Thailand: The fine art of cabling

With much of our electricity and phone network consigned to the ground in the West we have lost a great art form which is still highly cherished in other parts of the world, where it is very much on public display. Thailand is one such destination which deserves to be praised for its fantastic creations. With inspiring work such as this it is of little wonder that electricians are hailed as creative geniuses and highly revered by the general public….

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Thailand: who’s smiling now?

Only a short time ago it would have seemed inconceivable to most visitors that Thailand would return to a military dictatorship and its top tourist status in Asia come into question. But, what was once just a steady trickle of anecdotes and rumours about its dark underside has been propelled by the media spotlight on recent political upheavals into a torrent of evidence about the unpleasant reality behind the perceived happiness of Thailand. If there was some exceptional quality to…

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Buddhism: a day out for all the family

The Asian traveller’s most common affliction is without doubt temple burnout, even a couple of days of shining stupas and beneficent buddhas can be enough to get you running to the nearest bar for a cooling bottle of Chang and chat about football or sex, anything that’s not too culturally enlightening. Once you’ve seen a few ruins and a couple of operating temples, admired the ornamentation and smelt the incense you pretty much have got the picture. However, every now…

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Soul of the city: Talat Noi, Bangkok

When you are going in search of the soul of a city, it’s no good walking down boulevards, across grand squares or into great buildings. These echo with the voices of the rich and powerful: kings and bankers; generals and religious leaders who have forsaken their beliefs for a slice of power. You need to meander down the back streets and alley ways to meet the people whose city lineage goes back generations. It’s when the plan view of alleys seemingly…

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