During my recent trip to Bangkok, exiting my hotel at the end of Sukhumvit Soi 3, where Little Arabia hands the sidewalk back over to Thailand, it was a feat of wit and dexterity to out-maneuver the gauntlet of often freezing water being discharged from hoses, water pistols and occasionally chucked from buckets. Little children …
Continue reading Songkran: Thailand Water Festival Do’s and Don’t’s
There are two separate words for the color blue in Thai. Travel to one of the many coconut tree-lined islands that have made Thailand a premier tourist destination and you’ll catch a glimpse why. When I’m asked “Why do you like Thailand?” an answer usually follows supporting these picturesque places brochures are made of. A country full of blue …
For the past month, I had been fussing over an old story about SWING, a volunteer organization that offers a variety of counseling services and English lessons to sex workers of every gender in Bangkok. And after a bit of cleanup and some calls to Thailand, I churned out a story for CNNGo, CNN's Asia-travel …
The reflection of me in her metallic bonnet seemed to project my weary state of mind. The red hue of my sunburn could be seen contrasting with undamaged parts of my pale skin. The mirror image projected from the overlaying pieces of metal upon her head made my lanky body appear to double in size …
Living in Bangkok during the coup of 2006 I wake up sweating. My air conditioner has given out in the middle of the night as it so often does, and my neck and stomach are now soaked in my own epidermal excrement. I brush my hand across the back of my neck and wipe away …
Justin Calderón 