The Opium Trade in Thailand, 1908 – 1940
Sean Kjetil Nordbo In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt of the United States, concerned about the worldwide trades in narcotics, lobbied the leaders of a number of European and Asian countries to create an…
Sean Kjetil Nordbo
Koh Kret in Bangkok
Why would anyone go through the trouble of traveling kilometres away for a piece of pottery? It doesn’t make sense, especially if you take a forty Baht skytrain ride to…
Raffles Hotel in Singapore
For 120 years it’s been the preferred lodging for film stars, writers, loyalty and politicians but Raffles Hotel Singapore began life as a 10-bedroom bungalow. When Tigran Sarkies migrated to…
What is Buddhism?
For more than 2,500 years, the religion we know today as Buddhism has been the primary inspiration behind many successful civilizations, the source of great cultural achievements and a lasting…
Working in Indonesia
After my recent holiday that included some great diving in Indonesia I eventually came back to Phi Phi Islands in Thailand. The island where I had been working for a…
Getting spanked in Bangkok
Every time I go for a beauty treatment here in Thailand, I get spanked. The other day I went for a pedicure and the woman bent my toes back in…
Going to Sipadan
My brother is coming to visit me in Thailand and apart from exploring the cities of Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur we are planning a dive trip to Sipadan on the…
An introduction to Singaporean food
I’ve been back from my trip to Singapore for about a week now, and while I’ve mostly finished digesting from my six-day noodle bender, I feel like I’ve only begun…
Pomelo or Som-o
Did you know the largest citrus fruit on the planet can grow as large as a soccer ball? Due to its enormous size, it is often called the ‘king of…
Muay Thai – Thai Boxing
Boxing clever Muay thai kick boxing is going global, while preserving its ancient roots. Movies and live matches are making the sport a ‘must-see’ spectacle, while ever more visitors study…