By Eric Lim
Hotels in Pratunam are the Bangkok hotels located near the bustling Pratunam market, an old sluice gate and a canal, dug more than 150 years ago, giving the area a long and interesting history.
The area is called Pratunam (or watergate in Thai) after the sluice gate in the canal nearby, Klong Saen Saap or Saen Saap canal, which passes south of the Pratunam junction.
The Saen Saap canal has an important place in the history of the canals in Bangkok. During the reign of King Rama III (1824 – 1851), Chinese laborers dug the canal to transport troops to the east in anticipation of an impending war with Vietnam. Back then, it was faster to move troops by water than overland. The canal was completed but war didn't break out.
The Saen Saap canal starts from the Maharak Canal near the defensive rings of canals around the old Ratanakosin and extents all the way to the eastern province of Chachoengsao, 80 km away.
Today, Pratunam is a bustling market selling a wide a variety of electronic goods, fabrics and clothing and the pedestrian ways are cramped with street vendors and shoppers. The wholesale dealers are favorites with bargain hunters, both Thai and foreign.
The roads in the Pratunam area are virtually choked with traffic all day round. With the completion of the Platinum Shopping Complex and Condominium, the traffic situation in Pratunam could only get worse.
From the Bo Bae market pier, the Saen Saap canal runs eastwards just of south of Petchaburi Road. Just before Ramkhamhaeng Road, the canal branches off, one branch turns north-east along Ramkhamkaeng Road, pass Bang Kapi; the other turns south and south-east to Lat Krabang. The canal covers 50 km within Bangkok, almost the entire width of the city.
The Saen Saap canal boat service still serves as a convenient way for residents living along the canal to beat the traffic jams and get to school and work on time.
There are 17 Bangkok hotels at or near the Pratunam junction. Some of the hotels in Pratunam have adopted this well-known name, like Amari Watergate Hotel, Grand Diamond Pratunam Hotel and Pratunam Park Hotel. The 88-story Baiyoke Sky Hotel still holds the record as the tallest hotel in Thailand.
Hotels in Pratunam are generally inexpensive except for the Amari Watergate Hotel which is slightly over US$100. The rest like the Baiyoke Sky Hotel, Centerpoint Petchaburi, Century Park Hotel, Grand Diamond Pratunam and the Siam City Hotel are mid range, priced between US$50 – 90.
There are ample budget hotels in the area for the budget traveler, priced at US$30 or less. Some like the Pj Watergate have also cashed in on the "watergate" label. Others prefer names like Bangkok City Inn and White Palace Hotel to hide their humble origins. The Ibis Siam Hotel is part of the economy chain of the Accor international hotel group.
(Prices are correct as at the time of writing.)
The Saen Saab Canal is one of the few canals in Bangkok that has survived the tide of road expansion, unlike other canals in the city which have been filled up.
Today, this old canal continues to flow past the busy hotels in Pratunam and the busy market, carrying boatloads of commuters to work and school, a legacy of the efforts of the thousands of Chinese laborers, in the mid 1800s, who toiled to make it possible.
Hotels in Pratunam are some of the Bangkok Hotels you'll encounter in Tour Bangkok Legacies a historical travel site on people, places and events that left their mark in the landscape of Bangkok.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Lim
2007/10/12
The Legendary Oriental Bangkok - the Grand Dame on the Chao Phraya Turns 130
By Eric Lim
The Oriental Bangkok, the world-renowned luxury hotel, is the oldest hotel in Bangkok, has a legacy of famous writers and a long and famous history. She celebrates her 130th anniversary this year.
Two Danish sea captains founded the Oriental in 1865 during the reign of King Rama IV when Thailand opened up to trade as a result of the Bowring Treaty signed ten years earlier.
The founders saw the need for a hotel by the Chao Phraya to cater for the seafarers and traders who sailed upriver. They didn't realize then that the hotel they started would one day be a celebrated luxury hotel graced by the rich and famous.
Unfortunately the original building is no longer standing. The history of the Oriental Bangkok, the first hotel in the city, is taken from 1876 when the old wing was built. This building is still there.
The tradition of famous writers dates back to 1888, when Konrad Korzeniowski, a Polish merchant navy officer, sailed up the Chao Phraya and docked next to the Oriental Hotel. Nicknamed "Polish Joe" by his shipmates, he later became known to the literary world as Joseph Conrad.
Others were to follow in Conrad's footsteps. In 1923, Somerset Maugham, an English writer stayed at the Oriental Bangkok and wrote the children's tale, "Siamese Fairy Tale" while sitting in the river terrace gazing out at the Chao Phraya.
Noel Coward, another English writer, stayed at the Oriental Bangkok in 1929. Conrad, Maugham, Coward and the American, James Michener, four literary giants, became the founding fathers of the Authors' Wing.
The Oriental suffered damage, disrepair and looting during World War II, when it was taken over by the Japanese army. After the war, Allied officers waiting to return home made the hotel their living quarters.
