Video: Train Cuts Through Crowded Bangkok Market

by Justin Glow on


This video is classic. And by “classic” I mean “awesome.” So why didn’t he just say awesome? you may be wondering. Because it’s classic too! As in Citizen Kane classic. The method acting, use of deep focus, low-angle shots — it has everything!

Anyway, somewhere in Bangkok, there is a market with a commuter line train running through it. The beginning of the shot seems normal enough for any major Asian city, but it’s what happens at the end to really set it a part. I wonder how many times the train comes through per day? Insane.

Now, savvy Gadling readers… dig up some more info on this market! Is it really in Bangkok? What’s the story behind it? [via]

Update: Gadling blogger Jamie digs up some details on this strange Thai train.

Bangkok Balloon Protest Endangers Airport Today

by Neil Woodburn on

If you’re flying out of Bangkok today, be very, very careful.

Residents living near Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi airport have threatened to release a wave of balloons into the air to disrupt flights today.

The source of this dangerous protest is the airport itself. Villagers living nearby have complained bitterly to authorities about the horrific noise pollution which has destroyed their otherwise bucolic lifestyle since the airport opened a year ago. The airport authorities responded to their complaints with gifts of earplugs and sleeping pills. This, as you might imagine, hardly placated the airport’s angry neighbors. What they really want is some financial retribution so they could move to quieter environs far away from the jumbo jets.

So far, the government isn’t willing to concede to this demand and as a result, the airport is facing the balloon protest today. Let’s just hope that none of the balloons cause a plane to crash into one of the local villages. That would be ironic, wouldn’t it?

Bangkok Airport Video

by Erik Olsen on

This comes to us from a friend who runs one of my favorite sites on the Web: Newyorkology. Amy Langfield sent us a link to a video as soothing as it is bizarre.

The shots here, slow-mo and grainy, but oddly compelling, were made in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Thailand at 4 am. I’m sure the new-agey music has something to do with it, but I had a hard time pulling my eyes away from this.

Beckham Statue in Buddhist Shrine

by Neil Woodburn on

Every culture since the dawn of man has embraced its share of idols.

Most have honored their reverent spirits by building statues, shrines, and temples to which the faithful can pilgrimage and pay their respects to the god of their choice, be it Buddha, Jesus, Zeus, or Beckham.

Beckham? David Beckham?!?!?

Yes indeed, a Buddhist temple in Bangkok has incorporated a golden sculpture of the famous soccer player into the otherwise Buddha filled interior. In case you’re wondering, Buddha is the one on the left in the photo above.

Blogger Chris Mitchell has thoughtfully sent us this little hidden gem of Bangkok. But that’s not all. In addition to capturing the great photo above, he has also provided detailed instructions on how to find the Beckham temple amongst the hundreds located in Bangkok.

This is great news for the Beckham faithful who will soon be flocking to Bangkok to prostrate, flagellate, and otherwise pay respects to the lord of soccer.

On a related note, rumors of a Posh Spice tribute at Pat Pong have not yet been confirmed.

(note: the website seems to be having some problems loading up all the photos. Hit refresh a couple of times and it should work)

The Worst Places to be Hungover When Traveling

by Martha Edwards on

Most of us have gone a bit overboard on the local beer or spirits when in another country. My worst experience was in Sydney, where my two friends and I found ourselves with a 4L box of wine that we bought for $10 and refused to haul any further on our way up the coast. We had one night to drink it, and it just happened to be Mardi Gras.We finished it all right. But most of my share ended up coming up the way it went in, if you get my drift. Running through the halls of the hostel, trying desperately to get my key card to open the door to the communal bathrooms before spewing up last night’s ill-advised double serving of fries rates up there as one of the worst days of my life. Make that two days.

Here’s what I consider to be the worst places to be hungover. Feel free to add your own in the comments:

  • On a boat off the coast of … well … anywhere: After one tequila-fueled night in Puerto Vallarta, my friends and I had to take a booze cruise or forfeit our deposit. So we went and oh my goodness, I’ve never been so seasick in my life. Actually, I’ve never been seasick period, besides that day. The Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns is also notoriously choppy — one girl on a boat trip I went on had to be air-lifted back to shore!
  • In a Tuk Tuk: Bangkok is beautiful but it’s also hot and polluted and I can see why people splurge on cabs — breathing in the exhaust is enough to make anyone hurl, whether they’re already feeling a bit queasy or not.
  • In transit: Not only will exhaustion make you prone to missing your bus/flight/train/ferry but the motion/turbulence/rocking is bound to make you feel a bit ill. Plus, those miniature bathrooms leave something to be desired when you’re feeling nauseous.
  • Locked out of your hostel: Many hostels have lock-out rules during the day so while you want nothing more than to sleep it off, you’ll have to do it elsewhere. I recommend a nearby park if it’s nice out. If it’s not, you might be outta luck.
  • Outside when it’s hot: Laying on the beach with a bunch of bottled water is an okay way to recover, but there’s a fine line between being tolerably hot and being unbearably hot. Insane heat is uncomfortable when you’re feeling your best, so it’s really, really brutal when you’re feeling your worst.

So while we don’t ever really plan to be hungover, next time you’re tempted to say ‘cheers’ a few too many times, look at your surroundings. Must-haves for the hangover are air-conditioning, a decent bed that you can crash in for as long as you want, a supply of water and aspirin, and good friends who will bring you greasy food when you’re too sick to move.