Travelfish #524: The Monktok Edition

I’m leading with week with an interesting piece on monks and social media which taught me a new word I probably never needed to learn—monktok. Give it a read and you might learn a thing or two as well. I’m leading with week with an interesting piece on monks and social media which taught me a new word I probably never needed to learn—monktok. Give it a read and you might learn a thing or two as well. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Return to the Travelfish homepage](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/8rjeF3MJKsMMzK4Z83ehBu67EiE=382) [alt_text] [Travelfish #524: The Monktok Edition](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fnewsletter%2Fnews%2F524/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/HBmgvdjnRUKhVWAZ3lcn4LZDI20=382) Published: 15th July, 2024 Hi all, I’m leading with week with an interesting piece on monks and social media which taught me a new word I probably never needed to learn—monktok. Give it a read and you might learn a thing or two as well. An otherwise quiet week as I’ve been waylaid trying to finish an epic piece for Couchfish that still has no end in sight. Sigh. One more thing, if you’re a travel writer/blogger/photographer/whatever with an interest in AI and both the potential and risks it presents to travel publishing, I’m running [a survey on travel publishing and AI](%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fforms%2Fd%2Fe%2F1FAIpQLScgln2z6HTD3jsZokAHBJl9P5arzr7qaPJO4vpX79WFCuXxeg%2Fviewform%3Fusp=sf_link/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/df4k17NBCtm3B_r1cGoQeOw-LwA=382). Please give it a read and fill it out if of interest. Thank you! The pics this week are of monks, though with not a monktok in sight. See you next week! Stuart [[READ ONLINE](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fnewsletter%2Fnews%2F524/2/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/lI201LezAxaTn-uYAqtzMTsGCvE=382)] [[UNSUBSCRIBE]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Java time [Salad hut.](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fsaladhut/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/9Y7p1jCJoRLzXu_t2PBIEf_GGgY=382) [Ad: Explore Indonesia’s Java with All Points East, from £1,575 twin share. Click here for the details.](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fsaladhut/2/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/jFxY72vuNBR3d2sxpL8lkd-K9Do=382) --------------------------------------------------------------- Screen time beats temple time [Lamphun monks, pre-TikTok.] Lamphun monks, pre-TikTok. Photo: Stuart McDonald. --------------------------------------------------------------- ⭐️ Story of the week - [Tiktok’s Viral Monks Are Clashing With Buddhist Authorities](%2F%2Frestofworld.org%2F2023%2Fbuddhist-monk-tiktok-monastic-code%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/CLY7OVyYriEA7tVH2mCQSF7TkyY=382) from Rest Of World 📚 What I’m reading - [Southerners: A Journalist’s Odyssey](%2F%2Fwww.goodreads.com%2Fbook%2Fshow%2F483186.Southerners/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/6yLio-hYDxV5JkgC_MXwvNULhnE=382) by Marshall Frady 🇲🇲 Burma - [Rising Sea Levels Take A Toll On Myanmar Village](%2F%2Fwww.mekongeye.com%2F2024%2F07%2F15%2Fgawdu-sea-rise%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/6kAvivMtJXipC0eP955INYbYGKM=382) from Mekong Eye - [Keeping The Dream Alive](%2F%2Fwww.rewild.org%2Fnews%2Fkeeping-the-dream-alive/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/QH9tFgKrkK72W3nHrw3Rl6WbsjI=382) from Re:Wild - [Myanmar Temple Town Pines For Tourists As Conflict Rages](%2F%2Fwww.frontiermyanmar.net%2Fen%2Fmyanmar-temple-town-pines-for-tourists-as-conflict-rages%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/op_WqM_oMY7Rf2aEGkUfYj9ITZk=382) from AFP 🇰🇭 Cambodia - [Siem Reap Unveils Major Tourism Upgrade In Wat Bo, Surrounding