WoWasis is on a 4 day river tour on one of Asia’s most storied rivers, accompanied by a cold beer as the sun begins to set. The boat we’re on is the RV River Kwai, a beautifully appointed river craft. The first inland cruise ship in Thailand, this newly-built colonial style river cruiser is based […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Transportation' Category
Thailand’s Railway of Death: 250 tough miles to Burma on the River Kwai
The Thailand-Burma railway, built from June 1942 through October, 1943, spanned a distance of 250 miles, running from Nong Pladuk, Thailand to Thanbuyuzayat, Burma. A number of books, both fact and fiction, have been written on this legendary and ill-fated railway, built on the backs and contributing to the deaths of thousands of slave laborers […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis book review: Pierre Boulle’s ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’
Here at WoWasis, we’re not averse to reviewing an older book, especially one that was written a couple of generations ago. It’s well past its original buzz, which, in the case of this book, includes a major motion picture as well. Fact is, many in today’s generation haven’t read it. And it’s timeless. We just […]
Read the rest of this entry »Thailand’s elephants: making paper from poop
Your WoWasis research team has uncovered a new way of making paper, and elephant dung provides the material. Taking a tour or trekking by elephant has been a favorite of western travelers to Thailand for decades. These sure-footed, gracious, and well-tempered animals can take you on a ½ hour to 1 hour walk through the […]
Read the rest of this entry »PC Air’s ladyboys to be Thailand’s queens of the skies
Freshly-minted Thai regional airline PCAir won’t make its first flight for several months yet, but here at WoWasis, we applaud them for staffing up with ladyboys in its effort to have a diversified work crew. Perhaps the highest profile ladyboy hired so far is Miss Tiffany Universe 2007 winner Thanyarat Jirapatpakorn. The Bangkok Post notes that […]
Read the rest of this entry »New Bangkok Airport Train gets you downtown in 15 minutes
WoWasis tested the new Airport Rail Link train shortly after its inaugural run, and as advertised it took us from Suvarnabhumi Airport to the centrally located Makkasan station in 15 minutes. It cost 40 bhat for the trip (soon to be raised to 150 baht), and the train raced along the course at up to […]
Read the rest of this entry »Top 6 sights in Myanmar: WoWasis visits Burma, a short travelguide
Visit and tour the top 6 sights in Myanmar (Burma)
Read the rest of this entry »Bachelor in Bangkok: Khun Lee on Bangkok nightlife today vs. 1995, Pt. II
Greetings to our loyal readers and I hope you are enjoying this blessing we call life as much as I am. In my August, 2010 column, I compared 1995 Bangkok to present day and detailed the changes in the nightlife industry. This month, I want to compare changes in cost, livability, transportation and relationships with “good […]
Read the rest of this entry »Miserable shopping experience for WoWasis in Taipei airport
The bookstore at the departure lounge in Taipei airport was staffed by three people, a girl at the cash register, a guy stacking magazines, and another guy just walking around. Your WoWasis correspondents noticed a high-design writing pen behind a locked glass door, selling for USD $150, and we wanted to see it, so asked […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis visits the city of Mandalay, Burma
Take a half-day tour of Mandalay! While visitors will find that the city of Mandalay pales in comparison with Rangoon, and the ancient palace, lying within the moat, was mostly destroyed by fighting in WWII, it remains a fascinating city with its on vibe. Today, Mandalay is best visited as a home base for day […]
Read the rest of this entry »
