MangoZeen

Ever since the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk man has been attempting an endless assortment of tricks and risks in flight. Of course most of us are content to get from points A to B. Up and down without ragheads hijacking the plane for an unscheduled landing in a prominent building. Of course a […]

I’ve traveled from Bangkok-New York over 40 times in the last 15 years. East via Europe. West via Tokyo or Korea or Taipei. The stopovers at these transit terminals were rehearsals for purgatory and if so then drinks are cheap in that spiritual way station. In fact nothing is cheap in transit lounges, unless your […]

As I mentioned I’m going back to the USA. It is my homeland.
I care about apple pie especially since no one can make it like my mother.
I also believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which is why I live in Thailand.
The life is good under the mango tree in my front […]

Last year a man appeared in the UK. Nobody knew him. He didn’t know who he was. The John Doe could play classical piano and this skill caused a stir in the media. We’ve already forgotten this anonymous man, but a westerner turned up in Thailand with a larger problem than no identity.

This farang had too […]

In less than 12 hours I’ll be leaving Thailand for the first time in 2 years.
Destination America.
Landing at JFK after a 17-hour flight on Thai Air. Direct. No stops in Tokyo to decrease the culture shock. One day I’m in Thailand; palm trees, elephants, and beaches. The next New York; skyscrapers, fat people, and concrete.
Of […]

There is no gambling in Pattaya. Not legally. 
Of course the police are constantly arresting card players and seizing 200 baht in wagers.
Small-money stakes, although the Ambassador Hotel has been slated for gambling in the near-future, which would make Pattaya the Vegas of Thailand.
For the moment the only casino in town is the Casino Bar on Soi […]

The Thai football team failed to qualify for the World Cup, however hundreds of Thai women are flocking to the land of the sauerkraut eaters to help entertain the millions of football enthusiasts attending the games. Their contribution to this global event will be appreciated by men seeking to celebrate their team’s victories with some female […]

In order to curtail betting on the World Cup Thai prison authorities have banned live TV games.
“This prison is not a casino.” One warden said at a press conference. “Betting is banned completely. We’ve separated the 800 or so most football-mad inmates from their fellow prisoners. We don’t want this mania spreading throughout the general […]

 
Most recently magician David Blaine tried a Houdini trick in NYC’s Lincoln Center. He was encapsulated in a water bubble one week. This was training for escaping from chains after holding his breath for 9 minutes. He punked out in the end, saying his fingers were too waterlogged to work the illusion.

A Thai waiter saw […]

Entering Pattaya on Sukhumvit it is hard not to notice the expansion of the Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. This annex is being prepared for the expected arrival of retirees moving into the thousands of houses being constructed from Naklua to Jomtien. The proposed name of this extension plays to the spiritual background of the patients.
Gra-dai teung […]