News and Views - February 2007 Publicity photo from the 1930s - February 24, 2007 Caption on the back of the photo reads: Two motion picture fans from the Far East, King Prajadhipok and Queen Rambaibarni of Siam, have the mechanism of a sound camera explained to them by Mr. Adolph Zukor, President of the Paramount-Publix Corporation, and Mrs. Zukor. The royal couple were recent visitors to Paramount's New York Studios. (Photo: TerryMcT) Bangkok 1955 - February 24, 2007 Marc writes: Great site. I really like them old pics you post there so I'm forwarding you a link of pics from Bangkok and area circa 1955. Kind of funny to look at Bangkok with that low of a skyline. Hope you like it. Keep on the good work. Chock dee. We've posted this TerryMcT's link before, but it is always interesting to revisit these great photos. (Photo: TerryMcT) Man does 40 squat thrusts on elephant - WTOP, February 23, 2007 New Yorker Ashrita Furman looked around for a record he could break, and settled on doing the most squat thrusts in one minute... The "dictatorial maniac" - February 21, 2007 [With Thaksin gone, we rarely get to read tough denunciations in English like this one from The Nation anymore. And in answer to "What can Sondhi add?"--he is educating the provincials...] ...By now, those who hate Thaksin should be able to recount every single sin allegedly committed by him. They know he was a corrupt and dictatorial maniac bent on exploiting his political office to serve his own interests. They all have nightmares about how he would have ruined the country and its most respected institutions. So what can Sondhi add?... Thai officials monitor Thaksin's Australian holiday - ABC News, February 10, 2007 High level talks have been held between Thailand and Australia to prevent any embarrassing diplomatic gaffes during the former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatras current visit to Australia... [Thanks to Robert for pointing this out.] Thaksin's hired guns - The Nation, February 27, 2007 A searing indictment of the coup - The Nation, March 5, 2007 Police extortion? - March, 2007 A reader reports: Hi, you can use the pictures and story about police extortion from my blog, just quote me as michael. Rare dolphin could vanish from Songkhla - Bangkok Post, March 24, 2007 There has been a dramatic decline in the Irrawaddy dolphin population in Songkhla Lake, and the rare creatures could soon disappear from the area completely unless conservation measures are stepped up, according to the Marine and Coastal Resources Department. Seven Irrawaddy dolphins--three females, two males, and two calves--have been found dead in Songkhla Lake since October last year... Please return to lost and found: public safety - The Nation, March 24, 2007 ...On an emotional note, there has not been a single word of apology from the coach company. To take a cue from previous cases, the operator will be allowed to run buses on the same routes pretty soon despite a one-week ban for now. Even if the operator's licence is revoked, how can the authorities guarantee that a new operator will abide by the rules that are never respected nor feared in the first place? The call for more stringent measures will fall, once again, on deaf ears. Just like the recycling of Thai lakorn (soap opera) plots, this whole vicious cycle will repeat itself when a tragic accident takes place in the future... Did China or the U.S. benefit from the coup? Opposite analyses from Asia Times and The Nation. In cases like this, the rule of thumb is that The Nation is most likely wrong... Thaksin's loss, US's gain - Asia Times, February 9, 2007 ...For Washington, last year's military takeover has presented a unique opportunity to steal a march from China, which through soft economic power has seen Beijing consolidate strong alliances in neighboring Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos... Post-coup Thailand in the eyes of the US and China - The Nation, February 12, 2007 ...All of the above has not posed any problems for the friendship between Thailand and China. In fact, the coup was a blessing for China, as it can now quickly fine-tune relations with its most important partner in Asean... Burma: Traffic police relocations create resentment, resignations - The Irrawaddy, February 20, 2007 Thai Army paranoia gives Muslim militants room - Reuters, February 19, 2007 Since its September coup, the Thai army has become so preoccupied with politics it is neglecting the Muslim far south, where 2,000 people have been killed in three years of unrest, analysts and officials said on Tuesday... Ousted Thai PM Thaksin shopping for Sydney home - Reuters, February 11, 2007 Inspired by a weekend of golf and sun-drenched harbour views, ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is shopping for a seaside mansion in Sydney... Legal reasons behind a Thaksin home in Sydney?