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When life gives you lemons make lemonade. And if you are a monk and life gives you trash . . . build a temple out of it. At least that was the philosophy of one monk who took a look at all the glass bottles littering his eastern Thailand hometown of Khn Han and thought of using them to construct a temple. Visitors to the result of his brainstorm won’t be surprised to learn that the temple’s moniker, “Wat Lan Kuat,” is Thai for “The Temple of One Million Bottles.” Nearly all of the temple’s walls are built from beer bottles, specifically green Heineken bottles and brown Chang Beer ones. The temple’s perimeter fence is comprised of bottles too, as is the temple’s crematorium, monk’s quarters and visitors’ restrooms. Even the temple’s water tower is made of beer bottles, which gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “water on tap.” [via Green Upgrader]

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Bangkok's coolest scenes are high above the city.

Bangkok’s glamour set has no fear of heights. Two of the Thai capital’s most chic dining and drinking spots are well above the city: the Vertigo Grill & Moon Bar and Sirocco.

The whitewashed Vertigo occupies a former helicopter landing pad on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel. Sirocco, atop the 65 story State Tower, is the highest open air restaurant in the world. Both draw a chic cocktail-centric crowd.

Of the two choices, Sirocco is the larger of the two and has the more energetic scene; its Mediterranean restaurant also has the better food. Vertigo is more intimate and so feels more on-top-of-the-world. Show up at both early to claim your seat by the ledge and to give time for the notoriously slow service to get you your drink in time for the sunset.

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