News and Views - June 2005
 |
Bangkok street scene
- June 23, 2005
Anyone know the location or date of these photos?
Left: Photo from an undated postcard of a "Bangkok
Street Scene"
Below: Photo from the same undated postcard of
a "Bangkok Khlong Scene" |
Koh
Samui to be first island 'free of drugs'
- Bangkok Post, June 22, 2005
Drug authorities plan to make Koh Samui the country's
first drug-free island before moving on to do the same
at other tourist spots.
...Koh Phangan's full moon party, which was visited
by Mr Suwat and drug authorities last night, is notorious
among foreign and local visitors for drugs...
Abandoned
buildings in Russia - June 22,
2005
Fish
to celebrate birth of Royal baby
- TNA, June 20, 2005
They are traditionally hung above a baby’s cradle,
but soon mobiles woven into the shape of carp may be
hanging outside every home in the capital to celebrate
the birth of Thailand’s new Prince.
Today Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin invited Bangkokians
to make the fish mobiles in preparation for capital-wide
celebrations to be held on 24-25 June, saying that instructions
for making the traditional toys could be requested from
each of the capital’s 50 district offices...
|
 |
Bird
flu: A nightmare scenario - New York
Daily News, June 20, 2005
...Should it develop certain genetic changes, international
health experts warn, bird flu could spark a global pandemic,
infecting as much of a quarter of the world's population and
killing as many as 180 million to 360 million people - at least
seven times the number of AIDS deaths, all within a matter of
weeks...
Thai
fishermen catch, eat record-sized catfish -
Reuters, June 29, 2005
Fishermen in northern Thailand have caught the biggest catfish
on record--a 646-pound (293-kg) giant the size of a grizzly...
And here's the photo!
NOBEL
PEACE PRIZE: 43 women from region nominated -
The Nation, June 29, 2005
...The respected female Thai monk, Dhammananda, was also
selected.
She has peacefully struggled for the rights of women to be ordained
as female monks. She was ordained as a female monk in Sri Lanka
two years ago.
Other Thai women selected for nomination include environmentalists
Dawan Chantarahassadee, of the Klong Dan Local Conservation
Group, Bhinand Chotirosseranee, of the Kanchanaburi Conservation
Club; Thicha Na Nakorn, of the Network of Women and Constitution;
Naulnoi Timkoon, founder of Baan Khru Noi Child Care Centre
for poor children; Wilaiwan Saetia, from the Confederation of
Labour; and Somboon Srikamdokkhae, from the Council of Work
and Environment Related Patients' Network of Thailand.
"The work of these women is a [message] that makes the
world know that peace cannot prevail at once, but rather it
will happen as a result of collective efforts," Supawadee
said. The project's headquarters is in Bern, Switzerland.
Thai TV/reading/net habits -
June 30, 2005
A reader notes: According to a poll
released yesterday, Thai people watch the most TV. This
was widely reported e.g. BBC
News today, they were mostly emphasizing the fact that Indians
apparently read the most. Knowing how little Thais read, I had
to check.... Apparently, Thai people rank 2nd for time spent
reading books as well. Furthermore, Thai people rank 2nd worldwide
for time spent using Internet for non-work purposes. In total
these three activities add up to an average of over 40 hours
a week...
There ought to be a conclusion to this in the form of yet another
poll showing that Thai people are the least accurate in answering
opinion polls... (or alternatively, that they never do any work).
New
WTC tower design made public - CNN, June
29, 2005
Newspapers
heap criticism - The Nation, June
29, 2005
The Nation has a good rundown of all the newspaper headlines
on the censure debate as well as their own tale
of two newspapers comparing the Post and Nation.
...The two national English-language newspapers also led
with their takes on the censure debate. The Bangkok Post ran
a non-committal headline “Suriya, Abhisit trade barbs.”
This paper, meanwhile, ran the beleaguered transport minister’s
picture next to Abhisit’s under the headline “Corrupt!
A cover-up!”...
The
white tribe of Aceh - The Times,
June 28, 2005
CTX
girl - The Nation, June
27, 2005
For once, an amusing editorial cartoon from The Nation...
Ploenchit Fair website
- June 28, 2005
From an email notice: The British Community in Thailand
Foundation for the Needy (BCTFN is delighted to announce
the establishment of two new websites: BCTFN - www.bctfn.com
and Ploenchit Fair - www.ploenchitfair.com
Hong Kong: From
the 79th floor of the IFC and views
from the top of the IFC - June
27, 2005
As found on Myrick.ca
Why
does the moon look so big now? - BBC,
June 24, 2005
Myanmar
to release first ghost movie in 30 years -
Hindustan Times, June 24, 2005
...Ghost movies were popular among Myanmar people, who are
generally superstitious, before the genre was banned in the
late 1960s by the late socialist dictator Gen. Ne Win...
via Friskodude
CULTURE
SPHERE: A new dawn for Bangkok as a cultural hub?
