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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Above: Ratchadamneon Avenue in downtown Bangkok
2BANGKOK.COM'S
NEWS AND VIEWS
AUGUST 2004
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King Prajadhipok Museum
- August 24, 2004
Left: King Prajadhipok and
Queen Rambai Barni
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The King Prajadhipok Museum
houses the fascinating life story of King Prajadhipok.
The tale is told chronologically in exhibits that
detail both his royal achievements and personal
life. It is an attempt to position King Prajadhipok
as a dynamic and vital leader who undertook public
works and spearheaded the move to a constitution.
It is also a poignant human portrait of the last
absolute monarch. King Prajadhipok's desk, office
equipment, collection of novelty cigarette lighters,
hand-crank tennis ball shooter, and personal photo
albums are all on display. The visitor can imagine
what it was like for the last Siamese absolute
monarch to be exiled to a drafty English mansion.
This is not like the National Museum. It is a
fully professional and modern museum with security
cameras, modern fire extinguishing equipment,
and lighting. The temporary exhibit on the ground
floor is only in Thai, but the story of his life
is presented in both Thai and English. No photography
is allowed and unfortunately there is no museum
catalog.
However, the collection of personal effects and
official documents is stunning and illuminating.
The wonderful memorabilia includes Milkmaid plates
celebrating the first constitution day, elevation
design drawings of Phra Buddha Yodfa Bridge, Sukothai
Palace, and Krung Thai Theater, and printed menus
from the King and Queen's housewarming party.
The museum website is here
(in English here).
The history of the museum building itself is here.
There is a strong dose of twentieth-century Thais
history in the museum. Anyone who likes 2Bangkok.com
will appreciate the King Prajadhipok Museum.
More awards
for Last Life
- August 29, 2005
Gigabyte reports on more awards for Last
Life in the Universe: ...Fant-Asia
film festival is a big event in Montreal and Last
Life just picked
up three awards, including the two most prestigious.
(Photo: DigitalGlobe)
Above: Sukhumvit-Asoke
intersection
Bangkok from
the sky - August 26,
2004
Nils writes: Back to the already mentioned
QuickBird, the highest resolution commercial earth-observation
satellite (multispectral bands: 2.4 m, panchromatic
band (b/w): 0.6 m) courtesy of DigitalGlobe.
These are samples of an image of Bangkok acquired
in November 2002. The original is pansharpened
data, i.e. colour and 61 cm resolution.
They show (scales approximate):
BKK_7x10 (170kb)
- Overview of eastern central Bangkok (extent
7x10 km), 1:50,000
BKK_Ratchada (371kb)
- Ratchadaphisek/Rama 9/Fortune Town (center),
the MRTA subway depot, Don Muang Tollway (left),
Makkasan and the expressway interchange, RCA (bottom),
interchange between Artnarong-Ram Inthra expressway
and Chonburi Motorway (right), 1:18,000
BKK_Suk (390kb) -
Lumphini Park/Rama 4 (left), expressway to the
port, Lake Ratchada/Tobacco Monopoly, New Phetburi
Rd/Khlong Saen Saep (top), Sukhumvit + Skytrain
tracks (traversing from top left to bottom right),
1:18,000
BKK_port (320kb)
- Khlong Toey Port, Phra Pradaeng (bottom), the
mouth of Khlong Phrakhanong into the Chao Phraya
River (notice the colours!) (right), 1:15,000
BKK_subway (327kb)
- Subway depot in Huay Khwang (before completion),
with curved access tracks clearly visible, 1:9,000
BKK_Nana (310kb)
- Sukhumvit with Ploenchit, Nana and Asoke BTS
stations, and All Seasons Place to the left of
the expressway (reminds me of Angkor Wat!), 1:4,000
BKK_Asoke (259kb)
- Asoke Intersection and Station, with Westin
Grande Hotel (top left), Pornphet Center (bottom
right), Las Collinas Condominium, Subway Station
entrance (bright rectangle) visible at the top,
1:2,000 = full resolution
All these are just JPG screengrabs, not comparable
with the real data!
Please note this imagery is copyright DigitalGlobe,
Longmont, CO... And of course you can order from
the company where I work: www.scitek.co.th.
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Police
box - August
24, 2004
Beautifully designed police boxes are
being built all around Ratanakosin Island.
