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News and Views - January 2006
On the forum: MP3 audiotours of Rattanakosin - January 28, 2006
(Source: SoundTrek)
...We are collecting tour content from as many sources as possible. If you have information concerning any of these sites listed below, please post it in the appropriate folder and we will include it in the tours. If you are a writer, musician, or artist with works related to the sites we would be more than happy to promote them...
Maps are here (pdf 209kb) and here (pdf 208kb)
3-year-old who smokes - January 26, 2006
Watpa - Guilty! - The Korat Times, January 31, 2006
We still don't understand this...
Sales of adult diapers soar over holiday journeys - chinaview.cn, January 24, 2006
450 skydivers to set new world records in Thailand - TAT, January 30, 2006
Dupe ID Smart Cards Snafu - Problem serious, report sources - content-wire.com, January 29, 2006
Driving Creek Potteries and Railway - January 31, 2006
Cormac Bracken points out "New Zealand's only narrow-gauge mountain railway along with a working pottery and wild life sanctuary" and comments ...someone really should build something like this in Thailand.
Builders under pressure to complete Pyinmana parade ground - The Irrawaddy, January 30, 2006
Burmese government engineers and private contractors are reportedly under pressure to complete work on a military parade ground in Pyinmana, the country's new administrative capital, before the next Armed Forces Day, in late March...
Time to go underground? - The Irrawaddy, January 30, 2006
Foreign book retailers in Burma are waiting on the government for permission to distribute Time magazine's January 30 issue, which covers the affairs of the country's politics and economic. The cover article by Michael Schuman---"Bankrolling Burma"---and a commentary by anti-regime US Senator Mitch McConnell criticize the Asian countries that help the Burmese regime stay in power while its people remain "trapped in a time warp of poverty, oppression and economic misrule..."
River taxi photos - James Gosling: on the Java Road, January 29, 2006
No booze or jokes for Googlers in China - CNET, January 30, 2006
Khao Manee - the Royal Cats of Siam - January 31, 2006
Black Metal culture banned - The Star, January 24, 2006
Anwar sues Mahathir for gay 'slur' - BBC, January 27, 2006
...Dr Mahathir repeated the allegation - first made when the two leaders became rivals in 1998 - last September.
"Imagine having a gay prime minister. Nobody would be safe," he said...
Dhaka delays airport takeover by Thailand airways - Indo-Asian News Service, January 28, 2006
Making fun of Bangkok fashion victims - Bangkok Recorder, January 29, 2006
Thanks to Friskodude for pointing this out...
The Rotiboy phenomenon - January 27, 2006
Singapore bakery "Rotiboy Bakery Shoppee" is taking Bangkok by storm as lines of over 100 people form outside the shops day and night to buy pancake and surup-flavored buns.Left: Long line outside the Rotiboy on Silom Road
The Rotiboy website is an annoying Flash-heavy site that explains their "plans for 2004."
Tourists shun hotels to stay with Thai families - Mail and Guardian, January 21, 2006
When Brian Hauff came to visit Thailand, he decided against a resort hotel and joined the increasing number of foreigners who are staying in the homes of local villagers instead...
WATCHDOG: Bangkok could benefit from Hong Kong transit model - The Nation, January 29, 2006
...From the outset, the Hong Kong government provided loan guarantees to the state agency responsible for MTR development.
This allowed the state-owned MTR authority to acquire credit at low interest rates, which was suitable for a large and long-running investment in the infrastructure of its system.
As for Thailand, part of this model was used by the MRTA about a decade ago when it invested in the infrastructure for the first 20 kilometres of the subway line.
Unfortunately, the additional cost of some Bt20 billion to purchase rolling stock and related equipment was later shouldered by private firm BMCL, which was in return granted a concession to run the subway.
According to de Baecque, private investors are not suitable for this kind of long-term investment. He cited the BTS company as an example. When BTS first invested more than Bt50 billion in the 23-kilometre Skytrain, the project was hailed as the first 100-per-cent private-investment scheme of its kind in the world.
In the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, BTS technically went bankrupt due to huge foreign loans and exchange losses.