In 1945, another legendary figure entered the scene. Jim Thompson, the American who later made his name in Thai silk, became one of the owners of the Oriental and a resident as well.
Thompson with five others, foreigners and Thai, pooled their funds in an attempt to revive the hotel. Owing to personal differences, Thompson left the group a year later.
The hotel went through a second major construction when the Garden Wing was completed and opened in 1958. In 1967 there was another change in ownership. It was then that Kurt Wachtveitl became General Manager.
The turning point came in 1974 when Jardine Matheson set up the Mandarin Hotels Group and bought a 49% stake in the Oriental Bangkok. This provided the impetus for a major expansion with the new 376-room wing, ballroom and multi- level car park.
The new River Wing opened in 1976, with suites honoring Barbara Cartland, John le Carre, Gore Vidal, Graham Greene and Norman Mailer. John le Carre was said to have finished "The Honourable Schoolboy" here.
In 2006, after another major facelift, the Oriental Bangkok celebrates its 130th anniversary with Kurt Wachtveitl still at the helm after 39 years, backed by his faithful and long-serving staff.
At a 130, the charming grand dame still holds court by the Chao Phraya. The tradition of famous writers lives on.
The Oriental Bangkok is an icon that evokes memories of authors like Conrad, Maugham and Michener.
http://tour-bangkok-legacies.com/
The Oriental Bangkok, the world-renowned luxury hotel, is the oldest hotel in Bangkok, has a legacy of famous writers and a long and famous history. She celebrates her 130th anniversary this year.
Two Danish sea captains founded the Oriental in 1865 during the reign of King Rama IV when Thailand opened up to trade as a result of the Bowring Treaty signed ten years earlier.
The founders saw the need for a hotel by the Chao Phraya to cater for the seafarers and traders who sailed upriver. They didn't realize then that the hotel they started would one day be a celebrated luxury hotel graced by the rich and famous.
Unfortunately the original building is no longer standing. The history of the Oriental Bangkok, the first hotel in the city, is taken from 1876 when the old wing was built. This building is still there.
The tradition of famous writers dates back to 1888, when Konrad Korzeniowski, a Polish merchant navy officer, sailed up the Chao Phraya and docked next to the Oriental Hotel. Nicknamed "Polish Joe" by his shipmates, he later became known to the literary world as Joseph Conrad.
Others were to follow in Conrad's footsteps. In 1923, Somerset Maugham, an English writer stayed at the Oriental Bangkok and wrote the children's tale, "Siamese Fairy Tale" while sitting in the river terrace gazing out at the Chao Phraya.
Noel Coward, another English writer, stayed at the Oriental Bangkok in 1929. Conrad, Maugham, Coward and the American, James Michener, four literary giants, became the founding fathers of the Authors' Wing.
The Oriental suffered damage, disrepair and looting during World War II, when it was taken over by the Japanese army. After the war, Allied officers waiting to return home made the hotel their living quarters.
In 1945, another legendary figure entered the scene. Jim Thompson, the American who later made his name in Thai silk, became one of the owners of the Oriental and a resident as well.
Thompson with five others, foreigners and Thai, pooled their funds in an attempt to revive the hotel. Owing to personal differences, Thompson left the group a year later.
The hotel went through a second major construction when the Garden Wing was completed and opened in 1958. In 1967 there was another change in ownership. It was then that Kurt Wachtveitl became General Manager.
The turning point came in 1974 when Jardine Matheson set up the Mandarin Hotels Group and bought a 49% stake in the Oriental Bangkok. This provided the impetus for a major expansion with the new 376-room wing, ballroom and multi- level car park.
The new River Wing opened in 1976, with suites honoring Barbara Cartland, John le Carre, Gore Vidal, Graham Greene and Norman Mailer. John le Carre was said to have finished "The Honourable Schoolboy" here.
In 2006, after another major facelift, the Oriental Bangkok celebrates its 130th anniversary with Kurt Wachtveitl still at the helm after 39 years, backed by his faithful and long-serving staff.
At a 130, the charming grand dame still holds court by the Chao Phraya. The tradition of famous writers lives on.
The Oriental Bangkok is an icon that evokes memories of authors like Conrad, Maugham and Michener.
http://tour-bangkok-legacies.com/
2007/10/10
Learning To Speak Thai
By Douglas Anderson
The main problem with learning to speak Thai is that the basis of the language is not European-based. English and the other Euro languages have Latin, Greek, Viking, etc., roots; Thai does not, so you have to memorize hundreds, if not thousands, of strange and unrelated sounds. This is difficult, unless you use some sort of memory trigger.
Speak Easy Thai is a low-cost (about US$25) CD-ROM that helps solve this problem by presenting a picture and a sound file; all words are spoken by a native Thai speaker, so you hear the correct tone.
If you see a Thai word printed in a book, such as a travel guide, chances are you will not remember the word because there is nothing to hang your hat on.
