Travelfish #435: Khao soi and a birthday
Plenty of links to read over a bowl.
Hi all,
Another month, another “I am going to get this newsletter out every Monday” moment! Before I get on to the nitty-gritty, there’s a birthday announcement to make.
Couchfish is two years old!
On March 30, Couchfish turned two years old. To celebrate, I’m offering a 50% off deal until April 14 on annual subscriptions. So this means it costs US$35 instead of $70—for the year. Already a subscriber? First, thank you, second, feel free to send the link to your friends—all are welcome!
Up top is a read I simply really enjoyed from Emergence Magazine. It goes well with a coffee and something yummy, like, I dunno, khao soi.
Elsewhere, as Burma moves to re-open tourism, calls are increasing to not go. In related reading, see the piece about boycotts towards the end of the newsletter. There is plenty out of Cambodia, I especially enjoyed the NYT piece on Angkor and the two education ones—so much work to do on that front. Bhutan sneaks into the environment section, while in Indonesia we have the rain shaman and a ship of fools. Quite a few stories out of Laos this week, with a dam and trains tilt, though to have some (rare) goodish news for animals was nice. Penang fans may enjoy the oldish pics from the island, while sadly Singapore went ahead with their execution—idiots—the Malay-Buginese piece is worth a read before you keep scrolling. In Thailand, it is mostly elephants and the Andaman Coast this week, while in Vietnam, a great piece from the coal face (no it isn’t about journalism!), plenty more to eat and some more scooter rides.
The photos this week, are a couple of quick bowls of khao soi in Thailand—there’s always time for a bowl after all.
Cheers
Stuart
Bowl one
Khao soi, Chiang Mai. Photo: Stuart McDonald
Vaccinations snapshot
The following chart is per capita—not total numbers. The dark green bar is the one that matters—it represents the percentage of the eligible population that are fully vaccinated. You can see a full-size and interactive version of the chart here.
Source: Our World in Data
Travel summary
So where is open and where is closed? This chart by Hannah Pearson at Pear Anderson summarises the state of play in the region as of Sunday, April 3, 2022. If you’re after a detailed weekly report on the region, Hannah’s report is the absolute business.
To receive Hannah’s report in your email mailbox every Sunday you can sign up here (it is free!). This is my go-to report for where things are at in the region. If you have any queries or suggestions about how the chart could be improved, please drop her a line via the Pear Anderson website here.
Source: The Impact of Covid-19 on the Southeast Asian Tourism Industry (PDF)
⭐️ Story of the week
False Passives from Emergence Magazine
🇲🇲 Burma
Tourists Urged to Avoid Myanmar as Junta Prepares to Reopen to World from The Guardian
Junta’s Political Prisoners Since Coup Now Number 10,000 from The New York Times ($)
Myanmar’s ‘reluctant’ Resistance Fighter from Aljazeera
Safety, Decent Income Weigh Heavily on Myanmar’s Journalists from Reporting ASEAN
🇰🇭 Cambodia
At Angkor Wat, ‘You Have One of the World’s Wonders to Yourself’ from The New York Times ($)
Cambodia Strives to Protect the Mekong’s Last Dolphins from The Third Pole
Crocodiles Set Loose to Save Their Lives from Southeast Asia Globe
‘They Don’t Know About War’: the Legacy of Forgotten Horrors from The New York Times ($)
Cambodia’s Education System: Looking Back to Move Forward from Fulcrum
American Bombing 50 Years Ago Still Shapes Cambodian Agriculture from The Economist ($)
Cutting Down Thomacheat from VOD
🌴 Environment
Why Do Corporations Greenwash? from Aljazeera
Online Trade in Rare Silvery Pigeon Is Cause for Concern from Mongabay
China Is Choking Off Asia’s Most Important River from Foreign Policy
Research Shows More Travelers Looking for Sustainable Options from Travel Pulse
This One Small Country in Asia Is Beating Climate Change from Ecomadic
Resetting the Throw-away Lifestyle from Fulcrum
Carbon Credit Rush Hits Papua New Guinea from Sarawak Report
🇮🇩 Indonesia
Negara Takluk Oleh Oligarki Sawit from Berdikari Online (Story is in Indonesian, but Google translate will give non-speakers the gist.)
