Happy Sunday, Bangkok!
Another crazy week in the Land of Smiles, what with a fake story about a vegetarian restaurant in the city serving up murdered human to its customers, a certain viral rap video going international, and the honouring ofย Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, owner of Leicester City, after his and four others tragic deaths following a helicopter crash last week.
Let’s see what else has been enraging and entertaining Bangkok this week…
Post Contents
News
Koh Samet to ban tourists bringing plastic bags
In a bold move, officials on the popular island of Koh Samet have decreed that tourists arriving on the island from 1 November will not be able to bring in any plastic bags or styrofoam containers.
With around 1,500 tourists on average arriving every day, each using around 8 plastic bags during the stay, Samet has become littered with plastic pollution — it’s thought around 12,000 of these bags are left on the island every single day.
Tourists are unlikely to be penalised during the rollout of this new policy if they bring in plastic, but fines will be in place soon.
Canvas tote bags have been giving to Samet residents to help them still go about their shopping.
Thailand to become 1st Asian country to legalise cannabis?
Thailand has been making major strides in its potential legalisation of medical marijuana and is apparently on the cusp of becoming the first Asian country to do so.
A draft bill for legalisation is currently under consideration — a major move for a country that has legendary harsh punishments for those convicted of drug smuggling, including the death penalty.
Officials are keen to emphasise that the bill is considering legalising the drug for medicinal purposes only, and not recreation, but are aware of the positive economic impact such a law change could bring about for the country.
American woman fined for peeing in the middle of Asoke intersection
A 23-year old American woman was summoned by police and fined 2,000 baht after she was caught on camera peeing in the middle of Asoke intersection when her taxi got caught in traffic there.
Apparently she just couldn’t hold it in. Fair.
Blogs
Expat depression in Thailand
An interesting post here on an underdiscussed topic: expats in Thailand suffering with depression.
We talk a lot about the Thai people’s preoccupation with ‘face’, but the truth is that many of the expats that live here behave in the same way. It’s hard to admit that you’re feeling depressed when you’ve moved halfway around the world to live in what many people would term ‘paradise’ — if you can’t make it here, then where can you make it, right?
So instead of expats talking honestly about how they feel, you eventually get the results of repressed emotions and depression — toxic online trolls, expats who’ve whittled down their support network to just their Thai spouse and who consequently feel alone, and in the most tragic circumstances, suicide. The Pattaya Flying Club is a cliche for a reason — it happens far too often.
This post highlights some of the reasons expats might feel depressed in Thailand, and a few good recommendations for pulling yourself out of the hole. Finding a support network or community is one of the best ideas we’ve heard.
Is manbashing the favourite pastime of every female expat in Thailand?
An amusing Stickboy opinion piece here from a couple of weeks ago on female Western expats in Thailand and their apparent preoccupation with ‘manbashing’ their male counterparts.
While there are undoubtedly some Moaning Minnies on Thailand Twitter, we reckon it’s a bit of a stretch to call the majority of these interactions ‘nasty’ or ‘bitter’. Most of what we see is good-natured joshing: if we can’t laugh at the men who wear t-shirts extolling their ‘boom-boom’ ability on the BTS, then what can we laugh at?!
Of course, social media brings out the worst in us: an occasional giggle at Nana Plaza’s most unfortunate starts to come across as boorish and bitter if you start tweeting about it every day. It certainly doesn’t help your image if you’re also tweeting about your perennial single status.
Stickboy recommends that you give it a rest, ladies, and get yourself a man. But just not one in a boom-boom t-shirt, eh?
Forum Threads
Is the construction in Bangkok sustainable?
An interesting and timely discussion here on the sustainability on Bangkok’s ever-expanding construction. The original poster makes an important point: in a city where the majority of inhabitants make less than $500 per month, what’s the point of all the luxury new condos and shopping malls?
Lots of good points here about the overinflated market, Chinese investment, Bangkok’s perennial ability to keep its economy going, the mass appeal of the malls, and, er, the presumption that is doesn’t matter because the city will be underwater in a couple of decades anyway.
The best way to break up with your Thai girlfriend
A potentially useful blueprint here on the Thaivisa forum on how to break up with your Thai girlfriend in such a way that there’s minimal upset and drama — quite a tall order, most would probably agree.
The main point seems to be to make sure that the dumpee loses as little face as possible in the process. This way she can tell her friends that it was at least a mutual break-up that can be healed from quickly.
We’d recommend incepting your girlfriend with the idea of dumping you a couple of weeks before you’d like to cut all ties. And then just quietly slip away into the ether…
YouTube
Start your day off with a monkey holding a discarded cigarette sitting in the middle of the road. #KohChang pic.twitter.com/X3NBsfn3qV
โ Ian (@iamKohChang) November 1, 2018
Friend saw this at Asiatique: spit-roasted crocodile. pic.twitter.com/CV5Zh8AeyP
โ Greg (@BkkGreg) October 30, 2018
One of the first pics I took with my then brand new Fuji XT-10
Storm over Bang Na: Oct 2016 pic.twitter.com/OBTkJX66DL
โ ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ (@NeilShelley) October 30, 2018
This year so far, 11,329 people have been killed in road accidents. This doesnโt include people who later died in hospital. Most accidents involved motorcycles. Unless youโre an experienced driver, please think twice about driving in #Thailand. And for sure, please wear a helmet! pic.twitter.com/FbB9cLVMQn
โ Richard Barrow in Thailand ๐น๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ง (@RichardBarrow) October 30, 2018
Letโs just repair the road with coconuts shells. Donโt worry about actually repairing it properly….๐ pic.twitter.com/pQTpI1Mc5B
โ BKK Aaron (@aaronflack) November 1, 2018
Iโm glad to announce my upcoming exhibition in Bangkok #woofpack Looking forward to see you there! https://t.co/5lDIPwn0SP pic.twitter.com/GXTnq54a5i
โ Joan Cornellร (@sirjoancornella) November 1, 2018
A teacher in England on BBC news is on (when converted to THB) 105,000 THB a month. That’s really not a lot when you consider the cost of housing etc in the UK.
โ Somchai the Dog (@bkksomchai) October 30, 2018
Koh Samui back in 1976 #Thailand
(Pic cr.Wendi) pic.twitter.com/PI4r2YzBUv
โ Stickboy Bangkok (@StickboyBangkok) October 31, 2018
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
And that’s been The Week On Sukhumvit — see you next time!
