Bangkok

The Worst of America’s Fast Food Comes to Thailand

As more and more jobs consist of mainly sitting at a computer and more and more recreational activities consist of mainly sitting in front of a television, it's no surprise we're getting fatter. The oft-maligned American diet is usually brought up as a pretty hefty (heh) contributing factor, chronicled brilliantly on ThisIsWhyYou'reFat.com. Well, one of America's worst culinary offenders has officially landed in Bangkok - the Donut Burger, wherein a donut takes the place of a burger bun. Never being one to resist temptation, I figured I'd do my blogging duty and headed down to try it out.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:36+00:00Bangkok, Culture, Food|0 Comments

Careful! That DVD May be Fake!

The longer you live overseas, the bigger the chasm between 'normal' in the motherland and 'normal' in your new adopted home becomes. The things that seemed crazy, strange, unique, weird or even offensive when you first moved here eventually become normal, and it's often hard to remember which aspect of your new life your friends back home would find odd. I was struck with this feeling today when I read a Wired.com article on an MPAA press release instructing people how to detect counterfeit DVDs. How cute.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:40+00:00Asia, Bangkok, Movies, Technology|0 Comments

The Tragic Side of Bangkok

thumb As a foreigner living in Bangkok, there are certain things you can do that Thais can’t, and certain things you can’t do that any Thai can. Similarly, there are things that Thais see everyday that we never do; it’s just part of the charming tug-of-war between cultures, personalities and egos that make Bangkok such a badass place to live. I usually try and keep the tone on this here blog fairly light and enjoyable (dare I say 'fluffy'?), but there are times when I have to comment on the darker side of things. Unfortunately, I saw something today that has me thinking in a dark and ponderous fashion about the things we, as foreigners, see in Bangkok, and the things we never do.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:42+00:00Bangkok|0 Comments

Ten Commandments for Living in Thailand

thumb Every place has rules - from your school to your job to your girlfriend's apartment, there are just certain tenets you need to follow if you don't want to get a boot to the curb. Countries work the same way. Some rules are legal, some are moral, and some belong to that long and growing list of unwritten rules that govern different parts of our life (such as the one saying that male friends can't touch knees in a movie theater). Below are some of the rules that you need to live by if you plan on staying in Thailand for any length of time. Of course, my list is by no means comprehensive, but it's a start.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:42+00:00Bangkok, Culture, Language, Pop Culture, Thailand, Tips on Visiting, Travel|0 Comments

An MBK Mini Mini-Me

thumb Thailand often writes checks its body can't cash, putting great emphasis on plans and initiatives that, on the surface, sound pretty good but actually have very little chance of developing into anything useful due to lack of support and/or mismanagement. The disastrous Elite Card program comes to mind, as does Bangkok being the fashion capital of Asia, and Thailand being pushed as the 'Detroit of Asia' (have you seen Detroit lately? No thanks). The latest is PM Abhisit's declaration that Thailand should be a creative ASEAN hub. It's catching a bit of flack, but there have been several examples where Thai artisans have shown that they can be outstandingly creative - as in the example below.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:44+00:00Bangkok, Fun Stuff|0 Comments

Why Does Thailand Keep Tripping Itself Up?

scale Before I get started on this little rant, let me assure you - as I have before - that I dearly love living in Thailand and revel in absorbing the vivacious mix of wonderful and awful, inspiring and depressing, beauty and ugliness that it offers. The people are great, the landscape is beautiful, the quality of life is superb, the history is dense and the food kicks ass. But I read something recently that got me thinking that it will be a long, hard slog if Thailand ever wants to reach its full potential. No matter how hard it strains to be the great force it could be, there's one thing that the effort always trips on - greed.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:44+00:00Bangkok, Culture, Politics, Thailand|0 Comments

Welcome to Bangkok! Don’t Forget Your Street Smarts

thumb When you travel to Thailand - Bangkok in particular - you need to bring a lot of stuff. Passport and money, sunblock and music, flip-flops and camera… the list is long and varied. But whether you’re vacationing here or living here, there’s one thing that comes in handy all the time, everyday; the only caveat is that this thing is something you can’t buy. It’s street smarts. Bangkok is a city that requires a healthy dose of skepticism and a whole lot of savviness, without which you might find yourself in a bit of a pickle.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:45+00:00Bangkok, Culture, Tips on Visiting|3 Comments

A Nice Attempt at Customer Service… For a While

thumb5 Dealing with Bangkok's endles variety of taxi drivers is a topic that could produce enough material for several blogs (not including Dale's cool blog about taxi decorations). I've been in taxis that stank, taxis that smelled like cinnamon buns, taxis that were older than I am and taxis that had Buddhist amulets glued to the roof. The drivers I've had have ranged from friendly old gaffers who like to practice their English to arrogant punk street racers who feel cooler with every millimeter the speedometer moves to the right. The bottom line is that getting a taxi in Bangkok is a crap shoot. So it was nice a few weeks ago when I was handed the document below as I got in a car at the MBK taxi stand.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:46+00:00Bangkok|0 Comments

A Bangkok Good Time for $10 or $1,000 – the Choice is Yours

thumb3 With the recent release of ECA's Cost of Living survey, many people have been surprised to learn that some of the most expensive cities for expats to live in are not what you'd expect. For instance, Tokyo, Japan is #2, second only to Luanda, Angola. Angola?! Indeed, there are many cities on there that you wouldn't expect to find, and our beloved Bangkok comes in at 28th on the list of the most expensive cities in Asia. In terms of cost, Bangkok is a bit of a bear to figure out, but it's one of the things I love - a great night out can cost you a few bucks, or set you back several thousand, depending on what your tastes are.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:47+00:00Bangkok, Tips on Visiting|0 Comments

Thoughts on Piracy in Thailand

thumb1 No, not the type where heavily armed Somolian teenagers try to board 330-foot long oil tankers from an inflatable dinghy with a cake-mixer motor. Rather, I'm talking about the type where you can buy fake name brand stuff for really cheap! Everyone knows that Thailand is one of the best countries to buy worst offenders when it comes to selling fake stuff. Thailand has recently seen a crackdown on illegal goods vendors, ramped up as a direct result of a United States Trade Representative report saying, essentially, Thailand sells pirated goods, so they're bad. Here's my thoughts on piracy in Thailand...

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:47+00:00Bangkok, Politics, Pop Culture, Technology|0 Comments