They replace the nondescript, cheap boxes
that had no relationship to the surrounding
architecture. Hopefully this design can
be used all around town and not just in
the historic downtown area.
Drivers
hate Lam Salee intersection -
Bangkok Post, August 23, 2004
...FM91 traffic radio station conducted
a phone-in survey of 52,598 motorists from
Aug 1-13 and found that 51.3% considered
Lam Salee traffic the worst...
The Surasak-Sathorn intersection received
the votes of 17.6% of the drivers, followed
by the intersection at Ram Inthra's 8km
mark (6%), Bang Na intersection (4.8%) and
the Rama IX intersection (3.8%)...
Global
recession on the horizon?
- August 28, 2004
Several international analysis services
2Bangkok.com subscribes to have been mentioning
Thailand as a country to watch in relation
to an expected global recession. As Thailand
imports almost all of its oil, depends
on exports and is an open, transparent
economy, it is thought to be one of the
first Asian nations impacted.
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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Thai
boxer gets call from King after win -
AP, August 29, 2004
The moment was almost too much for Thai
boxer Manus Boonjumnong. He had just won a
gold medal, and now his country's king was
on the phone to congratulate him. Boonjumnong
sobbed as he held the cell phone in one hand
and a picture of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in
the other. He listened for a few minutes,
so emotional that he was able to only give
one-word answers to his king...
Thailand
far from overheating, says Calif. consulting
firm - PR Web, August
1, 2004
Thanks to Peter for pointing this article out:
Thailand faces little risk of economic overheating,
according to a California-based independent
investment research firm. Contrary to consensus
opinion, rapidly growing credit card debt and
strong expansion of private sector investment
do not threaten economic stability, says Jeph
Gundzik, president of Condor
Advisers, an eight-year-old investment consulting
company based in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
... According to Gundzik, who predicted Thailand’s
economic collapse in 1997, rapid economic growth
should continue in Thailand at least through
2006. “Credit card debt represents less
than two percent of total bank credit outstanding
and private sector investment has only just
begun to recover,” Gundzik says.
... Gundzik stresses that rapid credit and investment
growth did not trigger Thailand’s economic
crisis in 1997. The blame for the for the crisis
lies with international banks, which ignored
deteriorating economic fundamentals in Thailand
and continued to expand their lending to the
country’s commercial banks...
Praising
Thaksin for his GMO stance -
August 26, 2004
(from Thailand May Overtake Philippines In Biotech
Race, Manila Standard, Source: AgBioView
Newsletter)
... Thailand is set to join other Asian leaders
in the modern agricultural biotechnology following
the lifting of a three-year ban on the planting
of GMOs in that country, a move which may place
the Philippines in the "laggard" category.
...Peczon said the government "must now
examine its own position on the use of modern
agricultural technology, particularly biotechnology."
It must aggressively push for greater domestic
use of the technology if the country intends
to develop the capability to feed its exploding
population, he said.
He said agriculture officials "must adopt
the Shinawatra approach in dealing with anti-GMO
groups." The implementation of food security
policies must not depend on the intensity of
the propaganda by these groups, but on the realities
hounding the food production sector, he added.
He lauded the move by the Thai government, saying
this will "send positive signals across
Asia, and encourage other governments to adopt
a more solid stand in the battle against hunger
and poverty with use of modern technologies."
Energy
cuts damage royal records
- The Nation, August 26, 2004
The government’s energy-saving policy
has caused damage to records dating back to the
reigns of Kings Rama IV, V and VI stored at the
National Archive, officials said.
Written records made in the late 1800s and early
1900s kept in a 20 degrees Celsius room were damaged
by fungi and humidity due to the government’s
mandate that the archive turn off the power when
it closes at 4pm, said an official who asked not
to be named...
The National Archive is also suffering from a
shortage of personnel to copy written records
onto microfilm and it has no money in its budget
to buy the expensive materials needed to mend
the ancient papers. There are only 14 people working
at the National Archive fixing and making microfilm
records, said the official, and as people have
retired they have not been replaced. To get by,
the archive has even asked maids to help work
on the ancient papers, a task meant for experts.
There is just one expert able to copy records
onto microfilm. The office has the capacity to
handle 12,000 pieces per month, which means it
would take more than 138 years at the current
pace to clear up the 20 million pa-pers the archive
still has to copy to microfilm. Arak said the
department would ask the Culture Ministry to give
back the retired positions.
