A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

[Froggy]

Lunch on the go. Visiting customers at upcountry paddling my screws to village shops. Chanced upon this noodle restaurant:



Tomyam noodle

Pork noodle soup

Fishball noodle soup

Dry noodle

Lunch for 4 people and each bowl is only 40 baht

 

[Charlie99]

She has to as she manages all the contractors and service providers like gardener, utilities, etc. Currently doing major renovation and construction to a house and she handles all the contractors and coordination. So she has to be fierce if not kenna makan.

Your "maid" is like your project manager.
A very good looking one, too.

 

[Froggy]

Chill out Thai restaurant for dinner tonight

 

[winnipegjets]

Lunch on the go. Visiting customers at upcountry paddling my screws to village shops. Chanced upon this noodle restaurant:



Tomyam noodle

Pork noodle soup

Fishball noodle soup

Dry noodle

Lunch for 4 people and each bowl is only 40 baht

And you paid with screws? Two screws for the 4 bowls?

 

[winnipegjets]

Chill out Thai restaurant for dinner tonight

This meal is worth 10 screws!

 

[yinyang]

10 earn their first Michelin star, while one gets upgraded
national November 15, 2018 02:00
By KHETSIRIN PHOLDHAMPALIT
THE NATION

JAY FAI’S shop-house restaurant has retained its Michelin star, remaining the only street venue in Thailand to earn this internationally recognised kudos.

Meanwhile, the 60-year-old restaurant Methavalai Sorndaeng, which is next to Democracy Monument and popular among politicians, is one of the 10 new eateries awarded one star, as per the second edition of the “Michelin Guide Bangkok” released yesterday at Park Hyatt Bangkok.
No restaurant in Thailand has won the coveted three stars yet, though all three two-starred restaurants from the inaugural edition, namely Gaggan, Le Normandie and Mezzaluna have retained their stars.

“It’s my greatest honour to win the award again and it also proves that we can still maintain Michelin standards,” said 72-year-old Supinya Junsuta, better known as Jay Fai. Her eatery is known for local seafood delicacies, such as omelette stuffed with crabmeat, with prices ranging from Bt800 to Bt2,000.

“For the past year, after winning one star, I have not stopped cooking as people are still queuing up to try the dishes. I still cook with a charcoal oven and am the only cook. I work 11 hours a day, from 2pm until 1am every day except Sunday and Monday,” Supinya said.
Apart from Jay Fai, the 12 one-starred restaurants in the first edition have also retained their honours, namely Bo.lan, Chim by Siam Wisdom, Elements, Ginza Sushi Ichi, J’aime by Jean-Michel Lorain, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Nahm, Paste, Saneh Jaan, Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, Upstairs at Mikkeller and Savelberg. The European contemporary restaurant Suhring run by chef brothers Mathias and Thomas Suhring earned an upgrade from one to two stars.

The little red guide has been extended to cover the best dining venues in the southern provinces of Phuket and Phang Nga for its 2019 edition.

However, Pru restaurant in Phuket is the only restaurant in region to have been awarded one star.
“The awards aim to honour the diversity of Thai gastronomy, secret recipes and talented chefs who can craft dishes to reflect Thai cultures and marry traditional and modern cooking techniques,” said Gwendal Poullennec, international director of Michelin Guides.
“More than half of the awards go to Thai-style cuisine, which is why Thailand has become a world-class culinary destination. We have also seen a trend in degustation menu, whereby chefs design a complete experience for diners.”
Apart from Methavalai Sorndaeng and Pru, other new one-starred additions include Le Du, Gaa, Canvas, R.Haan, Saawaan, Sorn, Ruean Panya and Suan Thip.
“I didn’t expect to win a Michelin star because the standard is very high. I’m really glad that Thai food can be accepted so widely,” Jirawut Sapkiree, the second-generation owner of Methavalai Sorndaeng, said.
“Our restaurant focuses mainly on local ingredients, spices and herbs and maintains the authentic recipe. The most popular dish for local people is green curry, while pomelo salad impresses foreign diners.”

Former prime ministers such as General Prem Tinsulanonda, Anand Panyarachun and Chuan Leekpai have been seen dining at Methavalai Sorndaeng.

The “Bib Gourmand” award, a rating that recognises restaurants offering exceptionally good food at moderate prices (within Bt1,000 in Thailand’s case), doubled in number this year from 35 to 72 venues. Dining venues in Bangkok’s neighbouring provinces of Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon and Samut Prakan as well as Phuket and Phang Nga were covered in this category. Among them are the legendary Southern food restaurant Raya and its sister restaurant Chomchan in Phuket, along with Krua Bai Toey and Nai Mueng in Phang Nga.

