In Thailand, they are considered a national symbol of respect and honour, and in Japan, they represent luxury and perfection. Hong Kong has a rich variety of native orchids – 133 known species, in fact – and spring, with its combination of high rainfall and humidity, produces the ideal damp environment for them to thrive. … Read more
Singapore Airlines ensures that flying first class isn’t just a means of transportation – it’s a destination in itself, with footage of a luxury ‘suite’ sending social media users into a frenzy. A video shared by a passenger shows a sprawling cabin complete with a double bed, private bathroom, flatscreen TV, reclining leather armchair and complimentary … Read more
The destination for the train was officially Pyongyang, but the ticket might just as well have said ‘alternate reality’. Because that’s what adventure blogger Anthony Middleton said he found when he arrived in the North Korean capital via the Pyongyang Express from China. During his four-day stay he witnessed a bizarre mass synchronised dance, an … Read more
“The villagers would sit on the hilltop and watch,” she recalls. “We could see dead soldiers floating down the Mekong. Then we saw the aeroplanes flying over, dropping bombs. A sign at the border of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand in The Golden Triangle. Photo: David Frazier “From the flags the different armies carried, we thought … Read more
The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) office also initiated a probe into China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding industries, alleging that Beijing used “unfair, non-market policies and practices” to dominate these sectors. Henry Gao, a law professor at Singapore Management University, said he would not be surprised if China imposes countermeasures against the proposed tariffs through countervailing … Read more
MAE SOT: Thailand’s foreign minister warned that his country would not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty, during a visit on Friday (Apr 12) to the border with Myanmar following days of clashes that have dislodged junta troops from their positions in the neighbouring country. Fighting between Myanmar’s military and ethnic armed groups has rocked … Read more
Over the weekend there were local reports of intense fighting by anti-junta groups near Myawaddy town, across the border from the Thai town of Mae Sot. Myawaddy is the third busiest land crossing, according to the junta’s commerce ministry, with some US$1.1 billion in goods passing through over the last 12 months. The Ministry of … Read more
A BRITISH man has been left critically injured after impaling himself on an iron fence spike at his home in Thailand. Paramedics were called to a residential area in the Bang La Bang district of Chon Buri, on the country’s eastern coast, in the early hours of Sunday morning. 1 A Brit expat has suffered … Read more
With Thailand consistently ranking among the five most popular destinations for Hongkongers – the three-hour flight to Bangkok appeals to travellers’ seeking a short-haul holiday – Chan was determined to promote Thai culture in Hong Kong. Vita Chan, a second-generation Thai living in Hong Kong, is the founder of Songkran HK, a festival celebrating Thai … Read more
A tourist boom over the last three decades has turned Thailand into the busiest tourist hub in south-east Asia, with 28 million visitors piling in every year. Which is a problem, particularly in Phang Nga Bay, near Phuket, which was so deluged with tourists that it was closed to visitors in 2018. You can see … Read more
