“Is adultery natural? Of course, of course….” (Fons Jansen, Conference 'The Electricians')
For quite some time I toyed with the idea of writing a story about sex in Thailand. Always a popular topic, also on this blog. Not strange, because nothing human is foreign to the expat. But not a story about Pattaya, the go-go bars, ladyboys, tomboys, the entertainment districts in Bangkok, the gay saunas or the karaoke bars in the countryside. No. A story about thinking about sex and marriage in Thai society, and the changes therein.
The consular section of the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok
Recently I sent a message to the embassy with the request to explain how the consular department functions. I wanted to know what the tasks of that department, as determined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are and how those tasks are carried out in practice. I was then sent a detailed report.
Eating habits in Thailand
The food for a Thai is very important and they eat at random times during the day, especially because the food is often easy to digest and the portions are small. Buying food from the many roadside carts is cheap and easy.
'Walkingstreet safer with the help of drones'
To increase security in the Walking Street, police chief Apichai Krobphet may throw a new weapon into the fight. He wants to use drones to get a better overview of what is happening in this entertainment area.
Friday evening, June 2, was an impressive report on the preparations for the cremation ceremony of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. In it, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-chan praised all the people involved in the preparations for this ceremony. Artists, musicians and many other volunteers, who are committed to this upcoming ceremony.
Copy behavior in Thailand
Initially, when people think of copying in Thailand, they think of brand watches and designer clothes. But many other things are also copied, just think of the recreational places with an Italian look. Near the Vineyard, an Italian village is being built with the beautiful name Cita del Como. The purpose is still unclear. Will this be a resort or a new recreational area with shops?
New tourist attraction: Mini Bangkok
A new attraction will soon be built in the vicinity of the Siam Park City. The company Siam Park Bangkok Co. has decided to create a kind of Madurodam on a 70-rai plot with 13 characteristic buildings from Bangkok.
Heineken 0.0 not (yet) available in Thailand
Heineken has been marketing and selling a non-alcoholic beer variant, the Heineken 0.0, for some time now. Non-alcoholic beer has a future, because the demand can easily be explained by the great need for a healthier life and the growing responsible use of alcohol. A tasty and good-tasting non-alcoholic beer fits in with this trend.
Progress of various projects in Pattaya
Good news is no news! So let's take another look at the various projects in Pattaya.
Thai law student Jatupat Boonpattararaksa from Khon Kaen, better known as Pai Dao Din (see note), was awarded the prestigious Gwangju Prize for Human Rights 2017. In May 1980, an uprising against the military dictatorship in South Korea began in Gwangju city, killing hundreds of people.
Expensive cars in Thailand
Recently I was face to face with a Lamborghini sports car. When I took another good look at the emblem, the bahtje suddenly fell. It depicted a charging bull. It vaguely reminded me of an ancient Italian history.
76 years old, but what a picture!
The Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr building in Prachin Buri is a building to admire. Not only that, it is also a museum with a mission: to promote traditional Thai herbal medicine.
The New Chinese Silk Route (Part 2)
In Laos, groups of Chinese entrepreneurs are busy drilling hundreds of tunnels and building bridges to connect the other Asian countries. However, a nasty detail! Laos does not have the money to finance this 420-kilometer route, so China "borrows" it. If the repayment is not made, Beijing will step in to finance the first loan. The Lao collateral consists of agricultural land and mining concessions. Thus, Laos economically exports itself to China.
The power of the personal story
In line with the annual theme 2017 'The power of the personal story' of the National Commemoration and Celebration of Liberation on 4 and 5 May respectively, the five-part documentary 'Every war grave has a story' is currently being broadcast again.
The New Chinese Silk Road
It goes without saying that China suffers from a great drive for expansion, there are plenty of examples of that. Now a new development is occurring. According to Chinese state media, President Xi Jinping wants to develop and build a network of new trade routes. This initiative is known as OBOR (New Silk Road).
The title of this article does not come from me, let that be said, but could be the conclusion of the fact that the Netherlands scores worse than Thailand on a very dubious ranking of children's rights. The list is compiled annually by an organization called Kidsrights. The Netherlands ended up in 15th place this year, while Thailand ended up in 8th place. You, like me, are surprised by that, aren't you?
About AOW: do you call Saint George or Don Quixote?
Erik Kuijpers uses examples to argue that the AOW is not a pension. Is it Saint George or Don Quixote?