But when you see a picture of something and hear it spoken properly in Thai, your brain will find it much easier to remember the word because it seems to set up more associations (hypertext links, if you will) in your brain.
It’s a fact that most people learn better visually and aurally than they do by simply reading and trying to memorize. This is, in fact, how children learn. They hear the words spoken by adults and other children, and repeat them. Young children learn to speak a language well before they can read.
Thai uses its own alphabet, rather than pictograms like Chinese, which makes it much easier to learn than Chinese. You just have to get over the hump of reading the Thai characters. The alphabet contains the same letters as English, but they are drawn differently. For example, all the common consonants and vowels exist in Thai, but a Thai G (or P or M) does not look like an English G (or P or M).
But the best part of learning Thai is the grammar, believe it or not, because there is very little to learn. There are no, absolutely NO verb conjugations, which will please anyone who has ever tried to learn one of the Latin-based languages like French, Italian, and Spanish. Future tense is handled with "ja", meaning "will", or by adding an adverb of time, like "tomorrow". Past tense is handled by putting "already" at the end, or by adding an adverb of time, like "yesterday". For example, instead of saying, "I went to the market", you use the present tense ("go") but add "already" at the end, as in "I go market already". Easy peasy.
Also, adjectives do not change form, you don’t have to worry about the sex of a noun because all nouns are neuter. Adjectives always follow the noun, without exception; you say "house big" rather than "big house".
General plurals are done by doubling the noun: "house house" instead of "houses". Specific plurals use the same construction we use in English for groups, as in "The farmer has three head of cattle". You can’t say "I have three children" in Thai, you must say "I have child three person"; "child" is the noun, "person" is the group word, also known as a "classifier".
Adverbs are easy too, no variations. You can add emphasis by doubling the adverb: "He runs quickly quickly".
The most difficult part of learning Thai is that it is a tonal language. English uses tones on sentences. Compare these three statements:
"You’re going to the party."
"You’re going to the party?"
"You’re going to the party!"
They all use the same English words, but the tone (flat, rising, falling, respectively) gives an entirely different meaning to each sentence.
Thai uses tones on words, but not on sentences. For example, "seu-ah" spoken with a flat (mid-range) tone means "clothing"; "seu-ah" spoken with a rising tone means "tiger". So you must be careful to learn the correct tone for each word, otherwise you might be saying "my tiger is dirty" when what you meant is "my clothing is dirty". There is no doubt that this is the hardest part of learning Thai, and the only way to learn the correct tone is to listen to a native Thai speaker saying the word.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Anderson
The main problem with learning to speak Thai is that the basis of the language is not European-based. English and the other Euro languages have Latin, Greek, Viking, etc., roots; Thai does not, so you have to memorize hundreds, if not thousands, of strange and unrelated sounds. This is difficult, unless you use some sort of memory trigger.
Speak Easy Thai is a low-cost (about US$25) CD-ROM that helps solve this problem by presenting a picture and a sound file; all words are spoken by a native Thai speaker, so you hear the correct tone.
If you see a Thai word printed in a book, such as a travel guide, chances are you will not remember the word because there is nothing to hang your hat on.
But when you see a picture of something and hear it spoken properly in Thai, your brain will find it much easier to remember the word because it seems to set up more associations (hypertext links, if you will) in your brain.
It’s a fact that most people learn better visually and aurally than they do by simply reading and trying to memorize. This is, in fact, how children learn. They hear the words spoken by adults and other children, and repeat them. Young children learn to speak a language well before they can read.
Thai uses its own alphabet, rather than pictograms like Chinese, which makes it much easier to learn than Chinese. You just have to get over the hump of reading the Thai characters. The alphabet contains the same letters as English, but they are drawn differently. For example, all the common consonants and vowels exist in Thai, but a Thai G (or P or M) does not look like an English G (or P or M).
But the best part of learning Thai is the grammar, believe it or not, because there is very little to learn. There are no, absolutely NO verb conjugations, which will please anyone who has ever tried to learn one of the Latin-based languages like French, Italian, and Spanish. Future tense is handled with "ja", meaning "will", or by adding an adverb of time, like "tomorrow". Past tense is handled by putting "already" at the end, or by adding an adverb of time, like "yesterday". For example, instead of saying, "I went to the market", you use the present tense ("go") but add "already" at the end, as in "I go market already". Easy peasy.
Also, adjectives do not change form, you don’t have to worry about the sex of a noun because all nouns are neuter. Adjectives always follow the noun, without exception; you say "house big" rather than "big house".
General plurals are done by doubling the noun: "house house" instead of "houses". Specific plurals use the same construction we use in English for groups, as in "The farmer has three head of cattle". You can’t say "I have three children" in Thai, you must say "I have child three person"; "child" is the noun, "person" is the group word, also known as a "classifier".
Adverbs are easy too, no variations. You can add emphasis by doubling the adverb: "He runs quickly quickly".
