News and Views - January 2009 No pirate DVD sales during the Asean summit - January 30, 2009 Police have informed DVD shops in Pantip and Fortune Town to cease selling pirated DVDs for the duration of the Asean summit. This is normal procedure during international events. Everything will be back to normal after the summit. Live in Thailand on $10 /day - Wheeling Circles, January, 2009 ...Cell phones, satellite TV, running water, gas cooker, all the modern amenities, and their income is around $10 per day……. but could you live here?... (Source: CNN) Missing refugees in Thailand scandal grows - CNN, January 26, 2009 ...We have uncovered photographic evidence that the Thai military is towing refugees out to sea... Boat people tragedy exposes Thai PM's debt to army - The Star, January 25, 2009 Honeymoon to nightmare for Thai PM - BBC News, January 25, 2009 Thai police hunt drug syndicate's Malaysian leader - Bernama, January 24. 2009 Thai police are hunting an international syndicate involved in money laundering, drug and football gambling believed to be headed by a Malaysian man who is said to possess bank accounts worth over 300 million baht (about RM30 million)... Pardon sought for Thais convicted terrorists in Cambodia - The Nation, January 23, 2009 Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya will seek royal pardons for two religious teachers who were jailed for life in Cambodia on terrorist charges. Muhammad Yalaluding and Abdul Azi Haji Chiming, both from Yala province, received life sentences in December 2003 on charges of helping the regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) plot a terrorist attack in Cambodia... Bank of Thailand warns of fake money - UPI, January 23, 2009 ...The bank seized 18,895 counterfeit notes in the 12 months that ended Nov. 30, Nopporn said. In the previous year, 10,819 notes were seized... Thai govt says national carrier's finances 'alarming' - AFP, January 27, 2009 Thailand's deputy prime minister Wednesday said the financial state of flag carrier Thai Airways was "alarming" and promised the government would step in to help it... Are Malaysian, Thai officials trafficking Burmese migrants? - The Irrawaddy, January, 2009 A scandalous trade in Burmese migrant labor involving Malaysian and Thai officials and international human traffickers is coming to light, investigators say... Thrills spills and swills – battle of the beers continues in Thailand - Examiner, January, 2009 ...All beers also take pride in their use of “imported ingredients”   Not surprising since they don’t grow hops nor barley in Thailand.  But this is typical of beer battles throughout the world... (Photo: 2Bangkok.com) Gift of alcohol - January 14, 2008 It reads: Giving alcoholic drink as gift = giving a curse This billboard is put up by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation Can new Thai PM achieve genuine media reform? - SEAPA/IFEX, January 22, 2009 A Thai Democrat? - Wall Street Journal, January 22, 2009 ...Mr. Abhisit likes to emphasize accountability and the rule of law. But so far he hasn't practiced what he preaches... Cast adrift - Myanmar’s unwanted human flotsam - The Economist, January 22, 2009 [Thanks to Marc for pointing this out.] Fears for 126 Rohingya rise as Thais deny holding them - International Herald Tribune, January 23, 2009 ...Amid persistent reports of a shadowy arm of the army towing 992 Rohingya out to sea last month in engine-less boats and leaving them to die, the U.N. refugee agency asked Bangkok on Tuesday to see the 126, most of whom it said were in army custody on an Andaman Sea island. The Foreign Ministry said that was no longer the case, citing the army's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), which admits to overseeing the arrest and detention of the group of Rohingya, a Muslim minority from northwest Myanmar. "The latest information that we have from ISOC is that there are no longer any Rohingya left in Thailand," deputy ministry He refused to answer repeated questions about the current whereabouts of the 126, or say where, when and how they left the country... Hundreds of Burmese migrants arrested in Maesod - Network Media Group, January, 2009 [This is in Burmese so we are not sure of the details...] Thai security forces systematically torture in southern counter-insurgency - Amnesty International, January 13, 2009 MFA Spokesperson comments on Amnesty International’s report concerning Southern Thailand - MFA, January 14, 2009 In response to press queries, Mr. Tharit Charungvat, Director-General of Department of Information and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on news reports concerning Amnesty International’s study alleging that Thai security forces are systematically using torture and other ill-treatment on suspects in pursuing its counter-insurgency campaign. The gist of his comment is as follows... Kasit wants to use Hun Sen´s blood to wash his feet - KI, January 13, 2009 2001 terror plot crushed in Bangkok - Bangkok Post, January 14, 2009 (Photo: 2Bangkok.com) I can speak English - January 16, 2008 Sign from the window of a Bangkok taxi... DTV: PTV's proxy, Thaksin's mouthpiece - TOC, January 15, 2009 More on the forum From 2007: PTV Thai soldiers threatened Cambodian workers two days consecutively - KI, January 18, 2009 Steve King's my Rep - I'm so proud - TPM, January 16, 2009 ..."A soldier, man or woman, could get drunk in Bangkok, wake up in the morning and be married, as will happen sometimes in places like Las Vegas or Bangkok, be killed the next day, and the spouse who was a product of the evening's celebration would have then a right to claim access to come to the United States on a green card..." Bangkok: A land of hot dogs and chilly soldiers - Independent, January 17, 2009 ...But while Britain is blasted by Arctic winds, the Thai notion of "winter" is somewhat comical. Consider the dinner table I shared one evening with six Thai army officers in the northern hills, when the night-time temperature was a balmy 18C. These tough-looking military men baulked at this terrifying cold, adorning themselves in jumpers, scarves and woolly gloves. I sat beside them – slightly provocatively, perhaps – in T-shirt and shorts... Nishimatsu 'planned Thai contract bribes' - Asia News Network, January 16, 2009 Japan's Nishimatsu Construction Co planned to offer about 350 million yen (US$3.8 million) in bribes with its joint venture partner in Thailand to then Thai government senior officials to win a 2003 tunnel construction project, sources said Thursday (January 15)... Floating tree trunk causes a stir at the Navy School in Sattahip - Pattaya One News, January 17, 2009 Thailand’s questionable ‘kindness’ to refugees - The Irrawaddy, January 19, 2009 ...Suthep’s response to the problem has not been too reassuring, however. Speaking to reporters, he said, “I myself believe the [naval] officers did not do such a thing because Thai people have generosity and kindness...” Proton "among top 10" in Thailand - The Malaysian Insider, January 20, 2009 In just over one year of its presence in the Japanese-manufacturer dominated market, Proton has managed to place itself within the top 10 brands in passenger car sales in Thailand. Malaysian Ambassador to Thailand Datuk Husni Zai Yaacob said Proton had sold 2,918 cars since making its entry in the late 2007, with a market share of 1.4 per cent and currently is among the top three models within a group of other than Japanese makes... M'sian nabbed in Bangkok over US$150m credit card fraud - Malaysia Star, January, 2009 A Malaysian man wanted in the United States for credit card fraud amounting to US$150mil (RM540mil) was arrested by Thai authorities and US Secret Service agents in Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok on Tuesday... Thailand: Addressing sexual violence in Mae La refugee camp - IRIN, January 15, 2009 ...Mae La suffers from a significant degree of sexual violence and domestic abuse, aggravated by frustration born of the inability to return to Myanmar, live and work openly in Thai society, or resettle in other countries, according to aid workers... The Foss family's extended adventures in Thailand - Cannonfalls, January 15, 2009 ..."A political group (P.A.D.) did not like the newly elected Thai prime minister who won the election in a landslide. So  a P.A.D. opposition group took over the airports in Bangkok, shutting down all flight operations. Their primary purpose was to prevent the return of the prime minister from meetings in Peru. Except he just flew into Chiang Mai instead... Thailand's new prime minister is an indie rock fan - Guardian, January, 2009 ...Yet Thailand's new prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has made his bid to be down with the kids, telling an audience in Bangkok that Oasis, the Killers and Guns N' Roses are among his favourite bands... Navy denies ill-treatment of Rohingya migrants from Burma and Bangladesh - The Nation, January, 2009 Earlier: Thailand urged to stop pushing refugees out to sea - The Irrawaddy, January 15, 2009 Thai fugitive's charges may expire before extradition determined: B.C. judge - Vancouver Sun, January 13, 2009 A B.C. Court of Appeal justice has expressed grave misgivings about Canada's inability to extradite financier Rakesh Saxena to Thailand, where he has been wanted for the past 12 years on charges of embezzlement... US and Thailand announce joint war games - AFP, January 13, 2009 Thailand will next month host troops from the United States, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia for their annual war games, the biggest in Southeast Asia, US and Thai officials announced Tuesday... Which hi-so, connected family will get off scot free for this? - January 1, 2008 Pub fire death toll rises to 60 - The Nation, December 31, 2008 Police: Many victims were foreigners - The