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Blog
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Life Without Plastic In Thailand |
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I was a soldier stationed in Bangkok, Thailand back in the early 1970's. Not always having a bunch of money, I used to eat food from the local street vendors. Most of my meals were served wrapped in either a banana leaf or yesterday's newspaper. Some meals were even served off of unclassified military paperwork that was recovered from the rubbish.
Nowadays, everywhere in Thailand the vast majority of street vendors serve food and drink in plastic bags. McDonalds has nothing on this fast food experience.
Whatever you order, be it a rice or noodle dish, is scooped up into a plastic bag and then sealed with a rubber band. This also includes soups and drinks.
Smaller bags of sauces and spices are also provided. You can even get fresh sliced fruit to go in a small bag with a skewer to stab each sweet morsel.
Shopping on the streets, markets, and malls will also expose you to bags and bags of plastic. It doesn’t matter what the size of the item, it will go in a plastic bag.
I have had numerous occasions where I acquired a large plastic bag to hold a variety of articles and each successive purchase resulted in a small plastic bag being put into the larger. Despite my objections that the smaller plastic bag was not required, I was turned away with a confused look and a smile.
Needles to say, after a day or two in Thailand, you tend to acquire a pile of plastic bags. I do manage to use a couple of them for dirty laundry or to keep items separated, but most of the plastic goes straight into the trash.
I really don’t know what the Thai people would do today without plastic bags. If the tree-hugging environmentalists ever came to Thailand, they wouldn’t know what to do.
Where would they put their sticky rice and beef jerky?
How would vendors sell coke to go?
How would the bootleg software and DVDs be distributed?
How would I get my bowl of Thai soup home?
Would they be able to revert back to banana leaves and yesterday's newspapers?
I don’t think that the Thai people could live without plastic bags. And any attempt o stop the usage would result in disastrous results.
Article Source:
DirectoryArticles.com
About the Author
Larry Westfall is a frequent traveler to Bangkok Thailand - the City of Angels - and books his Bangkok Hotels at Bangkok Accommodations Submitted by: Article Submitter |
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Khon Kaen Traditional Breakfast |
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Doing some research online before going on vacation to Thailand I found what looked to be a very good breakfast. The picture I saw on a Khon Kaen blog web site showed a picture of some eggs, buns and coffee. I had to give it a try.
The name of the dish in Thai is "kai krata". This literally translates to "eggs in a pan."
Outside of the hotel I am staying at, Cactus Resort is a small coffee shop with 5 small tables. "Miracle Coffee" is a one-lady operation and has the best breakfast in town.
The egg dish is cooked up in a small wok-shaped pan about six inches across. Sliced sausage is cooked right inside the fried eggs. There are about 6 to 8 slices of 2 to 3 different types of sausage.
The small wok-like pan/bowl has small handles on the side and is used to serve the meal. From the stove to the table – all in one dish.
Along with the fried eggs and sausage, you also get two small football-shaped buns with shredded pork and sausage inside. The buns are toasted and slightly crunchy and are perfect to soak up the egg yolk.
The meal is served with orange juice and a choice of gourmet coffee. You can choose from espresso, cappuccino, mocha, latte, Brazil, Arabica, or Blue Mountain. You can choose to have your coffee served hot or iced.
Miracle Coffee also serves up another Thai dish called "kow toom" or rice porridge. This is a favorite of mine on a cold morning or when I am feeling a bit under the weather.
I am there almost daily for the kai krata breakfast with juice and a cup of Blue Mountain coffee for less than three US dollars.
It is simple fare served by a very friendly lady in an outdoor café. Some of the best pleasures in life are the simplest and this is definitely one of them.
So, if you are ever in Khon Kaen, Thailand, make it a point to head on over to Prachasamsorn Road and stop in at the Miracle Coffee café. It is right outside of the Cactus Resort, next door to the Busaba restaurant.
Whether you have the kai krata or kow toom you won't regret it. Top it off with a cup or two of gourmet coffee and you will get the day off to a great start.