Areas](%2F%2Fips-cambodia.com%2Fsiem-reap-unveils-major-tourism-upgrade-in-wat-bo-surrounding-areas%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/Gtm9SMxITR2LCGq3_4UJOoV4mXk=382) from IPS - [Legendary Cambodian Musician Celebrated As Master Of Centuries-Old Art Form](%2F%2Fwww.rfa.org%2Fenglish%2Fnews%2Fcambodia%2Fkong-nay-musician-chapei-07122024163926.html/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/1Pq30hHauppMU2FKJXaVT5S91E4=382) from RFA - [Cambodia’s Funan Techo Canal Project: A Catalog Of Worries (Analysis)](%2F%2Fnews.mongabay.com%2F2024%2F07%2Fcambodias-funan-techo-canal-project-a-catalog-of-worries-analysis%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/mv7ARg4D3aoo-USpJFaFFdT_9tw=382) from Mongabay 🌴 Environment - [Heatwave Tourism In Death Valley – In Pictures](%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2Fgallery%2F2024%2Fjul%2F12%2Fheatwave-tourism-death-valley-in-pictures/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/tJWBD-W4fYaLDjtdXP4vJLbSyTo=382) from The Guardian 🇮🇩 Indonesia - [Indonesia And US Seal $35 Mln Coral Reef Debt Swap](%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Fsustainability%2Fland-use-biodiversity%2Findonesia-us-seal-35-mln-coral-reef-debt-swap-2024-07-08%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/MHzRXwgV_dYPs75_Vdljjy6a1jU=382) from Reuters - [Why So Many Of Bali’s Foreign Visitors Don’t – Or Won’t – Pay Its Modest Tourist Levy](%2F%2Fwww.smh.com.au%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fwhy-so-many-of-bali-s-foreign-visitors-don-t-or-won-t-pay-its-modest-tourist-levy-20240710-p5jso4.html/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/M9m-LMmXGTIfG0zUehGeoeXtRXc=382) from Sydney Morning Herald ($) - [Fighting Indonesia’s Plastic Pollution One River Barrier At A Time](%2F%2Fatmos.earth%2Ffighting-indonesias-plastic-pollution-one-river-barrier-at-a-time%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/OUeXW0eRKxhJGDNQvNqVWZPl_Ns=382) from Atmos - [In The Footsteps Of Tigers: The All-Women Patrol Team Protecting Sumatra’s Rainforest](%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fglobal-development%2Farticle%2F2024%2Fjul%2F11%2Fall-women-indigenous-patrol-team-protecting-sumatra-rainforest-tigers-orangutans/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/gBjNkj2nxpKZYPC7CoGkNohtZdQ=382) from The Guardian - [Stone Sentinels Of Central Sulawesi](%2F%2Fopen.substack.com%2Fpub%2Flombokdiaries%2Fp%2Fstone-sentinels-of-central-sulawesi%3Fr=5fap%26utm_campaign=post%26utm_medium=web/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/ucNeViRwyJ27P5MpLCyRbYPOCLQ=382) from The Lombok Diaries - [Indonesian River Trip Retraces Joseph Conrad Voyages That Inspired Lord Jim, Other Novels](%2F%2Fwww.scmp.com%2Flifestyle%2Ftravel-leisure%2Farticle%2F3269751%2Findonesian-river-trip-retraces-joseph-conrad-voyages-inspired-lord-jim-other-novels/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/zmEovz7SUXWXoi1CHGv5np1f0H0=382) from SCMP ($) 🇱🇦 Laos - [Laos Can Feed Itself, But Its Food Security Is Complicated](%2F%2Fwww.rfa.org%2Fenglish%2Fcommentaries%2Flaos-food-security-07062024120007.html/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/i_DyUxpqR8XxNSUEZUvlLBcT-rg=382) from RFA - [Laos Eases Visa Policies For International Visitors](%2F%2Fwww.travelweekly-asia.com%2FDestination-Travel%2FLaos-eases-visa-policies-for-international-visitors/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/9TCUG7iuiTVMhEcJ7yhJPyM81nU=382) from Travel Weekly Asia 🇲🇾 Malaysia - [Joy, Trauma And Identity: Themes From Kuala Lumpur’s Photography Awards](%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fartanddesign%2Fgallery%2F2024%2Fjul%2F15%2Fjoy-trauma-and-identity-themes-from-kuala-lumpur-photography-awards/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/EVaqi-tSYxH_FY_hSn2lY8of7P8=382) from The Guardian 🇸🇬 Singapore - [Singapore’s Hell Theme Park Dead Serious About