnicity.
No forum can answer that for you, you plank.
Are my female neighbours secret lesbians?
Another deliciously naive forum thread, this time courtesy of Thaivisa. The poster wants to know whether the “hot girls living together sharing one room” in his apartment building are gay or not. Bizarrely, he too consults a forum to see whether any other member “has an insight or experience with that”. Can anyone confirm whether a few attractive women sharing a room is generally considered to be code red for lesbianism?
Some cracking responses here, including
YouTube
You hear a lot about the Soi dogs in #Thailand but you have to hand it to the cats, one mean breed for sure pic.twitter.com/WgdQXkZWox
— Glenn (@_GlennCollier) July 10, 2016
expat boys in tokyo, Y U better quality than expat boys in bkk?
— kitty cat ☀ (@NitemarishDream) July 10, 2016
This watermelon square gift basket at Siam Paragon is selling for 10,880 THB ($310 USD). Outrageous. #Bangkok pic.twitter.com/LMMuIVg2qa
— Ashley Niedringhaus (@A_Nieds) July 11, 2016
This happened today #Bangkok #phrakhanong #puglife
A photo posted by Alice Yeow (@bad_a1ice) on
A photo posted by Brent Bartlett (@wexplorethailand) on
And that’s been The Week on Sukhumvit — see you next time!
Featured image downloaded from Shutterstock