Microsoft's
Longhorn now selling illegally in Bangkok -
Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 26, 2004
...The neatly packaged “pirated” version
of Longhorn is being sold with other operating systems
and software at Patnip Plaza, located just across
the Pratunam district, a haven for bargain shoppers.
Browsing through the collection of pirated software
being sold at an average of 100 baht a piece, one
could also find Microsoft’s Windows XP with
SP2 package all in one CD. A Sun Microsystems Solaris
9.0 version was also available for the same price.
Software piracy thrives at Patnip Plaza, which ironically
also sells legitimate software. One may even be
surprised to see a store selling legitimate software
beside another store hawking pirated software.
Textbook
from 1979 - August 19, 2004
Thanks to Khittana for pointing out the post
of some pages from a Thai textbook from 1979 on
pantip.com.
Story of Soi Lak
Khet - August 17, 2004
Wisarut reports:
Sukhumvit 29 has the name as "Soi Lak Khet"
which implies that there used to be a border pole
between Bangkok and Nakhon Khuenkhan (Phra Padaeng)
erected in 1936 (the founding date for Bangkok Municipality).
That old border pole is no more. The name of the
soi is the only reminder that the border pole was
there.
Upcoming development
in the Pratunam area -
August 17, 2004
Pas made a map of Bangkok's
Crucible of Construction: green buildings are those
under construction, the ones in red are on-hold
( here
and here).
Thaksin
is not Thailand, says Nation Group editor
- The Nation, August 22, 2004
Nation Group editor Thepchai Yong said yesterday
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in claiming that
journalists critical of him "do not love the
country", was seriously misguided about patriotism,
leadership and what constitutes a nation.
"Prime Minister Thaksin is not Thailand,"
Thepchai said in response to Thaksin's harsh radio
attack on Nation Multimedia Group (NMG) yesterday
morning...
Thaksin claimed NMG "hates" him and that
the hatred was harming the country. "I don't
care that I'm hated, but please love the country.
This kind of report damages the country."
Thepchai questioned Thaksin's motivation in using
the media's professional criticism of him to induce
nationalism...
Thaksin also criticised Krungthep Turakij in connection
with the Krue Sae Mosque "knife" picture,
saying NMG had "quality problems".
"I do not understand why," Thaksin said.
"Does it personally detest the government or
does it have quality problems like when it edited
the picture of [a body
of an alleged Muslim militant who died in clashes
with armed forces on August 18]."
Thepchai said Krungthep Turakij had published immediate
apologies following the unintended production error
and that the issue was completely irrelevant to the
village-fund scheme.
"We admitted our mistake, and we apologised immediately
and wholeheartedly. But that issue has absolutely
nothing to do with the research by the University
of Chicago," Thepchai said.
Overdrive:
Don't blame Suwat, he just wanted to be a winner
- The Nation, August 20,
2004
This is perhaps the most sarcastic article you are
ever likely to read in a newspaper.
...Although her body is made of iron and her
hands of steel, her heart is as soft as wax. She
could not refuse Suwat's request because she felt
kreng jai (self-effacing) towards him. When a phu
yai (big shot) requests something, we as a phu noi
(small fries) have to submit. Only then is balance
achieved in Thai society, for the phu yai can feel
happy and get face. The phu noi are later rewarded
for his or her subjugation...
Thaksin
scraps plan to start road pricing in Bangkok -
The Straits Times, August 19, 2004
A plan to make motorists pay to use Bangkok's main streets was scrapped
yesterday as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the city simply
could not make the idea work.
'I don't think the plan is practical since we don't have a computer
system to check vehicles,' Mr Thaksin told reporters ahead of a meeting
on conservation measures as oil prices soared. 'We haven't provided
other options for people yet.'
The road-pricing plan, one of several oil conservation schemes considered
by Thailand, would have been similar to those used in Singapore, London
and Jakarta...
Book
review of Thaksin - The Business of Politics
in Thailand - Asia Times,
August 21, 2004
It is becoming an act of courage in Thailand
to fire a volley of criticism at Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra, or the wealthy empire over which
his family presides.
