“N o one gives a shit about a freshly graduated student who has no name.” M.R. Chalermchatri “Adam” Yukol, son of Prince Chatrichalerm.

“I ‘ve played at almost every pub, bar and restaurant in this town. Even when they didn’t pay.” Koh Mr. Saxman

“Ifail all the time but it’s not really failure as long as you’ve tried your best.” Amata Lupaiboon, architect

“P ‘Daeng was a good brother... No matter what happened, we are still brothers, Col. Sansern “Kai Oo” Kaewkamnerd, CRES spokesman

I just want to be a normal woman.” Nalada “Mik” Thamthanakhorn, 19, crowned Miss Tiffany Universe at age 19

People keep asking me why I keep getting into debt. I don’t get offended. Life is too short.” Thep Pho-ngam, comedian

“Ithink humans consume too much. The next generation will have nowhere to live because of global warming.” Tan Passakronatee, founder of buffet chain Oishi

T hai artists are really more talented and better looking than any others in the world.” Film Rattapoom, singer, talking before his baby scandal in September

“Ithink I’ll be eternally famous.” Sek Loso, upon the release of his new album Sek Plus+

“I don’t agree with censorship.” Kong Rithdee, film critic at the Bangkok Post

“I don’t worry about taking sides even though I am a journalist.” Sarocha Pornudomsak,  TAN director

“I am not a dictator.” Artiwara Konmaila, a.k.a. Toon, frontman of Bodyslam

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SEPTEMBER

- Thailand’s First TRULY Viral Ad
1,258,716 views for a teacher destroying a student’s cell phone—too bad it was all an evil plot to sell spicy burgers.
-  THE BAHT
Stronger and stronger.
- CAT blocks 3G
On Sep 12, the Government-owned company wins the hatred of every single geek in the kingdom by blocking 3G—just as the rest of the world is gearing up for 4G.
-  IPHONE 4
You know something’s gone too far when even 10-year-olds on the BTS have a 26,000 baht phone.
- NAHM WARS
Everyone is cheering the opening of David Thompson’s Nahm, until the New York Times runs a story titled “Thais Bristle at Australian’s Take on Thai Cuisine” on Sep 23. Let the chauvinistic, misinformed mud-slinging commence.
-  TRENDING: POLITICAL ART
Tonson Gallery becomes an oasis of political expression in an increasingly repressed society. First, Pichet Klunchun impersonates reds and yellows in a gripping choreography. Then, Rirkrit Tiravanija illustrates the gallery’s walls with scenes from the protests. At Akko Art Gallery, Vasan Sitthiket lambasts Thaksin and the Army, while Pichet stages another very political performance at Patravadi.
- KRISPY KREME
‘Nuff said.

OCTOBER

- Rebellious FLIP-FLOPS
On Oct 3, a woman is arrested in Ayutthaya for selling flip-flops with Abhisit’s face on them and the message, “People died at Ratchaprasong.”
- Pinky vs Thunya
Hot chicks having slapfests over a guy in TV soaps are fine. But when it’s in real life, we’re totally psyched.
- TRENDING:ANANDA’S REMAKES
Released Oct 7, In See Daeng, by director Wisit Sasantieng (Fah Talai Jone) resurrects the 1960s superhero starring Ananda Everingham as the masked defender of good. Shortly after, Ananda stars in Eternity, another remake, this time of a 1955 movie based on a 1943 novel.
- TRENDING:HEALTHCARE WOES
2010 sees Thailand’s healthcare system fall apart. It starts with corrupt health ministry officials misappropriating Thai Khem Kaeng funds, followed by doctors refusing us the right to sue them for malpractice and, finally, the realization that healthcare costs for civil servants (which doubled from 2005 to 2009) are spiralling out of control.
- VAMPIRE WEEKEND
On Oct 22, the preppie band can’t live with the hype as fans complain their gig is just way too short.
- DANISH-THAI
Sra Bua, the sister restaurant of one-Michelin star restaurant Kiin Kiin opens. The big deal (apart from the star)? Kiin Kiin and Sra Bua serve Thai food although the original chef is Danish.
-  FLOODS!
Bad, bad weather. Boo!
- TRENDING: COMMUNITY MALLS
On Halloween, Mansion 7 opens, the last of a long string of community malls to open in Bangkok in 2010: K. Village, Grass Thonglor, Park Lane and Paradise Park.

