A few days ago, my friend from the States asked me, “Does Bangkok have coconuts?” At first, I thought he was making a subtle innuendo. “That’s my deal breaker,” he explained. If there were no coconuts in his city of residence, he would consider relocation. I thought about his question for myself, and came up … read the full post

Whenever I get to a new city, I immediately realise there are about 10 million mysterious things going on. Confusion escalates as I suddenly remember I never looked up how to get around town or whether or not I could drink the tap water. To avoid that type of confusion when you roll into Bangkok, … read the full post

Thai food gets a lot of props overseas — it’s almost ubiquitous now in North America, Europe and Australasia, but what doesn’t get much play are Thai desserts. Thai desserts are not always immediately recognisable as dessert — strangely wobbling gelled cubes, green “noodles” floating in a bowl of white liquid, bright orange strips, threads, … read the full post

Eatable bread in the land of rice can be a hit or a miss. Well, mostly a miss. I set out on a mission to figure out why bread in Bangkok was just so bad, and if there were any bakeries that fit the exception. My first question went unanswered (I’m thinking it has something … read the full post

This post last updated January 21, 2013 Getting a visa to India in Bangkok takes a little longer and is a bit more complicated than for most other Asian countries, but it’s not rocket science if you know where to look. It is also 100% not necessary to have a third party take care of … read the full post

Sometimes discovery happens the hard way, requiring a lifetime of slogging through a city, measuring and weighing and comparing to see if you’ve found the one true thing you have been after. And sometimes it happens the easy way. Possibly when you are just the tiniest bit tipsy after drinking beers and complaining about live … read the full post

Visiting friends and family members often have very similar queries when they land in Bangkok. “What are Bangkok must-sees?” Here are a few. “What is some food I’ve just gotta try?” How about these. And, “where do you suggest I buy fabric?” I have a few thoughts on that as well. Thai silk has become … read the full post

Massage is recognised as an ancient art in Thailand and is one of the traditional medicine practices recognised by the government. Thai massage is basically doing yoga while wearing pyjamas, except you don’t have to actually do anything. So win-win all the way around! Thai massage is based on a concept similar to Chinese massage, … read the full post

Rain can be a buzzkill in Bangkok. The city reacts in a level of panic reminiscent of New Yorkers during Hurricane Irene: shut all windows, stock up on essentials like water and ramen noodles, and bail out of work early. But this collapse in infrastructure happens on a daily basis from May to October, taking … read the full post

In a city known for its night time indulgences, great late night street eats are a must. There are always a few noodle soup carts, grillers of pork sate, or the flames of a fried noodle wok clustered around popular clubs and bars — but it’s more hangover cure/dancing fuel than culinary delight. But what … read the full post