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Thank You, Our Fabulous Customers!
More Photo Contest Prizes Added
Some of our industry partners have offered private contests as part of our third annual photo contest. Each prize has its own theme and prizes are offered by each sponsor. We think this is a really cool idea. Besides Purple Dragon's prizes winners get hotel stays in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, or other goodies. If you are not sure if you take good travel photos please visit our website to see what has already been entered. Even if you think your photos are lousy, what have you got to lose?
If you are one of our industry partners, there is still time to offer a Private Prize. Please contact us. Disease du Jour: The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Does your nose (or some other part of your body) look like a street map of Berlin? Itsy bitsy spider veins are
not an uncommon malady for those of us over forty. Spider veins are dilated blood vessels close to the skin. Genetics may be a contributing
If you have this kind of condition one obvious solution is to cover the area with a thick layer cosmetics. While many male teenagers in Thailand love to improve on nature with foundation, powder and a bit of color on the lips, this solution may be culturally unacceptable where you live.
Better (and permanent) solutions are available. Medical techniques that use laser, intense pulse light, and high radio frequency therapy have been proven remarkably successful. A trained physician can determine which is the best option based on the size and depth of the veins and whether they contribute to or exist along with other scarring or skin pigmentation problems. The actual treatment takes only a few minutes and
involves the doctor lightly pressing a device about the size of a lipstick tube against the skin and "zapping." it. There is no pain, no blood, and no anesthetic necessary.
These procedures are probably not covered by medical insurance and are terribly expensive in most of the world. However, treatment is comparative inexpensive in Thailand. One of the medical clinics we recommend even has offices in major shopping malls in Bangkok. While the development of this incredible technology is too late to help W. C. Fields, you can buy yourself a lasting souvenir of Thailand in just about an hour. If you are ready to erase veins, spots, blemishes, scarring and other signs of age, you can read more in the health information on Purple Dragon's website. Ninety-Three New Temples Discovered Near Angkor Wat
We received quite a bit of email following
the story in our last edition of
Bulletin From Bangkok about
Koh Ker temple near
Angkor Wat. Some were particularly fascinated by the possibility that beings of
higher intelligence from another world might have come to earth long ago to
influence human development. If so, they must have been gay since they left
behind quite a bit of lovely jewelry and architecture. To prove our point,
we hope you will consider the photographs below of religious structures
presumably built by three different ancient civilizations thousands of kilometers
apart.
While this is not meant to be a test or a contest, you might enjoy guessing
which is in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Mexico. (No peeking at the last
newsletter for help.). Thanks to Travelin' Bob for the photos. S.O.S. Now!
Do not blame it all on the Arabs (or the other oil producing countries), or even on the Republicans or all of those gas-guzzlers on the road. And you can not blame the airlines for removing telephones and entertainment systems from their aircraft to reduce weight and save fuel. (Could meals and toilets be next?) Oil is hovering around $150 a barrel and dragging the world economy down to the bottom of the barrel. Airfares and related fuel surcharges are skyrocketing and many of the world's airlines are facing real hardship and possibly even bankruptcy.
If that happens you will have to travel to Southeast Asia on a sailing ship,
which takes quite a bit of time and may not be very comfortable.
To a great extent oil costs are being manipulated artificially by speculators. (It should probably be noted that major airlines are among the biggest of these.) In other words, people who own no oil wells or refineries, and may never have actually seen a barrel of oil are making money by the barrel by finding ways to make you pay more for it.
If you want to do something positive to help this deteriorating situation we
hope you will visit
www.StopOilSpeculationNow.com, which is sponsored by a group that wants to reform commodities trading by pressuring government. You can be sure that Republicans will not do anything positive to halt runaway prices. Even if you are not an American, you can learn things from this website and may even be inspired to contact your elected representatives at home.
Would a New Shirt Help?
After ten years of enduring Bangkok tailors we happened on one that is actually different. The National Geographic put Tom's Fashion at the top of their list of ten best custom tailors in the world. Their four storey showroom has the best selection of fabrics you are likely to find anywhere in Thailand. They employ all of their own craftsmen (most tailor shops do not) and the workmanship is superb. The prices are low, so customers leave with a smile (and a free shirt). They will even provide transportation from your hotel and return.
Tom's Fashion has generously provided coupons for Club Sanook Members who would like a free made-to-measure shirt. No pressure. No strings attached. They think you will enjoy your experience enough to buy something else, but that is entirely up to you. If you would like a coupon, please stop by our office, or contact us by email and we will send you one. New on Purple Dragon's Website
Purple Dragon's website is slowly getting a well-deserved
face lift.
In addition to ongoing design and content changes, several new programs are
either already on our website or are about to be:
Way Beyond Luang Prabang.
