Pojaman Guilty: The Thaksins’ New Search For Exile

No street protests, some noisy supporters armed with roses and a somber Thaksin family on the court benches: Many in Thailand quietly celebrate the conviction of Thaksin’s wife Pojaman to - read TIME’s solid explainer - three years in jail for tax evasion. But what some laud as the “beginning of the end” will lead to grueling years of appeals - with the Thaksins, most probably, soon being far away.

Because humiliated Pojaman - gone are her days of pearls and poses - is just a foretaste of what awaits Thaksin. Call it a politically loaded vendetta against the former strongman. The verdict is solid and history is in the making. After a frustratingly long delay the machinery of the law finally begins to grind. The Pojaman sencence will most likely pave the way for similar guilty rulings against Thaksin who faces at least three serious cases.

Why would Thaksin want to be around any longer? In late July the Supreme Court allowed Thaksin and his wife in a surprising decision to leave the country in early August to visit Japan and China. This very China seems to emerge as the chosen place of exile for the Thaksins, as the screws back home tighten. That is, if Pojaman is still allowed to leave the country.

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July 31, 2008 | Filed Under Politics, Society | 8 Comments

Coalition Crumbles - Puea Pandin Joins Opposition?

Puea Pandin never was a “darling party.” But when arithmetics determine political survival, the party led by provincial machine politician Suwit Khunkitti, a former TRT member who has a strong following in the northeastern region, became a welcome bedfellow.

Now Puea Pandin is out - at least partially. Hours before the cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej the Puea Pandin leader threw the towel in a hastily called press conference.

Official reasons being the “misguided priorities of the government,” as the Bangkok Post reports in a decent explainer. “We are concerned about the charter amendments,” said Mr Suwit, apparently staking out an opposition agenda. “We have said that the amendment of the constitution is less important then people’s day-to-day problems.”

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July 30, 2008 | Filed Under Politics | 1 Comment

Hardened Old Bangkok Scribes Share Hot Bangkok Night

Are we such a desolate bunch, Bangkok’s foreign writers and correspondents? After all those hardening years in town? That’s at least the message I gather from this clichéd article celebrating the old desperado image of the long extinct, classic Bangkok correspondent still stuck in Nam.

As a rule of thumb I consider any farang suspicious who doesn’t fan out to Bangkok’s nightlife after freshly arriving to town. And I consider any farang suspicious who still fans out to Bangkok’s nightlife after many years in town.

Or maybe the disillusionment is not noticeable anymore after all those years over here. Somehow I respect those die-hard correspondents for still walking straight. Leading the life of newbies as oldies - what the hell is the fascination of this bleakness. It’d kill me.

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July 28, 2008 | Filed Under Being Farang, Nightlife, Truly Bangkok | 4 Comments

Bush & Thailand’s Piracy Crackdown, Part XXVII

They’re a little late this time around. But they finally made it: The police raids in Bangkok on vendors with fake brand-name products - punctually again signalizing the arrival of a high foreign, mostly U.S. dignitary.

And U.S. President George Dubya Bush is in town early August. Time for Bangkok to clean up its piracy act. Again. But rest assured, a few days after the departure of the president all counterfeit sales will be back to normal.

It had happened before the last APEC summit in Bangkok and it happens before every major international conference that brings Western dignitaries to town: Police raids on pirated designer bags, fake Swiss watches and, unavoidably, copied DVDs.

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July 28, 2008 | Filed Under Business & Economics, Gadgets & Shopping, Politics, The Thai Mind | 5 Comments

The Dark Side Of Paradise

Let’s widen the horizon for once and talk not only about Thailand. A friend once told me “Women - who can live with them. And who can live without them.”

The same goes for the neighbors. Who can live with and without them. The spectrum of this article is Thailand and the kingdom’s regional neighbors.

The New Statesman recently had a special focus on Southeast Asia with an excellent, self-explanatory analysis by Sholto Byrnes. Where and how does the dark paradise Thailand fit in - if at all.

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July 25, 2008 | Filed Under Politics, Society | 3 Comments

How To Catch The Bangkok Journalist

I’ve been to countless press conferences. Mostly the content draws you to the event. Maybe there’s a promising photo op. It’s a habit though in Thailand that some lunch or gift has to be offered, otherwise hardly any journalist would turn up.

But gosh look what flew into the mailbox: “You are cordially invited to attend the Press Conference on The Unveiling Of The World’s Largest Permanent Orchid Garden (with more than 250 species!) at The Nai Lert Park Hotel …”

The catch - further down: “All Press Journalists, Reporters, Editors, Photojournalists, News Photographers, News Camera crew are urged to bring along their business cards as there will be, besides the usual Press-Giveaways, a lucky draw for twenty-five household gifts from Central worth more than 200,000 baht.”

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July 23, 2008 | Filed Under Culture & Arts, Fashion, Travel & Tourism | 17 Comments

Soi Arab: A Crossroads Of Two Cultures

Arabs are everywhere these days in Bangkok, so flush they are with oil cash and don’t know what to do with all that money. Have a medical checkup at one of Bangkok’s leading hospitals. Chances are you’ll be lonely farang surrounded by Arabs.

Here’s a recent article on Bangkok’s one and only Soi Arab, written by longtime Bangkok resident Jennifer Gampell. If one Bangkok expat lifestyle writer knows Bangkok, it’s Jennifer. She dishes up some Soi Arab insights even you weren’t aware of.

And agreed with Jennifer: Shahrazad’s a must in the treasure called Soi Arab. You’ll want more of their nan bread that comes fresh from the stone oven and of the wonderfully creamy hummus and …

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July 21, 2008 | Filed Under Food & Wine, Travel & Tourism | 7 Comments

Exploit Thy Neighbor: Preah Vihear & Those Chauvinist Thais

You can turn and twist it as long as you like: The ancient temples of Preah Vihear belong to Cambodia. And you can’t blame the Cambodians for rubbing salt into the wounds of Thais by excessively celebrating their “victory” by having “their” Preah Vihear listed as a Cambodian UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fortunes for once are the other way around.

Thais always loved to make a quick buck from the misery of their neighbors in need. A crisis in Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and even Indonesia always meant business for Thailand. A trend that only got stopped when Thailand gave Asia the financial crisis of 1997 and was later on hit by SARS and bird flu.

All of a sudden it was Thailand losing big time. One cannot but sympathize with Cambodia’s former King Norodom Sihanouk who recently posted a handwritten note on his website. He accused the Thais of causing “unmerited and anachronistic problems” for Cambodia “rather than concentrating on developing harmonious, friendly and fruitful relations.”

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July 20, 2008 | Filed Under History, Politics, Society | 3 Comments

“R Burger”: Yet Another Japanese Burger Joint

This one is different. You’ve tried them all. And R Burger at Siam Square will still surprise you. As they’re not serving the traditional bread buns. But Chinese-style steamed buns that are fluffier and a whiff sweeter than run-of-the-mill hamburger buns.

And a key ingredient of R Burger’s burgers is Marine Collagen. Go figure. But the burgers don’t taste the way they sound. They’re different and they’re fabulous. Especially the “Maguro Wasabi Mayonnaise Burger” with lots of tuna and healthy DHA.

Right, R Burger is another Japanese Burger joint venture after MOS Fine Burgers‘ phenomenal arrival in the kingdom. R Burger won’t be that successful, as they’re not that mainstream. Nevertheless worth some visits when you’re in the area.

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July 20, 2008 | Filed Under Food & Wine | 5 Comments