News and Views - April 2005
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
The lore of Guy Yang Makkasan -
April 22, 2005
Guy Yang Makkasan, the landmark restaurant at the intersection
of Makkasan and Ratchaprarop Roads, is gone. This was a wooden building
by the railroad tracks with chickens turning on spits in front of
red glowing coals at the front of the restaurant. The shop served
somtan, grilled chicken and other northeastern food.
It is likely the building was removed as part of the general clearing
of encroaching buildings along the tracks in the Makkasan area in
preparation for the Airport
rail link.
Parking was available across the tracks in an old shopping area. People
from all walks of life would park and then walk across the oily railroad
tracks to reach the restaurant. The entire building rumbled and shook
as trains passed. It was fun to sit and watch traffic in the heart
of modern Bangkok in a building steeped with traditional lore. Among
the stories:
* The placement of the grill that roasted chicken was at the front
of the restaurant facing the end of Makkasan Road. This was done for
proper wong shui (feng shui). Normally buildings that face
an oncoming road either have small wong shui mirrors or, in rarer
cases, a flame or cooking fire. Any of these is said to block the
bad fortune that travels down a road. It was only in the last few
months that the chickens were placed behind glass to protect them
from exhaust fumes from the road a meter away.
* Due to a special number the restaurant had been given by a fortune
teller, the restaurant only cooked a set number of chickens a day
and usually closed by 6:00 pm when the food ran out.
* There was a photo on the wall of the late owner/manager along with
a small shrine. In hushed tones the senior staff of the restaurant
would tell this tale of his legendary death: The owner had come from
the northeast and recruited all his staff from there for his successful
restaurant. Once a fortune teller told him that the bad luck he had
earned by slitting the necks of so many chickens who return upon him.
The owner had a habit of mercilessly berating the staff he brought
in from the provinces and most bore it stoically. One day, however,
a young man who had had enough of the bullying grabbed a knife and
slit his boss' throat, killing him and bringing the fortune teller's
predictions to reality.
Abandoned places in Japan -
April 25, 2005
Eerie photos of an abandoned
amusement park (page 1, page
2, page
3), apparently in Japan. Abandoned
places in Japan
Ripping
Off Good Reads in China - LA Times, April
24, 2005
The five-volume "Executive Ability" book series is a
classic in Chinese business and management circles. Collectively,
it has sold more than 2 million copies in the last two years. Top
universities and public libraries in China keep multiple copies on
hand.
It's also a big fake.
The series purports to be a translation of English-language works,
but no such titles exist. The principal author — a Paul Thomas,
said to be an eminent Harvard University business professor —
is not real. Also made up is the rave review on the back cover, attributed
to the Wall Street Journal: "The most practical and advanced
management thought of our time."...
Vietnam's
'Professor Turtle' Keeps Lake Legend Alive -
April 22, 2005
...Now, more than a decade after communist Vietnam opened its doors
to the outside world, thousands of tourists flock annually to the
lake to learn about the legend and perhaps catch a glimpse of the
"monster" turtle estimated to weigh about 440 pounds.
...World Conservation Union scientist Hendrie told an environmental
conference in Vietnam last month that the giant turtle is thought
to be one of six of its species remaining...
Cloud
Appreciation Society website - April 29, 2005
Nothing to do with Thailand, but interesting...
Tram maps of Amsterdam and The
Hague - April 30, 2005
Nothing to do with Thailand, but interesting... Dick van der Spek's
latest maps of the tramways of Amsterdam
(1.1mb) and The Hague (641kb).
Waterworld fears again
- April 30, 2005
If the mid-1990s there was a run on land in the north because
fears of a 'waterworld'--Thailand being soon inundated by rising
ocean levels. This was stoked by many stories and musings in the
Thai-language press. Today a similar story appeared: Residents
of Lampang could someday live near the seashore - Bangkok
Post, April 30, 2005.
Thailand's coastline could touch the northern province of Lampang
after the widespread melting of the polar ice caps dramatically
increases sea levels worldwide, a scientist said yesterday.
"It is possible the sea will move up to Lampang, about 600
kilometres north of Bangkok,'' Chirapol Sintunawa, of Mahidol
University's faculty of environmental sciences, told a press briefing
yesterday on global warming's effects on Thailand.
"Scientists can't tell when the inundation will occur, but
it is very likely the progression of the ice melting and resulting
rising sea levels will be clearly seen in the next three years,''
he said.
Mr Chirapol's study on the possible effects of global warming
will be presented at Environment Fair 2005...
"There is no doubt that southern and central regions of Thailand
will lie under the sea if we cannot stop the ice cap from melting
soon,'' said Mr Chirapol...
Military
type Autovon sets - April 30, 2005
Nothing to do with Thailand, but interesting... Dave Milam points
out the decommissioned Autovon (nuke hardened) "AUTOmatic Voice
Over Network" phone network.
Traffic trouble spam -
April 29, 2005
Electron cars? Flying cars? Green system? We keep getting this bizarre
traffic-related spam. Don't miss their website.
{Note: It is not a spam, it is A LOVE AND DUTY, we assist BGFG
propagate information of love, BGFG don't know herself. Please LOVE
OUR 1000,000,000 CITY BROTHER AND SISTER (include yourself and your
family), to decrease casualty in peacetime, and give city people tranquility
and welfare, to create 21-CENTURY NEW MAINSTAY PEOPLE-SERVE INDUSTRY,
it is a sort of charity}.
Traffic trouble is one of the greatest trouble of city people. It
not only give city people great vexation, also deprive thousands men's
life, gestating the man life tragedies. Please give love to city people,
to propagandize and popularize the superconductive green traffic system.