- The Nation, June 25, 2005
...Two art centres are planned. The Bangkok Art and Culture
Centre will be on three rai of land on the corner of the Pathum
Wan intersection, supported by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
(BMA). Also, a Bt5.8-billion cultural complex will be built
on 35 rai by the Thailand Cultural Centre on Ratchadaphisek
Road, a mega-project supported by the Culture Ministry...
More on Bangkok's Art Museum
Historian
bemoans Thammasat decision - The Nation,
June 25, 2005
Charnvit Kasetsiri, an historian and former lecturer in Thammasat
University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts, on Thursday called
the university council’s decision earlier this week to
have the next entering class spend all of its undergraduate
years on the Rangsit campus north of Bangkok a “tragedy,
an embarrassment and [the product of subterfuge]”.
Charnvit said the council’s focus was on education as a
business. That was why undergraduate students were evicted from
the old Tha Prachan campus to make room for graduate students,
who pay higher tuition.
The decision was also in line with the government’s plan
to clear out the “old town” in the heart of the city,
leaving only palaces and temples to promote tourism, Charnvit
said.
“Now it’s the end of Thammasat University. It’s
an up-country university without social or political roles.
. . . It’s no different from universities in dictatorial
countries like Rangoon University in Burma,” he said.
On the forum: More
photos of royalty - June 27, 2005
...here is a photo of H.M.
King Chulalongkorn on his second coronation, 16 Oct 1873.
Also a photo of H.M.
King Mongkut and Queen Debsirindra, 1856, a photo of H.M.
King Chulalongkorn in 1881 Dressed in Western-Style Uniform
and a photo of a bust of H.M.
King Mongkut.
On the forum: Sarcastic
editorials - June 25, 2005
A tale
of two newspapers: Jaruvan relieved
- June 28, 2005
The Post article has the government line showing
everything was done legally. The Nation adds Jaruvan's
insistence that only a Royal command can remove her.
Jaruvan
'relieved of duties' - Bangkok
Post, June 27, 2005
Jaruvan Maintaka has been relieved of her duties as
auditor-general, the State Audit Commission said, adding
it had abided by the law in selecting and nominating her
replacement...
The commission said the statement was intended to end
public confusion over whether Khunying Jaruvan was still
auditor-general and performing her duties.
It said that since the Constitution Court's ruling on
July 6 last year that the process for selecting her was
unconstitutional, Khunying Jaruvan had not performed her
duties as auditor-general.
The commission had suspended her salary and position allowance
from July 7.
The commission then told Khunying Jaruvan to hand over
her duties and any state property to the Office of the
Auditor-General, and appointed Puangrat Vongpo, her deputy,
as acting auditor-general on July 8.
When Mrs Puangrat retired on Sept 30 last year, the commission
appointed Jerarat Noppawong na Ayutthaya as acting auditor-general,
effective from Oct 1.
The commission later nominated Wisut Montriwat for the
auditor-general's post. The Senate approved the nomination
on May 10.
|
OAG
says Jaruvan no longer at the helm
- The Nation, June 27, 2005
After weeks of confusion about the status of the incumbent
auditor general, Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka, the Office
of the Auditor General (OAG) has announced that she is
no longer at the agency’s helm...
The statement dated June 24 said that due to confusion
among members of the public and state agencies dealing
with the OAG, the agency saw the need to explain the facts
of the issue.
The agency said that the State Audit Commission, to which
the auditor general reports, stopped salary payments to
Jaruvan on July 7 last year, one day after the Constitution
Court ruled that her appointment process was unconstitutional.
Her most senior deputy, Puangrat Wongpho, was later appointed
to take over Jaruvan’s responsibilities and serve
as the acting auditor general, the statement said.
The statement insisted that the State Audit Commission’s
nomination of Visut Montriwat as the new auditor general,
who was later endorsed by the Senate, was in line with
the relevant laws and regulations.
Jaruvan told The Nation last night that her status remained
unchanged without Royal command to replace her with a
new attorney general. |
'A tale of two newspapers'
archives
A tale of two newspapers:
The same event? - June 27, 2005
Was this the same event? The Nation reports on a "seminar
on the state of Thai media freedom" at Chula while the
Post reports on "an event to mark the 25th anniversary
of the Confederation of Thai Journalists"--both occurring
last Friday.
The Post article is about a deputy PM criticizing the
professionalism of the Thai press. The Nation quotes
government critics who lambaste state pressure on the media.
|
Surakiart:
Thai press lacks professionalism - 'Constructive news
always overlooked' - Bangkok
Post, June 26, 2005
The Thai press creates a bad image of Thailand for
the rest of the world by focusing more on the negatives
rather than the positives, said Deputy Prime Minister
Surakiart Sathirathai.
Speaking at an event to mark the 25th anniversary of
the Confederation of Thai Journalists on Friday, Mr
Surakiart said the press in general needed to promote
constructive activities rather than critical news and
analysis. ``Foreign newspapers carry news that projects
both the good and bad, but for Thai media the negatives
outweigh the positives,'' said the former foreign affairs
minister.
