Thailand

In the glamorous world of beauty pageants, some people leave a lasting impression that never fades. Apasra Hongsakula, the amazing Miss Universe winner, is a shining example of timeless grace and beauty. Back in 1965, she won the prestigious Miss Universe title, captivating everyone with her radiant charm. Fast-forward to today, at the age of 76, Apasra Hongsakula still looks astonishingly young and full of life, as if time hasn’t touched her at all.

In the northeast of Thailand, a family of enormous stone whales swims through the forest. These aren’t real whales, of course, they’re actually a part of a 75-million-year-old rock formation. A long time ago, this part of Thailand was just a desert. The movements of the earth’s crust pushed sandstone up to create these fascinating mountains.

This. Is. Earth... 335 million years ago. I wasn’t around then, but there’s just one supercontinent, Pangaea. See? Let’s watch it shift around in fast-forward. Ok here we go, it just split into two huge pieces! Australia goes this way, North and South America go that way. Africa, Asia, Europe, forming, forming... and there we go, the planet as it is today. Let’s keep going, I mean, the continents are always on the move! Over time, some of them will crash into each other, others will break apart. But that’ll take about 100 million years! Better put it on super fast-forward! 100 years from now. Humans keep spitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and the planet’s already warmed up a bunch. The world’s ocean levels have risen about 4 feet. The Bahamas? They’ve totally disappeared! 200 years from now. The Earth’s population is about 19 billion people. The climate’s gotten even warmer, we’re packed in like sardines over here! New medical tech makes it possible to live to 180! But why? Fossil fuel reserves of oil and gas... long gone. Oh, and the continents have drifted over 16 feet!

In our age, net idols have become so immensely popular that it’s difficult to remember everyone’s names. However, one internet idol has truly stood out and captivated our attention — a tiny chihuahua from Thailand named Nong Khae Calorie. She always shares delightful and charming pictures with her fan club, garnering mutual admiration and affection.

Laws and regulations form the backbone of society, governing our daily lives and ensuring order and fairness. While many laws are practical and straightforward, there exist a multitude of intriguing and often unexpected rules that have been put into place around the world. In this article, we embark on a captivating exploration of the fascinating rules and laws that shape different cultures and countries, unveiling the unique legal quirks that exist beyond our borders.In Arizona make sure you don’t have a sleeping donkey in your bathtub any time after 7 pm. This is a law made in 1924, after an incident that occurred during a flood. One merchant often allowed his donkey to sleep in his bathtub. This was before they weren’t attached to the floor and could easily be moved. When the town was flooded on a fateful night, the sleeping donkey was carried away by the torrent. It sailed through town and ended up in a valley one mile away. The donkey was stranded in the tub, floating helplessly. The town gathered and eventually saved the poor guy. But as it took a lot of effort and resources during the rescue, they quickly made a new decree, there will be no more donkeys sleeping in bathtubs! So there.

Scientists make discoveries that change the world, but even they can face mysteries. Here are 10 things that have baffled scientists.Imagine that you constantly hear a low-frequency hum — and no one can trace its source. Roughly 4% of the world’s population hears “The Hum.” It’s a geography-free sound. I mean, people all around the world hear it, so the name varies from Taos Hum to Auckland Hum, depending on the region where it gets generated. The sound is just on the threshold of human hearing. People hear it less when they’re outside, and it gets louder indoors, especially at night. What’s even scarier is that you cannot unhear it once you’ve heard it. Some folks say it started in London around the time of Charles Dickens who wrote “A Christmas Carol” and the low frequency sound actually comes from the “Hum-bug”. Or not...

Imagine the scene: you arrive at the airport in Hawaii a bit earlier and decide to chill in the waiting area. Suddenly, you notice an anxious blonde lady in a white dress standing at a gate. She’s looking out the window on the runway, waiting for someone’s arrival. You reach into your bag for some chocolate to comfort her. But it’s too late! She vanished into thin air.

In Thailand, many barbershops and salons close on Wednesdays due to a common superstition that cutting hair on that day brings bad luck. Despite this belief, a hair transformation can still give you a fresh new look or even a new identity. Get inspired by these celebrities who have debuted their new looks for the new year, and consider trying out a new hairstyle yourself.

Have you ever seen a skyscraper that can change its shape? The creators of the F&F Tower in Panama City had a concept and only $50 million, which isn’t a lot in skyscraper money. So, they couldn’t afford a mistake, and they finished a concrete structure with the 39 upper floors rotating 9 degrees around an axis from the first attempt without spending any extra time or materials. Dubai’s Rotating Tower will look different every time you see it once it’s finished. Each of its 80 floors will rotate 360 degrees individually around the center of the building. The lucky residents will be able to control that rotation, which means they can choose their view from the window. A complete lap should take about 90 minutes. And no, the tower won’t be a huge waste of electricity — it will produce its own energy! Wind turbines between the floors will drive the rotations.