It is new inventing 21-century most advanced traffic system.
(In green traffic system, the cars of car-current like electrons in
electric current under superconductive state), the resistance reduces
to a minimum value, therefore 3 significant merits emerge:
1. Low Cost. No interchange and underground railway must be built
to improve the city's traffic condition. The investment is much smaller,
only 1/10 (or below) of common traffic road system, (from small city
to very large city the total investment of whole city only 100M-450M
USD), greatly decrease the tax burden of city people.
2.On road and at crossing can't form traffic jam, greatly decrease
vexation of travelers and drivers.
3.Traffic accidents decrease approach to zero that greatly decreases
casualties and man life tragedies in peacetime.
(Can contain flying cars)
Green traffic system shall give the people of your city happiness
and tranquility, cast off bothersome traffic trouble.
Details see: www.greensparkling.net
HOW TO GIVE LOVE TO CITY PEOPLE:
1. IF YOU ARE POOR MAN, Please you copy this letter and transmit to
10 (or above 10) your friends and relations. And 2 emails transmit
to city officers, to urge them to set up green traffic system in their
city.
2. IF YOU NOT A POOR MAN, AND IF YOU ARE A BIG CORPORATION OR OTHER
ENTERPRISE, Please you invest this new mainstay industry, (can't invest,
please YOU assist or support us purely, even less than US$ 10), to
speedup this significant item's development. Our address and bank
account see APPENDIX.
(The market of green traffic system about US$ 500,000millions, this
enterprise shall become 21-century new mainstay industry. So the investors
not only have helped city people, also God rewards themselves great
chances for their benevolence).
3. IF YOU ARE NEWSPAPER, TV, IT ENTERPRISE, PLEASE PROPAGANDIZE FOR
IT FREE OF CHARGE
TO THE INVESTORS AND OTHER PEOPLE, if you can't believe it is a real
fact, please see the details in website: www.greensparkling.net or
attend the learned conference. (see www.greensparkling.net )....
Rangoon
to Host Thai Trade Fair - The Irrawaddy,
April 28, 2005
Rangoon will host the Thai Trade Fair 2005 from May 4-7, according
to today's State-run The New Light of Myanmar...
1,000-year
sentences in 17-year court case - TNA, April
27, 2005
...But today the Bangkok Criminal Court finally found five
men guilty of stealing royal orders and decorations, and handed
down sentences of over 1,000 years each.
The case, which has been dragging on since 1988, involves the
now-deceased deputy temple abbot and 15 other men accused of forging
documents relating to temple donations in order to request royal
decorations from the Ministry of Education, and of soliciting
charitable donations for their own personal use...
Police
report on Baiyoke Tower fire - TNA, April 27,
2005
...Hotel guests at the Bai Yoke One tower moved their belongings
to the sister building, Baiyoke Two on Wednesday after the city’s
administration declared the 43-storey building off-limits.
The Bangkok municipal authorities believed the fire was sparked by
a short circuit in the control room, the top Bangkok official, Khun
Ying Natthanon Thavisin told TNA.
...The Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayothin has signed a contract for
fire engines and other gear from Austria. Although it costs more than
six billion baht, the new equipment will help officials fight any
fires in building over ten storeys...
Baiyok
I Building declared a 'dangerous area' after fire
- TNA, April 26, 2005
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has declared the
'Baiyok I Building', one of Bangkok's high-rise buildings in Patunam
area, to be a 'dangerous area' in which no one are allowed to enter...
A fire broke out at the building this afternoon, injuring seven people
trapped inside, some of whom are foreigners, although the fire was
later under control...
It was the second fire at the building this week...
Four tram tickets sell for
US$187 - April 25, 2005
We noticed that four vintage Bangkok tram tickets sold for an
amazing $187 on eBay.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Campaign poster - April
25, 2005
Leftover campaign poster: Thai Rak Thai party - New thinking, new
doing for Thai people - Independent now, worked two years to pay off
the IMF debt - M.P. Siri Wangboonkerd and Pranakorn, Pomprab residents
support Thaksin to pay off the debt for Thai people.
Chinatown circa 1940s
- April 27, 2005
What street is this?
All about Sorayuth
- April 12, 2005
2Bangkok.com has mentioned Sorayuth and his breaking news reports
several times this year and 2B readers have asked for more info on
who he is.
Sorayuth Sutassanajinda hosts some of the most popular and influential
morning and evening news and talk shows. He has publicized many significant
incidents in the past few years on Thueng Look Thueng Kon and
won one of the top media awards last year for his reporting. He clearly
has the ear of the public.
SMS reporting is a big part of his shows. He is often first to report
breaking news via listeners who send in on-the-spot reports via SMS
(we have often mentioned these reports on 2B).
Also, with regularity, SMS 'polls' are presented to show public support
for controversial government initiatives even when more scientific
polling shows the opposite. For instance, on the morning of February
21, an ABAC Poll was published that showed 68% did not agree with
the red zone plan for the South. At the same time, Sorayuth was reporting
that his 'SMS poll' showed that 72% agreed with Thaksin. It is widely
believed that this kind of overwhelming and instantaneous support
for government policies (as well as floods of aggressive pro-government
comments on Thai-language forums) is organized by the government (or
political parties).
Criticism is sometimes leveled over Sorayuth being very careful not
to criticize the government. When PM Thaksin is interviewed by Sorayuth,
it is noticed that he asks easy questions that seem rehearsed so viewers
will sympathize with Thaksin. Once Khaosod newspaper joked
that Sorayuth may be the new spokesman for the government. Sorayuth
was upset by this and countered he was only trying to be neutral.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
'Where are the good people?'
