|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
ILoveThailand.org - July 2, 2009
New nationalistic website launched by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as an "online community promoting national unity."
The site includes this video lamenting Thailand's "Lost Territory" (above) and a couple of tram photos (here and here) first featured on 2Bangkok.com.The NGV busses - July 30, 2009
The billboard reads: The Bhumjaithai Party works with intention for the people - populist policy promotes social happiness - 4,000 NGV busses air-conditioned - 12 baht for all round trip - 800 baht for one month trip - 30 baht for all day -600 baht for students for one month - It is time that Bangkok residents have qualified and lower fare public buses
[This bus project is the kind of irregular slush fund project that Thai politics is famous for. Almost all vehicle purchases fall into this category. Noted as irregular in sourcing and pricing, the NGV project was part of the price for Bhumjaithai to break with Thaksin and be the party to counter Thaksin popularity in rural areas.
Now that the Bhumjaithai Party has failed miserably in countering Thaksin influence in the by-elections, their clout in demanding such as project is dissolving and the NGV project is in doubt.
However, after Wednesday's Privy Council meeting, suddenly a full-blown strategy appeared to counter the Thaksin pardon signature drive--let Bhumjaithai counter the Red Shirt pardon drive with rallies, stickers for taxis, house to house lobbing in the Northeast, and billboards in Bangkok. So perhaps the Bhumjaithai Party has another chance to demonstrate its usefulness.]
Cambodian officials said Cambodia will request Thai Prime Minister to close his website - Khmerization, July 13, 2009Websites put Thai and Cambodia relations in a shaky ground - eTurboNews, July 19, 2009
According to some Cambodian media sources, a new website launched by the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva recently has caused a stir in the Cambodian local media as well as among top officials...Enraged elephant stomps 3 Thai workers to death - AP, July 1, 2009
Discovering Puchaosamingphrai Fort - thaiblogs, July 20, 2009
Wow! This is cool! Richard writes: Using an old map that marked Puchaosamingphrai Fort, together with Google Earth, I managed to locate something that looked like it could be some ruins of the fort tucked between two buildings. I drove over there at the weekend and to my delight I discovered what was indeed the very dilapidated ruins of the fort. The place was falling down and was very overgrown with vegetation...
And map of forts and guns in Samut Prakan Province
Also: The lost forts of RattanakosinThai red tape delays moves to bring Luke Mitchell's killers to justice - Melbourne Herald Sun, July, 2009
...The wanted men have been at large in Thailand for two months since flying out within hours of the death of Luke Mitchell, who was bashed to death in Brunswick after going to the aid of a man...JI bomb-maker linked to Thailand's southern militants - Channel News Asia, July 27, 2009
New reports have emerged in Thai media linking Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) with militants in the kingdom's south...Red house - paknam.com, July 29, 2009
Richard writes: In an old guidebook dating back 150 years, we found a mention of a Red House alongside the river exactly 2.3 miles south of Paknam. No-one around here knows anything about this house but on a modern map we found a village called Ban Khlong Sala Daeng at this exact spot. This was obviously the location of the red building...Thai cabinet OKs THB1.4 billion financial aid for Cambodia road project - Nasdaq, July 28, 2009
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)My dad is very cool - July 30, 2009
The billboard reads: Cheer up Dad… Win the fight with alcoholic drinks for me to see - Stop drinking alcoholic drinks during the Buddhist Lent for your children... for your family
THe boy is saying: My dad is very coolSpanish businessman raises funds to help Thai police - Monsters and Critics.com, July 28, 2009
...Barcelona businessman Jordi Guerrero said Tuesday that he became conscious of Thai police's lack of resources after a group of 12 people robbed him of 15,000 euros (21,500 dollars) at a Bangkok commercial centre in December 2008.
The robbers followed Guerrero, dropped papers on the floor to create confusion, and snatched the money from his pocket...Police alerted to Friday rally of red shirts - Bangkok Post, July 30, 2009
State-run media outlets to remind about improper petition for a royal pardon - The Nation, July 30, 2009
Pardon fight gains pace - Pressure grows on PM to stop petition drive - Bangkok Post, July 30, 2009
...He said some privy councillors who were former military top brass had questioned why the government and the military were doing nothing to stop the red shirts from submitting the petition.
