Roadside Restaurants

In order to experience really truly great Thai cuisine then it can be worth trying to locate where many of the Thai locals eat and some of the best food in Thailand can nearly always be found in street or roadside restaurants.
At first, some of these kinds of restaurants might not look like the sort of place where you will want to go for an evening meal, with many looking a little grotty and even quite uninspiring, certainly when compared to some of the fine dining options.
For this reason many foreign tourists often decide to give the street or roadside restaurants a miss, probably because they do not think that they will be up to the same standards of what they might have come to expect back home. Therefore, they often miss out on what could be an unbeatable culinary experience.
In order to sample some of the great food that is on offer from roadside restaurants throughout Thailand it is always a good idea to look for places that have lots of plastic chairs outside, rolls of toilet paper on each table and plenty of Thai customers. If you find a place that has all three of these points, then you certainly won’t be disappointed.
Some of the roadside restaurants might be a little difficult to locate during the day but come the evening they seem to spring up all over the place, particularly around the bazaars and night markets.

Dirty dancing leaves everyone in a spin

Controversial "Itchy Ears"
The latest craze sweeping Thailand is the band Ja Turbo and their song "Itchy Ears". The title and the actions may seem a little at odds with each other unless you know that the vulgar Thai word for a females genitals is ...

TV talk show host Woody Milintachinda was not the one who threw the first stone at Ja Turbo, but his was probably the biggest and it bounced back the hardest.

Describe the online community any way you want - powerful, fickle or suspicious - but, overnight, it has all but redeemed the most controversial Thai female teen singer of the hour and put a well-loved celebrity on a pillory of hatred and anger. Ja Turbo, whose real name is Nongpanee Mahadtai, had put on a show that made Michael Jackson's crotch-grabbing move look like a teasing act in a parents' day performance. The YouTube clip of her show has attracted 15 million views and counting. Naturally, she came under fire from left, right and centre. Until Woody came along, that is.

He invited "Nong Ja" to his show and asked some hard-hitting questions, some of which, critics say, were his own thinly-veiled commentaries. Woody was joined by two like-minded commentators who helped create an impression of holier-than-thou adults character assassinating a helpless teen who had been forced to be naughty and bitchy to stay competitive in a fierce nighttime entertainment business.

The rest, as they say, is history. The online world re-evaluated and then embraced her while turning against him. If the compassion showered upon Ja was amazing, the extreme hostility towards Woody was shocking. He has been cursed, scolded, scorned and virtually torn to pieces on YouTube. Tens of thousands of stinging feedbacks prompted the TV host to clarify his stand, which probably has made things worse.

In defending himself, Woody suggested that people should not judge him based on that one broadcast interview, where many things had to be taken into account. "If you ask me what I think of her personally, I like her a lot. But you have to understand that, on TV, you've got to keep your style in asking interview questions," he said.

That was what Ja tried to say during the interview, albeit in a stammering, emotionally-stricken manner. After Woody said, "What got to me was the question why our country has this kind of woman", she replied, her voice shaken, "It was just a show. It's a job. An honest job. If I had been able to choose, I would not have chosen this kind of life. I'm not that good looking and I don't sing that well. In this business, I needed to find a selling point."

Misguided about a "selling point", maybe, but what the audience saw was a naive girl being totally truthful about what she did and why she did it. My younger brother played in a pub band and I know exactly what she was talking about. When bands auditioned for contracts, the first thing prospective employers demanded was that female singers and dancers be scantily dressed. The dirtier the dance, the better the chance of getting the job. Like it or not, that's the way things are.

"It doesn't matter if you play like the Scorpions or are terrible as hell," my brother told me. "The first thing a pub-owner is interested in is near nudity in your show. Every band now has to employ sexy singers who are not afraid to appear all but naked. The way Nong Ja is dressed in that video is a modest version of what's been going on in various pubs around the country."

Putting Nong Ja's clip on YouTube does not expose her. It exposes what countless struggling young artists have to go through to stay afloat in the cutthroat entertainment business. The girls have to seduce to survive. Some of them are having fun in the process. Nong Ja was giggling while performing was what described during the Woody talk show as "the lowest form of art".

