News and Views - 2002
Somtam
on a stamp
- December 28, 2002
Enjoy a somtam dinner
over this long new year's
holiday!
Also: McSomtam
at McDonalds
For
Dogged Devotion to Etiquette,
a Kingly Tribute
- New York Times,
December 25, 2002
What foreigners think:
The New York Times
writes about HM The King's
Tongdaeng book. The
book also has a sharper
edge. It is a parable
with clear messages to
those who may need to
hear them during a time
of change and uncertainty
in Thai culture and society.
Throughout the 84 pages
of the book, which is
written in the third person
in both Thai and English,
just the following passage
appears in bold-face type.
In her abiding respect
for another stray who
was her wet nurse, Tongdaeng
is, the king writes, "different
from many others who,
after having become an
important personality,
might treat with contempt
someone of lower status
who, in fact, should be
the subject of gratitude."
Saving
the giant catfish in Cambodia
- New York Times,
December 19, 2002
Don't miss the cool photo...
BTW: NYT requires free
registration to view their
articles. More Cambodia
news here.
Thais
Impose Wide Ban on Smoking
and, Surprise, It Works
- New York Times,
December 18, 2002
In this anything-goes
nation, where the unofficial
motto is "never mind,"
the government seems to
have found one evil it
will not tolerate.
An older
article on Thai efforts
to stop smoking.
Medical
tourism in Thailand
- San Francisco Chronicle
Because of all the
problems associated with
health insurance and managed
care in the United States,
Americans come in with
the lowest expectations
of all and end up the
happiest customers, he
said. "A lot of people
would picture that we
are doing appendectomies
in rice paddies,"
Schroeder said. "But
much of what we do here
is beyond the U.S., service-wise."
Thanks to Rapee Boonplueang
for pointing out this
article. Here's an earlier
article from the New
York Times. After
the NYT article
came out, there was a
flurry of letters to the
editor from irate (and
panicky) American doctors
warning people that it
was almost impossible
to sue for malpractice
in Thailand.
Sok
Yoeun news has been moved
here
The
Travel Warnings
A
Terrorist Target?
A Frantic Thailand
Protests
- New York Times
(free registration
required), November
13, 2002
The nations involved
have responded in
characteristic ways.
Where Thailand prefers
to avert its eyes
from unpleasant
things, Singapore
prides itself being
straightforward.
"Terrorism
is not a faraway
problem," said
Singapore's prime
minister, Goh Chok
Tong. "The
bomb blasts in Bali
confirm what we
have warned all
along, that terrorists
are shifting their
theater of operations
to Southeast Asia."
Shawn
Crispin in trouble
again
- Bangkok Post,
November 13, 2002
Far Eastern Economic
Review's bureau
chief in Bangkok,
Shawn Crispin, already
placed on probation
by Thai authorities,
apparently contributed
to (if not wrote)
the article claiming
that the Bali bomb
attacks were planned
in southern Thailand:
"If so,
the Special Branch
will take action
against him as he
has always made
damaging reports
about Thailand.
He should no longer
stay here...."
Gen Thammarak last
week blasted the
AWSJ, saying it
was behaving like
a 'tailless dog'
for making up the
report of the meetings
in southern Thailand
to plan the Bali
bombings.
To
warn or not to warn...
- New York Times
(free registration
required), November
12, 2002
Far from warning
people to stay away
after the Sept.
11 attacks, America's
leaders encouraged
Americans to travel
to New York, to
support tourism,
in a show of patriotic
solidarity, and
many world leaders
did just that. The
approach toward
Bali, and now other
tourist spots throughout
Southeast Asia,
has been the opposite...The
resulting fear also
does tremendous
economic damage.
In Thailand, about
6 percent of the
economy comes from
tourism, one of
the highest levels
in the world. "You
cannot overestimate
the importance of
tourism here,"
one ambassador said....If
there are no terrorist
attacks, few people
will criticize a
government for issuing
a warning, diplomats
say. But if there
is an attack, and
the government has
not protected itself
by issuing a warning,
there will be a
high price to pay,
they say.
Bomb
squads kept busy
-
Pattaya Mail,
November 10, 2002
Paranoid residents
have police running
around “diffusing”
everything from
suitcases to cardboard
boxes.
And Trink featured
safephuket.com
in last week's column--it
is by some local
guys touting the
safety of Phuket. |
|
|
Hong
Kong's changing
skyline -
November 4, 2002
A couple snaps of
Two International
Finance Centre (or
'Two IFC') under
construction. At
420 meters and 88
stories, it will
eclipse the Empire
State Building and
be the new tallest
building in Hong
Kong. It's part
of a massive development
that includes a
subway station.
The official site
is here.
 |
Sanam
Luang 3, new zoo, Bangkok
Tower
- The Nation, November
25, 2002
Deputy Governor Mustapha
Man-nga said the Bangkok
Tower would be about 90
metres high.
City
to build world's fifth
tallest tower costing
B4bn - The Bangkok
Post, November 23,
2002
Deputy governor Mustafa
Mun-nga said the tower
would be about 90 metres
tall, with three floors
housing gift shops, scenic
points and restaurants.
The top floor would be
used for television transmission...
[There's some kind of
typo in the article. For
it to be in the top five,
it would have to be hundreds
of meters tall.] ``Once
the tower is completed,
it will be the city's
new landmark,'' said Mr
Mustafa
The
death of a frang in 1965
- October
11, 2002
We stumbled onto an academic
paper with info on the
er... unusual death of
Darrell Berrigan, editor
of the Bangkok World,
and how local newspapers
in 1965 reported the news.
It's full of academic
double-talk about gays,
but there's lots of interesting
tidbits like: a dated
term, jikko denoted a
smartly dressed, slick-haired
urban hoodlum who imitated
the nonconformist style
of 1950s and 1960s Hollywood
screen heroes such as
James Dean, Marlon Brando,
and Elvis Presley.
The
day a quark flew through
the earth and came out
in the Bay of Bengal
- November 22, 2002
Stratfor
reports U.S. soldiers
will look for Al-Qaeda
in the south of Thailand
- Strategetic Intelligence,
November 23, 2002
U.S. forces may serve
a dual purpose in the
area -- training Thai
soldiers in anti-terrorism
operations and monitoring
the local situation to
seek out possible al Qaeda
supporters.
A
guy who collects old maps
of Thailand
- The Nation, November
20, 2002 Also: Download
these old Thai maps
The
Nation has an article
on the Post's Trink
- The Bangkok Post,
November 22, 2002
The Nation's article
was spurred by the NYT
article last week: I’ve
heard he’s past his
prime. I’ve even
heard a respectable newspaper
like the Bangkok Post
has no business publishing
his weekly grab-bag of
bad jokes, misleading
musings and the Kingdom’s
fair “lasses”,
advice to lonely expat
men and recommendations
of bars in boozing districts
certain sober elements
in the community would
prefer didn’t exist.
NYT
article on Trink
- New York Times,
November 17, 2002
Don't miss his photo -
But the truth is that
Mr. Trink has been tamed
by changing times. The
paper has told him to
back off his crusade to
prove that AIDS is nothing
but a money-making fabrication
of pharmaceutical companies.
No longer allowed to recommend
his favorite prostitutes,
he sometimes touts grocery
items, with a strange,
Nixonian seriousness.
"For years Tang (orange
powder to mix with water)
was my favorite beverage,
until, at 200 baht a bottle,
the taste was no longer
worth the price,"
he told readers recently....
For a long time he tracked
the fluctuating price
of Dinty Moore's beef
stew, until "I kind
of felt I'd said all there
is to say about it."
In
praise of the Thai upper
house
- The Irrawaddy,
November 22, 2002
Before 1997, the Senate,
entirely appointed by
the Prime minister and
composed of retired military
and police officers, former
high ranking civil servants
and politically linked—and
sometimes shady—businessmen,
had always been a rubber
stamp house....
It has now come to
a point where the government
can no longer restrain
its irritation. Government
ministers have criticized
the senate for being too
active. Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra himself
said that the senate was
improperly behaving "like
the opposition"...
For all its energy, the
Thai Senate has more than
once given ground to powerful
political interests. Out
of a total of 200 senators,
a group of around 50 can
be classified as "progressive"
senators keen on defending
the common peoples interests.
A large group of 80 to
90 senators are former
provincial governors,
retired civil servants,
teachers and lawyers,
whose vote will switch
according to the issue
and who can be fairly
independent at times.
The rest is made up of
senators who are indirectly
linked to political parties,
either by prior membership
or family ties to MPs.
