Bangkok is hot. Inescapably, incessantly, interminably hot. Even if you take refuge inside one of Bangkok’s air-conditioned malls, you’re going to have to face the heat sometime. What’s the best and most delicious way to counteract days with a low of 40 degrees Celsius? Ice cream. Lots of ice cream. Or gelato for the Italians, … read the full post

In a fantastic departure from the way that nationalism (as a concept of nationhood, not a political system) was traditionally explained, Benedict Anderson posited that nations are nations because we, collectively, decided to believe in them as nations. It’s easy to see the logic in that as you travel around Southeast Asia. While the ethnic … read the full post

You have some time to kill before a big trip, or a weekend to spare. You want to stay near Bangkok but get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Ko Samet is in no way an overseas destination island — that is, if you’re travelling to Thailand for the first time and … read the full post

While Bangkok appears to be over the worst of the floods, the surrounds are still mopping up and travellers are still asking about whether it’s safe to come to the Thai capital. We spoke with Kirsty of Poi and Kirsty, a British blogging duo living in the Big Mango and travelling around Asia, about their … read the full post

File this under “World’s Weirdest Shopping Malls.” That Bangkok has a love affair with shopping malls is not a secret. It’s a destructive trend at times, such as when they city decides to get rid of a wildly popular and fun market (RIP Suan Lum Night Market) so that yet another department store/hotel combination can … read the full post

When planning a trip to Thailand, one might envision elephant rides, street food stalls, and white sandy beaches. But if you really want to live as the Thais do, go shopping. Shopping is the unofficial national pastime of Thailand, and in the capital, shopping malls tower over every soi. Singapore may win for the number … read the full post

It’s not been the end that most would hope for — a clean whooshing sound as all of the flood water washed out to sea and left Bangkok licking its wounds and restocking its 7-Elevens. The floods are *not* over — not for millions in the northern suburbs, not for millions who live across the … read the full post

Given the floods surrounding and leaking across Bangkok it’s fair to say that the Thai capital is not a particularly fun place to be for a holiday, at least for a little while. A few lost crocodiles are swishing around in the water, and it doesn’t smell so nice, either. For the truly blissful vacation … read the full post

I’m lucky. I’ve been able to report on the Thai floods as an unaffected observer. My house isn’t inundated, and the smell of sewage doesn’t fill my neighborhood. Ask me in a few days and I might no longer be able to say those things, but I’ll still be glad that our neighborhood lasted as … read the full post

It seems unlikely that many parts of Central Bangkok are going to escape some sort of flooding in the next 10 days. Chatuchak market was open last weekend, but more than half of the vendors didn’t open their stalls and shoppers were not at their normal levels. While inside was dry thanks to a sandbag … read the full post