The issue about eating at any restaurant that serves SHARK FIN SOUP is that over 100 MILLION sharks are slaughtered each year, mostly for their fins & SHARKS ARE ENDANGERED. When you wipe out the apex predator (sharks, polar bears, grizzly bears, tigers) it causes an imbalance & the over-population of other species.

In addition to the danger of shark extinction & the havoc that it wreaks on the balance of nature, it's terribly wasteful, as the rest of the shark is thrown back into the sea, the shark slowly drowns, as sharks must swim forward constantly, to breathe, they never sleep. Here's a website where you can read up on shark finning:

http://www.seashepherd.org/longlinel...k_finning.html

Oksana, Mango already posted a rant about this on this thread. One rant per thread, please. ;-)

Excuse me, but I did not post a "rant". I was clarifying some highly inaccurate information... the assumption that somehow patronizing restaurants that serve sharkfin soup is okay, is not ecologically accurate because sharks are endangered and many species are near extinction.

For the record, I was part of a US scuba diving group that successfully lobbied Disney World Asia to stop serving sharkfin soup at their restaurant & advertising it as part of a Disney package tour. I am proud of that.

Many people do not understand that sharks provide a necessary function as apex predators.

"Ranting" = attacking others. I did no such thing. If you are uncomfortable with learning the truth about sharks, then just scroll by.

For others that are interested in educating themselves:
www.sharkwater.com.
will give you information about a documentary on the subject that will be showing in the US starting Nov. 2.

Destruction of a species is everyone's problem.

I don't consider ranting to be attacking others. That's a flame. Ranting is just going on about something. I'm well aware of the issues about sharks. In my posting noting that most Chinese restaurants serve shark fin soup, I was simply pointing out that this wasn't just an issue about China House.

I know you are new to the site, AskOsana, and I guess you didn't get my wink.

We're a pretty kindly group here.

By the way, we all go on about things from time to time. I've been known to go on and on about the issues about visiting Burma. And yes, I consider it ranting. We do give each other gentle nudges at times to let something go.

There io so much wonderful dining in BKK. Places we found on our own that you might want to try...
Aubergine
Zannotti
Crepes & Co
I know, they are not Thai, but BKK is a ciosmopolitan city where everything is available
ohter favorites....
Silpata River House (where we had a great view of the barge parade)
Harmonique
Jim Thompson
Condoms and CAbbages
I know the others will come back to me, but I can't think of them just now

I'll be at Zannotti tonight. Haven't been there in years.

carol, went to look for maeng today on soi 13, could not find her. how close is she to suk?

I read everyone's comments for entertainment about the China House.
A friend of mine is Bobby Foy and he and Bouley and several family members went on a speaking tour in Sept. to HK, BK, and Shanghai. I told Bobby about the China House and that I eat there 3 times all before the renovation and some are saying it was not nearly aas good after.He was well aware of the place and would suggest that as 1 place to eat dinner. The other night some officials of the King entertained them along with the Minister of Tourism.
They go unannounced by name and reported that the dinner was quite good. The Peking Duck Bobby said as did most of the others rivaled the best they had ever had but the 2 beef dishes, 2 vegetable and fish dish and several appetizer dishes were fair to good but only 2 were memorable plus the duck.
I share this for what it is worth. Yes, I eat for free in Foy's restaurants, they are GREAT.