A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

[Froggy]

Visited a famous restaurant serving all dishes free-range chicken (kampong chicken). This restaurant had been operating for more than 40 years with no branches anywhere only this original restaurant.


The restaurant

Chicken gizzard krapow (Thai basil)

Deep fried chicken

Gaeng Pa (basically its Thai soup with lots of herbs and wild vegetables)

Tomyam chicken

Boiled chicken

650 baht meal for 2 (S$28) but I have to drive 130km to get there

LOCATION:
https://goo.gl/maps/ApbGP6BMvXwacT9L7

 

[Froggy]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Tu...=1&pub_date=20200907123000&seq_num=2&si=44594

Red Bull boycott: From Thai pride to symbol of inequality
Concentration of wealth receives new scrutiny as anti-government protests rage

A woman buys Red Bull energy drink cans in a supermarket in Bangkok in August. © Reuters
MARIMI KISHIMOTO, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 6, 2020 02:29 JST

BANGKOK -- Red Bull, the world's bestselling energy drink, derives its name and recipe from a Thai beverage called Krating Daeng. Created by Chaleo Yoovidhya, who was born to a poor family in the country's north, the power drink found its way onto the global stage when it was discovered by Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz.

Together, Yoovidhya and Mateschitz created Red Bull GmbH, which marketed the drink worldwide, after slightly reducing the sweetness for the global audience. The phenomenal success made both men multibillionaires. Chaleo's son Chalerm Yoovidhya sits at No. 2 on Forbes' Thai rich list.

But what was once the pride of the Thai people is quickly turning into a symbol of the country's inequalities and has featured prominently in anti-government protests that have Thailand on edge. Chaleo's grandson, Vorayuth Yoovidhaya, was allegedly involved deadly hit-and-run case but has never faced trial -- a case many perceive as an example of the special treatment afforded to the country's super wealthy.

"The world, please help us boycott Red Bull and all their related products. The son of the owner went with impunity in Thailand," a Twitter post read in July.

The hashtag "#BoycottRedBull" began spreading on social media after it was revealed that month that charges against grandson Vorayuth, who goes by the nickname "Boss," had been dropped.

The predawn incident happened in September 2012, when a Ferrari allegedly driven by Vorayuth hit a policeman on a motorcycle and drove off. The policeman, Wichean Klunprasert, who was dragged several meters by the Ferrari, died from his injuries. Alcohol and cocaine were later detected in Vorayuth's body.

Police investigators said at the time the Ferrari was driving at a speed of about 170 kph when the crash occurred. Vorayuth had forced a servant surrender to the police in his stead but the cover-up was soon exposed. Shortly after the crash, Vorauth's family paid Wichean's family about $100,000.

A man drinks a bottle of Krating Daeng, an original Thai version of popular drink Red Bull, in a Bangkok store. © Reuters

Vorayuth was detained, but upon receiving bail, he refused to attend subsequent court hearings. He fled Thailand on a private jet. Each time his extravagant lifestyle in the U.K. was reported, citizens back home expressed anger. His frequent appearances at Formula One race events to cheer on the Red Bull team added fuel to the fire.

The stalled court case suddenly regained momentum when a new witness came forward in 2016, testifying that the Ferrari had actually been going about 70 kph and that the policeman's motorbike had suddenly changed lanes prior to the crash.

The prosecution team announced on July 24 that charges would be dropped against Vorayuth. Public anger exploded. According to a poll by Thai research company Super Poll, 91% of respondents said they could not trust the Thai judiciary system, and 82% said the incident was an international embarrassment.

Frustration mounted further when it was revealed that T.C. Pharmaceutical Industries, the company that owns Red Bull in Thailand, was making huge donations to the Thai government.

T.C. Pharma issued a statement on July 25, saying Vorayuth was not involved in the company's management.

