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News and Views - October 2006
สส. 9999 - October 12, 2006
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Good number…Rich virtue สส. 9999 Bangkok [We did not see the side of the bus. This advertisement is likely part of some kind of contest promotion. License plates with lucky numbers like 8 or 9 are very popular and valuable.]
Peter comments: I believe that the advertisement on the bus is actually an auction for number plates. I’m not sure though since I cannot read this advertisement, while passing once a similar bus, a Thai told me that.
Reviving a Thai art one stitch at a time - IHT, October 18, 2006
Thanks to Danny for pointing this out...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)"Stolen items" - October 27, 2006
Odd sign at the snack bar at the Grand Palace...
Piercing with a satellite dish - The Nation, October 27, 2006
Photo from The Nation: A man has pierced his jaw with a metal bar as part of a parade to celebrate the Vegetarian Festival in Songkhla province on Friday.
Stonecutter's Bridge under construction in Hong Kong - October 25, 2006
Here, here and here.
Oldest fossil bee discovered in Burma - The Irrawaddy, October 27, 2006
The discovery of the oldest bee fossil in Burma supports the theory that bees evolved from wasps, scientists reported today. A 3mm specimen, Melittosphex burmensis, which was found in a mine in the Hukawng Valley of Burma and preserved in amber for the past hundred million years, is the oldest bee fossil ever discovered...
Meet the prime minister - October 28, 2006
Interesting claim halfway down this webpage: GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL CONTACT AND INTRODUCTION SERVICE. Meet the official, department head or even government minister (up to and including the Prime Minister himself!) whom you need to know and work out details with regarding your ideas for doing business in and/or with Thailand!
An Elephant Crackup? - NYT, October 8, 2006
...Still, it is not only the increasing number of these incidents that is causing alarm but also the singular perversity — for want of a less anthropocentric term — of recent elephant aggression...
Bangkok Fashion City officially scrapped - Bangkok Post, October 31, 2006
Mouse bus driver - October 31, 2006
Mouse bus driver painted on a charter bus...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Webb on sex passage recital: 'It's smear after smear' - CNN, October 29, 2006
Another unflattering reference to Thailand: Webb responded Friday morning on Washington Post radio. "Let me explain what that was," he said. "I actually saw this happen in a slum of Bangkok and when I was there as a journalist. A man placing his lips on his son's private parts. ... And the duty of a writer is to illuminate the surroundings...
Thai Disneyland - Shanghai Daily, October 25, 2006
Thai billionaire Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi is in talks to develop a Walt Disney Co theme park on land along the Gulf of Thailand...
Fashion City Project faces axe - fibre2fashion, October 19, 2006
Globalization: Saving Thailand's other languages - International Herald Tribune, October 23, 2006
The Chong are a small ethnic minority group in southeastern Thailand. But as they bump up against the forces of modernity and the dominant, unifying Thai culture, their language may face a slow death and their unique world view, local wisdom and rich culture would also get buried...
Thai love affair with credit means big business for debt collectors - AFP, October 23, 2006
Thai debt collectors used to go about their business with an iron bar and leave their victims in need of medical care...
Teenagers 'lost in cyberspace' - The Nation, October 25, 2006
Twenty-six teenagers and younger children have been reported missing following their addiction to hi-tech mobile phone and Internet services or online games.
According to the Information Centre on Missing Persons to Stop Human Trafficking, under the Krachoek Ngao (The Mirror) Foundation, the kids all share a similar behavioural problem: the inappropriate use of high technology equipment...
The centre can be contacted at www.backtohome.org
History of City Pillar - The Nation, October 25, 2006
Rambo to resurface in Kingdom - The Nation, October 25, 2006
Sylvester Stallone has agreed to shoot his latest "Rambo" sequel here with Universal Pictures Studio Co considering Chiang Mai as the location, a Tourism and Sports Ministry official said yesterday...
Thai police detain 83 North Koreans in raid - Reuters, October 24, 2006
McRice Burger - October 24, 2006
The new McRice Burger from McDonalds--with chicken or pork...
Earlier: The Pork Prosperity burger and McSomtom
Thai teens get high on cow dung, mosquito coil ash - The Age, October 23, 2006
Thanks to Danny for pointing this out...
Sulak Sivaraksa faces another lese majeste charge - October 24, 2006
David reports: Some other news you might be interested in is that Sulak Sivaraksa faces another lese majeste charge. The only report I can find is on the front page of his website. But a search via Google News turns up nothing...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Comrade shoppers - October 24, 2006
Left: Exhibition - The power of the Chinese worker when the comrades become shopping persons - 6 October-12 November at the 6th floor at TCDC at the Emporium.
