Showing 1 - 10 of 29
Thailand's kookiest competitions
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 22/07/2022
» Every country has its own share of kooky competitions, and that's also true for Thailand. From the search for a Guanyin avatar to the Peta-would-surely-disapprove swimming competition, here are a few for your entertainment.
Curious vintage Thai ads
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 15/07/2022
» It's always fascinating to look back at print ads from yesteryears as they serve as a window into the past and what values and attitudes were acceptable back then. Even though I think you shouldn't judge work from the past with today's value (look up presentism), I'm going to do that anyway with some of the following vintage ads for your entertainment.
Tips on getting Thai tattoos
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 10/06/2022
» Earlier this week, a French Muay Thai champ went viral not for his killer moves but for his tattoo of the Thai word for Thai boxing spelled wrong. Instead of มวยไทย (muay Thai) being inked on his arm, his tattooist mistakenly inked ฆวยไทย.
The Chadchart Effect
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 27/05/2022
» It's only fitting that when Chadchart Sittipunt, the most meme-able political figure in Thailand, has been named the next Bangkok governor, it should be commemorated with, well, more memes. Let's take a look at some of the most viral moments inspired by his run and eventual landslide win for the post of Bangkok governor.
What Thai Media Should Stop Doing
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 11/03/2022
» As a result of developing panda eyes from following Tangmo's tragic saga, Russia's invasion of Ukraine (let's call a spade a spade) among other stories, I'm reminded of a few patterns that Thai media use when reporting newsworthy stories that perhaps they shouldn't. Here are a few based on my own observations and for your entertainment (we all can use it, it has been a tough couple of weeks).
Stop the Madness
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 18/02/2022
» A very eccentric man by the moniker of K Roy-lan (K Hundreds of Million), who is said to be a real estate businessman, has been on a scary spree lately. On Feb 1, he stopped his car in the middle of the road in front of CentralWorld and released snakes. He later poured red syrup on his body and threw a glass bottle, while being in Siam Paragon. He then threatened to release snakes at Thammasart University and, most recently, carried a bag of snakes with him while staying in a hotel.
Thai Conversation Starters That Should Be Cancelled
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 04/02/2022
» At the risk of sounding like a social justice warrior and woke snowflake, I find various casual lines in Thai conversation to be problematic. They may sound innocent upon first hearing but if you really dissect them you may find them to be verbal putdown focused on perceived flaws and laced with micro-aggressions. Think I may be overreacting? Check them out below and reasons why I think they are offensive. Most importantly, I have also come up with sassy retorts for your entertainment.
#WhyDoesP'ToonRun?
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 31/12/2021
» The short and sweet answer is that he invites people to join a recently-announced virtual run, which starts tomorrow, to raise money for 109 Matayom 3 students from very poor families so they can move on to an upper Matayom or a vocational level education.
Thai Words of the Year
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 03/12/2021
» Collins Dictionary recently picked NFT, or non-fungible tokens, as 2021's Word of the Year and it got my language pedant self thinking two things. First, isn't NFT an acronym and hence it should be "acronym of the year" or two words of the year if we want to be that anal-retentive. Second, why don't I give the same treatment to the Thai language for your edutainment? Here's my personal pick of TWOTY.
Emporium of the Bizarre
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 26/11/2021
» If you've been spending a lot of time on your phone or computer, you've probably come across suggestions of items that may be of interest from several e-commerce platforms. While most suggested items relate to what you've been looking up on the internet, a few items seem to come out of nowhere. Have you been recommended a see-through bikini, as well as a shelf for Buddha images at the same time? No, just me? Some items you can't even believe exist!