- April 20, 2005
During Songkran banners went up on flyovers around town that read
'Where are the good people?' This was a tie-in to a government TV
campaign to remind people not to give into excess.
Thaksin's 'right' quote
- April 2, 2005
Thaksin's 'right' quote at the parliamentary debate on the South
was widely reported in many different ways:
Bangkok
Post: "We are human, and humans make things
right or wrong. I am now determined to undo what I have done
wrong in the past," he said.
The Nation (along with a goofy photo of Thaksin on the front
page): "You can’t be 100-percent right or wrong.
I have always tried to right any wrongs. Sometimes I get it
right, sometimes not so right. I agree that violence breeds
violence."
The Nation website only carried half of the quote (right).
|
 |
Below is a translation of Thaksin's complete initial statement from
Matichon. It started with Democrat leader Abisit submitting
9 points to address in the conflict in the South. In Thai style he
made a joke with wordplay saying something like: "I know you
like number 9 so I have 9 proposals, but the urgent one is number
4 because I like number 4." (Number 9 was the party number for
Thaksin's TRT in the last election and number 4 was the Democrat party
number.)
Thaksin: I appreciate that the leader of the Democrat party gives
me advice, but we have to accept that no human is 100% right or 100%
wrong. We try to solve in ways that sometime is right and sometime
is wrong. When I took a rest in Japan, I had time to reflect. For
9 suggestions of Abhisit, some are quite the same as we had, but it
was not reported to people so they would know. I understand that we
have the same idea on seeing the peace and the right way of practice.
I am sincere every time about setting up a commission such as the
independent commission investigating the Takbai event. I will follow
what it investigates and never intervene until they will finish investigation
and make a proposal to rectify. The commission proposes to mend and
we follow by passing a cabinet resolution. We always mend things,
but it might not be systematic. For the National Reconciliation Commission,
it will have complete freedom. If they want me to support any activities,
I will only agree and stand with them.
For the 4 policies, the first one; zone division, actually we don’t
divide into zones. That is not the policy. For the case of Takbai,
I agree that everything must be fair and disclosed, but something
cannot be revealed, because we have to protect the witnesses.
Economically we have tried, although it is halted, we must continue.
For education, I agree that we accept that we neglected it, but we
will improve. For culture and understanding, we will do 100% and monitor
the officers' performance.
For foreign work, such as sending Thai military to Iraq, we send the
technical and medical military for humanity because Muslim people
are in trouble. This satisfied Iraq and increased cooperation among
nations. The government will implement and support the National Reconciliation
Commission.
Why I immediately respond to the leader of the Democrats is because
I appreciate his creative advice so I give his honor to say that I
admire you for your advice and I accept your 9 proposals. We must
work together.
Foreign
funds see more than just sun 'n' surf in Thailand -
The Economic Times, April 11, 2005
Drought, bombings and doubts about growth may normally make
foreign investors think twice about a country, but fund managers
are flocking to Thailand, lured by its political stability and
ambitious development plans...
50th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement
- April 13, 2005
Thanks to Khmer Intelligence for pointing out the 50th Anniversary
of the Non-Aligned
Movement and noting that Among the Founding Fathers of the
Nonaligned Movement (Chou En-lai, Nasser, Nehru, Sihanouk, Suekarno,
Tito), only Cambodia’s ex-King Norodom Sihanouk is still alive.
Nike factories in Thailand
- April 18, 2005
Nike has released
a list
of all their world suppliers. Here are the 73
Thai factories that supply Nike.
Voyage de M. Iagor -
April 19, 2005
Stephen point out these old
slides.
Team rushes to Japan
to improve Thai Pavilion, stave off criticism -
Bangkok Post, April 17, 2005
[Map
of exhibition and the peculiar Thai
Pavilion. Take a look at these pavilions from fairs in the 1960s:
Thai pavilions at world
fairs]
Strong criticism against the Thai Pavilion at the World Exposition
2005 in Aichi, Japan, has prompted the Ministry of Natural Resources
and Environment and its contractor, JSL Co Ltd, to launch a modification
drive in a bid to save Thailand's face...
New
Airport opens in Poipet Cambodia - April
7, 2005
Controversial
tower in Pagan unveiled - The Irrawaddy,
April 11, 2005
Google
map sightseeing - April 9, 2005
The
art of capturing the moment - The Nation,
April 17, 2005
...Established in 1939 by Yim Hoontrakul and his cousin, Chaya
Jitrakorn is one of Thailand’s oldest studios. There are two
branches, one on Tripetch Road near the Chalermkrung Theatre and another
near Central Department Store Wang Burapha.
Chaya Jitrakorn became famous during the era of Field Marshal Plaek
Phibunsongkhram. When Plaek was prime minister, Yim was his personal
photographer...
On the forum: Thai
cardinal - April 19, 2005
PM
likes Constitution just fine when it suits his needs
- The Nation, April 19, 2005
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was spot on when he commented
over the weekend that the People’s Constitution was “functioning
well” and that there was no need to amend it unless the public
so demands. I would say exactly the same thing if I were him.
Yesterday’s front-page headline of the Thai Post explains why...
Letter
From Bangkok: Thai leader's promise on rights unfulfilled
- International Herald Tribune, April
22, 2005
...Five years ago, Thailand looked set to lead Southeast Asia
on human rights. Its armed forces had retreated from politics,
its press ranked among the region's freest, a new constitution
produced by a process of democratic debate had created semi-independent
bodies to provide checks and balances to executive power, including
a National Human Rights Commission.
