S

Sabadee mai?: "How are you?"

Sabadee Kha: "I’m fine" (for females)

Sabadee Khrap: "I’m Fine" (for males)

Saigon [Ho Chi Minh City]. See entry for Ho Chi Minh City above.

Samlor: literally, "Three Wheels," referring to the ubiquitous three-wheeled, open-air, covered motorcycles used for commercial ["taxi"] transport

Sanook: "Enjoyable," "Fun," or "Happy"; this is a less common Romanization of the Thai word

Sanuk: "Enjoyable," "Fun," or "Happy"; this is the most common Romanization of the Thai word

Satyapon & Partners, Limited. This is a law office specializing in intellectual property rights [See entry for "Intellectual Property Rights" above]. We know an American consulting lawyer there, and can refer serious inquiries to this firm through him.

Sawasdee: "Hello" or "Goodbye," though it is considered bad manners not to add the feminine sentence ending "kha" or masculine "khrap," as appropriate

Sawasdee Kha: "Hello" or "Goodbye" (females)

Sawasdee Khrap: "Hello" or "Goodbye" (for males)

Shotguns. FORBIDDEN!!! Firearms and anything connected with them are strictly forbidden to foreigners in Thailand, and stringently controlled even for Thai nationals. Bringing them in or being caught in possession of them are serious offenses for which Thai authorities neither have nor show any sympathy. Stiff fines and prison sentences are imposed for violations of the various laws regarding possessing or owning firearms and related paraphernalia. Your embassy won’t be able to do much to help you, besides seeing, once a month or so, that you are getting your maggot-infested bowl of rice daily, right along with the Thai prisoners, and that, if you’re lucky, there is a bucket for your sanitary needs. (Get used to this refrain; we repeat it for every entry having anything to do with firearms.)

Silver Dollar Bar [Washington Square]. First bar to the left as you enter from the front gate of Washington Square, i.e., the Sukhumvit Road side [See entry for "Washington Square" below]. This single-shophouse bar is a favorite with Squaronians and other Old Thai Hands. Owned and operated by a Thai lady, Ott, this bar offers some of the better Mexican food around. Also offers Thai and International cuisines. Short-term and long-term rooms are available upstairs. Some of the friendliest people, both staff and patrons, in Bangkok. Offers free Sunday lunch at 2:30 P.M. (for alcohol drinkers only). Darts, television, and music. Ned nd Ott also own Moonshine Place Guest House in the beach resort of Pattaya [See entry for "Pattaya" above], located about two hours south of Bangkok; their place there includes a restaurant and a bar. 9:00 A.M.-1:00 A.M. 550 Sukhumvit Soi 22, Washington Square, Bangkok 10110 Thailand. Telephone (+66) (+2) 258-2033 (and some of the employees do speak some English).

Soi: literally, something like "not a major street" – but in usage, this meaning is not consistent, as some sois are major arteries

Soi Asoke. This is one of the major streets in Bangkok. It is part of a longer road, but the section called Soi Asoke stretches from Sukhumvit Road north to Rama 9 Road, crossing Petchburi Road in the process. This soi lies in the east part of the city, and is also known as "Soi 21." There are numerous businesses and residential areas along it. For those interested in entertainment venues of the city, Soi Asoke is at the west end of Soi Cowboy. Also, Royal City Avenue (also known as just "RCA") lies not very far east of Soi Asoke, between Petchburi Road and Rama 9 Road, as does a concentration of nightclubs, etc. along Rama 9 Road itself. The still-to-be-completed subway will run under the length of Soi Asoke.

Songkhran Festival [Thai New Year]. [See entry for "Thai New Year" below.]

Studio 22 Club. [Washington Square.]. Located directly inside the front gate of the Square (i.e., the gate on the Sukhumvit Road side], this vast bar and restaurant – by far the largest on the Square – is owned by a  Thai gentleman This bar is physically in a former cinema, which it shares with a cabaret, Mambo Cabaret, a performance by katoeys [transsexuals] highly popular with Japanese tourists, who come by the busloads 7 nights a week to the two nightly performance. Formerly a Thai discotheque, in Studio 22 Club’s present incarnation this is also the newsest establishment on the Square, catering to a mixed group of both Thais and foreigners. Offers several pool tables and dart boards, Thai food, and music. There is a square bar in the middle, though one side abuts an interior wall; several sofas at the front, and tables and chairs elsewhere. 5:00 A.M.-1:00 A.M.

Suei: "Beautiful" or "Pretty"