WTF is Up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong

The last episode of the year does not disappoint with this week’s stories true to the WTF brand: notably allegations of security personnel sticking fingers in festival goers’ bras and grabbing crotches at the recent 808 Festival in Bangkok. Coconuts Bangkok Nicky Tanskul (who was also there at the EDM fest) sheds light on the account of a female attendee who came with receipts. We also reminisce on the year that was through highlights on the podcast. Tune in! Other stories include: Thumbs down: East Nusa Tenggara man finds human finger in his plate of sayur lodeh | Search or assault? Thai security grab crotches, stick fingers under bras at ‘808 Festival’ | Blitar Mayor and wife bound, gagged, and robbed at their residence: Police | Activists call on Malaysian government to assist Rohingya refugees stranded at sea | Filipino actress Dolly de Leon gets Golden Globes nod for ‘Triangle of Sadness’ | Best spots in Singapore to soak up the Christmas vibes WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong 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 on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

The Indonesian parliament quietly passed a bill to revise its colonial-era penal code, with much of the media attention turned to all but one provision: outlawing sex between non-spouses. Coconuts Regional Managing Editor Andra Nasrie gives us the lowdown on what that’s really about, and why people ought to pay attention to other parts of the bill aside from policing sexy time. Tune in! Other stories include: RKUHP: Indonesia’s proposed new criminal code has a conservative slant, but should we be worried? | Former Malaysian PM denies stealing RM600 billion | Woman from the Philippines raped by American man in Canggu while her friend held her down: Police | 2 meteor showers will light up the Philippines’ night sky in December | Hail Satan? Church-burning Norwegian black metal band coming to Bangkok | COCO CRINGE: Singapore minister puts out anti-scam advisory through TikTok dance WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong 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 on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

The LGBTQ+ community in Singapore is celebrating a hollow victory after a bill was passed repealing a law that criminalized sex between two men, while another was passed to ensure that the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman is protected. Coconuts Singapore’s Delfina Utomo gives us the lowdown on the reaction in the Little Red Dot, and how even the smallest steps for LGBTQ+ rights should be celebrated in the largely conservative country. Tune in! Other stories include: New Malaysia PM Anwar Ibrahim refuses to use his office’s official Mercedes S600 | Gov’t eyes flying cars for Indonesia’s future capital city Nusantara | Riding BTS will be more expensive starting Jan. 1 | They’re building a shortcut in Canggu (but not the one you’re probably thinking of) | INTERVIEW: ‘I was told that I would never see my family again’ | Dear ‘Underage’ producers, it’s 2022. Can we please stop sexualizing minors? WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong 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 on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

Staying true to the WTF spirit of this podcast is the outcome of the recent Malaysian election where Barisan Nasional, the right-wing alliance headed by the once-undefeatable Umno party, lost big. With no parties dominating seats in the Malaysian parliament, the country’s government hangs in the balance — and Coconuts KL’s Aminah Farid joins us to shed light on yet another political shitshow in Southeast Asia. Tune in! Other stories include: Cianjur earthquake: Governor confirms 162 killed, mostly children | Senior officials insist cannabis won’t be recriminalized | ‘My clothing doesn’t define me’: Aussie beauty influencer Kelsey Foster on staying positive amid criticism over Bali orphanage visit | Leni Robredo recreates ‘Crash Landing on You’ scenes in recent trip to Zurich | Englishman In Singapore: Sting to perform at The Star Theatre in March | Fossil fraud: T-rex skeleton pulled from HK auction after paleontologist raises doubts about its authenticity WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong 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 on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

We’re not necessarily against culinary reinventions of our beloved national dishes, but when an LA-based sandwich shop put Singapore’s beloved Hainanese chicken rice between two pieces of bread, we had our doubts. But this week’s guest to WTF, Regional Managing Editor Delfina Utomo, argues that there’s some sense in the reinvention, as long as one is open minded enough to try. Tune in! Other stories include: Watch: Elon Musk’s bizarre, virtual interview by candlelight at the B20 Summit in Bali | Embarrassingly error-filled APEC welcome sign fixed | Batik Air sorry for misplacing the president’s son’s luggage | 1MDB: Malaysia court rejects government request to forfeit designer handbags and jewellery seized from Najib and Rosmah | ‘First world prices with third world wages’: Filipinos compare grocery prices between Singapore and Manila WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong 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 on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