Today the company is still struggling with its unfinished debt-restructuring programme. Hence 100 per cent private investment in mass transit does not work in the long run...
Nation gaffe - January 25, 2006
Many eagle-eye readers spotted this story that was on The Nation website most of the day.
It contained a quote about Thailand allegedly said by a drunken man on his flight to London last year.
Later in the day The Nation edited the article to remove the passage.
(Source: Topps Flags of the World card, circa 1956 from the 2Bangkok collection)1956 Topps card- January 21, 2006
(Source: Topps Flags of the World card, circa 1956 from the 2Bangkok collection)
Oishi to expand restaurants, beverages - The Nation, January 26, 2006
A reader sends this link and comments: "I've noticed a pattern. There's a core of occurrences being blamed for EVERYTHING. Now it's bad green-tea sales. This story blames it on, once again, "higher oil prices, bird flu, the aftermath of the tsunami." Did the bottles get swept away, I wonder?"
...Tan said he would like to maintain Oishi green tea's leading position in the domestic market for the next three to five years. "The total market for bottled green-tea drinks last year was lower than my expectations," said Tan. "There were many negative factors hurting sales, including higher oil prices, bird flu and the aftermath of the tsunami. Plus the government order to all green-tea beverage manufacturers to reduce retail prices led to confusion among consumers about the price of the products," said Tan...
(Photo: Siam by Karl Dohring, 1923)
The Enforcer: In today's Bangkok Post Taksin is quoted as saying ."Only I can dissolve Parliament. "I understood that only His Majesty could dissolve the Thai Parliament?
BangkokPundit: Actually, what Thaksin said was--My translation is below: ...because the person to resign is me. The person to dissolve the Parliament is me. I won't resign. I won't dissolve Parliament.
Thaksin certainly does not use the word "only". Be wary of quotes in the Bangkok Post or The Nation...
"Hilltribe of upper Siam" - January 28, 2006
Left: Photo from Siam by Karl Dohring, 1923
Google vs Google China - January 27, 2006
Henry M. - Brain Connection, January 27, 2006
Nothing to do with Thailand, but interesting: When twenty-seven year old Henry M. entered the hospital in 1953 for radical brain surgery that was supposed to cure his epilepsy, he was hopeful that the procedure would change his life for the better. Instead, it trapped him in a mental time warp where TV is always a new invention and Truman is forever president. The removal of large sections of his temporal lobes left Henry unable to form any new personal memories, but his tragic loss revolutionized the field of psychology and made "H.M." the most-studied individual in the history of brain research.
Google vs Google China - January 27, 2006
Right: Falun Gong on Google.com
Below: Falun on Google.cnGoogle.com - Falun Gong
Google.cn - Falun GongGoogle.com - Tibet independence
Google.cn - Tibet independenceGoogle.com - Taiwan independence
Google.cn - Taiwan independence
(Source: Google.com)
(Source: Google.cn)Google.com - Tiananmen Square
Google.cn - Tiananmen SquareGoogle.com - Wang Lixiong (author of Yellow Peril)
Google.cn - Wang Lixiong (author of Yellow Peril)Google.com - democracy in China
Google.cn - democracy in China
They missed this one:
Google.com - Wang Weilin (the tank man)
Google.cn - Wang Weilin (the tank man)
Name changes of roads and lanes in Bangkok - translated and summarized by Wisarut Bholsithi from Thairath, January 16, 2006
Deupty BMA City Clerk Ratthaphon Methanathaworn said that after the discussion with the Highway Department, BMA has decided to change the names of the folowing roads and lanes.
1) (Old) Kaset - Nawamin -> (New) Prasoed Manookrit from Kaset Intersection to Nawamin Intersection with total distance of 9.10 km.
2) Upgrading Sangkhom Songkrau Lane (Soi Sangkhom Songkrau - AKA Chokchai 4 Soi 6 to Sangkhom Songkrau Road (Thanon Sangkhom Songkrau) even though it is a 2-lane road. This is due to the fact that Thanon Sangkhom Songkrau has become a shortcut linking Chokchai 4 Road (Lad Phrao 55 Road) with Lad Phrao 71 Road as well as Pradit Manootham Road (Ram Indra- At Narogn Expressway) with a distance of 1.4 km.
