Bangkok

A Flood of Information in a Dry City

The flood crisis in Thailand is, as of right now (and probably for the next few weeks), still a big problem, but it’s a very strange big problem. If I wasn’t watching the news and monitoring the internet, I’d have no idea anything was amiss at all. Inner Bangkok remains dry, sunny, and business as usual (except now when I'm writing this, and it's raining). However, we are very, very lucky; many parts of Bangkok’s outer areas are disaster zones, with chest-deep water, abandoned homes, random electrocutions and hungry alligators swimming around. This afternoon I had a nice lunch at a Mexican restaurant with a friend, and 10km away thousands of people are sitting in their devastated homes wondering how – or if – they’ll ever get their lives back together.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:14+00:00Bangkok, Current Events, Thailand|0 Comments

Thailand Floods & Bangkok Waits

Just thought I should write another wee post about the flood waters that are currently surrounding Bangkok and threatening to march right through the city. I'd say the most common element that everyone shares right now is stress; mental fatigue. The whole city is on edge - you can feel it. I said to my friend it's kind of like Max Brooks' excellent book World War Z - an army of zombies is marching toward your city - some of them are already here - and all you can do is build walls and wait. I'm very lucky in that I live and work in inner Bangkok, so for me, it's business as usual. Indeed, if it wasn't all over the news and the shelves weren't cleared out, I'd have no idea anything was amiss. But you know what? Despite all this, you'll never find a more upbeat, smiling group of people in a crisis than Thais - generally speaking.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:15+00:00Bangkok, Current Events, Politics, Thailand|0 Comments

Koh Krung Thep

For those that don't know Thai, the title of this post is a nod to the fact that central Bangkok is about the only place within a few hundred kilometers that isn't covered in 10 feet of water. Koh in Thai means island, and Krung Thep (กรุงเทพ) is the Thai name for Bangkok, so...yeah, a little island humor. Anyway, I figured I'd be remiss if I didn't post something about the flooding that's causing so much destruction. Despite millions of sand bags, kilometers of sluice gates and floodwalls, and thousands of army troops working their camouflaged asses off, much of central Thailand is underwater. As the crisis reached its peak a few days ago, there seemed to be more and more people that were blaming either a) Mother Nature, b) the Government, or c) Ourselves. One can understand some fierce sniping at the government and their plans that seem to have no basis in reality (more on that later) but really...everyone kind of knows that we brought much of it on ourselves.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:15+00:00Bangkok, Current Events, Technology|0 Comments

(B)angkok’s (T)ightest (S)queeze

I hate writing posts like this because there's no way to come off as anything but one of the thousands of complaining douchebag expats that live in Thailand, which is really not what I'm about. Well, usually not what I’m about - we're all allowed to have off-days, but I'm generally a pretty up-beat guy. Anyway, any regular commuter who uses the BTS in Bangkok will have noticed that it's been pretty crowded of late - and not just "Wow, this is slightly inconvenient" crowded, but "Wow, I hope no one falls on the tracks and dies" crowded. There are several reasons why, so forgive me if I rant on a bit about what it’s like to ride the BTS these days. Hopefully someone at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA, English link doesn't work, natch) will see this and take immediate, effective, and far-reaching action! Also, I’d like a Learjet.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:16+00:00Bangkok, Transport, Video|0 Comments

The End of Bangkok Podcast?

Wow, that was fast! It seems like only a few months ago that my buddy Tony Joh and I were sitting down to record the first Bangkok Podcast. Now, just over one year later, we’re wrapping things up. I’ve been happy to see the amount of support from listeners of the show who are surprised and saddened to see us shut down; it makes me feel really good to know that even a few people enjoyed our little production. I just wanted to scribble down a few thoughts on the show and the how and why we decided not to continue. It might get a bit long, but hey, it's for posterity.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:17+00:00Bangkok, Technology, Web Media|0 Comments

That Taxi Meter’s Rigged!

The other day my friend Bangkok Di put out a tweet about how she thought the meter in her taxi was ticking up a bit faster than normal. I replied and told her that it sometimes happens to me too, especially when coming from the airport, and it touched off a short but vigorous debate online. Some said that the higher meter fare was because it runs when the car is parked and traffic must have been bad; some said the distance must have been longer; but either way, I agree with Di – some taxis in Bangkok do use meters that have been tampered with. It’s happened to me on several occasions - though very rarely - but the question remains: what do you do about it?

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:18+00:00Bangkok, Technology, Tips on Visiting, Transport|0 Comments

A Few Thoughts on Ten Years in Thailand

On July 26, 2001, I stepped out of Don Meuang (then spelled ‘Don Muang’) airport into the Bangkok heat. It was the first time I had been out of Canada since I was 4 and I was eager to explore, to find places and see things few had found and seen, to blaze new trails and sink into the warm bath of all things new and strange. As soon as I got out onto the congested sidewalk, with the oppressive heat, whistle-blowing security guards, snaking taxi queue, and humid air thick with exhaust, I turned around and walked right back inside, wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into. Not a great start for an intrepid explorer. Forgive me if this turns into a bit of “When I was young…” but this is a quick look back at how Bangkok – and myself – have changed as I pass my tenth anniversary in Thailand.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:18+00:00Bangkok, History, Thailand, Travel|0 Comments

The Mechanics of Moving to a New ‘Hood

This post isn't about finding a place to live in Bangkok, but I wanted to write about what can change when you do move to a new apartment or house in Bangkok, which often goes several layers deep. Finding a new place here can be a hell of a task, as we covered in our podcast on the subject. Oh, you can find a great place if you're willing to pay a ton for it, but finding a great place for a good price is hard and time-consuming. In western culture, moving to a new neighborhood is largely an easy process. Sure, the driving and transit routes change and you have to look into where the schools and hospitals are, but the strip-mall pervasiveness of western development largely takes any real surprise out of the operation. Not so in Bangkok, where a move to a new place in the city can have some drastic effects on your wallet, your commute, you social life and even your diet.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:19+00:00Bangkok, Food, Transport|0 Comments

A Helpful Letter From My Condo

Dealing with condo management is an ongoing ordeal in any country, and Thailand is no different. Throw in the language differences and you have a recipe for either disaster or hilarity – thankfully, I was faced with the latter choice a few years ago. I could have sworn I put this up on my blog a long time ago but can’t find it anymore; at any rate, as I’m moving out of my apartment and into a new place at the end of the month, I thought I’d post this again as a send-off to the wacky management of my old condo, and an example of how awesome it can be when frustration gets channeled through a language barrier.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:20+00:00Bangkok, Language|0 Comments

Thoughts on The Hangover Part 2

The unique-ness of Bangkok is evident to anyone who's spent even a day here, and it offers some of the craziest and most unique experiences one can have. It's no wonder, then, that a movie like The Hangover - which drew the weird and wonderful out of a crazy and dangerous city - wanted to have a sequel set here. Much like any place, it's big news when a bigtime Hollywood production comes to town. Stars get glimpsed, script details get leaked, set photos get passed around, and it seems that everyone knows someone who works on, in, or around the production. It's always fun going to see the final product, so tonight I went to see The Hangover Part 2, and here's what I thought.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:21+00:00Bangkok, Movies, Pop Culture|2 Comments