News and Views
JUNE-JULY 2004
Bike
lanes
- July 10, 2004
Another
reason for bike lanes
- Bangkok Post, July
10, 2004
...What the experts have
failed to note is the fact
that past and present transport
plans have catered mainly
to the car-owning middle
and upper classes, giving
the needs of lower income
groups secondary attention.
Building road networks and
expressways is obviously
for the benefit of those
who can afford cars, while
the commuter rail system
has been priced beyond the
reach of most workers.
...But this city probably
has one of the worst footpath
networks in the world. Footpaths
have been taken over mostly
by vendors and shophouses,
and are often raided by
motorcycles, making walking
both inconvenient and hazardous.
Even without the vendors,
most of them are more like
obstacle courses than ways
for people to walk, what
with electricity and telephone
poles and booths and the
uneven surface and sewer
holes. As for biking, the
existing bike lanes are
nearly not worth mentioning.
Few of them are of real
use either because they
are way out of community
areas or are so fragmented
that they lead nowhere.
Biking on main roads can
be life-threatening...
New
roads in suburbs to have
bicycle lanes to cut congestion
- Bangkok Post, July
10, 2004
The city administration
plans to build bicycle lanes
along most of 28 new roads
in Bangkok's suburbs to
promote cycling as a means
to help ease traffic congestion
and air pollution.
...Under the city's plan,
25 out of 28 new roads will
have bike lanes on both
sides. They will feed the
skytrain and subway networks
expected to be completed
in about six years.
One route, for example,
will be built on Phahon
Yothin road from Saphan
Mai to Vacharapol road and
ends at Nimit Mai road in
Min Buri.
...Mr Somsak blamed the
failure of the city's existing
bike-lane projects on substandard
construction and lack of
facilities to serve cyclists.
For example, cyclists have
to share the bike lane along
Prachachuen road with pedestrians.
"We used to provide
a bike lane, with bicycles
on loan for residents on
Navamin road. It went well
until the bikes were stolen,"Mr
Somsak said...
Thai
expats mob Thaksin -
The Age, July 7,
2004
...Suddenly all restraint
was gone as cameras flashed
and the crowd surged towards
the man they had come to
see.
There was little the hefty
security guards could do
to keep a protective ring
around the figure in their
charge.
He was clearly enjoying
meeting his fans, posing
for photographs and shaking
the hands of his admirers.
But this was no spunky movie
star or muscled sports hero.
The Prime Minister of Thailand,
Thaksin Shinawatra, had
arrived.
Secret
repatriations-
July 7, 2004
Thailand
sends alleged raiders for
trail in Laos - Radio
Free Asia, July 6, 2004
Thai authorities have
repatriated 16 Lao nationals
to face trial at home for
allegedly robbing a Lao
border post in 2000, Radio
Free Asia (RFA) reports.
The move comes six months
after a Thai appeal court
threw out a Lao extradition
request and ordered the
men freed within 48 hours...
All 16 men were removed
from the Immigration Detention
Center in Bangkok on Sunday,
July 4, and taken under
guard to Oubol in southern
Thailand, Thai and Lao...
Laos
Dissidents Secretly Repatriated
from Thailand, Rule of Law
Undermined; Black List Agreement
May Target Hmong, Says CPPA
- U.S. Newswire,
July 6, 2004
Sixteen surviving Lao
and Thai dissident and rebel
leaders who participated
in the Ban Vang Tao cross-border
raid that occurred at a
Thai-Lao border crossing
on July 3, 2000, were secretly,
and forcibly repatriated
from Bangkok, Thailand to
the communist regime in
Laos at 6 a.m. (Bangkok
Local Time), Sunday morning,
July 4, 2004.
Heroin
in hotels -
NME, July 4, 2004
[Interesting mention of a
Bangkok hotel allegedly adding
drug charges to the hotel
bill.]
...Doherty was asked to
leave The Libertines after
walking out of a controversial
rehab programme at Thailand’s
Thamkrabok Monastery. Today
he described the experience:
“I’d only come out
of the Priory a couple of
days earlier so I’d been
through all the shakes, vomiting
and (sleepless) nights with
cold turkey. Foolishly I didn’t
do any research about Thailand
before I went, and it was
hardcore.
