Word: bangkok
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...risked further fracturing Thailand's already deep political divide between those who back the ousted Prime Minister and his opponents. Police and military officers were on full alert across the country, fearing that Thaksin's supporters might riot if the verdict went against him. But while the streets of Bangkok were calm immediately after the verdict was read, Thaksin's allies vowed to hold a massive protest in Bangkok on March 14 to bring down the current government. (See photos of protests in Thailand...
Both Thaksin's supporters and opponents have a history of inciting chaos and violence in the country. His supporters, called the "Red Shirts" for the color they wear, rioted in Bangkok and Pattaya last April, forcing the cancellation of a summit of Association of Southeast Asian leaders and bringing the army onto the streets of the Thai capital to restore order. Thaksin, who had portrayed himself as a fighter for democracy, lost international credibility when he denied the Red Shirts were inciting unrest even as they were shown on television physically attacking the car of current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva...
...hopes of growing their already chunky slice of the global market for medical tourism, Bangkok's hospitals are going all out to blur the line between medical center and hotel - and cuisine is an important part of the offering. If you're bound for the Thai capital for that long-awaited nose job or hip replacement, rest assured that bland hospital food is not on the menu. Hearty gumbo is, however - at least at the new branch of Bangkok's popular Bourbon Street Restaurant and Oyster Bar, located atop the auxiliary wing of Bumrungrad International Hospital, www.bumrungrad.com. The outlet...
...almost unthinkable to go to Bangkok's private hospitals and not eat," says Ruben Toral, head of health care consultancy Mednet Asia and a former group marketing director at Bumrungrad. "These hospitals have a large captive audience and have learned that one way to win customers is to appeal to their stomachs." That's why Bumrungrad already hosts the "Roman-style" Portofino, the Bangla House (serving Bengali, Egyptian and Thai food) and the Au Bon Pain sandwich bar and deli, plus a McDonald's that makes in-house deliveries (hardly a cholesterol-reducing prescription...
...where does Thompson eat when he's in Bangkok? "I raid the streets. I rarely cook. Why would I?" That will change later this year, when he opens another Nahm in the city's chic Metropolitan Hotel. His book, meanwhile, might help arrest a worrying trend. So many Thais now eat out that the culinary arts of their ancestors are neglected. Are they - gulp - forgetting how to cook? "I think some Thais are," says Thompson. "They're not forgetting how to eat." Nor are they forgetting how to read. One day, perhaps, Thai Street Food will become the definitive reference...