Usually, people can talk to celebrities during fan meetings and during promo campaigns for movies. But, it turns out, that you can meet a star even in a store or at the park. The main thing you should do in this situation is believe your eyes. If you’re lucky, you can say a few words to the star or even take a photo. These lucky guys from Quora shared their stories.

It can be tough navigating unfamiliar cultural norms, especially when you don’t want to offend anyone or ruin your trip. For example, in some Asian countries, it’s considered impolite to point with your index finger. To help you have a smooth trip, we’ve compiled a list of 10 cultural mistakes to avoid.

Tickets? Tickets, please. May I see your ticket? Our train departs in — let’s see... yeah, right now... and off we go, on the most scenic railway route in England. It’s 72 miles of track between Settle and Carlisle, with 380 numbered bridges. Yeah, count ‘em! The line follows the natural twists and turns through the Pennine hills. Hey, is anyone else getting some Harry Potter vibes yet, or is it just me?

Honoring each of our unique cultural traditions isn’t only fun and exciting and good for our mental well-being. From the preparations to the celebrations, participating in them gives us a sense of stability and belonging, which are suitable for our self-care routines. By sharing these with the world, we also show our identities to everyone.

Love can hit us when we least expect it. 2 women who were sent to represent their countries in a beauty pageant were supposed to be rivals, but they ended up becoming friends and then falling in love. Their love story came as a surprise, even to their fans, so we want to share it with you.

Traditions create a sense of belonging and are a great reason to bring us a bit closer to our friends, family, and the entire community we live in. Maybe that’s why people still practice them, no matter how old or outdated they seem to communities far away from them. Also, learning about traditions keep us closer and more engaged with our past. And keeping close to our past helps us move toward the future and form our own personality and sense of identity.

According to a study, single mothers make up the majority of single parents, yet we rarely hear about solo fathers who build their own families and look after their children. Whether you’ve been divorced, had a breakup, or even experienced grief, being a single father can be a life-changing challenge.Many fathers have successfully rocked this role and raised their children without making them feel the void of an absent parent. Chatchai “Sam” Panuthai is one of them, and he recently did something remarkable that his kids will always cherish.

Traveling on public transport is impossible without companions. And some of them are so annoying that you just want to finish the trip immediately and never leave home again. There are people you can ask to stop, but some are absolutely impenetrable and all you can do is just tolerate them.

Asia is home to nearly 60% of the Earth’s population. This continent is the birthplace to some of the world’s earliest civilizations, like Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilization as well as ground-breaking inventions such as gunpowder and paper-making. Even today, Asia never ceases to amaze us with its technological and social innovations which, to a Westerner, might seem like something out of a futuristic sci-fi film.

The dilemma of dignity and love is the topic of many stories and plots of countless books. Though, the choice between duty and relationships is not fictional. The heroes of our article faced this dilemma in real life, and just like the heroes from the pages of books, they found the courage to make one of the most difficult decisions in their lives.

When it comes to sitting down to eat any meal of the day, each country has its own customs. In some places, these protocols are deeply rooted, and not following them can be considered impolite. On the other hand, they are simple habits that a foreign diner can disregard without the risk of seeming out of place.

“Miss Universe” is one of the most prestigious beauty contests in the world. It’s been conducted since 1952 and is a part of the Big Four international beauty pageants, along with “Miss World,” “Miss International,” and “Miss Earth.”

Sutipond Somnam is a successful stock photographer on Depositphotos. He lives in the Sakon Nakhon Province in northeastern Thailand and dedicates his time to travel, portrait, and landscape photography. As a former local video reporter, he mastered videography and then became interested in using a camera to take static pictures. Capturing life in communities as well as nature is now one of Sutipond’s main interests. We’re sharing Sutipond’s observations of Thailand, Myanmar, and Vietnam in this series of images, and telling you about the stories behind these incredible shots.

Engagement, asking for your beloved’s hand, and marriage are conducted in different ways according to a country and its culture. Thus, even though there are some similarities between some customs or traditions, each place — and even each region — can have its own peculiarities and singularities.

Traveling to another country isn’t just about taking selfies in front of monuments and other touristy things. It’s not even just about getting used to different weather or hearing people speak a completely different language. Sometimes, things that seem normal for locals are so strange for foreigners, they might even ask themselves if they made it to the right place or if their plane landed on a completely different planet.