"On the third day I left
and went to Bangkok. I booked
into a hotel where they offered
room service of heroin with
my bacon and eggs. I told
them I didn’t have any
money but they said I could
have it on tab. I notched
up a £280 bill in three
days. If I’d done the
same amount of brown in England
it would have cost me thousands.”
A longer version of this story
in the
Mirror.
Giant
ballot boxes to attract Bangkok’s
voters -
MCOT, June 30, 2004
This almost sounds like a
news item from The Onion:
... In an effort to overcome
the apparent voter apathy,
the local authorities are
using the world’s biggest
ballot boxes.
To drum up public interest
in the election, Poh Chang
Campus of Rajamangala Institute
of Technology will build the
four of the world’s largest
ballot boxes...
But even more amusing is the
original headline:
Script
of Thai ethnic group refined
- Viet Nam News Agency,
June 29, 2004
[Ed.: Anyone know what
is being referred to in this
article?]
A research team of the
Ha Noi National University
has completed a project aimed
at refining the system of
writing of the Thai ethnic
group.
The Thai script, belonging
to the Sanskrit system, had
been invented long ago and
was used widely in the Thai
people's daily life.
During the 1953-1957 period,
at President Ho Chi Minh's
initiative, linguists collected
various scripts of the Thai
ethnic groups to compile a
unified system of writing.
The system was further improved
in the 1958-1969 period.
With more refinement this
time, anyone who can read
an ancient Thai script will
be able to understand the
unified system of writing,
according to Prof. Doan Thien
Thuat, head of the latest
research project.
Courses on the new Thai script
are being held for officials
of localities with large population
of the Thai people, such as
Mai Chau district of northern
Hoa Binh province, Van Chan
district, Nghia Lo township
in northern Yen Bai province,
and western districts of central
Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces.
Bangkok:
'coolest city on the planet'
- The Telegraph,
July 3, 2004
[Ed.: This is what we
at 2Bangkok.com think!]
The Thai capital has transformed
itself from Asia's bargain basement
into the coolest city on the
planet...
...Not far away, in the Bed
Supper Club, Bangkok's beautiful
people sprawled on white beds
sipping banana daiquiris served
by waitresses in pink ra-ra
skirts. Over in Sirocco, lights
that doubled as wind chimes
led diners to tables from which
they gazed down on the sinuous
Chao Phraya river.
Since my previous visit a few
years back, Bangkok has transformed
itself from Asia's bargain basement
into the coolest city on the
planet. Fortunately it hasn't
stopped offering unbeatable
value along with the improved
quality...
Thankfully, the city has not
lost touch with tradition in
its rush to modernity. One marbled
dawn I hopped on a ferry across
the river from the Peninsula.
In the backstreets life was
already humming. Monks in saffron
robes sought offerings from
hawkers slicing pine-apples,
wrapping sticky rice in coconut
leaves, or assembling piles
of green durian ("tastes
like heaven, smells like hell").
Over in Lumpini Park, people
were starting their day with
foot massages (£4 for
an hour), fan-dancing or working
out at the outdoor gym.
...If there's another capital
that gets as many things right,
I'd like to hear about it.
No
room for 'losers' in new Thailand
- The Age,
July 3, 2004
[Ed.: This article illustrates
how those outside of Thailand
increasingly view the political
situation here--that Thailand
has a new strongman in Thaksin.]
...There is no room for losers
in the Thailand of Thaksin Shinawatra,
who, while deriding the national
soccer team, was busy planning
a public lottery to finance
his personal fancy of buying
a stake in Liverpool Football
Club in England. Those who challenge
the writ of the new strongman
of Asian politics often find
themselves sidelined or unemployed.
Since he was swept to power
in a landslide 3 years ago,
Thaksin has transformed and
energised Thai politics with
his aggressive "can-do"
leadership style, turning a
flagging economy into one of
the success stories of the region,
infusing a moribund bureaucracy
with his modern management credo
and putting Thailand firmly
back on the regional and global
map.
Along the way, the 54-year-old
leader has also ridden roughshod
over the country's nascent democracy,
independent media and legal
institutions, crushing rivals
and hounding critics. His high-profile
campaigns against drug traffickers
and organised criminals have
left thousands dead, while hundreds
more have been killed in an
Islamic insurgency in southern
Thailand inflamed by heavy-handed
security forces...
