Don’t let the title of the book fool you. There’s more here than just a story of the demise of the legendary silk king. Harold Stephens’ The Strange Disappearance of Jim Thompson and Stories of Other Expats in Southeast Asia (2003, ISBN 0-9642521-7-1), which originally was published in 1978 under the title Asian Portraits, is […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'By Country' Category
Easy to die in Thailand if you’re not a VIP… man denied an ambulance is proof
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 […]
Read the rest of this entry »Welcome to Bangladesh: an introduction
Welcome to Bangladesh! Here, braving the challenges of a country that doesn’t have much of a travel infrastructure for the westerner does have significant rewards. You’ll see things most people you know haven’t, like the wonderful historical temples and mosques outside of Rajshahi and Bagerhat, outside of Khulna. The Sundarbans National Park consists of the […]
Read the rest of this entry »Bangladesh pollution, air, land, and hygienic, still daunting to visitors
You first notice it from the air, about 100 miles out from the capital of Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The air below you has suddenly turned yellow, created by plumes of smoke coming from industrial chimneys that you later learn are from brick factories. In Dhaka city, despite the fact that many vehicles now run […]
Read the rest of this entry »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 »WoWasis visits Bagerhat’s exceptional historical temples and mosques near Khulna, Bangladesh
Historical mosques and temples in Bagerhat, Bangladesh are an easy drive from the city of Khulna
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis travels Bangladesh’s Sundarbans National Park, the world’s largest tiger-infested mangrove forest
The world’s largest mangrove forest, actually. It’s amazing to many Westerners that people still get eaten by lions and tigers. We here at WoWasis remember when we were at Namibia’s Etosha National Park when it happened. A German visitor had slept on a bench outside a watering hole, protected by a barbed-wire fence. An old […]
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 travels transportation in Bangladesh
Transportation in Bangladesh consists chiefly of train, car & driver for hire, auto-rickshaw, and pedal-rickshaw. Train: Bangladesh’s train stations have virtually no signage in English, nor English-speaking information counters (exception: Rajshahi train station). Read the WoWasis post on how to deal with this. When you do get a first class ticket, the trains are relatively […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis introduces the colorful street stall vendors of Bangladesh
A poor country by economic standards, Bangladesh is rich in both the color and breadth of its internal commercial enterprises. It’s never more apparent than when visiting street stalls, with riots of color at every turn. It could be bread, fruit, textiles, or tools, but Bangladeshis have an eye for design and color as they […]
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