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| Weekend edition, January 10-11, 2009 |
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Boonyuen Thai lèse majesté alleged offender convicted for 12 years - Prachathai, January 6, 2009
...The defendant was accused of attempting to insult or using slanderous words against the Heir Apparent, the act of which might impair the reputation of the Heir Apparent or expose him to hatred or contempt by public, while she was addressing a large audience at Sanam Luang with the use of an amplifier.
...In the case of Ms. Darunee Chancherngsilpakul, aka “Dar Torpedo”, charged by public prosecutors of Department of Special Litigation 7, with insulting or threatening the King and Queen, the Court has scheduled examination of prosecution witnesses between 23-25 June 09 and defence witnesses on 26-30 June 09. |
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Censorship and madness in Thailand - UPI, January 8, 2009
...Then there are opinion pieces like the one in Matichon Daily last month urging friends or relatives of someone showing signs of listening to the king's critics to take the person promptly for psychological treatment... |
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Cambodia protests against Thailand in the "Jupiter Cruise" affair - Cambodge Soir Hebdo, January 8, 2009
...269 tourists including 257 Cambodian were denied access to Thailand on Christmas Day even though they hold proper visas and passports, the Cambodian ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated on 08 January.
...The British skipper of the cruise ship was informed by the Thai authority that his passengers were not authorized to enter Thailand, unless they [each] post a $1,500 bond deposit that they can collect back after three months just in case any of these passengers cause "trouble" in Thailand... |
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
Alcohol-free Krathin - December, 2008
It reads: Alcohol-free Krathin merit-making [ceremony where robes are offered to monks] -
Safe trip -
Thai Health Promotion Foundation
[This is a campiagn promoting drivers not to drink alcolhol during the " Krathin" merit-making period. This is when robes are offered to monks. Normally, merit-makers travel to make merit at temples including trips outside Bangkok. The message tells drivers to mind driving without having alcolholic drinks to have safe trip.] |
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Maps in French - January 10, 2009
Thanks to Wisarut for pointing these out.
French map published in 1928 showing the Bangkok tramway route which was modified in 1927-1928 by Royal Decree expanding Dusit Palace area to have western border at Samsen Road and a southern end at Sri Ayutthaya Road
Indochina Railway Plan published in 1930 (even though the info about the Siamese Railway is not later than 1921).
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When it comes to cash, a Thai village says, 'baht, humbug!' - Wall Street Journal, January, 2009
...Decorating their money with children's sketches of water buffaloes and Buddhist temples, the villagers conceived it as a do-it-yourself attempt to protect themselves from the whiplash of vast outflows of speculative money which undermined local currencies and threw Thailand -- and much of Asia -- into recession in 1997-98.
At the time, some villagers faced questioning before Thailand's central bank and were accused by local government officials of plotting a secessionist revolt... |
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District court to hear detainee case -
The Washington Independent, January, 2009
...Almost six years ago, while on a business trip in Thailand, Amin Al Bakri was abducted on his way to the Bangkok airport. For months, his wife and three children at home in Yemen had no idea where he was... |
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Foreign investment in Myanmar soars: official figures - Indopia, January 6, 2009
Foreign investment in military-ruled Myanmar nearly doubled in the first 10 months of last year, with the bulk coming from Chinese-backed mining projects, official figures showed today... |
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| Thursday, January 8, 2009 |
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| Wednesday, January 7, 2009 |
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The gang of 4 “Ps”- The new influential base of the Democrat-led government protectors? - translated and edited from
Matichon, December 24, 2008
The 4 men whose their initial letters begin with “P” and are influential as Army high-ranked officers and police in the time of the Democrat-led government are Defense Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan, Army Commander in Chief General Anupong Paojinda [initial letter of his nickname-“Pok”], Region 1 Army Commander Lieutenant-General Prayuth Janocha and re-appointed National Police Chief General Patcharawat Wongsuwan [nickname Pod]. |
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The 4 men are now playing important roles in maintaining the stability of the Democrat-led government criticized as being backed by the Army. The 4 “Ps” men are known comrades who shared friendship and kinship. This made the 4 are to be under close watch as their roles and power in Army and National Police headquarter involves greatly with the soundness of the ruling Democrat Party. |
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Prime Ministers - January 7, 2009
Besides the plethora of font types, sizes and colors, the Thai government cabinet website continues to show unusually worded reasons for Prime Ministers leaving office. |
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(Source: Matichon)
Sawasdee the year 2009 - Matichon, December 31, 2009
Sawasdee [Welcome] the year 2009
Welcome New Year 2009 despite being shocked
As last year was the year of struggles to death
Many died and many suffered injuries
From the lacking of wisdom
May this new day of the new year and the new [political] pole
Maintain good values and survive
Without regard to political poles that is less important than the public’s severe mourning
And get rid of the entrenched corrupted generation
And get rid of the leeches
To serve even in the time of poorness
As men who are born equally
To make Thailand the land of no slavery where money simply buys everything
With concern about the bad results that return to the bad people
And learn to become the people of no slavery
More 2009 New Year's cartoons to coming soon...