Forbidden
island, Chinese radar,
massacres--all off the
Thai coast
- November 16, 2002
Zadatgyi Island in Myanmar...
More
Myanmar news at Rebound88.org
About
the Gay Pride parade
- On November 17 at 5pm,
Silom Road will witness
the annual Gay Pride Parade.
This parade always results
in lots of coverage around
the world. 2B has been
told by several journalists
that much of the coverage
of the parade is done
by reporters who do not
even attend the event.
This is because generic
descriptions of the parade
are a perfect lead-in
to breezy ruminations
on Thais' easy-going attitudes
to sex. These types of
articles are a staple
of Weird News columns
and bring lots of hits
to newspaper websites.
Interesting
quote
This is from a typically
anti-government article
from The Nation,
but this quote from Prime
Minister Thaksin is rather
memorable: "I
used to dream of becoming
a rich man. But once I
achieved that dream, I
realised that a man doesn't
really need all that much.
I once carried cash equivalent
to Bt2 million which I
planned to spend on a
one-day shopping spree
on New York's Fifth Avenue,"
Thaksin said. "Once
I got there and spent
some Bt300,000, it dawned
on me that I really needed
nothing more. All that
I've ever wanted, I already
have."
How
to market Bangkok
- The Bangkok Post,
November 11, 2002
A classic headline: Bangkok
likened to `insecure woman'
TV
and radio advertising
stats
- The Bangkok Post,
November 11, 2002
Television broadcasters
plan to ask the newly
formed National Broadcasting
Commission to extend the
airtime for commercials,
which is now limited to
12.5 minutes per hour.
It seems like a lot more
than that...
Dusit
doing business in Myanmar
- November 12, 2002
Dusit Hotels & Resorts
is taking over Inya Lake
Hotel. More Myanmar news
at Rebound88.org
A day later, The Nation
has
the story: The
Russian-built hotel, which
opened in 1962, is regarded
as one of the most luxurious
in the Burmese capital.
Chula
ready to help revive megaproject
- Bangkok Post,
November 13, 2002
Chulalongkorn University
plans to invest around
300 million baht to help
complete the abandoned
Chula Hi-Tech Square project
near the Samyan intersection
on Rama IV Road. The
university will delay
construction of new educational
buildings inside the university
compound in the Samyan
area in order to concentrate
on the Chula Hi-Tech Square.
Modernnine
- November 6, 2002
In case you hadn't
heard--Channel 9
has
had a makeover:
Channel 9, featuring
the lively "9"
figure looking like
a sparking eye on
the modern digital
world, which was
underlined by the
bright MCOT word,
representing the
strong potential
of the state-run
media.... The
website in Thai. |
Before |
After |
Atlantic
Hotel
- CNN, October 20, 2002
The story of the first
hotel in Thailand with
a swimming pool...
Big
tunnel
- Bangkok Post,
October 12, 2002
The Metropolitan Electricity
Authority has opened the
country's first large-scale
tunnel for power cables,
which stretches for 8km
underground between Lat
Phrao and Vibhavadi.
Bad
math
- November 6, 2002
We didn't mention this
yesterday and tons of
people wrote in for us
to post it. The Bangkok
Post reports:
When they changed from
the seven-digit to eight-digit
system in July last year,
executives of the former
Telephone Organisation
of Thailand claimed it
would be able to meet
demand for the next 50
years, with 800 million
new numbers available.
The 800 million figure
took into account the
zero prefix that every
user must dial. In reality,
only 90 million numbers
are available, based on
eight-digit numbers starting
with 1 to 9. At the
bottom of this
page is a letter to
the editor that explains
that the scheme actually
added no new numbers combinations
at all... And TOT
Corporation is being questioned
about inefficient number
allocation
Suan
Oi
- November 2, 2002
This has nothing to do
with anything, but you
might miss it if we don't
point it out. It's about
Suan
Oi, an area downtown
where many students from
Rajabhat Institute live.
It's both a case study
of how youth culture can
quickly transform an area
as well as an example
of how Thais often view
the activities of young
people. Interesting is
the part about some "good
girls" shocked
by open displays of affection:
In the area, young couples
were often seen openly
caressing and kissing.
Pui and Orn said this
was totally unacceptable.
The red light area is
also known as a place
where female students
who want to earn extra
money through prostitution
can pick up customers.
Those who are ready for
business will turn their
institute brooches on
their shirt upside down
and smoke cigarettes to
signal their availability.
Some put their cigarette
pack on the table with
one or two cigarettes
sticking out to signify
the rate of their sexual
services. One cigarette
means Bt1,000; two, Bt2,000.
Pui said she was shocked
and frightened by the
new environment as she
became aware of it.
Bangkok
in National Geographic
- October 19, 2002
Recently, in article after
article, National Geographic
has been pushing the idea
that the Earth is overpopulated,
we've trashed the environment,
and we're doomed. The
latest in this cavalcade
is an article called "Cities"
in the November 2002 issue.
It profiles four third-world
mega-cities: Sao Paulo,
Bangkok, Lagos, and Hyderabad.
None of the pieces is
too flattering. The first-person
narrative about Bangkok
touches on our "famous...
AIDS epidemic," the
terrible pollution and
traffic, an interview
with a tuk-tuk driver,
and a long profile of
a bar girl's depressing
life--The girls are
waiting for them, ready
to haul in their drift
nets. Also:
In the same issue is a
funny ad from HSBC. It
shows three identical
photos of a locust. Under
the first one it says
"Australia - Pest",
under the next "China
- Pet" and under
the third, "Northern
Thailand - Appetizer."
Thai
signs in Christina's video
- October 19, 2002
 |
This
has nothing to do
with anything, but
in case you are
interested: Here's
an article
on the Thai-language
signs in the new
Christina Aguilera
video. Since they
refer to the local
sex industry, BMG
says it will not
show the video in
Thailand (to keep
people from complaining?),
but the video will
still be played
elsewhere around
the world. The video
is already being
distributed on bootleg
CDs at Pantip Plaza
and other places. |
"Safe
Good Foods and Clean"
- October 18, 2002
Brochure from the
highway department
describing a program
to create rest stops
across the country.
 |
 |
 |
Drive
a tuk-tuk
- 07:53, May 27,
2002
E3 (a videogame
convention in LA),
featured "Stuntman",
a Playstation game
that allows one
to drive various
vehicles including
a tuk-tuk. Here
are some screenshots.
Interestingly, several
game reviewers seem
to think the tuk-tuk
sequence is set
in Hong Hong. BTW:
The license plate
is clearly visible
on the front of
the tuk-tuk. I wonder
what driver helped
inspire the game?
Right: A driver
taking a shortcut
off the elevated
expressway downtown.
BTW: Tuk-tuks aren't
allowed on expressways. |
 |
Survey
of Thai editorials after
911 last year: Why
can't we all just be neutral?
-The
Nation, September
11, 2002
The Nation has
an excellent survey of
the tone of editorials
in the Thai press after
911 last year. This is
what the English-language
Thai press rarely does--give
English readers an idea
of what the vast majority
of Thai readers are reading
about. How about this:
"The lice that
crawls in America's hair
are its vileness, wickedness,
cruelties, shamelessness,
hypocrisy, exploitation
and destruction of weaker
people. Like millions
of people in the Middle
East and Latin America,
Osama bin Laden knows
well these lice. And when
his time comes to pick
at them, America becomes
incensed and tries persuade
others to sacrifice their
lives in its lice's defence."
A vision
of Bangkok
- 07:18, June 17, 2002
The webmaster of this
site wrote an article
for The Nation:
Bangkok:
rapid change and forgotten
history. Pas Seangsong
of Bangkok
Highrises points out
this related article:
The
city isn't chaotic, says
a leading expert, it's
postmodern
Anet says
'avoid international internet
access' from 8am-8pm
- September 7, 2002
Local ISP Anet has been
having a bandwidth problem.
There are many rumors
as to the real reason
this is occurring, but
whatever the real reason,
read this incredible popup
window from Anet's
site:
Dear Customer, Since
we are having a problem
with our international
links 45 Mbps to AT&T
due to APCN submarine
cable between Taiwan and
Korea was cut. For this
issue, ANET will use primary
solution by using IIG
which may slow down the
speed between 8:00 am-8:00
pm. There fore we would
like you to avoid international
Internet access during
the time but for domestic
access can be accessed
normally...