Article Source:
DirectoryArticles.com
About the Author
Larry Westfall is a frequent traveler to the Land of Smiles - Thailand - and books his Pattaya hotel rooms through Pattaya Beach Hotels Submitted by: Article Submitter |
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Extending SIM Card Usage In Thailand |
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I travel to Thailand 3 or 4 times per year and having a cell phone with a local number saves me a lot of money. Local calls are dirt cheap and long distance calls back to America are inexpensive.
All you need is an unlocked GSM tri-band or quad-band phone a Thai SIM card. A SIM, or subscriber identity module, is that little wafer chip about the size of your thumbnail under your battery in your cell.
You can get SIMs in almost every country you travel to and it only takes a couple of seconds to swap them out.
The problem with American cell phone carriers is that they lock the SIM to a specific carrier. So, you have to get it unlocked, a relatively simple task that will only cost a couple of dollars. You can try to get your service provider to unlock your SIM, but most likely you will have to be a long time customer with a compelling story to get it unlocked.
The easiest way to overcome this is to buy a cell phone in Asia. They are inexpensive and are not locked to specific carrier. New and second-hand phone are readily available and the prices are very reasonable.
The only real problem I have had is maintaining the same phone number in Thailand trip after trip. The way it works in Thailand, is you get your SIM, and then to add more money to it, you go to the local 7-11 or Family Mart, and buy a small, credit card sized, phone card. You scratch off a protective coating to reveal a series of numbers that you input into your phone. Whatever denomination of Baht you purchased is automatically added to your SIM. The company will also extend the length that your SIM is valid for.
In Thailand, for every 300 Baht (about 9 US dollars) added to your phone, you get one additional month of usage. My problem has been having enough months left on my SIM to keep my phone number for my next trip. My trips can be three months apart or sometimes six months. So I need to ensure that there is ample time on my SIM.
This trip I learned how to overcome this. I use a service called 1-2-Call and all that has to be done is to have someone with an abundance of months on their phone that they can transfer to you.
My girlfriend had a bunch of months on her phone, so she just called *140 and followed the prompts to transfer time a month at a time. I had her add 8 months to my SIM card and it only took a few minutes to conclude the swap. You can choose English or Thai and the instructions are very easy to follow. Just keep in mind that when they prompt you for "validity" this means how long the card is valid for.
I also found that I can use the same number to swap money from my phone to hers. I had a lot of money on my phone because I would try to increase the amount of months by adding about 1,000 Baht to my phone in hopes that I would have enough time to last me until my next trip.
In the past, I would buy phone cards for her so that she would have time and money on her phone to call me when I am back in America. This worked out even better. She got money added to her SIM and I got time. Definitely a win-win situation.
Article Source:
DirectoryArticles.com
About the Author
Larry Westfall gets to Thailand whenever he can and is the author of Pattaya Crazy | Newbie"s Guide to Pattaya Submitted by: Article Submitter |
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Thailand Smoking Ban Goes Into Effect |
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The new smoking ban in Thailand bars and restaurants is in effect and from what I have observed the law is being treated like any other law in Thailand. What I mean is, some establishments have already set up smoking areas, others say you have to smoke outside the restaurant or bar, and others are ignoring the law altogether.
The reason for ignoring the ban could be that it will not really be enforced for a couple of months. Instead of stiff fines being issued, there will be warnings and education until the end of May, 2008.
But, then, the fines will be steep. If enforced, smokers can be fined 2,000 Baht (approximately US dollars) and venue owners will be fined up to 20,000 Baht (over 0 US dollars).
This will force the bar and restaurant owners to enforce the law on their property. If the ban just penalized smokers, the establishment owners would completely ignore it.
This is nothing really new. Thailand has banned smoking in hospitals, government buildings, and train stations for a few years now. This is just an extension of an already existing law.
We have a similar law in Hawaii. It is a little more stringent in that we cannot smoke within 50 feet of the door of the establishment. The law also provides fines for smokers and bar and restaurant owners.
As a smoker, I was a bit peeved initially at the law, but as time has gone by, it is really no big deal. If I have to step outside to smoke it is no big deal.