"This is an ego that wants
to control everything between
the Earth and the Sun."
Two of the men Thaksin admires
most have similar obsessions
- Italian Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi (owner of soccer
club AC Milan) and Harrods department
store chief Mohamed al-Fayed
(owner of Fulham Football Club),
with whom Thaksin often stays
in London, taking sight-seeing
tours in his vintage Rolls-Royce.
...But Thaksin's energy and
enthusiasm mostly enable him
to weather such self-inflicted
accidents. "He remains
irrepressibly optimistic and
confident. He is also engaging,
quick-witted and amusing,"
says a senior regional official.
"He is able to reach out
to the people and they like
him."
Thaksin plotted his political
success with the same precision
that he built his business empire.
A minister in the revolving-door
governments that mismanaged
Thailand through the 1990s,
he saw a window of opportunity
and leapt through it.
...The Thaksin family now controls
more than 10 per cent of stocks
on the Thai exchange, and that
does not include the vast amount
of property and other assets
held in unlisted companies.
Last year, the value of the
family holding company, Shin
Corp, almost quadrupled.
What things
cost -
June 30, 2004
Millions
offered to MP to swap sides:
Chuan (The Nation,
June 30, 2004) ...The Democrat
Party claimed yesterday the
Thai Rak Thai Party was offering
tens of millions of baht –
or even a Cabinet portfolio
– to induce the opposition’s
southern veterans to swap sides.
A Trang MP has been offered
Bt32.4 million, former Democrat
leader Chuan Leekpai said in
a stinging attack on the ruling
party at a Democrat party rally
in Trang, his local province
and considered his stronghold...
Indonesian
parties offer cash before vote
- AP, June
29, 2004
..."I'll go to any rally
as long as they give me money
and T-shirts," Arief said.
"But it won't influence
my choice. I've already decided
to vote for Yudhoyono."
The abandoned
subway -
June 30, 2004
"I just spent the weekend
in my hometown of Cincinnati,
Ohio. In 1925, construction
in Cincinnati
began on a state-of-the-art
subway system for the rapidly
expanding city. Three years
later, money ran out and the
seven miles of completed subway
were abandoned. Since then,
this surreal
underworld has faded into
the city's secret history, with
awareness peaking every so often
when a new plan for the tunnels
is proposed: a fall-out shelter,
a wind tunnel for the university's
engineering students, a venue
for a music festival. Back in
high school, several of my friends
accessed the cavernous stations
for a few exciting evenings
of urban
spelunking. Now though,
legit tours are occasionally
offered. According to this recent
piece on NPR's All Things Considered,
the waiting list is 2,000 people
long."
|
(Photo:
Reiner)
|
Around
the World in 80 Days
movie location
In case
you forgot: In April of
2003 Thonburi Station was
transformed into 'Agra Station'
for the filming of Jackie
Chan's Around the World
in 80 Days.
More photos and news about
Thonburi Station is here.
|
Something
about Thailand in Clinton's book
- The Nation, June 28, 2004
...Clinton wrote that the State
Department, Defence Department and
National Security Council wanted
to extend direct financial aid to
Thailand because it was the oldest
US ally in Southeast Asia.
"So did I, but we let Treasury
make the call. On economics and
in terms of domestic politics it
was the correct decision, but it
sent the wrong message to Thais
and across Asia," Clinton wrote...
Thai officials subsequently expressed
their dissatisfaction with the US
- particularly with Rubin, with
Larry Summers, his deputy, and with
Alan Greenspan, the Federal Reserve
chairman, all of whom maintained
their hawkish stance toward Thailand.
"We received no help from them,
not a single dollar. And they also
backed us into a corner by making
us disclose our international reserves,
which had been completely depleted
by the baht defence," said
a former Bank of Thailand official
in an interview following the baht
crisis. "We were told that
most of the top US people had invested
their money in hedge funds that
attacked the baht. So they had no
incentive to help us."
