A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

[Froggy]

Froggy, you certainly wine and dine well all the way from humble roadside pushcart stalls to fine restaurants! Appreciate all your personal anecdotal reports with nice pics on LOS which tempts me more and more to relocate to LOS sooner rather than later.

Used to post more but then now spend more time in Jakarta. Thailand is a place where you not only find good food but also great service. Waiters always by your side waiting to serve like pouring drinks and changing plates etc, no where else you can find this in normal restaurants. In Jakarta and many other places they just dump the bottles of water or drinks on your table and you have to even open the yourself no need talk about service and that's in almost all restaurants even some high end. Pour your alcohol? Don't even expect. Welcome you to explore more here.

 

[Froggy]

Restaurant Pub last night for light meal

Sotong with salted egg


Salted fried chicken


Cabbage with fish sauce


Bitter gourd leaves with chilli


Good music


BYOD - normally charge 300 baht but I get waived

 

[Froggy]

Scene on Monday near my office, after 2-3 months no rain or little rain, raining season is supposed to start right after Songkrang festival

[URL=http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/froggythailand/media/SBF/38FCD4F2-B26E-4184-8396-27043095F882_zpsfcpzkpq8.jpg.html] [/URL]



Finally Tuesday night heavy downpour for about 45 mins and the next day same canal



People started to come out to the banks



Hope will continue

 

[johnny333]

People started to come out to the banks



Hope will continue

What are they doing in the water

Are they doing their laundry?

 

[Froggy]

What are they doing in the water

Are they doing their laundry?

Catching small fishes

 

[Froggy]

I believe Bangkok has the best and most authentic Japanese food in SEAsia. You name it they have it. Even though a lot of material imported prices is still very afordable.

Went to a Izakaya this evening



Atmosphere is like you're in Japan. Owner is Japanese, manager is a beautiful Japanese lady, rest of the staff are Thais but very well trained

 

[Froggy]

Popular for their yakitopri. Cannot name them all just show and describe them

Started with roasted ginkgo nuts ginnan


Chicken wings


Chicken meat


Chicken meat with herbs


Chicken gizzard


Chicken thigh meat


Shiitake

 

[Froggy]

This one my favourite - tsukune, minced chicken meat with raw egg


Shiok


Pan fried mushroom


Deep fried tofu


Kimchi


Radish wrap


Inside the wrap


Authentic, delicious and with great environment this meal would have cost a lot in Japan and in Singapore if one could find. Here in Sukhumvit Soi 26 its only 3,013 baht or $120 (with 2 beers bit not the whiskey as its from last visit).

So when in Bangkok don't just have Thai food, cam consider Japanese food as well.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Canadian expat attacked by knife wielding maniac in Bangkok

Victim Blake Sibbit fears crazed attacker could walk free

BANGKOK:-- A Canadian expat was forced to flee for his life after a man brandishing a large kitchen knife carried out an unprovoked attack outside a coffee shop in the Ekkamai district of Bangkok.

The terrifying incident took place last Wednesday (July 15) as Bangkok resident Blake Sibbitt was enjoying a coffee with his mother at the Coffee Club in Ekkamai.

Blake, who runs a real estate business, told Thaivisa.com via Facebook about the ordeal which left him in total fear for his life and needing medical treatment at the scene.

“It was completely unprovoked. My mother and I were catching up on the business day (we run a real estate company together), when a Thai guy walked up from the sidewalk, speaking to me in Thai that I didn't understand.

He grabbed my right arm with his left hand (me just curiously looking at him with the "what's happening?"/"I don't understand what you're saying" look) and with his right hand pulled a large kitchen knife out of his back pocket and immediately tried to plunge it into me.

I dodged the first stab by standing up quickly. He pulled back and tried again while at the same time I tried to grab his hand with the knife and caught the blade across my thumb and palm, taking some chunks out of me but not sinking in. He then pulled back and jabbed again as my mom and I ran towards Ekkamai.

Judee, my mother took refuge at the front door of the Coffee Club, I turned up Ekkamai with him still chasing me with the knife in his hand."

Blake went onto explain how he yelled "get away, he has a knife" to a crowd of people waiting at a nearby bus stop.

“The crowd cleared when they saw him. The manager of the Coffee Club yelled at me to come inside. My mom was still standing in front of the door screaming, trying to draw attention.

We both went inside and a bunch of staff held the door closed while the guy with the knife tried to break the door with the knife and push his way in”, Blake added.