The most difficult part of learning Thai is that it is a tonal language. English uses tones on sentences. Compare these three statements:
"You’re going to the party."
"You’re going to the party?"
"You’re going to the party!"
They all use the same English words, but the tone (flat, rising, falling, respectively) gives an entirely different meaning to each sentence.
Thai uses tones on words, but not on sentences. For example, "seu-ah" spoken with a flat (mid-range) tone means "clothing"; "seu-ah" spoken with a rising tone means "tiger". So you must be careful to learn the correct tone for each word, otherwise you might be saying "my tiger is dirty" when what you meant is "my clothing is dirty". There is no doubt that this is the hardest part of learning Thai, and the only way to learn the correct tone is to listen to a native Thai speaker saying the word.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Anderson
2007/10/08
Chao Wang Food And Thai Food Of Each Festival
by Manora
Chao Wang Food:
(Food Prepared for Royal or High-Class Families)
The food which is prepared for Royal family members or of the high-class people is different from that of the ordinary people. The Chao Wang food has its own delicate cooking; for example, Khieo Wan Kai must have only chicken meat without any bones, whereas the ordinary people's Khieo Wan Kai contains with chicken both of meat and bones. The Chao Wang Namprig has beautifully carved vegeytables, side by side, to take with.
Some Bits about Thai Food:
Thai food is a Thai national symbol. It reveals the characteristics of the Thai people: their delicate taste, discipline, rules of conduct, artistic taste and human relationship. Thai food has its unique name with précis meaning of feature, flavor or the methods of cooking, Tong Yip and Foi Thong are examples of Thai sweets in this case. To understand causes and effects of Thai food cooking is to achieve.
To preserve the Thai nationality, the learners of how to cook Thai food should both keep Thai national values of the past and also accept any new ones.
Thai Food of Each Festival:
Thai food is cooked in agreement with Thai festivals organized according to Thai religious customs.
The fifth Month (April):
The old Thai New Year is celebrated in this month of April (between April 13 and April 15). To relieve the hot weather in the summer month, the dainty Khao Chae, (-a luncheon dish which includes rice served in scented water with jasmine and rose petals, and with seven or eight side dishes-), is used to serve monks, relatives and friends in the merit-making occasion. Kaaraamae (a Thai caramel) is made as well as Khao Niew Dang (Sweetened red glutinous rice) to give among friends and relatives.
The Sixth, Seventh, Eighth Months:
The Eighth Month (July) is in the rainy season and the Buddhist Lent. Fruits are in abundance so they are preserved in many techniques of cooking: stirring, or cooking as well as soaking in thick syrup. Durian Guan, Kluai Guan, Kluai Taak, Sabparod Guan are examples. Fully ripe chillies are sundried for the needed time. Fully ripe and sour tamarind is pitted, sprinkled with salt, pasted and preserved for the coming days. Fishes which are also plentiful, are sundried or grilled, for the next days.
In these months, Thai people do their merit-making at the temple. They offer foods to the monks in the form called "Salaag Puut", that is, the monks are offered foods by drawing slots. The baskets offered to the monks, contain with both fresh and dried foods. The people, offering foods to the monks, are very exited to see who is going to get their basket by drawing lots.
The Eighth Month is also the time for young Thai males to enter the monkhood. Folks helps bringing foods and sweets to join the occasion. The foods are of various kinds with ingredients of vegetables, fishes, coconut or sugar. One example of these is Yam Kamoei cooked with any food stuff found at hand but delicious with its sauce made with crunched, red chillies, garlic, vinegar, fish soy, lime and sugar.
Main dishes are often many kinds of curries and lon (a kind of sauce served with raw vegetables). For the funeral, Plara Lon(a sauce made with fishes which are fermented by salted and roasted rice) and foods with noodle-ingredients are avoided because of Thai superstition of death prolongation.
The Ninth Month (August):
The Ninth Month is the most favorable month for wedding ceremony, new house merit making, and age meritorious performing. Favorite Thai sweets, symbolized fortunes and honors, Khanom Chaan (sweetened, light color pudding with many layers) and Khaaw Niew Kaew (sweetened, glassy glutinous rice) are favorably cooked.
The Tenth Month (September):
The Tenth Month (September) is the month for Sart Thai Festival.
Krajaa Sart (sweetened, forested, and popped rice mixed with peanuts and sesames ) and Khaaw Yaa Koo(a cake made of sugar boiled with water received from crunched young rice grains) are popular sweets.
The Eleventh, Twelfth Monts:
The Eleventh Month (October) and the Twelfth Month (November) are months of Krathin Ceremony (the offering of Krathin Cloths to the monks) and Oogpaansaa (the outing of the Buddihist Lent ). Khaaw Tom Paad (glutinous rice wrapped by banana or bamboo leaves cooked by steaming ) are offered to the monks in this festival. Other favorite foods are rice cooked and wrapped in lotus or banana leaves accompanied by fried food such as Paad Prig Khing, dried curries, Namprig Makaam Paad, Namprig Makaam Piak and Namprig Taa Dang including salted food as salted meat and salted eggs, along with vegetables plucked along the way.
