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Patpong Curry in broad daylight

I had Patpong Curry for lunch today. It's NOT only available in Patpong but you can find this dish on the menu of most Thai restaurants in Bangkok.

Wondering how is this related to the popular Bangkok red-light district Patpong? Sorry to disappoint you but it's not - at least that's how the name of this dish is uttered in Thai (Pat-Pong).

I ordered it with chicken and I just had to shout out "Kai Patpong Curree" (Thai: ไก่ผัดผงกะหรี่) to the waiter dude. It's delicious yet it tastes nothing like the average Thai food! You should try it out for yourself.

Bangkok Skytrain launches Wong Wian Yai extension

The BTS skytrain extension (2.2 kilometers) from Saphan Taksin station to Wong Wian Yai has just been launched on May 15 2009. It is the first Skytrain route to venture across the Chao Phraya river to the Thon Buri side. It is also the only Skytrain route to run across a river.

The new stations after Saphan Taksin are:
1. Krung Thonburi (S7)
2. Wongwian Yai (S8)

Free rides are being offered on the new route for 3 months. The free ticket applies to travel between 3 stations Saphan Taksin (S6), Krung Thonburi (S7) and Wongwian Yai (S8). Bangkokians living on the Thonburi side can now beat the rush hour traffic blues that they have been facing for years at the King Taksin Bridge near Sathorn Road, which is Bangkok's CBD (central business district).

I have lived on the Thonburi side for nearly a year and have been through the traffic gridlocks countless times, and I know exactly what this new route means to the people of Thonburi - Freedom!

Thon Buri has now become Bangkok's new hot property! Many new condominium and housing projects are being developed, and some property developers offer brand new apartments that are ready to move in.

I just can't wait to take that free ride to enjoy the magnificent view over the Chao Phraya river!

Oh ye Skytrain, here I come!

Thaksin: Thai, Nicaraguan, European, what next?

Thaksin holds a Montenegro passport now, and he's bidding for an island there! The island he plans to buy is called Sveti Nikola Island near Budva. It's also known as "Hawaii" or "Školj" by the locals. He sees a potential to develop the island into a tourist destination.



Sveti Nikola Island (St Nicholas) is the biggest Montenegrian island, 2 km long, with the highest point of 121 m above sea level. It is connected with Budva with the stripe of land which surfaces during low water.



Off the beaten path? Thailand and Montenegro have just established diplomatic relations since late 2007. Neither country has had an embassy or consulate within the country. Thaksin is a smart man but how long before his exile ends and he gets thrown into a Thai jail? His English is horrible and there's no hope he'll ever pick up any of the European languages.

A famous fortune teller once predicted that Thaksin will live in exile one day and lose everything.



Thaksin Shinawatra never fails to amaze me.

Khao niew SomTum Kai Yang for lunch

Had SomTum, Kai Yang and Nam Tok Moo for lunch today, together with some Khaao niew (sticky rice)



Totally delicious!

Schools in Bangkok open today, and it rained early in the morning. It took me an extra 30 minutes to reach my office due to extreme traffic conditions.

Hey fellas don't forget your umbrellas!

Happy Songkran 2009

Wishing everyone a Happy Songkran '09!



Cool yourselves off with splashes of water.

Its Songkran and Thailand is in Turmoil

The Songkran festive holidays have just begun in Thailand. Songkran is the New Year of the Thais, a time of celebration and joy. The happiest time of the year where you can see more smiles on the faces of people than in any other part of the world.





But the political unrest in Thailand has heavily tarnished the image of Thailand in the eyes of the international community. Thailand is the ultimate loser. Thais are staring at one of the most heated political showdowns in modern history. Nobody knows what is going to happen next.

A State of Emergency has been declared in Bangkok and 5 other provinces including some districts in Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva went on TV live today to explain the reasons behind the declaration of the state of emergency, to rush and solve the problems before the situation escalates.



The Red Shirts earlier stormed into the Interior Ministry and attacked a car believed to be transporting the PM out of the building.



Yesterday afternoon the Red-shirt protesters, supporters of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra forced the closure of ASEAN Summit in Pattaya after several hundreds of them managed to storm past police and military barricades into the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel, the media centre of the Asean summit. Abhisit had to cancel the event and postpone it indefinitely, and declared Pattaya to be under State of Emergency.



The PM along with other foreign VIP delegates were quite shaken up as they were about to have lunch when the protesters arrived.

Abhisit last night called the red shirts public enemies for declaring a victory over the cancellation of the ASEAN Summit in Pattaya.

New 2-Baht coin in Thailand

The Royal Thai Mint recently released a new series two-baht coin. The new 2-Baht coin is of the same color as the 25 or 50 Satang coin. It is composed of Aluminium Bronze weighs just 4 grams.



The old silver-colored 2 Baht coin easily gets mixed up with the 1 Baht coin, since they're both of the same color and size and look very similar, but double/half the value depending on the one you're holding.

I've also noticed many old 2 Baht coins pen-marked with the number 2 to avoid confusion.

Why did they have to make identical coins in the first place!?

The HTML color code for the new coin ranges between #736B3E and #BAB282 depending on the amount of light falling on it. The RGB code goes like RGB(160,152,103). Why am I into HTML codes here? I'm no graphic designer.

Check out Wiki for more info

Red Shirt protesters cause chaos in Bangkok

The Red Shirt protesters, who support former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra held a protest at Victory Monument yesterday to pressure the government to resign. Several taxis drivers used their cars to block the nearby roads, which lead to Bangkok's busiest intersection.

Bangkok traffic was paralyzed as people left their offices for the day, and rain started pouring. Cars couldn't move for hours, buses were redirected, patients couldn't get to nearby hospitals, almost the entire city was affected. Most people had to turn to Bangkok sky-train and subway trains which got overcrowded, being the only way to get around.

Later last night, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's announced that today would be a national holiday.



The picturesque photo above shows Victory Monument as the storm was approaching.