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2BANGKOK.COM'S
NEWS AND VIEWS
JULY-AUGUST
2003
Threat
to revoke Thai citizenship - Bangkok
Post, August 29, 2003
This brief article about revoking Thai citizenship for ethnic
Chinese indicates another radical change in policy towards drugs.
Chinese villages in the area mentioned are dominated by descendants
of the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party), which left China
in 1949 after the Communists gained power. The 93rd regiment
of the KMT first moved to Burma and fought for many years against
the Burmese before moving to Thailand in the 1960s and being
given refugee status. They were permitted to traffic drugs in
the ensuring decades. Putting pressure on these groups signals
a change in a decades-old policy of looking the other way in
regards to the area's drug trafficking and probably indicates
PM Thakin's confidence in dealing with those in power who have
interests in the drug trade.
Disclosure:
October 14 - The Nation, August
30, 2003
"Disclosure: October 14", a book compiled by the
well-known historian Thepmontri Limpaphayom, marks the first
time that what the "dictators" - Field Marshall Thanom
Kittikachorn, his son Lt-Colonel Narong and Narong's father-in-law
Field Marshal Prapas Charusathien - have to say about the upheaval
appears on public record.
Another charmingly worded blurb from MCOT
- August 29, 2003
Young sky-gazers in Bangkok told reporters last night that
they were excited to see the Mars, looking like a small bright
button with their nake eyes.
A
discount airline for Thailand - BusinessWeek,
August 28, 2003
In early August, Air Asia won landing rights at its first
three international destinations: the resort islands of Bali
in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand and the Thai capital, Bangkok.
After butting heads with regulators seeking to protect their
national flag carriers, Fernandes is now closer to fulfilling
his dream of importing the discount-airline model to Southeast
Asia.
Silkworm's
secret unraveled - Scientific American,
August 28, 2003
Scientists have long envied the lowly silkworm's ability
to spin the strongest natural fiber known to man. Now they are
one step closer to understanding just how the creature manages
the feat. In a paper published today in the journal Nature,
researchers reveal that the key lies in the animal's ability
to carefully control the water content in its silk glands. The
findings should help improve future artificial silk-making techniques.
Getting rabies shots
- August 28, 2003
Don Entz, a frequent 2B contributor, was bitten by a dog and
has to get rabies shots. Here's some info on how to do it: If
you get rabies injections, whether the preventive vaccine or
the series of five injections after being bit by an animal,
the Queen Saowabha Institute at the Thai Red Cross, on the corner
of Rama IV and Henri Dunant roads, is the best place to go.
I went to my regular place right after being bitten on Sunday
afternoon, Samitivej Hospital. The initial treatment was about
2800 baht. NOW, however, I see that each individual shot is
1380 baht....
The Queen Saowabha Institute charges only about 350 baht for
each injection, about 1700 baht TOTAL for the entire series
of five (5) injections.
Samitivej Hospital have undergone a total renovation. All-marble
interior now. Looking really sharp. Even an Au Bon Pain in the
lobby. It WAS looking rather dingy in recent years, but now
it's up there with Bamrungrad in looks. (I guess that's why
they have to charge so much for an injection.)
Update: It appears that Samitivej Hospital may
not have been ripping me off after all. Their doctor said that
Samitivej Hospital is using human diploid vaccine, which is
basically the best kind, and a private hospital like that would
be expected to use the best. The vaccine can be made from other
species, but human is top quality, the primo stuff. She (the
doctor) said that 1380 baht per shot is actually not unreasonable
for that kind of vaccine and that at Saowapha they use something
else that is cheaper, but still effective. She also said that
individual treatment depends on a number of factors, such as
if the bite produced any blood (mine did), no matter whether
it's a lot or a little; and if the patient has been exposed
to a vaccine in the past. I was last vaccinated 14 years ago,
here in Thailand, and even though the doctor at Samitivej said
that the vaccine itself lasts only for about a year, the doctor
at Saowapha said that not being vaccinated in the past EVER
AT ALL would mean that if the bite actually drew blood, even
just a little, then in addition to the vaccine, I would need
some sort of serum (can't remember what she said it's called),
and THAT can run as much as 10,000 baht by itself. It's cheaper
at Saowapha, but still around 5000 or 6000 baht; how much to
take depends on weight. No one at Samitivej mentioned this serum
to me, and I was not given it, but I'm guessing that since the
doctor knew I'd been vaccinated before, he knew I did not need
serum, and so there was no need to mention it. This whole episode
is making it more and more clear, though, that all of you should
GET YOUR RABIES VACCINATION NOW.
