Thailand

Tag Archives for Thailand.

Robots to Protect Thai Food

I have yet to meet a Thai person who is not passionate about their food. From small street stalls to five star rooftop restaurants, Thai people expect the flavours of their food to be right. And with good result. I rate Thai cuisine as one of the top five in the world (with French, Italian, Lebanese and Vietnamese)! Thais will tell you passionately where the best place in their city is to buy sticky rice or  Som Tam (Spicy PawPaw/Papaya Salad) or Kai Pad Med Mamuang Himmapan (Stir-Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts): They will also…

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Lessons from “The Embassy”

Almost a million Australians a year travel to Thailand. Many get into trouble and some of them are now captured for eternity in a fascinating new TV series “The Embassy“, set at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. It is compelling viewing. Trailer: The hour long episodes deal with everything that can go wrong on holidays in Thailand: ladyboys, love, lust, lost passports,  lunatic drinking and lame behaviour. My favourite line comes from one of the Thai staff at the embassy: “low cost airfares meant the end of ‘the calm’ for consular offices.” The “observational documentary series”…

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Tourist ID bracelets for Thailand?

Travelling to Thailand, is a relatively safe thing to do. Considering how many tourists go there, the state of the driving and how much many of those tourists participate in risky and/or risque activities it is astounding most people get home okay! Most end up with nothing more than sunburn! Some tourists, however, get lost or confused after too many drinks and cannot find their hostel or hotel! A number end up in fights or vandalism. Tragically out of the 20 million tourists that visit Thailand, several hundred die and thousands are injured. Most of…

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$25 for using Travelocity app

If you download and use the Travelocity app to book a hotel room of $US99 or more, they will give you $25 off the booking. I used it for a resort room in Thailand. The code one uses is MOBILE25. The deal is available until 30th november 2014. I checked with kayak.com which lists almost all possible rates one can get for a hotel. The Travelocity rate was a good one and the extra $25 was a bonus. I am an ingrate though. I am unlikely to use the app regularly. It does promise exclusive special prices. It will also keep all…

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Boutique Bangkok Airways blows me away

Every now and then you get a reminder of what flying used to be like and a glimpse of what it could be like. Porter Airways in Canada is one such “boutique” carrier and Bangkok Airways is another. This was the 90th airline I have ever flown. Bangkok Airways started back in 1968 as Sahakol Air,  the first ever private aviation company in Thailand.  They have embarked on a fairly aggressive growth strategy in the last three years.  They have some of the cutest ads of any airline in the world! Booking: 10/10 There is now a crowded market…

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Chilling in Chiang Mai

I have been to Thailand a few times now but never to Chiang Mai until now. I am very sorry to have left the city alone for so long. The city is a little more isolated than other parts of Thailand but still attracts approximately five million visitors per year- 40 per cent of whom are from outside Thailand. I soon discovered why it was placed at 24 on TripAdvisor’s  “25 Best Destinations in the World” in 2012. Chiang Mai is 700 km  (420 miles) from Bangkok. Getting there requires a flight of about an hour or a 12 hour…

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Thailand curfew lifted

Thailand‘s military government has fully lifted the nationwide curfew it imposed after seizing power last month. They announced that there is no threat of violence and tourism needs to be revived. Good timing for the World Cup!   Related Posts Being in Busy Bangkok Thai Curfew Times Relaxed Martial Law in Thailand- Staying Safe [Updated] Thai Army takes full control in Coup -imposes curfew.

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Being in Busy Bangkok

“you’re going to Thailand…in a coup?” My friends were incredulous. After all news of a coup conjures up images of danger, disorder and degeneration. My friends were not alone in their fears. Tourism arrivals fell 20% in the first week after the Thai coup, some airlines have canceled  flights into Bangkok and most tourist spots are way less busy. The capital itself is operating pretty normally, the army presence is minimal and apart from the curfew (which has now been lifted in some beach side areas) tourists have been largely unaffected. Remember, this is not the first…

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Thai Curfew Times Relaxed

In a  move which is intended to help tourism, the military has relaxed the curfew. The curfew now runs from from midnight to 4 a.m.  (It was 10pm to 6am). Markets, shops, petrol stations and bars will now be able to stay open longer. This follows a fall in tourism numbers of 20 per cent since martial law was imposed just over a week ago. Nine per cent of Thailand‘s GDP is tourism related.  There has also been a drop in consumer spending by Thais. Outside Bangkok, tourists and locals are reporting little difference to day…

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Thai Army takes full control in Coup -imposes curfew.

The Royal Thai Army  have taken full control of Thailand, dismissing the government on Thursday 22nd May, 2014 16:30h  local time. General Prayuth said in Bangkok today: ‘To restore peace back to the country in a short time and to reform the country’s politics, economy and society, the Thai military, army, navy, air force and police have seized power from May 22 onward”. The country is now being run by a body known as The National Peace and Order Maintaining Council (NPOMC). General Prayuth also said.“I ask the people to remain calm and carry on with their business…

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