News and Views - November 2007 Above: His Majesty back home; People shout "Long Live The King" - Komchadluek, November 9, 2007 HM The King leaves the hospital Above: People cry Long Live The King and shed tears of joy - Daily News, November 9, 2007 Above: People shed tears of joy as the King recovers - Daily News, November 8, 2007 Sensible project - translated and summarized from Komchadluek, November 3, 2007 The Cabinet has approved a plan by the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) to spend over 70 billion baht on a project to place all its Bangkok electricity trunk cables underground. The project’s objectives include making the city more livable, and allowing more space for trees to grow on roadsides. It is hoped that this latter objective will also contribute to the easing of global warming, and reduce the city’s air pollution. Many consider the MEA project to be a highly sensible one, in spite of the very large amount of money involved. The project will hopefully also have a beneficial effect on Bangkok’s tourist industry - which is one of the most important in the region. Bangkok currently has less vegetation than other cities of approximately the same size. It is quite surprising that the government has made such a rapid and definite decision on this project, as it is generally perceived to have been very slow in making decisions on other large projects. It is imperative, however, that the project is run in a systematic and non-corrupt manner. An alien from Thailand - Funtasticus, November 12, 2007 "Street of Bangkok (Siam)" 1905 - November 1, 2007 Thai transgender beauty pageant contestants raise environmental awareness - AP Writer, November 7, 2007 Bangkok Plastic Surgery Clinic introduces buttock enlargement service - PR Web, November, 2007 ...This service is relatively new in Thailand as full hips were not so popular before. However, ever since the Latino craze swept the entertainment world, the ideal body image has shifted to fuller, curvier looks as opposed to stick-thin ones... (Photo: Sardortu for 2Bangkok.com) Railway strike -October 31, 2007 Thanks to Sardortu for sending these photos of the railway strike at Hat Yai Station. (Photo: Sardortu for 2Bangkok.com) (Photo: Sardortu for 2Bangkok.com) (Photo: 2Bangkok.com) Police warning - November 2, 2007 The police billboard reads: Drink and drive, and get arrested (Photo: 2Bangkok.com) Coke Side of Life - November 3, 2007 Series of Coke cans with Thai art... Left: Bangkok by Pattreeda Prasarnthong Middle: Southern Thailand by Asadawut Luangsuntorn Right: Northern Thailand by Doytibet Duchanee And somewhere deep within the Flash site: Our response to the rumor about counterfeit products: We have recently learned of a false rumor, circulating by email via the Internet, about a supposed employee of ThaiNamthip, part of Coca-Cola System in Thailand talking about incidents of counterfeit products in the market. These Internet rumors have no basis in fact and the name of the supposed ThaiNamthip employee referenced in the Internet posting is entirely made up and not real. Our priority, as always, is consumer safety and we maintain the highest international quality standards in our manufacturing processes of our beverages.   Our name and trademarks were used in this instance without permission and we are currently investigating the situation. In the meantime, if consumers have any concerns they are welcome to contact our Consumer Information Center at 02 955 0888 or at a toll free number 1800 2 95555. Thai students: Eatery's name is offensive - Michigan Daily, November 19, 2007 Rackham student Sirarat Sarntivijai said she was confused and offended when a restaurant called No Thai! opened on South University Avenue in September 2005. She thought the name suggested that Thai people were not welcome in the restaurant. Members of the Thai Student Association, including Sarntivijai, its president, said they find the name deeply offensive... Nitrates in drinking water in Philippines, Thailand: Greenpeace - AFP, November 22, 2007 Thousands of people in rural Thailand and the Philippines face serious health problems from drinking water contaminated with nitrates, a report by the environmental group Greenpeace said Thursday... Study Finds Mothers Exposed To Arsenic May Pass On Ills To Offspring - Sin Chew Jit Poh, November 22, 2007 Children of mother's exposed to high levels of arsenic may face a higher risk of cancer and other diseases later in life, according to a study released Friday... Rare Vulture Shot Dead In Myanmar After Being Freed In Thailand - Sin Chew Jit Poh, November 22, 2007 A rare vulture set free in northern Thailand is believed to have been shot dead by a villager in Myanmar, bringing an end to a haphazard campaign to return the bird to its homeland in Mongolia, a conservationist said Thursday... Apocalypse Naypyidaw! - The Irrawaddy, November 22, 2007 [Perhaps evidence of the frustration over the lack of change in Myanmar, this odd article includes "an artist’s impression on striking at Than Shwe’s residence in Naypyidaw."] Burma’s Bangkok embassy seeks names of student protesters - The Irrawaddy, November 22, 2007 ...Student sources report that Bangkok’s Assumption University, also