Bangkok
struggles with polluted canals - AP, August
27, 2003
Forty percent of Bangkok's liquid waste is discharged untreated
into the public waterways, and less than 2 percent of households
are connected to sewage networks. Says Vijarn, the pollution
control official: "Speaking of the problem gives me a headache,
frankly."
Religious schools in Narathiwat
- khmerintelligence: 26 August 2003
Interesting report from the highly anti-Hun Sen, but influential
Khmerintelligence.org: ...According to US intelligence reports,
Jemaah Islamiyah has been very active in certain regions of
Thailand. In particular, there is a special religious school
in Narathiwat province, where more than 80% of the population
are Muslims and speak Malay since the province shares its southern
border with Malaysia. Students at that school come from Burma
and Cambodia exclusively; Thai students are not accepted.
Students are selected among war orphans, whose character can
be easily forged according to the organization's requirements.
After completing an initial program at Narathiwat province's
school, the foreign students are sent to further their studies
in Malaysia. At a final stage, they are sent to Pakistan, where
there is an appropriate training for them to become terrorists
and members of al-Qaida's network. After completion of their
training, students are sent back to their respective countries,
where they are supposed to conduct special operations...
Red Bull history
- August 26, 2003
Rapee Boonplueang writes: I’ve been wondering about this
Red Bull thing since the first time I saw a Red
Bull commercials on TV in the US a couple of years ago.
It’s surprisingly popular here in the US. I just came across
a
brief history of Red Bull: The worldwide marketing of
the Thai-born Red Bull began in the late 1980s when Chaleo Yoovidhya,
the owner of Krating Daeng (the original Thai name before it
adopted Red Bull) teamed up with Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian
businessman to market the drink in Europe. After a slight change
of formula, Red Bull went on sale in Austria in 1987 and became
popular with a young, and energetic generation who were wanting
a more adventurous fun drink…
Police
keep wary eye on terrorism buffs - Bangkok
Post, August 26, 2004
Pongpat Chayapan, a Crime Suppression Division superintendent,
said experts from the behavioural science analytical unit have
infiltrated crowds at major department stores, business districts
and residential sections of foreign expatriates to check on
foreigners showing too much interest about terrorism...
Local news
After a long drought, there is a flood of
interesting articles from the English-language papers:
Future
of 103-year-old landmark in doubt as traffic keeps customers
away - Bangkok Post, August 25,
2003
Few markets last as long as Nangloeng market in Pomprap Sattru
Pai district, which is marking its 103rd anniversary this week...
Nangloeng, once a thriving business place, is still famous for
its delicacies, beautiful rows of shophouses dating back to
King Chulalongkorn, a majestic wooden movie theatre and other
tourist attractions. However, traders say round-the-clock heavy
traffic and a lack of parking space scares away potential customers.
"People no longer want to come by this area in such horrible
traffic," said Pramoen Kaosala, a confectioner.
B499m
contract for Srinakarin Rd works - Bangkok
Post, August 25, 2003
City hall's public works office has selected a contractor
to expand and elevate a 6.5-kilometre section of Srinakarin
road to improve the traffic flow and reduce flooding... The
section between Phatthanakan and Udomsuk junctions will be expanded
from six to eight lanes and elevated 60 centimetres... The BMA
also plans to spend 60 million baht expanding the bridge across
Phra Khanong canal on Sukhumvit road. A bottleneck is created
as the road's six lanes reduce to four on the bridge.
Keeping
the pressure on foreign businesses - The
Nation, August 25, 2003
...Orawan added that under the new draft, non-Thais would
now be required to invest at least Bt2 million to register a
company in Thailand. She said that most such companies, at the
same time, would be permitted to hire no more than 10 foreigners,
on the basis of Bt2 million in capital per foreign worker. "Companies
that want to hire more than 10 foreigners must pay tax of at
least Bt3 million a year."