3) Changing Trimit Road in Samphanthawongse district (Bangkok Chinatown) to "Thanon Mitraphab Thai -Chin" (AKA Sino-Thai Friendship Road) as the commemoration for 30 years diplomatic relations between Thailand and mainland China.
All changes have to be done by May 2006.
Furthermore, BMA has agreed in pinciple that they should introdue number on the lanes (sois) in Yaowaraj Road from Odean Circle (now Chinatown Gate) to Ratchawongse intersection.
The left side would be Yaowaraj Soi 1, 3, 5 while the right side (from Odean Circle) is Yaowaraj Soi 2, 4, 6. The old names of Sois would be preserved within brackets on the signs.
However, Songsaawat Road and Phadung Dao Road would not change into numbered lanes for Yaowaraj Road. However, the final approval would is pending.
The plan to change Soi Inthamara into Soi Sutthisarn to be in line with Suthisarn Road has been suspended for a while until the decision from the Adminsitration Court has been handed down after the Inthamara family has filed the case in Adminsitration Court.
Thai councilman shooting spree - Bareknucklepolitics.com, January 25, 2006
Also here: Local council chairman goes on shooting spree at meeting (has a downloadable video of the event as well)
Shortly after a meeting began, Pongsak Chanchom, chairman of tambon Si Chiang Mai municipal council, drew a .22 calibre pistol and pressed it against the head of mayor Chula Chananto who was sat next to him. Chanchom fired one fatal shot...
Thailand tells tourists it's serious about safety - International Herald Tribune, January 18, 2006
Thanks to Danny for pointing out this article: Two Thai fishermen were sentenced to death Wednesday for the rape and murder of a British tourist in a verdict that was intended not only as a deterrent but as an invitation...
Condo row shows no sign of easing up - Bangkok Post, January 19, 2006
Residents of a prestigious condominium on Rama IV road say the management is intimidating them and violating their rights. The disgruntled residents allege that management of Waterford Condominum Rama IV have barred them from public sites, including parts of the car park, entrance gate, as well as an area used for storing rubbish...
MP says PM's joke inappropriate - Bangkok Post, January 19, 2006
An MP representing the area in which an air force plane crash-landed here yesterday has taken Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to task for saying the pilot who was killed might have been distracted by a huge billboard featuring former premier Banharn Silpa-archa on the ground below. The prime minister made the comment over lunch with members of his cabinet in At Samat district of Roi Et where he is leading an anti-poverty campaign broadcast live on UBC cable channel 16...
The Prejudice Map - January 21, 2006
According to Google, people in the world are known for... Thanks to Thaitronic for pointing this out.'Huge number of unidentified bodies' in Thailand - Asia News Network, January 22, 2006
New pollution-free tourist destination discovered in southern Thailand - MCOT, January 22, 2006
A new naturally pristine resort island has been discovered in Thailand's southern Surat Thani Province and has been declared as a pollution-free tourist destination...
There may be as many as 100,000 missing people in the records in Thailand accumulated over the past several years, celebrity forensic scientist Porntip Rojanasunan believes...
Negative headlines: "Thai murder island" - January 23, 2006
Police suspended on Thai murder island - icWales, January 21, 2006
Three senior police officers on the Thai island where student Katherine Horton was raped and murdered have been suspended from active duty...
Increasing violence against tourists threatens Thailand's tourism industry - The Straits Times, January 18, 2006
Thailand and Myanmar open new bridge across border - Channel NewsAsia, January 21, 2006
Thailand and Myanmar on Sunday opened a new "friendship bridge" across the Sai River that divides the two neighbours, which Thailand hopes will boost trade with its neighbour and with nearby China...