known as ABAC, has been asked by the Burmese embassy to provide a list of Burmese attending courses there. Students at the city’s Mahidol University say teaching staff there had warned them about the Burmese request... NLA considers draft bill on national anthem - The Nation, November 22, 2007 ...That article stipulated that public members shall stand or be still in respect and, in case they are driving or riding, shall stop the vehicles, and turn towards the direction from which they hear the national anthem or see people raising the national flag. They shall proceed on their activity after the anthem or the flag-rising activity is ended. Exceptions are only for the vehicles on expressway, railway, airway, waterway or other ways that could not stop the vehicles... Thailand's counterfeit pipeline: Porous borders, government inaction allow bogus goods to travel the world - Trading Markets, November 26, 2007 ...Thailand's central role in the fakes trade earned it a place of dishonor on the U.S. government's 2007 survey of intellectual property-rights violators worldwide. After 14 years off the list, Thailand was labeled one of the world's worst offenders last spring, joining perennial pirates China and Russia, and nine other nations... Honeymooner's deadly drug pact - SMH, November 26, 2007 ...The court heard she had only been married a matter of days when her new husband Justin Paul Dann, 36, pressured her to swallow 28 cocaine-filled condoms as the couple honeymooned in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 18 last year... Group floats plan to keep rising sea out - B100bn wall will save city from being flooded - Bangkok Post, November 26, 2007 Alarmed by the prospect of global warming triggering a rise in sea levels, disaster prevention experts and a local political group yesterday called for the construction of a 100-billion-baht flood prevention wall to save the capital from being inundated. The call was made at a seminar on climate change and its impact on Bangkok held yesterday by the Bangkok 50 group, a political clan run by members of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai party (TRT)... Bangkok hospital targets Myanmar for int'l emergency helicopter service - Myanmar Times, November, 2007 ...the helicopter will leave Bangkok to retrieve the patient within 30 minutes of receiving the phone call. Flying charges for the service will be B120,000 an hour. ...He said more than 4000 patients from Myanmar have visited Bangkok Hospital since the start of 2007... Thaksin vows to aid Thai World Cup campaign - ESPN Soccernet, November 27, 2007 [Link does not work in FireFox.] Vietnam drop in FIFA world ranking - Antara News, November 27, 2007 ...The country, who failed to reach the third qualifying round for the FIFA World Cup 2010, were behind Thailand, who moved to 113th in the world ranking as leaders in the region... Thailand: Denial of HIV treatment erodes success on AIDS - Drug users driven away from effective HIV programs - Human Rights Watch, November 29, 2007 ...In 2003 the government of former Prime Minister Thaksin launched a repressive "war on drugs" that resulted in the extrajudicial killings of at least 2,275 drug users or dealers. A lasting consequence of this campaign has been to drive many drug users away from effective HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, out of fear of arrest and police violence. ..."The Thai government pays lip service to its official policy, which is to treat drug users as patients rather than criminals," said Suwannawong. "In reality, police collect information about drug users from health clinics, and arrest peer outreach workers outside drug treatment clinics. Drug users risk criminal charges if they seek health care services which are theirs by right..." ETA forced to rethink airport highway route - Bangkok Post, November 29, 2007 ...The expressway was endorsed in 2004 by the Thaksin Shinawatra government, which gave the ETA approval to make a feasibility study of the 22.5km route, which encompasses areas in five city districts: Klong Toey, Wattana, Suan Luang, Prawet and Lat Krabang, and Bang Phli district in Samut Prakan. The first 17.5km section, known as M1-1, starts from the Chalong Rat-Suvarnabhumi expressway in Wattana district and heads to the airport. The other 5km route heads into the city over Rama IV road to the Customs Department intersection in Klong Toey, with four possible route options. Sperm bank in Thailand hands out free samples - The Onion, November, 2007 Thai generic drugs scheme a 'beacon' for poor: activists - AFP, November 23, 2007 The Thai government's drive to suspend patents to produce low-cost medicines is a "beacon" for other developing nations seeking to provide treatments to the poor, activists said Friday... New condom jeans pack to fight AIDS - Adnkronos, November 23, 2007 Fashion and AIDS prevention are to go hand-in-hand in Thailand where the government has announced that it will distribute condoms in a trendy new jeans bag case to encourage teens to practise safe-sex and combat AIDS... Thai patriotism law seeks to halt cars for anthem - Reuters, November 23, 2007 ..."The national anthem lasts only one minute and eight seconds, so