The central area Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is a fascinating mix of East and West, traditional and modern. Buddhist temples along with great shopping and nightlife attract millions of visitors every year. Ayutthaya, the Thai capital from 1350...
In this day and age, viral sensations seem completely random. One day everyone’s watching a Korean man do an odd dance, and the next they’re watching goats singing Taylor Swift. This most recent viral hit might be the weirdest (and best) one ever —...
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a breathtaking archipelago located east of India. It is also my next exotic destination as I will work as a scuba diving instructor there for a while. As mentioned in my diary in earlier posts I have a friend...
One of the great attractions for nature tourists visiting Thailand is the diversity of environments extending across mountain peaks, lowland rainforests, mangroves, coral reefs, farmland and urban jungles. Within a day, or even a few hours travel...
Wat Suan Dok in Chiang Mai is one of the many places of interest for tourists visiting the area. Dating back to the 14th century. the monastery has abundant historical significance and admirable architecture. And for those visitors less enthusiastic...
In the early stages of the Second World War (1939-1945) Thailand continued receiving its opium from countries like Iran and Turkey, but after the Thais sided with the Japanese Empire late in 1941, these markets were quickly cut off. In May 1942 the...
In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt of the United States, concerned about the worldwide trades in narcotics, lobbied the leaders of a number of European and Asian countries to create an International Opium Commission. This forum met in Shanghai...
Why would anyone go through the trouble of traveling kilometres away for a piece of pottery? It doesn’t make sense, especially if you take a forty Baht skytrain ride to Sapan Taksin for a boat trip to Nonthaburi. That almost half of the sixty or so...
For 120 years it’s been the preferred lodging for film stars, writers, loyalty and politicians but Raffles Hotel Singapore began life as a 10-bedroom bungalow. When Tigran Sarkies migrated to Malaysia from Armenia in the early 1880s, he hoped to...
I am in no way an aspiring chef, but I have always liked to play around with food to see what I can cook up. It normally turns out pretty good if I should say it myself, and I rarely experience any kitchen nightmares. I guess those are the domain of...