Your WoWasis research team has discovered that Good-smelling SE Asians are increasingly discussing ways to remove Westerners with foul armpit odor from their midst, including throwing them in jail without the benefit of habeas corpus legal protection. And surprisingly, they don’t want Westerners to be able to bribe their way out of it. One nation […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Thailand' Category
4 rules for western women who want to socialize in Bangkok
Here at WoWasis, we always like monitoring what’s being said about male-female socialization in Asia, and we find one of the more interesting bloggers is Jenna, who writes out of Taiwan. She’s written a post today on how western women do (or do not) socialize in Asian countries, with a number of interesting observations and […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Steve Raymond’s ‘Poison River’
Here at WoWasis, we’re aware of lots of reasons why you don’t want to get thrown in jail or prison in Thailand. When you do, you’re at the mercy of an unbelievable amount of corruption and bribery practices involving prison authorities, police, your own lawyers, and the justice system itself. As a foreigner, a great […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bachelor in Bangkok: Khun Lee on a trip to a Soapy Massage Parlor
editor’s note: for more on the nuts and bolts of the soapy massage experience, read WoWasis’ post on soapy massages For many years I have partied in Bangkok the traditional western way, which is to spend a great deal of my time in go-go bars and beer bars. These places are filled with western men, […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Frank Visakay’s ‘Jasmine Fever’
In the experience of those of us here at WoWasis, most expat writers who have complimentary things to say about Thai women contrast them with disparaging views of Western women in general and Yank women in particular. Frank Visakay, a former New York chef, has penned a book that’s a hoot for guys who love the […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Good Manner: Thai prostitutes are in my hotel
The Good Manner: Advice on Thailand from WoWasis’ Pa Farang This week’s dilemma: Thai prostitutes are in my hotel Dear Pa Farang, I’ve been brought over here from Singapore to manage a hotel, and, as a western-educated woman, I’ve become concerned that our hotel bar has become inundated with Thai prostitutes, who appear at all […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Dean Barrett’s ‘Permanent Damage’
It’s never easy getting Dean Barrett, author of a surprisingly vast array of books on Asian subjects, away from his favorite haunt at Bangkok’s Chao Phya 2. That’s why we here at WoWasis were pleased that he found time to pen another book in his Scott Sterling mystery series, Permanent Damage (2010, ISBN 978-0-9788888-2-4). At […]
Read the rest of this entry »Russia invades Thailand: Big-bellied shock troops wearing thong bikinis storm Thai beachfronts
An estimated 200,000 Russian and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) tourists have come to Thailand within the last 60 days, spurred by tourism incentives directed toward Russia by Thai tourist groups and agencies. Veteran travelers to Thailand have long noted a strong Russian presence in the seaside city of Pattaya, but large Russian tour groups […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Clifford Kinvig’s ‘River Kwai Railway’
You’ve seen the terrific movie, you’ve read Philippe Boulle’s compelling book. Great stories, but they’re both fiction. For a worthy overview of the situation as it actually occurred, we at WoWasis recommend reading military historian Clifford Kinvig’s River Kwai Railway: the Story of the Burma-Siam Railroad (1992, ISBN 1-84486-021-3). An estimated 100,000 workers died during […]
Read the rest of this entry »In memory of Caryl Olivieri, Bangkok furniture designer and artisan
We at WoWasis originally found furniture designer Caryl Olivieri on the top floor of his Artitude shop at Bangkok’s Gaysorn shopping complex. We were impressed by the designer’s bold, colorful furniture uses of traditional rattan, but with a new twist: it was woven into fine strips, and molded in contours that snake around cushions, armrests, […]
Read the rest of this entry »