The Michelin Guide Bangkok has a five-year budget of Bt140 million paid for by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). The guide is expected to promote the country as an international gastronomic destination.
“The first edition had a successful impact as more tourists want to discover the diversity of Thai cuisine,” TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said. “Popular tourist destinations, Phuket and Phang Nga are also included in the new edition. The cuisine in Phuket is distinctive and flavourful, with a wonderful blend of influences from India, Malaysia, China and the Peranakan ethnic group, while Phang Nga is full of eateries with authentic southern fare incorporating seafood, herbs and spices.
“We plan to cover more territories in the future,” he added.
The bilingual edition of “Michelin Guide Bangkok, Phuket and Phang Nga 2019” is now available at leading bookstores.

 

[Froggy]

Bloody angry, got conned this morning. A new chicken rice shop just opened near the house last month, looked pretty good from the outside, so this morning went to try.

Saw prices are 40/50/60 baht so I asked for special meaning one level up the normal of 40 baht so should be 50 baht

Looked pretty good too and taste wise nothing special

.

When I went to pay was told its 60 baht, this is bad they should have asked if I wanted 50 or 60 baht. This is too expensive.

 

[bart12]

Good walk last night at the Bund

Superb night-scene photo.. from your cellphone?

 

[Froggy]

Superb night-scene photo.. from your cellphone?

Yes, Huawei Mate 20 Pro

 

[Froggy]

Simple dinner just a vege, a sea cucumber and soup at a Chinese restaurant in Bangkok

 

[yinyang]

 

[yinyang]

Dutch cyclist completes near-18,000km overland
journey to visit dad in Thailand
Around Thailand November 19, 2018 19:00
By Wattanapol Matcha
The Nation

A 28-year-old Dutchman has reportedly completed a 17,900-kilometre cross-continent bicycle ride from the Netherlands to visit his 58-year-old father, who lives in Thailand.

The 10-month and four-day journey, which began in mid-February, ended for William Coniris as he arrived his father Paul Coniris’s home in Suphan Buri’s Mueang district on Monday, after three years of not having seen each other.

Having worked in the field of meteorology in his home country, the man said the journey passing through 28 countries had exposed him to new things and different scenes that would be inspiring for his work when he returned home.

The Dutch cyclist recalled that he had stayed overnight along the way in a tent and spent about five to six hours cycling every day.

He said the most frequently occurring issue was a shortage of drinking water and food, as some countries did not have many shops on their roads.
In Thailand, however, there are so many shops and people are friendly, he added with a smile.
Coniris will travel back home on November 27, after what has been his third visit to the Kingdom.

 

[yinyang]

ECONOMY
NESDB: Flat quarter-on-quarter growth as exports cool down

• Published: 20/11/2018 at 04:00 AM
• Newspaper section: Business

Third-quarter economic growth surprised, with a flat reading from the previous quarter, the weakest since the first quarter of 2014 when the economy shrank 0.4%, as exports and tourism cooled.
The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) reported Monday that the country's GDP showed no growth in the third quarter from the second, on a seasonally adjusted basis, after growing 0.9% in the second quarter and 2% in the first quarter.
On an annual basis, growth was 3.3% from July to September, easing from the second quarter's 4.6% and the revised 4.9% growth in the first quarter, the highest in five years.

For the first nine months, the economy grew by 4.3% over the same period last year.
Weak economic performance in the third quarter prompted the state planning agency to downgrade its 2018 GDP growth forecast to 4.2% from the previous 4.2-4.7% range. Exports are expected to rise 7.2% this year, rather than 10%.
For 2019, the NESDB expects GDP growth of 3.5-4.5%.
Thosaporn Sirisamphand, secretary-general of the NESDB, said exports in dollar terms had decelerated from the previous quarter due to the high base effect, the economic slowdown in major trading partners, and the adaptation of foreign entrepreneurs to escalating trade tensions from protectionism measures between the US and China.
Export value in the third quarter of this year was recorded at US$63.4 billion (2.09 trillion baht), up by 2.6%, slowing from 12.3% growth in the previous quarter.