(Source: A New Guide to Bangkok, Second Edition, compiled by Kim Korwong and Javid Rangthong, Hatha Dhip Company, 1950)1950: Views from the Golden Mount - January 21, 2006
(Source: A New Guide to Bangkok, Second Edition, compiled by Kim Korwong and Javid Rangthong, Hatha Dhip Company, 1950)
India's 'girl deficit' deepest among educated - CSM, January 13, 2006
Activist couple claiming Lao royal blood killed - The Nation, January 19, 2006
...The couple were US citizens from North Carolina. Anouvong is a Lao native of Vientiane while his wife Oulayvanh is a Thai native of Nong Khai's Sri Chiang Mai district, and both claim original royal blood ties from the ancient capital of Luang Phrabang. They arrived in Thailand a week ago to attend a seminar on the "Restoration of Lao Culture" in neighbouring Udon Thani...
COMMENT: Rape is almost never about sex - Bangkok Post, January 18, 2006
...Perhaps these men are committing the criminal act that proves they are men because they don't feel like men at all. In cities like the ones where the recent rapes occurred, when motorcycle drivers and fishermen look around they probably see two things: glamourous resorts where foreigners are making or spending more money than they'll ever know, and foreigners luring their women away with the very same commodity. Do some common Thai men who have been left out of tourism's prosperity feel angst about being at the bottom of everything? Probably. Are they mad about the money and the men? It would be hard not to be.
In the Horton case, news stories have reported the two rapists boasting about their disgusting and despicable deed afterwards as if it was something worth praise. One has to wonder: Is raping foreign women their way of settling the score?
We can only speculate, but if this is true, and it's certainly a possibility, something needs to be done, and all the executions in Thailand won't be enough of a deterrent in stopping such sex crimes. These men are poor, irate, powerless and unafraid of punishment. It's been proven the reason why most people don't commit crimes is not because they don't want to do the act, it's because they fear the punishment. For these rapists, life as a free but lesser man must not be much better than one behind bars.
MTV's "Whatever Things" - January 3, 2006
Don Entz writes: Have you seen MTV's "Whatever Things"? We don't have cable, but for some reason our building pipes in MTV out of Tawain and a couple other networks. "Whatever Things" is actually based here in Bangkok, at least for this season, and it's stupid and funny both. A bunch of guys and an Indian girl playing weird pranks.
Best is the Tourist Police segment. Two of them dress up as Thai cops, and accompanied by real police, they go to Khao San Road and stop tourists for weird reasons. Tonight they tried to fine two female South Korean tourists 2,000 baht for walking across the street (Khao San Road). The Indian girl, dressed in a wedding dress, was going up to farangs at The Emporium and Siam Discovery Center's Au Bon Pain and screaming why did they not show up for their wedding.
It's on twice a weekend. Saturday night at 9:00pm, then they rerun it on Sunday afternoon at 5:00pm.
They are into season reruns now. They capped the season off a couple of weeks ago by fastening a bunch of helium balloons to one of them and floating him over Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor. They even showed the HK police coming out to see what was going on.
Our hands-down favorite stunt was in the season's final episode, when two of the guys dressed up as ladyboys and tried to pick up men in Soi Cowboy. They actually picked up this little Thai man, and I mean physically lifted him up in the air, and started running off with him. He was freaking out and screaming for help. We were rolling.
According to MTV Thailand's show schedule it is on tonight at 19:30. Something about the show here and here.
King and Constitution - The Nation, January 9, 2006
...First let's cover what Pramuan's book says. His key point, reiterated several times, is summed up in this line: "The Constitution is not above the King in any way ... The status of the King does not come under the Constitution. There has arisen misunderstanding over this point in current politics."
Pramuan argues this through historical example and by making use of theories...
Rumours spread of 'days of danger' - Bangkok Post, January 12, 2006
Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya has dismissed rumours that further violence would occur in the three southernmost border provinces during a period of so-called "19 days of danger" coinciding with the Chinese New Year holidays...
In Asia, English is useful but Mandarin is rising - CSM, January 12, 2006
Thanks to Nils for pointing out this article.
...Welcome to the cutting edge of Thailand's flirtation with Chinese, an ancient language increasingly seen as the new dialect of diplomacy and trade in East Asia. In the last few decades, China's economic rise has rippled across the globe, jolting policymakers and dazzling investors...