Earlier: New Year's
cartoons 2004 - "Say goodbye to the cruel monkey year!"
Earlier: New year's cartoons 2008 |
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Khmer culture and the Thai people - KI, January 1, 2009
The Thai people have copied Khmer culture, adopted and practised it as a new culture to build a brand new society on the lands of the ex-Khmer territories and developed Thailand into a more advanced and prosperous country than Cambodia, which is the original owner of the culture and the land... |
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36 hours in Siem Reap, Cambodia - NYT, December 26, 2008
As captivating as the temples of Angkor may be, Cambodia's scorching sun, gritty air and pot-holed roads inevitably take their toll on even the hardiest travelers. Perhaps it's by necessity, then, that Siem Reap, the town that lodges and feeds Angkor's million annual visitors, has evolved into a chic haven of rest and relaxation... |
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Cambodia's first rock opera now banned In Cambodia - Arts Journal, January 2, 2009
Where Elephants Weep, a sort of post-Khmer Rouge Romeo and Juliet -crossed-with- Rent, was developed in Massachusetts in 2007 and played Phnom Penh last month. But Cambodia's Supreme Sangha Council of Buddhist Monks has persuaded the government to ban the show from television...
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| New Year Edition, December 31, 2008-January 4, 2009 |
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| Which hi-so, connected family will get off scot free for this? - January 1, 2008
(Photo: Manager website)
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New Year's postcard 1957 - January 1, 2009
It reads: New Year's Card 1957 - May people who respect their families find happiness, success and be blessed with eight wishes, which include long lives, good social class, and good health - Pol. Maj. Gen. Pracha Buranathanit and wife
Captions under photos (left to right): Prapathomchedi, Royal Police Cadet Academy - Huai Charakae - Nakorn Prathom, and Prapratone |
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(Photo: Manager)
"Privileged thieves" banner - December 31, 2008
The words written on the UDD stage banner on December 29, 2008 are “Abhisit-chon-jora.” The word “abhisit” in Thai means “privileged”. The word “chon” means man or group and the word “jon" or "jora” means “thief”. Therefore the words refers to a privileged group or privileged thieves. This apparently refers to PM Abhisit whose name also means privileged.
However, a photo of the King and Queen are placed on the banner along with the words. Some have criticized this as breaking with tradition as placing photos of King and Queen is supposed to be thoughtfully considered.