- The Nation, February 13, 2007 Banks team up to block payments for pornographic materials - Bangkok Post, February 12, 2007 Headlines from the weekend - Khao Sod, February 18, 2007 Blue: Poll support that foreigners trust Somkid Top right: Victim of internet: Ms.Tukta (fake name) who is 16 years old and her mom shows the photo of Mr. Pisanu the owner of Camfrog program who deceived her daughter making her come from Chaing Mai to Bangkok to be raped for many weeks and trick her to get drunk and control her to dance for the camera. [Camfrog has been singled out by Thai authorities in the past for its alleged ability to corrupt Thai youth.] Bottom left and right: Evidence: The picture (left) is from the close circuit of the defendant who bombed the police kiosk at Saphan Kwai and was issued an arrest warrant. The other picture (right) is the picture of the man who is similar to Mr. Tawansak Paenae, the southern bandit [separatist] who was suspected in the bombing of the Seecon Square department store. These are the suspects considered by police and people are asked to submit clues. US, Thailand united on security interests - Bangkok Post, February 20, 2007 The news from Washington that US troops will take part in this year's Cobra Gold exercise after all reflects the determination of Bangkok and the US that political problems should not disrupt mutual security interests. The annual war games will go ahead this year, said Supreme Commander Boonsrang Niumpradit, because Washington was satisfied with the government's decision last month to lift martial law in Bangkok and 40 other provinces... The world's newest petrol-state - Gulf News, February 17, 2007 Reports from Phnom Penh say that oil companies from Japan, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Kuwait, Australia and France have been lining up for licences to tap Cambodia's gigantic oil wealth... 100 prominent citizens in arms racket police - Mid-Day Mumbai, February 17, 2007 Mumbai police is set to prosecute more than 100 prominent citizens including municipal corporators and politicians, for possessing illegal arms and for keeping them under forged documents... Rogue development aid - IHT, February 15, 2007 [Thanks to Nils for pointing this out.] ..."But just as the deal was about to be signed, the Chinese government offered Nigeria $9 billion to rebuild the entire rail network — no bids, no conditions and no need to reform. That was when my friend packed his suitcase and went to the airport..." Dropping the kid We have always wondered if Chinese acrobats creating a stack of people on top of a pole ever drop the child that is invariably at the top of the stack. It is always part of the show to let the child fall to scare the crowd, but the child is always held by the feet so as not to fall all the way down. On February 18, a child did fall all the way to the ground. Photos of the event were on the front page of every newspaper on February 20. The above photos are from Kom Chad Luek, February 20, 2007. Restrictions hit internet cafe owners - The Irrawaddy, February 19, 2007 A long list of regulations issued to Internet café owners in Burma is making it more difficult than ever for them to operate... Burmese to get ten-day new year holiday - The Irrawaddy, February 19, 2007 Burma’s military government has announced that the traditional New Year Festival in April will be extended to 10 days. The Thingyan, or water festival, usually runs four or five days... More on Venus Fly Trap - February 20, 2007 Steve writes: I was just having my daily read of 2Bangkok and found that you had put a link on to Reuters for the Ladyboy band Venus Fly Trap. A few months back a posted a blog on the band and have been inundated by ladyboy fans via google. Earlier: Thai ladyboy band hopes to hit the high notes - Reuters, February 17, 2007 And Andrew comments: I thought you might be interested in a newly published book about transgenderism in Thailand. It is called 'Male Bodies, Women's Souls: Personal Narratives of Thai Transgendered Youth', by LeeRay Costa and Andrew Matzner. Thai King donates pavilion to East-West Center - KHNL News 8 Honolulu, February 17, 2007 Wiki sabotage at The Nation - February 20, 2007 Admission from The Nation's Wiki page on Thaksin (Now, ready for a challenge?): ...What has happened was some posts have been completely deleted and we could not retrieve it. Charges of "sabotage" abound but we have not investigated what exactly happened. All we can do now is urge your cooperation again to make this experiment, which we sincerely hope will serve the noble worthiness of the internet, work. We also advise posters to make a copy of your latest contribution to either forum, just in case the contents disappear or are drastically and suspiciously altered... Junta accused of exploiting news media - The Nation, February 19, 2007 ..."The programme cannot be neutral and free. This is no different from when the Thaksin government was in control. This phenomenon is living testimony of failure in news media reform," the statement said... The show that is being referred to: Sondhi Limthongkul's new anti-Thaksin show Thailand lists dinosaur bones as national property - Asia-Pacific News, February 17, 2007 Duo extradited from Thailand to Indiana for drug charges - Post-Tribune, February 17, 2007 ..."