why can't motorists stop their cars for the sake of the country?," retired General and NLA member Pricha Rochanasena, 70, told Reuters. "They already spend more time in traffic jams anyway," he said, referring to Bangkok's notoriously congested streets... NZ Company under fire in Thailand - Press Release: National Distribution Union, November 21, 2007 “Graeme Hart’s Rank Group must immediately reinstate a Thailand trade union leader,” says Robert Reid, President of the National Distribution Union... Governor of Bangkok visits the Beatles Story - Beatles Museum, November, 2007 Slapped - November 21, 2007 Direct translation of this phrase from Thai always results in delightfully fractured English (left). Ancient Thai scripts sink into oblivion - Vietnam Net, November 19, 2007 ...In the culture of Thai ethnic minority people, ancient Thai script is considered the spiritual heritage and the crystallized intelligence of Thai people. This kind of ancient script is now maintained on ancient books about culture, customs and habits, laws, history of Thai people or in family annals... Thailand steals a march as India dithers on rice policy - Economic Times, November 18, 2007 Guess who laughed all the way to the bank while India dithered and tripped for lack of a long-term policy on rice? Thailand, that's who... Thaksin's cronies perfecting the art of gutter politics - The Nation, November 18, 2007 [It has been awhile since super-tough editorials have been flowing out of The Nation. Here's one to kick off the campaigning season...] ...The peak of this occurred under Thaksin Shinawatra when everything, except that which was good and truly beneficial for people, was provided through populist schemes from which vast sums of taxpayers' money was siphoned off by politicians and their cronies. This was supposed to be a perfect plan of corruption in which no hard evidence would be left for later criminal prosecution. Big-time crooks in the Cabinet wasted no time and effort in plundering national assets. They had yet to legalise their corrupt acts and whitewash all traces of them when mass demonstrations became intense and a successful military coup ousted the graft-ridden team. Down from power, but not completely out of politics, Thaksin continues his sinister plan to regain power through nominees and cronies with large funds, while retaining publicity through his purchase of Manchester City Football Club... (Photo: 2Bangkok.com) Chang: Thanks you - November 19, 2007 It reads: Thais share things among ourselves. “Thank you,” says a girl. Thai heroin dealers plead guilty - Munster Times, November 2, 2007 ...A street-level drug bust in East Chicago led to guilty pleas from a Thai couple who admitted to operating an international heroin smuggling ring out of a maximum-security prison in Bangkok. Chief Judge Robert Miller Jr. accepted the guilty pleas in South Bend federal court Wednesday of Suwannee Spriprasarn and Pasit Bencharit, who claimed they were working with an Australian man -- also in the Thai prison -- to ship large packages of heroin to the United States... (Photo: 2Bangkok.com) Leadership - November 10, 2007 At the top: Drink and drive is dangerous and illegal. Slogan at right: Men's attractiveness is his leadership quality. (Photo: 2Bangkok.com) Stop ruining the kingdom - November 10, 2007 This billboard near Klong Toei reads: Royal Thai Police - Stop selling drugs, stop ruining the Kingdom. Inform us of drug trading at 1688, or 0-2251-8556-7 for information about drug trafficking movements. How things have changed--for some: Siam at home - November 3, 2007 Above: From an undated postcard; "At home, Siam" Below: "A perfect living among perfect neighbours" Heaven on earth at 150 Million plus an ultimate dreamed car... (Photo: 2Bangkok.com) Above left: TrueThaksin.com Above right: TodayThailand.com Truth vs truth - November 5, 2007 After 14 months, the coup government has finally come up with the website they promised to counter Thaksin's savvy politicing--www.todaythailand.org. The domain was created on September 20, 2007 by Dr. Wittayatorn Tokeaw, an MCOT board member. The registrant organization is "RakMuangThai" which is probably the government publicity center (and here). And amusingly, the name servers are CHARLIE.NOBODYKNOW.COM and DELTA.NOBODYKNOW.COM. Falling... - November 5, 2007 The Nation's online article system oddly does not serve a date with their online stories. However, in the past few days, several foreigners have fallen out of buildings... Briton injured after falling from 4th floor of Hat Yai hotel Briton falls to his death from 21st-floor condominium room South Korean tour guide falls to his death from rooftop of Phuket Hotel Commanding yet isolated, Suharto fades away - International Herald Tribune, November 1, 2007 [Thanks to Danny for pointing this out.] ... It is a strange, muted fate for a deposed strongman, neither fleeing nor being vigorously pursued, a quiet, defeated presence in a quiet neighborhood in the middle of the bustling city. ... In September the United Nations and the World Bank put Suharto at the top of a new list of the world's most audacious embezzlers. They quoted an estimate by Transparency International that he stole $15 