The manufacturing sector slowed down from the previous quarter, edging up by only 1.6%, slowing from 3.2% in the previous quarter.
Hotels and restaurants sector slowed down, associated with the downward trend in the number of tourists. Hotels and restaurants sectors expanded by 6.5%, slowing from a 9.4% increase in the previous quarter.
Foreign arrivals totalled 9.06 million for the quarter, up by 1.9%, slowing from 8.4% in the previous quarter. This was mainly due to the contraction in the number of tourists from China (8.8%), following the boat capsizing near Phuket in July. Russian tourists fell 7.2% for the period, in part because of the Fifa World Cup taking place in their country during June to July.
The majority of European tourists switched their destinations toward Russia, reflecting the drop in the number of tourists from Europe by 1.5% in the third quarter 2018, following the 1.9% contraction in the second quarter.

However, Mr Thosaporn said private consumption and private investment trended upward in the third quarter.
Private consumption expanded by 5% year-on-year, the highest growth in the past 22 quarters, up from 4.5% in the previous quarter while private investment grew by 3.9%, up from 3.2% in the previous quarter.
The agency raised the forecast for private investment to 4.7% this year from 4.1% made on Aug 20. But it revised down the overall investment to 3.6% this year from the previous projection of 4.4%, with that of the private sector cut down to 3.7% from 3.9% and that of the government investment to 5% from 7.3%.

"The 4.3% growth for the first nine months is considered relatively high," said Mr Thosaporn.
He said the deepening trade war between China and the US will continue further affecting Thai economic growth prospects next year and pressure the overall global economy and world trade. This leads the agency to forecast next year's economic growth of 4% next year, ranging 3.5-4.5%, with export growth estimated at 4.6%.

Tim Leelahaphan, an economist with Standard Chartered Bank Thai, said third-quarter GDP growth underperformed due mainly to slower growth in the export and tourism sectors, which offset growing traction in private consumption and private investment.
Economic growth prospects remain optimistic, with GDP growth projected to expand by 4.3% this year and 4.5% in 2019, said Mr Tim.
"Political parties are likely to start their election campaigns in December and have more than 60 days to campaign. We expect this to provide a short-term boost to growth via campaign-related activity and rural spending," he said.
"We remain neutral on the export outlook, given the uncertain impact of the US-China trade disputes. We are also watching whether recent government measure announcements can reverse a slowdown in the tourism sector caused by a boat accident in Phuket in July, and attract foreign travellers during the peak season."

Kasikornbank president Predee Daochai said this year's economic growth is likely to come below 4.4% because of slower than expected growth in exports on the back of the Sino-US trade row.
But the bank still maintains a 5-7% loan target, while the non-performing loan ratio is not expected to change, said Mr Predee.
Bank of Thailand governor Veerathai Santiprabhob said the rate-setters will review economic growth forecasts for this year and the next at 4.4% and 4.2%, respectively, on Dec 19.

Economic growth has tilted slightly into a downward trend as the country relies heavily on exports, and the impact from the tit-for-tat tariff between the world's top economies will be more stark in 2019, said Mr Veerathai. The central bank needs to monitor global economy and trade, particularly after the US-Sino trade dispute has dealt a blow to some export products such as rubber and electronics, he said.
The trade spat could be a boon to Thailand's outbound shipments and economy as the country can ship more products to substitute products from China or the US, and see production relocation from China.

"Even though Thailand's economic fundamentals are strong enough to cushion the global financial market's volatility, I would like to warn operators not to be complacent as wild swings in foreign exchange remains possible, as was seen last year. Such volatility stems from external factors that are beyond control and change quickly, so risk management will be crucial well into next year," said Mr Veerathai.
The stalled economic growth in the third quarter could be largely attributed to exports and services, weighed by the trade rift between the US and China, and the slowdown in the electronics and tourism industries, said Don Nakornthab, senior director at the central bank.
The private consumption pickup from improving income and employment of the non-farm sector, and the stronger private investment partly offset external impacts.
Economic growth in the final three months would improve from the third quarter's, but economic uncertainties are escalating due to the US trade and protectionism policies, he said.

 

[Bonut]

Bloody angry, got conned this morning. A new chicken rice shop just opened near the house last month, looked pretty good from the outside, so this morning went to try.

Saw prices are 40/50/60 baht so I asked for special meaning one level up the normal of 40 baht so should be 50 baht

Looked pretty good too and taste wise nothing special

.

When I went to pay was told its 60 baht, this is bad they should have asked if I wanted 50 or 60 baht. This is too expensive.

Don't get angry over 10 baht please. I ask him to serve you in special apron suit next time, like this:

 

[Semaj2357]

Don't get angry over 10 baht please. I ask him to serve you in special apron suit next time, like this:

not always the other way round, but just once in awhile, a screw-salesman get screwed - mai pen-rai!

