Entries from February 2008 ↓

When a new house or building is built in Thailand, special ‘spirit houses’ are built to accommodate the spirits that have been displaced from the land by the construction. As a general rule, the spirit houses should match the grandeur of the house that is built: a simple country home can have a simple wooden house, a grand hotel should have an elaborate shrine. And sleek, modern sky-rises should of course have sleek, modern spirit houses, like this one that was photographed on Wireless Road, in Bangkok.

Thai media (much like the Western media) is full of advertisements showing that women will be much happier if only they were more beautiful. With fuller hair and whiter skin, they can get that great job, or marry the perfect man. This advertisement is posted in Silom, a very modern, wealthy neighborhood in Bangkok. It’s hard to determine what cosmetic procedure this woman is having, but it certainly hasn’t seemed to make her happier yet.

For a Thai snack on the go, nothing beats meat-on-a-stick. This vendor at Bangkok’s Chatuchak Weekend Market sells a variety of such portable treats. But choose carefully- while satays may have a deliciously smoky flavor, these fish-balls have all the flavor of an old goldfish bowl. Continue reading →

Though they may resemble tiny tacos filled with sour cream and shredded cheese, these are actually a Thai dessert called khanom buang. The shell is a crispy pancake, made of rice flour. It’s filled with a creamy marshmallow-like coconut creme, and topped with salty egg yokes.

In America, white-bread is treated as a grain, and used for making ‘wholesome’ sandwiches for children’s lunches. In Thailand, white-bread is treated as a dessert, like in the above ‘ice cream sandwich’- coconut and chocolate ice cream served in a hot dog bun. Given the low nutritional value of white-bread, the Thai approach is actually rather more accurate.

Most people connect Thai markets with strange produce or Buddhist artifacts, but you can actually find nearly anything for sale on the streets of Bangkok. For example, this vendor at Sanam Luang specialized in used toys – perfect for reconnecting with that Strawberry Shortcake doll you lost years ago.

Dogs seem to come in two distinct varieties in Bangkok: the tiny wind-up toys that Hi-So women carry in their purses, and the large bloated hounds that sleep on the street, blocking pedestrian paths. Continue reading →

The area of Patpong in Bangkok is known for both its bustling knock-offs market and for its seedy bars that cater to foreign men. Somehow, the sight of these mannequin legs thrusting out of oversized sacks captures both aspects.

Repository for the astoundingly spectacular Reclining Buddha, Bangkok’s Wat Pho draws thousands of visitors every year. People should have no fears of their shoes being stolen while they’re in the temple, however, thanks to the watchful gaze of these stone guards.

On the topic of paint jobs… These beautifully airbrushed vehicles in Ayutthaya are designed to serve two purposes. They transport tourists among the many ancient ruins scattered throughout the city, while also showing potential customers what can be seen on their tours.