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Singha
Taste of Thailand Challenge
2006
 | Can
Farang (westerners)
ever be Thai?
Thailand’s
FRUITIEST cross-cultural game show – The Singha Taste of
Thailand Challenge, hosted by Worathep
na Banglampu, hits the road
again in 2006 in search of the answer.
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THE
CHALLENGE
Whether farang can ever behave like Thais or not, the
efforts are hilarious as tourists and travellers (and the occasional foolhardy
expat) take the Singha Taste of Thailand Challenge to win the hearts and minds
of the Thais in the audience and win travel-related incentives, by making fools
of themselves. "We've got a great show this year," said the event emcee Worathep
na Banglampu. "We had such fun last year and got a huge response from mates around
the region who saw us on the telly that we've decided to tighten things
up a little bit. We've added a few surprises to the game show and our guest artists
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are some of the best live bands in Thailand," added Worathep. This
funky, live road show features music from Thai reggae allstars T-Bone, MTV darlings
Futon, Tonic Rays (Joe Cummings of Lonely Planet fame), Thai indie godfathers
DayTripper, Blues with balls - … er hum Cannonball and soul searchers Diamond
Jack Remixed. "It's kind of like an alternative to the pub - in the pub," said
Worathep. | | | | | |  | | DATES
The
Singha Taste of Thailand Challenge will kick off in Bangkok with a big show at
the Brick Bar - part of Buddy Lodge on Khaosan Road (Worathep's spiritual homeland)
on November 16 before heading north to Chiang Mai (Nov 24), Pai (Nov 26), south
to Samui (Nov 30) and finishing up at the Hard Rock Cafe in Pattaya (Dec 3).
The
entire nationwide tour will be filmed and broadcast internationally on Star World
TV. In edition the event has is being covered online at KhaoSanRoad.com, nationally
by Bangkok Post and Untamed Travel and in the regions by Chiang Mai City Life,
Pai Post, Samui Community Publications and Pattaya Mail Group. 
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HOST
Worathep na Banglampu claims he was reborn on Khaosan Road
and adopted at (re)birth by a tuk tuk driver and a cook from a hostel on this
famous backpacker street. Yeah, right! Worathep landed on the famous backpacker
processing camp fifteen years ago, on the first leg of his round-the-world adventure
- en route to Australia. He still hasn't left. The closest Worathep's been to
the Land Down Under was watching the recent Steve Irwin tribute DVD he picked
up
at Panthip Plaza. So how come he's not moved on in all these years? In
his own words: "Thailand blew my mind: iced drinks in plastic bags, five | | 
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people on a motorcycle, salt in orange juice. Everything was so different: liberating.
My tuk tuk driver from the airport, shrouded in a mysterious pall of smoke, talked
calmly to me in Thai. Even though I had only just arrived I kinda understood what
he was saying: Had I eaten yet? Did I like Thai ladies? Little did I know at the
time that the tuk tuk driver would become Khun Por (my Dad). I realised there
was so much to learn about this fascinating country and dedicated my life to understanding
what my adoptive parents are going on about. Also, when I found out that my favourite
dish in the world, Fried Rice with Crab, was called cowpat poo crap in Thai, I
knew I was home," said Worathep. |
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