The sharper edge to traveling in Asia

Archive for the 'Business' Category

Thai Air Asia flies new low-cost route to Siem Reap-Ankor Wat, Cambodia

Bangkok Airways no longer has an exclusive air route flying from Bangkok to Siem Reap, Cambodia, gateway city to the historical Angkor Wat complex. With an agreement that took five years to forge, Thai Air Asia, beginning October 1, 2013, will now fly to Siem Reap, opening with a promotional fare that essentially amounts to […]

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The best bath in Japan? Maybe it’s Kyoto’s Funaoka Onsen

Here at WoWasis, we’re clean freaks, or can’t you tell? We’ve reported on Thai toilet hoses, soapy massages, Bangkok Korean scrubs, you name it, we just wanna be clean. It turns out that the Japanese, like the Thais and Koreans, are water people, and they revere their public baths, which they call onsen. And there’s […]

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Why a balding, smoking, middle-aged white guy may be the new sex symbol in Japan

You can quote us here at WoWasis: Japan is different. Waaay different. By western standards, middle-aged white guys aren’t worth much, sexually or commercially. Ask yourself: how many older western guys are spokespersons, or models, or mage logos for anything hip? Can’t name one? Neither can we. Receding hairlines aren’t very popular: guys are paying […]

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Farewell to Bangkok’s Washington Square by Dean Barrett

One of Bangkok’s most treasured entertainment zones, Washington Square on Sukhumvit, has been plowed under. It was a haven for GIs, spooks, writers, oil workers, and drinkers. Bangkok author Dean Barrett has written a fine tribute to Washington Square, reprinted here as it appeared in the April, 2013 issue of After Dark Magazine.             Molly […]

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WoWasis book shopping review: a superior English bookshop at Dhaka’s international airport in Bangladesh

There’s not a lot to do for international travelers in the departure area of the Hazrat Shahjalal airport in Bangladesh’s capital of Dhaka. On top of that, the restrooms are crappy, literally. Most cow pastures are cleaner. This is amazing, given that international flyers, who have the money for plane tickets, presumably, would have learned […]

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Korean island of Yongyu-Muui hopes to become a gambling mecca

Our gaming correspondents at www.onlinecasino.sg  have just published a fascinating article on South Korea’s attempt to divert some of the gambling revenue that’s now going to Macau by putting billions of dollars into turning the island of Yongyu-Muui into a world-class gaming destination. Here’s what they have to say: The Korean island that’s taking on […]

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WoWasis book review: ‘The Vets’ … Hong Kong and Bangkok intrigue by Stephen Leather

British novelist Stephen Leather has written an amazing body of fiction books centering on Southeast Asia. In The Vets (1993, ISBN 978-0-340-59770-5), he includes Hong Kong in the mix, in a fast-paced thriller that displays his knowledge of HK prior to its takeover by the Chinese as well as his understanding of the powerful mainland […]

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Medical tourism continues to boom in Asia, but do ensure a professional diagnosis before agreeing to a procedure

Countries such as Thailand, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines are posting big numbers in terms of medical tourism, according to a story written by Peerapan Tungsuwan in the January 14, 2013 issue of the Bangkok Post. Worldwide, medical tourism accounts for an estimated $100 billion in revenue annually. While Asia’s share […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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