The Fist Lunar Month (Dyan Aaai or January)
The Fist Lunar Month (Dyan Aaai or January) of the old days was full of shrimps in the canal. Tha main ingredients of food in this month, then, were shrimps.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=364209
Chao Wang Food:
(Food Prepared for Royal or High-Class Families)
The food which is prepared for Royal family members or of the high-class people is different from that of the ordinary people. The Chao Wang food has its own delicate cooking; for example, Khieo Wan Kai must have only chicken meat without any bones, whereas the ordinary people's Khieo Wan Kai contains with chicken both of meat and bones. The Chao Wang Namprig has beautifully carved vegeytables, side by side, to take with.
Some Bits about Thai Food:
Thai food is a Thai national symbol. It reveals the characteristics of the Thai people: their delicate taste, discipline, rules of conduct, artistic taste and human relationship. Thai food has its unique name with précis meaning of feature, flavor or the methods of cooking, Tong Yip and Foi Thong are examples of Thai sweets in this case. To understand causes and effects of Thai food cooking is to achieve.
To preserve the Thai nationality, the learners of how to cook Thai food should both keep Thai national values of the past and also accept any new ones.
Thai Food of Each Festival:
Thai food is cooked in agreement with Thai festivals organized according to Thai religious customs.
The fifth Month (April):
The old Thai New Year is celebrated in this month of April (between April 13 and April 15). To relieve the hot weather in the summer month, the dainty Khao Chae, (-a luncheon dish which includes rice served in scented water with jasmine and rose petals, and with seven or eight side dishes-), is used to serve monks, relatives and friends in the merit-making occasion. Kaaraamae (a Thai caramel) is made as well as Khao Niew Dang (Sweetened red glutinous rice) to give among friends and relatives.
The Sixth, Seventh, Eighth Months:
The Eighth Month (July) is in the rainy season and the Buddhist Lent. Fruits are in abundance so they are preserved in many techniques of cooking: stirring, or cooking as well as soaking in thick syrup. Durian Guan, Kluai Guan, Kluai Taak, Sabparod Guan are examples. Fully ripe chillies are sundried for the needed time. Fully ripe and sour tamarind is pitted, sprinkled with salt, pasted and preserved for the coming days. Fishes which are also plentiful, are sundried or grilled, for the next days.
In these months, Thai people do their merit-making at the temple. They offer foods to the monks in the form called "Salaag Puut", that is, the monks are offered foods by drawing slots. The baskets offered to the monks, contain with both fresh and dried foods. The people, offering foods to the monks, are very exited to see who is going to get their basket by drawing lots.
The Eighth Month is also the time for young Thai males to enter the monkhood. Folks helps bringing foods and sweets to join the occasion. The foods are of various kinds with ingredients of vegetables, fishes, coconut or sugar. One example of these is Yam Kamoei cooked with any food stuff found at hand but delicious with its sauce made with crunched, red chillies, garlic, vinegar, fish soy, lime and sugar.
Main dishes are often many kinds of curries and lon (a kind of sauce served with raw vegetables). For the funeral, Plara Lon(a sauce made with fishes which are fermented by salted and roasted rice) and foods with noodle-ingredients are avoided because of Thai superstition of death prolongation.
The Ninth Month (August):
The Ninth Month is the most favorable month for wedding ceremony, new house merit making, and age meritorious performing. Favorite Thai sweets, symbolized fortunes and honors, Khanom Chaan (sweetened, light color pudding with many layers) and Khaaw Niew Kaew (sweetened, glassy glutinous rice) are favorably cooked.
The Tenth Month (September):
The Tenth Month (September) is the month for Sart Thai Festival.
Krajaa Sart (sweetened, forested, and popped rice mixed with peanuts and sesames ) and Khaaw Yaa Koo(a cake made of sugar boiled with water received from crunched young rice grains) are popular sweets.
The Eleventh, Twelfth Monts:
The Eleventh Month (October) and the Twelfth Month (November) are months of Krathin Ceremony (the offering of Krathin Cloths to the monks) and Oogpaansaa (the outing of the Buddihist Lent ). Khaaw Tom Paad (glutinous rice wrapped by banana or bamboo leaves cooked by steaming ) are offered to the monks in this festival. Other favorite foods are rice cooked and wrapped in lotus or banana leaves accompanied by fried food such as Paad Prig Khing, dried curries, Namprig Makaam Paad, Namprig Makaam Piak and Namprig Taa Dang including salted food as salted meat and salted eggs, along with vegetables plucked along the way.
