One of the things that’s interesting about living in Thailand is the unusual assortment of animals you sometimes come across. I remember sitting eating lunch once in Bangkok when an enormous millipede (or centipede – it could have been either really) popped up out of nowhere and scared everybody half to death.

I’m not kidding – the thing was about eight inches long and looked hideous. It scuttered away underneath some plant pots, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off the spot where it went, and neither could I sit with my feet on the ground for the rest of my meal. I don’t like bugs, and when they come super-sized I like them even less.

The enormous lizards you sometimes see around klongs and streams are entertaining. Sometimes you see rabid dogs chasing them for fun. Those dogs are so stupid that they don’t chase the lizard for food, but just for something to do.

I was brushing my teeth the other day when a baby lizard emerged from the plug hole of my sink. I’ve noticed that there are three lizards that live in my apartment. There’s one in my bathroom, one that hangs out around my wardrobe and one that mills about under my bed. They don’t do any harm so I leave them be, but I can’t help but think that they must be bored and hungry.

With Thailand’s hot climate there are all manner of weird and wonderful creatures out there. Which ones have you seen? And do any of them live in your house?

Techno' tags: Thailand, Bangkok, Lizards

I’m a day late with my birthday wishes here, but yesterday, Thailand’s ousted prime minister turned 58. May I be the first to say that Thaksin looks genuinely good for his age. He must have spent much of his frozen fortune on some rather good moisturizers and days at the spa.

To celebrate Thakin’s birthday, his legal aide Noppadon Pattama announced yesterday that the shamed politician was going to have a new website to replace the now defunct www.hi-thaksin.com

www.truethaksin.com, which as of yet has no content, displays the catchline, “The truth shall set you free”. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said that as a demonstration of the government’s support of free speech, Thaksin would be allowed to open a new website. Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas then said that it might be blocked if it criticizes the dissolution of Thai Rak Thai.

The website will be part of Thaksin’s campaign to defend his reputation in Thailand. truethaksin.com will also be used for Thailand’s former premier to air his views on “business, sports and literature”. Should be a good read. No word on whether it will have English translations.

“I will fight to win back my dignity otherwise the country will lose its credibility. The country cannot move backwards,” said Thaksin in his address to the masses at Sanam Luang in June. (All from Bangkok Post)

Over at The Nation today, the writer of the editorial is only just getting to grips with Thakin’s war on drugs.

But the fact that Thaksin had overwhelming support suggests that Thai society as a whole still has a lot of growing up to do. Like it or not, our tendency to embrace strong men with questionable tactics does say something about us as a people.

What it actually says about Thai people is that unless Thailand’s poor are given a reason to care about political ideals, they will support the party who can give them the most. It has nothing to do with “growing up”. I think The Nation rattles off an editorial about the war on drugs every few months.

So, happy birthday Mr Thaksin. Readers, leave your birthday wishes here.

Techno' tags: Thailand, Bangkok, Thaksin

My laptop started to bite recently. Every now and then, while I was typing away or surfing the net, I got an electric shock. It wasn’t anything life threatening, but it became increasingly annoying the more I found myself being zapped by my computer.

I searched the Internet for what the problem might have been and discovered that it was likely that my laptop wasn’t sufficiently grounded (many electrical products in Thailand suffer similar circumstances). I was confused because the three-prong plug was plugged into a three-prong socket in a power strip, but as I found out, not all three-prong sockets are actually for grounding – some are just so you can fit the plug in. Sure enough, I changed the socket and was no longer being shocked by my laptop.

Power strips in Thailand are notoriously low quality, which means they can be dangerous. Two-prong sockets also have me concerned. The enormous spark that jumps from the socket when you plug anything in is frightening. As I sit at my desk at work I occasionally pick up small electric shocks from somewhere, and as my feet pass the wall sockets I wonder if one day I might get electrocuted.

I’m reminded of the time an English boy was electrocuted while on holiday in Thailand when he went to unplug his Nintendo Gameboy from a wall socket. Connor O'Keeffe, 7, had been staying with his family at Sunset Beach Hotel in Patong.

Thai officials put the cause of death down to Connor having wet hands after going swimming, although his mother insisted that Connor’s hands were dry when he went to get his Gameboy. We will probably never know the truth.

Connor’s mother, Kathleen Curry, said, “There should be some kind of warning about electrical currents abroad because this wouldn't have happened in England.” People don’t get electrocuted in England?

