The sharper edge to traveling in Asia

Archive for the 'By Country' Category

Thousands flee Surin as new Thai-Cambodian skirmish erupts

Early Friday morning, in the sleepy Thai village of Kopcheung, some 500 residents awakened to the thunderous sounds of rocket fire and machine guns as Cambodian and Thai troops fought nearby. It’s a new skirmish, but the same old story, this time taking place 150 miles west of the disputed territory encirling Wat Preah Vihear. An […]

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Another man lives in my apartment with me and my girlfriend

The Good Manner: Advice on Thailand from WoWasis’ Pa Farang This week’s dilemma: Another man lives in my apartment with me and my girlfriend Dear Pa Farang,  My Thai lady and I are still getting used to each other, even after living together for a couple of years.  Last month, I got a surprise: her younger […]

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WoWasis book review: Brian Mertens’ Bangkok Thai Ideas in Design

We here at WoWasis have been fans of Bangkok Fashion for a decade now.  One  of the city’s strengths is in having a culture that embraces the arts, and she is particularly strong in fashion and design, the latter of which includes progressive home furnishings. Brian Mertens’ spiffy coffee table book, Bangkok: Thai Ideas in […]

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WoWasis Reports: Apartment Asian Massage Parlors (AAMP) in North America

Today, your WoWasiscorrespondents visit North America to report on Apartment Asian Massage Parlors. Also, read the WoWasis post on commonly used AAMP acronyms relating to practices at North American massage parlors).  AAMPs, as they are commonly known, are most typically found in large apartment complexes, although a few “float” in hotels. Part of the service consists […]

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Travel by train from Bangkok to Vientiane, Laos

One of our   WoWasis correspondents decided to take the train, rather than fly from Bangkok, Thailand to Ventiane, Laos. Here’s his brief report on the experience:  Train from Bangkok was actually really good. It was great to be traveling old school again without the stress, pain and endless queueing at airports. First Class sleeper is the […]

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Foreign marriages to Cambodian women now kaput?

The Cambodian government recently outlawed all marriages between foreign men over 50 and Cambodian women of any age. Its stated reasons were to prevent trafficking and abuse. So it’s OK if you’re under 50, right? Wrong again. Foreigners who earn less than $2,550 USD per month are also excluded. That means a yearly salary of […]

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Bachelor in Bangkok: Khun Lee on foxy nurses in Bangkok hospitals

I had to go to a hospital in Bangkok this week to get some tests done for a nasty allergy problem that just doesn’t seem to want to go away.  It is absolutely incredible how all the nurses and female staff in Bangkok hospitals look like models with perfect skin, slim bodies and angelic faces.  […]

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‘Pilgrimage,’ a short story by Steve Rosse

Note: this is a short story from Steve Rosse’s new book, She Kept the Bar Between Them. Read the WoWasis review of the book here.  Pilgrimage The lights of Bangkok’s skyline slid up the taxi’s windscreen like a meteor shower in reverse.  Murray’s eyes felt cleansed by the sight of it.  The sound of the […]

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WoWasis book review: ‘Red-Light Nights, Bangkok Daze’ by William Sparrow

When we here at WoWasis first saw William Sparrow’s Red-Light Nights, Bangkok Days: Chronicles of Sexuality Across Asia (ISBN 2008, ISBN 978-981-08-1076-4) at our nearby bookstore, our first thought was “sheesh, who needs another book about sex in Asia?” Fiction and non-fiction books on sexual themes involving Southeast Asia no doubt number in the thousands.  […]

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How can I tell ladyboys from ladies?

The Good Manner: Advice on Thailand from WoWasis’ Pa Farang This week’s dilemma: How can I tell ladyboys from ladies? Dear Pa Farang, I do not remember where it is, but I seem to remember that somewhere in your blog is a story of a gentleman who discovered his Thai girlfriend (who he was living […]

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