The Thai Women’s Guide to Scoring a Foreign Man

by Martha Edwards on

I love Thailand. It’s a great place to travel to and is brimming with gracious people, good food, rich history and amazing scenery. But one of the most disturbing things about Thailand is the sex trade, which is literally everywhere. Beautiful Thai women (and ladyboys) crawl over one another for the chance to ‘entertain’ fat, balding foreign men (or women!) who they believe can be their passport to a better life. It’s really heartbreaking.

A new book is coming out aimed at Thai women, which gives them step-by-step instructions on how to get — and keep — a foreign husband. The book, called “Foreign Boyfriend, Foreign Husband”, paints a romantic vision of Western men, claiming they are respectful and kind, unlike Thai men. Um, right. The point of the book seems to be this: Old, Western men might not be handsome but they’re loaded.

This is a tricky issue — on one hand, I think it’s appalling that women would be encouraged to marry for money and a passport. But at the same time, I’ve never known the desperation of poverty, and as a Canadian, I’ve always enjoyed all the benefits of a first-world passport. Is marrying for love a luxury that people in poorer countries can’t afford? Call me a romantic but I sure hope not.

Top Five Songs To Get You Moving

by Brett Atkinson on

No, I don’t mean songs for the perfect road trip, but those tunes which inspire you to get the atlas out, hot foot it down to the library to grab the latest guidebook, and then plan your eventual visit to the actual destination.

Forget articles and photos. I’m just as inspired to visit these places (for the first or second time) after hearing these songs.

  1. NYC by Interpol
  2. Big Sur by The Thrills
  3. Anchorage by Michelle Shocked
  4. Sin City by Gram Parsons
  5. Summer in Siam by The Pogues

Any more nominations for songs which capture your favourite (past and future) destinations?

I took the pic of Koh Mak in eastern Thailand, just not in summer.

Blowfish sold as salmon kills 15, sickens over a hundred

by Matthew Firestone on

As a frightening aside to my Big in Japan column on the subtle art of eating blowfish, MSNBC reported today that over the last three years, fugu meat that has been passed off as salmon in Thai markets has resulted in 15 deaths and over a hundred cases of food-poisoning.

As a result of a nationwide ban in Thailand on the selling of blowfish meat, some rather unscrupulous fishermen have taken to the practice of dying fugu and passing it off as salmon. The issue was brought to light following a report issued by Dr. Narin Hiransuthikul at Bangkok’s Chulalonkorn University Hospital.

As a warning to anyone travelling in Thailand, it’s probably best to skip on the salmon spring rolls!

** Photo by Flickr user Howdy, I’m H. Michael Karshis **

Traveling When the Dollar is Weak

by Martha Edwards on

When the dollar’s down, what’s a traveler to do? Stay home? Welcome to the life of a Canadian for the past decade and a half. We’ve been avoiding the US for the past few years because it was just too darn expensive. But now we’re about on par and I for one intend to take advantage of it.

But with the weakened US dollar, there’s bound to be less Americans at the Eiffel tower this year. As I know very well, Europe’s really expensive when you’re not at the top of the currency game, but just because it’s out, doesn’t mean there aren’t other affordable places to visit. Have you considered a trip to:

  • Canada? I can vouch for the fact that it’s beautiful here, for those who love both urban landscapes and rugged wilderness. My loyalties lie with Western Canada, but the east is ok too.
  • New Zealand? Sure, the airfare can be expensive, but the USD is stronger than the NZD so you’re bound to save some money. Plus, it’s absolutely gorgeous.
  • Thailand? Again, the airfare is a bit pricey, but Thailand is a bargain. You can easily live off of $30 a day.
  • Costa Rica? Although they boast beaches and rainforest and everything in between, this central American getaway is still one of the more affordable destinations.

Want some more advice for traveling when the dollar is down? Check out this link.

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)