Spiderman
of India -
June 26, 2004
There is a new version of Spiderman
who roams the streets of Mumbai: Readers
of this series will not see the familiar
Peter Parker of Queens under the classic
Spider-Man mask, but rather a new
hero – a young, Indian boy named
Pavitr Prabhakar. As Spider-Man, Pavitr
leaps around rickshaws and scooters
in Indian streets, while swinging
from monuments such as the Gateway
of India and the Taj Mahal.
Mumbai’s (Bombay’s) first
web-swinging superhero will be joined
by a reinterpretation of the classic
Spider-Man villain, the Green Goblin
-- reinvented as a Rakshasa, an Indian
mythological demon.
Some cool artwork is here.
What would a Thai Spiderman be like?
Should
Thailand go back to the name 'Siam'?
- June 26, 2004
Revival
of `Siam' proposed - Name change urged
to promote peace - Bangkok
Post, June 26, 2004
A former political activist called
on the government to accept the existence
of ethnic Malays by changing the country's
name back to Siam.
Supoj Dantrakul said accepting ethnic
Malays and other ethnic groups was
key to ending unrest in the troubled
South. The 81-year-old recipient of
the Apiwat award was speaking at a
forum on sustainable peace in the
deep South to mark the 72nd anniversary
of the June 24, 1932 revolution.
He said love of one's ethnic origins
and motherland was a key factor contributing
to southern unrest.
Mr Supoj said the current name symbolised
dictatorship and was based on an "outdated"
concept.
"The name 'Thailand' is based
on an obsolete concept of ethnicity.
"The name 'Siam' on the other
hand is up to date, and reflects reality
because it is the land on which people
of various ethnic origins live,"
he said.
Mr Supoj said that statesman Pridi
Bhanomyong was also opposed to the
new name which was adopted by nationalist
leader Field Marshal Plaek Pibulsongkhram.
He said violence in the deep South
was provoked by people whose vested
interests were affected. By this,
he meant operators of underground
businesses and some government agencies
facing budget cuts who would benefit
from the fighting.
"I also mean the 'invisible government'
commonly known as the CIA who makes
the Muslim community look as if they
are violence- and terrorism-prone
in order to justify its war,"
he said.
Anusorn Thamjai, a former student
activist, meanwhile, called for a
second round of political reforms
to promote wider public participation.
Mr Anusorn also urged the government
to recognise the importance of June
24 and declare it a public holiday.
Prisons
and Prisoners
- June 25, 2004
Don Entz points out prisons
and prisoners in Thailand.
On
the forum: Suan Sirikit
- June 25, 2004
The new park at the Tobacco
Monopoly--includes a map of
phase one and two of the project
Right:
Promenade being constructed
in November 2003
|
(Photo:
2Bangkok.com) |
The Nation
changes its page titles -
June 24, 2004
Throughout the internet era, the page
title of The Nation's webpages
has read "Welcome to The Nation."
Yesterday, amid the increasing governmental
pressure on the media that has defanged
its rival, the Bangkok Post,
The Nation changed all its
page titles to read "Bangkok's
Independent Newspaper."
The
first coup and the last absolute
king -
The Nation, June 24, 2004
..."There is turmoil in
Bangkok," Chan said with a
shaky voice while handing a telegram
to the head of the Royal Guard.
The telegram repeated his words
and followed, "…please
take good care of yourself".
"I knew that someone would
stage a coup, but I never expected
that it would come this soon,"
King Prajadhipok said, upon reading
the message...
The
Nation questions the government's
legitimacy - Bangkok Post is
silent - June
21, 2004
It is Monday and that means tough editorials
from The Nation. As it sticks
to its critical portrayals of the government,
The Nation has had its broadcasting
unit, Nation Television, barred from
transmitting via satellite outside of
Thailand. The Nation responds
with two editorials--one signed The
Nation and one by the pseudonymous
Chang
Noi. The Bangkok Post, which
long ago decided to steer clear of direct
criticism of the government, remains
silent.
Tradition
of turning state assets into crony wealth
- The Nation, June 21, 2004
...The new factory for manufacturing
fortunes is privatisation or corporatisation.
The format was set by the sale of 30
per cent of PTT in late 2001. Somehow
the four biggest purchases were secured
by people connected to the government,
namely number 27 on the Thai Rak Thai's
party list, his wife, and relatives
of two Thai Rak Thai Bangkok MPs. Over
the next two years the price of these
shares multiplied five times, much more
than the market average.
