From Time Magazine’s December 6th issue (Asia Edition):

Militants in Thailand’s embattled south are sowing terror among a new target group: Buddhist civilians

Village chief Boonserm Petchsuan, 49, is one well-armed Buddhist. Holstered under his baggy shirt is a .38-cal. revolver, and at home he keeps an assault rifle to protect his wife and teenage daughter. Boonserm is taking no chances. Two weeks ago, his friend Run Tulae, 59, was abducted from their remote village of Ai Ti Mung in troubled Narathiwat province. His decapitated corpse was found the next day. “I think he was still alive when they cut his head off,” says Boonserm.
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Would you pay US$1,021 to see the Eagles in concert? Well, if you paid the Baht 8,000 (US$200) it cost to get into the stage-front section of last month’s Eagles Farewell I Tour (the Farewell II Tour to be announced if Tour I’s proceeds prove insufficient to buy each band member their own island in the South Pacific), then you shelled out a cool grand on a purchasing power basis. In non-”economist-geek”-speak, it means you got gouged.
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I think many Thai boys know English Premierleague players more than Thai national team players. (I’m one of that.)

There are many attempts to cheerup Thailand league but I can predict they wouldn’t be succes. When you can watch world best football league every Saturday night on your bed, noone will mention another local leagues anymore.

Now, FA Cup Final or Uefa Champions League Final are important to Thai football fan in the same level as Super Bowl for US citizen.

Last night, hope gunner fans can sleep peacefully :P

While stamping one’s foot and getting all pouty may be cute if my wife is doing it, it’s somewhat less dignified when done by the highest office holder in the country.
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Want somewhere new to eat? Try Saparos - Sukhumvit Soi 23, about 6 minutes walk down the soi - excellent place, Thai food, nicely decorated - you can really sit back and relax here (and it’s also a Thai bookstore) and great value - average price is about 60B for a one-dish meal. The red curry is… one of the best I have had.

My favourite series from HBO, now running final season every tuesday at 21:00. Carrie Bradshaw and her groups can flirt with many men as they want in NY but the situation is different here.

Last night I slept in my lab to do some programming. I didn’t have enough sleeping so I returned to my place in the morning to get more. But while I were sleeping, I was woken by a vibration from another side of the wall. Yes, your thought is right, my next door neighbours were having some fun together and they must be student like me.
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There are times when I adore Bangkok. Just knock down a few tall buildings, let the blazing sun go down, and wait for the cool November breeze…

Last night I had the sheer bad luck to end up on the Khao San Road. For those that do not know, KSR is a street in the Banglamphu area of Bangkok (meaning it’s not near the BTS or Metro) which is populated almost entirely by the worst kind of “traveller“.
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I love Bangkok at night. I like the dark, I like the empty streets. I read Stuart’s account of his early morning wandering and realized how much I miss all those things that he sees. Every other nights, I used to sneak downstairs after midnight and just drive off. I would go browse the night bazaar at Lumpini Garden, or drop by an chill at a friend’s internet cafe. But most often, I go get my stomach filled. It became a habit and Bangkok doesn’t quite discourage it with all the great food you can find after sunset.

Top of the list is chicken rice at Pratu Nam. This place is on Petchburi road, under the overhead bridge (the one closest to Central World Plaza). I’ll tell you, the chicken rice here is the best you can get! Soft & juicy chicken, flavourful rice, tasty sauce. But the best bit has to be the soup. I don’t know what they put in there, hopefully not pod, but it is just wonderful. Chicken rice is not a complicated dish, but when you make it right, it can be really really good. The place is clean too, which is not something you cab say about many other great food in the city.

It is always full from mid day to closing time (4am), and especially so at my favorite time around 2am. You can have great chicken rice in a place full of people on the way home from clubbing. My friends never said no to that. ;) If you see waitresses in pink uniform, you have come to the right place.

The wife and I swung by to pick up a package from the nearby postal office, and there in the corner was a collection cart half-filled with paper cranes, no doubt waiting to be shipped off to some military supply depot. Over by the pick-up counter, I snapped another crappy camera-phone photo of a poster, encouraging citizens to fold cranes for peace.

I couldn’t find the collection cart filled with letters destined for Santa’s Workshop though.