By Arshi Banerjee
Freshly graduated from high school, I knew it was time for me to start applying to a good university for my bachelor’s degree. There was a long list of universities in Thailand that came to mind. However, as I saw the advertisement for Stamford International University on social media, I was instantly drawn.

Being an expat myself, I felt like I would fit in quite well at the university which made me take the decision to apply. I was told by my middle school friend who was also a student that it is very different from other universities in Thailand; I thought maybe she is referring to the campus or the laid-back dress code. Little did I know it is actually a different experience.

As I am just a term away from graduating, the recollection of all the time I spent and the experiences I have gained being a part of the Stamford family comes to mind. Looking back at the memories I had there, everything seems to have passed by rather quickly.

Being an international university, one thing that defines Stamford is the geographical diversity of the students and a melting pot of different cultures. Many expats including myself, as well as exchange students who decide to study in Thailand join Stamford for an international experience. This makes Stamford a great place to meet new people and learn about different cultures.

Enjoy five-star luxury on your doorstep
By Little Wandering Wren

You live and work in Bangkok, and you’re paying for a condo down the road… so why spend good money to stay in town? But think about it. Holidays are all about escapism. Haven’t you always said ‘I just wish I could be somewhere else right now?’​

Why Staycation in Bangkok? 
• The holiday starts now! No travel time. Why spend hours of your precious weekend or holiday in the car? You can’t help feeling rather chuffed with yourself when you are relaxing by the pool less than 30 minutes after leaving home. 
• Choose a fabulous city resort. Many of Bangkok’s top hotels are as Lux as you can get. You’ll hardly feel like you are in the city. I can recommend our wonderful staycations at the Siam Kempinski, and The Sukhothai Bangkok. 
• Get a new perspective of your city. I live off Sukhumvit and loved our stays down by the Chao Phraya River. I can recommend the Shangri-La Hotel, Praya Palazzo and Riva Arun. If you live by the river, come uptown! 
• Grab a bargain. Never in the history of Bangkok’s hotels have rates been this affordable. We loved The Athenee dine-cation package. 
• Go somewhere different! My husband and I like to mix things up a little. Haven’t you always wanted to know what it is like to stay at Chakrabongse Villas? I know I did! Or how about choosing Prince Heritage Theatre, an old porn theatre and dined on Michelin star street food. 
• Support domestic tourism. Your country needs your help. Thailand tourism is suffering big time. Show it some love!

Top tips for getting the best from your Bangkok staycation 
• Get on everyone’s mailing lists. The best deals seem to come up via the hotel's Facebook or Line accounts. 
• Deal directly with the hotels to establish a rapport beforehand. Make it personal and find a name to contact. Trip Advisor is great for finding out who replies to guest experiences! Write a personal letter of introduction saying why you have chosen to support their hotel. 
• If you are member of the hotel’s loyalty program, use this when booking. If not join for additional benefits. 
• Don’t forget to let the hotel know if you are celebrating anything, even if it is belated! Hotels love a celebration! 
• Check out Trip Advisor for top room tips and ask for these rooms. Just note that not all hotels are open at this time and even when they are, not all rooms or restaurants are open. I can’t wait for The Peninsula and The Siam to reopen. 
• Many of the hotels are offering early/late checkout times. We never leave a hotel before 4pm on a Sunday. Some clever hotels offer even later until 8pm in the hope that they catch your dinner reservation. 
• The hotels are desperate to re-engage the corporate sector for meetings and conferences. Ask within your workplace if they know of any incentive prices. We got a great massage deal at the Centara Central World and have just found a good deal at the  Grand Hyatt Erawan in this way 
• Purchase any reopening specials buy now, stay later vouchers (some until the end of 2020, others into next year).​

​Expat couples who stayed in town and loved the experience 
I asked around a few of our friends for their recommendations regarding their recent Bangkok staycations since emerging post pandemic:

Go-go era over as Silom gets ready for upgrade

It’s not only the future of Patpong and its famous nightlife that hangs in the balance post Covid19, but nearby Thaniya Road also seems to be facing major hurdles.

A quick stroll down this legendary street confirms that the majority of Patpong’s go-go bars remain closed despite the lifting of the city-wide curfew. Many have said they may never reopen. Right now, only Super Star, King’s Corner, Madrid and the Thai Bar of the area’s best known bars are operating.

Meanwhile, the main building on Soi Thaniya, also known as Bangkok’s Ginza because of its Japanese-style bars and cocktail lounges, is currently undergoing an extensive facelift. The huge temporary wall outside the entrance and blocks half the road, preventing many of Thaniya’s ‘hostesses’ and ‘pretties’ from assembling outside their establishments to lure customers inside.

Expat pensioners are a valuable source of funding to Thailand

In these difficult times, the contribution of expatriates to the Thai economy and social stability is sometimes overlooked, even underestimated. Some would add under appreciated. Reliable sources put the number of foreigners with work permits in Thailand at over 220,000, excluding those from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Of these work permit holders, about half live in Bangkok. Many have invested in their own companies and provide employment for countless Thai people. Others employed by a Thai company often play a role that includes training and lifting local expertise for the long-term benefit of the country. All of these expats pay a range of taxes which go, of course, to the government’s coffers. They are also a major investor in property, a key business sector. 