They viewed the petition as an attempt to possibly drag the monarch into politics and put pressure on him.
A Privy Council source said Gen Prem had raised the issue of the red shirts' petition at the Privy Council meeting on Tuesday. However, the Royal Household Bureau yesterday denied the council had discussed the issue.
The bureau's comments were seen as an attempt to protect the Privy Council from attack for interfering in politics...Red-shirts gather at Sanam Luang - Bangkok Post, July 31, 2009
...A UDD source said the last day of the signature gathering campaign for the petition would get underway at noon and end at midnight. Thaksin was expected to phone in to address his supporters tonight...OMA's Ole Scheeren designs Bangkok's tallest building - interiordesign.net, July, 2009
[More interesting rendering from the project.]Drugged and mugged in Bangkok - Telegraph, July, 2009
[This seems to be a variant of a scam card-playing scam from the Philippines]
...By this time I seemed to be floating in a dreamlike place. I started giggling, which annoyed the man. He asked to see my wallet and roughly went through it. Other people came and went. We played cards but I had no idea what I was doing. He then took my camera and put it in a cupboard. I was incapable of saying or doing anything...Thirty-five documentary properties added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register - ArtDaily, July 31, 2009
...Archival Documents of King Chulalongkorn's Transformation of Siam (1868-1910) (Thailand): Present-day Thailand owes much to the policies and reforms carried out by King Chulalongkorn the Great of Siam (1868-1910). The documents record social policies such as the emancipation of slaves by peaceful and legal means, the abolition of gambling, the establishment of a public school system and the reform of the Buddhist Sangha, as well as the promotion of agricultural production, the market economy, and financial and fiscal institutions. These measures contributed to Siam’s ability, exceptional during the age of Western colonialism, to retain its independence...Supernatural Thailand - Global Post, July 31, 2009
...Beliefs about Newin are so widespread that, when soldiers briefly detained him after the most recent coup, they acted on a senior officers’ orders to strip the politician and remove his magic amulets...Permission to link - July 31, 2009
Something quaint from the Bangkok Post help page: Question: I am writing to ask permission to LINK to a Bangkok Post article to post on our site.
Answer: We wish to see how you will present the link > on your web page first. Please send the reason and a screenshot to: Web MasterJune mosque attack - Asia Security Monitor, No. 239, July 23, 2009
June 9: An attack on a mosque in southern Thailand has brought that nation’s simmering five-year Islamist insurgency back in the forefront. Twelve people were reportedly killed in the shooting, which the Christian Science Monitor reports took place just hours after Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva held discussions with Malaysian leader Najim Raznak on the issue of Islamic radicalism. Although it is unclear who perpetrated the act, the Thai government has blamed Muslim insurgents, while locals in Thailand's unstable south speculate that Thai security forces were actually involved. According to BBC, the attack does not fit the typical profile of violence carried out by Muslim insurgents, while China's Xinhua news agency claims the attack was likely an attempt to spark conflict between the Buddhists and Muslims in the region.Wear black campaign under way - Bangkok Post, July 24, 2009
[The writer of the Post article is tiptoeing around the belief some have that Thaksin's birthday celebration is being conducted in a manner that parallels celebrations for the King and is thus another provocative challenge to the establishment.]
...Now what does that mean anyway? Those who are not aware of the significance or insignificance of that particular day, which is this Sunday, should not feel sorry about it. There is, in fact, nothing special about it. It is just another Sunday, which just happens to be the birthday of deposed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who will be turning 60.