This was partly due to a suspiciously
low original price (so low that the
entire offering sold out in two minutes),
and partly to some suspiciously large
short-term surges in value which the
government declined to investigate...
More
power taken from the people - The
Nation, June 21, 2004
...The complete takeover of the Constitution
so that it becomes whatever the government
in power wants it to be? Not only is
the broadcast media now totally in the
hands of the government - and the victim
of its propaganda - but also the administration's
political "cronies" are being
rewarded with manipulated interpretation
of the rules and laws...
The question of fairness is one thing,
the government's legitimacy in handling
these cases is quite another. It means
that the government under this prime
minister is taking away the "power
of the people" and handing it to
select groups of technocrats and business
associates, keeping the public from
expressing its diverse views - all for
its own political gain. What's next
if the government has no legitimacy
as guardian of the Constitution?
French
TV5 flash story on Bangkok -
June 15, 2004
Great use of flash that shows what it is like
to be here. For instance, a photo from the
passenger's perspective in a tuk-tuk along
with sounds of a tuk-tuk motor. It is a report
done in cooperation with local news agency
MCOT and is unusual in all the everyday things
it stresses (like taking a crowded bus or
ferry). It also shows things MCOT usually
does not such as nightlife districts, clubbing,
shots of surly police milling around outside
of nightclubs, etc. In French--click on map
sections on the right.
A tale
of two newspapers: Death of Thanom
- June 19, 2004
While a story in The Nation
states "It
is a Thai custom not to speak ill of anyone
who has just passed away," that
did not keep The Nation from printing
several critical stories about deceased
dictator Thanom Kittikachorn.
While The Nation has story after
story with headlines like THANOM
KITTIKACHORN: 1911-2004: Democracy’s
bitterest foe, Thais
recall life under totalitarian leadership,
and Legacy
of autocracy, the Post had
only one article (besides a small
death notice the day before) that
included a photo of a weeping family member.
As the international press trumpeted Disgraced
former Thai PM Thanom dies at 92,
the Post seemed hesitant to describe
Thanom negatively, stating merely that
he was "Dubbed a tyrant by families
of pro-democracy students crushed in the
uprisings..." This was in an article
several pages inside the front section
that assured in a subheadline that "Kin
hope to lay to rest bitterness of uprisings."
Also Post readers have no editorial
or opinion piece on the passing of one
of the last giants of twentieth-century
Thai political life. Perhaps the Post
will have a longer article or special
over the weekend, but this initial lack
of coverage is indicative of the continuing
dulling of Post political news
reporting.
Family
to publish Thanom's memoirs - Kin hope
to lay to rest bitterness of uprisings
- Bangkok Post, June 18, 2004
...Dubbed a tyrant by families of pro-democracy
students crushed in the uprisings, Thanom,
93, died in hospital in Bangkok on Wednesday
from heart failure and acute blood infection.
Khunying Songsuda Yodmanee, Thanom's daughter,
said her father loved to write about his
life, but he had asked that his work be
kept private for fear of offending others.
THANOM
KITTIKACHORN: 1911-2004: Democracy’s
bitterest foe - The Nation, June
18, 2004
Through oppression, rampant corruption,
political domination and greed, Thanom's
empire inadvertently gave birth to a collective
spirit of freedom that won on Rajdamnoen,
lost at Thammasat and reappeared in May
1992...
Thanom consistently dismissed any responsibility
for the 1976 incident and maintained that
he did not give the order for the 1973 shooting.
Democracy
always outlasts its enemies - The
Nation, June 18, 2004
Field
Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, who died
on Wednesday night, was the last in a
line of Thai military strongmen in the
traditional sense, dictators who saw themselves
as the rightful guardians of the nation
against calamitous threats, real or imagined.
They were the products of the kind of
myths that could elevate politically-savvy
military men to the status of heroes destined
to come to the rescue at critical moments
in a nation's history. For Thanom, who
came to power at the height of the Cold
War, his self-appointed mission was to
defend Thailand against communism.