The
Perfect Thai Vacation:
Sun, Sea and Surgery
- New York Times,
September 10, 2002
The hospitals' efficiency
and personal attention
also come as a culture
shock to many Western
visitors. "Someone
dressed in a beautiful
Armani suit with little
high-heeled shoes simply
took me around from appointment
to appointment and they
immediately did all these
tests, one after another,"
Mrs. Anderson said. "I
went down and had lunch
at the Starbucks in the
lobby of the hospital,
came back up and the doctor
had on his desk the most
beautiful file, all bound
with tabs and everything,
with all the results of
the tests that they had
done." "Something
like that, as you know,
is impossible in America,"
she added. "I mean,
it's inconceivable."
History
lessons for the Post
- August 29, 2002
The Bangkok Post
printed this correction
on August 27, 2002: Correction:
King Naresuan the Great
repelled Burmese invaders
from the ancient capital
of Ayutthaya in the year
1581, not in 1767 as inaccurately
reported on page 1 yesterday.
The Bangkok Post regrets
the error.
Don Entz reports that
the correction is wrong
as well: What my books
tell me is that 1581 was
the year in which Bayinnaung,
the Burmese emperor, died.
Naresuan even went to
Burma at that time to
pay homage to the new
emperor, Nandanaung; Naresuan
was at this time acting
as a representative for
his aged father, King
Maha Tammaraja (60 years
old), who remained King
of Ayutthaya until his
death in June 1590. That
is when Naresuan became
King. The incident that
the so-called "Correction"
refers to actually took
place in January, 1593.
King Naresuan engaged
a Burmese force at Nong
Sa Rai, near Suphan Buri,
that had just come through
the Three Pagodas Pass.
That was the famous incident
in which King Naresuan
killed the Burmese Crown
Prince in an elephantback
duel. Now, while still
a Prince, Naresuan DID
proclaim Ayutthaya's independence
from Burma in May 1584,
at the Siamese town of
Kraeng, while actually
on his way to help Burma
suppress a rebellion there.
The Burmese subsequently
made some attempts to
resubjugate Ayuthhaya,
but their sieges were
never successful. They
were, though, by no means
"repelled" until
that 1593 battle.
Incidentally, Thai Armed
Forces Day is observed
on January 25 each year
because of the incident
with the Burmese Crown
Prince, and special ceremonies
are held in Suphan Buri.
The
Nation debunks Post
articles--Post
stands by its story
- August 18, 2002
Local English-language
papers have had two stories
of tourists joining the
Karen National Union.
It started with a Bangkok
Post about a 19-year-old
tourist from Sweden who
joined the KNU: Swedish
tourist in KNU ranks
and the next day they
ran this: Scotsman
runs clinic for Karen.
The Scotsman was David
Fisher who claims in this
article in The Nation,
KNU
'soldier' says news report
was fabricated, that
the Post faked
the story and made up
his quotes. "I
felt sick when I read
the story." he said.
"I don't know where
they [the Thai newspaper]
got their information
from." He said he
had planned to use his
picture in uniform for
"English Week"
at his school, when teachers
were asked to pin their
photographs on an exhibition
board... Fisher said he
is now worried that the
false report would affect
his career as an English
teacher in a Bangkok school.
And the next day The
Nation struck again
with this
story saying the 19-year-old
Swedish tourist story
was made-up as well. "She
gets her picture taken
in the press like it's
a souvenir that she can
take home and hang on
her wall," said a
15-year veteran relief
worker in Thailand who
declined to give his name.
"The implications
of her actions are not
confined to Karen State,"
he said. The Burmese will
put pressure on the Thais
to inquire about how foreigners
"illegally"
exit Thai territory into
rebel-controlled parts
of Burma, he said.
Meanwhile (in this
article): Bangkok
Post reporter Supamart
Kasem stood by his story.
``I treated the information
he gave me as something
he wanted to tell the
public,'' he said. Also
present when Mr Supamart
interviewed Mr Fisher
were reporters from television
channels 3, 5, and 9 and
Mae Sot-based stringers
for international news
agencies. (Thanks
to Don Entz for alerting
us to this.)
More
on Dhammakaya
- August 4, 2002
We've had lots of email
about the Slate
article on the odd
Thai cult of Dhammakaya.
Terry King alerts us to
the weird
claims the cult makes
about the bombing of Bangkok
during WWII: At that
time the inhabitants of
the neighbourhood gazed
up at the skies and were
surprised to see large
numbers of nuns from Wat
Paknam floating in the
air, intercepting the
bombs dropped by the bombers
and patting them with
their bare hands to fall
harmlessly in the water
or uninhabited areas of
forest. It is also
claimed that the Allies
were going to test the
first Atomic bomb by dropping
it on Bangkok and that
meditation by holy men
prevented this.
Making
fun of Dhammakaya
- July 31, 2002
Another example of how
things Thai are reported
overseas: a slate.com
writer visits the Dhammakaya
temple: What if today
is ritual mass suicide
day?
The
rock from the sky
- August 4, 2002
Crutch's column makes
mention of a 1993
incident in which
meteor fell in Phetchabun
and was promtly confiscated
by the government which
claimed to own anything
that fell from the sky.
The official info on
the meteorite is here.
Also: tektites
in Thailand and
here's a Thai
tektite photo
Boat
houses - 10:47,
July 14, 2002
"Surveying the
impact of boat houses
on the environment in
and around Ayutthaya
province"--interesting
report with photos.
The report is from 1999,
but earlier this year:
Now most rice barges
have been sold to hotels
and restaurants to be
transformed into floating
dining rooms.... Since
1973, trucks have overtaken
barges as the main way
to get rice from the
mills to Bangkok. Most
barges sold to hotels
and restaurants recently
have brought between
Bt250,000 and Bt300,000
to their owners.
(from "Mighty river,
changing ways,"
The Nation, February
10, 2002)
Two
white elephants for Myanmar
- 04:44, July 5, 2002
New York Times (registration
required) has the story: "According
to records, white elephants
have emerged during times when
kings and governments ruled
the nation in accord with the
10 kingly virtues," the
English-language daily New Light
of Myanmar told its readers
when the first elephant was
found. "Emergence of the
white elephant is a good omen
at this time when the state
is endeavoring to build a peaceful,
modern and developed nation,"
it said. BTW: Thailand has
11 and Laos' only one recently
died. Also, believe it or not,
these kind of "we have
a white elephant" announcements
are usually intended as a kind
of insult to annoy the Thais--a
kind of touting of Burmese pride
and legitimacy. See Rebound88.org
for news on Myanmar.
Do
Thais and Burmese really hate
each other? - The
Irrawaddy, 05:26, July 13,
2002
"It is not true that
Thais and Burmese have been
enemies for hundreds of years,"
says Dr Charnvit Kasetsiri,
Chairperson of the Southeast
Asian Studies Program at Thammasat
University in Bangkok. "Those
were wars between kingdoms and
kings, not about a war between
Burmese and Thais..."
The
Burmese historian who writes
Thai-bashing articles
- The Irrawaddy, 06:11,
June 28, 2002
According to sources close
to the controversial writer,
her anti-Thai attacks in the
state-run press last year provoked
a slew of abusive phone calls
from Burmese readers, forcing
her to change her telephone
number. Many writers said that
Ma Tin Win’s articles and
opinions do not represent Burma
and its people. "She has
been shunned," one writer
said.
Cars from 1959
to 1970
- 15:37, June 29, 2002
A tidbit from Thai-American
Business, May-June, 1971:
...the number of cars on the road
in Thailand soared from the mere
2,000 in 1959 to over 400,000
in 1970.
Don't
eat live geckos
- 07:18, June 26, 2002
Here's an "aren't foreigners
weird" story
from Ananova (sure to picked
up as a 'weird news' item all
around the world). Contrast
it to this
story which has Thai officials
warning against eating the lizards
uncooked.
Peas
originated on our border
- New York Times, 08:43,
June 13, 2002
A snippet from the
Times: Peas arrived
in America in the 18th century;
Thomas Jefferson raised 30 different
kinds at Monticello. But the
Greeks and Romans were eating
them centuries before —
Apicius had several recipes
for peas in his cookbook —
and the oldest find of peas,
at least according to Waverley
Root, was carbon-dated to 9750
B.C. on the border between Thailand
and Myanmar. (Of course leave
it to the French to raise the
pea to a level now reserved
for beluga caviar: In the court
of Versailles, they curried
favor with the king by sending
him peas.)
Walking
the rails to Songkhla
- June 2, 2002
This article has been moved
here.
'Our
Gang' actor and Thai missionary
dies
- 16:04, May 25, 2002
Darwood Smith,
'Our Gang/Little Rascals'
actor and Thai missionary, has
died at 72. He played the snooty
rich kid 'Waldo' and was credited
as "Darwood
Kaye" (remember the boat
race when his fancy boat sinks
at the end?). Apparently he was
a Seventh-day Adventist who spent
14 years in Thailand. Anyone know
anything about his time in Thailand?