What
happens if Thailand has a bombing? - The
Nation, August 25, 2003
...If there is any bombing, big or small, before or during
the summit, in or outside the venue, it will plunge the country
into a deep abyss... Oddly enough, Thailand still firmly believes
- we are Thais, and that is out mind set - that members of regional
terrorist organisations, especially Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), do
not want to blow their cover over here in a safe haven. Therefore
the order to arrest Hambali needed to come from the prime minister,
who believed the JI was up to something bad.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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"Proud to be Thai"
- August 24, 2003
Since August 1 when the Prime Minister urged the flying
of the flag, it has been very visible everywhere--on Skytrain
stations, subway entrances, from the tops of buildings.
Here it is on the front of the Thai Airways International
Headquarters on Wipahwadee Road.
Remaking
Rangoon - August 23, 2003
News from our neighbors: At the end of last year, the
City Housing Estate Supervisory Committee, chaired by
the junta’s Secretary-One Gen Khin Nyunt, approved
the construction of more high-rise buildings. The idea
is to transform Rangoon into a modern Asian city, a place
worth showcasing at the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (Asean) Summit scheduled to be held in Rangoon
in 2006. They also have a blurry
map of the Thai-Malaysia gas pipeline. |
$200
Tourist Levy Dropped - August 22, 2003
News from our neighbors: Burmese authorities are trying to
find a way for the economy to cope without US dollars... Foreign
visitors no longer have to exchange US $200 upon arriving at
Burmese airports, sources in Rangoon said today.
Windows
global pricing cracked by Thailand
- CnetAsia, August 22, 2003
How a simple welfare scheme in a Southeast Asian country
could tweak the nose of the world's largest software company...
Info wanted on Mordey
alternators - August 22, 2003
CR Sant writes: I am writing from Enemalta
Corporation, which is the operator of the Malta Utility
system. A net search brought up your address in relation to
"Mordey alternators". Malta was equipped with such
machines in the late 1890's, and I am trying to find information
on these machines. Reference is made to your write-up on 'tramways
related companies', in particular the following extract:
" Four 100-kw. generators of Mordey's type, rope-driven
by Brush compound vertical engines, to which the exciters (65
v.) are connected." It appears the Siam
Electric Company was also equipped with possibly identical
plant at around that time. I would be much obliged for any information
you may be able to provide, both technical and pictures, about
that particular type of plant. [The caption on the photo
reads "The Government of Malta Electricity Supply Department
1895-1922"] Anyone have additional info?
7-Elevens in Thailand
- Siam Future, August 9, 2003
Believe it or not, a question 2Bangkok.com gets very often is
"how many 7-Elevens are there in Thailand?" Astonishing
stats from an
article on 7-Eleven:
| Year |
Number of stores |
| 2003 |
2,300 (300 new stores
to open this year) |
| 2004 |
2,600 |
| 2005 |
3,000 |
| 2008 |
5,000 outlets (up from
earlier forecasts of 3,000 stores) |
In general, the service coverage of each
7-Eleven in Taiwan and Japan _ the so-called catchment area
_ is an area containing 3,000 people, while each store in Thailand
serves up to 10,000 people. Mr Piyawat said that given the ratio,
the convenience store business in Thailand could see total outlets
reach 20,000 at a maximum, up from 6,000 at the end of last
year.
Officials deny 18 songs banned
- August 23, 2003
After the story about the banning of immoral songs shot around
the world in the international press (in the only place Thai
news is usually carried internationally --the "Weird News"
section), The Nation reports
that officials claim it was a mistake: After the meeting
of the department's public-decency committee on Thursday, some
panel members told the press that they had blacklisted 18 immoral
songs and these might be banned. But Pramoj yesterday denied
the report about the ban, citing document errors.
Since The Nation webboards are so crummy, feel free to
discuss local newspaper stories on the 2Bangkok.com
Forum.
