We launched the #heartbk hashtag on Instagram to get you keen-eyed shutterbugs to participate in our 500th issue. Kob khun to all those of you who tagged your pics: as you’ll see in the cover story, some of them have been immortalized in print. More importantly, the #heartbk tag provides a fascinating window into what it is you love about your city. Apparently you really dig noodles, cats, cream puffs, power lines, sunsets, ice cream, the Rama 8 Bridge, the view from your office window and the sky when it’s about to rain.

Another year, another half-assed nursery rhyme masquerading as an NDP theme song (sample lyric: “I’m just a tiny thing, here I am, I can bravely sing”). Indeed, ‘One Singapore’ is about as exciting as the reusable goodie bags that will be handed out to spectators at the parade: is it a backpack? is it a sling? does anyone care?

Tourism is booming, just ask anyone. But while nothing seems to stop visitors flocking to our beautiful country, authorities believe more needs to be done. Specifically, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports have recently announced plans to launch a crackdown on foreign mafia types operating in the country.

There’s certainly been plenty to celebrate in the last couple of weeks, as Thais can bask in the glow of knowing that their country and their capital, Bangkok, really are the very best in the world.

Now that the haze has finally cleared (and with it the grubby cloud of smugness and finger pointing that had drifted across to Indonesia from our own shores), we got to thinking how much easier it would be if we just blamed other nations for all our problems.

The intolerable arrogance that informs our dealings with all of our near-neighbors? That’s not our fault—we just picked it up from our erstwhile colonial overlords in England. That and the nasty habit of Singaporean men ignoring their spouses for the duration of the Premier League season. Don’t blame us—blame the Brits!

Heeeey, it’s Tippy! Your favorite fashionista-slash-politicalista. And I am here to tell you all about the new cabinet, since you lifestyle whores can’t be bothered to open the papers unless Nadech is on the cover and there’s a 10% discount coupon for a sushi buffet inside.

So PM Lee won’t say he’s worth the money he gets paid, but he won’t say he isn’t either. He will say it’s worth paying someone a lot of money to do his job, because if you don’t you won’t get the best person you possibly could. But, come now friends, he’s not saying he’s the best. And he’s definitely not saying how much he gets paid, and absolutely not confirming—to the BBC or anyone else—that he’s the highest paid head of government in the world, because then, if if it were true, you’d know he thinks he’s the best.

Dear Pry Ministur,

Hello! It's me Nong Daeng! I am 6 year old. I rite to u befor. Do u remember me? The radio say you are not poopular like befor. Oh no! Are u sad? Do u cry becoz u are a girl? 555 Just kidding na. Do not send me to jale like the cartoon man! My cartoon not so good like him. I try to draw you but u not look pretty same same his cartoon.

Bearers of Thai passports should soon be able to go to Japan without getting a visa. That announcement has Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs Surapong Tovichakchaikul very worried  we’ll all prey on the aging island nation’s kindness and move there illegally. He is, of course, absolutely right.

BK is proud to announce that we will be media sponsors of the government’s new luxury lifestyle membership program, Thailand Super Duper Uber Elite®. The Thailand Super Duper Uber Elite® card (made from the finest antimatter) aims at reducing corruption by making all of life’s luxuries completely state-subsidized. That’s right, if you belong to the Super Duper Uber Elite®, you’ll no longer have to pay for anything ever again under this innovative new scheme destined to cut red tape and stimulate consumer spending.