billion to $35 billion in state assets while in power. ...Whatever the actual sum, in a decade of legal fits and starts Indonesia has recovered none of it. In fact, bombarded by doctors' notes saying he is too sick to attend hearings, the courts seem almost relieved not to have to push too hard. ...In what might seem an unexpected twist, the only legal victory so far involving Suharto's wealth went his way. In September he was awarded one trillion rupiah, or $109 million, in a libel suit against Time Asia magazine for a 1999 article that said he and his family had amassed a fortune of around $15 billion... Siam's bond with Japan - The Nation, November 6, 2007 Swastika building - Reportage Thailand, November 5, 2007 Yala Train Station still largely lifeless - public not sure local train services are operating - translated and summarized from Phujatkan, November 1, 2007 Few people made use of trains at Yala Train Station today, as most were not yet sure whether the local rail service had recommenced. State Railways of Thailand (SRT) staff mounted industrial action yesterday, which succeeded in halting train movements in many locations nationwide. The industrial action came to an end after SRT’s labor union accepted all nine SRT board proposals to resolve the situation. Suspended rail operations created a great deal of trouble for people living in the three southernmost provinces, as many people in the region travel by train. First day of new semester in Betong - translated and summarized from Post Today, November 1, 2007 Yala Province, Betong District: With today being the first day of a new school semester, military and police officers have stepped up security for this district’s schoolteachers. Security was especially tight in those areas that the authorities have labeled ‘high-risk’. The authorities have recently been discussing how to tighten up security measures for the schoolteachers of this district, with the aim of encouraging as many of them as possible to continue working in these difficult times. First day of new school semester in Yala - translated and summarized from Thai Rath, November 1, 2007 Yala Province: The press were out in force in this province today to report the first day of a new school semester. In spite of this morning’s rain, most local students were able to attend - although strict police and military security was evident everywhere. Special security had been provided in the high-risk districts of Yaha, Bannang Sata and Raman. The Director of Yala Province’s Education Zone 1 told reporters that a meeting was held two weeks ago to discuss measures to increase the security of the province’s schoolteachers. Bomber attacking army headquarters arrested - translated and summarized from Komchadluek, November 1, 2007 On the night of September 30, a bomb went off near the army headquarters, wounding two bomb disposal officials. After a month of investigation, a man who placed a bomb near the army headquarters was arrested. It is reported that the bomber fled to a neighboring country after he committed the crime. The bomber is Cambodian. He once worked for a Thai politician. Authorities are trying to arrest all people involved in the case. Thai farmers cash in on rodents - Reuters India, November 5, 2007 ...Thailand is the world's biggest rice exporter and roasted bandicoot rat has become a popular delicacy at roadside stalls despite costing twice as much as pork or chicken... (Photo: 2Bangkok.com) "Unity" - November 9, 2007 The billboard reads: Thais lose unity. Unity brings Thais together. Living in unity is the best gift for His Majesty. For father [the King] NESDB, ADB cooperate to develop industry in south - TNA, November 11, 2007 Malaysians hold huge rally for free elections - DPA, November 10, 2007 Malaysian police on Saturday fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse tens of thousands of demonstrators who gathered in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur to rally for fair elections in the country's largest anti-government protest in almost 10 years. ...Police say the gathering and march were illegal, as the organizers failed to get a permit which is required in Malaysia for any public gathering involving more than five people... The Hard Hat Show - Riding Line 5: Beijing's New Subway - YouTube, November 12, 2007 [Thanks to Lance for pointing this out...] As Olympic Games approach, Chinese are urged to be 'civilized' - IHT, November 9, 2007 [Thanks to Danny for pointing this out...] ... Chinese people are being urged to be "civilized," that being a word plucked directly from many of the slogans and banners. China's nanny state implores them to stop spitting, to form lines, to respect traffic signals when crossing the street, and on and on... World Bank urges next Thai government to rebuild, clarify policies - TNA, November 15, 2007 The World Bank has called on the new Thai government to be formed after the December elections -- probably in February -- to take assertive steps to clarify state policies to quickly restore the country's waning investor confidence and to move ahead quickly with already planned mega-investment projects to stimulate the sagging economy... (Photo: 2Bangkok.com) Unity - November 15, 