Politics
- 18:28, May 18, 2002
The
'Latin Americanisation' of the
Thai economy - The
Nation, 07:39, May 20, 2002
Radio DJ threatens to sue PM
over long speeches - Ananova
Every radio station in Thailand
has had to air Thaksin Shinawatra's
15-minute lectures since he came
to power last year.
Political
attacks define the true limits
of Thaksin's revolution
- Taipei Times
This is a very interesting
editorial on how Thaksin came
to power and what it all means:
The Democrat Party, which headed
the previous government, claimed
that it offered similar reforms
and cannot understand why the
voters rejected them. The answer
is simple. The Democrats asked
people to sit quietly and trust
the bureaucrats and politicians
to look after their interests.
Demands and protests--the Democrats
huffed--will get you nowhere.
That old bureaucratic paternalism,
Thaksin knew, was ripe for overthrow.
In
praise of Purachai - The
Straits Times, May 13, 2002
Mr Purachai's efforts have
put him high on public polls and
he has received support from the
much-revered constitutional monarch,
King Bhumibol Adulyadej. But,
says Mr Thongbai: '...nobody in
the government is on his side.'
UBC among the
best cable TV in Asia?
- 07:41, May
4, 2002
We just saw a CNN
story on companies in selling
decoders so viewers in Hong Kong
can watch UBC
from Thailand. For about US$2000,
Hong Kongers can get a decoder
to see UBC. Apparently people
in Hong Kong are impressed by
UBC's sports coverage and over
20 channels! Typical cable subscribers
in the US feel deprived with less
than 75. Of course, this is all
prefaced as being a terrible crime,
since a few companies in Hong
Kong have exclusive contracts
to give local viewers the bare
minimum at the highest prices.
Three bits of
weird Thai news
- 07:47, April 29, 2002
1. Black
magic for beginners - a school
for sorcerers - from News24.com
2. Notice the use of the word
"alleged" - The premiere
of Thailand's version of "The
Weakest Link" TV show was
deeply controversial because the
show's trademark brutality and
selfishness so much contravened
the country's alleged sensitivity
and generosity. (from Chuck
Shepherd's News
of the Weird)
3. There's also a full-page photo
of the Bin Laden sculpture at
Klang Kaew temple in the May,
2002 Fortean Times (here's
the photo at Ananova).
Temples that install sculptures
like this are often regarded with
embarrassment by Thais, who see
it as a heretical, money-grubbing,
publicity seeking enterprise.
The foreign press loves it though
and makes no mention that such
practices are viewed by locals
as bizarre. See BBC's Beckham
meets Buddha.
In
the army now...
- 06:04, April 28, 2002
Vietnam-era snapshots from foreign
soldiers stationed in Thailand.
This site leads to a whole network
of veterans' sites.
Two Thai films
to be shown at Cannes
- Bangkok Post, 08:03,
April 27, 2002
Short article
on two Thai films to be screened
at Cannes: Blissfully Yours
by director Apichartpong Weerasethakul,
and Monrak Transistor by Pen-ek
Rattanaruang.... In fact,
it was only last year that Fah
Talai Jone, or Tears of the Black
Tiger, became the first Thai movie
to appear at the glittering Riviera
festival.
They're probably both good
films--Monrak flopped locally
and Blissfully Yours is
an independent production with
little hope of being distributed
in Thailand (theaters' schedules
here are tied up by big Hollywood
studios).
Plenty of
weekend reading from the Post
- Bangkok Post, 08:14,
April 27, 2002
PM
backs breaking up contract
work - More airport craziness...
(2B's Unofficial
Suvanabhumi Airport Site)
Old
stationary shop - ...a
Muslim Indian from Bombay
named Hassan Ali Karimyi Mora
started a little printing
shop back in 1923, with capital
of 5,000 baht.
Four
possible routes, no word on
funding - Short article
about a study of Bangkok rail
routes...
Don Entz alerts us to an interesting
item in the Insider column
this week: Laos' first ATM
(we can't find the link to
it though). Laos ... excuse
us, Tiny Landlocked Laos in
the mandatory newspaper parlance
... took a baby step along
the capitalist road recently.
In case you missed it, the
country's first automatic
teller machine opened in the
capital, officially known
as Sleepy Vientiane.
Bangkok
is 220 years old!/Bangkok anniversaries
of the past -
08:01, April 21, 2002
Bangkok's
100 anniversary: King Rama
V built the Grand Palace (also
called the Chakri Palace).
Bangkok's 150 anniversary:
King Rama VII had Pra Buddhayodfa
Bridge built across the Chao
Phraya River with a monument
to King Rama I on the Bangkok
side. The monument was designed
by Silpa Bhirasri and the rest
of the structure by Prince Narisaranuvattiwongs.
On April 6, 1932 King Prajadhipok
officially opened the bridge.
The King was carried across
the bridge on a royal chair
carried by government officials,
and traveled back to Bangkok
in a procession of royal barges.
Bangkok's 200 anniversary:
Citizens donated money for a
complete restoration of Wat
Pra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald)
area. [BTW: Plenty of before
and after photos of the restoration
work are on display at the small
museum adjacent to the Grand
Palace. We have noticed many
tourists skip this building
(which seems underwhelming after
the splendors of the Wat and
the Grand Palace), but it is
amazing to see the truly dilapidated
state the temple was in just
over 20 years ago.]
Also, for Bangkok's 200 anniversary
the private sector organized
an International Trade Fair
at the Indoor Stadium at Hua-Mark
from April 4-May 4, 1982. [BTW:
The first expressway opened
in Bangkok earlier that year
on January 4, 1982.]
Source: Rattanakosin Bicentennial,
Kurusapha Business Organization,
1982
Where
to put the new parliament building?-
00:07, April 18, 2002
Don Entz writes: Did you
see that there's a serious suggestion
put forward to have the new
parliament housed in Lak Si
Plaza? In the past, areas
near Chutuchak Park and Muang
Thong Thani have also been suggested.
Thailand
to construct new parliament
building - AFP, April 15,
2002
Robinsons at Victory Monument being torn down
- 08:34, April 1, 2002
The Robinsons on the
northeast corner of
Victory Monument is
being torn down. Its
lease ran out last year.
Anyone know what is
planned for the spot?
UPDATE: It seems
the top floors are being
removed, but the first
and second floors are
now housing small, private
shops.
Also: some old photos
of Victory
Monument
Jang
Kuom
- 08:34, April 1, 2002
ITV
has an interesting show
on the law each Saturday
and Sunday night at 9 pm.
Hosted by two laywers who
are also twins, Jang
Koum features dramatizations
and humorous commentary
on everyday legal issues.
Sunday's show featured information
on minors wanting to be
with older men, adoptions,
and the consequences of
hit and run accidents.
English
on Thai TV
- 13:08, March 31, 2002
In the early 1990s, English-language
movies each Saturday and Sunday
night at 10 pm on Channel
7 were dubbed in Thai. If
you wanted to hear English,
you had to tune in to an FM
radio station that was broadcasting
the English soundtrack. There
was a strange ambiance created
by watching a movie on TV and
listening to the sound on a
crackling radio station. But
that's no more. We just noticed
that the films on channel 7
are shown in original English
with Thai subtitles.
Thai
urban legend: dangers
of lychee & longgan?
- 07:59, April 19, 2002
We have received word
of a suspect story circulating
by email. It is a plea
to boycott Thai lychee
and longgan because farmers
allegedly use gunpowder
as fertilizer, making
the resulting fruit not
safe to eat. It does not
seem like it could be
true, especially considering
the line, "These
fruits could be ignited
after picking..."
An idea from Don Entz:
This is just a guess,
but I'm thinking it must
be connected somehow to
that big explosion at
that lychee plantation
a few years ago. It was
the fertilizers being
stored there that blew
up...
Why two
spirit houses?
- 23:32, April 16, 2002
On our way back from the south
of Thailand, we noticed that
most buildings between Hua
Hin and Petchburi had two
spirit houses side by side--a
tall pedestal with a spirit
house in the style of a Thai
wat and a low pedestal with
a larger spirit house often
in the style of a traditional
Thai house. Does anyone know
the reason for two spirit
houses? More
on spirit houses
An answer
- 07:45, April 19, 2002
Suchada Boonchoo writes: The
smaller spirit house is a
shrine for a dead person who
has been deified. The taller
is the shrine of the household
god (or spirit).
Official
denies dogs tranquilized for Thaksin
visit
- 06:52, April 1, 2002
The chief Narathiwat livestock
officer yesterday denied that
dogs at a temple here were shot
with tranquilliser darts because
of a visit by Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra and his Cabinet....