Thanom, like other military dictators
before him, wielded virtually unlimited
political power, presiding over a regime
festooned with an elaborate form corruption
woven from political power and strands
of personal interest....
Following his disgraceful exit from politics,
Thanom lived another three decades to
witness the youthful and idealistic brand
of democracy that was crushed by military
might on two other occasions, in 1976
and 1992. He has also seen this democracy
spring right back to life after each attempt
to root it out.
Thanom's death severs the last link to
an era when military dictators ruled by
whim. Unfortunately, Thailand's struggle
for a fuller democracy continues to have
no shortage of new enemies.
One for the weird news
- June 18, 2004
Oh, the weird news columns around the globe
are going to love this: Thai
school gives transvestites restroom of their
own
Snubbed by both men and women, transvestite
students at the Chiang Mai Technology School
just wanted a restroom to call their own--and
were granted their wish.
Dubbed the Pink Lotus Bathroom, the facility
is exclusively for the school's 15 transvestite
students and features four stalls, but no
urinals. On the door hangs a sign with intertwined
male and female symbols.
"They would come in the morning and
use the women's bathrooms, but the women
were annoyed, didn't like it or played pranks
on them," said Posaporn Promprakai,
registrar of the school in Chiang Mai province,
about 580 kilometers (360 miles) north of
Bangkok.
The transvestites _ who must wear male attire
at school but are allowed to sport girlie
hairdos--switched to the men's bathrooms,
only to run into more trouble.
"The men teased them, chased them,
and they came screaming and in tears again,"
Posaporn told The Associated Press....
New
world's tallest building located in Dubai
- UrbanPlanet, June 14,
2004
Scheduled for completion in late 2008,
the UAE tower surpassing 2,000 feet will
be the next tallest structure. Such a height
would easily make the tower the world's
tallest building.
"We can acknowledge that it is significantly
taller than 2,000 feet," said Smith,
referring to the residential-hotel project...
Proposed
ban on photos in the NYC subway
- Village Voice, June 7, 2004
...Mike Epstein is not a terrorist, but if
a proposed ban on photography on New York trains
and buses goes into effect, he might very well
find himself treated like one.
|
A tale of two newspapers:
Bangkok governor predictions
- June 10, 2004
As the Post sinks into an ever
more bland, 'just the facts' format (as
if they are printing press releases),
The Nation increasingly spins each
story into an anti-Thaksin piece.
Samak
unlikely to run for second term, says
Thaksin - Predicts independent candidate
will win - Bangkok Post, June
10, 2004
According to Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra, Bangkok governor Samak Sundaravej
will not seek re-election in city polls
scheduled for Aug 29.
Mr Thaksin said yesterday Mr Samak would
not seek a second term, but may not officially
declare his decision.
"To my knowledge, Mr Samak will not
contest the upcoming gubernatorial poll,''
he said.
Mr Thaksin also claimed to know who was
most likely to win the election...
|
Premier’s
comments on election draw flak
- The Nation, June 10, 2004
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said
yesterday that he believes an independent
candidate will win the Bangkok governor
election in August.
Thaksin insisted that his Thai Rak Thai
Party would not enter the race but his party
members were free to support any independent
candidates they chose.
“I know now who Bangkokians will elect...and
the winner will be an independent candidate,”
Thaksin said.
The prime minister said he did not believe
incumbent Samak Sundaravej would run for
a second term...
Democrat Party-list MP Sathit Wongnongtoey
said Thaksin’s comments indicated a
misconception that he could tell Bangkok
residents what to do.
“It’s none of his business to
say so,” Sathit said.
“He has been in power too long and
he believes that the people of Bangkok are
subordinates whom he can command. But he
underestimates the people because they now
know what he’s up to.” |
Call for seaside photos
- June 9, 2004
From a reader: I am a primary school teacher...
a here in Bangkok. This term, in history, I am
teaching a unit taken from the British curriculum
called Seaside Holidays in the Past. The scheme
of work calls for pictures of beach scenes from
(any time) between 1900 and 1970. While this is
perfectly possible for British beaches it has
proved to be a bit more problematic finding appropriate
pictures for the mainly Thai children whom I teach.
I wondered whether you might be able to help me.