I am currently visiting Khon Kaen, Thailand and go out almost nightly. I haven’t been to any bars but I have visited quite a few restaurants. One of my favorites, La Mai, has set up a smoking area near the restrooms. Smile restaurant allowed me to smoke at the table. And, Bu-Sa-Ba restaurant has a small, covered smoking area in the rear of the restaurant.
So, between now and May 31, ask your waiter or waitress if it is alright to smoke. If they have a smoking area set up, please use it. If you have to go outside to smoke, like at Kit'z Café, then just sit at the table and have your cigarette.
I am not sure how the major tourist areas, Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket, are going to respond or what the impact on tourism will be. I would guess that starting on June 1, 2008, there will be a crackdown to show people that the government is serious about the ban.
So, if you are planning to visit the Land of Smiles, and you smoke cigarettes, make sure to ask if it is OK to smoke before you light up. Otherwise, you may have to pay dearly.
Article Source:
DirectoryArticles.com
About the Author
Larry Westfall is a regular visitor to Thailand and will retire in Khon Kaen but while he is still single he will get drunk on Walking Street Submitted by: Article Submitter |
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Holiday Travel, Safety and Security |
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According to a recent APACS study, overseas losses from credit or debit card fraud totaled 208 million sterling - over US 400 miilion dollars - in 2007, in the UK alone.
If you travel frequently, you will already understand the importance of protecting yourself from credit card fraud and theft. Newer technologies, such as chip-and-pin, are helping lower the risk of fraud in some areas around the world.
In areas with lower security measures, gangs and thieves infiltrate high traffic spending areas and attach bugging devices. These bugging devices scan the magnetic strip on credit or debit cards. The stolen credit card information can then be used by the thieves to make purchases.
Technology, like all things in life, is a two way street. As technologies continue to improve the quality of security required for fraud prevention, people work to hack those technologies to their advantage. Credit card companies and banks are on a continual search for new technology to help prevent fraud.
Holidays are supposed to be relaxing and fun. Unfortunate incidents, such as theft or personal injury, can cause your much-anticipated holiday to become a bad experience.
How do you protect yourself from fraud or theft in less technologically advanced areas? What measures can you take to ensure your personal safety as well as that of your valuables?
While making travel arrangements, study a map of the area. Choose an emergency meeting spot in case someone gets lost. Print or buy a local map and make sure everyone in your group knows how to read it. Mark special points of interest on the map and always make sure everyone knows where you're going to be.
Cell phones or walkie-talkies are an invaluable resource, especially for large groups or families. The easier you can stay in touch, the more worry-free fun you will have.
Take minimal luggage. The fewer bags you have to carry, the more easily you can manneuver through crowded areas and hotel hallways. Don't pack money, jewellery, electronics or important documents in luggage. Always pack these items in your carry-on bag or not at all. The more you take with you, the more you stand to lose.
Always travel in a group. When you are out and about, always have a friend with you. You are much less likely to be attacked or mugged if you have someone with you. Having a friend with you also carries the added benefit of having another set of eyes in case you're being followed or pick pocketed. Ask hotel staff if you should avoid certain areas. If you drove to your destination or have a rental car, don't leave personal belongings in your vehicle.
Always be sure to lock your room. Even if you are simply going down the hall for a snack, it is important to lock your door. Any time you are away from your room, it is susceptible to thieves. When you are relaxing in your room, the door should be locked. Thieves and gangs have been known to test hotel room doors to see if they can enter successfully. If they do manage to open your unlocked door, they may steal your valuables or even cause harm to you or a loved one if you interrupt them in their quest for money or valuables. So be vigilant at hotels
Use traveller's checks and credit cards in lieu of cash when possible. After you've returned from your vacation, keep an eye on your credit report, as well as your credit card and bank statements.
You never know when you may be the next victim of identity theft or credit card fraud. Keeping a close eye on your credit report, credit card and bank statements will give you the edge if your credit card is fraudulently charged.
Article Source:
DirectoryArticles.com
About the Author
Tribune Properties produce a series of European travel and holidays guides which includes Lanzarote with offers from hotels and holiday specialists who do cheap Lanzarote hotels
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