Perhaps it's too early to call the growing support for her in the online community a solid sign that Thai society is becoming far more liberal. Maybe Woody inadvertently helped turn it around for Nong Ja. She did not insist that it was the right thing to do. All she did was innocently ask for sympathy, and that might have been a straight shot to the heart. Public fire was redirected and it was Woody who had to bear the brunt of it.

In his self-defence, Woody said viewers might not even have thoroughly watched the talk show before passing judgement. In her self-defence, Ja said that her controversial dance "did not reflect who I am". In a world where judgement is passed increasingly quickly and easily, both of them are most likely right. Each, however, has a different lesson to learn.

Sex Tourist

What is a sex tourist?

There are several definitions of a sex tourist:

• "Someone who travels to a country for the sole purpose of having sex".
• "Travel for the purpose of sexual intercourse with prostitutes."
• "Someone who travels to another country for the purpose of paying to have sex, especially with children.
• "a vacation to a destination that has no restrictions on sexual services or activities, as prostitution."

But they don't do they. They eat, they drink, they stay in hotels, they visit the various sightseeing spots, they rent cars, they buy gifts for the folks back home, they watch movies, they dance, they swim, they spend money...oh oh and yes they have sexual relations too.

What is a Tourist?

Tourists get a few dictionary definitions of their own:

• "Someone who travels for pleasure rather than for business."
• "one that makes a tour for pleasure or culture."
• "someone who visits a place for pleasure or interest, usually while they are on holiday."

Note the mention of 'pleasure' there. So what does a tourist actually do?
They eat, they drink, they stay in hotels, they visit the various sightseeing spots, they rent cars, they buy gifts for the folks back home, they watch movies, they dance, they swim, they spend money...oh oh and yes they have sexual relations too.....sometimes with their partners and sometimes with people they meet on their tour.

Pattaya Walking Street

I will be the first to admit it. Men like beautiful women. They also like women who are friendly, women who listen to them, women who seem to care. These women may be younger than them by 20, 30 or even 40 years. If the women are adult, over the age of consent, are consenting and no-one is being hurt then I see nothing wrong in any relationship developing further.

Take a look at this:

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas ...25 years different.
Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon ...12 years
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes ...16 years
Harrison Ford and Callista Flockhart ...22 years
Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher ...16 years
Joan Collins and Percy Gibson ...32 years
Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster ...26 years
Margaret and Pierre Trudeau ...30 years
Rupert Murdoch and Wendy Deng ...37 years
Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn ...34 years
Billy Joel and Katie Lee Joel ...32 years
Donald Trump and Melania Trump ...24 years
J. Howard Marshall and Anna Nicole-Smith ...63 years
Cary Grant and Barbara Harris ...47 years
Klaus Kinski and Deborah Caprioglio ...42 years
Des O'Connor and Jodie Brook Wilson ...39 years
Clint Eastwood and Dina Ruiz ...35 years
Iris Robinson and Kirk McCambley ...40 years
Allegra Mostyn-Owen and ??? ...22 years

I could go on listing and listing.

Age is largely a state of mind and you really are only as old as you feel. No-one thinks twice about age differences if the people involved are rich and famous so why pick on the less well off? Is it jealousy perhaps? Or perhaps they don't like the idea of someone having fun.
Perhaps the reasons go deeper than this. None of us liked to think of our own parents doing 'it'. Even today the Idea of Howard and Anna Nicole makes me wince. Maybe its just human. We should all lighten up.

Relationships may be long term

The very phrase 'sex tourist' to me conjures up a picture of a 'dirty old man' a 'pervert' but in reality it is nothing like that at all.
Okay they may be older tourists but what is wrong with being old? What is wrong with looking for love, romance, pleasure or fun?
Believe me when I say that in Pattaya or Phuket in Thailand or Balibago in Angeles City in the Philippines if you sit long enough you will see someone you know. It may be your doctor, your vicar, your bank manager, the man from the corner shop, your dad, your uncle, your brother, your grandad, husband or boyfriend. These people are the so called 'sex tourists'.
Not all these relationships are of short duration. You would be amazed at the number of men who over a glass of Thai Whiskey end up marrying Bar Girls or entering long term relationships with Kathoey.

