ThaiStik

Based on your post I'm guessing you're American. Split your shipments up and you can send 5 kg x 4 by SAL for cheap.

"That lao khao is no joke. I found out what it was the hard way after drinking most of a large bottle...Great night until I threw up"

Perfect example of the problem!

The problem is not MODERATE consumption of alcohol. In fact, fMRI brain scans of MODERATE drinkers show better brain activity than people who don't drink.

The problem is EXCESSIVE consumption of alcohol.

I literally had no idea what it was. I was going to buy a beer, but then I saw an older guy buying a small bottle and I asked him if it was good. He said 'good!' and gave me a thumbs up, so I was like ok, let's try it! The cloying sweetness totally fooled me. Lol

That lao khao is no joke. I found out what it was the hard way after drinking most of a large bottle at a train station outside of Bangkok. I ended up battling soi dogs and talking to random Thai people all around. Great night until I threw up...

Thailand has several types of Indians--Punjabi, Sindhi and Tamil are the most visible. There are some very wealthy Punjabis and Sindhis in Thailand for sure. BTW, the land the Holiday Inn in HK is built on is owned by a Sindhi family that owns a pretty serious house in HK. I've been there and it is something to behold. Celebrities from all over visit the Harilelas when they're in town. They have a round dining table that seats around 30 guests at a time with full kitchen and wait staff and bartenders in tuxedos. Pretty much the entire family lives in one house (sixty people?) with all kinds of service staff, including drivers, security, etc. It's what Hong Kong used to be like under British rule, just supersized! I imagine the Bangkok Indian families with money do it up much the same way, or even bigger, since Thailand's a heck of a lot cheaper than HK.

I don't know as much about the Tamils, but they have been in BKK for a while and their presence in SIlom is very evident. They have a temple in Silom too--can't miss it if you see it.

Marrying into these families is possible, but unlikely. It does happen though. For someone from one of these families to marry outside their own cultural group (e.g., Punjabi/Sindhi/Tamil) is already unusual, and seen as a bit disgraceful, even in 2013. Even if the kids have top notch educations from the best schools around (literally the best), they listen to their moms and dads for the most part!

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-08-29-bangkok-indian-community_N.htm

Forgot about the Gujaratis...anywhere there are gems to buy and sell, you'll find em!

http://www.thaindian.com/the-india-story/indian-origin-nishita-shah-19th-richest-in-thailand-4830.html

The hard ones are really, REALLY hard. I mean knife-dulling hard.

Filipino recipe for you, but it's originally Chinese:

http://thebubblywife.blogspot.hk/2011/06/happy-cooking-beef-ampalaya-with-oyster.html

I love the stuff. I was struggling with the bitterness is Cebu once and had a cute girl cheering me on as I worked my way through it.

Interesting term I hadn't heard of. In Indian culture the dowry goes from the bride's side to the groom's. Nowadays this often means the bride's family pays for the wedding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dowry_system_in_India

The Thai EOD commissioned an LP Thuad amulet for soldiers serving in the south...I'd love one of those, but the 'landlords' online are trying to charge excessive rent for them...