He claimed that dogs needed to
be to tranquillised before they
were given rabies shots because
they were difficult to catch.
He said that there were about
80 dogs at the temple.... Meanwhile,
Padung Limcharoenrat, the prime
minister's personal secretary,
yesterday expressed his dissatisfaction
to a local livestock officer over
the incident. Padung was heard
complaining about what he called
an "imprudent decision"
by the local livestock officers
to carry out the operation just
ahead of the premier's trip.
(ANIMAL WELFARE: Temple dogs not
drugged for PM, The Nation,
April 1, 2002)
Dogs tranquilized for Thaksin
visit
- 13:55, March 31, 2002
Scores of dogs were shot with
tranquilizer darts as part of
a tight security clampdown for
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's
visit to a Buddhist temple in
southern Thailand... "We
are afraid that the dogs here
will be frightened by the crowd
and attack the prime minister,"
the paper quoted an officer of
the Livestock Department as saying.
The unconscious dogs were
laid out at the back of the temple
on Saturday while others were
seen staggering around the vicinity
of the temple struggling to stay
awake, oblivious to the visiting
dignitaries.
Whatever
happened to nothaksin.com?
- 14:28, March 24, 2002
In late 2000, the papers were
full of news of the first "hate"
site for a Thai politician--nothaksin.com.
The politician who had the honor
of such attention was Thaksin
Shinawatra. It was registered
through Namezero.com
which hides the identity of a
domain's true owner and hosted
on free servers. Whoever did run
it eventually gave up renewing
their account with Namezero and
the site vanished after little
more than a year. You can still
see cached
versions of the site at the
Internet Archive (part of an effort
by the Library of Congress and
the Smithsonian to preserve transitory
net content). Thaksin's official
site is here
(in Thai and English).
The Lord of the
Rings back in theaters!
- 15:41, March 30, 2002
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship
of the Ring returns to Bangkok
screens this weekend at the Central
Lat Prae luxury theater (500 baht
a seat--make sure you choose row A
or B in the middle--C and D are too
close). This print includes the trailer
for The Two Towers (at the
end of the film). This may be your
last chance to see Fellowship
on the big screen.
How
much things cost
- 15:41, March 30, 2002
Pending Cabinet approval, all 500
MPs and 200 senators will soon see
their monthly salaries rise to Bt100,000...
Currently each MP and senator earns
a salary of Bt77,000 and enjoys free
domestic flights and free train and
bus travel. Each receives Bt500 for
each House or Senate meeting he attends.
(from the Nation: SIX-FIGURE
MPS: Lawmakers set to get big pay
rise, March 30, 2002)
The "crackdown"
is over at Pantip
- March 12, 2002, 08:25
From
Stickman's
weekly column: Business is
back to normal at Panthip Plaza
and all of the pirate software that
one could ever want is once again
available, just as it used to be.
Gotta say that I am surprised to
see it back, but hell, I'm not complaining.
Ayuttaya
treasure hunters
- 08:28, March 23, 2002
CNN has an article
on treasure hunters in Ayuttaya
who use homemade diving gear to
search for for medieval artifacts
in the waterways around the ancient
capital: For four decades,
Chuay Kaewprasert -- who does
business as Boonchuay Pradanam,
or Boonchuay the Diver -- has
set out almost every morning in
a wooden boat to see what treasures
the Chao Phraya river will yield....
Chuay has earned as much as $680
from a single piece of Chinese
pottery more than 700 years old.
On bad days, he can still make
a few dollars from selling small
trinkets he recovers, such as
Pod Duang, an ancient Thai coin
shaped like a grub.
True white elephants
- 08:12, March 23, 2002
A small blurb about white elephants
from the April 2002 Fortean
Times:
The world's second true white
elephant--an eight-year-old
bull--was caught in Rakhine
state, western Burma, last October;
the other one, which lives in
Laos, is poorly. Thailand claims
to have 12 (one of which lives
in the king's palace), but do
not have the pearl eyes, white
hoofs and white hair of the
true--and highly-prized--albino....
The New Light, the organ of
the military junta, promptly
declared, in a full-page report,
that it augured well for Burma's
prosperity. [AP, AFP] 9 Nov
2001. |
|
Andreas Weygandt created
this cool English font composed of Thai-like
characters. You can download it for
PC or Mac here.
Absolute
power - 10:13,
March 24, 2002
Interesting Washington
Post article with a relatively
balanced overview of Thaksin's term
so far: Critics fear that Thaksin
is trying fashion himself into a leader
like Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad or
Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, both of
whom enjoyed near-absolute control
of their legislatures and imposed
strict controls on the media but are
credited with spurring rapid economic
development.... Since taking office,
he has followed through on many of
his promises, declaring a limited
moratorium on farmers' debts, doling
out millions of baht to villages and
introducing universal medical care
for just 30 baht, or 70 cents, per
consultation. His spending programs
have made him a hero to the rural
poor who make up a majority of the
population. But the programs have
been less popular among the urban
elite, particularly journalists, academics
and opposition leaders who live in
Bangkok. They assert that the country
can ill afford to make such large
grants to every village, and they
contend that lower medical fees have
led to worse care.
Did you notice The
Nation's free press banner?
- 07:25, March 14, 2002
If you read any stories on The Nation's
website,
you'll see a banner at the top of the page
that says "Stop Media Interference!
The media's freedom is the people's freedom."
Wow! McSomtam at McDonalds
- 07:25, March 14, 2002
...McDonald's is offering the northeastern
Thai salad famous for its spicy kick
- Somtam - from tomorrow. Priced at
Bt25 each, McDonald's named its Somtam
dish "Thai Spicy McSalad Shaker",
or McSomtam in Thai....
McDonald's first Thai-style dish, the
Hot Basil Pork Burger, was introduced
in 1998, followed by the Panang Chicken
Burger in 1999 and the Satay Chicken
Burger in 2001. All have become popular,
the company said. (from McDonald's
menu, The Nation, March 14, 2002)
Some weekend links
- 08:12, March 23, 2002
How much things cost: Ananova reports
that Thailand
will pay 2 million pounds a year for 10 years
for a pair of pandas. Considering the the
incredible amount of tourism pandas generate,
it is probably well worth it.
From MCOT: Govt
to open technical entertainment centre for
youths ends with the following: Student
and youths would enjoy learning useful on-line
knowledge, which is screened and controlled
by authorities concerned, instead of spending
their times on things or in places where are
not suitable or useful for them, said Suwat.
Like reading the Economist?
From the fascinating Museum
of Hoaxes: A Thai
hoax featuring a "monk" who
congers up tall, skinny spirits
Being Thai: Here's a short article
on a woman who had her win on the Thai-version
of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire"
invalidated because of a technical glitch.
Anywhere else the lawyers would be called
in, but the gentle Thai says: "They
told me to play it again. I didn't mind, since
I didn't want them to get in trouble..."
(Thanks to Cormac Bracken for pointing out
this article.)
When Thais
are the villians
- 07:41, March 21, 2002
Here's a short
article about Decho Domden, a
patriotic Cambodian film in the vein of
Suriothai, in which Thais are the
bad guys.
Mindful of the importance of maintaining
friendly ties with Thailand, the CDCD and
the Ministry of Fine Arts and Culture are
still mulling the wisdom of portraying the
predecessor of Cambodia's neighboring Kingdom
as an imperialistic aggressor.
Vanthy told the (Phnom Penh) Post that in
order not to create a potential diplomatic
incident... the CDCD will ask the film's
producers to replace references to "Siam"
in the script with the more generic term
"enemy."
Pantip.com
boards down - 08:43,
March 17, 2002
The most popular Thai webboard, Pantip.com,
known as the most wide-open forum for expressing
one's opinion in Thai, had extended downtime
over the weekend and rumors started to fly
that Big Brother was at it again ('Public
Sphere: Even Web Broads may not be so safe',
The Nation, March 17, 2002). According
to the article, webmaster Wanchat Pantip
(his real name?) issued the following statement,
"I confirm that the downtime: 1. Did
not occur due to government interference
or any attempt to limit the rights of expression;
2. or to interference by the opposition
and any attempt to discredit the government..."
More
- 07:25 March 20, 2002
Wanchat P. writes with further clarification
of what happened: When our system went
down, I also worried about media interference,
because the situation is so hot right now
and the opinions people post on our website
are not censored or compromised in any way.
However, we found that it was only a hardware
failure on our server. Unfortunately, it
happened on Friday midnight so we couldn't
get technical help right away. It was just
a bad thing happening at the worst time.
