Many consider Southeast Asia the place to get the best nip-and-tuck for your buck. The region charges some of the lowest fees in the world for plastic surgery while many clinics maintain medical reputations that rival the West.
Of SE Asian countries, most foreigners seek surgery in Thailand. Many of the reputable spa/clinics, including Phuket Plastic Surgery and St. Carlos Cosmetic Surgery Clinic also offer holistic healing services so often mimicked by faux Asian-themed resorts in the U.S.
Though the prices are cheap, Thai plastic surgery opens a whole new ethical can of worms with an already touchy subject. In addition to breast implants, Thailand's doctors are known for specializing in gender reassignment surgeries. And more Asians themselves are making appointments to have blepharoplasty (a procedure that adds a crease to the eyelid) that many consider an attempt to look more "white." We're hoping the day comes when societal pressures no longer prompt such procedures, but until then, the option is there for only a few thousand bucks.
Related Stories:
· Plastic Surgery Travel [Jaunted]
· Thailand Hotels [HotelChatter]
[Photo: Steve Klotz]]]>
We are human, so of course we love shopping and above all, we love a good sale. So we are pretty excited to hear that the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale is on again from Friday, and it lasts for a whole three months.
Many of the big department stores in Bangkok and other tourist hotspots like Phuket and Chiang Mai take part in this annual sale, and the tourist board reckons that some discounts will be up to 70% off the original price. Bargain!
For totally obsessive shopping freaks, the biggest event is the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Fair, running from 21 to 24 June in the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, including extra special exhibitions (and maybe really amazing discounts) in honor of the king's 80th birthday this year. What are you still reading for: get shopping!
[Photo: grantthai]
Related Stories:
· Amazing Thailand Grand Sale [Official Site]
· Shopping coverage [Jaunted] ]]>
Ever since we read--yes, read--The Beach, we've been fighting this vision of Bangkok as a disgusting pit of cheap, dirty guesthouses full of British backpackers. But it turns out you don't have to shack up in a hell hole next to a young, fresh-faced Leonardo DiCaprio. Travel + Leisure's Sarah Kantrowitz has all the dish on Bangkok's newest places to stay.
The closest any of the places comes to Beach-level guesthouse is Luxx, where Sarah promises:
Gen Xers stretch out on the lobby couches to read Lonely Planet guidebooks and Australian fashion magazines while using the free Wi-Fi.Free WiFi? Sounds good to us!
[Photo: Fox]
Related Stories
· Bangkok's New Mini Hotels [T + L]
· Luxx [Official Site]
· The Eugenia [Official Site]
· Arun Residence [Official Site]]]>