$2-BN TAKEOVER: PM's clan agrees to sell Shin to S'pore - The Nation, January 13, 2006
Shin Corp denies reports of sell-off by Thai PM's family - TODAYonline, January 11, 2006
Giant catfish protected in Cambodia - UPI, January 11, 2006
Conservationists in Cambodia are working to save the giant catfish -- the largest freshwater fish in the world...
Cambodia`s freshwater dolphins face extinction - AngolaPress, January 11, 2006
Wildlife preservation officials are worried that Cambodia's rare freshwater dolphin species will be extinct in the next 10 years, local newspapers reported on Tuesday...
Unshackling the drug habit - Bangkok Post, January 12, 2005
The sight of men chained to trees and walls at a ponoh school in Mayo district may shock strangers, but not local people.
These men have been diagnosed as mentally deranged from prolonged drug abuse, or are HIV-Aids positive...
Most patients are young Muslim men, all are shackled to prevent them escaping. Some had gone berserk and smashed everything around them.
The herbal treatments are said to cure drug addicts, the mentally ill and those in the early stage of HIV-Aids...
Thai murder reveals dark side of paradise - The Observer, January 15, 2006
...'Koh Samui and Phangan have changed over the past five years, and crime is a growing problem,' says Joe Bindloss, author of Lonely Planet's guide to Thailand's islands and beaches. 'Drugs have always been there, but with more tourists has come an increase in demand. Over the past few years cheap, dangerous drugs have come in from China and foreigners have had mental health problems after taking dodgy batches.'
Last June, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan were listed by Justice Minister Suwat Liptapanlop as two of three districts in the southern province of Surat Thani facing a rapid spread of drugs. He said the return of tourists following the 2004 tsunami had attracted drug dealers and intensified the islands' problems.
While the government made Koh Samui the focus of an initiative to tackle drug use in tourist spots in June, it has been notoriously bad at dealing with the issue. 'Basically the police operated a shoot to kill policy,' says Bindloss. Around 2,000 people, mainly gangsters and dealers, were killed by police, drug prices shot up and many addicts were driven to crime to pay for their fixes...
Chinese New Year hailed with kitschy pop songs at malls - sukimon, January 16, 2006
Photo and article = editorial comment - January 13, 2005
Some news editor has picked out a hilariously frivolous photo of Thaksin to counterpoint this grave article about the apparent murder of a "disappeared" Muslim lawyer at the hands of the Thai government.
Iran's propaganda glamorizing suicide bombers - January 1, 2006
Children without citizenship found in 20 'ghost' Myanmar border villages - TNA, January 6, 2006
We wonder if these, or other ghost villages, could be spotted on Google Earth.
Thousands of children without Thai citizenship have been found living in over 20 villages not included on the map of the northern Thai-Myanmar border province of Mae Hong Son, according to non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Like ghosts, the villages do not appear on maps or in government records, though some adults in the villages have proper documents. Located far from government services, children do not have access to schools...
Road in front of Siam Paragon to be off-limited to private vehicles - The Nation, January 8, 2006
Jakarta mass transit - January 9, 2006
Danny points out these Jakarta mass transit articles: City redirects 29 bus routes to make way for busway and Sutiyoso set on busway launch, ignores backseat drivers and Jakarta Monorail ends rift, starts work.
Expressionist paintings of Bangkok nightlife - January 9, 2006
Chris Coles writes: You might be interested in adding the following site of Expressionist paintings of Bangkok Nightlife... There's a show of 20 of these paintings in New York in February if you happen to be passing through there.
Covering the sex industry - January 11, 2006
The Thai Day section of the IHT seems to be paying more attention to the seedy aspects of Thailand than is usually tolerated. Expect some grumbling if these types of articles continue...
Eyes wide or shut - IHT, January 10, 2006
Bombs take their toll on sex tourism - IHT, January 10, 2006
Asia's next trendsetting beach: SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia - International Herald Tribune, January 6, 2006
Malaysian blogs cover youths detained at metal concerts - BoingBoing, January 6, 2006
Only gasohol 95 to be sold in 2007 in Thailand - RedNova, January 10, 2006
Only gasohol 95 to be sold in 2007 in Thailand...