Instead, however, "Thailand has gone from being a beacon
of freedom and respect for human rights in the region to being
a country of high concern," said Brad Adams, Asia director
of Human Rights Watch. "Much of the steady progress Thailand
had made in the last decade has been rolled back under Thaksin's
tenure."
A war on drug trafficking that Thaksin started in 2003 illustrates
the point. It led to 2,200 killings, many bearing the hallmarks
of extra-judicial execution-style slayings. Tactics Thaksin adopted
to curb the insurgency in the south proved to be similarly ferocious.
At least 78 Muslims arrested after a riot in October died in military
custody. Most of them reportedly suffocated in military trucks,
where they had been stacked in piles. No one has been prosecuted
or punished.
...Yet little else has changed. Somchai's disappearance continues
to be hidden behind a wall of official obscurity. Moreover, although
Angkana is a co-plaintiff in the case against the five officers,
she has not been allowed to see the police investigation that
is the basis of the prosecution case against them. Applications
by Thai Law Society to see the police report have been blocked
on grounds of national security...
"Quality
of life" index for 111 countries -
The Economist, April 22, 2005
Where will be the best place to live in 2005? Thailand is
#42. A full list is here.
On the forum: Night
map of Thailand - April 25, 2005
'Sita Sings the Blues'
- April 25, 2005
From BoingBoing: Cartoonist Nina
Paley is slowly turning the narrative of Ramayana into a series
of remarkable animations set to a soundtrack of scratchy old 78s.
The result is Sita
Sings the Blues...
What's
on mysterious ship? - Portland Press,
April 23, 2005
Nothing to do with Thailand, but interesting...
Improvised
explosive device based on a cell phone in Iraq -
ioerror, April 20, 2005
Charges
for 'tram joyrider' - BBC, April 20, 2005
Nothing to do with Thailand, but interesting. Thanks to Bob W. for
pointing this out.
Bangkok's birthday? - April
21, 2005
April 21 is supposedly Bangkok 223rd anniversary (it has been observed
around this date in the past), but we have not heard of any observance
this year.
U.N.:
Some countries benefiting from bird flu, while economic toll may not
be as bad as expected - AP, April 20, 2005
Some Asian countries ravaged by bird flu have been able to limit
the loss of billions of dollars by modifying their poultry exports,
a UN animal health economist said Wednesday, pointing to Thailand
which is now cooking much of its meat...
But Thailand recovered some losses by dramatically increasing its
cooked chicken exports, Hall told lawmakers from the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations at a bird flu meeting. It is expected to export
about 350,000 tons of cooked chicken to Japan this year _ up 50,000
tons from last year...
Tourists to Laos find
link blocked - Bangkok Post, April 18,
2005
...The Tourism Authority of Thailand started promoting tourism
in that part of the country immediately after the bridge opened. It
said that with just a passport and permit for international use of
vehicles from the transport office of Loei province, tourists could
travel in their cars to Laos and stay in the country for up to 15
days.
But in February the prospect of travelling on a new and faster route
to Luang Prabang suddenly vanished when authorities of Kaen Thao sent
an informal message to their counterparts in Tha Li district to stop
the flow of tourists to Luang Prabang via the bridge.
...The price of land at Ban Na Kraseng has increased tenfold to 300,000-400,000
baht per rai.
The land price is expected to rise to one million baht per rai once
a new immigration office, duty-free shops, a police station and a
hospital are completed in the next one to two years.
Democracy in Myanmar? -
The Irrawaddy, April 20, 2005
Anti-government Burmese sources look with skepticism the claim that
Thailand is pressing Myanmar to be democratic: Thaksin:
Thailand Sells Democracy to Burma and Cartoon:
'We Are Selling Democracy'
In
Burma, economy is shrouded in mystery - IHT,
April 17, 2005
...Although the government says Burma's economy grew 12.6 percent
last year, the International Monetary Fund has complained about a
lack of credible statistics and estimated a national growth rate of
about zero. A recent report prepared for the European Commission speculated
that the economy had probably contracted...
The
Burmese Fairy Tale - FEER, February 18, 1998
Like many Burmese, I am tired of living in a fairy tale. For years,
outsiders portrayed the troubles of my country as a morality play:
good against evil, with no shade of gray in between - a simplistic
picture, but one the world believes. The response of the west has
been equally simplistic: It wages a moral crusade against evil, using
such magic wands as sanctions and boycotts...
Instead, she chose the opposite, putting pressure on the government
by telling foreign investors to stay away and asking foreign governments
to withhold aid. Many of us cautioned her that this was counterproductive.
Why couldn't economic development and political improvement grow side
by side? People need jobs to put food on the table, which may not
sound grand and noble, but it is a basic truth we face every day...
Two westerners -one a prominent academic and the other a diplomat
- once suggested to me that if sanctions and boycotts undermined the
economy, people have less to lose and would be willing to start a
revolution. They seemed very pleased with this idea - a revolution
to watch from the safety of their own country.
This naive romanticism angers many of us here in Myanmar. You would
deliberately make us poor to force us to fight a revolution? American
college students play at being freedom fighters and politicians stand
up and proclaim that they are striking a blow for democracy with sanctions.
But it is we Burmese who pay the price for these empty heroics. Many
of us now wonder: is it for this that we went to jail?...
Some response to this piece is here
and here.
On the forum: Nam
man - April 19, 2005
On
the banks of the Chao Phraya river - Weekend
Standard, April 16-17, 2005
[Interesting observation about how Bangkok's Chinatown is 'authentic'
compared to other sterile Chinatowns around the world. The author
is clearly just walking around and describing what he sees without
having any background info. We wonder would have been written if the
author knew the area is slated for an 'upgrading' and redevelopment
with an eye to tourism over the next few years. The article later
strays into making some kind of point about corrupt police.]
