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A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

Froggy

Alfrescian (InfP) + Mod
Moderator
Generous Asset
Had a great Thai seafood lunch yesterday at Sattahip beach

Steam flower crab


Tomyam Garoupa


Seabass with fish sauce


Grilled Sea snails


Grilled see-hum


Salted grilled giant prawns


Crab balls - this went very well with the bottle of Suntory XO
 

Froggy

Alfrescian (InfP) + Mod
Moderator
Generous Asset
Visited my favourite restaurant in Pattaya last night the Blue Olive - photos not very clear cos light not so bright



Starter is New Zealand mussels - fresh and juicy


Battered mushroom


Prawns Mediterranean style


Minestrone soup - really like the way its done very light and clear


Seafood spaghetti


Canadian Rib Eye - one of the best steak I've eaten, grass fed beef
 

Froggy

Alfrescian (InfP) + Mod
Moderator
Generous Asset
Very lomatic dinner! Next time i bring my girlfriend Sun Ho there :biggrin:

This is a serious thread, full of constructive debate and constructive discussions and constructive enjoyment, fuck off from here if you are here to disrupt.
 

Froggy

Alfrescian (InfP) + Mod
Moderator
Generous Asset
Had Saboten in Japan before and just found out its been here for a while in Central World's Isetan 6th floor. Was there for lunch, although there at 1.30pm still got yo queue for 30mins





The free cabbage salad and sesame


Very freshly cut cabbage and the special peanut salad sauce was great


Fish was very soft


Special Set with pork loin, tender loin, prawn and crab croquette


Unlimited servings of cabbage saland, miso soup, rice and sesame
 

KongHee

Alfrescian
Loyal
This is a serious thread, full of constructive debate and constructive discussions and constructive enjoyment, fuck off from here if you are here to disrupt.

Wowowow...Mr Frog so sensitive. BELIEVE IN ME...i am Kong Hee...nice pictures...i like. :biggrin:
 

yinyang

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Runaway beauty queen in Myanmar, to pay for boob job too :p

mq.jpg

Myanmar beauty queen flees with crown
Bangkok Post Published: 29/08/2014 at 06:37 PM

YANGON: A Myanmar beauty queen who was stripped of her title for allegedly being "rude and dishonest" to her sponsors has been accused of running off with her $100,000 jewelled crown.

The allegation was made by organisers of the South Korea-based pageant, who admitted that they had also paid for her breast implants. Myanmar started sending contestants to international beauty pageants for the first time in decades in 2012.

May Myat Noe, winner of the Miss Asia Pacific World 2014 pageant, waves a Myanmar flag on her arrival at Yangon International Airport in June. (AP Photo)
May Myat Noe was crowned Miss Asia Pacific World in Seoul in May this year. But according to David Kim, director of media for the Seoul-based pageant, the 18-year-old was a disappointment from the start.

Attempts to reach May Myat Noe for comment were unsuccessful on Friday and her phone was switched off. According to the online edition of Eleven Media, a Myanmar newspaper, she was back in the country and would address a news conference soon, although it wasn't clear when.

Following her success, the organisers of Miss Asia Pacific World said they were arranging singing and video deals for her. But they also wanted to change the tall teen's looks, Kim said.

"We thought she should be more beautiful ... so as soon as she arrived we sent her to the hospital to operate on her breasts," he said. "It's our responsibility," he said, adding that sponsors picked up the $10,000 tab, as they have for past winners.

"If she has no good nose, then maybe, if she likes, we can operate on her nose. If it's breasts, then breasts." Kim said that troubles started from there. The beauty queen brought her mother with her to Seoul for what was supposed to be a 10-day visit, but that quickly turned into three months, incurring extra cost to the organisers, he said.

She "lied" and "never had respect for the main organisation, the national director, the manager, media or fans who made her the winner", organisers said in a statement.

May Myat Noe was notified earlier this week that she would have to give up her title and the crown, Kim said. She was also given an airplane ticket back to Yangon, but never showed up, with Eleven Media reporting that she got on an earlier flight.