(Bencharit) assured the undercover agent that despite the fact that he and (Blake) were inmates of the Bang Kwang prison, they would have no problem acquiring and distributing heroin," the indictment states. "(They) conduct their heroin distribution business through the use of cellular telephones, a privilege that costs them approximately $450 a month in payments to their Thai jailers."... The dress - The story that will not die - Khao Sod, February 18, 2007 Nearly every day for a week photos of this and another revealing dress worn by another starlet have appeared on the front pages of Thai newspapers. Above: Photo of Amy's actions on the day of the Suphanahong Award that were spread on many websites. Although she come out and accept the guilt, people in Korat where the award ceremony was organized asked her to apologize to Yamo [local monument to Thao Suranaree, a local female hero who led locals to resist a Laotian invasion]. Thai cops on alert for underage kissing - AP, February 12, 2007 ...The crackdown on public displays of affection is the latest effort to balance the country's look-the-other-way tolerance with Buddhist values of modesty and manners... Thai teens keen for Valentine's Day sex - Reuters, February 14, 2007 35 Danes died in Thailand last year - Business Day, February 11, 2007 Unofficial annual balance from the Danish Embassy in Bangkok has revealed that 35 Danes have lost their lives in Thailand in 2006... Chinese workers paint mountain green - AP, February 15, 2007 [Thanks to Kanling for pointing this out.] The Pirated Software Problem in the 3rd World - Slashdot, February 11, 2007 Dark Reading carries an article by one Nathan Spande who works in Cambodia. Locally he finds that OpenOffice.Org and MS Office are the same price ($2), or $7-20 by downloading. He discusses why the economics of OpenSource don't work in this environment... Train.SpottingWorld.com - February 17, 2007 This is Trains at Train.SpottingWorld.com, your wiki for train and railway fans. It's part of the Spotting World family of wiki pastime sites. It's new. It started on 1 February 2007, and it's here for you... Thailand struggles to save rare dugong - AFP, February 15, 2007 Gathered by their boats chatting about dugong, a rare marine mammal found in the waters off Thailand, fishermen in southern Trang province get a faraway look in their eyes, then lick their lips. "Delicious!" declares one fisherman, slapping his thigh and grinning... Where is this? - February 17, 2007 This is from a 1912 postcard. Where is this? A thread on this is here. Right: Suggestive dresses scandal, Khaosod, February 15, 2007 Chotiros pledges to shed sexy dress - The Nation, February 16, 2007 ..."We have resolved to issue her a written warning. We've also required her to read books for the blind for 15 days and do some other community service," Thammasat vice rector Parinya Thewanarumitkul told a press conference yesterday. "This case is closed." ...A Dusit Poll showed 67.61 per cent of respondents supported Somsak's move against Chotiros. Conducted on February 14-15, the survey questioned 749 students and 264 teachers and lecturers. Almost 82 per cent of respondents believed Chotiros chose to wear an inappropriate dress. Nearly 72 per cent said Thammasat should punish her. International Intellectual Property Alliance - 2007 Special 301 Report - February 16, 2007 Special 301 Recommendation: Thailand should be elevated to the Priority Watch List. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Royal Thai government experienced turmoil in September 2006, when a coup d’état succeeded in overthrowing Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. We recognize the upheaval to the Royal Thai government caused by these events and it is in some respects remarkable that the government organs dealing with intellectual property and trade issues managed to continue working to take actions against end-user piracy. Unfortunately, other piracy phenomena, like domestic retail piracy, optical disc piracy, book piracy, and cable and signal theft piracy, remained largely unchecked in 2006. All report that, notwithstanding many raids and seizures in some sectors, piracy continues to cause major losses. A principal cause may be the failure to prosecute key piracy players (as opposed to designated employees of pirates), and the lack of deterrence in the final outcomes of criminal cases brought to prosecutors and before the criminal court. This is exacerbated by the lack of a strategic approach by the Thai government to combating piracy in Thailand. Thailand needs a fulltime, fully staffed and funded enforcement body like that found in neighboring countries/territories like Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Simply put, while the Royal Thai government has responded to some industries’ concerns, the outcomes of the government’s actions to address these piracy concerns have not resulted in lowering the levels and amounts of piracy in Thailand. On the priority watch list: Thailand And a blog post about the report: In Good Company - February 14, 2007 Thai teens having sex earlier than Californians - Telugu Portal, February 14, 2007 Thai teens are having sex a year earlier than their counterparts in swinging California and a lot fewer are using condoms... Front page photos This week the Thai dailies returned to typically sensational human interest photos. Above: Valentine's Day marriages, Daily News, February 16, 2007 Right and below: Suggestive dresses scandal, Khaosod, February 15, 2007 (Photo: Richard O'Keeffe) Da Lat train station - February 6, 2007 Richo notes: I noticed there was something about Da Lat train station on your site. I went there in December 2004 and these are the photos I took. Earlier: On the forum: The Da Lat Railway Station: A Restored Bit of History (Photo: Richard O'Keeffe) (Photo: Richard O'Keeffe) (Photo: Richard O'Keeffe) Bangkok banquet raises eyebrows - CNN, February 9, 2007 ...However, locals think the gourmets are being taken for a ride, saying everybody knows the best food in Thailand costs just 30 baht and is cooked in a wok welded to a street cart and served at a fold-up metal table on the pavement. "It's all the same. Chicken is still chicken, pork is still pork. They may have lobster, but we have prawns," said Pornpilai Chareonsimaporn, who runs an eatery in State Tower's shadow... Vancouver might benefit from a little Bangkok-like chaos - Vancouver Westender, February 8, 2007 It’s messy, archaic and sometimes lawless, but the Thai capital is uncommonly alive... Anti-drunk driving mascot - February 2, 2007 Jokey sends us these photos from last new year's eve of a government anti-drunk driving mascot wandering through the traffic to remind people not to drink and drive. The shirt reads: Think before you start your car - Moral development Center. (Photo: Jokey) (Photo: Jokey) (Photo: Jokey) "Waiing" Bill on pirate CD - February 2, 2007 Humorous photo of Bill Gates (right) appearing to "wai" on the back of a pirated CD for WIndowsXP (left). Thai blogs - February 10, 2007 The Nation Group has recently discovered blogs and gone blog-crazy. Here Suttichai Yoon is promoting his blog, "OK Nation," above the headline on the front page of Saturday's Kom Chad Luek. The blog is collecting questions that the public wants to ask Thaksin. The headline also mentions that many people have visited the blog and that meanwhile Thaksin speaks on Al-Jazerra. Bangkok wants input from us - NST, February 10, 2007 Thailand is interested to know about Malaysia’s success in promoting moderation, tolerance and understanding through Islam. It also wants assistance in preparing modules for religious teachers in southern Thailand... Nerves and bravado at Thailand's one-million-baht meal - AFP, February 10, 2007 The tables were set, the silverware polished, and the harpist seated on the 65th floor of one of Bangkok's plushest hotels, as the smells of a very special meal began to waft from the kitchen... Toilet tutorial - January 26, 2007 The headline reads: Change behavior of using toilet correctly , if you do not want... Trouble for Seimens Thanks to Danny for pointing these out... Soapy suds too much for trains in make-or-brake tests - The Age, January 30, 2007 Connex may halt fleet today - The Age, February 1, 2007 And Michael points out the following: Spaceships on chariot wheels - Herald Sun, February 2, 2007 Space-age technology on caveman infrastructure. That was the description of the troubled Siemens trains by Connex drivers yesterday... Reports without borders: Thailand - Annual report 2007 - February 3, 2007 ...The press, which was mostly favourable to the departure of Thaksin, did not get much more freedom from the military government. Journalists questioned by Reporters Without Borders confirmed that they were still under pressure. When in December the administration presented a budget in which military spending was hiked by 34%, the press did not dare publish critical editorials. Likewise, the Thai Journalists’ Broadcast Association (TJBA) said in October that the television was no freer after the end of the Thaksin regime. “In the past, we suffered from self-censorship. Today, we cannot even investigate the activities of the junta (...) we are being stifled”, said one of the organisers of the TBJA, three weeks after the coup... The big carelessness (Der grosse Leichtsinn) - Spiegel Online, February 3, 2007 Resort investors plan to storm Vietnam's beaches - TODAYonline, February 4, 2007 Hotel investors have flocked to Vietnam with plans for large-scale beachside resorts, hoping to turn the golden sands of the up-and-coming holiday destination into a tourism goldmine... Bird species declining - The Mining Journal, February 3, 2007 Mentally disturbed American detained as he threatens passers-by - Pattaya City