Afterlife](%2F%2Fuk.news.yahoo.com%2Fsingapores-hell-theme-park-dead-082958170.html/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/39ofbOveJaapGCIDgmS3Zibl3So=382) from AFP - [Singapore Has Approved 16 Insects To Eat As Food: Here’s Everything You Need To Know](%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2Farticle%2F2024%2Fjul%2F10%2Fsingapore-approves-insects-eat-food/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/hJ3Hf4Hrr3pZreg1w6eWF9zyvI4=382) from The Guardian - [The Death Of The Critic, Or Why It’s Really Hard To Write A Bad Review In Singapore Today](%2F%2Fwww.jom.media%2Fthe-death-of-the-critic-or-why-its-really-hard-to-write-a-bad-review-in-singapore-today%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/uheM-934uo0r4GjF1rNqsryVKXQ=382) from Jom - [Singapore Hawkers Highlight Generational Challenge To Famed Culinary Traditions](%2F%2Fasia.nikkei.com%2FEditor-s-Picks%2FTea-Leaves%2FSingapore-hawkers-highlight-generational-challenge-to-famed-culinary-traditions2/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/BJifrrzh91Mz1HuVLDaWYsD56LU=382) from Nikkei Asia ($) 🇹🇭 Thailand - [Samui Sea Bridge Public Hearings Resume](%2F%2Fwww.bangkokpost.com%2Fbusiness%2Fgeneral%2F2829511%2Fsamui-sea-bridge-public-hearings-resume/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/0pCfshllXqWvtgpS4aRA9MuvQIE=382) from Bangkok Post - [T.I.C.D.: Mu Ko Samui (Part I: Ko Samui & Ko Taen)](%2F%2Fopen.substack.com%2Fpub%2Fthaiislandquest%2Fp%2Fticd-mu-ko-samui-part-i-ko-samui%3Fr=5fap%26utm_campaign=post%26utm_medium=web/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/XtBL6DAhUsf2MuHKg8UNCGJKaLE=382) from Thai Island Quest ($) - [When Is It Safe To Burn Fields? In Thailand, Farmers Can Turn To A New App To Check.](%2F%2Fgrist.org%2Finternational%2Ffired-app-system-targeted-solution-to-agricultural-burning-in-thailand%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/zYf4xpa5W82P3L3I9fOTtTnjxdU=382) from Grist --------------------------------------------------------------- Looking for somewhere special in Penang? [Ad: Campbell House in Georgetown, Penang from US$72 per night. Click here for the details.](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fcampbellhouse/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/Yt1naTSzmtlwx_S1oxWEu6r52kQ=382) [Ad: Campbell House in Georgetown, Penang from US$72 per night. Click here for the details.](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fcampbellhouse/2/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/RGQsJeBqTLuns15Qopj2SEgkSBQ=382) --------------------------------------------------------------- 🇻🇳 Vietnam - [Notes On Hanoi](%2F%2Fmovableworlds.co%2Fp%2Fnotes-on-hanoi%3Fr=5fap%26utm_campaign=post%26utm_medium=web/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/E0Frvrfk06DglCTu6XZIS3rofXI=382) from Movable Worlds - [Future Uncertain For Iconic Floating Market In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta](%2F%2Ftuoitrenews.vn%2Fnews%2Fsociety%2F20240707%2Ffuture-uncertain-for-southern-vietnam-s-iconic-floating-market%2F80835.html/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/4VzjnB0vSxlzFRiMa7NJB42ivUc=382) from Tuoi Tre News - [A Merry Morning Over The Fish Markets And Salt Fields Of Phan Rang](%2F%2Fsaigoneer.com%2Fvietnam-travel%2F16308-photos-morning-over-the-fish-markets-and-salt-fields-of-phan-rang/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/21a-es3KMCxtpDui3d-8M_R_YlU=382) from Saigoneer - [12-Hour Downpour Floods Phu Quoc Roads, Causes Evacuations](%2F%2Fe.vnexpress.net%2Fnews%2Fnews%2Fenvironment%2F12-hour-downpour-floods-phu-quoc-roads-causes-evacuations-4770092.html/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/cI8sKiqO2N-k_-6YaSt7fZyqsCA=382) from VNExpress Random other stuff - [China Is Using Archaeology As A Weapon](%2F%2Fwww.economist.com%2Fchina%2F2024%2F07%2F11%2Fchina-is-using-archaeology-as-a-weapon/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/z2IbmTCFuPuhgLd3PkuSQz4ZKxI=382) from The Economist ($) - [Cities Are Cracking Down On Short-Term Rentals. Here’s How](%2F%2Fwww.bloomberg.