Unable to do so, Blake says the attacker walked around to the windows and stabbed at them with the knife. He then saw another foreigner sitting by a window and walked over and punched that window.

The ordeal only ended when a group of motorcycle taxi drivers and security guards apprehended the man, putting him in handcuffs until the police arrived.

The first of the emergency services on the scene were some medics who cleaned and dressed Blake’s injured hand.

Shortly after, officers from Thonglor Police Station arrived and took the attacker into custody.

Blake also went to the police station along with four witnesses: a Thai gentleman and his wife, a member of staff from the Coffee Club and Blake’s mother.

Once at the police station, Blake thought it would be a formality that the crazed knifeman would be charged for carrying out the attack.

Attacker to walk free?

However, after submitting his report to the police, Blake claims that one officer told him “there’s not enough evidence”.

This was despite having four witness reports, the weapon and the attacker in custody.

Blake later managed to obtain CCTV footage (below) of the incident and passed it onto the police the following day. Blake was also told he would need to submit a criminal medical report detailing his injuries.



He then went to a nearby Bangkok hospital to get a tetanus shot and have wound rebandaged.

However, Blake’s quest for justice was further delayed as the hospital allegedly told him that they could only provide him the document he requires on Sunday (July 19) as that is when the doctor who writes the reports will be on duty.

Frustrated, Blake returned to the police station to be told that his attacker was due in court on Friday (July 17) where the police were filing a request for a 6 day holding pending trial, which can be re-filed over and over for upto 30 days.

Blake also revealed that although police were unable to tell him the exact amount, they estimated that his attacker’s bail would be set somewhere in the region of 30,000 THB.

Speaking yesterday (Friday), despite being the victim of an attempted murder, Blake said he had received no further information regarding his case.

Concerned that his attacker may soon be released back onto the streets of Bangkok, Blake understandably wants to raise awareness about his ordeal and told Thaivisa.com that he doesn’t want a potential story “Crazed Knifeman Released Due to Not Enough Evidence” to become a reality.

All images for this story were supplied by Blake Sibbit.


-- © thaivisa.com 2015-07-18

 

[yinyang]

Dig at drought stricken areas and opposite scale in krungthep.

 

[Froggy]

CocoIchbanya has many branches in Bangkok was at Fashion Island tester for lunch

 

[Froggy]

Felt like Italian tonight so went to the newly discovered T's Cafe that we went last Sunday



Started with a Proseccosparkling




with a grilled egg plant with buffalo mozzarella

 

[Froggy]

Main course is braised pork in red wine sauce with special pasta



and more red

 

[yinyang]

DON MUEANG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
AOT lifts new rule after chaos

Strict baggage screening at Don Mueang scrapped after long delays




AIRPORTS OF Thailand yesterday hastily called off its strict screening measures at Don Mueang International Airport, which it had just imposed on Friday, after they caused mayhem, with passengers languishing behind long queues and many almost missing their flights.

The revised rules required not only checked-in luggage but also carry-ons to be X-rayed before entering the departure area.

The aim was to prevent "unlawful interference action that may cause the delay of process" and to comply with the International Civil Aviation Organisation's demand for Thailand to tighten up safety regulations or face bans on international flights.

Before, only loaded luggage was required to pass pre-check-in screening while carry-ons were scanned after passengers got their boarding passes.

The new rule was posted without prior notice on AOT's website on Friday, along with an apology for "any inconvenience that may occur", and was immediate implemented.

The airlines operating there complained that they did not have enough time to inform their passengers.

Some passengers did not know about the new rule and put only their check-in luggage on the conveyor belt, so they had to walk back and pass their carry-on bags through the screening machine. This slowed down the process, as there were only a limited number of X-ray machines.

AOT's statement issued yesterday after an urgent meeting said the new procedures had caused passenger inconvenience and congestion.

It said it would assign more staff to inspect passengers' luggage. It asked for cooperation from passengers in not opening X-rayed baggage, otherwise the baggage would have to be rescanned.

It also emphasised that airline staff had to be strict in checking luggage to make sure that all pieces are X-rayed before loading into aircraft.

Earlier, the airlines, including Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and AirAsia, used Facebook to recommend that passengers arrive at the airport at least two or three hours prior to boarding time.

Worante Laprabang, a passenger, posted on Thai Smile's Facebook page: "I've been there today, and the queue was very long."

Two Nok Scoot passengers offered words of advice.

"For departure, it is crucial to spare some time. The arrival side has only one scanning machine, making the crowd extremely dense," Koomtinee Boonprasert said.