More
- 08:32, March 23, 2002
The Nation has an editorial
about the fear of censorship of webboards:
Shortly before the last general elections,
accusations began pouring in about "hired
writers". These writers, the frequenters
of Pantip.com claim, are employed by certain
people to influence the opinions on the
board.
UNESCO
says Bangkok could be World Heritage Site
- 08:36, March 19, 2002
A very brief article from MCOT: (UNESCO
official Richard) Favis named Bangkok as one
of the cities in Southeast Asia that was capable
of becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
along with towns and cities in Laos, Vietnam,
and Nepal.
'The dark age of cowardly
dumbed-down TV' -
07:26, March 18, 2002
You might be interested in this brief
critique of Thai TV (the link's already
expired after one day--we're trying to find
it again): Turn on your TV at 10pm 18 months
ago and you would have a choice of two or
three programmes offering debate and comment
on the affairs of the day.... Turn on today
and you find nothing like this. Blank. Zero.
Zilch. This is the television equivalent of
book-burning.
Secret
features in maps to catch copiers
- 12:50, March 3, 2002
Recently we met Suchai Lowhakasamevong, owner
and chief map maker at Bangkok Guide. This
company is the only local map company (that
we know of) without glaring errors in their
maps that are repeated printing after printing.
Suchai showed us some secret features he puts
in his maps to catch cheaters who copy his
work--and plenty of people do. You would be
surprised how many major foreign-produced
maps of Bangkok are copied directly from his
work. He then has to take them to court and
have the offending maps removed from the stores.
Suchai also demonstrated how his surveys show
that Vietnam War-era maps of Thailand produced
by the US military are still more accurate
than official maps of Thailand produced today.
More on
the Bangkok eccentric
- 08:05, March 17, 2002
The Post has more
about the woman who filled her house with
trash.
However, when the bubble burst in 1997,
she lost 1 million baht. Her husband later
left her while she was two months' pregnant
and her first child was only two years' old....
The authorities were shocked to find a mountain
of rubbish, infested with rats and cockroaches,
piled up to the ceiling.... Dr Udom Petchsangharn,
a psychiatrist and director of Rachanukul
hospital, said it was possible Mrs Pathira
was suffering from schizophrenia, adding her
condition and habits were similar to those
of individuals who had suffered a great loss.
She was attempting to replace whatever she
has lost with garbage, he said, which she
believes to be of great value to her life.
(from "'Garbage lady' reliant on refuse",
March 17, 2002) ITV
has also been reporting on this.
A Bangkok eccentric
- 10:14, March 16, 2002
The Bangkok Post has an interesting
article
on a mania that is well-known in the West:
someone compulsively fills their dwelling
with "collected" garbage: ...The
woman has been collecting tonnes of all types
of garbage covering virtually every square
inch of her home, a two-storey shophouse,
in Soi Prachasongkroh 24, Din Daeng district,
they said. The rotten smell from her collection
has been a real torment for the entire neighbourhood
for years, they said. The house of stink belongs
to Pathira Juthasuwansiri, a 47-year-old widow
living with her elder sister and two children.
The neighbours said Ms Pathira started her
garbage collection elsewhere before moving
it into her present home in 1995 after losing
most of her assets in the stock market....
Her two children, a girl and a boy, were sometimes
seen climbing over the hills of garbage in
their home to get to the upper floor.....
The authorities are now trying to clean out
the house. (from "Neighbours in uproar
over woman's refuse collection", March
16, 2002)
Nation
employees fear closure
- 09:17, March 7, 2002
A source reports that Nation
employees expect the newspaper to be "raided"
by the authorities at any time and many people
are "lining up back-up jobs." This
in light of the Nation's continuing unflattering
coverage of the Thaksin administration. Today's
headline screams "THAKSIN-GATE."
Less than 10 years ago, during the last coup
government, the Nation was one of the
few newspapers to refuse government censorship
and continue to print all its articles. The
Bangkok Post left blank spaces in their
paper where the censored articles were to be
printed (these papers are interesting collectors'
items if you can find them). At that time, the
Nation expected it would be closed for
its defiance, but thankfully, it never happened.
Bad timing: Thai Airways
promotes The Economist -
19:17, March 6, 2002
Today we received a letter from Thai Airways
dated February 2002 promoting "an exceptional
and exclusive offer, in association with
The Economist" and signed by both a
Thai Airways representative and The Economist's
circulation's director. That's pretty brave
considering the most recent issue of the magazine
was banned here and the
police reportedly ordered the magazine to remove
articles on Thailand from their website. Of
course the letter is nothing more than an ill-timed
subscription offer. It was probably planned
to capitalize on increased distribution of the
special issue on Thailand. They had even printed
extra issues to sell, but none ended up being
distributed.
Typical boilerplate becomes funny considering
the magazine was withheld: "You'll find
The Economist offers invaluable insight
and independent analysis of events affecting
Asia..." Serves Thai Airways right for
selling the addresses of their "most valued
Royal Orchid Plus members" to junk mailers.
The vertical
wreck - February 17, 2002
Frank Paschold has some
photos on his site
of the incredible "vertical wreck"--
the Pak One gas tanker suspended in the Gulf
of Thailand. The latest news is that the Thai
Navy is waiting for confirmation from the ship's
insurer before blowing the ship up.
Thailand's
net mess -
February 25, 2002
In case you had not heard, in-country connection
to the Internet is still at a crawl since an
undersea cable was severed on February 21. If
you want a net connection here you have to buy
it from an ISP that has to buy their connection
from a government monopoly (CAT)
that charges an outrageous markup. This monopoly
is housed in a massive complex outside of town
that can only be compared to Versailles. The
CAT decided that no backup was necessary for
Thailand's net access and now businesses that
depend on the net are
at a standstill. Best case scenarios point
to the end of the week before things get back
to normal.
They
say they're sorry and "please remove the
news"
- February 28, 2002
Welcome to the future
- February 15, 2002
A colleague mentioned that the late afternoon
sun looked like the moon. The sun was still
high in the sky, but it was very dim outside.
Once again, smog envelops the city.
The canal between Sathorn Road is choked with
garbage--not mysterious pollution from some
unseen factory far away, but actual, identifiable
bags of trash someone had thrown in. Overhead
there is an incredible roar, like someone continually
exhaling, from the traffic stopped on Taksin
Bridge. The streetlights change every 7 1/2
minutes. The police and various pedestrians
wear face masks.
I remember when I was a kid hearing about some
dismal future when the sky was dark during the
day and people would have to wear masks because
of pollution. Bangkok is still a fun place to
live and I love it, but I think in some ways,
this is the future we were warned about... -Ron
Morris
BTW: Thai
auto sales soar 45 percent in January
Looking
back at the Thai version of the Weakest Link
- New
York Times,
January 19, 2003
Interesting article on Kritika Kongsompong,
former host of the Thai version of the Weakest
Link: ...This is a difficult time for Thailand
as its intricately woven culture of hierarchy
and deference gives ground to the hard-knock
roller derby of modern life.... Some Thais are
searching now to define what they call a "post-Western"
society, adapting rather than copying foreign
ways. Some want to resurrect an idealized self-sufficient
past, guided by Buddhist gentleness. There is
also a streak of panicked xenophobia that led
one official recently to call for a ban on teaching
foreigners the Thai arts of massage and kickboxing.
"My show goes against all that," Ms.
Kritika said in an interview. "It doesn't
support the loser. It confronts conflict. It
doesn't harmonize friendship. That's real life
where only the strongest survive, and some people
don't like to listen to that." In her classroom,
she paces like Madonna with a headset microphone,
prodding and sometimes taunting her students,
urging them to stand up for themselves, look
people in the eye, compete.... Nevertheless
when the year's contract was up, its producers
breathed a sigh of relief and took the show
off the air. It had been hard to watch, but
it had made its point.... "The show was
destined to end," said the critic, Kitti
Gunpai, who teaches communications at Chulalongkorn
University. "It just didn't fit in with
Thai tastes. It's a destructive show that provokes
anger and perpetuates disunity. It's a shameful
program.'"
Thailand
Game Show Causes Uproar - April 8, 2002
The verbal blood sport of "The Weakest
Link" may seem like harmless fun in most
of the 70-odd countries it has taken by storm,
but in Thailand it is causing uproar.... When
the woman who didn't know Beckham's shirt number
protested that it wasn't the sort of thing women
would be familiar with, Kritika snapped back:
"Ugh! Women love to make excuses."
A self-proclaimed psychic who failed to answer
a question was told: "It seems your powers
are useless."