Phutjatkhan always makes the most of these kinds of perceived slights. An article on their website explains: Part of the UDD stage was revealed to have the picture of Their Majesties King and Queen on the stage background where there was also written improper words with the meanings of “privileged group” and “thief.” Concerning the placement of the royal picture close to such words, this case was widely criticized by many political activists and academics, including the Interior Ministry advisor on national security, senators and also the People’s Network against Corruption Board Chairman Weera Somkwamkid. Furthermore, the case is criticized as a possible lese majeste case. |
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Our pick of the flicks and flops - Sydney Morning Herald, December 28, 2008
...It's the other way round in Hollywood, where CG image-making has almost killed the creativity. One of the most interesting stories I heard this year was that audiences in Thailand have become so hostile to overblown effects that they now advertise "No CGI" on the posters for some movies... |
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Burma's Stilwell Road: A backbreaking WWII project is revived - Los Angeles Times, December 29, 2008
More than 1,100 American troops died building the road in what is now Myanmar. Today China and some in India see the long-neglected route as their lifeline. It was a road some said couldn't be built. Most of the men ordered to make it happen were African American soldiers sorted into Army units by the color of their skin... |
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| Monday-Tuesday, December 29-30, 2008 |
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Dream selling policy - Ban Muang, Cartoon Tasana, Big Baang by Tid Num, December 16, 2008
"Dream selling policy"
Left: Past: Love to sell dream
Middle: Present: He is still hooked up to it
Right: It’s no need to sell the future
[This is a hard one to explain. If you can come up with a better explanation, please post on the 2B Forum.
The "dream selling policy" refers to a government policy that is announced, but the government does not seriously follow through on.
In the first frame, it is said that, in the past, Abhisit likes promoting his dream policies. The second frame, it says he still addicted to selling these dream policies.
The third frame warns that Abhisit will be thrown out of the hot seat of being PM if he is not able to deliver on these dreams.] |
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Worst slump in decades for Thai tourism - International Herald Tribune, December, 2008
From empty sun loungers at luxury hotels to vacant bar stools in dingy saloons, tourism in Thailand is going through its worst slump in decades... |
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Thailand's quiet survivor - Guardian, December, 2008
...Nevertheless, some western commentators' views still seem to be influenced by Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I. It is as if the last two years of political turmoil were an oriental version of the English civil war, a battle between Roundheads and Cavaliers, parliamentarians and royalists. Nothing could be further from the truth... |
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It’s confirmed, there’s trouble brewing - Malaysia Star, December, 2008
...The 21-year-old singer’s “pregnancy” ordeal started after celebrity fortune teller Mor Krit Confirm (whose trademark is ending his predictions with the word “confirm”) confirmed that Lydia was pregnant.
Mor Krit’s prediction fanned the soosip (Thai slang for gossip) on Lydia and the nature of her relationship with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who recently divorced Pojaman, his wife of 32 years.
The tabloid speculated that Thaksin had split up with the mother of his three children so that he could marry Lydia and raise her baby... |
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Shameful case of forgotten political prisoner - The Age, December 19, 2008
Why is Harry Nicolaides not as famous as Salman Rushdie? Is it because his novel Verisimilitude sold only seven copies? Perhaps it is because his work mentions Thai royalty rather than Allah and Mohammed. Or maybe it is because Nicolaides, an Australian teacher and aspiring writer, is locked up in a country that is generally friendly towards Australians... |
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| Weekend edition, December 27-28, 2008 |
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Abhisit comments from 1994 - Bangkok Post, December 25, 1994
Interesting opinions from the Abhisit from Christmas Day 1994 |
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EXCLUSIVE: Harry's cry of despair from jail - Neos Kosmos, December 24, 2008
...Will I be haunted by the memories? Will the stench of rotting garbage ever leave my nose? Will I always walk with my head bowed, looking to avoid stubbing my toes? Will the grime that has stained my skin ever wash away? It's been so long since I've had a cold drink or a hot shower, or food at the right temperature. I have not used a spoon, or fork or plate for three months. I eat out of plastic bags. I am sick of sitting, standing and kneeling on concrete...
Police official files third complaint against journalist for allegedly
insulting monarchy - IFEX, December 24, 2008
..."It is time for prosecutors and investigators in Thailand to immediately drop these outrageous and punitive charges against our colleague Jonathan Head," said Bob Dietz, CPJ's Asia program coordinator. "Head's reporting has raised important questions about Thailand's deteriorating political situation and he should be allowed to report without fear of official reprisals."