Kim said she absconded with the bejewelled Swarovski tiara, which is valued between $100,000 and $200,000.

"Everyone knows she is no longer the queen, but she thinks as long as she keeps this crown she's the winner," he said. "She's not."
 

yinyang

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Poor exports sentiments.

Shippers cut export forecast
Group sounds alarm over global trade risks
Bangkok Post Published: 2/09/2014 at 06:54 AM
Newspaper section: Business

A major trade group expects Thai exports to grow by less than 1% this year as the sector navigates risks from the still-fragile global economy, disease outbreaks and escalating cyberattacks.

Containers sit bound for sea at Laem Chabang port in Chon Buri province. The Thai National Shippers’ Council expects export growth of less than 1% this year. Patipat Janthong Nopporn Thepsithar, president of the Thai National Shippers' Council, said despite several economic agencies including the Commerce Ministry predicting an export recovery in the second half, the TNSC had cut its growth forecast to less than 1% from an earlier 1.6%.

"It's now become clearer that myriad risk factors are cordoning off Thai exports, as we've seen the world's economy has yet to fully recover as expected, global trade is affected by international conflicts, and the Ebola virus outbreak has disrupted travel for international business talks," he said.

More importantly, farm prices keep falling and concerns about IT security are escalating after reports of cyberattacks against US banks.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Secret Service recently announced an inquiry into cyberattacks against several financial firms including JPMorgan, the largest US bank by assets.

Mr Nopporn said financial firms and giant corporations worried about such attacks disrupting international trade, fearing that money transfers from buyers would disappear. He urged the new government to help expand the available markets for Thai exports and kick-start trade talks with several countries.

Infrastructure investment is also a must for improving the country's logistics and transport.

"We hope the new government, which includes both private-sector and military representatives, will come up with prudent strategies for the trade war," Mr Nopporn said.

Thailand's exports unexpectedly slipped 0.85% year-on-year in July to US$18.9 billion on a decline in shipments of gold and oil, driven by falling gold demand globally and cooling Chinese demand for petroleum. In the first seven months, exports edged down 0.42% from a year earlier to $132 billion.

But in local-currency terms, July shipments rose by 4.2% year-on-year to 609 billion baht, with the seven-month figure totalling 4.24 trillion, up by 8.4%.

In related news, Thailand in the first seven months exported 5.62 million tonnes of rice, up by 55% from the year-earlier period, fetching 90.9 billion baht, up by 20.6%.

Benin ranked as the top importer of Thai rice with the purchase of 689,329 tonnes, up 55.7% year-on-year, followed by China's 338,170 tonnes (up 227%), Ivory Coast's 325,558 tonnes (up 68.2%), Nigeria's 321,955 tonnes (up 467%) and Cameroon's 281,905 tonnes (up 190%).
The Thai Rice Exporters Association (TREA) said July's shipments marked the highest of the year at 940,691 tonnes, up by nearly 40% year-on-year, thanks to strong demand for white rice in African countries that usually imported parboiled rice from Thailand.

The TREA expects August exports to remain high at 900,000 tonnes, driven by Thai rice prices' competitiveness in the global market.
 

yinyang

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Cheeky slice of thai (male) mango. :p

health
36% of men 'ejaculate too fast'
Bangkok Post Published: 2/09/2014 at 09:11 AM

More than a third of Thai men suffer from premature ejaculation (PE) which is putting many marriages under strain, according to a recent study.

The study covered men aged between 20 to 60 years old and the number of people found living with PE was higher than those experiencing erectile dysfunction, Bangkok Hospital urinary expert Sombun Lueangwatthanakit said.

About 36% of the men surveyed were found to have experienced premature ejaculation. Some 90% reported suffering from the condition soon after their first sexual encounter.

Many said they were likely to ejaculate within a minute of starting sex, Dr Sombun said.

PE does not affect only men physically, it has repercussions on relationships. Many men are dissatisfied with their sex lives and become worried, which leads to souring relationships, he said.

The study also revealed that only 38% of women whose husbands or boyfriends have PE were satisfied with their sex lives.