Thousands of Thais have fallen victim to traffickers who forced them to commit cyber crimes against their compatriots under threat of violence. While such scams have been widely documented, few have followed up on victims after they were rescued and repatriated. Coconuts Bangkok’s Milk talks to us about her three-part story on how Thai trafficking victims’ nightmare continues with prosecution back home. Tune in! Other stories include: More than 550 doctors fired by Myanmar junta for refusing to work in protest | Babysitter braves Kampung Baru blaze with baby in arms | ‘Kebaya Merah’ and the hardcore risks adult content creators in Indonesia are willing to take | CNB chimes in on Aaron Carter’s death, uses his drug abuse to give anti-drug PSA | Immigration pursuing unruly foreigners after MotoGP wannabe does street burnout in Bali | Inmates now using drones to sneak in contraband, jail bureau claims WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong 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 on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

Twenty people were arrested for allegedly inciting vice and cross-dressing in Kuala Lumpur during a Halloween party, of all things. This may come as a shock to those who see KL as a relatively progressive city, but Coconuts KL’s Aminah Farid explains that religion has long been used to justify persecution towards the LGBTQ+ community. Ominously, things may continue to get worse as elections loom in Malaysia. Tune in! Other stories include: One Thai killed in Seoul Halloween stampede: embassy | Richard Branson declines offer to live TV debate on the death penalty, urges Singapore to challenge local activists instead | 1.8 tons of liquid meth disguised as coconut water intercepted by HK Customs in city’s biggest meth bust ever | Travelers to Australia, declare your rendang or face huge fine and deportation | Authorities defend removal of ads – including for ‘babi guling’ – ahead of G20 Summit | Family remembers late patriarch by painting his tomb like Jollibee WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong 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 on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

A storefront with the sign “SEX SHOP” in neon pink normally leaves little to the imagination, but in Bangkok, it’s a provocative gallery dedicated to artworks that destigmatize sex and kinks while promoting overall sexual health. Coconuts Bangkok’s Nicky Tanskul gives us the lowdown on just what to expect in this sex-filled quarters in Phloen Chit, and the kind of pieces open-minded purveyors can acquire. Tune in! Other stories include: Military jets bomb concert in northern Myanmar, killing at least 50 | Human Rights Watch calls on Malaysia to halt deportations of Myanmar refugees due to risk of arrest back home | Mask off! Marcos Jr to sign executive order making indoor mask-wearing ‘voluntary’ | Indonesia officially launches second-home visa, allowing holders 10-year stay (including in Bali) | Singapore challenges billionaire Richard Branson to live TV debate on the death penalty | How yoga pants became an object of controversy and defiance in Hong Kong | With a heavy dose of kink, Bangkok clinic-cum-gallery prescribes better sexual health | Can we, once and for all, stop referring to the Indonesian language as ‘bahasa’? WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong 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 on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

The 2002 Bali bombings were one of the deadliest terror attacks the region has ever seen, claiming the lives of 202 people. Twenty years on, the pain from the tragedy persists, and things got downright triggering when graphic footage from the attacks was shown to survivors and mourners who attended a memorial service in Kuta. We speak to Coconuts Bali Managing Editor Amahl to understand how that could have happened, and whether or not people were held responsible. Tune in! Other stories include: Journalists go into hiding after threats by Myanmar’s military junta | Primary school teacher threatened with dismissal letter for voicing out against school syllabus | Hong Kong civil servant arrested for releasing revenge porn of girlfriend who allegedly strayed | Dog saliva or alcohol? What really triggered the Turkish Airlines passenger on that diverted flight? | Redditors sharing Pinoys’ weirdest flexes expose toxic cracks in Filipino culture | High honors: Bangkok dispensary to hold ‘Cannabis Cup’ | Get Rex’d: Singapore set to welcome a giant T-Rex – but only for 3 days WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong 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 on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

Tragedy after tragedy in Southeast Asia — this time, the worst massacre Thailand has seen after 36 were killed in a mass shooting. But perhaps none as tragic as this cop — who managed to chuckle while giving a press briefing on the matter. Coconuts Bangkok’s Nicky Tanskul returns to the podcast seat to shed light on this bizarre reaction, and why the erring officer got sacked. Tune in! Other stories include: Malaysia dissolves parliament to make way for 15th general election | 5 killed, dozens evacuated as floods inundate parts of Bali | Senior cop who laughed during massacre interview loses PR post | Police officer from anti-drug unit arrested in connection with seizure of nearly 1 ton of meth | Debate over whether seats should be given up for children sparks altercation on MTR, delay on East Rail line (Videos) | Singapore ministers don’t get special treatment, not even for ‘Hokkien Mee’ | Beware the Potato House: 5 haunted places in Jakarta & the horror movies they inspired WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong 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 on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong. WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!