...The victims who have fallen by the roadside because
of the belief they were doing their bit as citizens
of a democracy are an eclectic mix. They included
academics, bureaucrats, journalists and grass-roots
activists. Some were fired from their jobs; some
were bullied into silence; some were quietened by
other means, such as money.
...Their research brings to the fore aspects of
Thaksin's past that explain the reasons behind some
of his strong views - development is more important
than democracy, for instance - and why the language
he speak resonates with a large portion of Thais.
...That he went about building himself up as a businessman
while still working as a police officer was of little
worry to him. During this time, he opened a silk
shop, distributed films and built an apartment block,
all ventures that ended in failure and left him
in debt.
By the time he turned his attention to telecommunications,
Thaksin had acquired skills that helped him on the
road to wealth. He had learned how government officials
and the business community struck deals for mutual
benefit and discovered the key to success in Thailand:
knowing "a lot of people".
...Moreover, the language Thaksin was speaking appeared
a perfect antidote to a business community that
had taken a heavy beating during the 1997 financial
crisis.
The "new politics" he was advocating also
made inroads into a sector that had largely been
ignored or marginalized by the Thai political establishment
up to that point - the rural poor.
Pasuk and Baker do credit Thaksin for breaking new
ground here by not only offering policies to alleviate
the suffering of the poor, but by delivering on
his promises soon after his party won the largest
parliamentary majority in Thailand's history.
...Sadly, what the book lacks is a chapter explaining
why the majority of Thais appear to be happy with
their leader, despite what his critics say...
Timebomb
ready to blow - Evening
Standard, August 19, 2004
Nothing to do with Thailand, but interesting: For
60 years the rotting masts of the SS Richard Montgomery
have poked eerily from the sea at low tide, surrounded
by buoys.
...If the Second World War American cargo ship was
to blow up, a report warns, it would be one of the
biggest non-nuclear explosions ever and could devastate
Sheerness (population 11,000). Experts estimate
the force of the blast would be 700 times that of
the 1995 Oklahoma City bomb in the US...
1920s
ChicagoTransit posters - August
21, 2004
Someone should Photoshop some of these old time
poster with Bangkok themes: During the 1920s,
the Chicago Rapid Transit Company commissioned the
city's finest graphic artists to produce advertising
posters that encouraged Chicagoans to use rapid
transit for more than commuting to work. The images
produced beckoned Chicagoans to the city's parks,
museums and other urban spots, as well as to more
bucolic destinations beyond the city limits. Curiously,
almost none of the posters actually featured the
"L"TM itself, only scenic views of the
destinations.
Violence
mars Thai Olympic celebration
- AP, August 18, 2004
...The violence rattled Udomporn's mother Sasithorn,
who on Wednesday ordered the local distributors of
Coca Cola and Pepsi to dismantle stands they had set
up in the street in front of their house.
Both companies claimed a special right to be there
but complied with her wishes.
..."The house owner did not talk about sponsorship
or anything. She just said that there was trouble
last night and one person died in a shooting at the
party, so they don't want more trouble."
Tai Wongsanga, the regional manager for Coca Cola
distributor Thai Namthip, said the company had the
right to set up a stand in front of the house "because
Coke is the main sponsor for the Olympics."
His counterpart at Pepsi, Suthiwong Arbhathorn, countered
that his firm had an equal right to be there as a
proud local company keen to show its appreciation
of Udomporn...
Central World Plaza Hotel design
- August 19, 2004
In Pas' map of Bangkok's Crucible of Construction
(here
and here),
is the new circular Central World Plaza Hotel. Another
diagram of it is here.
How
to make scale models of buildings
- August 19, 2004
A step-by-step guide.
Dissidents in Singapore -
August 19, 2004
The PM mentioned recently that Singapore is a good
example of a government that is successful and does
not have a strong opposition (One
Party Rule: Opposition does not need to be strong,
says PM, The Nation, August 19, 2004).
From legendary travel writer Carl Parkes is a look
at what happens to the opposition in Singapore: Joining
an opposition party or running in elections against
the PAP can be a risky career move...
How many 7-11s?
- August 18, 2004
(from CP7-11
speeds up expansion, Bangkok Post, August
18, 2004) ...Under the new plan, the total number
of 7-Eleven stores in Thailand will reach 2,847 by
the end of the year.