NOVEMBER

- Aung San Suu Kyi is Free!
Following the Burmsese elections and her release from house arrest, she addresses the crowds on Nov 14.
- 2,000+ FETUSES FOUND IN TEMPLE
Nov 18, in Thonburi, Lanjakorn Jantamas, 33, performed illegal abortions, charging B5,000 for women under three months pregnant and up to B30,000 for those past five months. She also accepted fetuses from clinics, charging them B500 per fetus. She would then deliver the remains to a temple’s undertaker, who she paid B100 per fetus.

DECEMBER

- 8
Number of months between the US release of the iPad and its official release in Thailand, on Dec 3.
- WIKI-LEaks
Where we finally find out that Thailand’s politicians are considered corrupt by the rest of the world. Shocking!
- INSECTS BANNED
Insects in the Backyard, an indie film dealing frankly with sex while blurring gender lines, gets banned by the film commission.

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MAY

- ONG BAK 3
Tony Jaah puts on a few pounds and learns to dance.
- Naresuan-Gate
Half of the B200 million budget from the Ministry of Culture to support Thai cinema goes to King Naresuan, causing an uproar. It later gets halved when financial support for the film from other ministries comes to light.
- B36 billion
Amount transferred by Siam Commercial Bank from accounts held by the Shinawatra family to the Ministry of Finance, making the grand total seized B46 billlion.
- ATTACK!
The Thai Army launches an all-out assault on the Red Shirt camp and arrests its core leaders. The protests last over two months and leave 91 dead and some 2,100 injured. Red Shirts also torch parts of CentralWorld, Siam Square, Channel 3 and Victory Monument.
- TRENDING: ALL-NIGHT HOUSE PARTIES
With the curfew declared on May 19-29, Bangkokians take to partying at home or clubbing from dusk till dawn as it is stricly forbidden to be out and about from 8pm-6am. 
- BRT
The Bus Rapid Transit system opens, connecting Sathorn to the depths of Southern Bangkok.
- TRENDING: BANGKOK Love-in
On May 28, BK Magazine and A Day Bulletin simultaneously release post-protest covers with giant hearts (red for BK, pink for A Day). Soon, the “We (heart) Bangkok” gimmick is everywhere, culminating in the BMA’s Together We Can campaign.
- B170 billion
The Defense Ministry budget for 2011, nearly twice what it was in 2006 (B86 billion), before the coup.

JUNE

- Plastic Bag Crackdown
The BMA promises to launch a “No Bag No Baht” campaign at nine BMA markets to be enforced from June 5 onward. The bags showed up, but not the penalty for not bringing your own.
-WORLD CUP FEVER
The amount of money gambled in Thailand reaches B37 billion.
- FRENCH IS THE NEW ITALIAN
4 Garcons, Table de Tee, Triplets—finally Thais are cooking French food and bringing prices down, making the stodgy cuisine fun all over again.