Crocodile - Komchadluek, October 19, 2006
Move from water: The officers move the crocodile from Amorn Jittrapinitmat’s farm where it is near Sakaekrung River in Thumbon Sakaekrung, Utaithani to Mr. Uten Yangprapakorn’s farm in Thambon Nongpaiban and where it will not escape.
"Historical accident" victims try to march on Bangkok - The Irrawaddy, October 19, 2006
About 500 villagers made stateless by a 19th century British colonial carve-up of a border region of Burma and Siam were intercepted by Thai police on Thursday as they were traveling to Bangkok to tackle the British Embassy about their plight...
"Doraemon Hitler" - Way Magazine, No. 1, October, 2006
Doraemon Hitler says “I come to help you to do good today. This is only one way to change your future.” [We are not sure what this means, but Way Magazine is the new magazine from the former a dayweekly team.]
The level of flood waters have still not decreased at Koh Kred, Nonthaburi.
"Flood" - Matichon, October 18, 2006
The caption reads: Around 100 motorcycles that Amphur Samkok Pratum Thani police seized are parked and soaked in the flood because they could not be moved in time. Meanwhile the nearby area is under flood waters more than 100 centimeters high on October 17.
(Photo: Greg)
Urban image - October 21, 2006
Greg writes: I saw it up near ABAC University on Ramkamhaeng. Not really sure what the hell it means, but it's kind of quirky.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)"No durian" - October 14, 2006
"No durian" sign in Hat Yai.
Amusing items from southern newspapers
Right: Samila Times, September 4, 2006
Bitchy Freshy Column: Woman In trend. The result of City Freshy Girl 2006 contest, the girl who won is "Bitchy Siriporn Boonyapranitr from Hadyai University."
Left: Kieatisak newspaper, September, 2006
Advertisement for Water Bar, open 19.00-01.00, music starts 20.00 - Meet Rang Rockettra every Friday and Saturdays and girlfriend from Penthouse magazine calendar. [Apparently the "Water Bar" is a controversial phenomenon in the south as schoolgirls are paid to shower behind a frosted glass while patrons watch.]
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Visual clutter - October 12, 2006
Speed trap - October 14, 2006
Nekochan reports: I got a mail from a friend warning about a new highway traffic monitoring system. So, Thai highway patrol does not need to hide behind trees anymore.
The letter says: (my brief translation)
Dear Owner of 1301
On August 10, 2006 at 12:54 our laser monitoring system detected speed violation on highway # 2 at section 420-421 km, Noon Som Bun, Khon Khan. The speed was at 124 kph beyond the 90 kph limit.
Please report to Highway Patrol Police 2 (Khon Khan Precinct) within 15 days. The 400 baht fee can be paid via postal service.
Regards,
.....(name)
Attached with a picture of the car!!
Very interesting! Foreign driver watch out!! You are caught on tape.
Meechai Ruchuphan's website - October 17, 2006
Bras shed light on Thailand's economic challenge - Bloomberg, October 16, 2006
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Hurt foreigner - Kom Chad Luek, October 10, 2006
This Denmark foreigner was bombed and burned by more than 30 toy balloons that he bought back to his room in the hotel. He was treated at Huachiew Hospital.
Sleeping security guard - October 11, 2006
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
(Photo: Jerry)
(Photo: Jerry)Siritara Ocean Queen - October 10, 2006
Jerry photographs the Siritara Ocean Queen on its side in the Chao Phraya River. The ship is used on the Pattaya and Samui route. A photo of the ship in the past.
(Photo: Jerry)
More on the Siritara - October 14, 2006
Rene reports: Sorry to see the pictures of the cruiseship, just last week I received a flyer from the company [right], promising big discounts for the cruise.
Floods in Thailand - NASA, October 9, 2006
Worldrights Releases Details of Written Opinion From UN Working Group - Worldrights, October 10, 2006
...Abu Zubaydah, a suspected senior al-Qaida operational planner, and possibly the first "black site" detainee, who was reportedly arrested in Pakistan in March, 2002, and was alleged to have been flown from Pakistan to Thailand and secretly held on an "active airbase" where he was said to have been "slapped, grabbed, made to stand long hours in a cold cell and finally handcuffed and strapped feet up to a water board until after 31 seconds he begged for mercy and began to cooperate..."
Freedom Blues - The Irrawaddy, October, 2006
...The 36-year-old former student activist was freed in 1999 after serving more than eight years as a “guest” of the military junta, but life in the real world has proved as difficult—though in other ways—as his existence behind bars...