The Fist Lunar Month (Dyan Aaai or January)
The Fist Lunar Month (Dyan Aaai or January) of the old days was full of shrimps in the canal. Tha main ingredients of food in this month, then, were shrimps.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=364209
Top Ten Favourite Thai Food
by Paisan M.
Everybody is well known about Thai food because many Thai restaurants has established around the world. The unique flavour of Thai food is blended of fresh herbs and aromatic spices. Thai food is cooked with basic ingredients such as garlic, chilies, pepper, lime juice, lemon grass and coriander leave. The main food in Thailand is rice. Although rice is the main food of Thais, but we aren't eat rice alone. We must have some dishes (soup, curries or fried vegetable) to eat with rice.
In July 1999, the Office of the National Culture Commission in Ministry of Culture announced the top ten Thai dishes best liked by foreigners. The Office had conducted a survey of Thai restaurants all over the world to find out ten favourite Thai dishes of foreigners. In the survey 1,500 Thai restaurant in America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa were asked to fill in a questionnaire. However, only 500 restaurants which have Thai chefs and offer the authentic Thai food were qualified for being taken into consideration. The results were the top ten Thai dishes which are listed below in order of their percentages of popularity:
1. Tom Yam Kung (spicy shrimp soup) 99% 2. Kaeng Keow Wan Kai (green curry with chicken) 82% 3. Pad Thai (Thai fried noodles) 70% 4. Pad Kaphrao (stir fried basil with chicken) 52% 5. Kaeng Phet Pet Yang (roast duck curry) 50% 6. Tom Kha Kai (chicken in coconut soup) 47% 7. Yam Nua Yang (spicy roast beef salad) 45% 8. Pork Satay (roast pork coated with turmeric) 43% 9. Kai Phat Met Mamuang Himmaphan (fried chicken with cashew nut) 42% 10. Phanaeng Kai (chicken in coconut cream) 39%
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=386738
Everybody is well known about Thai food because many Thai restaurants has established around the world. The unique flavour of Thai food is blended of fresh herbs and aromatic spices. Thai food is cooked with basic ingredients such as garlic, chilies, pepper, lime juice, lemon grass and coriander leave. The main food in Thailand is rice. Although rice is the main food of Thais, but we aren't eat rice alone. We must have some dishes (soup, curries or fried vegetable) to eat with rice.
In July 1999, the Office of the National Culture Commission in Ministry of Culture announced the top ten Thai dishes best liked by foreigners. The Office had conducted a survey of Thai restaurants all over the world to find out ten favourite Thai dishes of foreigners. In the survey 1,500 Thai restaurant in America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa were asked to fill in a questionnaire. However, only 500 restaurants which have Thai chefs and offer the authentic Thai food were qualified for being taken into consideration. The results were the top ten Thai dishes which are listed below in order of their percentages of popularity:
1. Tom Yam Kung (spicy shrimp soup) 99% 2. Kaeng Keow Wan Kai (green curry with chicken) 82% 3. Pad Thai (Thai fried noodles) 70% 4. Pad Kaphrao (stir fried basil with chicken) 52% 5. Kaeng Phet Pet Yang (roast duck curry) 50% 6. Tom Kha Kai (chicken in coconut soup) 47% 7. Yam Nua Yang (spicy roast beef salad) 45% 8. Pork Satay (roast pork coated with turmeric) 43% 9. Kai Phat Met Mamuang Himmaphan (fried chicken with cashew nut) 42% 10. Phanaeng Kai (chicken in coconut cream) 39%
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=386738
2007/10/05
Thai Girls And Thailand Travel In 5 Easy Steps
by Martin Hurley
If you've hit an age where meeting attractive younger (than you) girls or women seems to be a wicked challenge, maybe it's time to consider opening your mind to new horizons. Yes I'm talking about Thai girls and Thai women here. And doing it from a guy who has lived in Thailand for the best part of four years.
But before we meet the perfect Thai girl, why Thailand? Maybe it's the attention. It's hard not to be taken by people who seem to be always smiling, welcoming and friendly. And with a great 'not too serious about anything much' attitude and the Thai Buddhist qualities, well, it's all quite compelling.
Anyway, Thailand is a world in itself, so be prepared to be amazed and have all your normal 'logical' thinking replaced with ongoing illogical and strange behavior. In other words, Thailand is a completely weird place. Just remember that when you travel to a foreign country, after you get there, you become the foreigner...
Amongst all its differences, the pleasures are true and fascinating. There's no doubt Thailand is a crazy world. But strangely enough, it seems to hang together well. And the proof is in the pudding... having thrown myself into this lifestyle, I now feel somewhat 'apprehensive' about having to travel to a Western country and meet Western people. Why would I feel that way?
Maybe because I've been immersed in smiling, polite Thai people who always welcomed me and wanted to know about me. Maybe because I've been surrounded by Thai food that is always so important everywhere you go. Food that... "shows how we delicately care about feelings of people." And then there's the Thai girls...