Bangkok's Chinatown is arguably the most original, unreconstructed
and exciting ghetto of its kind in the world, so real it can hurt
the senses, writes Graham Lees...
Unlike so many modern-day Chinatowns, this one is not about ethnic
Chinese food - it's about small metal foundries, oily secondhand engine
repair shops; textiles, gold, gemstones, herbs and spices, and wholesaling
of everything from drainpipes to sundrapes, from mounds of sun-dried
fish to stacks of saucepans...
Foreign
pirates reign over Bay of Bengal- pirates mostly from Myanmar and
Thailand - News From Bangladesh, April
12, 2005
The pirates mostly from Myanmar and Thailand have long been engaged
in looting the marine fisheries of the Bay of Bengal, as the authorities
concerned are indifferent to the problem...
Thai provincial flags -
April 16, 2005
Carleton Cole points out an interesting page with flags
of Thai provinces as well as more details on this
page.
Khao Phra Viharn - April
16, 2005
A trip report
to Khao Phra Viharn from the Cambodian side.
Thailand
to host world toilet summit - AP, April 13,
2005
Thailand plans to upgrade hygiene in its public toilets to meet
international standards as it prepares to host the World Toilet Summit
next year, a health official said Wednesday...
PM
Thaksin, family praised as 'Family Day' role models
- TNA, April 14, 2005
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been praised as a 'family
man' and his family has been appreciated as the 'example family of
the year for Thai politicians', according to a poll marking the 'Family
Day' on 14 April.
The ABAC poll, conducted by Assumption University, said that most
of respondents in Bangkok and its peripheral areas, or 73.9 percent,
had praised the prime minister for his role of 'family man'...
SciTek Krungthep - April
16, 2005
Nils points out SciTek Krungthep--remote
sensing, mapping, GIS, etc.
Thailand's Amazing
Insects - April 15, 2005
Odd headlines - April 13,
2005
Nothing to do with Thailand, but interesting: 'Programming' points
out these peculiar sounding headlines: Secret
Service protecting expectant duck and Robots
to replace child camel jockeys in UAE
State
mulls legality of trooper from Thailand - whnt19,
April 12, 2005
The Tennessee Highway Patrol has placed a trooper on administrative
leave with pay because he's not a U-S citizen.
Steve Sakearapanee (sak-ar-a-PAHN'ee) has lived in Nashville most
of his life but was born in Thailand and never became an American
citizen.
He's been a trooper for seven years and has received good evaluations
for his work.
But state officials told W-S-M-V T-V of Nashville today that they
now are seeking a legal opinion on whether he can carry a gun and
patrol state highways.
He passed a background check in 1998 and answered "no" to
the question of U-S citizenship on an employment application.
Spaghetti
strap girls warned of disease risk -
TNA, April 11, 2005
...In an extraordinary directive published yesterday, a ministry
spokeswoman warned young women who favour ‘spaghetti strap’
tops, particularly those made from dark-coloured fabrics, that they
were putting themselves at risk of being bitten by mosquitoes, which
were the carriers of diseases ranging from elephantiasis to dengue
fever and malaria. The ministry spokeswoman warned women who showed
their shoulders, backs or belly buttons that they could become the
victims of such conditions unless they modified their sartorial habits...
WASHINGTON
ON BURMA: Rangoon ‘could destabilise region’
- The Nation, April 11, 2005
...Burma’s continued effort to “nuclearise” itself
is being scrutinised by the US intelligence community. At the end
of 2003, Washington was alarmed by the developments and demanded clarification
from Moscow through a diplomatic channel...
Siam and WWII - April 11,
2005
An interesting series of articles in the Malaysian newspaper, The
Star, has a rather unflattering appraisal of Siam's role in WWII
Thais
fought, but...
...The rest of the world, and Malaysians in particular, believe
that Thailand (or Siam, as it was known then) simply stood by and
allowed Japanese troops to march through on their way to conquer Malaya
and Singapore in 1941.
Many Thais, however, will have you know their soldiers put up a good
fight.
Their resistance may have lasted just six hours but, to the residents
of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, it was a major battle...
Nakhon Thai War Veterans Organisation branch head Col Somphon Suprasert
said the fighting in Thailand was brief but brutal, with the Thai
defenders managing to inflict severe losses on the Japanese. However,
the fighting was “a mistake” because, Col Somphon explained,
there was a secret pact between Bangkok and Tokyo in 1940 that paved
the way for Japan to march through Thai territory unopposed...
Memories
of friendly invaders
..."Then, the first thing they did was climb up telephone
poles to cut the wires. I think some local folk shot at them. The
Japanese were brave ... one fell but another took his place. They
didn’t care about been shot,” he recalled, adding: "Later,
they moved swiftly into the town centre."
..."It was utter confusion. The Japanese then started the aerial
bombing of Songkhla and my uncle – he was a trader – was
killed in the blasts."
..."It was a good period for us. The Japanese were friendly and
some soldiers became traders and conducted commercial activities alongside
their Thai counterparts. Trade was thriving."
Co-operate
or perish
Thailand had little choice other than to cooperate with Japan
because it was threatened with the destruction of its capital, Bangkok,
if it resisted.
It was the most practical thing to do, said Chatchai Sugrakanchana
of Rajabhat University Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Offering a Thai perspective on WWII, Chatchai said the Thai leadership
made a wise decision as the country was then spared the full horror
of war...