Location of the new parliament
- August 19, 2003
This has been going on for years: Lots
of land 'needed' for new parliament - The sites are the
Khao Tham Phra area of 1,283 rai (two sq km) near the Pasak
Chonlasit dam in Lop Buri, an armoury of 416 rai (665,600 sq
m) in Nonthaburi, the Bang Nam Prieo area of 2,182 rai (3.5
sq km) in Chachoengsao, military land of 119 rai (190,400 sq
km) in Dusit district, and the Chatuchak area of 83 rai (132,800
sq m) in Bangkok.
Bangkok, the best city in Asia!
- August 20, 2003
Rapee Boonplueang writes: As reported on Thairath and
Dailynews, here are the links to the original website:
Asia’s
best cities (Note: Bangkok is ranked # 1)
World’s
best cities (Note: Bangkok is ranked #3)
Asia’s
best hotels (Note: The Peninsula, Bangkok is # 1. Out of
25, 7 hotels are in Thailand (5 in BKK, 1 in Phuket and 1 in
Chiang Mai), 6 in Singapore and 6 in Hongkong)
World’s
best hotels (Note: The Peninsula, Bangkok is also #1. The
Oriental, Bangkok hotel (world’s best hotel in 96, 99 and
2K) comes in # 10 this year. Again, out of 100, 7 hotels are
in Thailand (5 in BKK, 1 in Phuket and 1 in Chiang Mai))
World’s
best international airlines (Note: Thai Airways is ranked
# 4)
Asia’s
best islands (Note: Phuket is ranked # 2)
'Bangkok's
vile streams of sludge' - August 19, 2003
More negative news: Conor Bracken points out this AP/CNN article
with a vivid title.
'Foreign
debt: We could try the Thai way' - Daily
Nation, August 18, 2003
African newspaper comments on Thailand and the IMF: Now,
with the loan fully repaid, Thais cannot wait to reverse the
IMF-dictated legislation. Parliament is soon expected to amend
the 11 economic reform laws enacted as a condition for obtaining
IMF loans. What a contrast? Kenya is literally begging to become
more indebted to the IMF despite being saddled with an onerous
burden. With foreign debt exceeding $5 billion and domestic
debt of around $3.5 billion, Kenya's annual debt repayments
currently consume more than 30 per cent of the annual budget.
The budgeted allocation for debt repayments amounted to $1.3
billion in 2002.
A tale of two newspapers:
When publicity goes wrong - August
16, 2003
Conor Bracken points out this example of publicity gone wrong:
how the Tourism Authority of Thailand's hiring of Anna Kournikova
is reported in the local and foreign press.
One
of the world's "most lethal terrorists" captured north
of Bangkok - August 15, 2003
This is all over the papers today, but in case you missed it:
Hambali, a terrorist linked to "nearly every major al-Qaida
and Jemaah Islamiyah plot since the attacks on the World Trade
Center..." has been apprehended. This capture has variously
been described as an FBI or CIA operation and the FBI is reportedly
interrogating Hambali somewhere in Thailand.
UPDATE: There is now speculation that legalities concerning
Hambali's arrest were why Thaksin had to rush through the controversial
executive degrees on terrorism (all the local papers and academics
shrilly attributed it to his growing authoritarianism). Thaksin
now denies
this. Also: A "senior Thai general" has
quickly clarified that Hambali is not being held in Thailand,
but was flown
to Indonesia. Also: Indonesian denies
this.
Alien Big Cats -
August 15, 2003
It's odd that all the newspapers reported the recent incident
of 'leopards" loose in Bangkok without noting that sightings
of mysterious big cats are common urban legends in modern times
(called Alien Big Cats or ABCs). Don Entz points out an
interesting Crutch column on an ABC in Bangkok two decades
ago: In June 1981, a black panther was reported to have escaped
from a private household in the Makkasan district of Bangkok...
The two men later admitted they had taken the panther to Makkasan
swamp and then staged the capture. They thought that when the
fuss had died down, they would be able to quietly return the
panther to its true owner and at the same time remain heroes.
But they hadn't counted on the authorities deciding to release
the panther into the wildlife sanctuary. That's when the owner
started demanding either the return of the panther or a sizable
payment instead.
