Penfold's South East Asian Odyssey

In their infinite wisdom, the Department of Marine & Coastal Resources has decided to enact a smoking ban on 20 of Thailand's beaches which include Pattaya and Jomtien. The ban is due to come into effect on 1st November 2017. As a non-smoker, it won't have any impact on me whatsoever. But, once again there appears to be no thought, logic or common-sense applied in the implementation of the ban. My first point would be, why only 20 beaches? Why not every beach in Thailand? Why single out cetain locations and not others? It seems slightly unfair, don't you think? The second point I would like to raise is the effect this will have on the already weakened tourist industry. The consumption of alcohol on the beach has already been banned and now with the cigarette ban, it is depriving local workers of much needed tourist income. The third point is the government has cited discarded cigarette butts as causing an environmental hazard. But, in the past there was no...

Those of you who have travelled in Asia will be aware of the vast array of "street food" that is on offer. By "street food", I mean food that is served in a non-restaurant setting, normally from roadside stalls, people's homes, market-places, shacks and even from the back of motorcycles. Street food usually appeals to locals because there is a huge range of food available and the prices are generally very reasonable. Street dining is becoming increasingly popular, even amongst celebrity chefs, like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey, who have made TV programmes extolling the virtues of Asian street cuisine.   As a result, more and more foreign tourists are being seduced by the allure of eating exotic foreign fare for a fraction of the price that is charged in their home countries. But be warned....... eating street food is a double-edged sword ...... you are playing Russian-roulette with your health....... as psychologists m...

If you have spent anytime travelling or working in Asian countries, you will have noticed that the standard of English is generally very poor. There are one or two exceptions of course, like Malaysia and the Philippines. But overall, when going about your daily business, you will be faced with a barrage of unintelligible, indecipherable drivel. "I no speaky speaky Engrish goodly" "Sucky, fucky 5 dollar Mister" Good old Thailand is probably number one in the verbal diarrhoea league.......... This gem was a photo that I took whilst travelling on a songteaw in the city of Pattaya in Chonburi province. What the hell is a "But Stop"? Somewhere I can rest my fat, sweaty posterior perhaps? Songteaws are public buses which operate all over Thaland. They are simply converted pick-up trucks, with a covered bed or cargo bay and 2 rows of seats facing each other. The above sign was issued to all songteaws operating in Pattaya and it was a number of week...

Unless you've been living on the moon or in a cave in Afghanistan then I'm sure you will be aware that today marks the 1 year anniversary of the death of Thailand's beloved monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej For nearly seven decades His Majesty was known for his wisdom, generosity, compassion and selflessness. To honour his legacy, all Thais citizens and expats must learn to follow in his footsteps and carry on his good deeds in the years to come On behalf of everyone at Penfold's Southeast Asian Odyssey, I would like to extend my sympathies and best wishes to the Thai Royal Family and to the the Thai Nation Long Live the King

I know its been 3 years since my last post but I can confirm I'm not dead.  Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!! You may have been wondering where I've been and what I've been doing and I can tell you that there has been no shortage of drama or ups n' downs.....  These last couple of years have included a new job, moving home and a divorce..... so I'm now offficially single........ settle down ladies!! There was simply too much going on to dedicate any time to this blog but I hope to get things back on track in the coming days and weeks....... so please keep an eye out for up-coming posts Until next time....... Adieu

It would appear that one of my posts has caused some consternation among the denizens of the web. The article in question was my description of Thailand's nightlife and the girly bar scene. A reader by the name of "anonymous" seems to have taken particular umbrage with the content, judging by the comment they posted...................... "How great to see the perpetuation of the life of prostitution that these poor girls have to endure. through poverty and lack of choice. And assisting others to follow your sleazy path. Well done. You must be so proud of yourself! (This is sarcasm in case you didn't get it). Bet you have also been to the red light district of Amsterdam where over 80% of the girls have been trafficked from the Ukraine and neighbouring countries." Well, well, well "anonymous", you have got your panties in a bundle, haven't you?!!!! When you've finished spitting your vitriol, please allow me to deviate from my "slea...

This weekend, to use some cricketing parlance, I strode to the the batting crease of life and guided a cheeky single down leg-side, off the bowling of the grim reaper, to bring up my 35th year. For those of you who didn't understand a single word of that last sentence......it was my birthday on Friday night. My celebrations were a welcome distraction from the political unrest that has afflicted the country in the last couple of weeks. The atmosphere in Thailand had been extremely poisonous but there appeared to be an easing of the tension as the nation came together, on the 5th of December, to mark the 86th birthday of King Bhumibol. This carried on into the weekend where my wife and I hosted a house party. We were very lucky that my mum and dad were able to be with us and we were joined by a host of friends and acquaintances. Our guests enjoyed a plethora of barbecued food, enough bee...