Logical
route to Singapore
...Also, the good network of trunk roads that ran from Singora,
present-day Songkhla, all the way down the Malayan peninsula to Singapore
would make progress relatively easy for Lt Gen Tomoyuki Yamashita’s
25th Army...
Government House - April
11, 2005
History of the Government
House building...
PM
dismisses bomb threats as work of 'madmen' -
TNA, April 10, 2005
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday blasted the apparent
hoaxers behind bomb threats at department stores in the Thai capital,
describing them as ‘madmen’ who belonged in psychiatric
hospitals...
'The
Bush Mafia, Kofigate and the Thai Connection'
- News From Bangladesh, April 9, 2005
Letter to the editor with wild accusations about putting a Thai in
the UN as Secretary General.
...Thaksin pressed Thai foreign ministry officials to back Surakiart,
a career civil servant and foreign service official. He got numerous
journalists to build up Surakiart, a dull, humorless bureaucrat. He
got the ASEAN bloc of ten Southeast Asian nations to name Surakiart
its candidate for the top UN post...
Earth's
Oldest Known Object on Display - AP, April 8,
2005
A tiny speck of zircon crystal that is barely visible to the eye
is believed to be the oldest known piece of Earth at about 4.4 billion
years old. For the first time ever, the public will have a chance
to see the particle Saturday at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
where researchers in 2001 made the breakthrough discovery that the
early Earth was much cooler than previously believed based on analysis
of the crystal...
The Oil-for-Food Program and Thailand
- April 11, 2005
Documents from the Independent
Inquiry into the Iraqi
Oil-for-Food program investigation has lists of all buyers of
Iraqi oil and vendors for humanitarian suppliers during the program.
Here are the Thai-registered companies that participated (figures
in USD):
Oil sales
Thailand was the 31st highest oil purchaser most with 330.193
million total
Thai purchasers
Chaiyaporn Rice Co. Ltd. - 233.985 million
PB Pongboon Intertrade Co. Ltd. - 14.596 million
Petroleum Authority of Thailand - 82.334 million |
Humanitarian goods and oil
spares purchases
Thailand was 14th highest supplier with 703.812 million total
Thai Vendors
Chaiyaporn Rice Co. Ltd. - 675.119 million
Pongboon (PB) Intertrade Co. Ltd. - 8.763 million
Thai S.D. Marketing Ltd. - 19.930 million |
Renovated
‘Red Palace’ turns 96 in grand style -
The Nation, October 18, 2004
Ladawan Palace, the gem of the Crown Property Bureau, last week
celebrated its 96th anniversary after years of being caught in the
ups and downs of modern Thai history and following a period of renovation
these past 10 years...
The two-storey building appears to be an amalgam of Victorian and
Italian-villa styles. It was built between 1906 and 1908 by royal
order of King Rama V to be the residence of one his sons, Prince
Yugala Dighambara. The prince married Princess Chalermkhetra Mangala
Bhanubandhu, and together they raised three sons...
PM
defies astrological warnings - TNA, April
9, 2005
[More Thai wordplay: In Thai the fortuneteller says that Thaksin's
forecast "breaks bad." So Thaksin responded by saying
he forecasts that the fortuneteller will "break his mouth."]
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is normally known for his belief
in fortune tellers, but when the president of the International
Astrological Association recently
predicted that the country could face a serious crisis and that
Mr. Thaksin himself would have health problems, the prime minister
became unusually dismissive.
Describing astrologers as 'guessers', the prime minister noted to
the nation on his weekly radio address this morning that Thais had
a habit of only remembering the accurate predictions that astrologers
made and conveniently ignoring the wrong forecasts...
Thai
culture in transition - The Anniston Star,
April 10, 2005
...Thailand today is faced with the disruptive impact on its traditional
core values and institutions, rooted in hierarchy and patriarchy,
by the emerging forces of individualism, egalitarianism and good governance.
The ensuing struggle between tradition and change has proved to be
volatile with concomitant instability, disorder and disharmony. Some
see Thai society’s survival in retrenchment, in preserving and
strengthening the barricades of tradition; only then will there be
social and political stability and security. Others contend society’s
survival is actually dependent on breaching those very barricades
and reforming Thai society to be more in tune with a largely antithetical
set of values identified with so-called civil society. Both sides
tend to view this culture conflict, this internal “clash of civilizations”,
as a zero sum game...
Seri Court - April 8, 2005
Photos of the US Army apartments near Saphan Kwai (here
and here).
BMA edits their ads
- April 5, 2005
Terry King writes: I have just returned from three weeks
in Australia. Going through the stack of copies of the Bangkok
Post I found three more issues with full-page advertisments
promoting Bangkok. The English in them was excellent. Having
been very critical of their earlier advertisments I must congratulate
the BMA on the quality of their most recent efforts.
Earlier: Anguished English
- February 16, 2005
Earlier: BMA English-language
ads - February 2, 2005
Thailand's
royal rainmaking - Asia Times, April
6, 2005
...The cloud-seeding technique involves the use of chemicals, such
as sodium chloride or silver iodine, which are released into clouds
to stimulate rainfall. The King began testing the process for which
he holds the patent three decades ago. Hua Hin is the original base
where these techniques were first used.
The process involves two separate steps - one that seeds warm clouds,
and another for cold clouds - and is said to be particularly successful
in that it can more precisely target areas where the rain is to fall...
Casinos for Thailand? -
April 7, 2005
Don Entz points this out: The planned launch of a casino business
in Thailand will take a step closer
to reality as the new cabinet of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
is expected to give top priority to the issue. Thaksin’s advisors
will soon come up with the idea that the government build the integrated
entertainment complexes, including casinos in Phang-nga province’s
Khao Lak island where the construction of a new airport is underway.
