In Bangkok, all of a sudden you have a stroke and an ambulance is called. You’re a photographer there to cover a news story. Everyone in the medical profession knows that it’s critical to get you to the hospital within an hour, before you begin to lose brain function that will soon be unrecoverable. You’re […]
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Thailand Corruption Watch: Thai civil servants hopelessly in debt, so watch your pockets
Westerners doing business in Thailand frequently complain about the bribes they have to pay for many government-related services. Thais pay them too, but there’s a two-tiered structure, and farang always pay more. It what will surprise no one, it was reported in the January 9, 2013 issue of the Bangkok Post that Thai civil servants […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bangkok’s Nana Plaza sex emporium good for another 10 years now that master lease has been renewed
To the relief of millions of punters worldwide, Bangkok’s Nana Entertainment Plaza has had its master lease renewed for another ten years. This three story atrium boasts dozens of go-go and beers bars, to go along with five ladyboy bars. In short, there’s something here for everyone. Prior to the signing of the lease, there […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: ‘The Ideal Man: The Tragedy of Jim Thompson’ by Joshua Kurlantzick
Here at WoWasis, we believe that there are at least two schools of thought on how best to live the expatriate experience in Asia. One we call “ping-ponging,” bouncing back and forth between one’s mother country and Asia. Regarding Thailand, one advocate who lives part-time in the U.S. states, “I go to Thailand, and after […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bangkok traffic to get worse, fast, with new car-buying program now in force
Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s new first-time car buyer program, while solidifying future votes, will add an estimated 1.3 million vehicles to Thailand’s streets, much of it in already overcrowded Bangkok. It’s already being called a transportation nightmare, where gridlock slows incoming traffic to an average speed of 16.5 km per hour. A brainchild of […]
Read the rest of this entry »Historic Wat Preah Vihear mines to be cleared as Thai-Cambodian controversy continues
In a story reported in the Bangkok Post of December 21, 2012, Thailand and Cambodia have begun thawing relations related to skirmishes surrounding the historical Wat Preah Vihear temple. Although sitting in Cambodian territory, the temple has been claimed by both countries. At a meeting of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Working Group (JWG) held in Bangkok […]
Read the rest of this entry »American woman gets financially fleeced by male Asian lover
The Good Manner: Advice on Asia from WoWasis’ Pa Farang Today’s question: Do women ever get financially robbed by male Asian lovers? Dear Pa Farang, We’ve all heard dozens/hundreds/thousands of stories about western guys getting cheated out of their money by Asian gals. I’m curious, does the opposite ever happen? Do western women ever get […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bachelor in Bangkok: Khun Lee on great-looking Thai women and bad-smelling foreigners
One of the things I really enjoy about living in Paradise is the lack of the political correctness that is so pervasive in the west. It really is refreshing to be able to make an observation about others without having to become the victim of the PC brigade. I can remember being on the sky […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis product review: a wristwatch compass that’s efficient and inexpensive
Carry this great small compass with you whenever you’re in an unfamliar place
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Thailand (Siam) as it was in 1926
To scholars and historians, a romp through Thailand’s used bookstores is always fascinating, revealing a plethora of material not available in stores carrying new books. But there are treasures to be found in used bookstores in other countries as well, consisting of older books carried home by travelers, and sold to used stores by those […]
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