Mr Surakiart said that throughout his time as foreign
minister Thailand was involved in various international
projects, held numerous seminars and acted as a mediator
for countries in conflict.
But, he said, the Thai media overlooked those accomplishments
and instead dwelled on rumours of the government's failures
in organising the proceedings.
" In countries with press freedom like the Philippines,
the US and countries in Europe, they [the media] all
carry more constructive news than ours,'' he said.
" Foreign media on some occasions praised Thailand
for a job well done but the Thai media did not even
report on the events,'' he said.
Mr Surakiart, who is also running for the United Nations
secretary-general's post, said various embassies translate
Thai newspapers into their mother tongue and the negative
reporting hurt the country's image. The deputy prime
minister also accused the Thai media of being inaccurate
and sensational, and said there was a low level of professionalism
in Thai journalism.
"Facts need to be correct before an analysis is
made,'' he said.
The Thai media, said Mr Surakiart, did not know what
"off the record'' meant and therefore could not
be trusted with some important tactical information.
|
Discontent
growing over media control
- The Nation, June 25, 2005
...Earlier yesterday, the Faculty of Communication
Arts held its annual seminar on the state of Thai media
freedom, referring to the present era as a dark time
for press freedom and urged media reforms to be put
on the national agenda.
Prasong Lertrattanawisut, the deputy managing editor
of the Matichon newspaper, said Thaksin has become efficient
and systematic in controlling the Thai media. “Everyone
will have to question [the current state of press freedom]
with reason,” he said, referring to the government’s
alleged indirect control of media outlets through shareholders,
advertisements and other means.
“What we are facing now may best be described as
‘manufactured consent’,” said Pit Pongsawat,
a political scientist from Chulalongkorn University.
“It makes us think of small issues as big issues
and big issues as small issues.”
Chaiyan Chiyaporn, another Chulalongkorn political scientist,
alleged that the Thaksin administration hired a large
number of students to scrutinise various websites and
respond with counter attacks to those criticising the
government.
Another method used to control the social agenda is
manufacturing news to occupy the public’s imagination
and distract the public from important issues affecting
the government, said Ruj Komolbutr, a lecturer in journalism
at Thammasat University.
'A tale of two newspapers'
archives
|
Singaporean
firm to build highest condo - Bangkok
Post, June 23, 2005
...Situated on the seven-rai former site of the United States
Information Service, The Met will have six buildings and become
the highest residential project in Bangkok, with 66 floors housing
370 units ranging from 92 sq m each to a 546 sq m-triplex penthouse
and priced between 10 million and 60 million baht a unit or
120,000 baht per sq m.
Major city casino
busted - Air-ground raid nets 353 gamblers, B56m
- Bangkok Post, June 23, 2005
The notorious Taopoon underground casino, bustling under
the nose of police for 20 years, was raided early yesterday
in an air-ground combined sting operation which netted 353 gamblers
and 56 million baht in betting money...
Number’s
up for infamous den - The Nation,
June 23, 2005
...The gambling den, covering nine shophouses and surrounded
by rows of houses in Bang Sue district, provided gamblers with
more than 30 full service tables for roulette, baccarat and
craps, as well as standard casino card games and slot machines...
ADB
approves $1 mnl for project of Southern Coastal Corridor
- Xinhuanet, June 22, 2005
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Wednesday said that it has
approved a technical assistance grant of 1 million US dollars
for a project that will complete the Southern Coastal Corridor
linking Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam...
EDITORIAL:
Arrogance of power breeds discontent -
The Nation, June 24, 2005
...The decision by the ruling party to virtually order all
of its MPs to vote in support of embattled Transport Minister
Suriya Jungrungreangkit in Monday’s censure debate without
first listening to what the opposition has to say was an unprecedented
show of contempt for Thailand’s democratic system. It is
salt on the wounds of the Thai people, who have watched helplessly
as the country’s checks-and-balances mechanisms have withered...
Century-old
pagoda found under trash - Bangkok
Post, June 25, 2005
...Phra Khru Palad Sampatviriyajarn said the ancient pagoda
was discovered by chance by temple staff who were investigating
tree trimmers' complaints of mysterious incidents whenever
they trimmed that bodhi tree. The temple staff removed a fence
and a big pile of trash near the tree and found the pagoda,
half-covered with garbage.
...Words engraved on the pagoda showed it was built in 1853
for about 640 baht and was opened the following year...
Weekend links - June
25, 2005
Thanks for Danny for these interesting weekend links:
Thai
police sue forensic scientist - The Age, June 24,
2005
Melbourne
transport 'vulnerable' - The Age, June 24, 2005
New
Shinkansen stock which will run at 360km! - Kyodo News,
June 24, 2005
'Rubber
tire rail service' a hit in Vegas (A BRT
in Las Vegas... ) - Houston Chronicle, June 21, 2005
Banned
Nepali radio station transmits via megaphone
- Reuters, June 21, 2005
Banned from broadcasting news since February's royal coup,
Nepali radio reporters have found a new way to get their bulletins
out: loudspeaker...