(from Business
Day, March 8, 2005)
Prachathai.com
- March 8, 2005
Terry King points out a web newspaper--www.prachathai.com.
Asiper adds: It is intended as an independent, alternative, non
profit online newspaper like Manager Online, but it will "tell
the truth of Thai society and no sanction from any organization
or political party." People can participate and post their
opinions. Senator Jon Ungphakorn is the secretary and on the website's
committee. The chairperson is Dr. Kasem Sirisumphan, a senior journalist.
There are lots of NGOs and some contributions from The Nation, Post
Today, Nation Geographic, Access to AIDS, Foundation for Consumers,
professors from Thammasat University, Network of 4 Regions of Slums,
etc.
Canada's corruption scandal on the net
- April 6, 2005
Nothing to do with Thailand, but interesting: Canada's peculiar gag
orders are being
violated by bloggers.
Hell
money - April 6, 2005
All about ceremonial Chinese banknotes...
Jin - April 6, 2005
Woodley points out Jin,
a Chinese rapper, and his song, Learn
Chinese:
Ya'll gonna learn Chinese
Ya'll gonna wanna be Chinese
Ya'll gonna learn Chinese
When the pumps go off, ya'll gon' speak Chinese...
Satellite images of Bangkok
- April 6, 2005
From the forum:
36 different satellites images of Bangkok are here.
Thai
lanterns spark UFO scare - Citizen, April
6, 2005
Police
raid Pantip - The Nation, April
7, 2005
From the forum: Bangkok
satellite maps - April 8, 2005
...go to www.spaceimaging.com
and select THAILAND from the "Search for City by Country"
and then select "Bangkok."
The page has an aerial view of greater Bangkok area which can be click
to enlarge. Also each of the 36 portions can be viewed separately
from the "scenes" at right of the aerial view.
Thai
sarcasm: Suggestion for the terrorists -
Manager Online, April 8, 2005
Building
hijackers in S Africa take over empty bldgs and charge rent
- iol, April 5, 2005
...The syndicate, which is highly organised, monitors all the
empty buildings around the inner city. It then sends in bus-loads
of armed gangs into vacant buildings, threaten guards with firearms,
then starts renting rooms out at between R500 and R600 a month.
They collect rent for six to eight months knowing that the legal
system is slow and, by the time the owners obtain eviction orders,
they have enjoyed the benefits of the rents. They then simply walk
away, leaving the tenants on the streets.
It is believed that the head of the main syndicate is the brother
of a well-known politician, who works with his wife who is an attorney.
They usually go in just before a weekend as in the case of Registry
House, which was invaded on the Thursday before the Easter long
weekend, knowing that nothing would be done for at least a few days.
"This gives them time to get organised and start advertising,"
he said...
Rain - April 4,
2005
Long soaking rainstorm in Bangkok this morning...
Melbourne's
trams - The Age, April 4, 2005
Danny point out tram news from Australia: The fight is
on to win public support for plans and proposals to speed
up Melbourne's tram service...
Pen-ek Ratanaruang: Beach
hosts film shoot - The Nation,
April 3, 2005
Patong Beach served as the location yesterday for the first
day of shooting in Thailand for the film “Invisible Waves”,
directed by Pen-ek Ratanaruang...
|
 |
Sanoh: PM is certain
to come to my party - Bangkok Post, April
1, 2005
[This is a funny headline and part of a mini-drama widely reported
last week--the jockeying of power broker Sanoh and other TRT party
members who found themselves without top government positions in the
new government.]
Thai Rak Thai chief adviser and influential Wang Nam Yen faction
leader Sanoh Thienthong said he was certain Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra would attend his birthday celebrations even though he earlier
said he had other plans...
Bhutan bans smoking in world first -
April 4, 2005
Don Entz answered our question, "has any nation ever banned cigarettes?"
by pointing out this recent development: Bhutan
bans smoking in world first - China Daily, December 18,
2004
Strange intro
- April 4, 2005
Peter was the first of several people to point out this incredibly
bizarre and rambling intro to a Q&A column on autos: Shedding
light on flashing lights (The Nation, March 31, 2005).
Beyond demonstrating that Nation editors are not paying attention
to what goes into their newspaper, it is nonetheless an interesting
insight to how many young Thais views foreigners living in the country.
Many Americans and Europeans choose to spend their retirements
in Thailand. Thais are generally very nice to foreigners, and we sometimes
tend to honour them more than fellow Thais. The majority of foreigners
who come to Thailand are good people and don’t cause problems.
But some capitalise on our generosity and use Thailand as a hiding
place to get away from crimes they have committed back home. Some
even go further and start committing new crimes in this country.
Today there are certain foreigners who rely on being “farang”,
and trick Thai women from the provinces into marrying them. In return
they give the women a small amount of money every month in exchange
for being able to live in the Kingdom permanently. In the process
they also get a partner in bed.
Some of these farangs take advantage of legal loopholes by setting
up independent organisations and find ways to publicise themselves.
They go to the provinces, donated a petty sum to schools, or take
photos at restaurants and small factories in the villages, all so
they can send the pictures abroad and claim they are doing charity
work. They are angling for support money from international organisations.
They lie to people and say that they work for an NGO, even though
their work does not benefit the public and is merely a commercial
enterprise.
These foreigners, who generally are not well off, usually live in
small provinces, like in the Northeast. Sometimes these farangs even
trick fellow farangs. As far as I know, the Thai authorities are carefully
watching these people and waiting to get their hands on evidence to
go after them. Without evidence the police could be accused of violating
the bad farangs’ rights.