"Spare some time, now the checking process for luggage is very slow." Kakkanang Supasiripenpong said.

Before the rules were revoked, Charoen Wangananont, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, urged AOT to end the congestion at Don Mueang as soon as possible in order to reduce passengers' worries and prevent any possibility of them not catching their flights.

AOT should have realised that such problems could occur, since passenger traffic has been surging for months, he said.

"Scanning luggage is not the big problem. The problem is due to the poor management of AOT. It should have prepared more measures to deal with this overload, but it didn't," he said.

AOT should learn from the Don Mueang case and be aware of similar problems that could arise at other airports such as Phuket and Chiang Mai, he said.

However, once the renovation of the second terminal at Don Mueang is completed and it is open for service, the congestion problem should ease, he said.

Pramookpisitt Achariyachai, president of Kata Group Resorts in Phuket, said all airports in the country should improve passenger facilitation and management, especially during the peak season, to avoid chaos.

Congestion always happens at Phuket International Airport in the high season.

However, this should not be problem any longer when the new terminal opens.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/AOT-lifts-new-rule-after-chaos-30264856.html

 

[tonychat]

these military losers just dunno how to run a country.. only know how to created more red flags and give inconveniences to others.

 

[yinyang]

Bangkok faces water use limits
Farmers to drain canals for crops

Bangkok Post21 Jul 2015APINYA WIPATAYOTIN MANOP THIP-OSOD



Tough water conservation measures for state agencies and households in Bangkok and surrounding areas could be introduced to address the water scarcity crisis.

The proposal will be discussed at the National Water Resources Committee (NWRC) meeting tomorrow.
The move comes amid criticism the government has forced farmers to bear the burden of the crisis by banning agricultural water use without substantial water-saving measures in urban areas.

“Farmers have been prohibited from diverting water to feed their rice crops and they may feel [targetted],” said Jatuporn Buruspat, director-general of the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the NWRC secretary.

Measures to conserve water in Bangkok and its surrounding areas must be undertaken immediately in order to show that urban people and farmers are treated equally, said Mr Jatuporn. Bangkok residents use five million cubic metres of water per day, 51% of which is consumed by households and the rest by businesses, the state and industrial sectors, according to a survey by the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority.

The NWRC, chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, will discuss how to regulate water use in urban areas.
Thailand could look to countries, such as Taiwan, which charge steep prices for the overuse of water, as a way to encourage households to save water, said Mr Jatuporn.

Measures would first apply to the state. “State agencies must be the first group to lead water saving and prioritise saving water during the crisis,” he said.

The DWR, for example, saves tens of thousands of baht per month by refraining from serving water, coffee or tea at meetings. Similar measures could also be introduced in other agencies, he said.

Gen Prayut insisted yesterday the government will prioritise distributing water for drinking.

This does not mean the government will ignore farmers, but help must be given according to importance, he said.
The administration does not want anyone to be in trouble, but the way to deal with the issue is to look at the big picture, in which water consumption must be prioritised, the premier said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Royal Irrigation (DRI) has decided to relax controls on water use for farmers suffering from the drought. Suthep Noipairoj, the department deputy chief, said farmers will be allowed to drain water from public canals to feed crops, as the water situation in key dams is improving due to rainfall in lower northern and upper Central regions.

Farmers in need, such as those with paddy plantations on the cusp of production, will be allowed to use the water first, he added.
The DRI will work with other state agencies to identify the farmers who will be permitted to take the water first. Permission will be granted on a case by case basis, said Thanar Suwattana, the DRI spokesman, adding that limits on water released from dams are still in place.

Mr Thanar said the situation has improved slightly and more water is flowing into dams, particularly two major dams — the Bhumibol dam in Tak province and the Sirikit dam in Uttaradit province. According to the department, the waterflow into the Bhumibol dam yesterday was 1.67 million cubic metres while the waterflow into Sirikit dam was 5.96 million cubic metres for the same day.

However, the amount of water flowing into the dams is still far lower than the amount of water that is released daily, said Mr Thanar. Bhumibol dam releases about five million cubic metres each day while the Sirikit dam releases around 13 million cubic metres.

Currently the Bhumibol dam only has 120 million cubic metres of usable water, or 1% of capacity, left in it while Sirikit dam has only 265 million cubic metres, or 3% of its total capacity, remaining.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Office Minister ML Panadda Diskul said yesterday plans are underway to open a centre to receive donated drinking water from the public. It will help the Interior Ministry and armed forces as they get help to people in drought-stricken areas, he said.