FBI's Guide to Concealable Weapons
- August 15, 2003
If there was any doubt how tough it is to maintain airport security,
here is a mind-boggling catalog of the types of concealed weapons
the FBI are looking for (pdf
- 2.17MB).
Suriya
pays B4m for 9999 - Bangkok Post,
August 12, 2003
This story is already slathered across all the weird news sites
around the globe, but in case you missed it: Transport Minister
Suriya Jungrungreangkit wanted the car licence plate number
9999 so badly that he paid four million baht for it.... "If
I sell it, I could get 4.5 million baht," Mr Suriya said.
"It's better than investing in the stock market. But I
definitely won't do that."... The auction continues tomorrow
and Thursday. The department plans an auction every month. Mr
Suriya said auctioning auspicious numbers would put an end to
the bribery previously associated with obtaining them.
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Women
Workers Calendar 2003 -
August 11, 2003
The 2003 "Equality for Women" calendar has
a series of interesting complaints explained in a traditional
Thai illustration style.
Right: Sexual harrassment
Gordon Wu going strong
- Asia Times, August 7, 2003
Gordon Wu and his Hopewell Holdings, the company behind
the failed Hopewell
Project, is in the news again. Wu's Hopewell Highway
Infrastructure launches
an IPO and is touting a 29km
ridge linking Hong Kong and Macau. And here's an interesting
article explaining the various special interests in
Hong Kong opposed to the bridge. |
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(Photo: Huaiwei)
Singapore lights! -
August 9, 2003
News from our neighbors: Singapore
lit for National Day - Close to 40 buildings in the Civic
District and Marina Bay will extend their buildings' facade
lights until midnight everyday for the month of August. In addition,
all bridges along the Singapore River will be lit and for the
first time, 10 riverboats fitted with enhanced lighting will
ply the river... The photo is taken on the 7th of August
2003 by Huaiwei. Click here for the incredible full-size
version (516kb-a good desktop image).
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Phoebus Dome coming down
- August 6, 2003
Phoebus Disco, the last of the mega discos to be built
in Bangkok, opened on July 9, 1994 and was closed by
1997. About the time it opened, discos and pubs without
admission fees opened on nearby RCA Avenue. Now Phoebus
stands on prime development land near the Rama
9 subway station. Like the long gone Tham
Nak Thai restaurant, Phoebus is still listed on
many websites as still being open six years after it
closed.
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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Old bus
- August 4, 2003
Photo from the House
of Museums of the Bangkok World Sunday Magazine
from February 20, 1964... We would love to see the "Free
Bus Map Inside"
Thai
scientists discover 5 new cave-dwelling fish species
- MCOT, August 3, 2003
These were identified as pla pluang tham (cave brook
carp), pla khor tham phrawang daeng (Phrawang Daeng Cave
hillstream loach), pla khor tham phra saingarm (Phra Saingarm
Cave hillstream loach) and pla kayui yak phrom phiram,
all of which were discovered in caves in Phitsanulok Province,
and pla khor tham lao (Laotian hillstream cave loach),
discovered in a cave in Laos’ Khammuan district.
All five species were identified by experts as being completely
new species, he said... Some of the fish were extremely
placid, and could be caught easily in a piece of cloth,
he said, adding that he had seen cave-dwelling fish being
sold at the Chatuchak weekend market in Bangkok.
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Visa for U.S. transit
- August 3, 2003
Thais will now need a visa even to transit through the U.S.--for
instance, a Thai traveler needs a visa even if they have a 2-3
hour layover to catch another flight. There's a FAQ
on the travel.state.gov site (the FAQ suggests the reader check
the travel.state.gov site for more info... which leads them
back to the same FAQ). There's also info on the Homeland
Security site.
First Flight
- August 3, 2003
Ashley points out: First
Flight
- The Movie (in
Thai). These pages are part so the Thai
Flying Club site. Ever wondered where ultralight airstrips
are in Thailand? This site lists them all and has aerial photos
of each one. Also how to build your own airstrip in Thailand.
Thai
flag blows graciously nationwide - MCOT,
August 1, 2003
Nothing special about the article--we just like the title.