 

[yinyang]

Thought this was an interesting assessment of FDI (foreign direct investment) vs the bigger tourism pie

Thailand is no longer a beach party for investors

Foreigners increasingly see Thailand as little more than a giant beach resort, choosing to invest instead
in Vietnam's manufacturing prowess and Indonesia's under-banked youth.

Bangkok may be among the world's top 10 tourism destinations, but for overseas investors it's about as popular as a beach holiday in the Arctic.
Foreigners sold a net US$8.7 billion or so of Thai stocks this year, the most since data began in the late 1990s.

On the face of it, that's something of a puzzle. Thailand has been something of a haven amid this year's emerging markets sell-off. The baht, supported by an influx of overseas tourists, has dropped only 1.3% against the US dollar.

Meanwhile, the MSCI Thailand Index is showing a total return of minus 2.6%, outperforming the broader emerging-markets stock gauge by more than 10 percentage points.

In many ways, Thailand is Southeast Asia's Japan -- burdened with an ageing population and with a stock market that recaptured its 1994 high only this year. Only 38% of the Thai population is under the age of 30, compared with around 50% for neighbours Indonesia and Vietnam.
While regional super-apps such as ride-hailing service Grab and Internet hospitality chain OYO are ploughing hundreds of millions of dollars into Indonesia, Thailand is only an afterthought for them. The economy grew 3.3% in the third quarter from a year earlier, data showed on Monday, the weakest pace since 2016 and missing all estimates in a Bloomberg survey.

Foreigners increasingly see Thailand as little more than a giant beach resort, choosing to invest instead in Vietnam's manufacturing prowess and Indonesia's underbanked youth.
Tourism revenue accounts for almost 12% of Thailand's GDP, by far the highest ratio in Southeast Asia. By contrast, the country's inbound foreign direct investment could politely be described as paltry.
And there are those two lost decades for stock investors. By comparison with Thailand, equity benchmarks in Indonesia and the Philippines have set fresh records every few years.

Tourists relax on a beach in Phuket. Thailand is a haven for holiday makers, but not foreign investors. (Photo by Somchai Poomlard)

Thailand's stock market has been resilient this year in part thanks to strong buying from local mutual funds. But what if these pools start to invest abroad instead? Foreigners buying into Thailand now could find themselves facing another long wait for gains. The country has a history of political turmoil and natural disasters that should give investors pause. Since 2004, Thailand has undergone a devastating tsunami, two military coups d'etat, violent street protests, destructive floods and the bombing of a shrine in Bangkok -- among other disruptive events. A fresh bout of turbulence may not be far away. The outcome of a general election scheduled for February looks increasingly uncertain.

The popularity of the new pro-military Palang Pracharath Party declined to 20.6% in September, from 25.1% in May, while the leading Pheu Thai Party, the third incarnation of a movement founded by ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has 28.8% support.
A worst-case scenario would see a closely contested election followed by a backlash and protests, as witnessed in 2006, Goldman Sachs Group Inc warned in its 2019 Asia Economics outlook.

Thailand's famed beach resorts are fun for a short stay. Investors seeking a longer-term home for their money should probably find somewhere more stable. - BLOOMBERG OPINION
Shuli Ren is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian markets. She previously wrote on markets for Barron's, following a career as an investment banker, and is a CFA charterholder.

 

[Froggy]

Paddling my screws and other hardware in the upcountry of Thailand to local hardware shops. Love places like this, so peaceful, so relaxing, no hurry, food is natural and great, people are very nice.



Had krapow moosab (minced pork fry with Thai basil)

and yam pla kapong (Thai sardine salad)

places like this makes one don't want to go back to the fast pace Bangkok

 

[Bonut]

Paddling my screws and other hardware in the upcountry of Thailand to local hardware shops. Love places like this, so peaceful, so relaxing, no hurry, food is natural and great, people are very nice.



Had krapow moosab (minced pork fry with Thai basil)

and yam pla kapong (Thai sardine salad)

places like this makes one don't want to go back to the fast pace Bangkok

Somehow the food pics lack a bit of spice in the absence of voluptuous mountainous background and silky ravines.

 

[melzp]

Let me guess.. B40-50 for that kaprow in banook.

 

[Froggy]

Let me guess.. B40-50 for that kaprow in banook.

No idea but paid 115 baht for this meal ($4.90)