Word: thais
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Last Saturday, a very fancy 10-course meal was consumed in Bangkok. I did not partake. Mostly this was because I don't have a spare 1 million Thai baht (or $29,800) to lavish on a single eating experience. The meal, lovingly constructed by six three-star Michelin chefs flown in from Europe, sounded delectable: highlights included a tartare of Kobe beef with Imperial Beluga caviar and Belon oysters (paired with a 1995 Krug Clos du Mesnil) and a tarte fine with scallops and $350 worth of black truffles (paired with a 1996 Le Montrachet Domaine de la Roman?e...
...junta's philosophy is inspired by the revered Thai King's notion of a "sufficiency economy," which "stresses the middle path as the overriding principle for appropriate conduct by the populace at all levels," according to a royal statement. Many Thais, including top economists, aren't quite sure what that means on a practical level - "none of us really understand it, but we can't say anything because it's His Majesty's idea," one Bangkok investment banker told me. But it's safe to assume that a $29,800 meal doesn't hew to the middle path. (In their...
...overthrew Thaksin to restore national unity and prevent a violent showdown between his supporters and detractors, is looking less than bulletproof. Sonthi and CNS-appointed interim PM Surayud Chulanont have promised fresh elections by year's end. But just four months after the coup, local polls show that the Thai public is wearying of military rule. At the same time, financial missteps by the military-appointed Cabinet have spooked international investors, as did fatal bombings in Bangkok on New Year's Eve that the junta has yet to solve. Meanwhile, in the restive south, Muslim insurgents have ramped up their...
...simple man of the people. And his tenure was plagued by accusations of graft. The CNS is currently investigating 52 cases of possible corruption or abuse of power during his time in office and has said it may bring charges by the end of February. Thaksin's old Thai Rak Thai party is also being probed for possible electoral fraud in the polls last April, which were eventually nullified. Even the ex-PM's showcase project-Suvarnabhumi Airport, which opened just nine days after Thaksin fell from power-has been tainted by claims of a rush job and of corruption...
...interim government stumbles along, Thaksin seems content to adopt the role of happy retiree. He talks of cadging cooking ingredients off Thai massage therapists working in his building in Beijing so he can whip up his favorite omelettes and spicy prawn soup. And then there's the long list of shops to visit and friends to catch up with, all over the world. "You know, right after the coup, I was in the U.S., and I met some friends who gave me some cheese," says Thaksin. "I told them: 'Don't worry, I can still smile without cheese.'" The jokes...