It quickly became a case of “he said, she said”, with Thai authorities evidently panicked about the effect Connor’s death could have on tourism in the area. (Daily Mail)

Although most modern buildings in Thailand are now fitted with three-prong sockets, the two-prong variety are still at large with their lack of grounding. Every day at work we experience a number of power surges, which can likely be attributed to bad grounding. All the computers here have UPSes to deal with the surges.

Have you ever been shocked by a plug in Thailand?

Techno' tags: Thailand, Bangkok, Electrocution

I used to struggle to stay awake during the day when I was working in Bangkok. This made office hours a chore and I often found myself taking mini naps of between five and 10 seconds to get through the day. Every now and then I’d take a mini nap and do that thing where your body sort of jumps back out of sleep for comedic effect. I tried to pass off such convulsions as part of a vigorous stretching routine; I’m not sure if anyone was fooled.

I was sick one day and went to get some aspirin. As you can imagine in Thailand, the whole HR department freaked out and supplied me with all manner of colored pills – all this for a headache and a runny nose! Thailand wastes a lot of money on unneeded medicine, but I got a little something extra from the cocktail of medicines I was given – I got the Actifed effect.

I spent the rest of the day high as a kite and stole the pack for future experimentation. Actifed is available over the counter in Thailand and it’s commonly used by people who have colds. One of the side effects of Actifed is that it perks you up like you’ve drunk half-a-dozen cups of coffee.

Feeling a bit dozy this afternoon, I necked my remaining two pills and got on with work in a kind of hazy bubble. I wouldn’t recommend anybody take Actifed every time they feel tired, but now and then it seems to be more effective than Red Bull. As for coffee, well, I can’t drink it without shaking afterwards and feeling like my head is about to explode.

Actifed in Thailand is made of 2.5mg Triprolidine and 60mg pseudoephedrine. It was the pseudoephedrine that had bells ringing in my head. Ephedrine is commonly used by students and office workers to stay alert and awake. It’s also occasionally passed off as ecstasy in clubs. The effect is similar to a strong cup of coffee.

Pseudoephedrine can have similar effects, as I will testify to. Outside of Thailand, Pfizer, the company that makes Actifed, changed the formula to contain 4mg chlorpheniramine maleate instead of pseudoephedrine. This change hasn’t hit all of Thailand’s pharmacies yet.

Have you come across any other weird and wonderful over-the-counter medicines in Thailand?

Techno' tags: Thailand, Bangkok, Actifed

When I was living in Bangkok I could never turn down an opportunity for a buffet. Although Bangkok buffets are usually expensive, the variety of food and the chance to eat as much of it as you want always got me excited. I had my last buffet at the Grand Hyatt Erawan, and once again I ate so much that I struggled to walk out of the restaurant.

I thought my buffet days were over, but that was before I found out that UK chef Keith Floyd has his own buffet right here in Phuket. Keith Floyd is a likeable old rogue who has had a number of TV shows on the BBC.

Keith Floyd is like the rebel TV chef Jamie Oliver wants to be. On his shows, Keith became well known for indulging in his passion for wine and drinking it by the bucketload while preparing food. He is one of the few TV “personality” chefs who actually has a personality.

There was no way I was going to miss out on the chance to eat at Keith’s restaurant in Thailand and get to see the man himself. Floyd’s Brasserie is at the Burasari Resort in Patong. The resort itself is swish, and the restaurant is stylish and elegant. The outdoor arrangement is convivial and settling, with a good selection of food to whet your appetite. The new addition to the brasserie is Floyd’s Sunday Brunch, which was what I was there to sample.

Keith Floyd was milling about, cooking one thing, attending to another, running around making sure nothing was out of place, sipping wine, and looking like he was engrossed in his work. I assume Keith won’t be there every Sunday as I was there for the launch, but the food is said to reflect his philosophy in the kitchen, so you know he will be there in spirit.

The roast lamb was particularly good, although I was alarmed to be pointed in the direction of white mint sauce. Sure enough, as soon as Keith saw that there was no green mint sauce he set the matter straight. Other than that I had no complaints. There was a good variety of seafood, enough cheese to keep a French army happy, and the pasta was spot on.

As you’d expect, there was a fine selection of wines. The meal was enjoyable and filling, although being a brunch, I wasn’t able to eat as much as I would have liked.

Floyd’s Brasserie opened in March. For reservations call Tel: 076-370000.

Techno' tags: Thailand, Bangkok, Keith Floyd