Notice the use of the
word "alleged"
- The premiere of Thailand's version of "The
Weakest Link" TV show was deeply controversial
because the show's trademark brutality and selfishness
so much contravened the country's alleged sensitivity
and generosity. (from Chuck Shepherd's News
of the Weird, April 29, 2002)
Weakest Link is Thailand's most popular
show - March 16, 2002
A Guardian article
on the Thai version of The Weakest Link
has some interesting tidbits. Channel 3 says
it is the highest-rated late night entertainment
programme in the country, attracting almost
3m viewers. However, "...Channel
3 (could) lose its broadcasting licence if the
show continues to show anything unbecoming and
contradictory to Thai culture and morality,"
said Somsak Thepsuthi, the minister in charge
of the prime minister's office.
More on The Weakest Link
in Thailand - February 13, 2002
The Weakest Link responds: "We
bought the licence from Britain. If we switched
it around and made the entire show lighter and
more humorous, we would be just as well off
creating our own show instead of buying one,"
Suphon said. He added that it would take some
time for the show's host to come up with more
word variety, which could make the show a little
lighter....
Humiliation certainly abounded. When one contestant
could not say what the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) was, she was voted out by the other
contestants, one of whom reprimanded her for
not knowing about an organisation that so seriously
affected the life of all Thais. (excerpted
from "'Weak link' fights back ," The
Nation, February 13, 2002 - most of this
article seems to be taken from an AFP
story that appeared online February 12,
at 5:21pm)
Editorial from a local
paper: ...Under
such a democratic framework, citizens must be
allowed to make their own decisions and pursue
their own selfish interests as long as such
an exercise stays within legal limits and does
not infringe on other people's rights and freedom.
It is therefore questionable that anyone should
blame a game show for promoting selfish values
that could harm society or corrupt young minds.
After all, all participants in the game show
know exactly the rules of the game and they
choose to play the game on their own free will.
Unless anyone hasn't noticed, Thai culture,
which has been passed from generation to generation
for hundreds of years, isn't as fragile as a
few sore losers' egos. (excerpted from "EDITORIAL
: Weakest link or missing link?," The
Nation, February 13, 2002)
The Weakest Link
makes Thais cry
- February 12, 2002
The Thai version of the popular British game
show "The Weakest Link" has elicited
a range of strong - often emotional - responses
from viewers and even drawn expressions of concern
from some of the nation's top leaders, who have
warned that entertainment programmes may be
nurturing selfish youth.
The show, "Kamchad Jud Orn", aroused
instant controversy when host Krittika Kongsompong
adopted the trademark meanness displayed by
the host of the original show, taking delight
in belittling losing contestants, who are voted
off. In one case, a teacher who was voted off
the show wept and begged her students not to
think that she was stupid for losing....
At a meeting with the National Youth Bureau
(NYB), Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said
foreign attitudes deemed unsuitable to Thai
society should be discouraged in television
shows. According to Udom Kraiwatnusorn, PM's
Office secretary, the prime minister said certain
programmes too strongly influenced by Western
values could prove destructive to Thai society,
especially in their effect on young people.
(from Game
show 'a danger to youth,' The Nation,
Feb 12, 2002)
Note: We would link to these articles,
but Nation and Bangkok Post links
expire after one day and then change several
times during the following weeks.
A charmingly worded dispatch
from MCOT - February 12,
2002
We admire those who attempt the bizarre language
of English. We're not making fun, we genuinely
like this:
China town becomes most tourist attraction
during Chinese New Year
BANGKOK, Feb. 11 (TNA) – China town area
here becomes the most tourist attraction site
for this year’s Chinese New Year celebration
as expected, as a number of foreign arrivals,
even those from western countries, are seen
wandering in the area enjoying events and activities
organized to celebrate the auspicious event.
Apart from lots of Thais with Chinese origin,
a number of foreign tourists, including those
from Europe, are visiting Yaowaraj Road, known
as Thailand’s China town, to have their
own personal touches on the varied celebration,
according to a news report of iTV. (this
article online)
Do you know the way to Bangkok
beach? - February 2, 2002
Although the signs say "beach" (in
Thai), there is no beach, but you can take a
boat ride out through the canals to the sea
for 60 baht per person. Go to the Dao Kahnong
side of the Chao Phraya River to Rama II Road.
Go south (or left) on Bang Khun Thian Road.
Turn left on the last left-hand turn before
the end of the road. After a couple of kilometers,
turn right into the grounds of a wat just before
a steep bridge. From there you can take the
hour and a half round-trip to the sea. And be
sure to eat at one of the seafood restaurants
along Bang Khun Thian Road. We recommend Krua
Sawang Seafood (tel. 0-2849-3191). On the way
back, take the newly completed (and virtually
deserted) ring road (Road 9) from Bang Khun
Thian Road to Suk Sawat Road and then over Rama
IX Bridge and back into Bangkok.
Expect loud fireworks: Chinese
New Year's Eve
February 11 is Chinese New
Year's Eve and February 12 is Chinese New Year's
Day. The following is from a TAT press release:
Between February 12-13, 2002, Yaowarat road,
known as the Chinatown of Bangkok, will come
alive with the biggest Chinese New Year festival
ever held as part of efforts to promote Chinese-Thai
culture and boost tourism. The Chinatown Yaowarat
2002 Festival will be held along the one-kilometre
stretch of road from Odeon Roundabout (adjacent
to the Wat Trimit or "Golden Buddha Temple")
to Ratchawongse Intersection between 18:00-24:00
hours on both days. AP article on
this year's Chinese New Year: Biggest
ever!
How much things cost
- February 10, 2002
Rice barges: Now most rice barges
have been sold to hotels and restaurants to
be transformed into floating dining rooms....
Since 1973, trucks have overtaken barges as
the main way to get rice from the mills to Bangkok.
Most barges sold to hotels and restaurants recently
have brought between Bt250,000 and Bt300,000
to their owners. (from "Mighty river,
changing ways," The Nation, February
10, 2002)
Illegal software profits: ``We can
sell up to 60,000-70,000 baht worth of goods
during weekends...." He said he usually
made profits of almost 80% selling pirated CDs.
But his profits would halve if he sold legal
CDs.... Another employee at an illegal CD shop
on the second floor said her boss telephoned
her to close the shop yesterday after he found
out police would raid the shopping mall....``Employees
at most CD shops normally get notice from their
bosses and some police before plainclothes policemen
arrive for an inspection. That's why they usually
leave Pantip Plaza empty-handed,'' she said....Nattaphol
Tangsuksant, 18, said he chose to buy pirated
CDs at between 100-150 baht because it was much
cheaper than legal ones of the same quality....``As
long as the price of CDs and software remains
almost ten times more expensive, people will
always come to Pantip and buy pirated CDs.''
(from "Pirates unfazed by police crackdown,"
Bangkok Post, February 10, 2002)
Around town: Bangkok's 220th
anniversary -
Bangkok Post, February 6, 2002
Bangkok's 220th anniversary, which falls
on April 21 this year, will be marked with floral
float procession, parade bands, and international
performances staged by foreign embassies....
Samak said this year was particularly auspicious,
not only because the Kingdom's capital was turning
220 years of age, but also because it marked
His Majesty the King's 75th Birthday and HRH
Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn's 50th Birthday.
(excerpted from the Bangkok Post, February
6, 2002)
Thai spammers
- February 9,
2002
We've had some sad email back from local (Thai)
spammers angry at us for reporting them to their
ISPs. They range from an email with only the
message "your fault" to the standard
incompetently used expletives. Keep those "Work
at Home" spams coming!
'Lucky
nines' budget for Thailand
- February 7, 2002
FYI: For Thai directory assistance
dial 1113
- February 6, 2002
It is no longer 13. The campaign to alert the
public is called "Bug 1113" and consists
of people dressed as green bugs (you can see
these posters on the Skytrain).
How not
to get kidnapped in Thailand
- February 5,
2002
Interesting and sobering info from the U.S.
Embassy in Bangkok. We like this part: To
the degree Bangkok traffic allows, remain a
safe distance behind the vehicle ahead to allow
space for avoidance maneuvers, if necessary.
and this
Remember, do not panic if surveillance is
confirmed. Surveillance teams are normally neither
trained nor have the mission to assault the
potential target.
We hope they really are that hapless...
In 1995 Thailand was the sixth-largest
Mercedes market on earth
- February 3, 2002
In 1995, 14,000 of the cars were sold. From
a brief
profile of Pakpiern Viriyaphant, Thailand's
Mercedes magnate, who died January 16.