In another suspicious turn of events, the new witness that had offered the key testimony was killed in a motorcycle crash, according to police. Under immense public pressure, Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said in an August speech that he did not want the public to lose faith in the judiciary or the nation. He reversed the prosecution's decision to close the case and promised a fresh investigation.

On Aug. 25, it was reported that a new arrest warrant for Vorayuth had been approved.

Simmering beneath the anger is the Thailand's massive inequality. According to a 2019 estimate by Credit Suisse, the country's top 1% held about 50% of the nation's wealth. It ranked second only to Russia among 40 countries surveyed.

 

[tobelightlight]

Redbull is such an unhealthy drink.

 

[Froggy]

Found a fantastic Izakaya last night love the atmosphere (just like in Japan) love the food.

This video is about the yakitori and small dishes

This video is about the beef

Wagyu beef and foie gras in sauce and truffles over them

LOCATION
https://goo.gl/maps/uD1iGYo8wrQHYBQU9

 

[Raiders]

Sawadee kappppp. Is this real or transformer???

 

[Froggy]

Sawadee kappppp. Is this real or transformer???

View attachment 90458View attachment 90459

Kathoey sure sure

 

[yinyang]

Boa constrictor takes bite out of 18-year-old in toilet
National
Sep 09. 2020

By THE NATION

A teenager was bitten by a boa constrictor that appeared from the commode in his Nonthaburi home.

A rescue team, on being informed by a woman that the snake bit her 18-year-old son on his sexual organ, rushed to the townhouse.

They found a blood stain on the toilet floor and the boa constrictor in the commode.

The one-metre-long snake was captured.

According to the teen's mother Sutapat, she was at the office when he called her and said he was bitten by a snake in the toilet.

Rescue staff immediately sent him to Bang Yai Hospital in Nonthaburi. He was reported to be in a “safe” condition after an operation.

 

[yinyang]

 

[Froggy]

Thai fresh live seafood dinner

The restaurant

Mimosa stir fry with garlic and chili

Kale stirfry with oyster sauce and chili

Glass noodle

Fresh m&d crab 800g

Steamed, the meat is so sweet

Live groupa all 1kg of it, a big fish, steamed with soya sauce

 

[yinyang]

Cabinet to consider special tourist visa next week: TAT
National
Sep 10. 2020

By The Nation

A Cabinet meeting next week will consider approving a special tourist visa for foreigners who wish to enter Thailand, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn said.

The visa will be valid for an initial 90-day stay but can be renewed twice – 90 days each time – for a maximum stay of 270 days. The visa, which costs Bt2,000 per person, is suitable for foreign tourists who want to stay in Thailand for a long time, Yuthasak said.

Plans to allow foreign tourists in must take into account the balance between public health safety, consent from local residents and income by the tourism sector, which accounts for 20 per cent of gross domestic product, he said.

“If the situation in the fourth quarter does not improve and no foreign tourists have yet travelled to Thailand, 2.5 million jobs out of a current 4 million in the tourism sector may be lost. So TAT has to prepare for ‘limited exposure’ to foreign tourists, hoping to attract tourists from markets such as Europe in the fourth quarter of this year. If the results are good, numbers can be expanded,” Yuthasak said.

The Association of Thai Travel Agents previously suggested allowing in tourists from cities or countries at low risk of Covid-19 without any quarantine. Most recently, TAT drafted guidelines, waiting for Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to discuss the matter with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

“Efforts have been made to move forward with the limited exposure. However, after the cases of the Egyptian soldier being infected with Covid-19 in Rayong and a DJ in prison also being infected, concerns have been raised about a new coronavirus outbreak,” Yuthasak said.

Some 28.3 million Thais visited other provinces in the first six months of this year, a 63 per cent decrease, generating revenue of Bt202 billion, a decrease of 62 per cent. Meanwhile, 6.7 million foreign tourists were expected this year, hoping to generate Bt332 billion, a 65 per cent decrease.