Nation, December 31, 2008 The Santika website is still up (right). If you don't believe in the symbols, do not use them disrespectfully - Manager, January 1, 2009 [The Manager website superstitiously speculates on the use of religious symbols in the nightclub's decor (below).] (Photo: Manager website) Dark secret of the Thai glutinous rice - NST, January 4, 2009 Watch out if you're buying black glutinous rice in Thailand. It could be just plain white rice dyed black... COMMENT: Anything goes in the hedonists' tropical paradise of Bangkok - Times Online, January 2, 2009 [Thanks to Noel for pointing this out.] Khmer culture and the Thai people - KI, January 1, 2009 The Thai people have copied Khmer culture, adopted and practised it as a new culture to build a brand new society on the lands of the ex-Khmer territories and developed Thailand into a more advanced and prosperous country than Cambodia, which is the original owner of the culture and the land... (Source: Matichon) Sawasdee the year 2009 - Matichon, December 31, 2009 Sawasdee [Welcome] the year 2009 Welcome New Year 2009 despite being shocked As last year was the year of struggles to death Many died and many suffered injuries From the lacking of wisdom May this new day of the new year and the new [political] pole Maintain good values and survive Without regard to political poles that is less important than the public’s severe mourning And get rid of the entrenched corrupted generation And get rid of the leeches To serve even in the time of poorness As men who are born equally To make Thailand the land of no slavery where money simply buys everything With concern about the bad results that return to the bad people And learn to become the people of no slavery Prime Ministers - January 7, 2009 Besides the plethora of font types, sizes and colors, the Thai government cabinet website continues to show unusually worded reasons for Prime Ministers leaving office. Thai police confiscate tiger carcasses smuggled from Malaysia - Bernama, January 7, 2009 Thai highway police confiscated four tiger carcasses, believed to have been smuggled from Malaysia, in Hua Hin on Monday... Thai Airways seeks to delay delivery of Airbus on cash shortage - Bloomberg, January 7, 2009 Thai Airways International Pcl , the nation's biggest carrier, will ask Airbus SAS to delay delivery of new aircraft as its running short of cash after the eight-day shutdown of the country's main airport... District court to hear detainee case - The Washington Independent, January, 2009 ...Almost six years ago, while on a business trip in Thailand, Amin Al Bakri was abducted on his way to the Bangkok airport. For months, his wife and three children at home in Yemen had no idea where he was... REPORTING - 2008 'a nightmare' for Thai journalists - Bangkok Post, January 6, 2009 Thailand: Inquest blames soldiers for imam’s death - New government should halt army abuse and bring perpetrators to justice - Human Rights Watch, January 8, 2009 When it comes to cash, a Thai village says, 'baht, humbug!' - Wall Street Journal, January, 2009 ...Decorating their money with children's sketches of water buffaloes and Buddhist temples, the villagers conceived it as a do-it-yourself attempt to protect themselves from the whiplash of vast outflows of speculative money which undermined local currencies and threw Thailand -- and much of Asia -- into recession in 1997-98. At the time, some villagers faced questioning before Thailand's central bank and were accused by local government officials of plotting a secessionist revolt... Interesting things from the Bank of Thailand website - January 10, 2009 Historical series of banknotes - how to check for counterfeits Thai - English (although the posters seem to only be in Thai) Cambodia protests against Thailand in the "Jupiter Cruise" affair - Cambodge Soir Hebdo, January 8, 2009 ...269 tourists including 257 Cambodian were denied access to Thailand on Christmas Day even though they hold proper visas and passports, the Cambodian ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated on 08 January. ...The British skipper of the cruise ship was informed by the Thai authority that his passengers were not authorized to enter Thailand, unless they [each] post a $1,500 bond deposit that they can collect back after three months just in case any of these passengers cause "trouble" in Thailand... Kate Moss 'splashed 100,000 pounds during Thailand break' - New Kerala, January 10, 2009 New Delhi, Jan 10: Supermodel Kate Moss reportedly spent 100,000 pounds on a luxurious eight-day holiday in Thailand... The changing face of Buddhist sculptures - International Herald Tribune, January 21, 2009 Thanks to Danny for pointing this out. Thailand by train: In the Tropics, the train is the thing - Telegraph, January, 2009 Tim Jepson goes back in time on an Eastern and Oriental rail journey through Thailand, from the sleepy charms of Laos to the clamour of