I need any 'holiday scenes' at (most likely) Hua
Hin, Bang Saen and or Cha Am - at least I assume
these are the most likely spots. They don't have
to show too much. The idea is that the kids can
compare clothing styles, activities on the beach
and in the water, and types of transport etc.
with what goes on these days.
Back
in 1990 - Ajarn.com, June
13, 2004
Ajarn.com has a great
article that explains exactly what it was
like to live and work in Thailand in 1990--the
convoluted process at immigration, the fact that
no one could get a work permit, the 'tax clearance'
procedure at Revenue Department, and the truly
terrible problems with cross-town travel before
the expressway, Skytrain, and meter taxis:
...The old hands will shudder to recall the
dreaded trips to the Bangkok immigration when
the most basic of visa extensions would require
you to go in three separate rooms on three different
floors. You started off on the ground floor, then
it was off to room 302 to join a large nervous-looking
group of visa applicants all shifting uneasily
on straggly rows of plastic chairs. Everyone waiting
for that magical moment when the officer with
all the medals would beckon you to his desk. There
was no queuing system. There was no losing your
temper but there were all sorts of communication
problems. The immigration officer didn't speak
a word of English, but that was your problem not
his...
...But if the thought of a journey to the Immigration
or the Labor Department had you quaking with fear,
nothing came close to the nightmare of the tax
clearance office. Tax clearance? What the hell
is that I hear you cry? Well, the system was mercifully
abolished in about 1991 but that didn't stop me
needing to perform the duty on three occasions.
Basically for anyone who stayed in the kingdom
longer than 60 days either working or as a long
stay tourist, you had to show the immigration
officer at your departure point that you had either
not been working or had been working and paid
your taxes like a good honest citizen...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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Protest banner
- June 8, 2004
Unusual English-language banner near the
Landmark Hotel protesting government policies.
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Speech style
- June 7, 2004
Occasionally PRD has a good example in English
of the Thai style of speechmaking that locals
hear. 'Prime
Minister Thaksin and The Southern Development'
was given by the PM during his weekly radio address
on May 1. The English version is more of an explanation
of what Thaksin meant rather than a direct translation,
but it shows some characteristics of such speeches
--starting with a historical background, frequent
references to HM The King's projects and views,
emphasis on economic development and government
reforms (via mainly transferring 'bad' officials),
and an assurance that all is under control: …The
government came from people; therefore, the government
will have to do everything so that people can
live peacefully. If there are any un-peaceful
situations, the government must solve them. The
reasons must be discussed. If an un-peaceful situation
happens because of criminals, then the law must
take action. If it is because of a misunderstanding
in policy, then we have to talk…
Taxi
touts at Don Muang - The
Nation, June 7, 2004
The Farang Affiars column in The Nation
humorously points out what several readers have
mentioned to 2Bangkok.com lately: Why are aggressive
touts suddenly being allowed in the arrivals
hall at Don Muang Airport?
The situation is so out of hand, that after
one recent English visitor complained about
the annoying touts to the young lady at the
information counter, she listened patiently
and then asked him if he wanted a taxi...
No
rabies deaths in 2006 -
TNA, June 8, 2004
In case you are interested in the fight against
rabies: ...To date only nine people in nine
provinces have contracted rabies, and the prevention
and current control plan has worked effectively
in reducing the number of deaths from rabies
over the last five years, said the Director-General
of the Disease Control Department, Dr. Charal
Trinvuthipong. Last year 20 people died from
the disease. The Ministry is working towards
a zero tolerance reflected in its "No One
Dies of Rabies" policy...
Cambodia
the new Thailand? -
AFP, June 7, 2004
...Sniffing opportunity, the government and
private investors are lining up to position the
southwestern port town of Sihanoukville as a tropical
getaway, competing with the likes of Thailand's
Phuket and Indonesia's Bali.
"If we compare, the potential is better than
Phuket because of the quality of sand -- it's
white -- and the water is clean. The offshore
islands have coral reefs, there's fishing,"
enthuses city tourism director Teng Huy...
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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'Shit Hits' billboard
- June 5, 2004
Strange billboard on the
northbound expressway to Din Daeng. It appears
to be an ad promoting businesses to rent the
billboard and pointing out the position of
letters is important. A billboard on the other
side says "DOG GOD."