Foreign tourists are expected to return to Thailand in the second quarter of 2021 (April-June) due to the likely development of a Covid-19 vaccine, Yuthasak added.

TAT expects a rebound in tourist numbers from Northeast Asia and Asean in the near term. It hopes to attract approximately 16.7 million visitors from the Asia-Pacific region and 3.8 million visitors from Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa.

 

[yinyang]

Coronavirus: Thailand tourism body pushes for open borders with some nations

The quarantine waiver will be aimed at Asian travellers who usually don't stay for more than two weeks.PHOTO: AFP
PUBLISHED
2 HOURS AGO


BANGKOK (BLOOMBERG) - The Thai tourism agency is pursuing a plan to allow foreigners from countries with low coronavirus infection risks to visit the South-east Asian nation without a mandatory quarantine in a bid to rescue its ailing tourism sector.
The quarantine waiver will be aimed at Asian travellers who usually don't stay for more than two weeks, Thai language newspaper Khaosod reported, citing Mr Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
The proposal will need a government approval and negotiations with countries from where tourists are targeted under the plan, Mr Yuthasak told the newspaper.

Thailand, one of Asia's most tourism-reliant economies, is considering several plans to re-open its borders for some visitors.
But unlike the state agency's plan, other proposals require a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a hotel after the arrival.
Next week, the agency will seek approval from the Cabinet for a special tourist visa for long-term visitors, who can stay in the country for up to 270 days.

The Thai hospitality and tourism sectors are counting on the return of international visitors, who contributed to two-thirds of tourism income before the pandemic, to reverse a slump in business and save millions of jobs.
The government and businesses are weighing the cost between curbing infection risks and limiting damage to the economy, which is on track for a record contraction of 8.5 per cent this year.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/s...d=20&cx_testVariant=cx_5&cx_artPos=3#cxrecs_s

 

[Froggy]

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/s...00-people-exposed-to-mystery-coronavirus-case

Thailand tests nearly 600 people exposed to mystery coronavirus case

Thailand has found no new infections so far.PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Published Sep 9, 2020, 5:01 pm SGT

BANGKOK (REUTERS) - Thailand said on Wednesday (Sept 9) it had tested nearly 600 people potentially exposed to the country's first domestic coronavirus case in over three months, but has so far found no new infections.

The man, 37, had worked as a nightclub DJ at three different venues in the capital Bangkok in the two weeks before he tested positive on arrival in prison, following his recent conviction for a drugs-related offence.

Individuals deemed at risk across 12 venues including the court where he appeared, nightclubs and supermarkets were tracked down and 569 tests were administered, the Public Health Ministry said.

So far, all tests have come back negative and 32 individuals were awaiting results. Authorities have asked 400 other individuals considered low-risk to self-quarantine for 14 days.

How the man became infected remains a mystery, with all of Thailand's recent cases, typically less than a handful each day, detected in state quarantine among people returning from abroad.

Thailand has reported a total of 3,447 confirmed infections, 58 fatalities and has relaxed internal restrictions.

That toll is one of the region's lowest, with Indonesia and the Philippines the highest with more than 200,000 cases each.

Natural border crossings and check points with neighbouring countries like Myanmar and Laos have been tightened to prevent illegal entry, Thai Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Chatchai Promlert said.

Myanmar last week sealed up its capital city after seeing cases more than double in just a few weeks.

The re-emergence of the virus in Thailand was another blow to its economy, delaying a plan from Oct 1 to start allowing the return of foreign tourists, initially on the island-resort of Phuket, with mandatory quarantine and limits on movement.

South-east Asia's second-largest economy suffered its biggest shrinkage in more than two decades in the second quarter as the coronavirus outbreak froze tourism and slowed consumption.