The demand for PE treatment is on the increase, probably driven by women "demanding sexual gratification", Dr Sombun said. However, the study found only 34% of men would actively seek PE treatment while most said they would be too shy to consult doctors.

Only doctors can prescribe the drugs needed to treat PE. Dr Sombun said sufferers should discuss their problem with an expert because treatment will improve their relationships.

Some 60% men with PE problems said they would see a doctor if encouraged by their partners.
 

yinyang

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Tax break for domestic traveller? For the likes of some here, may mean more (tax) incentive to do Patts naughty weekends :p

Funnies aside, also for company outings

Economy
Tax relief for travellers nears
Shot in the arm for domestic tourism

Bangkok Post Published: 3/09/2014 at 06:00 AM

The Revenue Department has proposed that individuals be allowed to deduct the cost of domestic package tours or accommodation from personal income tax at a maximum of 15,000 baht a year.

Corporations would also be able to claim up to twice the cost of seminars and trainings.

The twin measures, which are pending approval by finance permanent secretary Rungson Sriworasat, are aimed at stimulating domestic tourism and the national economy, Revenue Department director-general Prasong Poontaneat said.

The tax deduction for travel expenses is expected to take effect this year and run through the end of next year.

The package is nothing new, as the deduction for individuals was once adopted by a Democrat-led government, while the corporate deduction was introduced by the ousted Yingluck Shinawatra government.

The recent political impasse that plagued the country for almost five months earlier this year took a toll on the tourism industry, which accounts for almost 10% of GDP.

Prasong: Increased VAT a counterbalance
And even though the turmoil has ended, martial law, invoked by the National Council for Peace and Order after the May 22 coup, remains a major stumbling block to an industry recovery.

Many foreign travellers' are prevented from flying to Thailand since travel insurance policies often do not provide protection in countries under martial law.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has lowered this year's forecast to 25.5 million arrivals spending 1.9 trillion baht from an earlier projection of 28 million arrivals and 2 trillion baht.

Mr Prasong said corporations would be able to claim double what they paid for seminar or training expenses without a ceiling limit.
Estimates show the measure would cost the government just under 2 billion baht, but the Revenue Department hopes to recoup the loss via higher value-added tax (VAT) collection amid more domestic consumption from travelling and organising seminars.

Domestic consumption, which has been tepid since the second half of last year, is regaining momentum, as witnessed by VAT on domestic consumption surging 8.5% last month after July's small 1.97% increase.

Tisco Securities senior economist Kampon Adireksombat said the tax measure was aimed at boosting the tourism industry by targeting taxpayers who had been hit hard hurt by the economic slowdown.

However, the impact could be minimal since local travellers generally contribute such a small proportion of the country's tourism revenue, he said.
The research house is maintaining its growth forecasts for the Thai economy at 1.5% this year and 5.3% next year. Surapong Techaruvichit, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said: "Both measures will benefit domestic tourism, but they cannot boost the overall tourism industry. Tourism needs more measures, with lifting martial law the priority."

However, the government should seriously push the tax incentive and continuously promote domestic travel until the programme expires, he said.
 

yinyang

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
Like the ring of 69 to restaurant winner here :p

Samui eatery chosen Thailand's best
Bangkok Post Published: 2/09/2014 at 08:08 PM

Ko Samui’s Café 69 was named the favourite restaurant for local cuisine among international visitors to Thailand by travel website TripAdvisor.com.

The site chose the best dining establishments serving local cuisine - based on reviews and opinions of unverified TripAdvisor commenters - from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, India, Japan and South Korea.

At the top of the Thailand list is Cafe 69 in Bophut, Ko Samui. The website called it a "cosy southern-style Thai restaurant" run by self-taught chef Vivian. It has "colourful and modern décor" that puts "funky twists" on classic Thai dishes.

"The service is as good as it gets and the food is out of this world. Incredibly tasty, we came back a second time to try other items on the menu. I wish I could go back and try everything," one reviewer wrote. Vivian said she was delighted to nab the TripAdvisor honour.