Bangkok... Protest letter to be delivered, Part 3 - January 27, 2009 From a press release: Tomorrow, January 27 at 10:00am, red shirt people will be gathering in front of the Indonesian Embassy to submit a letter expressing their concerns about the upcoming Asean summit. The Embassy of Indonesian is located on New Petchaburi Road. Protest letters to be delivered, Part 2 - January 25, 2009 From a press release: The rally of the red shirt people to submit the protesting letter to Asean embassies tomorrow Jan 26th: 10:00am Embassy of Philippines and 10:30am Brunei Embassy. Both embassies are located at Sukhumvit Road. Protest letters concerning the ASEAN Summit - January 22, 2009 From a press release: Jackrapob Penkair and leaders of red shirt people will submit letters of protest to the embassies of nine ASEAN countries due to attend the summit: tomorrow, January 23rd, 10:00am at the Myanmar Embassy and 10:30am at the Singaporean Embassy. The rest of the countries are to be scheduled later. Update: Here is the letter: January 23rd , 2009 Ambassador of_____________; Your great nation is a vital ingredient to the ASEAN framework, and the current chairmanship of Thailand depends on it. We thus appreciate your taking time to realize a political reality of Thailand today: the Thai government, the so-called Royal Thai Government led by Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, does not democratically represent the great people of Thailand. At the outlook, his coalition resembles the one with legitimate majority and seems politically qualified, but the very conception of such government can't be remotely considered democratic. A democratically-elected government, as you are well-aware, must be led by the party with majority, which in turn reflects the will of the people. "The Abhisit government" came into existence only because of the heavy maneuvering of undemocratic external forces, the ones that disregard the true will of the people and their rights for self-determination. Furthermore, the appointment of Kasit Piromya as Foreign Minister is an unbelievable act of recognizing a personality Thai people view as a terrorist, as he was a constant contributor to the seizure of both international airports of Thailand quite recently. In the eyes of most Thais, this government is politically handicapped. Such state of leadership should not be allowed to tamper with ASEAN's good works, especially as its Chair. Therefore, we would like to officially address the problem to you, the respectable ASEAN partner, that the current Thai government is not well-regarded and not generally accepted by the people of the land. What to do and what gesture to be made are entirely up to you. Our civil duty is to inform you most directly of the will of the democratizing Thai citizens. We will continue to support the ASEAN framework. But we found it impossible to let a group of ill-conceived political appointees to represent us in there. We the Thai people have full trust in your judgment. Thank you dearly for your kind attention. Respectfully, (Mr. Jakrapob Penkair) Former Minister of the Prime Minister's Office Co-ordinator of the Red Shirt Movement Human bread - bangkokdaytours.com, January, 2009 [Thanks to Don for pointing this out.] Thailand promises army-led probe of Rohingya scandal - Thailandnews, January 29, 2009 Thailand has promised a transparent investigation into allegations of army abuse of Rohingya boat people, but said the probe would be led by the shadowy military unit at the heart of the scandal... Letter from Hat Yai - Paradise lost? - The Nation, January 23, 2009 ...Welcome to the multicultural world of the South... [And on the forum] Elite card abandoned - Bangkok Post, January 29, 2009 ...The loss-making Thailand Elite Card, launched in 2003 to lure wealthy tourists and business people to Thailand, will be scrapped, a government spokesman said. Only 2,570 were members in 2008. Earlier: Thailand Elite cardholders reassured - The Nation, January 17, 2009 The Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thailand Privilege Card insisted yesterday that privileges for Thailand Elite cardholders remained unchanged, despite a recent mailing to members that benefits would be done away with completely... Earlier: Playing with the wrong card - The Standard, October 23-24, 2004 Even those rich enough to have bought a Thailand Elite Card are too embarrassed to talk about it. And even after it was put on the market a year ago with overt government backing - including the imprimatur of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra - not even the government bodies responsible for the card want to talk about it now... New Thai premier seen as leaning right; Reformists worry - Washington Post, January 30, 2009 ..."It is the military's dividend for putting Abhisit in power: They can now dictate policy," says Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University...