Tall buildings -
August 1, 2003
Future
World's Tallest Buildings & Bangkok
- Building Sketches in Comparison - Note that the Thai Farmer's
bank building is not even in the top 10...
B2.1bn
tunnel deal signed - Bangkok Post,
July 31, 2003
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is paying 2.1 billion
baht for a company to drill a 5.3-kilometre-long drainage tunnel
between Lat Phrao canal and Phra Khanong.
The
Lebanese loop - July 31, 2003
We first reported the above scam last year, but it's probably
not a bad idea to remind people again. Our story from February
19, 2002: A common ATM scam - Here's
a PowerPoint presentation (622kb zipped)
explaining a common ATM scam in Thai and English. Thanks to
Don Entz for passing it along.
Bob Hope in Thailand
- July 28, 2003
CNN is featuring this Thai-related quip in its story about the
late comedian. Hope addressing US troops in Thailand: We're
in Nam Fon, Thailand--which means "you've only got one,
so keep it close to the ground."
Twilight
of the Bangkok Governor - The Nation,
July 26, 2003
Thursday was the third anniversary of Samak's governorship.
He distributed 20,000 copies of a 70-page report on his third-year
performance, citing various obstacles that had prevented him
from solving several chronic problems.
"It's not necessary to boast about my achievements, as
it is my responsibility," Samak said on Thursday. The governor
said he did not want to put further effort into solving the
problems.
"I don't have to do anything next year," he said.
"People are going to criticise me anyway. And I don't have
anything to worry about, even my popularity. I don't see any
reason to run for re-election."
Child
slavery on the streets - Bangkok
Post, July 24, 2003
In case you didn't know: when you buy stuff from child vendors,
you are buying from slaves.
The Forensic Museum
- CNN, July 24, 2003
Rapee Boonplueang points out an article on Bangkok’s
museum of the macabre: One baby boy is displayed as an
example of hydrocephalus, a condition in which the head becomes
too large for the body to support. Somboon explained, "We
asked the parents -- 'Can we keep the body? Then if you miss
him, you can come and see him.' They said OK, and so we have
him." ..."It's not available in our own country,"
he said. "It's very definitely not what you see in other
museums." See it now. This is the kind of folksy museum
that is sure to be sanitized or even closed eventually...
Mars
getting closer by the day - July 21, 2003
It's a bright reddish star that is visible after 10:30pm in
the eastern Bangkok sky... Articles: The
Summer of Mars: What You'll See, How to Observe & The
10 Best Mars Images Ever
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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The Post had a funny article
about Mars two years ago during another close pass:
Learn astronomy with the Bangkok Post
- June 24, 2001 From Conor Bracken: Bangkok Post
had a lead article about Mars' proximity to the earth
("Stargazers view Mars at its closest point,"
June 24, 2001). Nice to see them giving scientific events
some priority. But then they concluded with "In
another two years, Mars will come to within 55.7 million
km of Earth, the closest in at least 5,000 years. At
that time, NASA is preparing to land astronauts on the
planet for the first time." Full
article on the Bangkok Post website.
Left: A three minute exposure of
Mars in the foot of the constellation Ophiuchus at about
10:30 pm on June 23, 2001.
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
The Sathorn boat
- July 21, 2003
Last week we asked: An ornamental boat being constructed around
a pillar on Sathorn Road. Anyone know what this is about?
Wisarut Bholsithi writes: The steel ship you see at South
Sathon Road is a Chinese junk (or Dragon Ship translated from
Chinese characters) since the area from South Sathon to Thanon
Tok was in the Yannawa District before Yannawa Districtt was
broken into the Sathon district, Yannawa district, and Bang
Kholaem district in 1995. The name of Yannawa is derived from
a pagoda with the shape of Chinese junk constructed at Wat Yannawa
(a temple visible from Saphan Taksin Skytrain Station) by the
Royal command of King Rama III (the King who had been
dealing with traders in China since he was a prince). Yan
means vehicle Nawa mean relating to the sea, thus Yannawa
is "the vehicle realting to the sea - the ship"
King Rama III decided to construct the pagoda with the shape
of the Chinese junk because he had seen that the Western steamships
were going to replace the obsolete Chinese junks. The pagoda
with the shape of junks would remind later genrations about
the shape of Chinese junks which had been used in trading for
hundreds of years. Later generations decided to make a steel
replica of Chinese junk as the way to remind that this area
used to be within the Yannawa district.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Caesar's Entertainment
- July 19, 2003
Thailand's knockoff Caesar's Entertainment (first mentioned
on 2Bangkok.com in January, 2001) has finally come to the attention
of the real Caesar's
Palace in the U.S. The U.S. Caesar's attempted to open a
new website only to find that the Thai Caesar's owns Caesarsentertainment.com.
