Life under globalization’s towering shadow is certainly not an easy one for many of Bangkok’s less well off residents, and this is no better illustrated than in the lives of the many street children of Bangkok. Forced to work often not just to feed themselves, but also their families as well, these children can be seen hanging around at all of Bangkok’s major nightspots, from Sukhumwit road to Khao San road, Patpong to Ratchada. Selling anything from flowers and pens to candies and toys, these kids are faced with a daily struggle for survival yet they have no other choice.

All of these children come from poor families, either broken homes or homes where sick parents are unable to work. With Thai society offering little in the way of state welfare, families and children forced into such poverty have little choice but to send the kids out on the streets of Bangkok to work. One the face of it though, some of these children seem anything but miserable. They look happy, smiling and laughing with foreigners as they try to peddle whatever it is they are selling. They often speak very good English and are happy to challenge you to a bet in order to get you to buy something from them. Many foreign visitors are taken in by these kids, and end up giving them whatever they ask for whatever it is they are selling, but what most of them don’t realize is that often enough, the child won’t get to keep a single cent.

While some of the street kids are locals of Bangkok, many of these children are usually refugees from Burma, Cambodia or Laos, sold to local mafia, and forced out to work to pay back their debt. They struggle to sell their quota each day, and often have to work 12 hour days or longer with little food or rest, until their ‘owners’ are satisfied with their earnings for that day. Then, they will go back ‘home’ to a tiny hovel that is shared with several other kids, eat a small meal before setting out to work the next day.

The fundamental nature of Thai cuisine is marked by the extensive use of rich spices, chili, galangal, lemongrass, and fish sauce in most of its recipes. Thai cooking method are overpowering and delicate. They typically use herbs, fish, and finely shredded meat, which is served with rice balls delicately fashioned in special spoons. Today, spoons and forks are used along with chopsticks. However, a knife is usually not required as the food is already cut into small pieces at time of cooking. Thai cooking has drawn significant influence from Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Burma, Laos, and Malaysia. Some of the most fundamental essentials of authentic Thai cooking include both dried and fresh spices, lemon grass, coconut milk, chili, Kaffir lemon leaves, basil, garlic, and ginger.

Coconut milk is usually available in concentrated form in cans. The milk is processed and can be stored for long in refrigerators. Both dried and fresh lemon grass must be soaked in water for a minimum of thirty minutes before using it in your recipe. Another special Thai ingredient is the Kaffir leaf that is available at every supermarket that stocks multi-cuisine spices and herbs. Small-sized Birdseye chilies and fish sauce prepared from fermented prawn are other basic things that add authentic Thai flavor to the food. These ingredients can be availed easily from your local supermarket or grocery store. Once all the aforesaid essentials are gathered, cooking Thai food becomes extremely easy. The best thing about Thai cooking methods and recipes is that you can experiment with your favorite ingredients to invent your own personalized recipes.

Health in diet and lifestyle is a modern obsession. We shy away from overdoing the very obvious unhealthy foods. We limit our intake of cakes, sweets, chips, but we are less wary of eating Indian and Chinese restaurant meals or takeaways – perhaps several times a week – even though, at the back of our minds, we know that these are often as full of fat, sugar and salt as the more obvious junk foods.

Of the imported cuisines popular in the UK, Thai food offers one of the most consistently healthy and well-balanced diets available. Its various techniques and components are a fusion of contributions made by the Asian, European and African cultures that, at various periods, took advantage of the trade routes upon which Thailand was so well placed. It is almost as if it has embraced all the best elements from the many influences that played parts in its evolution, while leaving out most of the things which we now know are not healthy to eat.

An article in the health section of the BBC’s website stated that the popular Indian dish chicken tikka masala with pilau rice typically contains around 47g of fat, while a similar Thai food choice, stir fried chicken with plain steamed rice (phad khing hai) has just 13g of fat of which only 3g is saturated fat. The difference is striking, and the more dishes one compares, the greater the contrast one sees between the two cuisines so far as healthy eating considerations are concerned.

As well as a healthy, balanced overall diet, the individual ingredients used in Thai cooking are well known for their benefits and, in many cases, they are actually used in Southeast Asian medicine.