Nepal's dozens of independent FM stations -- wildly popular
as the only alternative on the air to state radio's staid and
vetted bulletins -- were banned from broadcasting news when
King Gyanendra fired the government and imposed strict censorship
on February 1...
KSC
gets new license, vows cheaper rates -
The Nation, June 24, 2005
...Former Internet regulator CAT owns a 32 per cent share
in all ISPs, including KSC, but has never had to cough up a
baht for its stakes.
Sanoh cites
Lord of the Rings - Bangkok
Post, June 25, 2005
Thai Rak Thai estranged list-MP Sanoh Thienthong yesterday
likened the power given by the proposed charter amendments to
that of a single ring in the hit movie Lord of the Rings...
...''At the end of the day, the ring was destroyed and prevented
the turning of an angel into a demon and a demon into a super-demon.
What I'm saying is that the charter gives too much power to
one man. Even a good person will be consumed (by power) and
what will become of a bad one?'' Mr Sanoh said in a telephone
interview...
Deserving
of absolute loyalty--or else! -
Bangkok Post, June 25, 2005
An unusually sarcastic editorial from the Post: The
war on corruption has shown there are no corrupt politicians,
only greedy graft busters. There has been nothing but the clearest
transparency in the juicy longan deal, the airport scanners
purchase, the rubber saplings project, the million cows scheme...
First two films
chosen for restoration - Bangkok Post,
June 23, 2005
...The King of the White Elephant, a 1941 production, is
the only pre-World War II Thai film to survive in its complete
form. Pridi Banomyong, the film producer and then ambassador
to France, used the film to demonstrate Thailand's neutral stance
during the war.
The Boat House is a 1962 Thai-Hong Kong co-production, starring
legendary actors Chaiya Suriyan and Sor Assanachinda. Its theme
song, Reun Pae by Charin Nanthanakorn, is also well-known..
Human dignity
under siege - Bangkok Post, June
23, 2005
...In an article published in Matichon
yesterday, Dr Prawase said Mr Sanoh's outburst in parliament
recently, when he said being in Thai Rak Thai was like being
in a prison, showed he was suffering an ailment symptomatic
of living under a dictatorship. He coined the phrase "Severe
Human Dignity Deficiency Disease''...
At a parliamentary meeting yesterday, Mr Sanoh said Dr Prawase
was right and that he was not the only victim. "A lot of
people are suffering from this disease but no one dares to bring
their misery into the open,'' Mr Sanoh said.
Giant chair - June
24, 2005
From BoingBoing: This 30-foot-tall sculpture, titled The
Writer, is currently on display in London's Hampstead Heath.
BBC
article, press
release and this great
photo.
Rebel
with a cause or last-gasp blackmailer?
- The Nation, June 21, 2005
...The 1997 charter was designed to deal with people like
him – those who switch political allegiance like we change
shoes and claiming to do so for national interests. The veteran
has been imprisoned by his own greed and selfishness. The Constitution’s
requirement that election candidates be members of the party
they represent for at least 90 days does not prohibit any politician
from acting on his or her conscience. Nothing prevents Snoh
and his faction members from, say, voting against Transport
Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit in next week’s censure
debate...
Monks
calls for Buddhism to be made national religion -
TNA, June 20, 2005
On the forum: Lumphini
Stadium - June 21, 2005
KOH
SAMET UPGRADE: Overhaul plan may be scrapped after outcry
- The Nation, June 21, 2005
Plan
to take Koh Samet upmarket upsets locals
- The Nation, June 20, 2005
...“We are concerned that the plan will take this island
away from lower-budget vacationers who have long sustained tourism
here,” said Dujhatai Nawapanich, secretary-general of Network
for Koh Samet-Conservation Community Organisation.
...The plan covers 117,185 rai at Khao Laemya and Koh Samet
National Park and includes laying water pipes, building piers,
roads and a sewage treatment system and beautifying the landscape.
Dujhatai said her network was worried that the organisation
might use the plan to take over land from local entrepreneurs...
Handi Ghandi logo - June 21, 2005
Check out the before
and after logos...
Interview with Dr. Wan Kadir -
June 21, 2005
Wisarut points out: The interview with Dr. Wan Kadir, leader
of Bersatu, by Dr. Farish A. Noor at Malaysia-Today
is very different from the interview with Thai media...
Junta
marks Suu Kyi’s birthday with criticism -
The Irrawaddy, June 20, 2005
The Burmese government made a thinly-veiled criticism of
Aung San Suu Kyi in the state-owned New Light of Myanmar at
the weekend. No other media in Burma was able to mark the National
League for Democracy leader’s 60th birthday, but the state
newspaper used the occasion to warn of “women who are sharp
but anxious to be popular misusing their abilities and qualifications.”
Aung San Suu Kyi has routinely been accused of seeking popularity
at the expense of the nation by Burma’s state-run press.
“Such Myanmar women should not place too much reliance
on their strong qualities lest they may be put on record in
the list of the women who destroy the motherland,” the
article noted.
