Thailand Voice

Siam Country Club has 2 separate golf courses in Pattaya. This course, the Old Course, is an 18 hole par 72 golf course. The other Siam Country Club Course is called the Plantation. The Old Course at the Siam Country Club was the 1st privately owned golf course in Thailand and was first opened … Read full story >>>

Producer Frank DeMartini is in Bangkok prepping for the production of Elephant White , an action film starring Djimon Hounsou and directed by Prachya Pinkaew, who DeMartini refers to as “the Steven Spielberg of Thailand”. In a posting at Big Hollywood , ” Why I’m Filming in Bangkok “, DeMartini tells his readers who Prachya… Read full story >>>

Chulalongkorn Professor Thitinan in an op-ed in the Bangkok Post on the red shirts. Key excerpts: By the admission of the acting government spokesman, the anti-government red shirts under the banner of United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) are now prevalent in no fewer Read full story >>>

The 13th annual Burapa Pattaya Bike Week will be taking place this year on February 12-13 at the Pattaya Indoor Stadium located in Soi Chayapreuk 2 in Jomtien. Billed as one of largest Bike events in South East Asia it’s expected to draw 10,000 bikers from all over SEA, America, Great… Read full story >>>

It’s not a glamorous picture but one I think is significant nevertheless. So why did I snap a picture of the dirty pavement whilst cycling home? For the word written on the ground. It reads ควย pronounced “kwai” (literally K-… Read full story >>>

Thailand to Ask U.S. to Take it Off Piracy Watch List This week the powers that be in Bangkok suggested that they would once again ask to be taken off the piracy watch list by the United States, fat chance. All you have … Read full story >>>

Have already blogged (here and here) about the scandal which led to the Minister of Public Health and his Deputy to resign after an investigative committee found irregularities in the tendering process, but one of the problems was that the committee found that some hospital projects were unnecessary, in particular Read full story >>>

One of the most infamous streets in the world, Walking Street Pattaya is known for it’s bright neon lights, loud music, go-go bars, beer bars, discos, restaurants, and of course girls. Walking Street closes down to traffic at 6pm and becomes the center of… Read full story >>>

Soi 6 is Pattaya’s daytime Walking Street.  It’s been refered to as sexy, seedy, and sinful.  All could be an accurate description.  Soi 6 is Pattaya Thailand’s daytime center for crazy fun and debauchery, a walk down here is not for the meek and mild mannered. Soi 6 is a street filled … Read full story >>>

If you are looking for a daytime excursion to pass a few hours then Underwater World Pattaya might be worth a look.  It is an aquarium attraction located a short distance from downtown Pattaya Thailand.  Billed as a unique edutainment aquarium, it is really not that impressive, but a fun … Read full story >>>

If ladyboy’s are your thing and you’re looking for a comprehensive list of the best ladyboy bar and gogo’s in and around Pattaya, you’ve come to the right place.  There are several ladyboy only bars and gogo’s, as well as several bars where they work alongside genetic girls.  We’ve put together a list … Read full story >>>

Bangkok Sinking Anyone that has been in Bangkok after a decent storm can tell you that it wouldn’t take much to sink Bangkok, but now scientists are warning that large sections of Bangkok might have to be abandoned by the middle of this century unless severe action is taken. Bangkok’s… Read full story >>>

The Burmese haven't bombed the place. This is a Thai style demolition.. Bertie looks devastated. Read full story >>>

I made an Everytrail version of my railway journey from Bangkok to Pattaya on New Year’s Day. You can view the trip at http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=458559 . I also embedded a slide show on my Google Pages site at http://sites.google.com/site/thebkkphotographer/home/by-train… Read full story >>>

On November 28 I blogged about an article in the Bangkok Post which mentioned that it seemed that the budget arm of Thai Airways, Nok air, might be replacing Thai airways on the Ubon to Bangkok route. A friend of mine last night who has many friends who work at Thai airways said that it… Read full story >>>

I’ve been absolutely miserable the last two weeks trying to shake this flu bug I’ve had, I don’t know what particular strain it is but it has definitely knocked me down for the count. Now that I’m finally starting to come out of my … Read full story >>>

Webmaster murdered client who did not pay debts From Andrew Drummond Police in the Thai holiday resort of Pattaya have arrested a German national who they claimed stabbed a fellow countryman to death after he claimed the man refused to pay for … Read full story >>>

I’ve never been an iPhone man. Having once owned a BlackBerry, the thought of losing the physical keyboard plus the hype and commercialisation of it all puts me off. I’m one of those who doesn’t bow down to the Almightly Apple Empire – though … Read full story >>>

Three items involving Tony Jaa: Twitch has more on Vanguard (急先锋) the dream project by Hong Kong producer Raymond Wong that would see a match-up between Jaa and Donnie Yen. More speculative casting mentions South Korean soap-opera starlet Song Hye-kyo and English-born, Brooklyn… Read full story >>>

There are more than 12000 road deaths in Thailand every year caused by drivers over the limit. During the Songkran Festival alone, there are around 600 road deaths with 41% caused by an excess of alcohol. In a study carried out 14 years ago, out of nearly 5000 drivers, 12.6% were found to have a BAC above the … Read full story >>>

  Last year Pensri and I made a 3-week road trip through central and northern Laos, and the year before that we drove around the south. Here we parked beside the road in Hua Phan Province, on the way to the former capital of the liberated… Read full story >>>

Introducing Luca and his language learning method… Luca Lampariello is an Italian polyglot who speaks 9 languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Russian, and Portuguese. Chinese is his latest language project, and learning to speak Thai is a real possibility! When Luca was barely in his teens (13)… Read full story >>>

Another gem from the old news reports of the National News Bureau of Thailand . According to this one from  June 2004 the area of Laem Chabang was planned to become another special administrative area same as nearby Pattaya. While Pattaya was … Read full story >>>

My favorite pictures of the King of Thailand are the older ones from at least thirty years ago. Classic images include the King when he was ordained as a Buddhist monk, photos of him during the ceremony when he was crowned King, pictures of the King with … Read full story >>>

David Cerny’s Shark, a mannequin representing Saddam Hussein preserved in a tank of formaldehyde, was exhibited at Biennale II in Prague (2005) though a planned exhibition in Middelkerke, Belgium, (2006) was cancelled and an exhibition in Bielsko-Biala, … Read full story >>>

British woman raped in Thailand – two men held Link to Daily Mail From Andrew Drummond, Bangkok, Monday November 17 A British tourist claimed last night that she was dragged off the street by two men in front of Thai police and then taken to a hotel… Read full story >>>

Current Pattani [one of the provinces in the Deep South] resident Jason Johnson has an interesting article for Asia Times about how many miss the nuances in the Deep South and apply broad brushstrokes when talking about those who live there. The opening… Read full story >>>

Thai visitors smile as they pose with a wax model of US President Barack Obama (C) displayed at the Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks in Pattaya. Tussaud’s Waxworks, a US based international wax museum has established its fifth worldwide branch with the opening of this branch in…

Ai Haruna, 37, from Japan, celebrates after winning the Miss International Queen 2009 transsexual beauty pageant in the Thai resort city of Pattaya, about 150 km (93 miles) southeast of Bangkok October 31, 2009. (Reuters) Miss International Queen 2009 Haruna Ai of Japan (C), flanked by first runner-up Kangsadal Wongdusadeekul of Thailand (R) and second runner-up Daniela…

One topic that always comes up when talking to people about Pattaya – Women.  It’s no secret that Pattaya has a reputation for wild and seedy nightlife that is known around the world.  The city has tried to clean up its image… Read full story >>>