Let's talk about Thai girls and the Thai world through these 5 simple steps:
Step one: Go to http://yourthaigirl.com and read the downloadable ebook, (and while you're there sign up to the Thai Girl, Thai Life newsletter). In this ebook you'll learn all about Thai culture, lifestyle, and of course, Thai girls.
You get savvy on what to do, what not to do, when to do it, and where to go and do it. You'll know what it all means, and the ebook will give you the 'inside picture' to the world of Thailand.
Step two: Book your ticket to Thailand as soon as you can. When you arrive, prepare for the slam... the heat... an invisible hammer that hits you with its mighty force... rushes to greet you with the power of a thousand simmering angels...
And yet, before you know it, you'll be slipping down the long passageways inside the cool air conditioned airport. Get your bags, your bearings, your Thai girl book and prepare for your biggest journey. (Hey, Thailand is not as hot as you think :-)
Step three: Get out and meet and greet people. Prepare your name card, your few words of Thai, a nice hotel or resort with a funny name, and your best clothes. In this country, it pays to look good. Thai's like to be clean, fresh, and attractive. No kidding.
Step four: Just be you. Expect lots of questions. The Thai's want to learn English... speak English with you. You'll have a great, precious, remarkable time. Be adventurous. Be a tourist. Learn new things. Travel on the sky train.
Step five: That's it, all done. Remember though to keep light-hearted. The Thai's like to have fun, not be 'too serious' and will appreciate it if you show respect to the things that are important to them. The key word is enjoyment. Have fun.
Actually, there's really nothing to it. It's so easy (once you're here!) The main thing is to keep your calm, appreciate the beauty of Thai girls, seek out quality relationships, and let me know how it all goes, okay.
http://yourthaigirl.com/datingsecrets.html
If you've hit an age where meeting attractive younger (than you) girls or women seems to be a wicked challenge, maybe it's time to consider opening your mind to new horizons. Yes I'm talking about Thai girls and Thai women here. And doing it from a guy who has lived in Thailand for the best part of four years.
But before we meet the perfect Thai girl, why Thailand? Maybe it's the attention. It's hard not to be taken by people who seem to be always smiling, welcoming and friendly. And with a great 'not too serious about anything much' attitude and the Thai Buddhist qualities, well, it's all quite compelling.
Anyway, Thailand is a world in itself, so be prepared to be amazed and have all your normal 'logical' thinking replaced with ongoing illogical and strange behavior. In other words, Thailand is a completely weird place. Just remember that when you travel to a foreign country, after you get there, you become the foreigner...
Amongst all its differences, the pleasures are true and fascinating. There's no doubt Thailand is a crazy world. But strangely enough, it seems to hang together well. And the proof is in the pudding... having thrown myself into this lifestyle, I now feel somewhat 'apprehensive' about having to travel to a Western country and meet Western people. Why would I feel that way?
Maybe because I've been immersed in smiling, polite Thai people who always welcomed me and wanted to know about me. Maybe because I've been surrounded by Thai food that is always so important everywhere you go. Food that... "shows how we delicately care about feelings of people." And then there's the Thai girls...
Let's talk about Thai girls and the Thai world through these 5 simple steps:
Step one: Go to http://yourthaigirl.com and read the downloadable ebook, (and while you're there sign up to the Thai Girl, Thai Life newsletter). In this ebook you'll learn all about Thai culture, lifestyle, and of course, Thai girls.
You get savvy on what to do, what not to do, when to do it, and where to go and do it. You'll know what it all means, and the ebook will give you the 'inside picture' to the world of Thailand.
Step two: Book your ticket to Thailand as soon as you can. When you arrive, prepare for the slam... the heat... an invisible hammer that hits you with its mighty force... rushes to greet you with the power of a thousand simmering angels...
And yet, before you know it, you'll be slipping down the long passageways inside the cool air conditioned airport. Get your bags, your bearings, your Thai girl book and prepare for your biggest journey. (Hey, Thailand is not as hot as you think :-)
Step three: Get out and meet and greet people. Prepare your name card, your few words of Thai, a nice hotel or resort with a funny name, and your best clothes. In this country, it pays to look good. Thai's like to be clean, fresh, and attractive. No kidding.
Step four: Just be you. Expect lots of questions. The Thai's want to learn English... speak English with you. You'll have a great, precious, remarkable time. Be adventurous. Be a tourist. Learn new things. Travel on the sky train.
Step five: That's it, all done. Remember though to keep light-hearted. The Thai's like to have fun, not be 'too serious' and will appreciate it if you show respect to the things that are important to them. The key word is enjoyment. Have fun.
Actually, there's really nothing to it. It's so easy (once you're here!) The main thing is to keep your calm, appreciate the beauty of Thai girls, seek out quality relationships, and let me know how it all goes, okay.
http://yourthaigirl.com/datingsecrets.html
2007/10/02
Is Thailand a Good Place to Have a Holiday Home?
Neil Simmons
Is Thailand a good place to have a holiday home?