Women do it to

Most people would be surprised to learn that the first women 'sex tourists' were recorded in the 1840's in straight laced Victorian England.

Movies play their part. 'Shirley Valentine' did actually play a part in promotion as did 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back'.
And with women the description usually gets changed from 'Sex Tourist' to something along the lines of 'A Shirley Valentine', 'A Holiday Romance', or 'A Bit of a Fling'. I feel that is a little bit unfair.

Our Kids Do It Too

One would have to be a complete ostrich with head buried in the sand not to realise that our children do it too.
Their first holiday abroad alone or with their mates to Spain, Ibiza, Greece or wherever is not confined to lying on the beach, playing snooker and drinking beer.

The Hidden Agenda

There are the symposiums, the conferences, the annual general meetings, the golf holidays, the casino visits. So many of these take place far away from home. Exotic locations.
Why can people not just admit that underneath it all there is a hidden agenda. No, no-one likes to be called a sex tourist do they?

And Me?

I stumbled upon the world of the 'Pleasure Tourist' by accident.
I took advantage of a cheap ticket to Bangkok just to see what it was like and eventually a year or so later ended up in Pattaya by accident. The same happened in the Philippines...I thought I was landing in Manila and ended up in Clark.
I don't regret either. I am an avid people watcher, it is probably my second favourite activity. I have seen a lot, learned a lot and continue to learn. Lastly, I admit it....I am no Angel.

Long time in Pattaya

You know you've been in Thailand too long when:

You think it’s normal to have a beer at 9:00 a.m.

You begin to enjoy Thai TV programs.

You look four ways before crossing a one way street.

You realize that ALL your problems are caused by Thai girls or cranky ATMs.

You put salt and chilli on your fruit

A Thai cop stops you for a minor infraction and you automatically reach for your wallet.

All your tee-shirts are emblazoned with the name of some bar.

You can’t remember the last time you wore a suit and tie.

You aren’t upset when the bar girl next to you eats beetles as a snack.

Later the same night, you actually kiss the bar girl who earlier dined on the beetles.

You haven’t had a solid stool for five years.

You wake up in the morning and realize that you have nowhere to go and all day to get there.

You think white wine goes well with Som Tam.

You understand when your Thai wife says, ‘My friend you’ or ‘Same, same, but different.’

A Thai bar girl you’ve just met tells you that her mother is deathly ill and you just laugh and walk away.

You realize that your Thai wife’s loyalties belong to 

1. Her parents.
2. Her kids from a previous marriage to a Thai man who deserted her.
3. Any remaining blood relatives.
4. The family buffalo.
5. The family’s gecko
6. You.

You consider you mobile phone a fashion accessory.

You start driving cars barefeet

You no longer enjoy Songkran. Instead, you stay home with a stack of videotapes.

You become an expert on buying and selling gold jewellery

Dogs become animals you'd rather kick than pet.

When driving a car you'll start using every free inch of the road.

You flash your 4 indicator lights when driving straight on at an intersection.

It’s two days before payday, so you only go to bars with balloons strung outside.

You realize that all the important words in Thai begin with the letter ‘S’. Sanuk (Fun), Saduak (convenient), Sabai (comfortable), Suay pretty).
 

Songkran festival: celebrating new year in Thailand and Myanmar with water fights

A Thai boy uses a water pistol to fire water at a foreign tourist to celebrate Songkran, also known as the water festival, in Bangkok. The three-day Songkran festival is celebrated in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to 15 April. During festivities, people spray water and put powder on each other's faces to symbolise washing away the sins from the old year.