"We are very passionate about our food at Café 69. We work hard to maintain high standards, and it all pays off when we see the wonderful feedback that comes through TripAdvisor."

The Top 10
Café 69 – Bophut, Ko Samui
The Gallery – Ko Tao
Dash! – Chiang Mai
Phad Thai Rock ‘n Roll – Ko Lanta
Cooking Love – Chiang Mai
Nang Kin Gui – Bangkok
Lemongrass -- Chiang Mai
Kwan’s Cookery – Ko Lanta
Suay - Phuket
Kob Thai - Lanai Beach, Ko Samui

Ranked second was The Gallery restaurant on Ko Tao, which the site called "a complete sensory experience that blends cuisine and art at the same venue."

One TripAdvisor reviewer exclaimed, "This was quite frankly the highlight of our five-day stay on Ko Tao. We ate at this restaurant a few times during our stay and the food was of the highest standard. Authentic Thai food served by lovely staff. My children still talk about it now and ask when we can return to Thailand for a meal at The Gallery!"

Chiang Mai bagged the most number of winners with three eateries making it to the top ten. Thailand's islands also prove to be popular eating spots for international travellers, with restaurants from Ko Samui, Ko Lanta, Ko Tao and Phuket featured in the list.

"According to a recent TripAdvisor survey, 82% of travellers in Southeast Asia said that experiencing authentic local cuisines during their holiday is important or very important," said Jean Ow-Yeong, TripAdvisor spokesperson. "When it comes to food, TripAdvisor travellers have reviewed and rated what they think are the best restaurants to enjoy popular local Asian cuisines."


cafe69.png
 

yinyang

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
More fodder for our resident journalist Kong Hee? :p

Prayuth says he's a target of black magic
Bangkok Post Published: 5/09/2014 at 06:11 AM

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha hit out at anti-coup groups Thursday, saying they have resorted to using black magic against him.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is not their first prominent personality to ascribe problems to black magic. Bangkok Post reporter Wassana Nanuam wrote a best-selling book on black magic in politics.

Gen Prayuth was speaking as he chaired a meeting of the 11 screening committees responsible for selecting members of the National Reform Council at the Royal Thai Army Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.

At one point during his speech, Gen Prayuth, who also heads the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), told the people in attendance about the effects black magic is having on him.

"Today, we have to help each other. If reforms do not succeed, I don't know what we can do next. "If you still want to fight on and go underground, bring it on. If you resort to performing [black magic] rituals, just bring it on,'' Gen Prayuth said, referring to anti-coup elements which remain active.

"Today, I have a sore throat, a pain in the neck. Someone said there are some people putting curses on me. I had so much lustral water poured over my head I shivered all over. I'm going to catch a cold now,'' Gen Prayuth said, making light of the black magic he says is being used against him.

"I don't want to make any of you feel stressed," he told the gathering. The ritual of having lustral water poured over one's head is believed to ward off the effects of black magic.

Prayuth on reform committees: All voices must be heard
A source in the cabinet also said Gen Prayuth has instructed cabinet members to dress in either the phra rajathan shirt or the Raj pattern jacket when they attend cabinet meetings instead of Western formal suits.

Privy Council president and former prime minister Prem Tinsulanonda was the first prime minister to introduce and wear the phra rajathan shirt and he stills wears it today. The Raj pattern jacket is still used on special occasions as a national costume.

Prime Minister Prayuth could be right that opponents are trying to use black magic rites against him. In this infamous event of 2010, the red shirts dumped blood and performed black magic rites in the front yard of the Democrat Party headquarters


magic.jpg
 
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KongHee

Alfrescian
Loyal
thank you...just saw this! hehehe... today Kong Hee also kena black magic..points increased so much until speechless! :*:
 

Froggy

Alfrescian (InfP) + Mod
Moderator
Generous Asset
thank you...just saw this! hehehe... today Kong Hee also kena black magic..points increased so much until speechless! :*:

May I ask what happened to your points now? Knn its like magic suddenly crash like the stock market. Simi taijee ah?

Wahahahahaha
[video=youtube;Tzqdh_391hA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzqdh_391hA[/video]
 
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