His Majesty The King Rama IX Bhumipol Adulyadej The Great is not just a beacon of hope for his people. He is more than Thailand’s symbol of unity. Through his dedication and by setting an example for others, he has earned not merely the trust and respect of his subjects, but a deep reverence...
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Being of Penang-Phuket Peranakan Chinese ancestry, Chinese New Year (CNY) or Trut Jeen is my family most significant celebration of the year. Besides the firecrackers, the ‘ang pows’ (red packets), and the ‘sinfully’ rich food, it is also a time of prayers, merit-making, and more importantly the coming-together of the large extended family. It...
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Every Tuesday night, hundreds of Thais gather around Bangkok’s Royal Plaza. Coming from all ranks of Thai society, they believe, on this night, the spirit of Prabat Somdech Phra Chulachomklao Chaoyuhua Maharach (พระบาทสมเด็็จพระจุลจอมเกล้้า เจ้าอยู่หัวมหาราช ) returns to Krungthep Maha Nakorn. With offerings such as pink roses, red wine, black coffee and cigars, the Thais...
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The Phuket Vegetarian Festival (เทศกาลกินเจ ๕ วัน Tesagarn Gin Jae 9 Wan) is the island’s largest religious celebration. For nine days of the ninth month of the lunar calendar, the San Jao Chui Tui at Ranong Road becomes the centre of a myriad of religious activities. There are various prayer offerings, a parade of...
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In mid 2005, I began my life as a blogger. To date, after some numerous postings online at Thai-Blogs and my own personal blog, I am still contemplating what it means exactly to be a blogger. Of course, I am still selective in what I write online and there is still the fine thin...
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Southern Thailand has always been a favorite holiday getaway for Malaysians in search for good food, value-for-money shopping, and sometimes instant-love. Since January 2004, the Malaysian arrivals in Southern Thailand have slipped sharply. Today, hotels in Hat Yai, Thailand’s southern commercial capital, are almost empty of Malaysian tourists. Reason: On Jan 4, 2004, a...
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When I was at Impact Meung Thong Thani (อิมแพ็ค เมืองทองธาน ), in 2003, I was shocked to see a sea of violet flags….. I was thinking to myself, the Thais must really like the colour purple. But why only purple, I asked myself? It was much later that I found out that purple represents...
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It is amazing how sometimes wishes do come true! It was only last week that I was praying to make a return trip to Bangkok aka Krungthep Maha Nakorn. Well, I got into office this morning, and I was surprised to be assigned for an appointment / meeting next week in Bangkok. However, this...
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Next week marks Queen Sirikit of Thailand’s 73rd birthday. I would like to use this blog as an official platform to offer my sincere congratulations and birthday wishes to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand (สมเด็็จพระนางเจ้้าสิริกิตต์พระบรมราชินีนาถ Somdech Pra Nang Chao Sirigit Pra Boromma Rachineenat) ทรงพระเจริญพะยะคะ Song Phra Charoen Pa Ya Ka Long Live Her...
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My Learning Thai Experience Every Monday night is my night out with Kru Da (Teacher Da) and my wonderful Thai friends. Surely, this is the only day of the week, when I can indulge in speaking, reading and writing Thai. I have been learning Thai since 2003, and since then, I have learnt to...
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A disabled lottery ticket seller in Bangkok First impressions are sometimes misleading. For example, landing at Don Muang International Airport, it feels almost like you have arrived at a third-world country. What more, when the 30km drive into the city reveals further bizarre traffic jams, dusty roads and almost a gluttony of drab and...
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In the 19th century, King Rama V Chulalongkorn appointed a Penang Chinese, Khaw Sim Bee Na Ranong as the Governor of Phuket. Sharing King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birth-date on Dec 5 is only one of the small factors that brought me closer to Thailand. Then, as a five-year old kid, it was a total surprise...
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