Getting the idea Not so long ago, I started work on compiling a set of interviews with a variety of Thais from different sectors of society. The interview below, the first of two parts, was the first one which I completed. I originally met Yui by a chance a couple of years ago and...
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I have recently finished reading “Welcome to Hell – One man’s fight inside the Bangkok Hilton” by Colin Martin. What a shocking book! It’s the story of an Irishman who invested money in a bogus company in Thailand, lost almost half a million USD, and later on killed (in self defense) the crook’s bodyguard....
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(Transsexual ladyboy Mrs Jim Sara 54, with her legal husband Mr Nop 33) After Jim Sara had been the first Thai to ever undergo a complete sex-change operation (London’s Kensington Hospital, 1976) she came back to Thailand to start her new life as a woman. Unfortunately though, the Thai law (as it still does...
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Former actress Jim Sara claims that she was not only Thailand’s very first transsexual to be officially recognized as ‘Miss’, but also the first to have full sex-operation surgery. For the first time in English, here is her story on how she became Thailand’s first ‘real’ ladyboy. A native of Nakhorn Sawan province, Miss...
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The following blog/article was published in The Nation newspaper yesterday. Here below however, is the originally un-edited, submission) Well, happy Mother’s Day has passed again, a joyous time of the year for children all over the land to be inundated with media reports and stories on the unconditional love between mother and child. A...
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It is fairly common knowledge these days that you can listen to radio stations from around the world on your computer. All you need is a good Internet connection and you can listen to live music from a dozen or so radio stations from Thailand. Obviously this is excellent for Thai people living abroad....
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Chavoret Jaruboon preparing to execute a prisoner This is the second part of the review of The Last Executioner (click here for part one). Between 1984 and 2002, Chavoret Jaruboon shot dead 55 prisoners. In his autobiography, “The Last Executioner”, he describes some of the more notable cases. Two stories in particular stand out....
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Chavoret Jaruboon’s memoirs in English and Thai Up until 1934, the official method of execution in Thailand was by decapitating (see The Last Public Beheading). This was then considered to be barbaric and the method was changed. Over a period of 71 years, a total of 319 prisoners were then executed in Thailand by...
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This entry poured out of me when I blogged at my newest joint over at the Nation last night, titled “Death Becomes Her”. I originally was going to rant about Thai hospitals and healthcare systems but it turned into something else. Together with the fact at that today August 12 is Thailand’s Mother’s Day,...
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The following is a brief translation of a headline story from Wednesday’s Thai language ‘Thai Rath’ newspaper. Dozens of Jatukham amulet vendors and customers made another harsh complaint last week to the ‘Office of the Consumer Protection Board’ this time in regards to the latest brand of Jatukham called ‘Super Profit Rich’, which turned...
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Wat Khun Samut where the floor has been raised half way The total distance from the boat jetty where we started our walk to the temple was 1,644 metres. As we arrived at the temple the first structures we passed were the kutis, the accommodation for the five resident monks. These were built on...
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Wat Khun Samut During a Storm As each year passes it becomes increasingly more difficult to find new and interesting tourist attractions not far from Bangkok. I have been on some really good day trips for thai-blogs.com that included renting a boat to go dolphin watching, riding a train that literally passes through a...
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Well, here it eventually is – the second part of the ‘amazing Thai facts’ as published on www.thailandqa.com. If you liked this selection then please do have a look back at the first part. 1. The tablet form of the drug ‘Methamphetamine’ is known as Ya-Ba (Crazy Medicine).More popular though, is its original name...
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The following blog/article was published in The Nation newspaper last Saturday. Here below however, is the originally un-edited, submission) (“Take that you male scumbag”) Much has been said and written (even a significant amount by myself over the past year) about the discrimination of women in Thai society, but I’d like to take the...
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Bangkok is famous for the lack of safety measures, especially in constructions! The two guys in the picture were hooking up an antenna on top of a five-story building. They had no harness nor hadn’t taken any other safety precaution that might have saved their lives in case one of them slipped and fell....
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There are not that many quiet spots left in Bangkok these days. I wrote about Lumphini Park not long ago which is a great place to go to escape the noise and pollution of the city. However, it can get quite crowded with people at times. Then I heard about the Protestant Graveyard not...
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Is it what I think it is? The picture was taken last month in Lumpini Park! Or, was it at Lumpini Open Zoo? I really can’t remember! thaistory
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(Not bad, it looks like Mr Thaksin seems to have a good taste in woman) Well, it’s certainly out the bag and Thaksin seems to be proud of it! According to a new biography of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, he and super-spicy singer ‘Lydia’ are the best of buddies (and a little bit...
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Recently I continued my exploration of the BTS Sky Train in Bangkok. There are quite a few hidden and unique places along the route as long as you don’t mind doing a little walking. One unusual location, just around the corner from BTS Saphan Thaksin, is Wat Yannawa. The temple, renamed by Rama III, literally...
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There are many kinds of shrines dotted around Bangkok. Probably the most famous is the Erawan Shrine near Central World Plaza. Most of these shrines are visited frquently by thousands of tourists from around the world. The other day, I ventured off the beaten track just a little to visit a more quirky shrine...
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