Armed with sweeping power, what does the military government do when faced with the worst drought crisis in decades? It plans to ask city people to donate drinking water to those in drought-hit areas around the country. This water donation campaign is one of the measures that will be discussed at a cabinet meeting today.

Others include asking private businesses that consume a lot of water, such as golf courses, to use supplies from their own stores first, and asking the general public to start saving water, according to deputy government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

These proposals are in addition to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s prayers to the rain gods for more rainfall before major reservoirs that feed water to the Central Plains run dry.
These official responses smack of desperation. Donations and requests? What do these faint-hearted measures have to do in a situation that the deputy government spokesman described as a “national crisis”?

The government may feel relieved now the skies have become gloomy and some rain has started to fall.
Still, it’s too early to tell if there will be enough precipitation to ease the current bout of severe water shortages.
We will also need quite a bit more to be kept in reserve if we are to see the country through the upcoming dry winter to the next rainy season.

Most important of all, crisis management that is based on luck and prayers can’t be that effective or sustainable.
The current episode of water shortages has exposed systematic failures in the country’s bureaucracy and resources management that will give rise to more serious crises if left unaddressed.

The first question is: Who is taking charge of the water shortage problem?
Is it the Royal Irrigation Department which manages the country’s reservoirs and the discharge of the water stored in them? Or the Agriculture Ministry which takes care of the country’s farming? Or the Interior Ministry which will handle the water donation campaign to help those affected by the drought crisis?

It’s not that clear is it? It seems many agencies from different ministries are involved in solving the water shortage, but no one is taking a leadership role.

Such is the nature of reductionist bureaucracy. Officialdom may work well when it comes to routine administration. But in the face of a crisis like the one we are facing, however, it has proven to be sorely inadequate.

The result is a series of incoherent and piecemeal efforts to address the problem such as those we have seen so far.
If the Prayut government really believes the water shortage problem constitutes a national crisis, then it flunked the test on Day One, when it told farmers to stop using water but assured city dwellers and industrial estates that they would not run out of water.
This inconsistency and apparent double-standard not only compromises the attempt to solve the crisis but could cause other, potentially more pressing problems to rise up in the long run.

Do you think there will be enough soldiers to guard against farmers trying to draw water from any points along hundreds of rivers and canals? Do you think these soldiers will resort to force if these farmers insist on “stealing” the public water? What do you think will happen if a “war of water” scenario breaks out?

Another worrying response to the water shortage is the Irrigation Department’s proposal for two expensive and ambitious water diversion schemes to be built. One is a 40km link from the Moei River to Mae Tuen stream, the other a 100km canal drawing water from Mekong to the Chi and Moon rivers.

These projects, costing tens of billions of baht, hark back to the 80s when the underlying assumption was regular rainfall and free-flowing rivers.

The current crisis should have told us that this is no longer the case. What will be the use of expensive diversion schemes if all rivers run dry because of climate change? With the Mekong being blocked by a cascade of dams upstream, how much water can be left to be diverted?

Compared to all relief measures it has issued so far, the government might do better by organising a showing of Mad Max: Fury Road to the populace.

The movie at least gives a clear message of how precious water is and how hard we could be fighting over the resource in future, and is much clearer than what the government has indicated.

It will scare the hell out of anybody thinking of washing their cars right now. And it will be much cheaper too.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

At district 10

 

[yinyang]

Some of you may have done Tawandeng Brewery at Param3 and other at Raminthra. Sinkie version is at Dempsey.
Expanding to 2 other branches in Srinakarin and Bangkae

RESTAURANT
Tawandang German Brewery plans to open more branches

The Nation July 22, 2015 1:00 am

Tawandang German Brewery has set a five-year plan to open two more microbreweries in Bang Khae and Srinakarin at the cost of Bt200 million each.

The company is also looking for opportunities to open microbrewery restaurants in Myanmar and China, which is part of its regional expansion plan.

Tawandang posted Bt600 million in total sales last year from its existing branches in Bangkok, on Rama III and Ram-Indra roads. Under the five-year plan, the company aims to increase its annual revenue to between Bt1.3 billion and Bt1.5 billion.

In addition to its existing branches in Thailand, the company has opened microbrewery restaurants in Singapore and Cambodia in joint ventures with local partners.