The
article about it refers to Caesar's as a "Thai Bath
House" and humoursly mentions the site features pictures
of welcoming female attendants and promises "more than
Jacuzzi ... where the happiness ... is not..end..."
Unblockthailand.tk
- July 18, 2003
We received this today: www.unblockthailand.tk
is a Non Profit organization created to stop the Government
of Thailand from blocking, censoring and filtering websites.
We believe that education and a better understanding of the
Internet are essential for a positive progress of the cyber
world.
One of the fears is that blocking is intended as a first step
in a wider censorship of the internet that authorities have
already threatened to do for some time. There is already been
a blocking mechanism in place. For instance, www.pulo.org (the
Patani separatist site) has been blocked for at least a year.
Countries
that exempt Americans from the World Court
- July 18, 2003
Thailand is among 55 countries that have signed an agreement
to exempt the U.S. from the International Criminal Court
Visas,
residence permits face big price jump in Aug
- Bangkok Post, July 18, 2003
Application for visa extension 1,900 baht, Application for
a multiple re-entry permit 3,800 baht... Fee increases are
threatened every other year or so, but never seem to happen.
The article is vague... it's not clear how close signing a "ministerial
regulation" is to the implementation of the fees.
Notes on the National
Stadium - July 16, 2003
Wisarut Bholsithi writes: Even though the Indian journalists
praised our stadiums at Huamark, Suphan Buri and Chiangmai as
looking excellent (see below), old stadiums like the
National Stadium (built in 1937 and opened in 1940 on the former
palace of Crown Prince Vajirunahit - the first Crown Prince
who passed away in 1894 at the age of 17 - AKA Hor Wang or the
Siamese replica of Windsor Palace) looked dilapidated after
the 1998 Asian Games due to the lack of allocated funds compared
to Huamark Stadium which has a large budget. National Stadium
has been used for domestic sports since 1940 and for hosting
international sports since 1959. Stadiums at Klong Hok, Lam
Lookka, and Pathumthani remain unfinished due to scandals.
India
admires Thailand's 'rich' sports infrastructure
- The Hindu, July 3, 2003
...Even India cannot boast of such a track record, despite
being the `economic super power' of this continent. What makes
Thailand such a destination for major and World-level competitions?
Its dynamism and its ability to create such fantastic infrastructure
throughout the country. While travelling in the bus for practice
session at the main stadium the Indian coach G.E. Sridharan
said "I have been to this country as a player and coach
for so long I can say that they are just fantastic. Even if
you go 700 kms away from Bangkok you will find the same neat
roads, compact indoor stadiums of international specifications
in various colleges and the commitment to conduct such big events
to show others that they are the best.'' Thailand does not need
the massive and marvellous indoor stadiums like in Delhi, Hyderabad,
Chennai...
The
massage parlour scandal - July
15, 2003
Revolution in Laos?
- July 14, 2003
Small-scale
fighting taking place in Laos - AFP, July 14, 2003
Small-scale fighting has broken out in Laos, Thai and Vietnamese
sources said, a day after a US-based Lao exile group claimed
pro-democracy forces had begun a "revolution" to
topple the communist regime.
Factfinding.org
- Website of one of the groups involved in the uprising (the
website is apparently run by Georgie Szendrey, a California-based
activist for Lao and Hmong rights)
Vientianetimes.com
also has various articles on the uprising
Thailand
to pursue 'Tourism Capital of Asia' status
- Asia Travel Tips, July 11, 2003
What's being planned...
Thai
Airways International cuts ground handling charges by half
- Asia Travel Tips, July 10, 2003
This is a big factor in keeping Thailand an aviation hub in
the region...