This aggressive strategy is aimed to take on increased
competition from Family Mart, a direct competitor,
which is aiming to double the number of its outlets
to 500 by the end of this year and Ek-Chai Distribution
System Co, the operator of Tesco-Lotus Express supermarket
chain which plans to expand its outlet location to
shophouses after previously operating only at petrol
stations.
Furthermore, an alliance between the Allied Retail
Trade Co and co-operative grocery stores under the
Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative will result
in a new modern look for the 6,000 cooperative grocery
stores nationwide within the next three years.
...He said the convenience store business in Thailand
was not saturated at the moment noting that in Japan
and Taiwan, there were one 7-Eleven outlet for every
3,000 customers while in Thailand the ratio is one
to 10,000, presenting the opportunity to triple the
amount of convenience stores...
Mor
Chit development - Bangkok
Post, August 17, 2004
...The site, a 63-rai plot on Phahon Yothin Road,
had been envisioned as a full-blown commercial complex
and transport hub linking the BTS skytrain with bus
services running to the northern provinces.
But a 30-year contract awarded in 1996 to Nam Mahitirat,
the chairman of Sun Estate, by then director-general
Nibhat Bhukkanasut was shrouded in corruption allegations,
and development on the site was halted later during
the economic crisis.
...The Council of State had previously ruled that the
original contract with Sun Estate was void due to the
failure of the Treasury Department to comply with screening
procedures under a 1992 law governing state contracts
with the private sector.
Even so, the Treasury Department has yet to formally
cancel the contract, due to fears of legal action by
Sun Estate, leading to its continued delay.
Earlier: Sun Estate's
Mor Chit development
Instant
noodles in short supply as oil prices pinch
- TNA, August 18, 2004
...A quick survey today by our reporters in markets
in Warin Chamrab and Muang districts found that sardines
and instant noodles were now as difficult to come by as
gold dust.
According to market traders, manufacturers of sardines
and instant noodles are preparing to put up their prices
to reflect the higher fuel costs, and have not delivered
any of their products since the beginning of the month...
Copyright
controversy dogs Fahrenheit 9/11 in Asia
- AP, August 17, 2004
...The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Bangkok announced
Monday it wouldn't show the controversial movie as planned
on Aug. 18 after a lawyer for the film's local distributor
accused the club of having an illegal copy and threatened
legal action.
Club official Daniel Lovering, who is also a reporter
for The Associated Press, said a representative for Thai
distributor Nontanund Entertainment had warned that the
showing would constitute a criminal offense, with a penalty
of 50,000-100,000 baht (US$1,203-2,406)...
(Photo: Microsoft)
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'Sex'
and the city state -
The Nation, August 16, 2004
Did you know that the segment of "Sex
and the City" being aired tomorrow in
Thailand has been censored by the ban-it-all
Singaporean government?...
The sanitation process starts with HBO Asia
sending the original tape to all countries
it services, according to a source at the
cable TV operator United Broadcasting Corporation
(UBC), the monopoly distributor of HBO Asia
in Thailand. Each country red flags the scenes
it wants deleted and returns the tape. HBO
Asia reviews the tapes and makes a one-tape-fit-all
version, says the source, who requested anonymity.
...If you were to put this situation in the
series, the main character, sex columnist
Carrie Bradshaw, would likely muse in her
own think-and-type style, "I couldn't
help but wonder, shouldn't censorship be left
to each country's judgement? Do people in
Thailand really want the Singaporean government
to say what's proper for them?"...
Bangkok's
canals losing to urban sprawl
- AP, August 15, 2004
Low-priced XP for Thai, Indonesian
and Malay markets - August
14, 2004
In this thread
on the 2B forum, ttaaee points out the pre-press images
of the low-priced XP for the Thai market (left). There
are also Malay and Indonesian versions here.
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An interesting building
in Nashville, Tennessee...
Fine for no passports
- August 17, 2004
Thaivisa.com
points out this
article on police fining foreigners for not carrying
their passports. We would love to post a scan of the fine
receipt...
Thai
WindowsXP a joke? - August 16, 2004
On the forum:
It will also limit users to running three programs concurrently
- a far cry from the full version of XP, where the only
practical limit comes from the speed of the computer and
the size of its memory...
Light Rail in Alexandria, Egypt
- August 16, 2004
P. Abbey write on the forum: For those of you interested
I've also put together a small website representing the
Alexandria
Egypt trams.