Different Types of Thai Food

Before you sample some authentic Thai food, don’t just think that all Thai food is spicy and therefore, not palatable to western tastes, because it is not. Whilst it is true that chillies are used extensively in many dishes, there are also plenty that only use small amounts of chilli and some which use none at all. As well as chillies, many Thai dishes will often contain ingredients such as garlic, fish sauce, lime juice and lemon grass. It is these ingredients that help to give Thai food its distinctive flavour of spicy, sweet, sour and salty.
Speciality dishes or different types of food are also associated with each individual region in Thailand. For example, you will probably come across ‘khao nee-o’ (sticky rice), which originates from the north, during your visit to Thailand.
Traditionally, people in the rural areas of Thailand would often eat fried insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches and ant larvae as a popular snack. Even in tourist hot spots such as Koh Samui, you will see local vendors serving up deep fried insects at many of the islands night markets.

Spicy Salads

Spicy salads are amongst some of the most popular food with Thai people. Probably the most commonly known and certainly one of the most popular is Som Tam (papaya salad). This salad can often be very spicy and it usually contains unripe green papaya which is finely chopped or shredded, garlic, tomatoes, chillies, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, peanuts, small dried shrimps and sometimes crab.
Many people consider Som Tam to be the best example of a dish that contains all the traditional flavours that can be found in Thai cuisine, such as spicy, sweet, salty and sour.
Som Tam or papaya salad is definitely worth trying if you visit Thailand and if you are feeling brave, order a regular version of the salad, just as the locals do. But be warned, it will be very spicy! If you want to sample Som Tam without it being too spicy then order it with less chilli. Absolutely delicious!
You can usually order Som Tam from many street vendors, where the salad will be freshly made in front of you for about 40 Baht and is great when served with barbecued chicken.

Stir Fried Food

Another great thing about Thai food is that many dishes can be cooked very quickly, none more so than if you order something like chicken and cashew nuts, stir fried beef with basil leaves and chilli or a stir fired noodle dish.
Pad Thai is probably the most famous stir fired noodle dish and you won’t have to walk for very long through any town in Thailand before you come to a street vendor selling this simple, yet delicious stir fried noodle dish. Pad Thai contains either red pork, which is thinly sliced, or seafood and is also normally served with bean sprouts, spring onions and wedges of lime.

Thai Curries

Thailand’s famous curries and soups are probably the most famous export of all of its cuisine and there is a good chance that many foreign visitors will already have tried a Thai curry of some description in their country of residence.
Served with rice, some of the most popular curries in Thailand are known simply as Green, Yellow or Red curry. These curries are normally made with coconut milk and can contain chicken, pork or shrimp. Other ingredients that make up a Thai curry include chilli, garlic, lemon grass, onion and other Thai herbs and spices.
Another popular curry in Thailand is Massaman curry, which is Indian in its origin and translates to mean ‘Muslim’ curry. Massaman curry is made from coconut milk but also includes potatoes, beef and peanuts.

Thai Fruit

Upon visiting Thailand you could be almost spoilt for choice with the array of fresh and exotic fruit that is available for you to buy. Fruit such as bananas, water melon, guava, mango and pineapple are sold just about everywhere by street vendors. The fruit is usually sliced into chunks and put into plastic bags, where you are then given a wooden skewer to eat it with; all of which will cost you about 20 Baht.
More exotic fruits, some you might not have seen before, such as durian, rambutan, jack fruit, rose apples, longans and papayas can all be bought at the local markets and sometimes even sold from the back of pickup trucks on the side of the road.

Cavalry police employed at Sanamluang to create pleasant scenery for tourists

BANGKOK, September 2011 (NNT)-Deputy Bangkok Governor Mr. Theerachon Manopaiboon said cavalry police would be employed to create picturesque scenery around Sanam Luang in a bid to boost tourism in Bangkok.

Mr. Theerachon said Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Metro Police would implement the plan to boost tourism in the capital city once Sanam Luang reopened after being closed for renovation.

Policemen on horseback will not only be employed for tourism purposes but also to keep law and order along with city rangers particularly the problem with drug abuse and prostitution around the area. They will create a positive impression on the tourists who come here on a daily basis to visit the Chapel Royale, Wat Phra Kaeo, the Royal Palace and other tourist attractions nearby.

Cavalry police is expected to patrol in the evening from 17.00 hrs – 18.00 hrs starting this Saturday onwards. Initially, there will be 4 policemen on horseback but they will be reduced to 2 per shift later on. The BMA will support policemen financially and is expected to buy more horses in the future.