Newspaper Finds Truth, Rapes It

We all know, Thai newspapers are not for the faint-hearted. Gross front pages showing accident victims torn apart and blood all over are the order of the day. Because there’s a market appreciating violence.

But what about the essentially more subtle handling of violence per se? That’s why this ad below (click to enlarge) can probably only appear in Thailand: “If your boy is getting anally raped by his teacher, we’ll uncover the truth.”

Let’s play “where’s Waldo being violated?”, commented advertising copywriter copyranter.  ”Bangkok daily newspaper Prachachat says that they “see through the truth.” Pretty disturbing visual, though it is Thailand.”

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July 19, 2010 | Filed Under Culture Shock, News & Media, Society | 3 Comments 

We’re Sorry, Thailand.

The TV spot reportedly banned by the Thailiban censors.

Should not be seen on TV? Hypersensitive? Creative reflection anyone?

The ad’s keyphrase: “If there was anyone to blame, it would be all of us.”

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July 19, 2010 | Filed Under Culture & Arts, News & Media, Society | Leave a Comment 

The Vongthip Letter July ‘10

Mending the fences: Thanks to FIFA, Thai football fans put away their politically colored shirts to spend sleepless nights watching the World Cup matches in South Africa. News of favorite teams and players dominated most newspapers and TV screens. An avid football fan himself, PM Abhisit has, however, managed to accomplish most of what he had promised. On 7/6/10 he left for half a day trip to Vietnam, to attend the World Economic Forum and meet up with Asean leaders at the Greater Mekong Subregion summit meeting. He took the opportunity to brief world’s business leaders of the current political situation in Thailand and to assure them that his government was taking every possible step to restore law and order while moving the country forward toward national reconciliation.

On 7/6/10 he announced another cabinet reshuffle (5th), with eight new ministers mostly from the Democrat Party. Throughout the month, the Abhisit government continued to address the country’s most urgent economic issues i.e. severe El Nino drought (worst in 18 years) that had delayed rice planting by at least six weeks. The Map Ta Phut environmental problems were finally sorted out, with 18 activities to be banned and clearer rules and regulations to become effective by year-end. After years of frozen salaries, civil servants were granted a special bonus to be paid out in 10/10 and a 5% salary increase to be effective in 4/11.

Farmers’ problem loans too were being refinanced or restructured with hefty haircuts. The first lot of community title deeds was given out. Shooting prices of sugar and eggs were promptly addressed and lowered. Rescue package for those affected by the Ratchaprasong shutdown and arson was fine-tuned and extended to include foreign businesses in the area. To ease the burden of the urban poor, free electricity (max. 90 kw), free (hot) bus, free (third class) train and subsidized LPG, were extended till year end, when PM Abhisit hope to make some of them permanent.

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July 8, 2010 | Filed Under Business & Economics, Politics, Property & Investment, The Vongthip Letters | 12 Comments 

The Brighter Side Of Life

As you may have observed posts haven’t really been updated recently. There are several reasons for that. Well, after nearly three years of practically nonstop blogging I did not burn myself out yet. That’s not it. It just there are so many other things ahead and in life. Gonna blog occasionally, but finetune priorities in the weeks ahead, and then decide. So many plans, so many projects.

The recent terrorizing of Bangkok was a blogger’s dream. Healthy stats and great traffic. But mighty depressing. That can’t be it. The blood of others should not allow for one’s profit. Even though it was a waste of blood and I really don’t want to beat a dead horse, but having to defend common sense, sanity and reason on this blog against prevarication and lies was hard to swallow.

In the days before the red march started, when it became clear that mayhem is the only strategy the reds have, when I switched from a neutral position to a clear “no, this kind of sad movement is insane,” formerly loyal readers turned against me. Well that happens when you go public with an opinion. Many of you joined in and encouraged. And it is you I want to thank for keeping this unimportant little blog going.

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July 2, 2010 | Filed Under On Our Own | 13 Comments 

BKK News Feed Archive Q3/10/I

BKK News Feed for Week 29 in 2010, July 26th – August 01st:

THE NATION – Thaksin & 24 Others to Face Terrorism Charges
THE AUSTRALIAN – Thai Union Frozen Product to Become World’s Largest Seafood Group
TAN – Dire Warning From Bank of Thailand
TAN – Puea Thai Cry Foul Over Election
RIA NOVOSTI – Vanessa-Mae to Represent Thailand @ 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi (gonna be fun)
HUFFINGTON POST – Robert Amsterdam: Thailand’s Legitimacy Deficit
WP – Divisive Ex-Thai Leader Marks Birthday on Twitter
GLOBAL POST – Bomb Shatters Bangkok’s Calm
CSM – Bomb Wounds 9 in Wake of Thailand Election
TIME – Hmong Refugees Live in Fear in Laos & Thailand
AP – Is Facebook Hurting Thai Language?
BANGKOK POST – The Babelry of Politic-Speak

BKK News Feed for Week 28 in 2010, July 19th – July 25th:

BANGKOK POST – Yellow & Red Leaders End Legal Battle: Colorful Truce
WSJ – Thai Divisions Shift to Voting Booth
ASIA SENTINEL – Corruption Cases Could Sink Thai Govt
NEW MANDALA – The Politics of Motorcycle Taxis
BANGKOK POST – Isaan Revolt Reflects Puea Thai Leadership Problem
NYT – In Thai Election, One Candidate is in Prison
CNN – Thailand’s Ghost-Friendly Director
! ASIA TIMES – U.S. Slips, China Glides in Thai Crisis
BLOOMBERG – IMF Raises Thailand’s GDP Forecast to as Much as 8%
THE NATION – Banned Ad Should Be Seen on TV
SPIEGEL – Kasit Interview: “I’m not Going to Run Like Thaksin”
ROBERT AMSTERDAM – Keeping Feudalism Alive

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July 1, 2010 | Filed Under NEWS ARCHIVE | Leave a Comment 

Al Jazeera: Slingshots & Firecrackers, That’s All They Had

Relive Black May with Al Jazeera’s “The Rageh Omaar Report: The Year of Living Dangerously.” As if the Thai government’s PR campaign fell on deaf ears you’re left wondering if the red shirts are no front. The last words belong to the opposition, it’s the government that’s in need of explanations. Add some somber music and there you have a classic drama.

There is always the danger of superficiality and clichés when outsiders try insider reports. It’s suggested the poor and innocent were only armed with slingshots and firecrackers. Still, we learn that the reds try to turn the pro-Thaksin movement into something very different, into a class war – and why is it that fewer people visit Siriraj Hospital these days?

Think what you want of our governor, but Sukhumbhand’s assessment of implicitly calling the red protest self-defeating gets lost amidst much “there’s no way out.” Sukhumbhand warns the rural people who were on the streets they’re the first to feel the effects of the protest. They’ll suffer. We hear Jatuporn, but no word about the cash war, war weapons, lies and deception.

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June 21, 2010 | Filed Under Books & Movies, News & Media, Politics | 4 Comments 

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