Remembering
Kai Tak Airport - August 14, 2004
Seasoned travelers will recall the wild approach to
Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong. Winterson.com has an amazing
video of a plane trying to land at Kai Tak and a link
to a page about the crash of Flight CI642 from Bangkok
at Kai Tak.
Tesco
security guards in China execute shoplifters -
NamNews, August, 2004
Tesco bosses have launched an urgent inquiry after
security guards at its new stores in China executed
two suspected shoplifters. One of the alleged thieves
was drowned in a canal and the other was beaten to death.
The killings were carried out at stores in northern
China before Tesco clinched a £140m deal to take
over the outlets owned by Hymall. A Tesco source said,
"We had just finished celebrating the deal when
news filtered through about a body in a canal. "Then
we found out another man died at a different store,
but we have been assured this is not normal practice."
A Tesco spokesman added: "They've had one or two
incidents with security staff there." The supermarket
giant takes full control of 25 Hymall stores at the
end of the month and 10 new stores are due to open next
year.
Thailand photos
- August 13, 2004
Stephen Cysewski wites: I just got back from a
trip, with my family, to Thailand. Our second trip.
Here is the photo
web site that I have created.
Each page is about 16MB! However the photos are truly
great. The Bangkok page especially gives a real visual
sense of street-level Bangkok.
Weird Thai insects -
August 11, 2004
The Insect Company sells insect specimens from around
the world. Their oddities
page is fascinating. Here is a seven-legged
beetle from Thailand. A listing of all the Thai specimens
is here.
Bangkok Poetry meet
- August 11, 2004
...The event is 9pm (not 10pm), Friday, September 17.
...For our inaugural poetry event we have decided to use
the Goethe's atrium, an outdoor courtyard with plants and
surprisingly decent acoustics. A map to the Goethe will
be posted shortly at www.bangkokpoetry.com
...Scheduled to perform are Jim Brewer, Tish Valles, Bevan Powrie, Wes
Hsu, and special guest Jim Nave, an established performance poet from
the US. We're sure that others will read, as everyone has had, like, nine
months to write something....
Tour de Thailand 2004 Charity Bicycle Ride
- August 11, 2004
This year's Tour de Thailand
2004 Charity Bicycle Ride will be November 20, 2004 to December 18th,
2004 from Chiang Mai, Thailand to Phuket, Thailand. The event will be
to raise money for The Max Foundation who help people suffering from Leukemia
and other Blood Related Cancers (www.themaxfoundation.org). Tour de Thailand
is an annual charity bicycle ride the length of Thailand organized by
Christopher Byrd and the Tour de Asia Bicycle Touring Company, Ltd.. Last
year was the inaugural year in which Christopher Byrd road over 1,400
miles (2,240 KM) solo, with people joining him on a daily basis to support
his ride and the charity....
Bangkok's first art-film theater
- August 10, 2004
Don Entz reports on Bangkok's new art-film theater, House:
It's in the UMG Building of RCA. We took the subway to Rama
IX Station (I think Phetchburi Station is just as close), then
a taxi the rest of the way.
Just tell the driver to go to RCA Tops, as Tops Supermarket
is prominently inside the same building. Tickets were 100 baht,
but we were there in the afternoon; don't know if it goes up
in the evening... We will definitely go back.
Of what's showing now, I strongly recommend "The Barbarian
Invasions," which won this years Oscar for Best Foreign-Language
Film; "The Ladykillers," alas, is as I feared, a vastly
substandard remake of the classic Alec Guinness movie. This
new version of "The Ladykillers" now easily replaces
"The Hudsucker Proxy" as my least favorite Coen Brothers
film.
Commemorative
Thai bank notes available - TNA, August
6, 2004
The new commemorative “vertical” bank notes, issued
in honour of the forthcoming 6th cycle birthday of Her Majesty
the Queen, are now on sale everywhere, according to the Bank
of Thailand (BOT)...
There has been high public demand for the “vertical”
bill because it is the first of its kind in Thailand.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Watch while you drive
- August 5, 2004
The latest fad on Bangkok streets is LCD screens for car dashboards.
They have been around for years, but recently have been promoted
as a normal part of any car stereo system and a preferred add-on
now that CD players have become standard. Here, a taxi driver watches
a Bee Gees VCD while driving.
Do you have Asperger's Syndrome?