Head told CPJ that investigating police officials had requested a DVD recording of a Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) (http://www.fccthai.com ) event on December 9 titled "The State of Politics and the Way Forward for Thailand", at which members of a pro-government group made reference to Head's reporting. The FCCT announced today that it was suspending sales of that particular event's recording. In an e-mail statement, the FCCT's executive board said that "DVD recordings of Club events had been misused by certain individuals with their own agendas, in a way that compromises the free speech values the media community and the FCCT stand for..." |
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Thailand: Documents offer look at big tobacco's tactics - Sin Chew Jit Poh, December 22, 2008
...In the Thai study, University of Sydney's Ross MacKenzie and University of Edinburgh's Jeff Collin allege that Philip Morris scientist Roger Walk was able to lecture and organize conferences at the Thai government-funded Chulabhorn from the early 1990s to at least 2006.
The researchers say this allowed Philip Morris to develop relationships with key officials and scientists in efforts to discount the threat of secondhand smoke... |
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"A message from your king" - December 25, 2008
The Nation has this pecuilar "A message form your king" that leads to some sort of viral advertising website. |
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Jingle bells unheard in Thailand until Santa shops child abuser - Andrew Drummond, December 19, 2008
...Thailand's education authorities have been duped once again, this time by a man with a record dating back 45 years for sexually abusing children, who ran a child-sex tourism operation for profit under their noses.
The widespread abuses committed by Canadian John Wrenshall are so mind boggling it comes as no surprise this time that the U.S. authorities chose to arrest him somewhere from which he could easily be deported for trial... |
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Development policies as bad as the tsunami, survivors say - The Nation, December 25, 2008
...Many local people without identity cards to prove they were Thai citizens - officially "stateless" but who had lived in areas for a long time - were also forced to leave. Sea gypsies such as Urak Lawoi and Moken ethnic groups were among those now facing settlement insecurity.
"Some people have lived in Thailand for up to 50 years. Yet, because they have no right to register their births, they have no other basic rights. When they are harassed, they cannot even lodge a complaint with police," Maitree said.
Currently, there were lawsuits seeking to evict up to 2,258 families in 28 communities... |
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Why are they all so scared of being opposition leader? - The Nation, December 25, 2008
..."The opposition has robbed us of our MPs. We will get them back somehow," Thaksin told a group of red-shirted supporters in the North earlier this week.
To him, MPs are like personal belongings. They don't represent their constituencies. They belong to the man who "owns" them. That's why they can be bought and sold. And, if you are not careful, they can also be stolen.
The following day, Snoh Thientong, leader of the Pracharaj Party, who has been serving as Thaksin's nominee in the fight to win back the "stolen" MPs, used an even stronger term. He told reporters that the Democrat Party had "hijacked" MPs from his side. And all efforts are being exerted to force them back where they belong... |
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| Tuesday-Friday, December 23-26, 2008 |
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Google Zeitgeist Thailand - December 24, 2008
It reads: The year 2008 is the year of change for Thais. Certainly, many use Google to search for information about this change. The fastest rising key words are also the wordings associated with the royal monarch such as the song “Saeng Nung” (One Light) composed in honor of Her Royal Highness Galyani Vadhana, the late princess. The other fastest rising words are words related to the popular social networking website Hi5. Tourism in the country is another topic that greatly attracts peoples' interest. The search reveals that the hill resort Pai becomes more popular. Entertainment and showbiz is another topic interesting to Thais. This can be proved by the searching of names of superstar such as Lula Mario and the recently passed away country singer Yodrak. We collect the fastest rising words below. The words are recorded as most searched for words of the year 2008. Explore and share the zeitgeist or the soul of time of Thailand in the year 2008!