Chief executive officer Supote Teerawatanachai yesterday announced the investment of Bt200 million in the construction of its third Bangkok branch in Chaeng Watthana to cater to its new target market that includes higher-end, younger clientele as well as government and private-sector office workers and residents in the area.

After taking about seven months to construct the building, which occupies 5,000 square metres, the microbrewery restaurant will be officially opened on August 7, and will take about three years to break even. Designed with a "boutique industrial" concept, the hall accommodates 1,200 seats. The company expects Bt100 million in returns from the Chaeng Watthana branch by the end of the year.

"Initially I was looking to open the Chaeng Watthana branch three or four years ago, but we couldn't find the right spot," Supote said. "From our experiences with the first two branches, we need a space big enough to accommodate at least 1,000 customers and 350 cars, so we needed at least 7 rai, which is hard to come by in a location like that.

"We are very fortunate to have found this piece of land that is close to the government complex, offices and several housing developments, and that makes us confident that the expansion will attract clientele with purchasing power. However, this branch will not compete with the Rama III and Ram-Indra branches."

He said the brewery business had seen gradual but significant growth every year, with more clients - including groups of friends and families - enjoying the restaurants in a fun evening out or in corporate parties.

Earning more popularity is the Ram-Indra Road branch thanks to its grand space that accommodates more than 2,000 customers at the same time, the ability to cater to all needs, and food and drink of excellent standards and great value for money, he said. It is only natural for the firm to venture on with the new branch in Chaeng Watthana next month, despite the troublesome economic situation.

"I want Tawandang German Brewery in Chaeng Watthana to be the community landmark, and a place of choice for the customers to welcome their special guests, Thai and foreign alike. We aim to offer fun, happiness and joy to all with the ample size of the establishment, professionally created performances and decent food that caters to the Thai palate.

"Beyond that we are adding an authentic Japanese sushi bar with imported, fresh ingredients from Japan, which we believe will be a hit among our customers," Supote said.

 

[yinyang]

Industrial sentiment down 6th consecutive month, no surprise?

INDUSTRIAL INDEX
Industry sentiment plummets for sixth consecutive month

The Nation July 22, 2015 1:00 am

The Thai Industries Sentiment Index (TISI) dropped again in June on concerns over the country's economy and widespread drought in several areas, while cross-border trade has been expanding, according to Federation of Thai Industries.

Supan Mongkolsuthee, president of the FTI, said the TISI edged down to 84.0 in June, the sixth consecutive monthly decline, from 85.4 in May. Scores below 100 indicate low confidence.

Industrialists continued to have concerns over the domestic economy that has been affected by slow consumer spending, widespread drought that hit farm income and consequently farmers' ability to purchase manufactured products, and the problems faced by Thailand's trading partners. Companies have therefore been cautious with business operations and investment.

June's TISI was based on a survey of 1,203 manufacturers in 43 industries. About 81.7 per cent of respondents were focusing on domestic markets and the rest on foreign markets.

Some respondents noted expansion of cross-border trade, which has sustained exports.

The sub-index on expectations for the next three months also dropped to 99.0 in June from 100.9 a month earlier.

In June, operators surveyed had more concerns over the global economy and the domestic political situation, but decreased worries over foreign-exchange and lending rates.

They also suggested that the government accelerate its spending as planned as a way to boost domestic consumption through fiscal stimulus and relief measures for farmers affected by drought. Small and medium-sized enterprises should also be assisted with an increase in liquidity through financial institutions' soft loans.

Surapong Paisitpattanapong, spokesman of the FTI's Automotive Industry Club, said June's vehicle production dropped 5.11 per cent year on year to 151,698 units after some auto companies' model changes for pickup trucks, but production rose 12.33 per cent month on month. From the beginning of this year to June, production inched down 1.77 per cent to 935,251 units.

Vehicle sales in June totalled 60,217 units, down 18.4 per cent year on -year but up 5.75 per cent month on month. Vehicle exports in June plummeted 26.14 per cent year on year to 76,774 units as new pickup-truck models have not reached full production yet.

Surapong said this year's vehicle-production target had been cut by 100,000 units to 2.05 million, while the export target remained the same at 1.2 million units or 58.54 per cent of total production.

Motorcycle production is expected to meet the target of 2 million units. Of the total, 400,000 units are expected for exports and 1.6 million are forecast for domestic sales.

 

[Froggy]

Industrial sentiment down 6th consecutive month, no surprise?

One wonders how the 3% GDP growth in Q1 when you read such a report. Bloody joke.