- August 5, 2004
(from Man
With Train Obsession Arrested Again in NYC, New York Times,
June 15, 2004) By now, Darius McCollum's exploits have become
the stuff of city lore. He is the eccentric transit fanatic from
Queens who has spent more than a third of his life behind bars for
transgressions related to his posing as a New York City Transit
worker. Among the notable offenses on his rap sheet are commandeering
an E train on a trip to the World Trade Center from Herald Square
when he was just 15 and taking a number of city buses for joy rides.
... Mr. McCollum's supporters, who rallied behind him after his
last arrest, say that he suffers from a social disorder similar
to autism, known as Asperger's syndrome.
The disorder is also called "the little professor syndrome."
Its sufferers often become obsessed with specific topics, talking
endlessly about them with stunning expertise; they have problems
socializing, make inappropriate comments and avoid eye contact.
Obsession with trains and train trivia is common among sufferers
of Asperger's...
Thai
visions of hell - August 5, 2004
Japanese sites chronicling folk art interpretations of hell and
punishment in Thai wats.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Offerings for Khao Pan Sa -
August 4, 2004
Sunday was Khao Pan Sa (often called Buddhist Lent), the
traditional beginning of the rainy season and the beginning of a
three month period when monks are supposed to stay in the temples.
Thus people visit temples at this time and give monks household
items (so monks do not have to leave the Wat for offerings).
Large candles are thought to be an especially lucky item to give.
Nowadays, as most temple use electric lighting, people sometimes
give packs of florescent lights in lieu of candles. The color of
the boxes for the lights is the same color as the large candles.
Above are Khao Pan Sa light packs (left to right) from Toshiba
(5 pack), GE (9 pack), and Sylvania (9 pack) produced especially
for the holiday.
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Monkey bridge -
August 1, 2004
Thailand's latest bridge is the monkey bridge in Songkhla.
It stretches across Road 407 by Tang Kuan Mountain.
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com) |
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com) |
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Thailand and the 9/11
Commission Report - July 30, 2004
Thailand does figure prominently in the recently released 9/11
Commission Report--principally as a meeting point for the terrorists
because of lax visa rules and the ability of watched persons to
"disappear into the streets of Bangkok." Thai officials
have already responded to the report noting that the days of cursory
or nonexistent visa rules are long over. On this
page are all the passages with references to Thailand.
'Transportation
Futuristics' - July 30, 2004
Collection of early to mid-twentieth century drawings of future
transport methods. Every section is great - monorails,
oddities,
helicopters,
flying
saucer bus, escape
pods from airplanes.
How about the ROI on this project: This "transplanetary
subway" would stretch from New York to Los Angeles with few
stops in between. The train would be propelled by magnetic levitation
(maglev) and the air in the tunnel segments would be evacuated to
eliminate air resistance. With no resistance whatsoever, the train
would be capable of speeds exceeding several times the speed of
sound.
Later research estimated that the entire population of Los Angeles
would have to commute by this subway to New York every day, and
the entire population of New York would have to commute to L.A.
every day in order for this proposal to be economically viable.
Siam
Society: Uproar moves against Piriya - The
Nation, August 4, 2004
...To many conservative members of the organisation, Piriya’s
research – which argued that the inscription was actually commissioned
by King Rama IV nearly two centuries ago, instead of by King Ramkhamhaeng
over 700 years ago – was an insult to a traditional and widelyheld
belief about the origin of the Thai alphabet...
From the English-language press
- August 3, 2004
Sun, wind energy to cool trains
- Bangkok Post, August 3, 2004
...The wind and solar-powered system has been offered to the SRT
by a British-based firm.
The company is represented locally by Chevco Asia, the governor said.
He said the SRT spends an average of 1.7 billion baht a year on fuel.
The amount of electricity consumed by air-conditioners on its trains
costs tens of millions of baht, an average of 800-1,000 baht per car
per trip...
New bridge first joint border
project - Bangkok Post, August 3, 2004
A new bridge across the Kolok river, linking Tak Bai district in
Narathiwat with Malaysia's Kelantan state, is expected to be the first
project approved by the Thai-Malaysian Committee on Joint Development
Strategy for Border Areas...
The first project is likely to be a bridge across the Kolok river,
between Baan Bukehta in Tak Bai district and Bukit Bunga in Malaysia...
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