Turmeric, for example, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, both of these qualities are known to play a part in preventing the development of cancer.

Lemongrass, a lovely, fragrant, lemony herb is used in Chinese medicine in the treatment of colds and flu-like bugs. It is also known to help maintain good digestion.

Galangal is a variant of ginger and, as such, shares many of its properties. Galangal is particularly renowned for its effectiveness in relieving digestive problems and gastric disorders. It is also reputed to assist in the reduction of pain and stiffness caused by arthritis.

Chillies, cayenne in particular, have recently come to the attention of western researchers. Indications are that chillies and their extracts may be beneficial in maintaining a healthy cardio-vascular system, and in supporting the body’s ability to produce insulin. Some researchers have also found positive impact on certain skin conditions, and on digestion. Another, quite unusual, benefit of chillies is that they are known to combat insomnia, so your delicious Thai meal will also help you to sleep soundly at night!

Coriander is well known throughout Asia and is one of the most vital ingredients common to most cuisines from that region. Like many of the other herbs used in Thai cooking, it is known to aid good digestion, and is reputed to encourage a strong immune system, thus helping to defend against common minor illnesses.

Coconut milk is believed to assist in the lowering of LDL, a form of cholesterol which is harmful at high levels. It also helps to raise levels of more desirable fatty substances that the body needs in order to function optimally. Like coriander, coconut milk is known for its immunity boosting properties. Some of its components are also known to inhibit some of the effects of aging.

Kaffir Lime Leaves have antioxidant properties like several of the ingredients we have mentioned already. Kaffir is said to purify the blood and assist digestion, while promoting dental and oral health. Kaffir is one of the main flavours used in Thai cuisine.

But there is more to the healthy eating aspect of the Thai diet than the individual properties of its ingredients: one should not underestimate the importance of the freshness of Thai herbs. Where many Asian cooking styles use a lot of dried spices and extracts, Thai cooking tends to make use of fresh herbs in their natural, whole state rather than extracts. Whole foods of any kind are now widely recognised, even in the west, as being the healthier option, and should be preferred over processed or powdered derivatives.

The popularity of salads, fish and seafood mean that there are plenty of alternatives to red meat. That said, body builders and macho traditionalists who don’t consider a meal to be a real meal unless it contains a decent helping of red meat would find that a Thai menu caters for them too.

As with all cuisines, there are some things best enjoyed in moderation. If one ate only dishes rich in coconut milk, for example, then one might reasonably expect to add a few inches to one’s waistline. Similarly, someone on a diet may decide to opt for plain or fragrant, rather than fried, rice dishes in order to keep the calories down, but the great thing about Thai cuisine is that meals are generally composed with all elements very well balanced, so it is most likely that a full meal would contain all these marvellous ingredients in just the right proportions.

In Pattaya, the discos start around 9pm at night, with a few night spots remaining open until 9am at dawn. These types of clubs range in dimensions, the kind of music, starting time and kinds of visitors. The hottest Pattaya night clubs for international visitors at the moment include Lucifer Disco, Club Insomnia, Marine and Mixx disco. Well-known evening spots include Candy Shop and Walking Street Club. Lucifer disco has hip hop and r&b music, Club Insomnia hosts techno and hypnotic trance songs, Marine disco has dance and techno songs whilst Mixx discotheque has hiphop and r&b.

Insomnia Pattaya is relatively new in relation to the other clubs but it has rapidly grown to become the number hot spot. Whilst all of the night clubs are usually available to all visitors coming from all over the world a few of the night clubs have a unique kind of customers. Star Dice in Naklua accommodates mainly Asian visitors coming from Korea, Japan as well as Taiwan. Mixx,, Tony disco and Yen Sabai night clubs focus on mainly the Arab-speaking tourists to Pattaya. Walking Street Club, Lucifer as well as Mixx are well-liked by the African American tourists.

Most of the night clubs in Pattaya will not demand an entry payment; however they do need you to purchase a minimum of one beverage, occasionally two, over the course of your evening. Lucifer Pattaya is the second most popular nightspot with live bands playing hip hop every night except for Mondays when Lucifer hosts a female and couples dance contest with the winner receiving a bottle of whiskey.