Prior to Suu Kyi’s birthday, the paper on Saturday ran
another article for Burma Women’s Day, two weeks before
the event is due to take place, this time noting Burma’s
women who “have been able to bring honour to the nation.”
There was no mention of Burma’s only Nobel Peace Prize
winner in the extensive list. Instead the article warned of
Burmese women who marry foreigners, a reference to Aung San
Suu Kyi’s marriage to Michael Aris, a Briton with whom
she had two sons before he died of cancer in March 1999.
PM
makes appeal for patriotism - TNA, June
16, 2005
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday joined a long
tradition of Thai premiers by appealing to the public to show
a spirit of patriotism, saying that democracy could only fully
develop if people set aside their own personal interests...
"The weak spot in the Thai society lies within the system
of news and information--in the system of news analysis",
Mr. Thaksin said.
"Where there is insufficient knowledge, there is little
intelligence", he noted...
Thailand
Likely to Help Build Elevated Expressway in Dhaka
- Asia Pulse, June 14, 2005
The government is expected to go ahead with the Elevated
Express Way project in Dhaka at a cost of Tk 1.2 billion (US$18.8
million) with technical and financial assistance of Thailand...
TRT
popularity slumps over infighting - TNA,
June 17, 2005
...Interestingly, another 14.5 percent said that the wives
of the two men should be the ones to sort out the spat...
World's
tallest wave - Slashdot, June 16, 2005
...With all the talk of December's tsunami, it's easy to
lose sight of the larger waves often found in mid-ocean. The
three components for building a huge wave are wind speed, duration
and fetch. All three were in play for a massive record breaker.
As reported by The Times (UK), "It happened on September
16 last year when Hurricane Ivan stormed across the Gulf of
Mexico and tore into the coast of Alabama, accompanied by 130mph
winds and storm surges 8ft high. While still out at sea, oceanographers
report, the hurricane also produced a series of giant waves,
one of which stood 91ft (27m) from crest to trough, the height
of a ten-story building and a new world record for a wave recorded
by instruments."
Thailand
offers to help secure Malacca Strait -
Channel NewsAsia, June 14, 2005
Thailand says that it is keen to lend a hand in securing
the pirate-infested Malacca Strait. Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi
Suphamongkhon revealed this during an exclusive interview with
Channel NewsAsia during his trip to Malaysia recently...
Thailand
to upgrade road for further trade - AngolaPress,
June 14, 2005
..."The Rural Roads Department plans to spend 48 billion
baht (1.2 billion dollars) over the next four years to create
a new rural road network covering 15,000 kilometers across the
country," said Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
At present, Thailand has 64,600 kilometers of regular highways
and 140,800 kilometers of rural roads...
AirAsia reduced fares to Vietnam postponed
- June 15, 2005
Loren Johnson points out that AirAsia has apparently postponed
their drastically reduced fares to Vietnam (supposed to start
today) for six more weeks.
Myanmar: Life
sentences for Democracy activists -
The Irrawaddy, June 15, 2005
Five democracy activists were sentenced to life imprisonment
on Monday for distributing material deemed illegal by the Burmese
authorities, a Thai-Burma border-based advocacy group has said.
The trial was held in secret at Insein prison, Rangoon...
Union
critical of Goodyear's labour practices in Thailand - Rubber World, June 14, 2005
...According to ICEM, local management at the 600-worker
factory in Bangkok has systematically denied basic trade union
rights to members and officers of ICEM affiliate Petroleum
and Chemical Workers' Federation of Thailand.
In March, managers fired the chairman of the Goodyear Thailand
branch of the PCFT, Anan Pol-ung, for carrying out his lawful
responsibilities in attempting to achieve social benefits
for workers in the factory's rubber stock division. Many of
these employees have worked at the plant for over ten years,
but are employed under one-year, fixed-term contracts that
deny them the same benefits as permanent employees...
Kanchanaburi’s
‘WWII’ cave a fake - The
Nation, June 16, 2005
...The cave owner, Udom Chantakul, who has dubbed it “The
Underground Army Cave”, told reporters that the items
on display were intended to attract tourists. He said he did
this to fund exploration of the site because he believed the
cave had historical value, adding that he had not intended
to mislead people.
Udom also said he would change the name of the site as suggested
by Chainant to avoid any further misunderstandings.
Thai
police say man commits suicide by sealing mouth, nose with super
glue - AP, June 16, 2005
...Komkrit's family told police he had a history of moodiness...
INTERVIEW
- Phuket looks gloomily to the future - tourist chief
- Reuters, June 16, 2005
..."Everyone has been hit very hard and we don't see
a future yet," Pattanapong told Reuters in an interview.
"Phuket can barely survive now. We all are dying as every
hotel is running losses of millions of baht each month,"
Pattanapong said six months after the giant waves crashed ashore
at the height of the tourist season on Dec. 26...
More
government ministries and media to leave Rangoon -
The Irrawaddy, June 14, 2005
[More info on the apparent move by the Myanmar military to relocate
out of Rangoon to the more remote and defensible Pyinmana.]
