Showing 71 - 80 of 189
Bitter pills to swallow
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 22/05/2016
» In our current era we have a near endless choice of ways in which to look after ourselves and maintain good health. When we get sick there are hospitals of different types that offer highly specialised and efficient treatment and care, so our chances of recovery are good.
Where no roads lead to home
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 15/05/2016
» If you have an interest in the good life of Thailand's past you could enjoy two happy experiences on the same day -- a visit to Khlong Bangkok Noi and a traditional Thai snack cooked by a local chef.
Ugliness is only skin deep
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 08/05/2016
» I'm pretty sure that there are few people who would call the plaa chon, or snakehead, an attractive fish. Its head really does look like the head of a snake. Its scaly skin looks serpentine and sometimes has patterns that resemble those of some snakes. What's more, it has a powerful fishy smell and is so vigorous that when selling it at the market the vendor has to kill it by smashing its head before impaling it on a long steel skewer to straighten it out, since even after its head has been destroyed it continues to writhe. This is done because the snakehead has slimy skin that would otherwise make it hard to hold on to for scaling. Animal torture very definitely, although you will only have to witness it if you buy the fish to cook yourself.
Shredof decency
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 01/05/2016
» Coconut cream is at the heart of Thailand's cuisine, both savoury dishes and desserts. It would be hard to estimate how much of it has been used by Thai cooks over the centuries, but it would probably be safe to say the total amount, from the time its use first began until the present, would fill the national swimming pool many times over.
Wat's the centre of Mon tradition
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 10/04/2016
» There are only three days left until Songkran, a festival that is celebrated throughout Thailand, but that is especially significant for the Mon community. The special importance it has for the Mon may have to do with the strictness of their Buddhist belief and the firmness with which they have maintained their cultural traditions. When Songkran arrives they celebrate it in a way that preserves the original character and meaning of the festival, creating an event that we can admire or, better, take part in.
A fruit for all seasons
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 03/04/2016
» One of the pleasures of having a home with a yard is the ability to cultivate a garden and plant some trees. For most Thais, one of the first trees they will go for is a mango tree. It is leafy and shady, bears delicious fruit and requires little care. The choice of which type of mango it will be depends on personal or family preference.
Fishing for condiments
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 27/03/2016
» Think of a condiment that has all of these qualities: it is eaten throughout Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines; it is always made by fermenting the same natural ingredient; the taste is always the same so there is no barrier to using one country’s product from use in another’s national recipes. The answer: plaa raa, or fermented fish.
An oasis under threat
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 28/02/2016
» Last week in this column I discussed Thailand’s system of managing tourism, one that is causing the degradation and destruction of many old communities and valuable historical sites. I suggested a number of reasons for this situation, some concerned with the tourists themselves, some with investors, some with the government offices that oversee tourism and some with an ongoing deterioration in the communities. This week I would like to look at what is happening in one riverside community in Chanthaburi, a very old one that is a new member among the ranks of the victims of Thailand’s destructive tourism policies and practices.
The sales pitch, Thai style
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 07/02/2016
» It goes without saying that everyone engaged in commerce wants to attract as many buyers as possible. Even if a high-quality product is being sold, it has to be presented in a way that catches the customer’s interest, usually by arranging it in a way to make it look most attractive.
The old and the new
B Magazine, Suthon Sukphisit, Published on 24/01/2016
» When you read old Thai cookbooks, you will find certain very specific descriptive words often appear with the instructions on how to prepare a dish. These can be very interesting, as they give an insight into how cooks of the past chose the ingredients and techniques that would ensure the dish would turn out at its best.