2007 It reads: Unity has never made Thai people in discord. Time changes, the society changes. Yet, Thais’ love for the Kingdom remains. Let’s unite for the King. From Pattaya City News - November 15, 2007 We investigate the Elephant Tree in Sattahip A unique way to stop stray dogs using the front of your house as a toilet [This must be an urban legends... Does anyone know?] ...It appears this works because the animals approach the bottles and sees a reflection of, what they think is another dog, which causes them to leave the area. However, the villagers have another problem, because street workers who collect these plastic recyclable items are stealing the bottles on a daily basis and villagers are running out of the empty containers. So, if you are having a similar problem and don't care about surrounding your house with plastic containers, try this proven method for yourself. It’s time to study MP candidates - translated and summarized from Komchadluek, November 10, 2007 The upcoming election is a big gamble for ‘old power’ politicians, as they struggle against opposition from other political parties to bring about the return of former Thai Ruk Thai Party chief -Thaksin Shinawatra - from abroad. The Palang Prachachon Party (PPP) (AKA the People Power Party) has brought together many Thaksin loyalists, and they expect to gain enough votes - in the upcoming election - to set up a single-party government. PPP’s ability to achieve this aspiration will depend heavily on public sympathies, come election time. Their fortunes may especially hinge on votes cast by those city people who normally try to ignore elections. City folk - with their high levels of education and income - would be well-advised to adjust their outlook on the electoral process, and start using their voting rights to prevent ‘mean-hearted’ people from becoming members of parliament (MPs). Authorities apprehend two men attempting to set fire to the Democracy Monument - PRD News, November 12, 2007 ...Police Station authorities apprehended the two men along with 6 gallons of thinner fluid, 2 gallons of gasoline, 50 square slices of tire rubber and 20 candles as well as pamphlets opposing the election and the constitution... Thailand opens first walkway for disabled - TNA, November 11, 2007 Power is a two-edged sword - translated and summarized from Thai Rath, November 8, 2007 It is clear that the post-coup government is trying to encourage the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) to approve the new Internal Security Act (ISA) within the remainder of its tenure. The new ISA passed its first reading in the NLA yesterday. The government has frequently affirmed that the new act will actually be less detrimental to the freedoms of the general public than the existing ISA. Despite such assurances, some NLA members, human rights organizations, academics and members of the press corps perceive the new ISA as quite dangerous - as they believe it will provide the government with ‘sweeping’ powers. The Dean of the Faculty of Law at Thammasart University, Prof. Dr. Somkid Lertpaitoon, has opined that the act will destroy both public freedom and the judicial system. Somkid has also said that that the act poses a greater danger to public freedom than anything that happening during the Thaksin regime, as no checks and balances have been built into the legislation to curb the abuse of power.Many organizations have been strongly expressing their disapproval of the new ISA for months, but the government has consistently averred that it will definitely implement the act. It seems that the only way to stop the act’s implementation is to find 25 NLA members who are willing to submit the issue to the Constitutional Court for a decision on whether it violates the Constitution. Thailand's 'human zoos' - Times Online, November, 2007 ...Yet conditions in the villages are “worse than prison”, the women say. “Our men are forbidden to seek work, we cannot grow our own food and if we try to leave, we are beaten,” says Mun Mun, who lives in the village of Nai Soi. “We have no privacy. We are like animals in a zoo.” Officials who run the villages deny that the women are exploited and say they are free to leave. But six who recently tried to flee were allegedly kidnapped and returned to work in the tourist village... Singha plunges into cheap-beer market - The Nation, November 10, 2007 [The reader who pointed this out quipped "Issan to get even drunker" as an alternate headline.] ...It goes on sale tomorrow and will cost Bt100 for three bottles. This is still more than its main competitor, Archa, from Thai Beverage. Archa has been selling for three years and costs Bt100 for five bottles. It is heavily promoted... Sapan Han - November 17, 2007 Last week we asked: Do any readers know where this was located? And when was it demolished? Wisarut notes: That's good old Saphan Han Bridge ... across city Moat near Wang Boorapha. Paul notes: Hi, Just started reading your site this week, never knew of it's existence before. Very impressed. The bridge is a Paharut but called Saphan Hun not Hung, the old postcard got it wrong. Here's a few sites that mention it. Here, here, and here. hdamm mentioned on the forum: "Saphan Han