So I guess you should by now grasp the meaning of the twitter message which, I suspect, was started by someone to counter the birthday celebrations planned by Thaksin’s supporters...Bangkok's tallest tower: Metaphor for a metropolis - July 24, 2009
Via FYB: Metaphor for a metropolis - FT, July 20, 2009
Israeli, Thai firms to build Bangkok's tallest tower - Ha'aretz, July 23, 2009
Pace and IBC respectively hold 50.1 percent and 49.9 percent in the venture, the largest property project in Bangkok in more than a decade...Ethnic violence spreads in Thailand - The Washington Times, July 24, 2009
Terrorist attacks in the villages of southern Thailand have reached an all-time high, as schools become breeding grounds for young fighters in the conflict between Muslim insurgents and Buddhists, analysts say...
(Photo: Ai)Fallen billboard - July 3, 2009
Tony writes: (These photos) come from the western Outer Ring Road, the Bang Bua Thong exit area... my wife and I drove by after what must have been quite a squall, in early May, and saw these massive roadside billboards blown down.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)A long name - July 4, 2009
A short url for a long name. This was on the side of a bus downtown.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Safe-T-Cut workers protest - July 2, 2009
Safe-T-Cut works who were fired without pay or benefits demonstrate in front of the Labor Department in Bangkok. Most will know Safe-T-Cut from the ubiquitous breaker boxes in most older Thai buildings.
The words on the sign above reads "Lose the job - Help!" Another banner, out of frame, reads "Why not fire Dr. Nut?" This refers to Dr. Nuttapol Sotthiwanwong, a Safety-Cut executive being blamed by the protesters for their layoffs.
Normally in this situation, the government and police will use all means, legal and otherwise, to force executives to make good on severance pay. In the past this has included holding foreign company executives in jail without charge until they come up with the money. In cases where executives are able to successfully flee, the government quietly settles with the workers.
Also: Safe-T-Cut workers join plant closure protest - The Nation, July 3, 2009Foreign reporters targeted in Thailand - United Press International, July, 2009
Tensions put aside as new road opens - Bangkok Post, July 4, 2009
Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia could ease as friendly feelings were recalled yesterday in a joint ceremony opening a new road linking the two countries, said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva...Durian dilemma: Would I be bold enough to eat Thailand's exotic fruit? - Pioneer Press, July 4, 2009
...In all that time, I'm ashamed to admit, I couldn't bring myself to eat a single slice of durian — a fruit so entwined with Thai culture and cuisine that to refuse its embrace is tantamount to blasphemy...Wanted: volunteer detectives, only dogs need apply - Reuters, July 5, 2009
Jame and Richy help bust drug smugglers and guard royal events in Thailand. These law enforcement volunteers are also great at sitting and fetching...Tourists lift British inmates' spirits at Thai prison - Thailandnews.net, July 7, 2009
Julian Gilbey bounds along the corridor of the so-called "Bangkok Hilton" with a sweaty face and a wide grin, excited by the rare treat of contact with the outside world after seven years behind bars...Istanbul and Bangkok become sister cities - Turk.Net, July 6, 2009
Broadband fees 'reasonable' - Bangkok Post, July 7, 2009
True Corporation says it can't cut high-speed internet access prices by 50 per cent as the government has requested because the current price is reasonable...Ten steps to close down an open society - Costal Post, July, 2009
[You may have missed last year's coup... Not sure what the author is referring to. They seem to be mistaking the 2006 coup with the Red Shirt version of events of April 2009.]
Last autumn, there was a military coup in Thailand. The leaders of the coup took a number of steps, rather systematically, as if they had a shopping list. In a sense, they did. Within a matter of days, democracy had been closed down: the coup leaders declared martial law, sent armed soldiers into residential areas, took over radio and TV stations, issued restrictions on the press, tightened some limits on travel, and took certain activists into custody...