Indonesian Rain Shaman at MotoGP Is Latest Lightning Rod for Religious Pluralism from South China Morning Post
In a National Park Plagued by Encroachers, Indonesia Tries a New Approach from Mongabay
A Ship of Fools at Komodo National Park from Bali Discovery
🇱🇦 Laos
Laos’ Logistics Vision for Asean: All Rails Lead to Vientiane from Nikkei Asia ($)
Averting Fiscal Crisis in Laos from East Asia Forum
Rare Mammals Caught on Camera Highlight Value of Annamite Mountains from Mongabay
Rebuilt Dam Near Site of Devastating Collapse Releases Water, Scaring Residents from Radio Free Asia
Lao Villagers to Be Displaced by Dam Want More Money for Their Trouble from Radio Free Asia
Lao-China Railway: an Opportunity for More Sustainable Transport in ASEAN from ESCAP
🇲🇾 Malaysia
Sarawak’s Travel Industry in No Rush to Go Back to Work from The Malaysian Insight ($)
Malaysia’s One Step Forward, One Step Back in Forestry Management from Sahabat Alam
1972, the Year That Transformed Penang from Southeast Asia Globe
Is There Still a Chance to Save the Malayan Tiger? from Aljazeera
🇸🇬 Singapore
Singapore’s First Execution in Two Years from We, The Citizens
Scamming the Scammers — Rise of the Scam Syndicates from Rice Media
I Thought I Was Malay-Buginese — My DNA Test Said Otherwise from Rice Media
🇹🇭 Thailand
Thailand's Elephant Tourism Endangered by Covid Blow to Global Travel from Nikkei Asia ($)
Thai Tourism Elephants Are ‘Far Better Off’ in Forests: Q&A With Photographer Adam Oswell from Mongabay
A Little Thai Town and Its Vulnerable Fairy Tale Treasure from The Daily Beast
Bangkok’s New Chinatown: Waiting for Another Ka-ching from Fulcrum
The Desolation of Khao San Road from Nomadic Notes
Headwinds Buffet Thailand’s ‘Sea Nomads’ from Nikkei Asia ($)
Hale and Hearty Plans for Thailand’s Andaman Coast from Fulcrum
🇻🇳 Vietnam
Dalat by Motorbike: 5 Routes & Loops from Vietnam Coracle
During the Vietnam War, Three Trailblazing Female Journalists Changed the Way War Is Reported Forever from ABC News
Inside the Backbreaking Work of Quảng Ninh's Coal Miners from Urbanist Hanoi
Hẻm Gems: Cô Thủy and 25 Years of Breakfast Bò Né in D4 from Saigoneer
The Charm of Hòn Yến, Where Coral-watching Doesn't Involve Diving from Saigoneer
The Vietnamese Secret Agent Who Spied for Three Different Countries from Smithsonian Magazine
Random other stuff
Striking for Reparations from Atmos
Disaster Tourism: Blackouts, Shortages Hit Sri Lanka Recovery Hopes from International Business Times
Fights Over Illegal Fishing Lead to Armed Conflict, Deaths from AP
Your Attention Didn’t Collapse. It Was Stolen from The Guardian
Uganda’s Batwa People: Evicted From Forests to Help Save Gorillas from BBC
The Boycott Dilemma from Travel Weekly
Couchfish (Free-to-read)
Couchfish (Paid subscribers only)
Don’t forget, Couchfish just turned two, and …
… to celebrate, I’m offering a 50% off deal until April 14 on annual subscriptions. So this means it costs US$35 instead of $70—for the year. Already a subscriber? First, thank you, second, feel free to send the link to your friends—all are welcome!
Bowl two
Still khao soi, still in Chiang Mai. Photo: Stuart McDonald
See you next week!
So that’s the wrap. I hope you are all in good health and weathering Covid19 as well as possible.
See you next week,
Stuart