Yes, apart from the fact that foreigners aren’t allowed to own land, which means that the only real viable option is to purchase on a long term lease. The longest lease allowable in Thailand is 30 years. Of course, it is possible to write an option into the lease giving the lessee the option to renew for a further 60 years. For most, 60 years is long enough. However, there is the risk that the lessee cannot renew the lease after 30 years, because they have snuffed it, or the lessor has snuffed it, or some other reason like the government decides not restrict the lease term to foreigners to, say, 10 years.
Thailand has a huge potential for growth in the retirement and holiday home industry. Massive. But of course, with xenophobia or just plain arrogance running so deep in the veins of the rich and powerful in Thailand, they don’t want to accept the fact that Thailand might be a better place with foreign influence.
Let’s not get carried away, most Thais would welcome a new law allowing foreigners to purchase land. It wouldn’t have to be the whole of Thailand after all, there could be zoning laws brought in the help boost development in certain areas and allow foreigners to purchase land in those specific areas only. Most Thais would see that there would be a new flow of money brought into their local economy, and that they would prosper from it. What is the government afraid of anyway by not allowing foreigners to purchase land. They can still control the use of the land, by restricting use to residential purposes only. Or simply allow foreigners with a retirement visa in Thailand or over a specific age to buy their dream house. Are they really afraid that a foreigner will own a house in Thailand??
What’s more, this increased development and cash flow into the local economy will result in new shops, restaurants and therefore jobs for the local Thais. The value of the land will increase in these ‘zoned areas’ which will also increase the value of the Thai owned land (all though let’s face it, if the government brought in a zoning law like this then the leading politicians would have bought up all the land themselves just prior!!).
One of my staff in Thailand comes from Rayong, and her aunt has a very old unused run down house in Rayong on a 1 rai piece of land. The house is about 500m from the beach, very near to Poi Pet the port going to Kho Samed Island. Overlooking green hills and fields, she only wants 2,000,000 Baht for the house and land. This is very affordable to a lot of people (some other houses for sale can be found at www.property-bangkok.com).
And why don’t banks lend to foreigners to buy property. Surely they can seize the property if the mortgage is not being paid. They have collateral already. Why, please can someone tell me why, can a Thai national with no money, no job, and no salary, get a mortgage in their name if they have a foreigner acting as guarantor, but the foreigner him/herself cannot get a mortgage??
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/is-thailand-a-good-place-to-have-a-holiday-home-124931.html
Is Thailand a good place to have a holiday home?
Yes, apart from the fact that foreigners aren’t allowed to own land, which means that the only real viable option is to purchase on a long term lease. The longest lease allowable in Thailand is 30 years. Of course, it is possible to write an option into the lease giving the lessee the option to renew for a further 60 years. For most, 60 years is long enough. However, there is the risk that the lessee cannot renew the lease after 30 years, because they have snuffed it, or the lessor has snuffed it, or some other reason like the government decides not restrict the lease term to foreigners to, say, 10 years.
Thailand has a huge potential for growth in the retirement and holiday home industry. Massive. But of course, with xenophobia or just plain arrogance running so deep in the veins of the rich and powerful in Thailand, they don’t want to accept the fact that Thailand might be a better place with foreign influence.
Let’s not get carried away, most Thais would welcome a new law allowing foreigners to purchase land. It wouldn’t have to be the whole of Thailand after all, there could be zoning laws brought in the help boost development in certain areas and allow foreigners to purchase land in those specific areas only. Most Thais would see that there would be a new flow of money brought into their local economy, and that they would prosper from it. What is the government afraid of anyway by not allowing foreigners to purchase land. They can still control the use of the land, by restricting use to residential purposes only. Or simply allow foreigners with a retirement visa in Thailand or over a specific age to buy their dream house. Are they really afraid that a foreigner will own a house in Thailand??
What’s more, this increased development and cash flow into the local economy will result in new shops, restaurants and therefore jobs for the local Thais. The value of the land will increase in these ‘zoned areas’ which will also increase the value of the Thai owned land (all though let’s face it, if the government brought in a zoning law like this then the leading politicians would have bought up all the land themselves just prior!!).
One of my staff in Thailand comes from Rayong, and her aunt has a very old unused run down house in Rayong on a 1 rai piece of land. The house is about 500m from the beach, very near to Poi Pet the port going to Kho Samed Island. Overlooking green hills and fields, she only wants 2,000,000 Baht for the house and land. This is very affordable to a lot of people (some other houses for sale can be found at www.property-bangkok.com).
And why don’t banks lend to foreigners to buy property. Surely they can seize the property if the mortgage is not being paid. They have collateral already. Why, please can someone tell me why, can a Thai national with no money, no job, and no salary, get a mortgage in their name if they have a foreigner acting as guarantor, but the foreigner him/herself cannot get a mortgage??
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/is-thailand-a-good-place-to-have-a-holiday-home-124931.html
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