Thailand uses protective strategy via FTAs - Business Day, January 10, 2006
Thailand has continued to apply proactive strategy to expand international trade via FTAs. During last year, there was favourable progress in FTA negotiations between Thailand and its trading partners which resulted in tariff reductions between the two as follows...
Graft watch group makes Thailand more transparent - Business Day, January 10, 2006
Thailand's leading academics, opposition politicians, members of civic societies and pro-democracy activists have recently joined hands in creating an anti-corruption body to trails of corrupt activities within the government circles...
Tour of Thai culture goes where guidebooks don't - The Plain Dealer, January 11, 2006
Thai-American Rattawut Lapcharoensap's exceptional debut collection of stories, Sightseeing (Grove, $12), stands out for its vivid narratives and resonant voice. With seven stories set in Thailand, Lapcharoensap takes readers on a tour of Thai culture, hitting everything the guidebooks miss...
Disaster brings Thailand fortune - BG News, January 10, 2006
Severe floods that washed away homes, bridges and lives apparently have compensated hapless villagers in southern Thailand with a treasure - gold...
World Electric Guide - January 12, 2006
Interesting site that shows power voltage around the world...
Chinese ban on Wikipedia prevents research, users say - Globe and Mail, January 10, 2006
Exchange Tower - January 11, 2006
The long-derelict Ratchada Tower at the corner of Ratchadapeisek Road and Sukhumvit Road has been finished and is now open as Exchange Tower.
(Photo: Postcard circa 1945 from the 2Bangkok.com collection)Above: Two views of the Golden Mount from Phan Fa Bridge
Message on the card - January 10, 2006
Dick van der Spek translated the Dutch message on the back of this card. The card was sent from within Europe. It reads:
Dear Nank and niece,
Because it is next Sunday 21 Oktober fun fair, I take freedom to invite you, so we expect you without any problems Sunday or Monday.
Receive also the best wishes from us all
your niece Anna Neijens
Address: Mr. Jacob Heelen
Schoofsheide
Neeroeteren
(Photo: Undated postcard from the 2Bangkok.com collection)
Old film - January 9, 2006
Cormac Bracken writes: This guy buys old cameras, gets the films developed, and puts the photos online with commentary...
Mumbai bridge - January 6, 2006
Carl from Friskodude points out a photo of a mega-bridge in Mumbai.
Rude elephant - January 6, 2006
We are not sure what this elephant is doing on this Paper Stories greeting card (left), but showing one's foot this way is a Thai insult. Do not give this card to your boss!
Nudie calendars as art, artifact and taboo - IHT, January 6, 2006
...While the 1976 calendar had insulted the police, because it showed Sirikwan unbuttoning her khaki outfit (which was similar to the police uniform), Mehkong's 1990 offering was something else.
The ensuing public controversy prompted police to confiscate the calendars. As long as they kept a low profile, says Anyamanee, the calendars were regulated but never banned...
Tale of two newspapers: Chilling or lust? - January 6, 2006
The Post has a much franker story than the Nation...
'Lost' model was chilling on the beach - The Nation, January 06, 2006
Following a massive search, police yesterday located a Brazilian model on a popular beach. She was unharmed...
He quoted Rierro as saying that she voluntarily went out with two Thai men. Before she was located, the men on Wednesday night reported themselves to police to declare their innocence. They said they did not lure Rierro.Missing model's night of lust - Bangkok Post, January 6, 2006
...Miss Rosini wanted to stay over but Mr Sanchai did not want to bother his parents. He then took her to a motel where they had sex which Mr Sanchai insisted was totally consensual.
The next morning, Miss Rosini told Mr Sanchai she wished to join a friend who was vacationing in Koh Samui. He bought her a ferry ticket, gave her some pocket money, drove her to the pier and saw her off on her journey.
...Pol Maj-Gen Santhan Chayanont said Miss Rosini told him on Koh Samui that she had gone with the men and slept with Mr Sanchai of her own free will.