JULY

- TRENDING: GOVT. FLEXESMUSCLES
First, red shirt activist Sombat Boonngamanong is arrested, then the “Kor Thod Pra Thet Thai” (Apologise Thailand) ad is banned; then student protesters in Chiang Rai are arrested and given a psychiatric evaluation.
- FACEBOOK KILLER
In Chonburi, on Jul 20, a man shoots his wife and himself because he catches her chatting with another man on Facebook.
- TRENDING: COCKTAILS DONE RIGHT
Bangkok is increasing committed to quality cocktails. With Soul Food Mahnakorn (opened in September), Fat Gut’z (July), Hyde & Seek and WTF (both in April), we now have four places that craft their drinks with attention and talent.
- NICHKHUN
K-Pop + Thai = [shrieks]

AUGUST

- TRENDING: INDIE CINEMA
In the wake of Apichatpong’s victory, auteur cinema in Thailand enjoys a brief surge of popularity. Anocha Suwichakornpong’s Mundane History, which won multiple awards at international film fests, kicks off the Director’s Screen series on Aug 5. Brown Sugar, an erotic series of shorts comes out on Aug 26, Agrarian Utopia screened Sep 2 and the 14th Thai Short Film and Video Festival runs Jul 1-Aug 1.
- 77
Number of provinces in Thailand since Bueng Kan’s upgrade.
- Hello Stranger
Bangkok Love Story production house GTH, Shutter director Banjong and A Day editor Zcongklod team up to bring us this feel-good romantic comedy which fanned the K-craze.
- Airport Link opens
Finally, an alternative to the dodgy taxi  ‘no meter’ mafia.
- GOOD COUNCIL
A handful of Bangkokians vote for  a sweeping Democrat majority in the district and city council elections.
- SPIRITS
TCDC’s spooky exhibition triggers screams with its dark rooms and grotesque figures. Originally charted to end in Nov, it is extended to Jan 9 due

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JANAUARY 

- GREENDAY
The top international act of the year—14 years after their first visit.
- TRENDING: CUPCAKES
Hot on the heels of New York, Bangkok goes crazy for the petite cakes as Cream by Cafe de Tu, Cupcake Carrousel, Pandora and Hi-Tim join the fray.
- CULTURE ONE
Bangkok’s ONLY dance music festival (sorry, ZoomOut you don’t count).
- B1.2 million
The price of one GT200. By the end of January, questions are raised about the bomb detectors, which ultimately proved completely useless when finally tested properly. The army purchased over 500 units.

FEBRUARY 

- TRENDING: BEAUTY DRINKS
Packed with sugar and with no real health benefits, beauty and supplement drinks start to crowd our shelves.
- CNY+VD
Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day fall on the same day. Cuddly pink tiger anyone?
- BOAT SHOES
- Red Storm Rising
The red shirts march peacefully through Bangkok, in Thailand’s biggest demonstration ever, marking the beginning of a two-month standoff that would end in bloodshed and the destruction of parts of downtown Bangkok.

MARCH

- NAK PROK
After being banned for three years, the movie about three criminals ordaining to escape the law finally hits screens.
- 100,000
Number of people who fall ill as a result of the smog in the Northern provinces. Things got pretty bad in Bangkok, too—then again, we’re used to polluted air.
- GEEK CHIC
- THAI KICK-OFF
A new season of the local football league kicks off to big crowds and big sponsors—the dawn of a more professional Thai Premier League.
- TRANSCOOL TOKYO
Finally the BACC gets something right with this truly “cool” exhibition mixing modern Japanese artists and Thai artists influenced by Japan.
- TRENDING:WINE
Wine Connection officially opens (along with K Village, Mar 26) and, soon, queues for a table are 40-minutes long. But it’s not just Wine Connection’s sub-B1,000, retail-priced wines. Siam Winery reports its sales doubled over the past few years and Pullman’s Wine Pub continues to be packed. 2010: the year wine went mass market in Bangkok.

APRIL

- TRENDING:#bullshit /#trustworthy
With increasing political polarization comes increasing dissatisfaction with traditional media both in and outside of Thailand. That, plus an appetite for minute-by-minute coverage of the protests sends Bangkokians running to Twitter for their fix of news.
- DESCENT INTO VIOLENCE
On Apr 8, a State of Emergency is declared. On Apr 10, red shirts and the army exchange fire at Phan Fah bridge, leaving 25 dead, including one Japanese journalist and five soldiers.

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