News, February 3, 2007 Doubts swirl about Apirak's hold on job - Bangkok Post, February 3, 2007 Pranee McKinlay - imdb.com, February 5, 2007 Thai person who was was involved with special effects on the Lord of the Rings films... The story of the story of King Naresuan - The Nation, February 5, 2007 ...Prince Damrong's history book was a huge popular success, and became the main source for school textbooks down to the present day. Even so, Naresuan was still not assured of star billing because fashions change. After the absolute monarchy was overthrown in 1932 and the Army took power six years later, many dramas and films were written to celebrate the heroic role of the Army in Thai history, but they steered clear of Naresuan, and cast ordinary folk in the leading roles. The next Naresuan revival began in the 1960s. Thailand again faced an external threat, this time from the communist states to the east, and a growing revolutionary movement in the countryside. Palace and Army again looked to Naresuan as a great historical symbol of Thailand's ability to defy its enemies. Statues of King Naresuan were erected all over Thailand in places historically associated with his name. Many were built by the army, and some major ones were inaugurated by the King... Football cheers - 19:37, February 4, 2007 From our vantage point here in the Suthisarn Road area it seems that every single household is watching the ongoing Singapore/Thailand football match. After the first goal, the incredible collective cheers gave the impression that we are in the stadium as each household in the area screamed. In between exciting moments, the atmosphere becomes deadly silent. All road traffic seems to have ceased as well... Thailand to preserve almost extinct varieties of rice - Muzi, February 4, 2007 Myanmar tourism Interesting series of articles from The Irrawaddy... The Moral Minefield Fueling Repression or Assisting the Oppressed? Thai Tourists in Burma Traveling in Burma Publish and Be Damned? An Alternative Tourist Trail Group of rare vultures found in Cambodia - Pioneer Times-Journal, February 7, 2007 Woman on the wrong bus lost for 25 years - UPI, February 7, 2007 [Thanks to Bradford, Chris, Eric, and others who pointed this out...] Thailand to try Swiss man for insulting king - Reuters, February 7, 2007 ..."This is a delicate issue and we don't want the public to know much about it," Chiang Mai chief prosecutor Manoon Moongpanchon told Reuters, declining to give more details. ...Only one Thai newspaper reported the episode after police asked local journalists not to write about it to minimise the disrespect to King Bhumibol, the world's longest-reigning monarch. The Exotic Bangkok Strip Show - TripmasterMonkey,February 28, 2007 How one revealing dress set off a firestorm of moralizing in the land of prostitutes and permissiveness... The 620 million baht underwater cable power lines in Krabi are expected to be ready by 2008 - August 16, 2006 High-spirited Thailand holidaymakers sometimes pay dearly - IANS, February 28, 2007 ...the heat on the beach, several shots of hard liquor, a Viagra and then vigorous sex with a bar girl is 'a life-threatening cocktail'. Heart and circulatory failure, and diseases common in old age generally, are the most frequent causes of death among German tourists, according to the German embassy in Bangkok. Traffic accidents, often involving motorcycles, come next... More on FM Thanom - March 1, 2007 GnarlyKitty has just wrote up two more parts (1, 2) to her blogs on FM Thanom and his funeral last week. Interesting blogs - February 23, 2007 Oakley is a great great granddaughter of King Mongkut. GnarlyKitty is the great granddaughter of Field Marshall Thanom. Govt must tolerate dissent - The Nation, February 21, 2007 City to have nine new public parks by 2009 - Bangkok Post, February 22, 2007 The pros and cons of Thai nationalism - The Irrawaddy, February 28, 2007 In the world of political trend-setting, nationalism is never unfashionable. This is very true in the case of Thailand, where nationalism possesses supreme power in the minds of the elites and the ordinary people alike... Thai prince's trilogy looks to make history - Hollywood Reporter, February 27, 2007 The total budget for the trio of films is $20 million -- the largest for a Thai movie project... [Thanks to Danny for pointing this out.] Life on the Burma-Thai border - BBC, February 26, 2007 If you did not know that the town of Mae Sot was in Thailand, you would probably assume it was in Burma... [Thanks to Danny for pointing this out.] UM student dies in Thailand accident - Lansing State Journal, February 23, 2007 Life as a Thai sex worker - BBC, February 22, 2007 Bangkok is a notorious destination for sex tourism. But the lives of many of the city's sex workers are full of danger, disease and the urgent need to send money home... Nagesh Kukunoor mesmerized by Thai culture! - Glamsham.com, February, 2007 Bollywood trains cameras on Thailand - Business of Cinema, February, 2007