Thailand is very much a meat-eating country. Grilled chicken and pork-on-a-stick vendors line the streets of big cities and small towns, and a lashing of fish sauce or chicken stock finds its way into otherwise vegetarian dishes like som tam and sauteed morning glory. Before you resolve to surviving entirely off fruit and plain rice throughout … read the full post

My jaw dropped when I first laid eyes on the 250 ton, three-headed copper elephant that stands 44 metres tall south of Bangkok, but at that point I thought it was just a very big statue. It wasn’t until later that I learned how this massive elephant houses a melange of colour, texture, history, spirituality … read the full post

Themed bars can be very hit and miss but, nevertheless, Bangkok loves them. Sometimes the theme is strong, such as the blacksmith workshop-cum-bar, Iron Fairies. Other times the theme is a bit more unfathomable. The Pool is one such bar. As the name suggests, The Pool looks a little bit like a swimming pool. It’s … read the full post

In Thailand, cultural influences from India run deep. Thai kings are referred to as “Rama” after the main character in the Indian epic, Ramayana, and Thai religion is a blend of Buddhism and Hinduism, both of which came from India. Early influences like these are now indistinguishable from greater Thai culture, but two distinct Indian … read the full post

Tropical flowers reach over our tiny wooden row boat, tickling my shoulders and filling the air with fragrance as we pass. Curious children and dogs peer at us from the porches of stilted homes that hover over the water. A farmer, his boat brimming with fresh-picked pineapples, flashes a smile before making small talk with … read the full post

Bangkok’s Chinatown is a must for the culturally inclined Asian-food-loving traveller (or those who just love to shop), but it’s also crowded, sticky, cramped, and most of all, exhausting. Double Dogs Tea Room is an oasis amid the chaos of Yaowarat Road well worth seeking out. A stroll down Yaowarat, the backbone of Chinatown, takes … read the full post

In Bangkok, furniture and tat stores seem to go hand in hand with cool drinking venues. The city is full of them, and Shades of Retro is one of the coolest. While the location is always advertised as being on Thong Lo Soi 18, those in the know will know it’s actually a little further … read the full post

Some of Bangkok’s best food is found in nondescript hole-in-the-wall restaurants and markets hiding behind high-rises. Tucked down a dark alley near Sri Guru Singh Sabah Sikh temple in Pahurat, tiny Royal India Restaurant is yet another diamond in the rough that takes a little effort to find but rewards those who appreciate real Indian … read the full post

High-end hotels aren’t hard to come by in Bangkok’s ritzy Siam Square shopping district, but most are run by corporate chains like Novotel, Four Seasons and Amari Watergate. The six-year-old Siam@Siam Hotel & Spa bucks that trend while keeping up with the big names by offering an array of amenities in a lavish, creative and … read the full post

As Asian countries go, Thailand is not an easy one in which to be a vegetarian or vegan. Yet for nine days each year during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar (typically late September/October), a large portion of the country’s population eat exclusively vegan foods in observation of the Chinese cleansing festival known … read the full post