was on Sampheng Lane where it crossed Khlong Ong Ang east of Pahurat Rd. The name (Saphan means bridge and Han a pivotal point) referred to a small boardwalk that could be turned to let boats pass... In the 1950s the shops were removed and it became the quite unimpressive bridge that you can see today." It’s time for the government to initiate a welfare strategy to defeat populism - translated and summarized from Krungtep Turakit, November 13, 2007 This year’s discussion at the annual conference of the Thailand Development Research Institute, held November 10-11, tended to indicate that it is time for the Thai government to initiate a definite strategy to improve the welfare of its general public. Such a strategy would help improve the lives of ordinary Thai people, and allow them to live sustainable lives - with fewer living in poverty. This strategy would also help to rid the country of the strong populist strain that has wracked it in recent years. Greater government welfare provision would involve improving the lot of ordinary citizens, helping the underprivileged and easing poverty. The government would thus be required to exercise much greater responsibility for the care of its citizens, from cradle to grave. Any government - that undertook to create such a welfare system - would also find it necessary to systematically guarantee the fundamental rights of its citizens. Such a government would also be duty bound to help ordinary Thai people face their various social problems. The golden years of Thai ‘populism’ were during the Thaksin regime. The Thaksin government used a populist strategy for its own political ends, rather than to actually help the poor in any real sense. It provided poor people with loans that vastly increased their indebtedness. Populist policies could only solve the problems of poverty in the short term, and these policies have since also created a great deal of trouble for the country’s financial system. (Artist: Liu Young) Left: Anger (Blue = West, Red = East) Culture - East vs West - funenclave, November 17, 2007 Thanks to Graham for pointing this out. No vending in the street - November 17, 2007 It reads: Buyer - seller - Illegal - If buy or sell on the street These signs were put up to combat the rampant vending around Nakhon Sawan Road. Thai politicians swear to Buddha: no vote-buying - TODAYonline, November 14, 2007 (Photo: 2Bangkok.com) (Anupong Chanthorn's Bhikku Sandan Ka) Bhikku Sandan Ka - November 16, 2007 Left: Anupong Chanthorn's award-winning and controversial Bhikku Sandan Ka (Monks With Traits of a Crow) On the forum The maturity of the candidates for the prime ministerial position - translated and summarized from Thai Rath, November 12, 2007 At present, many parliamentary candidates are fighting hard to get a healthy share of the votes in the December 23 General Election. There are - however - some candidates who wish to garner as many votes as possible from people, but who conduct themselves in an improper manner. An infamous example of such behavior is Samak Sundaravej, the leader of Palang Prachachon Party (PPP). Khun Samak has taken to talking to journalists in an impolite manner, and it is often said that he is a complete anathema to the media corps. Indeed, his actions and his words seem to reflect negatively on both his level of maturity and the integrity of his political views. He has also scolded - with rude words - those TV stations that have reported his conduct to the general public. Bangkok airport: Who can identify this security officer? - Mathaba, November 15, 2007 Thanks to Anthony for pointing this out. Thailand 'loosing investor appeal' - Asia Property Report, November 15, 2007 Police arrest man over 10 murders - Security guards sleeping on the job led to killing spree - Bangkok Post, November 11, 2007 ...The 30-year-old, who had worked as a security guard for slightly more than one year, decided to punish other security guards after his attempts to wake them failed. ''I used to wake them up, but they scolded me. So I've remained enraged since then,'' said Mr Witaya. ...If Mr Witaya is found to have a mental illness, his punishment will be reduced... This kind of story is perfect for "Weird News" filler in the foreign press--along with a humorous headline: Workplace etiquette: Don't kill your sleeping coworkers with chunks of wood Yellow shirts - November 14, 2007 THe entry page on the AsiaSoft website shows video game characters in yellow attire to honor the King. Bad weather mars Thai king's Everest gift - IANS, November 13, 2007 Inclement weather marred Thailand's ambitious plan to give a remarkable gift to its king on his 80th birthday - the first Thai Everest Expedition has been forced to abandon the attempt to climb Mt Everest... Let him guide you: Renowned Astrologer Pt. Ashok Vasudeva visits Bangkok - Thaindian, November 5, 2007 ...He is a consulting astrologer to many Industrial Houses related to Automobile, Watches, Consumer products, Garments, Real Estate, Finance etc. Corporate Astrology, which he professes to these industrial tycoons, is an absolutely innovative concept in Astrology with amazing success. He firmly believes in Astrology as a guiding science not as a predictive science...