Carmina works as a dancer in a bar in Angeles City, Philippines. Possessor of a deep, sultry voice, she was occupied as a performer-hostess at a men’s club overseas for more than 10 years, and made a very good living. Her specialty was singing jazz standards, and she can rattle off any Cole Porter tune […]
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Eating bugs in Thailand: Supplementing your daily caloric intake the upcountry way
Westerners visiting Thailand for the first time may quickly encounter a dramatic indicator that they’re no longer in the western world: the streetside bug cart. Loaded with trays filled with a number of delicious insect delights, these carts serve primarily Thai people who’ve emigrated to Bangkok from outlying provinces such as Isaan and the northern […]
Read the rest of this entry »Exotic Fruits of Thailand: What’s this thing called, and how do I eat it?
Westerners from even the more abundant agricultural nations will quickly become transfixed by the breadth of palate to be sampled in the fruits commonly found in Thailand. Fruits here are categorized as either seasonal (e.g. durian, lychee, longan, mango, mangosteen) or year-round (banana, jackfruit, papaya, pineapple). Here is your guide to the most common, encountered […]
Read the rest of this entry »Men’s rooms TV ads: more noise pollution in Bangkok?
Bangkok, already one of the world’s noisiest cities, might be in the process of getting louder. U.S.-educated entrepreneur Palin Lojanagosin intends to start putting ads in washrooms on television monitors. These will not only be placed above sinks, but above the toilet stalls themselves. All of us have come to grips with the notion that […]
Read the rest of this entry »Buying property: Own your own piece of Thailand? It can be done, but with caveats
(Note: Also read WoWasis post about construction scams in Thailand) Many Westerners who fall in love with Thailand have expressed a desire to own property there. Although the process is probably more complicated than in your own country, it is doable, as thousands can attest. Here are some of the basics, and remember to consult […]
Read the rest of this entry »Day and Resort/Hotel Spas in Vietnam
Vietnam is quickly becoming a spa destination, particularly in the Resort/Hotel variety, with good choices in Hue, Nha Trang, and Saigon. Day spas are beginning to appear, but choices today are slim, relative to the proliferation of day spas in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. There are plenty of “mom&pop” massage venues in Saigon and Hanoi, […]
Read the rest of this entry »Avoid high price tour rip-offs in Vietnam
In Vietnam, the middleman is king, which means that the pricing on most tour packages varies on how much the vendor thinks you can pay. For example, we were quoted $87 for a one-day tour to the Mekong delta, from our upscale hotel on Dong Khoi Street. The same tour cost $7 (not a mis-print!) […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis’ Singapore Bookshelf
Here at WoWasis, we’ve found some good reads about Singapore , including a number of very good fiction and non-fiction books. Here are some of our favorites: Fiction It takes a brave writer to create a bland protagonist, especially in a crime novel, where, presumably, the reader aspires to the lofty wit, intelligence, good looks, […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bang Fai rocket festival in Yasothon, Thailand
Like us here at WoWasis, if your idea of fun is a weekend of Isaan parades, music, drinking, and rocket launching, the Bun Bungfai Rocket Festival, held each year in Yasothon, is for you. Generally held on one of the first two weekends in May, the festival features dozens of teams launching thousands of home-crafted […]
Read the rest of this entry »Jumbo Queen beauty contest in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
If the size of a beauty contest can be measured by the accumulated weight of all contestants, Thailand’s Jumbo Queen Contest is undoubtedly the world’s largest. Occurring each year on Thailand’s May 1 labor Day holiday, the contest matches the talent, beauty, and charm of some of the largest women in Thailand. To be eligible […]
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