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) Bangkok: The old and the Buddha-ful
Shopping and gawking at the nightlife are what draw most visitors to Thailand's capital city. But for me, it was Bangkok's history and architecture that were truly spectacular.On the ride into the city from the airport, I was initially unimpressed. The high rises, the new mega shopping centers, even the old neighborhood markets were what one expects in most big Asian cities.
However, the charming traditional Thai welcome at the dazzling Shangri-La Hotel, and the view from my room of the bustling Chao Phraya River with its nonstop ferry traffic, began to make me feel that Bangkok would be something special.
It was my tour to the Grand Palace complex the next morning, given by a guide from the hotel's travel agency, that cemented the fact that Bangkok is unique. More>>
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) Canadian teacher denies charges of molesting boys
BANGKOK–Facing the wrath of the world and an international police agency that says it has more than 200 photos of him abusing young boys, accused Canadian pedophile Christopher Neil says he's innocent.A senior police officer here said yesterday that the 32-year-old teacher from Maple Ridge, B.C., told Thai authorities he has done no wrong.
"He denies all charges," Police Maj.-Gen. Wimol Powintara said, as a grim and unshaven Neil sat in a small cell – just metres away – waiting to be fingerprinted.
Neil was wearing khaki slacks and a red striped jersey, sporting sunglasses and a Vancouver Canucks cap, with "Molson Canadian" written on the back.
He had spent the night sleeping in a cell on a concrete floor – with a guard on 24-hour suicide watch. More>>
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) Chiang Mai Counters Old Ghosts With Coconut Zen: Richard Vines
Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- The tuk-tuk was traveling along the side of the moat that surrounds old Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, when the rain started -- hot, tropical rain that came from nowhere and intensified as we entered a dark street in search of dinner.The tuk-tuk's single headlight picked out a slim young woman dressed in silk, standing still and bearing a red parasol. She met us, took us through an archway and across a pond with stepping stones to a modern glass-sided building, a warmly lit refuge.
Dalaabaa Bar & Restaurant, with its long cocktail list, its English-language menu and its striking modern design, shows the changes that have occurred in Chiang Mai. The city has long drawn European tourists and it now has attractive restaurants and luxurious hotels to accommodate them. More>>