(Thanks to Phil Macdonald of The Nation's
Farang Affairs for his Photoshopping work
on our overexposed original photo.) |
Long twilight
of the Bangkok Governor
- June 7, 2004
Several times in the past, 2Bangkok.com has mentioned
the "Twilight of the Bangkok governor"--how
Governor Samak announced a year ago he would not
do anything in the last year in office.
There were warnings about him before he was elected--warnings
that Samak was part of the old-guard of political
life that considered themselves rulers of the people
and that he was involved in the 1976 massares of
student protesters.
Samak did start off with promises and proposals,
continuing the former governor's Bhichit Rattakul's
more active participation in city development and
planning. However, the city government has no control
of its funding--even collected taxes are held by
the central government and doled out to the city
at its whim. The Bangkok Governor has no choice
but to march to the orders of party in power at
the national level.
It is believed that this lack of atonomy caused
Samak to withdrawl and become cynical. Others speculated
a deal was cut with the Thai Rak Thai party for
Samak to go slow and help pave the way for TRT's
candidate (who by contrast would be responsive to
the public, young, and perhaps a political novice
in contrast to the old political guard Samak represents).
Thaksin had also commented that Bangkok needs a
governor would follow the line of the central government.
But as it ends up, TRT did not field a candidate
(at least not officially). Samak is not blaming
anyone for his inactivity. Maybe he is too much
of a political insider to throw stones. Maybe he
has agreed not to speak up for some reasion. Whatever
the back story, Samak is left with a legacy of sour
defensiveness and practically nothing accomplished
as governor.
Please
leave Governor Samak alone - The Nation,
June 4, 2004
...As Samak's tenure comes to a close next month,
people who voted for Samak are realising they have
been had.
Instead of serving Bangkok diligently, as he pledged
to, Samak has made hapless Bangkok residents work
for him, particularly over the past two years when
he has suddenly taken it easy on himself: no new
policy initiatives, no new projects, and no one
gets to see Samak in the news, except when he scolded
critics who accused him, many would say rightly,
of being inattentive and even lazy.
Samak has become famous for his sarcastic rebuttals.
When motorists complained about flooded streets
that resulted in the mother of all traffic jams,
Samak retorted: "A governor's job does not
involve wading into flood water, pushing stalled
vehicles for the camera"...
Many City Hall observers believe Samak has burned
himself out because too many of his projects have
been scuttled by the Thaksin administration, which
cash-strapped City Hall must rely on as its main
source of funding...
Earlier: 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."
Where is the Last Life in the Universe
house? - June 2, 2004
Above is a screen capture from the incredible film
Last
Life in the Universe (amazing sound design,
brilliant wit, and a unique view of Bangkok life).
Anyone know where the Last Life house is
located?
Gigabyte writes: Weird coincidence that you post
this question today... :-) Here's an answer (dated
25 May 2004 - 6 days ago) to my question about filming
location posted on IMDB a long time ago: "It's
in "BANG POO" in Sa-Mut-Pra-Karn province.
It's not in Bangkok but close. Bang Poo used to
be a place for lovers who search for romantic place
long time ago. And of cause, Bang Poo has "beach".."
So I wouldn't be surprised at all if the house featured
in the movie is also in Samut Prakan.
Piranhas
- June 1, 2004
As world weird news headlines are filled with the
stories of piranhas in the klongs (Deadly
piranhas may have been released into Thai waters,
AFP, May 30, 2004), it should be noted that
twice in the recent past paranoia about piranhas living
in the canals became a short national mania and even
threatened the stability of the government. This happened
both in the 1980s and mid-1990s.
This time, however, there are real reasons to believe
piranhas might have been released into the wild since
the government is cracking down on the wildlife trade
in the runup to the CITES
(Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora) conference in October.
 |
Myanmar's
Black Friday - The
Irrawaddy, May 31, 2004
One year ago dozens,
perhaps hundreds people were killed when armed
thugs, organized by the government, attacked
a National League for Democracy convoy carrying
general-secretary Aung San Suu Kyi outside
the small town of Depayin, Sagaing Division.
Assailants beat NLD members and local residents
with bamboo canes, clubs and iron rods...
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