The Burmese government will move at least five government
ministries to Pyinmana, in Mandalay Division, the site of its
new army headquarters, sources in Rangoon say...
"Dear
Malaysian friend" - June 15,
2005
We keep getting this spam (What we do is to help Malaysians
DEVELOP A NEW revolutionary business in a new industry...),
but the website
(right) it leads to is amusing--"Your Brilliant Help
using Our Proven Business Model." It says a lot,
but ultimately very little: Learn More About Me - If
I could only share one thing with you about me it would
be my interest in you and your present situation.
It seems to be a variation on American-style scams that
teach people to place classified ads for success.
|
 |
Who is Wissanu? - June
14, 2005
Today's Nation mentions a person called Wissanu Krea-ngam
(A
piece of intrigue to make Machiavelli proud?, The Nation,
June 15, 2005). After further examination, it seems the person
being referred to is the Deputy Prime Minister. Oddly enough,
last week his name was spelled 'Vishanu Krua-ngam': Need
a scandal to go away? Just put Vishanu in charge of the investigation
- The Nation, June 10, 2005
Perhaps the only thing that has kept Vishanu Krua-ngam from
supervising more panels probing government scandals was the “independent”
tag attached to some of them...
Seed
of extinct date palm sprouts after 2,000 years -
SF Gate, June 12, 2005
...Planted on Jan. 25, the seedling growing in the black pot
in Solowey's nursery on this kibbutz in Israel's Arava desert
is 2,000 years old -- more than twice as old as the 900-year-old
biblical character who lent his name to the young tree. It is
the oldest seed ever known to produce a viable young tree...
CULTURE
CONTROVERSY: ‘I cannot stand up for the republican anthem’
- The Nation, June 13, 2005
Latest from Chang Noi: Tales
from a notorious swamp - The
Nation, June 13, 2005
...One company, Italthai Holdings, was given the contract
to build the airport. There was no competitive bidding. The
same company was to research, design and manage the construction.
Critics felt that this was tantamount to a licence to print
money. The controversy became so heated that when Sarit died
in 1963, the project immediately fell apart.
But great ideas don’t die easily. Sarit’s successors
kept trying to kick-start it, and finally succeeded in 1968.
Again they selected a company without competitive bidding, this
time the US aviation giant Northrop won the day. Again they
commissioned the company to both design and construct the airport,
and threw in a concession to operate it for 20 years, as well.
Again Italthai (renamed Italian-Thai) popped up as Northrop’s
local partner...
2Bangkok.com's history
of the new Bangkok airport
Degree
of farce belies gravity of situation - The
Nation, June 7, 2005
A well-respected graft investigator who rings an alarm bell
over a potentially massive airport corruption scandal faces expulsion
from office by a group of judges and lawmakers who quote an apparently
illegal rule.
Fighting for her is a notorious politician wanting to turn over
a new leaf. She is investigated by anti-money laundering authorities
who refuse to take any initiative on the airport allegations.
Meanwhile, members of other anti-graft bodies who have done absolutely
nothing somehow get the opposite idea about their performance,
give themselves major pay rises and are being hounded out of office
or are busy trying to cover up their sins. It reads like a bad
script for a messy political comedy...
As Thailand’s anti-graft, justice and constitutional mechanisms
crumble around him, or at least appear irrelevant, Thaksin has
seemed unfazed. He has vowed that any remaining agencies (which
one?) would keep combating corruption...
Melbourne rail - June
13, 2005
Danny writes: Rail has been run down for years in Australia
with little investment in new infrastructure, Alice Springs to
Darwin line aside, and stock. Past state governments have closed
down lines and privatized services especially in Melbourne and
Victoria. So it was with some excitement that a newly elected
state government in Victoria in 1999 promised to introduce fast
trains services for regional cities to/from Melbourne.
Unfortunately, the project has suffered huge cost over runs and
is nearly two years behind schedule. There is a website
on the project.
A few articles in today's Melbourne paper, The Age, prove that
even in a professionally planning and well-managed construction
environment, 'mega-projects' can go off the rails (pun intended)
due to political interference: Long,
slow, wait for a faster train - 'Farce
rail' angers rural voters - Fast
train safety called 'B-class'
No allegations of corruption here, but lots of political ineptitude
and bad project management. Perhaps a few lessons for some in
Thailand.
Keeping
an eye on TV’s influence - The Nation,
June 12, 2005
...“The show is offensive to Thai culture in terms of
improper dress, bad language and infringement of individual privacy.
We don’t want such programmes, because they have too much
of an influence on children. They’ll think that living together
without the benefit of marriage is now acceptable in Thai society.
This Western-style reality show is immoral in a Thai cultural
context,” says Ladda...
