Friday, June 14, 2013

Seafood in Bangkok area

I forgot to upload this last year.
The costs of eating seafood in Bangkok is largely dependent upon where you eat. If you eat in a mall, you are going to pay for it. Fortunately, in Bangkok, there are a number of outdoor venues that are not too bad. In fact, in the Ramkhanhaeng area, there is a pretty good place. Very popular. It is located directly across the Bangkok Interplace Hotel. ( I don't recommend that place except the suites. The Chinese guests smoke in the rooms.) On the surface, you probably wouldn't go here.
You got plastic chairs. A so so table set up. A largely open air kitchen. Talk about a food nazi's wet dream for fines. But hey, we're in Thailand.
Many businesses and buildings have a spirit house. The Thai spirit house is often linked to luck. For being such a modern society, there are still elements of animism in the culture underneath the Buddhism.
The seafood largely comes in boxes. Often they are transported in styrofoam boxes in trucks from some seaside cities near Bangkok. Pretty much all of it is shipped within a 24 hour period.

Most of the seafood is shipped packed in ice. It's facinating on the highway. There were several times in which we were following a truck and water was leaking from the tail gate in a steady stream.
Costs. This is what is really interesting. You get the following items.
Steamed mussels in a basil lemongrass set.

A type of green in oyster sauce. Not seen in the USA.
Grilled prawns.
I guess a form of cockles.
Deep fried soft shell crabs with panko
Handmade shrimp cakes.

Okay, all of this was just over 1000 Baht. That is exactly 30 dollars by the current exchange rate in 2012.

BK Post: Moken Sea Gypsies switch on the Lights



When I first began to do relief work in the Tsunami impact zone in Khao Lak, Phang Na, I encountered these people.  Their homes are of a particular style.  They were generally called the Morgan people, but Moken is often the way others describe them.

It was said that they knew what to do with Andaman Ocean Tsunami.  They went further out to sea.  There is also a legend that they say.  The ocean has a huge fish god.  Because man has been damaging the ocean with pollution and waste, the fish god spit out a wave.  That huge wave was designed to punish mankind for being so reckless.  At least, that is how I heard the legend.




NY Times: Resisting Conformity in Thailand

NY Times.  Resisting Conformity in Thailand.

Thai Schools are very rigid in many ways.  Actually, if you look at the educational system in Asia as a whole, there is a sense that discipline is important.

This sense of control would never be accepted in the USA.