Political battle for Bangkok to heat up - Bangkok Post, January 2, 2006
...Mr Apirak's plan to launch a Bus Rapid Transit system, one of his election campaign pledges aimed at alleviating traffic congestion in the city, also faced difficulties when the government rejected the BMA's request for the government to reverse a cabinet resolution which makes the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority the sole authority over bus routes.
In a bid to gain ground politically on Mr Apirak, the cabinet has assigned PM's Office Minister Newin Chidchob to oversee traffic affairs in Bangkok for the government.
Mr Newin, who was earlier assigned by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to oversee several ad hoc assignments, including the ''one million cows to farmers'' project, responded quickly to the trust put in him by the prime minister. He has proposed the ''roads of smiles'' project, which aims to provide parking space for taxis at government offices, department stores and in designated areas on the city's streets.
The project, which is due to kick off this month, appears to aim to compete with the ''smart'' taxi stand project launched by Mr Apirak in 2005...
Beijing traffic - January, 2006
Interesting info from the latest edition of the always intriguing CarFree Times: Car ownership in Beijing has climbed from 564,000 in 1993 to 2,350,000 today. By the year 2010, ownership of private motor vehicles may reach 3,800,000, and possibly 5,000,000 by 2020, reaching a level of 0.8 cars per household. To make matters worse, it seems that newly-motorized Chinese tend to use the car far more than residents of New York or London, and this is a major cause of the terrible traffic in Beijing. A recent proposal to deal with the crisis includes four main points...
Forget China, even Thailand beats India! - India Daily, December 30, 2005
Every Indian economist, businessman and other corporate-type has been spouting figures juxtaposing China and India, forgetting, according to figures, that India is more in league of Thailand and Indonesia in some of the metrics that will drive future economic growth...
India builds a 2,500-mile barrier to rival the Great Wall of China - Times Online, December 28, 2005
...Next month India plans to fence off this area of West Bengal as part of a little-known £600 million project to erect a steel barrier right along its 2,500-mile border with its much smaller Muslim neighbour. As a result Mr Biswas and his village of 2,000 people will be sealed off from their own country...
Is Thailand safe? - Times Online, January 3, 2006
...The Koh Samui Tourism Association is more specific in its advice for female visitors: "Women especially should not accept an invitation from a stranger to walk on the beach at night, no matter how attractive he or she may be."
...According to the Koh Samui Tourism Association, driving or riding on the back of a motorbike is "easily the most dangerous activity for visitors to the region".
Proposal for future South Asian Union (SAU) - January 4, 2006
We get unusual emails: A proposal to build a South Asian Union (SAU) like European Union by expanding SAARC states...
The mass people of this region want to abolish visa system for themselves in order to enjoy traveling facility freely and free trade among the regional counties like EU states. We can include Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan & Philippine. The Afghan president his Excellency Mr. Hamid Karzai and his Government also shows interest for entering into SAARC.
If we can include twenty three more countries (Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan & Philippine) with the seven counties of SAARC (Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives)...
Tsunami remembered with tawdry displays - The Nation, January 2, 2006
...There was notably little focus on genuine condolences in the proceedings. The shallow tone of the events was well symbolised by the souvenir given to relatives of foreigners killed in the disaster and VIP guests: a gold-plated chart of the foundation-stone-laying ceremony for a tsunami memorial, prominently featuring the name of the prime minister.
Seeing the big poster welcoming Thaksin, receiving the gold-plated astrological time-chart with Thaksin's name on it and hearing Dr Sax Chamber Orchestra performing Mozart's rather upbeat "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" that afternoon on the pristine beach one might have been misled into thinking that this was the foundation-stone-laying party of the premier's newest resort home!...
Thailand to introduce its own version of Google Earth next month - The Nation, January 1, 2006
Thailand will launch its free digital satellite photo services next month under the title of Digital Thailand, the leader of the project said...
Fan being given out at expressway tollbooth for the new year from ETA and BECL. A message on the back pledges good service in the new year.
The world's gone wild for everything that's wiki-wise - The Charlotte Observer, January 1, 2006
Michele Ann Jenkins and Evan Prodromou were backpacking through Thailand a few years ago when they tried to hunker down for the night at a beachside place their guide book had recommended...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
