Shocking news at 4am

Few news events really shock me these days. You know, the type of news that make you sit up with a jolt and doubt that you have heard correctly. Well, this morning was such a moment. At about 4am I was busy working on my new blog featuring travel questions - www.peter-travel.blogspot.com - when I heard on the Fox channel that the CNN presenter Richard Quest had been arrested for drugs in New York's Central Park. My immediate reaction was: impossible! Had I heard correctly? Surely not? And at 3.40 in the morning (US time), with a packet of meths in his pocket - no, never!

The image of the freshly-scrubbed upper-class Brit did not fit with that of a junkie hanging around a public park at dawn. If he'd been bust with a line of cocaine in a posh upper East Side apartment, maybe, but this was too incredible to believe.

I made sure that it wasn't April 1, then switched to BBC World to listen to their news broadcast. After all, he used to work for them. Well, the news came and went without a mention. Unfortunately, I don't have CNN, so no chance of checking there.

Thank goodness for the Internet. I googled 'Richard Quest Arrest' and there it was..."found with methamphetamine in Central Park'. The report went on to say that he had already appeared before a judge and had been released after agreeing to undergo drug counselling and therapy for six months. Wow - that was quick! So, those night courts I have seen on TV are real...

Apparently the 46 year-old TV star was only stopped because he was violating the park's 1am curfew and he was being escorted out of the park when he confessed to the meths in his pocket. Well, there we are. Now we know why he always so jumpy and excitable when he appears on TV. I wonder if he'll hold onto his job after this.

UPDATE: 29 July 2008
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - CNN reporter Richard Quest has returned to the cable news channel after a hiatus stemming from his drug arrest and court-ordered counseling, a spokesman for the Atlanta-based network said on Friday.

Quest, known for his boisterous and quirky reporting, returned to CNN International in late June and has been producing general news segments and working on the August edition of "CNN Business Traveler," the show he hosted before his arrest, said Nigel Pritchard, a spokesman for CNN.

"We're very pleased to have him back," Pritchard said.

Police stopped Quest, 46, in April for being in New York's Central Park past curfew, and they discovered a bag of methamphetamines on the British reporter. A judge ordered him to undergo six months of counseling in exchange for having the case dismissed.

Me and the Formula One star

Guess who's just moved into my neighbourhood... none other than Formula One racing ace Kimi Raikkonen. Yes, the reigning World Champ has bought a home down the road from me in Phuket - and who could blame him?

So, soon I will be throwing back a few beers with Kimi and the other guys, chatting away like old mates. Maybe he will let me have a spin in his Ferrari or ask me to drive him over to Krabi for the weekend. As a long-term expat, I can show him the ropes around here. I'm sure he will soon regard me as a fountain of knowledge and a good pal.

Well, maybe not. The 27 year-old Finn won't actually be living right next door to me. His home is certainly on the same road as mine, but about four kilometres down the drag. The area is known as Chalong, and it's on the southern tip of the island. However, unlike my one-bedroom townhouse facing the back of a bank, his stunning villa is right on the beachfront, with amazing views stretching as far as the Phi Phi Islands.

He made the purchase while he was in the region for the recent Malaysian Grand Prix. His new home is part of a high-end development known as Serenity Terraces, which features villas on the seafront with private swimming pools. Owners have the use of an 89ft 5-star luxury yacht, a speedboat, catamarans and kayaks, so the nearby islands are just a hop away. No-one is saying how much it cost, but the man from Finland probably paid around one million US dollars.

This is what he had to say: "I am really looking forward to enjoying the rare vacations away from the track in this hideaway beachfront community."

As he will be a valued member of the local community, I've done a bit of research about him. For one thing, he's loaded. When he switched from McLaren to Ferrari in 2007, he became the highest paid driver in the sport - and that means big, big, big bucks! So, he can pick up the tab when we have a few drinks at the Chalong Lighthouse or pop into the Amanpuri for dinner.

Apparently my new mate is very calm, cool, and calculating. That won't be a problem. Living in Thailand for a few years we have all had to pick up those traits - anyone who is not cool, calm and calculating will soon end up in the poorhouse or on a flight home. So, no personality clash there.

And I know that his nickname is "Iceman", which is subtly written on the side of his current helmet design. His other nicknames include Kimppa, Raikka and Kimster (used by his mechanics). I think I'll stick with Raikka.

I've also learnt that he loves to sleep - so much so that he needs to be woken up before qualifying and races. That's going to have to change -not even a racing driver would be able to sleep through the racket made when the longtailed boats roar into action outside his front door at 6am.

For the next few months, I am going to have to brush up on my Formula One knowledge and take off the earmuffs when a Grand Prix is on the TV. I will be able to chat away like a lifelong F1 fan. One thing I sure as hell won't tell him is that I was ardently supporting Lewis Hamilton for the Drivers Championship last year. Oh, no, from now on Kimi is my man.

10 things about Thailand you might not know

Thailand is more than just an amazing country; it never ceases to surprise. In that spirit here are 10 facts about the country you may not have known:

1. The Thai greeting "Sawatdee" was only invented during the Second World War. Prior to that people greeted each other by asking if they had eaten yet. (This is still commonly asked, but after the initial greeting).

2. According to the World Meteorological Organisation, Bangkok is the hottest city in the world. (I would have thought Dubai or Jeddah may have beaten it, but who am I to argue?)

3. Thai people do not call the capital Bangkok, they call it Krung Thep (city of angels).

4. The city's full name is "Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit". That translates to "The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukam"

5. The gathering of more than one million people to celebrate the Thai King's 60th year on the throne on 9 June 2007 was the largest known public gathering in one place to celebrate a Royal event. (Eat your heart out, Buckingham Palace!)

6. Prior to 1913, most Thai people did not have surnames (now they have some of the world's longest!)

7. Thailand is the world's largest exporter of rice.

8. Thailand has never been colonised by a foreign power and always kept its independence, unlike its south and Southeast Asian neighbours.

9. You should never write the name of a person in red ink, unless they are dead or you want them dead!

10. Prostitution is illegal in Thailand. (Enough said!)

Smile for the camera

When you visit Thailand, don't be surprised by the number of teenage girls (and boys) you see with braces on their teeth. At some of the Bangkok malls, it will often seem as though every second youngster you pass has problem teeth. No, that's not it. And neither has there been an explosion of dental care.

No, what you are witnessing is the latest fashion trend. Those braces are fakes. Teens from the West often cringe when they are forced to wear the unsightly braces, but in Thailand they are a sign of affluence. Only rich parents take their kids off to orthodontists, so it became a sign that you were one of the privileged few.

No longer. With fake braces of all sizes, colours and design on sale everywhere from outdoor markets to trendy boutiques, it has become yet another fashion statement. And it makes it so much easier for those who really are forced to wear braces - no-one could possibly know.

The health authorities have been threatening to clamp down on those who manufacture the pseudo-dental gear, but the show goes on. The do-it-yourself kits come with red, pink, yellow, blue or multicoloured rubber bands to match the buyer's outfit or mood. You'd be hard-pressed to find a plain-coloured band in a Thai mouth.

In this trend-obsessed society, I wish I had the foresight to predict what will be the next hot product. I guess it will be something electronic, but it could just as easily be a pet rock or high-heel shoes made from wire. Once I find out, you will be the first to know.