Earthquake preparedness in Bangkok - July 12, 2009
Interesting earthquake safety sign in the elevators in the SCB headquarters build at Ratchayothin. It explains earthquake procedures for people in high-rise buildings.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Giant shirt - July 10, 2009
It reads: This coming 14 July, the best Breeze’s detergent powder will change your life - [the name of the new product] OCSI MaxPM: Not necessary to seal country - The Nation, July 8, 2009
U.S. settles with family of Southeast Asia scholar - Los Angeles Times, July 8, 2009
Roxanna Brown was both informant and target in a probe into donations of allegedly looted Thai antiquities to museums. Days after her arrest, she died in custody. The government will pay $880,000...Wanted backpacker flies to Thailand - ABC Online, July, 2009
BioThai website hacked - The Nation, July 13, 2009
Road show to explore new land link - The Nation, July 12, 2009
The Foreign Trade Department will lead local businesses on a roadshow to Cambodia and Vietnam next week in a bid to explore trade and investment opportunities along the new land link between the three countries...Thais are divided over royal pardon for Thaksin : Abac poll - The Nation, July 13, 2009
...Senator Prasarn Maruekhapitak said it was erroneous to make a comparison between the signature campaign carried out on Thaksin's behalf and the tradition of sounding a bell to petition the King in the Sukhothai era.
"In the past like the Sukhothai era, the petition would not have happened because a convict who showed no remorse and was involved in the Songkran mayhem, would have been beheaded along with family members up to seven generations," he said.Thai probe shows tiger parts came from Malaysia - The Star, July 10, 2009
Investigations by Thai wildlife authorities have confirmed that some of the tiger parts confiscated in Thailand last year belonged to the Malayan tiger, a specie found only in Peninsula Malaysia...National Assembly in Thailand foiling demining efforts: officials - Phnom Penh Post, July 11, 2009
Cambodian government says it needs Thai approval to demine border...Lifes's liquids - Bangkok Post, July 11, 2009
[This strangely titled articles is actually about traditional Thai flavored drinks.]
Beverages have had a long and colourful history in Thailand...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Asok - July 15, 2009
Left: One of the many grubby looking Skytrain station signs
BMA closes schools to halt flu - Abhisit opposed, saying kids will gather in malls - Bangkok Post, July 15, 2009
PM to go on TV 8:30 pm to pacify public on A (H1N1) flu - The Nation, July 14, 2009
Earlier: From the 2004 bird flu scare
The government strategy for the bird flu was to deny there was any bird flu at all despite evidence to the contrary:
Earlier: Roasting the PM - January 27, 2004
The foreign press is going all out in predicting the PM's downfall (Bird flu outbreak may be downfall of Thai PM, ABC Online, January 27, 2004). However, there is nothing in the article that might lead one to believe that the PM is in trouble. The reporters are clearly having a good time questioning him though: JOURNALIST 2: How can you say that, how can you be so confident Prime Minister? THAKSIN SHINAWATRA: I know what I'm doing.
Earlier: Questions remain over Thai competence - foodproductiondaily.com, January 21, 2004
While this article uses many quotes from the Post, it has some interesting perspective of how the food industry views the bird flu in Thailand: But not everyone is as confident in Thai assurances that the country remains free from the virus. "Thailand's leaders characteristically express over-confidence and premature over-reassurance in the face of the unknown and unproven," Jody Lanard, a US-based risk communication consultant told FoodProductionDaily.com. "They have done the same thing regarding SARS preparation, and regarding terrorism."Earlier: From The Onion: "Thai Premier Eats Entire Bucket Of Chicken To Calm Bird-Flu Fears" - February 26, 2004
Thai Premier Eats Entire Bucket Of Chicken To Calm Bird-Flu Fears
BANGKOK—To allay concerns about the safety of Thai poultry following an outbreak of the H5N1 bird virus, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ate an entire 15-piece bucket of fried chicken on live television Monday. "See, it's fine, this chicken," Shinawatra said as he tore into a leg. "You are all worried for nothing. It's delicious." In a Carson's Group International poll taken after the broadcast, 63 percent of viewers said they wouldn't be afraid to eat chicken raised in Thailand, but 94 percent said they were afraid of Shinawatra.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Left: The sticker reads: Do not tickle
Paisa explains: On July 17 you showed a bumper sticker "Ya Jee", and translated it as "do not tickle". That's one correct translation, and the gist