But today, I have some questions from a good farang concerning the
use of indicator lights in Thailand...
More on the 'Strange intro' - April 5,
2005
Concerning the 'Strange intro' from yesterday, we commented "Beyond
demonstrating that Nation editors are not paying attention
to what goes into their newspaper..."
Today a sub-editor at The Nation wrote to clarify: Not
true. It was let through basically unchanged by the sub-editors'
desk in the hope it would stir some controversy via letters to
the editor and thereby force something to be done about these
mad uninformed ramblings that appear from time to time. The responsibility
of what goes into each section of the paper is the responsibility
of that section's editor. The section editor in this case, being
who he is, probably saw nothing wrong with the story...
Dubai
tower to be world's tallest building
- AP, March 31, 2005
..."We're going to records never approached before. Not
only will it be the tallest building, it will be the tallest manmade
tower," said Robert Booth, a director at Emaar Properties,
the Dubai construction firm developing the spire-shaped, stainless-steel-skinned
tower.
...He refused to reveal the total number of stories, but a mock
elevator at the site held a button for a 189th floor. The building's
10 foot sway in the wind means designers need to prevent whiplash
in the ultra-long cables hauling up 50 elevators...
Drug-crazed
US tourist found hanged in hotel - TNA,
March 31, 2005
Asean
Must Urge Change in Burma-Thaksin - AP, March
28, 2005
Southeast Asia's main economic and trade group must support democratic
reforms in military-ruled Burma to persuade the ruling junta that
it must change, Thailand's prime minister said Monday amid criticism
over plans for Burma to take leadership of the bloc next year...
Thailand has more
than enough Bangkoks - Bangkok Post,
April 1, 2005
So, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak
wants to see 10 more Bangkoks in upcountry areas. The idea may raise
eyebrows, but it is not as far-fetched as it may seem. Some provinces
have already followed in Bangkok's footsteps...
Old communities have been disintegrating with no end in sight, thanks
to past development and official ``beautification'' efforts, particularly
in the historic Rattanakosin city. These deleterious effects are not
confined to the capital city alone but have spread to surrounding
provinces, which have become Bangkok's satellite towns by default...
"If we can develop upcountry provinces to be like Bangkok, with
10 Bangkoks or Shanghais throughout the country, imagine what Thailand
will be like," he said at a meeting with business leaders on
Monday...
Ads for `germ-killing'
air-cons suspended - Manufacturers told to back up claims -
Bangkok Post, April 1, 2005
The Consumer Protection Board (CPB) has suspended advertising
for 11 air-conditioner models until it determines if claims about
their germ-killing properties are misleading or overstated.
The brands affected are Saijo Denki, Amena, LG, Carrier, Hitachi,
Panasonic, Samsung, York, Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric Mr Slim and
Mitsubishi Heavy Duty.
Most of the companies have advertised that their air-conditioners
are able to kill germs, bacteria or viruses, of contain purification
systems that provide ``99.99% clean air'' to users...
Worker
still paying back debt after 19 years - Bangkok
Post, April 4, 2005
Nineteen years ago, Sawai Kornkanok borrowed 5,000 baht from a
loan shark. Today, he is still paying back the loan at 7,100 baht
a month.
The 48-year-old state railway employee said at the time he took the
money he signed a contract that put his loan at 200,000 baht with
5% monthly interest.
He said he signed the contract because he needed the money. When he
failed to make payments, the loan shark took him to court and the
court ordered him to repay the loan according to the terms of the
contract...
A tale of two newspapers: Security
measures - April 7, 2005
The Post has a brief mention of security cameras towards the
end of a long article detailing the many general security measures
to be put in place in the wake of the Songkhla bombings. The Nation
has a different story that seems to indicate a kind of police state
is at hand. Their headline and article seem written to enflame Western
attitudes towards government surveillance.
|
ANTI-TERRORISM
MEASURES: Security cameras everywhere
- The Nation, April 6, 2005
PM calls for closed-circuit watch on hundreds of key sites,
random searches, plus machine guns for airport guards...
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will order all major transportation
facilities, tourism sites, public offices and other high-profile
venues in the country to install closed-circuit cameras as
a countermeasure against possible terrorist attacks.
The venues include bus and train stations, airports, hotels,
department stores, shopping malls and all government offices,
said Pol General Chalermdej Jombunud, government spokesman.
At the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday, Thaksin instructed
Sermsak Pongpanit, deputy interior minister, to meet with
private firms and relevant public agencies and officials,
including provincial governors, to push through the new measures,
he said.
...Officials on security details at public events and places
would be authorised to conduct random searches, he said.
...Thaksin said he was aware
that the new measures would annoy some people, but he insisted
they were for the good of the entire country...
|
NSC
puts country on `red alert' - Landmines to protect police in
remote South - Bangkok Post,
April 6, 2005
Security forces have gone to the highest state of alert after
Sunday's multiple bombings in Songkhla took the nation from
a state of regional unrest in the deep South to a real threat
of terrorist action against general civilian targets.
The decision to go to red alert came after a security meeting
involving the air force, the Transport Ministry, Airports of
Thailand Plc and Thai Airways International at the Royal Thai
Air Force headquarters yesterday. The meeting was convened in
the wake of the multiple bombings in Songkhla on Sunday. One
of the targets was Hat Yai airport.
...The Transport Ministry would also order Aeronautical Radio
of Thailand Co to acquire and install security camera systems
at its airports as well as at bus terminals to support the top
security approach... |
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