Thanatorn: patience is a virtue (an interview)
Int: Hello Kuhn Thanatorn. These are tough times since the foundation of the FFP, aren't they?
Than: Yes, you can say yes. 'Never a dull moment', the English say.
Tourism: from 'caring' to 'sharing' (interview 3)
Hello Kuhn Pipat. I've invited you here to the Landmark's Rendezvous bar on Sukhumvit Road because it's a bit easier to talk than on the phone. And maybe you'll have some time afterwards to take a look at Soi Nana, just around the corner for a taste of Bangkok's vibrant nightlife.
A mighty man and a once mighty woman
Promotion of tourism: an interview (part 2)
Sawadee crab, Kuhn Pipat. I am glad that you, as Minister of Tourism and Sports, managed to make time for this interview because it is a bit difficult for tourism to Thailand, or am I mistaken?
Landed on a tropical island: Dance, dance, dance
It's raining that it's pouring. Will the rainy season begin in earnest? So far it has been very mild for us. Rain at night and mostly dry during the day.
Promotion of tourism: an interview (part 1)
Sawadee crab, Kuhn Pipat. I am glad that you, as Minister of Tourism and Sports, managed to make time for this interview because it is a bit difficult for tourism to Thailand, or am I mistaken?
Two Thai friends for life
Sawadee crab khun Prawit. You did a good job on him again. A spotless ASEAN summit without any misery. Just a suspicious bag at Hat Yai station but I think you took care of that yourself. You always have the system tested, right?
A clear brain in a trained body
The famous Mike Shopping Mall in Pattaya is due for renovation and so a number of floors are being redecorated and modernized. Take the escalator to the top floor where I normally never go. Look with amazement at the large-scale Coco Fitness Center, the Walhalla for sporty people and slimness fanatics respectively.
Laughter at the dentist
Asia has been high on my travel program for 25 years and Bangkok often functions as a hub for this part of the world. After a long flight of 11 hours, the capital of Thailand is a wonderful place to acclimatize and continue the journey a few days later. Sometimes within Thailand but very often also to other Asian countries.
A conversation between two gentlemen in Washington DC
Hello Kuhn Too. Am I allowed to say Kuhn Too or not? I'm glad you still found time to visit me here at the White House during this busy period, just before Loy Katong, the Barge Ceremony and Christmas.
Landed on a tropical island: I sacrificed and I am blessed, I think…
Had a delicious Nepalese dinner with a friend yesterday. She and her boyfriend have been living on Koh Phangan for years, on the beach. She was born in Belgium and speaks with an accent that I envy. It is a beautiful person with a warm heart, just like her sweetheart.
Physics in practice
A children's program about how lenses work reminds me of a physical phenomenon I saw in northern Thailand about twenty years ago. And with that I thought of another phenomenon from the same time also in Northern Thailand
Landed on a tropical island: In the gutter….
Sometimes you have moments when things go wrong. Well wrong. Like that day in July. For the first time in my life I'm only going to Amsterdam for a week, without the Kuuk. Roos went on vacation that morning and I can stay in her house.
Thailand blog as a cause of Thomas Cook's demise…
For years I have been intrigued by the curious social phenomenon known as mass tourism. A phenomenon in which large segments of the population are - temporarily - directed south in droves every year, in exactly the opposite direction that tens of thousands of others have taken in recent years, driven by a compelling socio-economic necessity for them.
The Success of Gringo's “Cry for Distress”
Almost a month ago there was a “cry for help” on this blog from me to get in touch with people who traveled to Thailand and wanted to bring Dutch cigars for me.
Bubble talk
Traveling through Cambodia you will come across a lot, if not hundreds, of advertising columns of the German beer brand Ganzberg on certain routes.
Literally put on the street
It is an incredibly sad story that happened to this lady. For years she did her very best and worked day and night. With her lovely look and dressed in the most beautiful creations she tried to lure customers.