 

[Froggy]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Bu...=1&pub_date=20200910190000&seq_num=2&si=44594

Thai businesses challenged by pro-democracy boycotts
Foodpanda, Burger King and Disney face backlash as protesters wield wallets

Foodpanda and Burger King are among about 25 companies identified by netizens as advertisers on pro-establishment Nation TV. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)
MASAYUKI YUDA, Nikkei staff writerSeptember 10, 2020 16:13 JST

BANGKOK -- Thailand's pro-democracy movement has started reverberating commercially as protesters weaponize spending power to make their voices heard by large corporates.

"It's been weeks since I deleted a Foodpanda app from my smartphone," Praew Sreechumpol told the Nikkei Asian Review on Wednesday.

Praew was one of about 20,000 protesters, who gathered at Democracy Monument in the administrative heart of Bangkok on Aug. 16, calling for Thailand to transform into a democracy with the monarchy under the constitution. The 24-year-old said the online food delivery operator's advertising strategy left no choice but to discontinue using its services.

Foodpanda was one of about 25 sponsors identified by netizens in mid-August as a company that advertises on Nation TV, a pro-establishment mouthpiece.

Protesters' antipathy toward the media outlet was ignited when one of its reporters was caught using a different company name to interview a participant of the Aug. 16 rally in fear of being turned down. Online pro-democracy supporters urged people to boycott Nation TV as well as its advertisers.

In a statement on Aug. 22, Foodpanda said it would suspend all its ads on the channel over concerns about its reputation. But the damage had already been done. "Distancing from Foodpanda has little impact on my life. I can still order food through other services," Praew said.
A pro-democracy protester holds a sign at an anti-government rally on Aug. 16. The demonstrators comprise students and many other youths unhappy with the lingering status quo. © Reuters

It has been a long time since Thailand's food delivery market has been this competitive, thanks to the work-from-home trend due to the pandemic.

Ride-hailing giants Grab and Gojek are going head-to-head with Foodpanda. The industry is expected to grow by about 80% year on year in 2020, according to Kasikorn Research Center. The quick response by Foodpanda shows how much damage a boycott could cause.

Other sponsors also reacted. Food franchises such as Burger King, Coffee Club and Swensen's -- all under hospitality giant Minor International -- were also boycotted. The group said it will review its choice of media, while insurer Muang Thai Life said it would stop advertising on Nation TV.

It is unclear yet whether name-and-shame campaigns directed at sponsors' de facto support of repressive authorities is deep-seated or just a reflection of a fleeting "cancel culture." Shine Bunnag, Nation Multimedia Group's chairman, told Reuters the boycott was "social bullying from a group of keyboard thugs."

But raising pro-democracy awareness through spending power has become a trend in Asia. Calls to boycott Disney's live-action adaptation of "Mulan" emerged in August 2019, when main cast member Liu Yifei voiced support for Hong Kong police despite allegations of violence against pro-democracy protesters.

The boycott gained momentum in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand after it kicked off on Sept. 4. It also signaled that it was partly directed toward China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, which has been internationally condemned over human rights abuses.

Thai student activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal asked followers on Twitter to avoid patronizing "Mulan," so that "Disney and the Chinese government know that state-sponsored violence against the people is unacceptable."

Pro-democracy protesters from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand have initiated an online movement called the "Milk Tea Alliance," naming it after the beverage all three communities enjoy.

 

[yinyang]

 

[yinyang]

 

[yinyang]

 

[yinyang]

 

[Froggy]

Went to a very busy beef noodle stall. Place nothing great, bloody hot look old but the food is great which is why its packed everyday.

Icy cold beer

Beef hotpot

Owner and chef

location - https://goo.gl/maps/6My3JKfUBf6razAXA

 

[Froggy]

Had lunch at Korean Spoon Restaurant in The Promenade Mall. Its serving authentic traditional Korean cuisin

Side dishes

Hot boiling Kimchi soup

Traditional Bibimbab Korean rice

Pork

Beef

Beef ribs

location - https://goo.gl/maps/gfpJ5UBSj3a5RPeS8

 

[JOKERCHEW]