of the pun. In this context, however, "Ya Jee" is actually short for "Ya Jee Tai", which means "do not trail too close."Bangkok's Noodle Cart 2.0 - July 18, 2009
Jess writes: I just wanted to pass along this article on the reinvention of the Bangkok noodle cart. Thailand’s Creative & Design Center has taken on the task of redesigning the iconic noodle cart based on the current ingenuity of street vendors. The center has also begun to poll the public, from kindergarteners to adults, on suggestions for improvement, which range from solar panels to chapstick condiments. It will be interesting to see what they create.Air Asia X billboard in Australia - thedw.us, July 18, 2009
Thanks to Wise Kwai for pointing this out.Thai, U.S forces recognize achievements during annual exercise - Defence Professionals, July 16, 2009
...Making its first appearance in CARAT, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) aircraft carrier HTMS Chakri Naruebet not only took part in two days of at-sea maneuvers with Task Group 73.5, but also shot down a U.S. Navy target drone with a Mistral surface-to-air missile...Clinton pays attention to Asia - KoreaTimes, July 2009
...After a five-day stay in India, Clinton will visit Thailand. The secretary of state will hold talks with ``Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromyato to underscore the importance of our alliance and our bilateral relationship,'' Kelly said...Arrival of mega-ships raises hope for Thai exports - Reuters, July 2009
The world's biggest ships are heading for Thailand for the first time, sent by an Israeli shipping firm and raising hopes of a rebound in Thai exports in the second half of the year, officials and exporters said on Friday...Most happening restaurants in Bangkok have India connection - AINS, July 19, 2009
It is difficult to imagine Bangkok without Lebua at the State Tower, among the tallest buildings in Bangkok and home to a luxurious all-suite hotel. The same goes for the Dome at Lebua that houses spectacular dining venues like Sirocco, the world’s highest al fresco restaurant, Mezzaluna, Breeze and Cafe Mozu.
But what is the common link among all of these restaurants that see a perpetual queue to get into? The unexpected answer is: The brain behind all of them is Deepak Ohri, an Indian and extremely proud to be one...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Bangkok afternoon - July 27, 2009
Looking to the west.Wednesday eclipse - July 22, 2009
Eclipse graphic for Thailand
Partial solar eclipse visible Wednesday in Thailand - Bernama, July 20, 2009
...In Thailand, Dr. Pornchai said, the partial solar eclipse can be seen countrywide. The natural phenomenon will begin on the Thai-Myanmar border at Mae Hong Son at 7am and will end at Mukdahan on Thailand's Mekong River border with the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic at 9:08 am...
[Eclipses are a time when Thai newspaper are filled with fortune tellers predicting back luck and political turmoil like this one we pointed out yesterday: Watch out for the solar eclipse - The Nation, July 17, 2009
..."Will some important people in Thailand lose their lives during the eclipse?" I asked.
"Perhaps so. This is no good at all," the astrologer said....]Thailand needs bolder approach on Myanmar - Bernama, July 21, 2009
Thailand needs a bolder approach in dealing with Myanmar to show that engagement with the country could produce concrete results and not empty promises, said the Human Rights Watch...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Closed permanently - July, 2009
Sign on a currency exchange machine at the Bangkok Bank head officeSlain Cochrane man's brother seeking justice in Thailand - Calgary Herald, July 30, 2009
..."I really commend him for going to Thailand and seeing all this through, especially under the circumstance," she said Wednesday.
But the stories she's heard about what's happening in Thailand have her frustrated.
"It's just like a nightmare, really. It's like some movie you'd see someplace. It's surreal," she said.
And people are always asking Richard about his brother's insurance money.
"Everybody, from the police to everybody, is interested in the insurance policy," Richard said...[Interesting reader's comment below the article that seems to reflect what we have heard about Aussies being warned against heading to "dangerous" Thailand and to just stay home where it is safe and civilized: As long as people continue to have this perverse desire to travel to these places of very questionable reputation, this stuff will continue to happen. I have never understood why there is all this brouhaha when the stuff hits the fan in these backwaters. What are people expecting exactly? I know strange things can happen anywhere, but I would rather stick to someplace that has some semblance of law and sensible people and there's a long enough list to keep travelers happy...]