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2F2024-07-09%2Fairbnb-abnb-vrbo-expe-why-cities-are-cracking-down-on-short-term-rentals/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/_osJcyPLRt4_AuYYgn_vwltBWtc=382) from Bloomberg ($) - [How A Hotel Concierge Spends His Sundays](%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F07%2F13%2Fnyregion%2Fbeekman-hotel-concierge.html/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/yx_Kv4US-YYTfCfCC4EkxLyJX0U=382) from The New York Times ($) - [Tourism Development Doesn’t Equal Bad Jobs – Weak Government Protection Does](%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Ftourism-development-doesnt-equal-bad-jobs-weak-government-protection-does-234188/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/ja9hZNa3oBHAC-WTLfo85CeYt-s=382) from The Conversation - [Fifteen Questions Literature Interview With Tom Vater](%2F%2F15questions.net%2Finterview%2Ffifteen-questions-literature-interview-tom-vater%2Fpage-1%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/47x9S5FWFvogIItFyQd1K82apNY=382) from Fifteen Questions - [Locals Bear The Brunt Of Mass Tourism In Southern Europe](%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fen%2Flocals-bear-the-brunt-of-mass-tourism-in-southern-europe%2Fa-69619068/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/PS6QEDl8v9JApF4Cupk9ToUkYs8=382) from DW - [Bringing The Philippines’ Beloved Mom-And-Pop Stores Into The 21st Century](%2F%2Frestofworld.org%2F2024%2Fsari-sari-philippines-tech%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/nGtcnPh4E6PGNaGAHBTG2oGpz14=382) from Rest Of World - [Places To Love: A Community Tourism Chat With Samantha Brown And Joanna Haugen](%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv=qpNT3KQvKeg/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/HtF_2_IQHwnEvRtB7sq8CuP-JX8=382) from Tourism Cares (Video) - [Crushing The Scam Farms: Southeast Asia’s ‘Criminal Service Providers’](%2F%2Fnews.un.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2024%2F07%2F1151906/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/6pOlSaVbEu3JpONt5iY9Z96orqg=382) from UN News - [Japan Really Should Charge Tourists Four Times More](%2F%2Fwww.japantimes.co.jp%2Fcommentary%2F2024%2F07%2F08%2Fjapan%2Fjapan-overtourism-extra-tourist-charge%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/23y5OYUChmgmnMPFLMBGVqjeXFU=382) from Japan Times - [No Room For Privacy: How Airbnb Fails To Protect Guests From Hidden Cameras](%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2024%2F07%2F09%2Fbusiness%2Fairbnb-hidden-camera-invs%2Findex.html/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/vpIo05hP3GxW9Tw4tHgRZoPWnw8=382) from CNN - [#200 – A Look Back on 10 years of Talk Travel Asia](%2F%2Ftalktravelasia.com%2F2024%2F07%2F14%2Ftalk-travel-asia-podcast-10th-year-retrospective%2F/1/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/d9UV36mvgcQPuSRbu17n3Cmgvmg=382) from Travel Talk Asia Burmese Days [Do you have a screen in there somewhere? Shwezigon, Bagan, Burma.] Do you have a screen in there somewhere? Shwezigon, Bagan, Burma. Photo: Mark Ord. --------------------------------------------------------------- So that’s the wrap. I hope you are all in good health, and thanks for reading. Cheers! Stuart --------------------------------------------------------------- If you’d like to view this newsletter online, you can [do so here](%2F%2Fwww.travelfish.org%2Fnewsletter%2Fnews%2F524/3/01000190b6ce6ba0-edb0cd7a-a22f-4708-a76d-78af3cc38c07-000000/2rRsxfGLlDa9H92RLneLWxO9C_c=382). This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you are subscribed to the Travelfish newsletter. If you no longer want to receive these emails, [you can unsubscribe at any time here](. Travelfish.org Bali, Indonesia & Sydney, Australia Copyright ©️ 2024 Travelfish.org. All rights reserved.