Weekend links
Thanks to Nils for pointing out the interesting articles:
Vietnam
looks to build ties with U.S. army - Reuters, June
8 , 2005
Trash
is cash in Bangladesh - The Christian Science Monitor,
June 8, 2005
Every
British road may soon have its price per mile - The Christian
Science Monitor, June 9, 2005
...If we were to price for other goods the way we do for road
space, there would be huge inefficiencies and massive excess demand,"
says Professor David Begg, a former government adviser on transport
and the director of the center for transport policy. "We
are pricing for road use the way the former Soviet Union used
to ration bread - through queues, not prices...
The
visual culture of the Middle East - Creative
Bits, June 8, 2005
...The visual culture of the Middle East is a mixture of the
socialist realism and emerging consumerism.
Companies are trying to appeal to the new generation of Arabs,
who are desperately looking for patterns in mass media. At the
same time cultural taboos are imposing strict rules on what can
and what can not be shown in public. This war sometimes leads
to creative and sometimes disturbing results.
Working in advertising and design for a mixture of international
and local clients I have learnt numerous things, which I would
like to note down for my own reference and for your interest...
Foundation
sues over Warhol copies by Thai artists -
Reuters, June 8, 2005
... Warhol, known for his renderings of Marilyn Monroe and Campbell's
soup cans, died in 1987. His foundation licenses images for everything
from posters to handbags, using the proceeds to make charitable
donations to aspiring artists and other groups.
Via Google: Reproduction
art - oil paintings of Andy Warhol - Arts
Studio.com
We are an American owned and operated company.
All our paintings are re-created in our Studio in Thailand by our
team of highly skilled and talented artists utilizing their many
years of experience. In order to maintain a high quality product,
all paintings are shipped directly from the Studio using DHL/UPS,
or other air courier...
Road
gets green light after 32-year delay - TNA,
June 6, 2005
...Involving the demolition of 32 houses, construction on the
Siriammat Road, which will run parallel to Atsadang Road behind
the Rattanakosin Hotel, will begin next month...
Singapore's new budget terminal
- June 8, 2005
As seen on
the forum : Name
Singapore's low-cost airport terminal - Low-cost
terminal FAQ - Is Singapore leading the way once again in the
future of terminal construction?
China
forces websites to register - Slashdot, June
8 , 2005
The Inquirer has the story that individual owners of websites
and blogs must register with the government or face a shut-down.
Apparently they will begin monitoring of all sites, both commercial
and personal, beginning this month. Site owners have until the end
of the month to register. The BBC has the story as well. From the
BBC article: "'The internet has profited many people but it
also has brought many problems, such as sex, violence and feudal
superstitions and other harmful information that has seriously poisoned
people's spirits,' said a statement on the MII website, explaining
why the new rules were necessary."
Egat confirms
snail fossils' destruction - Deposit
mined, only small area still intact
- Bangkok Post, June 8, 2005
...Only 18 rai of the 13-million-year old fossil layer was left,
Egat officials told Administrative Court judge Veera Sangsomboon,
who inspected the site on Monday.
...The revelation shocked Mae Moh residents, who have been seeking
an emergency order from the court to stop Egat's mining operation
pending the hearing of a lawsuit. The suit was filed by 18 villagers
on April 7 against four government entities for destroying the prehistoric
site--the cabinet, the industry minister, the Primary Industries
and Mines Department, and Egat...
Lex
live: Thailand - Financial Times, June
6, 2005
It looks as if Thailand's economy is heading for Bangkok-style
gridlock. Gross domestic product contracted quarter-on-quarter in
the first three months of 2005 - the first such decline for four
years. The year-on-year growth rate has slowed to 3.3 per cent...
Signs dispute billboard
safety - Bangkok Post, June 8, 2005
...The billboard in question was erected on the rooftop of a three-storey
building. On the left side of the billboard, two signs were placed
_ one by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and one by
the Advertisers Association.
The BMA sign reads: "The structure of this billboard is not stable.''
The Advertisers Association sign reads: "The safety of the structure
is guaranteed.''...
Abandoned
and little-known airfields - June 9, 2005
Thanks to Dave Milam for pointing this out...
LAND
DEAL: SRT swaps 50 rai for stake in PTT tower
- The Nation, June 8, 2005
...PTT plans to build its own twin complex, in the same style as
that of Malaysian rival Petronas, on a 50-rai plot of land next to
its existing building on Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road. The new complex will
be the headquarters of PTT and its subsidiaries.
...Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak
earlier said he had instructed the State Railway of Thailand to propose
a plan to better manage its assets, after discovering the state agency
last year earned a mere Bt2.4 billion from leasing out land worth
more than Bt100 billion...
Power
plant project draws fire - The Nation,
June 8, 2005
The government yesterday came under attack for approving the construction
of a thermal power plant in Songkhla’s Chana district.
The Cabinet approved the Energy Ministry’s proposal to build
the Bt16-billion thermal power plant, which would have a production
capacity of 700 megawatts.
Construction, slated to start this year and finish in March 2008,
involves installing a 27-kilometre distribution pipeline from the
plant to electrical stations...
Microsoft
founder to visit Thailand - TNA, June 6, 2005
The Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is scheduled to visit Thailand
on 30 June to sign three deals with key government ministries on the
information technology development..
