Time to kill - here's a good book on Thailand.
by sourbugger
If you have got time to kill, then this light-hearted montage of newspaper columns from the pen of Mr Tsow about Thailand may rise a smile and give you an insight into Thailand from the ex-pat perspective.
The quotation on the back of the book give a flavour of his humour :
"S. Tsow is a great punctuator." Colin Piprell, author.
"An evil toad." James Eckardt, author.
"Who?." Simon J. Hand, journalist.
"S. Tsow is one of the most underrated writers in Bangkok today - and with good reason." Fardley Nerdwell, Literary critic.
"As his writing reveals, S. Tsow has managed to make the difficult transition from adolescence to senility without passing through an intervening stage of maturity." Turk Grogan, philosopher.
"He was a good boy, but I understand he's gone downhill since." Mrs. J. Tsow, mother.
It's A Small World
by phil_uk_net
So there I was, minding my own business in Hat Yai, waiting for the rain to stop or failing that, preparing mentally for floods of biblical proportions when a familiar face comes into view.
"Phil"? (... recognition ...) "Jen"? Without making any arrangements to meet and without her even telling me she was coming to Hat Yai, jenniferchin and I have an impromptu VT meeting.
Unfortunately Jen's visit coincided with the flood so my attempt to take her and Raymond to one of my favourite restaurants failed. The restaurant was closed. And then, as quickly as she arrived, she left ... on the bus to Trang. See ya' later, Jen.
Young monks
by anoum
Up to date, I have only seen Theravadic monks in orange robes and Mahayanist monks in grey/blue Chinese robes or suits (shaolin-looking type).
But in Hadyai, I came across young novices in orange coloured Chinese suits. Intriguing!
This particular temple is on the left of Tesco Lotus except you won't see it if you walk from Tesco. That's because there is another temple in front, which blocks this temple from view.
You will need to walk past that older temple, round the corner before coming upon this temple which has a small entrance.
At its entrance are row upon row of statues which house the ashes of the dead within.
Actually I took a photo of them but somehow it never appeared when I downloaded all the photos onto my computer. Mystery!
Fake Goods
by phil_uk_net about Various street vendors
This is the first time I've seen fake Teva sandals in Thailand although it doesn't surprise me at all as the industrious Thais produce all manner of fake brand name products. What I do find surprising is why people buy fake items. My Tevas cost around 100 USD. I bought them because the manufacturing and component quality is excellent, meaning they will last for ages and it is very unlikely that a strap will break or they will fall apart leaving me stranded without a shoe in a remote place. They are also very comfortable, especially the ones with the gel soles. Mine have a special antibacterial ingredient so they don't stink to high heaven after a day's walking around in the tropics. The sole is specially designed to give good grip so I am less likely to slip and break a limb while clambering over wet rocks. In summary, I buy Teva products for their functional qualities. Fake items, of course, have none of these qualities. It says a lot, I think, about people who are more concerned about image over substance.
Tuk Tuk
by beachboy
Tuk Tuk is another kind of public transport in Thailand, it looks like a small convertible pick-up. No luxury no comfort (especially if you're tall) but very cheap. Cost only 10 baht per person travelling within town area.
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front of lee garden plaza
Diana Department Store
Dry and Soup Version
Thai Immigration & Customs
