This article was last updated in December 2011. It seems that everyone is going to Thailand right now. I have friends thinking about going, friends going, and friends here already. I figured now would be a good time to post about its capital, Bangkok, which is one of my favorite cities in the world. Bangkok, one of Asia’s largest cities, usually leaves travelers unimpressed. The pollution, the traffic, the lack of tourist attractions. I recently played tour guide to a [...]

“Where are the lanterns?” I asked. “These are the lanterns” my friend said as he pointed at the light up parade floats that littered the park. “Huh? These are parade floats.” “No, they are lanterns.” He said firmly. Clearly, he and I had a different opinion as to what a lantern was. Or maybe it was my cultural expectation that has a clear difference. In Thailand, they have Loy Kratong- a lantern festival that is sort of like Thailand’s version [...]

I’ve been living in Bangkok on and off for two years now. It has become my base of operations, the place I return to when I am out of money and need to work. I’ve developed a network of friends, business contacts, learned the language, and mastered the city. But now this chapter in my life is over. I first came here with my friend Scott in 2005. We were on holiday from work and, upon landing in Bangkok, decided [...]

Singapore is an expensive place to visit. There’s no way around it. The small city state is priced relative to the United States, which is a lot more expensive than its neighbors! On a small stop-over trip, this isn’t a problem. However, on a big trip through the region, a trip into Singapore can elicit sticker shock, and it can turn people away if they are trying to do the area on the cheap. However, for those still wanting to [...]

The political trouble in Thailand has brought Thailand into the news a lot lately. Because of the trouble, tourists are fleeing the country and not coming back, despite all the great reasons to visit Thailand. Tourist bookings are way down, with some hotels reporting an occupancy rate as low as 20%. December is normally one of the busiest months in Thailand because of the holidays. Yet even the backpacker area of Khao San Road was deserted this weekend during a [...]

I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails lately about the situation over in Bangkok (I live here). Many people I know are stuck here or have had their travel plans disrupted because of the recent airport seizures. I’ve been in Thailand since the 2006 coup, and I’ve never seen the political situation this bad. Usually, Thais go out of the way to avoid hurting the economically important tourist industry or inconveniencing foreigners. Moreover, they always try to keep a good [...]

Khao Yai National Park is located about 2.5 hours north of Bangkok, and is one of Thailand’s best national parks. Established in 1962, it was Thailand’s first national park, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. I have always heard great things about the park, but, despite living in Thailand for a few years, have never managed to get there. When I played tour guide a few weeks ago to a friend from Boston, I used that as my [...]

If you are planning to visit the amazing city of Beijing for the Olympics this year, you will be happy to discover that there is no lack of places to eat, dance, and watch live entertainment each night. There are also many great places to sit back and relax while enjoying food, drink, music, or film. In addition, Beijing is known for its discos and karaoke. Therefore, the most difficult part of enjoying your nights in Beijing will be deciding [...]

It is 6 p.m. in Bangkok, and all over street vendors are busy selling food. Thais do almost all of their grocery shopping on the street. Locals walk around with little bags full of rice, curry, noodles, or soup. With food so cheap and kitchens so few and far between, very few Thais in Bangkok cook their own meals. The chairs are filled with co-workers sharing meals before they go home. Eating here is a social activity where the pains [...]

Right now, all across the land of smiles, people are soaking each other with water and flour. The country is in the midst of the world’s biggest water fight as tourists and locals engage in the time honored tradition of seeing who can walk away wetter without passing out from beer first. Yes, it’s Songkran again. Time for the Thais to celebrate their new year. Songkran is the time of cleaning and rebirth. Originally, the date shifted depending on the [...]