On top of work permit holders, there are an estimated 100,000 people on retirement visas, plus about the same again on O type marriages visas, bringing the total number of foreigners living in Thailand on a permanent basis to probably around half a million. Yet to be included in this figure are the many foreigners who, until the Covid19 epidemic, live here on a semi-permanent basis, usually about half the year. ​

ALATi restaurant at Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok is presenting the Riviera Sunday Brunch, featuring sumptuous dishes inspired by the diverse flavours of the Mediterranean region.

On offer is a fantastic selection of unlimited a la carte dishes inspired by traditional recipes and cooking techniques of countries such as Spain, Morocco, France, Italy, Greece and Lebanon.

Sunday lunch is the special occasion when friends and families meet for what is probably their longest meal of the week, enjoyed with a variety of cocktails, wines and Champagne. We invite diners to spend an enjoyable afternoon in the comfortable atmosphere of ALATi,º explains Executive Chef Carlo Valenziano.

There is a limited-time offer for Siam Kempinski LINE friends to enjoy a 15% discount on the food and wine package (excluding Champagne), with one child (up to 12 years old) dining free when accompanied by an adult. The offer applies every Sunday until 30 August 2020. Guests must confirm that they are a LINE friend @Siamkempinskihotel. From 12:30 to 16:00 hrs. 

 Contact ALATi on +662 162 9222 or email alati.siambangkok@kempinski.com.

■ Experience the joys of tapear - the Spanish verb describing the art of eating tapas - by ordering `2 Feet of Tapas' at UNO MAS rooftop restaurant on the 54th floor of Centara Grand at CentralWorld.

This special promotion featuring enough tapas to stretch two feet (or over half-a-meter) around your table is priced at THB 1,990++ for two people.
Dishes include Spanish classics like Tortilla (Spanish-style omelet); Txipirones (fried baby squid with black ink aioli and lemon); and Gambas (tiger prawns, garlic, paprika and cayenne sizzling in olive oil).

Also savor Cogollos de Tudela (smoked salmon, & baby lettuce); El Pulpo (grilled Galician octopus, chipotle, green mojo, & black ink aioli sauce); 36-month cured Joselito Jamon; Albondigas (Spanish meatballs, wagyu beef, & pluma pork in tomato stew); and much, much more!

UNO MAS chefs use the highest quality ingredients to prepare the city's most authentic Spanish food and replicates the traditional way the food is eaten in Spain. This involves ordering and sharing lots of small, tasty dishes (tapas) among friends, all washed down with a glass or two of Spanish cervesa (beer), cava, sangria, or sherry.
​
 Tel. +66 2 100 6255 or email diningcgcw@chr.co.th.
Website: www.unomasbangkok.com
Facebook: UNO MAS

For more than 70 years, this United Nations' agency has been based in Bangkok. Its Executive Secretary explains why its multi-faceted role is so important to the region

ESCAP came into being in 1947 as the Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE) to assist in post-war economic reconstruction. After a two-year period in Shanghai it moved to Bangkok in January 1949, its permanent home ever since, serving as the United Nations’ regional hub promoting cooperation among countries here.

The BigChilli recently caught up with Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, ESCAP’s Executive Secretary who took up her post in Bangkok on November 1, 2018. Appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, she is also the UN Under-Secretary-General. Ms Alisjahbana celebrates her 60th birthday on August 16.

By MAXMILIAN WECHSLER

BANGKOK: I needed to attend a meeting in Phuket and had time to visit and explore. We decided to drive, a chance to really explore that flying for 75 minutes doesn’t allow.

It's a journey we’ve done in the past twice before in my 29 years of living in Thailand. Our journey will take us south travelling 864 km from our home in Bangkok to Phuket – Thailand's famous island playground. The Pearl of the Andaman Sea. 

For centuries, the main source of income for the island was tin mining. Now, tourism and rubber have made Phuket the country’s wealthiest province. 

On this trip we plan to stay at a number of resorts a few that are very closely linked to the island’s tin mining past.

Leaving Bangkok very early we follow the coast road south-west along the Gulf of Thailand towards Hua Hin and then all the way south to Surat Thani. From there we cross the isthmus east to west before turning south again towards Phuket and the Andaman Sea.  

With stops the journey time will take approximately 11.5 hours driving. We plan to do the journey in one day, God willing. The car has been fully prepped and recently serviced.

With our early start we arrive in Hua Hin at 6.30am having avoided all the pre-rush hour traffic out of Bangkok. A journey of just under two hours. Normally with traffic it would be three hours. Our early start paid dividends. We see dawn break as we arrive turning a black sky into rainbow colours that never stops being special.

We continue on Route 4, the Phet Kasem road, Thailand's longest (1,274km). Our journey will take us through 12 of Thailand's 76 provinces – Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Nakhon Pathom, Ratchaburi, Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani,Phang-Nga, Krabi and Phuket. 

From Hua Hin we head further south along the Asian Highway, hugging the western edge of the Gulf. The kilometers slip by. We travel on good roads, mostly dual carriageways. The traffic is reasonable and we make good progress. Passing through Pranburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan, we continue leisurely south. 

We reach Chumphon - our halfway point. Located on the Isthmus of Kra, the narrow stip of land connecting the Malay Peninsula with mainland Thailand. With a 222 km coastline and 44 islands, the Chumphon Archipelago is known for its coral reefs and a long coastline dotted with peaceful beaches.

At Chumphon we join the A41. It is the main road for the lower southern provinces. We head south-west. 

Route 41 is a four-lane highway, two lanes in each direction. It is also part of the Asian Highway AH2. ​