Trink stands firm: HIV does not
cause AIDS - February
1, 2002
Elderly Bangkok crank Bernard Trink once again
says in his column
that HIV is not the cause of AIDS. How can a
major newspaper like Bangkok Post be
content to broadcast such drivel week after
week?
Here's what was said: Q: I have a book by
Johns Hopkins University with very different
statistics from those released by CDC (Centres
for Disease Control), Atlanta. Kindly stop green-lighting
people to have unsafe sex. B.T.: As you can
see, there is genuine disagreement between reputable
scientists and doctors about whether sex is
likely or unlikely to bring on HIV/Aids. Think
of the hundreds of millions of dollars spent
on research over the last two decades, yet that
question remains unresolved. I say HIV-Aids
is a false premise and studies begin at square
one, with that not the premise. Makes good sense.
How many
7-11s are there in Thailand?
-AP, January
25, 2002
CP Seven Eleven Plc plans to have 2,000
convenience stores by the end of this
year, 75 more than projected earlier,
as many family-run traditional grocery
shops have applied to become franchisees.
Will the family cat get to sleep on the
bread?
You heard it here first
- January 21, 2002
The Bangkok Post finally had an article
on the countdown clocks. It includes the following:
The city has installed two such clocks--at the
Ratchadamnoen-Nakhon Sawan crossing and the
Lan Luang-Ratchadamnoen crossing. They were
a gift from a China-based company to Bangkok
Governor Samak Sundaravej...
Mr Samak said he was delighted by the public
reaction and would seek about 90 million baht
from the city budget to install the clocks at
500 intersections over the next two years.
He plans to call public tenders. The company
which donated the test equipment would not automatically
get the contract, he said. The donor's name,
however, remains a secret.
We first mentioned the clocks on January
12, 2002:
Countdown clocks in Bangkok
- January 12, 2002
Last November, 2001, Bangkok started installing
"countdown clocks" at traffic
lights. This kind of system is used in
many big cities in China (such as Changchun).
These timers count down the seconds a
driver has to wait before the light changes.
The first countdown clock we saw was where
Lan Luang Road connects with Ratchadamnoen
Klang Road. However, sometimes during
rush hour, it appears the stoplights are
being switched manually and the clocks
tick merrily away without regard to the
lights. |
The
Moon occults Saturn NOT on January 23 (as reported
in The Nation), but on January 24
- January 23, 2002
MCOT is reporting
the rare phenom will be visible January 24,
2002 from around 11:37 pm to 00:11 am in Bangkok.
The article has lots of times for other parts
of the country also. The Nation is reporting
this too, but it is just a shortened version
of what is on the MCOT site AND Worachate
Boonplod of the Committee of the Thai
Astronomical Society informs us that The
Nation got it wrong--the event will occur
January 24 NOT January 23 as reported in the
paper. The Thai page
explaining what's going to happen. and an
earlier space-related gaffe from The Bangkok
Post
Does
Thailand have any "indigenous" magic
traditions? -
January 20, 2002
 |
Penn & Teller's
Magic and Mystery Tour
is a series of three fascinating and
engaging documentaries on street magic
in Egypt, India, and China. The one
on China aired on January 19. The others
will appear on upcoming Saturdays at
04:00 and 15:00 on UBC
X-Zyte (Channel 37). "Part documentary.
Part road movie. Part magic show. Entirely
bizarre and unforgettable." |
In China we get to go along
with Penn
and Teller to a remote village where every
family performs magic and to a state-run magic
amusement park that is totally deserted except
for the performers. At the end of each day
back in their hotel rooms, Penn muses about
the experiences in such a conversational and
genuine way it is almost like being there
with them. CBC has some info
on the shows including a separate page
on the China,
India,
and Egypt
episodes. Another good article on the show
is here.
This got us thinking. Does Thailand have any
"indigenous" magic traditions?
Europe
has been talking about the 10 baht/2 Euro problem
for some time - January
25, 2002
The "10 baht Euro" has been previously
reported in various places:
In the German magazine Der
Spiegel: Thai-Munzen
uberlisten Automaten (forgive
the missing umlauts), November 26, 2001
From Euro
Trash (an anti-EU site) - December
11, 2001
This site is getting some hits from
people searching for variations on "baht
euro vending," indicating that there
is some interest in the story about spoofing
euro vending machines with a Thai 10-baht
coin.
Another offering from Euro Trash - Coins
from Thailand outsmart European vending
machines - December 12, 2001
Instead of 2-Euro coins, vending and
other machines will also accept 10-baht
coins which are worth 0.25 Euro each,
Der Spiegel reports. That's a huge problem
because over two million Europeans visit
Thailand each year. The 10-baht coin has
nearly the same size, weight and alloy
as the 2-Euro coin, so the machines won't
recognize the difference. If the machines
are adjusted to be too sensitive, a lot
of 2-Euro coins won't be accepted.
From Irish Newspapers, Going
Dutch with a Thai 10 baht coin,
December, 2001
A DUTCH vending machine federation
said yesterday the country's vending machines
could distinguish the two euro coin from
other coins, after reports that the piece
could be substituted by a Thai 10 baht
coin.... Asked if other eurozone countries
faced the same problem with vending machines,
Kobus said: "It goes without saying
that in other European countries the vending
machines have to be very accurate." |
Euro-look-alike
Thai coin getting snapped up for misuse in Europe
- January 26, 2002
Staff at currency exchange booths at Bangkok's
international airport said Saturday that the
sudden upsurge of demand for the 10-baht coin
started about three weeks ago.
``Dozens of tourists, mostly Westerners, specifically
asked for 10-baht coins. Some of them wanted
as many as 50 coins,'' said Anucha Krut-hern,
staffing the Thai Military Bank booth at the
airport's departure terminal.
Pressure
put on Thailand to withdraw 10-baht coin?
- January 25, 2002
Apparently there's been pressure on the Thais
to withdraw the 10-baht coin as Thai Treasury
officials said in a letter: "Why should
we have to withdraw our coin, as they were minted
and circulated long before the euro?"...
The treasury officials said the first signs
of trouble regarding the two coins cropped up
last November when a Dutch report found that
the Thai currency could be used in vending machines
in the Netherlands...
The (Thai Treasury) department said the EU was
well aware of the existence of the 10-baht coin,
because several officials who were later appointed
to help design the euro currency attended a
Southeast Asian Mints meeting in Manila in 1989.
"Thai
Euro" - 10 baht coins work in Euro vending
machines - January 25, 2002
This is no hoax. We've got a 10 baht and 2 Euro
coin here and they're practically identical.
Suddenly European travel is more economical
for Thais.
Remembering
Sun Estate's Mor Chit development -
January 16, 2002
Pas Seangsong
of Bangkok
Highrises wrote: I photocopied this
from an old Bangkok Post newspaper. It shows
a transport official with a model of the
Mor Chit Terminal complex (remember the
one proposed by Sun Estate?). I read in
the Bangkok Post recently the cabinet is
looking at ways to revive the project. Do
you have any update on this? But whoa..
the building itself looks impressive and
massive!!
The complex
(if it ever gets built) would be the world's
biggest mass transit centre covering a million
square metres (just imagine, each WTC tower
was 406,000 sqm - 4.37 million sq.feet; the
WTC complex is about 1.1 million sq m according
to Guinness). Sun Complex would bring nearly
a million passengers to Mor Chit daily (from
buses, skytrain, subway.. etc.).
Right now, the site is a vacant lot often
filled with water. The subway (with its tunnel
over to the Skytrain station) should bring
even more people to the area. Here's an older
article on the Sun Route project.
Thawatchai Wongrach found this informative
link to the English-language website of Bangkok
Terminal. - The name of Sun Estate
Co., Ltd. was changed to Bangkok Terminal
Co., Ltd. on January 29, 1998 in order to
reflect the project we are developing which
emphasizes more on transport infrastructure
than on real estate development. - Indeed,
the "shopping center" component
of the project is hardly mentioned.
Revival
of Mor Chit development sought -
Bangkok Post, June 20, 2005
...Chaiyos Sasomsap, a deputy minister,
said the cabinet would be asked to consider
whether to call new bids or allow Bangkok
Terminal, formerly known as Sun Estate, to
proceed under the old contract...
Bangkok.org
becoming porn site -
February 19, 2002
We first speculated about this on January
12, 2002 (see blurb below),
and now it is coming true Presently, the page
contains a casino ad and an "internet
eraser" ad, but if you look at the source,
the bottom part of the page is filled with
porn links. Press control-A, and the porn
links appear.
We also notice the contact info has been changed
for the domain squatter who registered Bangkok.org.
It no longer says "Domain For Sale |
Email your offers!" We wonder if th |
