WTF is Up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong

What is it like to be homeless in Singapore and then enter politics? Coconuts Singapore's Nurul Azliah chatted with author-entrepreneur Liyana Dhamirah about her journey from homeless mother sleeping in a tent to being a candidate in the 2020 Singapore general election.

This special abbreviated episode of The Coconuts Podcast is out early due to the Singapore election cooling off period and holiday. Other stories include: Bali set to welcome foreign tourists in September amid warnings | Thailand Commerce Minister defends monkey slave labor, will meet PETA | Racial enmity accusations abound in pre-election Singapore

The Coconuts Podcast delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news and insightful interviews on matters large and small, designed for people located in - or curious about - Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

We speak with Coconuts Hong Kong Associate Editor Hillary Leung about the recent passage of the National Security Law and what it means for the future of Hong Kong.

Other stories include: Singapore election candidate's claim family under 'attack' meets skepticism | Culinary Pride vs 'Columbusing': The reactions to Gordon Ramsay's Indonesian visit | Get paid to travel in Thailand starting July 15 | Taco Bell to open first Malaysian outlet in Petaling Jaya | Philippines presidential spokesman Roque swims with Subic dolphins despite quarantine

The Coconuts Podcast delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news and insightful interviews on matters large and small, designed for people located in - or curious about - Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Yeu-Gynn Yeung, Coconuts KL Associate Editor, speaks with Malaysian sugar baby Anna about sugar dating during the pandemic.

Byron, Vim, and Summer also discuss the upcoming Singapore General Election.

Other stories include: Bangkok's sex massage parlors can reopen but have to track customers | Almost 2 million Filipino kids to be born in 2021 due to lockdown | Victoria's Secret closes flagship Hong Kong store | Arakan Army commander sees nationhood in victory | Immigration revokes Bali spiritual community founder's temporary stay permit after controversial crowded event

The Coconuts Podcast delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news and insightful interviews on matters large and small, designed for people located in - or curious about - Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Our story on a particularly hungry Indonesian dad who fried up his son's pet fish for lunch is o-fish-ally the most popular post of 2020! On this episode, we speak with Coconuts Jakarta Associate Editor Nadia Hamid to explore whether there was any fishy business, and why his son's expensive pet ended up the catch of the day. Also, what does Arowana taste like?

Other stories include:

Bali in 'no hurry' to reopen tourism, governor says | Singapore president orders podcast hosts to apologize to women | BREAKING: Rappler founder Maria Ressa found guilty of cyberlibel | Billie Eilish shared tweets praising Hong Kong protesters. Now, her Chinese fans are angry | Sabah student breaks the Internet after climbing hill, tree for Wi-Fi signal to take exams

The Coconuts Podcast delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news and insightful interviews on matters large and small, designed for people located in - or curious about - Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Download or stream it now from a variety of platforms including on Coconuts.co, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Whooshka. We've also partnered with Google to bring The Coconuts Podcast to all of its Google Assistant-powered devices, from smartphones to home automation systems.

We talk with photographer and journalist Laurel Chor about her experience flying from Paris to Hong Kong by way of London during the COVID-19 pandemic. Laurel's live-tweeting of her experience - from empty airports to passengers in hazmat suits to testing and quarantine in Hong Kong - captivated thousands who wanted to know the deal with long haul air travel these days.

And per usual we've got the most weird and wondrous stories from Southeast Asia and Hong Kong!

Thousands of Hongkongers defied a police ban to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre at Victoria Park on June 4, 2020. We speak with Coconuts Hong Kong Associate Editor Hillary Leung about the peaceful vigil, Hong Kong's eroding autonomy, and its uncertain future under the looming national security laws.

In this episode, we chat with Tara Rattanaphas about her new mukbang-style live Coconuts TV show, 30 Cuisines in 30 Days. She shares with us what it's been like to sample dishes from a different cuisine every day for 30 days straight to a live audience. What were some of the hits and misses from the myriad of cuisines she's tried? Tune in the find out!

Let's talk about being openly queer in Indonesia. We took a deep dive into the topic with up-and-coming Indonesian singer-songwriter, Kai Mata.

Other headlines include: Indonesian influencer auctions virginity for COVID-19 aid | Stranded Nigerians living in BKK airport since March | No otter slaughter, Singapore's animal lovers tell the haters | Travelers entering Bali to undergo swab tests | Filipino reporter powers through as scene-stealing cat fight ensues during live interview | Hong Kong police ban annual march marking anniversary of Tiananmen massacre

The Coconuts Podcast delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news and insightful interviews on matters large and small, designed for people located in - or curious about - Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Ten years ago this month, massive street protests came to a bloody conclusion in Bangkok when the Thai military sent in the troops to forcibly end them.

Coconuts Bangkok's Todd Ruiz was reporting from the field at the time. In our feature story on The Coconuts Podcast this week, he takes us back into the armed camp of militants stalking the army, explains what was at stake then, and what it means now 10 years later.

More headlines this week: Bangkok restaurant socially distancing diners with stuffed pandas |

Long queues at Jakarta's airport amid flight suspensions | Dozens of French folks arrested for Koh Samui Soiree | Singapore online mob harrasses clinic where adopted dog was euthanized | Filipino nurses put their lives on the line in the UK | Malaysian store removes wonderfully moldy leather items

The Coconuts Podcast delivers impactful, weird, and wondrous reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news and insightful interviews on matters large and small, designed for people located in - or curious about - Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Byron Perry chews the fat with Singaporen rapper Yung Raja about the hip hop scene in Asia, what it's like to rap in two languages, and much more.

Yung Raja -- known for his hit tracks "Mustafa" and "Mad Blessings" -- is signed to Def Jam South East Asia, has worked with fashion brands including Gucci and Louis Vuitton, and won an Asian Academy Creative Award for hosting Yo! MTV Raps Asia.

Other headlines: Tiong Bahru rats living large in Singapore's circuit-breaker period | Suspect in fake groceries for transwomen prank may face 12 years in prison | Thailand lifts booze ban, sales to resume Sunday | 102-year-old woman recovers from COVID-19 in Singapore | With PVC and plastic, Bangkok hot pot restaurant reopens with diner cubicles | Philippines gov't tells ABS-CBN to cease broadcast operations due to expired franchise

The Coconuts Podcast delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news and insightful interviews on matters large and small, designed for people located in - or curious about - Southeast Asia and Hong Kong!