Last year we launched "Beyond Luang Prabang," which combined a visit to Luang
Prabang with a stay in an eco-lodge along the Mekong River. Now you can
Elephantmania. Not on our website yet, although we are already offering to those who can not wait, is our "Live Like a Mahout" overnight program. You will learn the feeding and care of the great pachyderms, help give them their morning baths in a sparkling river near Luang Prabang, and get your "elephant drivers license" with the help of their full-time trainers. You will also get to see some spectacular countryside on afternoon rides, and stay in a luxury jungle lodge.
Thailand Leisurely. We are
expanding on our series of packages that offer lower prices and longer stays
with basic sightseeing. Our newest options are in
Chiang Mai and
Koh Samui. Krabi will be on the way soon.
New India Options. Our
standard India programs focus on the places that most first-time visitors want
to see. However, we have been offering plenty more on a custom basis for the
last year. If you have been to India already or want to spend more time
exploring some of India's more "authentic" destinations, we have have added a
collection of suggested itineraries you can use as a a starting place when
planning your own
customized adventure of a lifetime.
W
The Quay, Phnom Penh.
It was bound to happen somewhere, sometime, but little Phnom Penh is the home of
the world's first carbon neutral hotel. It's stunning design and views of
the Mekong River (which is just across the street), make this the hippest place
to stay in Phnom Penh.
Doing It With a Group Purple Dragon does not offer group tours. However, we operate groups for a
number of other companies that specialize in small group tours. If you prefer to
travel with new friends rather than solo, this is a great way to enjoy the great
destinations and people that Purple Dragon offers. In November you can
join Hermes Tour's small group tour to Thailand. Their program will use top
quality hotels and top quality planning and guides (ours!). Visit their
website for details.
Been There, Done That
One of our favorites (perhaps because it is one of the most unusual) is the
Tub Tim Shrine. There a long folk tale about a woman named Tub Tim, which we will not burden you with. The shrine, which dates back about a century, is the place to go to solve fertility issues.
Who needs a doctor if you fail to conceive or have major performance problems?
In this obscure garden, people come to ask Tub Tim for
help. They leave garlands of flowers, and animist statues of all descriptions.
Most impressive are the hundres of palad kik, or carved penises, some
taller than a basketball star, and some with penises of their own. Some very
important people have had their
From the Tub Tim Shrine you can
easily travel by boat along one of the the longest canals in the world to the
fortress walls that once protected Bangkok. From there it is an easy walk to the
Golden Mount. One of the city's principal amulet markets is along the
way, and a fascinating place to pick up an unusual gift or kitchy memento of
your visit. You have probably noticed that Bangkok is pretty flat.
However, there is one hill with a magnificent golden chedi (stupa) in the temple
at the top. A walkway that winds around the hill to the top is lined with giant
bells. The chedi itself is pretty impressive, and so is the view of the city
from the top. This place is popular with Thai people, but you may see one or two
intrepid foreigners there. Since there is no tour bus parking, you will
not have to fight a crowd. You may have seen everything in Bangkok, but you
probably have not yet seen Koh Kret (Kret Island) in the Chao Praya
River, north of the capital. Since no cars are allowed, it is very peaceful
during the week. You can walk all the way around the island in under and hour
and see attractive scenery and quiet old temples. The Mon people who settled on
the island have set up some of
If you have visited Bangkok more than twice and have not yet seen the show at
Siam Niramit you are really missing something special. Take a cast of
hundreds, the world's largest stage, a specacular Las Vegas style production,
add a little Cirque du Soleil and throw in a dash of the Metropolitan Opera, and
you have one of the most memorable cultural music and dance shows in Asia.
Tour the "villages" that surround the theatre, enjoy dinner and take in the
show, and still be back to Silom before things get wild. To learn more about
any of these places please
send us an
email or stop by our office.
Bangkok Landmarks for Sale
Here is your chance to own a part of one of two legendary Bangkok businesses
(although not ours). We hear the majority shareholder of Thelephone Pub
wants to retire. It has long been one of Bangkok's most popular gay businesses.
The owner of one of Bangkok's oldest and finest mens health retreats also wants to pursue
other opportunities. Once the home of the Australian ambassador, the main
building is surrounded by gardens. There is a full-sized restaurant with a large
kitchen, studio apartment and living quarters for staff. There is also parking
space for 20 cars and a very loyal clientele. The price is clearly a sacrifice
and it would not take much for a new owner to take over immediately and make it
even more grand than it already is. Bangkok really needs a world class spa for
men, and this is the perfect place for it. If you want more information, please
contact Douglas and he will put you
in touch with either of these businesses.
Purple Dragon on Face Book
Purple Dragon recently began to show its face on FaceBook. Search for "purpledragonbkk."
Please stop by and Like/follow us.
Seeing Double?
If you received two or more emails regarding this issue of Bulletin from
Bangkok, that means we have duplicate records in our Membership list. Please let
Miss Fu know so that we do not clutter your In box with redundant email.
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