The three memorandums of agreement include one covering educational
activities with the Education Ministry, the promotion of the e-government
project with the ICT Ministry, and the development of web services,
according to Vice Minister of the Information and Communication Technology,
Kanawat Vasinsangvorn...
Authoritarianism of
the holy kind - Bangkok Post, June 6,
2005
...The monks who want to attend those UN conferences face an uphill
task. For as far as the council is concerned, the UN is a political
body, so monks should not be there. And they cannot, if the council
does not approve their applications for passports...
'Thai
Newspaper: Imam Khomeini Designer of Religious Democracy' -
IQNA, June 6, 2005
A Thai newspaper covered Imam Khomeini's activities and thoughts
in a full page on June 3rd one day before Imam's 16th demise anniversary.
Quoting an official of the central headquarters in charge of commemoration
of Imam's 16th passing away anniversary, IQNA reported that the Thai
newspaper ' Manager' pointed out Imam's opposition to the Shah's regime
before the Islamic Revolution in 1978, and stressed Imam's role in
foundation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The newspaper also printed a picture of Imam that displays him casting
his vote in the ballot box and referred to the founder of the Islamic
Republic of Iran as the designer of religious democracy.
The Manager Newspaper went on to describe Imam's character and his
behavior at home and also the special attention he paid to the role
of women in society.
Burmese
workers file lawsuit against Thai employer -
The Irrawaddy, May 27, 2005
A provincial labor court in Thailand's border town of Mae Sot on
Thursday held its first hearing of a legal action brought by 22 migrant
Burmese garment workers against a Thai employer for not paying proper
wages...
Manhole
covers of Japan - May 30, 2005
Lao
Railway Authority starting the first railway project -
Vientien Times, May 31, 2005
Civil work on the proposed railway project is expected to begin
in September said a Lao Railway Authority (LRA) senior official. The
railway project that many people have been awaiting for about 10 years
is finally coming, according to LRA Deputy Director Sonesak N. Nhansana.
LRA who invited bids from consultancy companies, have already received
three offers, all of them from Thai firms. The Government is giving
greater priority to Thai companies because the Thai government has
agreed to grant a low interest loan of 200 Million baht as well as
aid to operate the railway project, said Sonesak...
Sonesak said that after the railway was completed they would allow
Thai trains to use it for transporting passengers and goods until
the LRA obtain their own trains, according to an agreement signed
by the two countries...
Drawbridges in Thailand? -
June 3, 2005
Lance writes: Normally, when my Thai wife and I cross Lake Pontchartrain
in New Orleans, LA, USA, we do so over the record setting causeway
bridge. The bridge elevates at several points to allow for marine
traffic. Recently we took an alternate route and had to wait for the
drawbridge. My wife was amazed and said that she had never seen such
a thing in Thailand. Are there no drawbridges in Thailand?...
LA's
Thai Town - LA Weekly, June, 2005
'Model
car' to be unveiled soon - TNA, June 3, 2005
Thailand's prototyped energy saving car, called the 'model car',
will be unveiled soon when the government is launching a new campaign
to promote energy saving nationwide...
Dawn
of media freedom in Burma? - The Irrawaddy,
June 2, 2005
...Political and dissident websites—such as The Irrawaddy—and
even Bangkok newspaper sites like The Nation and Bangkok Post remain
banned.
Powerful
figure trying to get police to drop FBCB case: source
- The Nation, June 3, 2005
[Ok, 2Bangkok.com readers, who is the figure mentioned?]
A “highly influential figure” is pressuring police to
drop a misconduct case against former executives of the now-defunct
First Bangkok City Bank (FBCB), a police source said. The source said
the influential figure had asked police not to forward the case to
state prosecutors.“The defendants in this case are not powerful,
but the person behind them is,” the source said...
"Thailand
- where dependence on drugs and booze is a requirement for all working
visas" - Cinematical, June
3, 2005
Unflattering comments about Thailand: Tom Sizemore just turned
down a role in The Fifth Commandment ("Thou shalt not kill,"
FYI), which would be filming in Thailand. In an unprecedented moment
of good judgment, Sizemore determined that going to Thailand—where
dependence on drugs and booze is a requirement for all working visas—might
not be a good idea. Thus far, the actor has stayed clean for 3 weeks,
consulted with his parents, and found God (not related to previously
mentioned film). But still he faces some pesky probation violations
that could land him in jail for up to 3 years. Jail is probably as
bad as Thailand in terms of encouraging vices, so we're hoping he
doesn't end up there, either.
Commentary:
A scapegoat in Thailand? - International
Herald Tribune, June 5, 2005
...If holding civil servants or government officials so gratuitously
accountable for a mistake spreads, who in their right mind would
take such jobs?
...As culpable as Rerngchai may be, a currency peg - which Thailand
had until July 1997 - is a political device. It's a policy of the
Finance Ministry that's carried out by the central bank. The blame
for Thailand's crisis goes to poor transparency, dodgy corporate
governance, negligible public accountability and cushy ties between
government, banks and businesses...
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