“The palace is closed.” If you’ve been anywhere near the Grand Palace in Bangkok, you’ve likely heard those words. No matter what day you heard them or who said them, I can guarantee one thing: the palace was not closed. You don’t even have to be near the palace to hear those words. On my […]
Why Couldn’t My Train Just Derail Like Everyone Else’s?
Trains in Thailand have a hard time staying on the tracks and the route from Bangkok north to Chiang Mai seems especially prone to derailments, judging by news reports and even a few first-hand accounts on other blogs (like this one by That Backpacker, which actually sparked my memory of the incident in today’s post). […]
An Elephant Gets Revenge
I recently wrote a post about the mistreatment of elephants in Thailand, so I thought I’d balance that out by recalling a time an elephant got a bit of revenge on us humans. Apart from the ones that work in logging and those forced to carry tourists around a little loop in the jungle all […]
Bargain Prices on Elephant Torture in Chiang Mai
Most visitors to Thailand have a good-sized list of things they want to experience in the country and riding an elephant is usually one of them, but if they knew the treatment those elephants are forced to endure, most would probably make a new list. The problem isn’t the riding itself, though. Unless, you top […]
Hard Truth for Us Good-Looking Slackers
Don’t I know it……numerous little snippets of wisdom pepper the trees on the Phra Singh temple grounds in Chiang Mai, Thailand, but this one was obviously meant specifically for me…
Braving the Jungles of Koh Phangan to Discover a Secluded Beach
Koh Phangan in Thailand is famous mainly for the full moon party and by extension Haad Rin, the beach on the southern tip of the island where the party takes place every month. And justifiably so. The party is huge and chaotic and well worth a trip to the island on its own. It’s not […]
The Drunken Muay Thai Master
When I first got to Thailand, I thought it might be interesting to see a Muay Thai fight. It wasn’t high on my list of things to do, but I figured it could be fun. Then I spent a few days in Phuket dodging touts with Muay Thai flyers and being screamed at by promoters […]
Sewage Facials on Bangkok’s Water Transport System
The water transport system in Bangkok is a quick, cheap and efficient way to get around the city. Yes, the boats spray water back at the passengers, but they come equipped with tarps that function as splash guards. Unfortunately, this being Thailand, you’ll only occasionally find a boat where those splash guards actually do function. […]
Poipet Rhymes with Toilet for a Reason
Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of Poipet before—you’re one of the lucky ones. A Cambodian town on the border with Thailand, Poipet has become a miniature exhibition of sorts, displaying everything that’s wrong with Southeast Asia in one convenient location. Many visitors to Cambodia avoid ‘the toilet’ altogether by flying into the country. […]
Erawan Waterfall: Swimming With Flesh-Eating Monsters
Kanchanaburi Thailand is home to one of the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve ever seen and a couple of other entirely unspectacular sights, like the bridge over the river Kwai and the very appropriately named Death Railway; appropriate not because it’s dangerous, but because it moves so slowly that anyone who boards past the age of […]