Interesting concept for an urban urinal
- July 10, 2003
1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
<- This last one is cool because it shows the unit can
retract completely into the sidewalk.
Odds and ends
Time to catch up on some notable links:
Thais
in the 'hood - June 27, 2003, The
Nation
Article about “Province 77,” a film about about life
in Thai Town, USA. "For many Thai people, America is
a dreamland," says Smith. "It's only when they get
there that reality hits."
Where
are all the teachers? - June, 2003,
Ajarn.com
Ruminations about why local schools can no longer fill vacancies
for teachers.
African
bushman from The Gods Must Be Crazy dies
- July 7, 2003
An actor familiar to Thai audiences from commercials and Chinese
films: ...N!xau's career took a zany twist with his appearance
in several Hong Kong action films and the Chinese film The Gods
Must be Funny. In one of the films, the spirit of Bruce Lee
takes over N!xau's character. After his film career petered
out, N!xau returned home to a newly built brick house. He tended
his cattle and raised corn and pumpkins.
Shrinking Trink -
July 7, 2003
Don Entz points out the ever dwindling Trink column in the
Bangkok Post. Years ago, the column was two full pages,
then cut to one. When it was cut from one to a half page, Trink
compared it to Moses having to cut the 10 Commandments to 5.
Now it has shrunk even further to a few columns and is typically
made up a single long email a reader sends to Trink. Believe
it or not, as recently as the early 1990s, Trink was the guy
feminists used to rant about for reporting on the bar/hooker
lifestyle. These
days his weekly article consists of three columns of unattributed
email about the health-benefits of bananas: Bananas help people
trying to give up smoking and cure hangovers, and can reduce
strokes by as much as 40%, etc. Trink ends the banana piece
with: ...Presumably I'll get another flood of mail taking
me to task for re-printing yet more urban legends. Oh, well...
Past Bangkok Post-promoted urban
legends are here.
High-speed
experimential travelator debuts in Paris
- BBC, July 5, 2003
The prototype carries passengers the length of Montparnasse
station at 9km/h - three times as fast as normal travelators,
and about the average speed of a Paris bus... new users also
appear every day, and a small proportion promptly fall and hurt
themselves. Don't miss the interesting animated guide to
how it works.
From yesterday -
July 4, 2003, 1:05pm
Right: Smoke from a fire somewhere in the Pradonam area... |
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com) |
|
"Your bag was among
those selected for physical inspection."
- July 1, 2003
Our webmaster, Ron Morris, writes: In case you didn't know,
travelers to the U.S. are "advised" to leave their
checked baggage unlocked for inspection. If it is not unlocked,
officials from the Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) can break into it. Bags that have been searched this
way are easy to spot on the baggage carousel--they are crudely
wrapped up in clear packing tape and often have clothes or
other objects are sticking out of the edges of the bag. The
TSA leaves a card (right) inside your bag informing you it
was searched and that they are not liable if they had to break
the locks on the bag. The card includes a phone number. When
you call the number, it is just an answering machine inviting
callers to leave suggestions.
Last time I traveled to U.S., my bag was searched in this
way. I later found that the cable for my digital camera had
either been lost or stolen (it probably dropped out during
the search as it was the last thing I packed and it was on
top). I was told by the airline and airport that there was
nothing to do to get it back. I left a message with the TSA,
but never received a response.
On the way back my bags were searched again. I was surprised
to find that helpful government officials had locked both
locks on my suitcase. The funny thing is that I have never
had a key for the locks. I spent the next two hours prying
and sawing open my suitcase.
Apparently theft by the TSA is a major problem and the Washington
Post
has an article about it. It is the same old story--the
TSA has not done background checks on 22,000 of its baggage
screeners and is not sure if it is liable if its employees
steal: When John Latta flew to Reagan National Airport
from Miami last month, he discovered that a $1,000 pair of
binoculars was missing from his checked luggage. "What
can I do?" he asked an airline agent who took a report.
Her answer, Latta said, was: "Nothing. Zero."
Right: Card the TSA leaves
inside bags it inspects.
|
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com) |
|