A Hole in the Net - The Irrawaddy, October 6, 2006
...Whereas access to Hotmail and Yahoo mail was limited to a handful of those competent enough to track down an unblocked proxy server two years ago, now both are readily available. The wall is beginning to come down. The question is: How motivated is the government to keep material blocked?...
Chao Phya flowing downstream at fastest rate in 60 years - The Nation, October 11, 2006
...Samart Chokkhanaipithak said water was gushing downstream to Bangkok past Nakhon Sawan at the rate of 5,145 cubic metres per second, higher than in 1995 when Bangkok suffered massive flooding...
Guru cover - October 9, 2006
Another funny cover from Bangkok Post's Guru Magazine...
(Photo: Owen)Tuesday night flooding - October 10, 2006
Traffic snarls hit Bangkok streets following heavy rains, floods - The Nation, October 10, 2006
Siam Square under water - The Nation, October 10, 2006
Thai King saves Bangkok from flooding - TNA, October 10, 2006
(Photo: Owen)
(Photo: Owen)
(Photo: Owen)
Banner from the Ratchapeisek massage parlor area.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Chao Phraya rapids - October 6, 2006, 1:12pm
The normally smooth-flowing Chao Phraya River is swollen by flood waters becoming a rapids with waves and swells nearly a meter high. After 10 minutes the waves decreased, but the river continued to flow extremely quickly.
From Komchadluek, October 6, 2006
A temple is in trouble: The flood inundates Wat Paiwan, Thambon Ban-it Amphure Muang, Angthong Province. The height of the flood is than 160 cms. The monk has to dive in the water to unlock the door. This disturbs the monk’s activities.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)Toting watermelons - October 6, 2006
[Interesting look at how advertising projects the dream-fulfillment of the intended audience... Here is an advertisement for a pickup truck in Hat Yai.]
It reads: Buy a pick-up, see Triton.
At the right : Award for the most gasoline saving pickup in the world.
NOTStickmanBangkok.com - October 6, 2006
Flavoured fags worry ministry - The Nation, October 4, 2006
Thanks to the dozens of readers who quickly pointed this out. This is a very odd-sounding headline to a person from the U.S.
The first constitution and the first political movie - October 5, 2006
Thailand among top 5 child abuse site hosts - Bangkok Post, October 4, 2006
...Once alerted, Information and Communications Technology officials would shut down illicit sex sites, but without notifying police to hunt for offenders. The blocked servers would not be available for internet surfers and police in Thailand, but would remain accessible overseas.
...Many foreigners thus pick Thailand as a base for ill-intended websites.
...Since April 2002, police have received complaints about 11,681 Thai-language porn sites, 7,273 foreign-language porn sites, 1,592 paedophile sites, 4,551 sites selling sexual materials and 860 sites offering sex services.
Pa Prem billboard - October 5, 2006
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
A billboard at Mahavachiravutch School in Songkhla: Royal augustness, moral principles, and goodness protects Pa. [This means that "Pa Prem's" qualities sustain him] - Mahavachiravutch [school members] members are proud. - Everybody [who was born in Thailand] must protect the Nation.
Pibul cuts down trees - October 4, 2006
We have heard this story before, but never seen it in print until now: Pibul ordered roadside trees cut down after his son was killed in an auto accident.
Is it true? When did it happen?From Nui's rants about Thai history: ...Two periods of dictators seems to stand out markedly, that of Field Marshall P. Phibulsongkram, who had two terms of non-elected rule, nearly 16 years in total.
I remember my mother telling me a few stories about how he organized society back then. Two stood out, there was one about the ancient trees on Wireless Road that were razed down because his son was killed when his car rammed into one tree. The other story was about how he imposed a dress code so that the people can look modern...
Earlier: Nation-building & the Pursuit of Nationalism under FM Phibunsongkhram - September 30, 2006
Thai-US woman in Congress race - Bangkok Post, October 3, 2006
Cultures of corruption: Evidence from diplomatic parking tickets - Nber, October 2, 2006
Average Unpaid Annual New York City Parking Violations per Diplomat, 11/1197 to 11/2002
Thailand
Corruption rank - 32
Violations per diplomats - 24.5
U.N. Mission diplomats in 1998 - 13
BMA signs - October 2, 2006
These are signs erected by BMA to promote their accomplishments in the lead up to the now defunct October elections.
Left: 20,052 lights that are erected to create brightness for the safety of Bangkok people.Right: Next station: Wongvienyai