Fastest Rising
1. Code hi5
2. Decorate hi5
3. imeem
4. skin
5. hi5
6. music code
7. TV watch
8. TV
9. Music download
10. “Puan jai noi” song
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Most Popular
1. Music
2. Game
3. Listen music
4. job
5. hi5
6. picture
7. car
8. download
9. home
10. mp3
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Royalty
1. Sang Nung song
2. HM King’s sister
3. King Rama V
4. Chakri Dynasty
5. Mother Day
6. Royal Household Bureau
7. Royal project
8. self sufficiency economy
9. royal works
10. HM King’s picture |
Olympics
1. Beijing 2008 Olympics
2. Olympics torch relay
3. Olympics international boxing
4. Olymp.ics weight lifting
5. Olympics gold medal
6. medal prize summary
7. swimming
8. Gae Prapawadee
9. Manus Boonjamnong
10 Somjit |
Fastest raising words about local celebrities
1. Lula
2. Jeeja
3. Aon
4. Yodrak
5. Mario
6. Note Udom
7. Four
8. Dome
9. Toey
10. Peoy
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Fastest raising words about local destinations
1. Pai
2. Hua Hin
3. Cha-um
4. Pattaya
5. Wang Nam Khiew
6. Khud Island
7. Ancient City (Muang Boran)
8. Samet Island
9. Chang Island
10. Phuket |
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Thai references: "Why do they call them 'Thai fighters?'" - December, 2008
Left: The "Thai fighter" from the Family Guy episode "Blue Harvest" |
Right: Thai restaurant from the South Park episode: "Butters' Very Own Episode" |
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| Weekend edition, December 20-21, 2008 |
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The Phea Thai Party - Matichon, December 16, 2008
It reads: The Phea Thai Party for the future of Thailand and the happiness of the whole nation. The Phea Thai Party is the newly founded political party that holds a vision to learn and be aware of the past, being happy at present and paves a bright and well-to-do future for every Thai.
The principle is learning from the Thai Rak Thai, both from success and mistakes in the past to create a new future for Thailand and our next generation for the happiness of the whole nation amid the economic crisis in present world. We invite everyone who is ready to serve the nation and the people to join as party members. The applicants are required to be qualified and have visions as to following:
1. Holding tight to the constitutional monarchy
2. Opposing coups both the military coup or the coup by judicial power or independent organizations as tools to destroy politics abusing of power of the people
3. Detest injustice and the persecution of the dictatorship
4. Respect the decision of the majority of the people and law
5. Love the people and ready to devote oneself for the people
Those who are fully qualified according to the law as MP candidates with the 5 principles above are invited to apply at the Phea Thai Party...
The Phea Thai party logo (below) is a combination of the Thai Rak Thai logo (above left) and the People Power Party logo (above right).
Earlier: 2007:
Introducing the People Power Party |
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Fake banknotes flood city as recession grips - Bangkok Post, December 19, 2008
Thousands of counterfeit banknotes, particularly 1,000-baht bills, are likely to go into circulation over the New Year period, the Bank of Thailand (BoT) warned yesterday... |
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| Thursday, December 18, 2008 |
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Large lower lip - Khao Sod, December 16, 2008
This cartoon shows new PM Abhisit (seated) with a protruding lower lip.
A big lower lip is the physical trademark of government partner Newin (standing behind Abhisit). |
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(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
We want a bonus! - December 16, 2008
At the Ministry of Labor, more than 200 employees of Cobra International Company in Chonburi gathered to stage a protest after their company refused to pay an annual bonus in the amount being requested by the employees.
(Photo: 2Bangkok.com)
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Australian author stuck in Thai jail - The Age, December 7, 2008
...Nicolaides, who has been in jail since his arrest, won't have another hearing until January 19 next year.
"Well, I think it's about time the Australian government put Harry Nicolaides' human rights before its relationship with the Thai government," Mr Dean told the Seven Network.
Nicolaides' brother Forde (Forde) said the family had petitioned the federal government, claiming it was doing nothing to assist... |
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