Thai-Friends

The Bridge Over The River Kwai

Fri, 11 May 2007 13:20:00 +0000

The Bridge Over The River Kwai
By: Pauline Go

One of the most famous tourist spots in Thailand is the Bridge over the river Kwai. This famous bridge is about four kilometers from Kanchanaburi, across the river Kwai. A great tragedy occurred during the construction of this famous bridge. It was constructed by prisoners of war who were captured by the Japanese during World War II. It is believed that during the construction of bridge, 16,000 war prisoners and 49,000 forcibly employed laborers died.

Songkan, Thai new Year

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 06:00:00 +0000

Songkan, Thai new Year

The Thai New Year (Thai: Ê§¡ÃÒ¹µì Songkran) is celebrated every year on 13 April to 15 April. It is also celebrated in Laos (called Songkan in Lao), Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma where it is called Thingyan), and by ethnic Dai in Yunnan, China. Sri Lanka also celebrates a similar festival called Sinhalese and Tamil New Year on the same dates.

The date of the festival was originally set by astrological calculation, but it is now fixed . If these days fall on a weekend, the missed days off will be taken on the days immediately following (But Sri Lanka still uses an astrological calculation to set the dates and times based on the sun's positional change and those dates and times are used to start the festival events). Songkran falls in the hottest time of the year in Thailand, at the end of the dry season. Until 1888 the Thai New Year was the beginning of the year in Thailand; thereafter 1 April was used until 1940. 1 January is now the beginning of the year. The traditional Thai New Year has been a national holiday since then.

Mobile phones in Thailand

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 18:30:00 +0000

Mobile Phones in Thailand

Mobiles in Thailand are everywhere, there are many networks to choose from. If you are using your sim card that you use at home it might only let you use a couple of them, the most common next work for roaming is TrueMove (formally Orange also called TH-99) then AIS and D-TAC. Most prepay customers can only roam on to TrueMove. The GSM networks are 900 and 1800 which are the main ones used in europe. If you are from america you need to make sure your phone can use GSM 900 and GSM 1800 (sometimes called PCS 1800)

Banks in Thailand

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 15:50:00 +0000

Banks in Thailand

There are many banks in Thailand like most countries, I have listed the main one below. It is possible for a non-Thai to get a bank account in Thailand, but it might be better to use a branch outside of Bangkok. I know Kasikornbank and Bangkok Bank do let non-Thais have bank account.

Coping With Thailands Tightened Visa Regulations

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:00:00 +0000

Coping With Thailand’s Tightened Visa Regulations
by: Nola L. Kelsey

It is the end of an era in Thailand. Political changes occur rapidly in SE Asia. Nowhere is that more evident than inside the Land of Smiles. In the wake of the John Karr / JonBenet Ramsey fiasco, Thailand has tightened restrictions on Tourism Visas and stymied the lives of tens of thousands of travelers. Officials claim the two are not connected.

The History of Thai Food

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 15:50:00 +0000

The History of Thai Food
by: Andrew Hall

Thai food is famous all over the world. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively bland, harmony and contrast are the guiding principles behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. Characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked. Dishes can be refined and adjusted to suit all tastes.

How to get around Bangkok, Thailand

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 15:40:00 +0000

How to get around Bangkok, Thailand
by: Jonathan Semenick

To start off it is good to understand what kind of transport you can get in Bangkok.

There are numerous different types of public transport, but the usual visitor or resident uses only 7 of these: Meter Taxis, Tuk Tuks, buses, canal boats, river taxis, motorbikes, and Taxis (with no meter).

Lets begin with Tuk Tuks. Aren't they cute, those little three wheeled taxis, colorfully painted and featured so much on anything to do with Thailand.

Thailand Coup, Bangkok Still The Place To Visit

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 15:30:00 +0000

Thailand Coup, Bangkok Still The Place To Visit
by: Fred Tittle
Coup in Thailand, this is not the first coup in Thailand, but the first in a long time. If you have been to Thailand recently, or follow the politics, this coup is not surprising for many reasons. Many people see to much corruption at very high levels, the extrajudicial handling of the drug problem, the sale of a major Thai communication asset to a foreign country, the way that the Prime Minister handles his opposition, using whatever means to silence them, and for the military the Muslim uprising in the three southern most provinces. The political fighting in the capitol is further making the military nervous with the now ousted Prime Ministers plays to keep his power despite a large and vocal group of people that want to see him out.

Chatuchak weekend market

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:40:00 +0000

Chatuchak weekend market

Chatuchak (or Jatujak; Thai: ¨µØ¨Ñ¡Ã) weekend market in Bangkok is the largest market in Thailand, and largest of the world. Frequently called J.J., it covers over 35 acres (1.13 km²) and contains upwards of 15,000 stalls. It is estimated that the market receives between 200,000 and 300,000 visitors each day. Most stalls only open on Saturdays and Sundays.

CentralWorld

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:30:00 +0000

CentralWorld

CentralWorld is a large shopping mall and office complex in Bangkok owned by the Central Group. In 2006, after three years of design and renovation, the expanded, 550,000-square-meter mall was opened, topping its nearby rival Siam Paragon in terms of size. The mall is the largest shopping center in Southeast Asia and larger than Hong Kong's Ocean Terminal.