The Thaksin Quest

A snippet in The Nation caught my eye: “Thai consul in Hong Kong instructed to check Thaksin’s whereabouts.” Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it. Kind of reminiscent of the good old Cold War thrillers. The Thai consul playing James Bond. “The Thai Consulate Office in Hong Kong will check into the whereabouts of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra and report back to the government,” Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is quoted as saying.

“If Thaksin can be located, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate with the Office of the Attorney General to bring him back,” Abhisit said. Ho ho Abhisit, an extradition is not that easy. Or shall we expect a commando operation, rendering Thaksin harmless and retrieving him back to a Thai prison cell? Or could it be that the Chinese government cooperates and arrests the man?

In case you missed it, Thaksin plans to give a speech at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Hong Kong on Monday, March 02nd. The FCCT will broadcast the hour-long event live at 11.45 am. Expect a packed house – if Thaksin doesn’t opt out. Why should he not. Abhisit demands his rightful trophy with his consul closely monitoring Thaksin – to catch him? Think again Abhisit: Thaksin on the loose may be better for your government.

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February 27, 2009 | Filed Under Politics | 5 Comments 

Quirky Farang Suicides

Thailand never fails to amaze even during the sunniest of times. A uniquely Thai thing remains how farangs commit suicide in the kingdom. Take the Italian who recently succeeded in jumping from a bridge – supposedly with a rope around his neck – while the laws of physics separated his body from the head and the head remained nicely kept in a plastic bag, hanging high over the Chao Phraya for hours.

“Probably suicide,” we’re warned. And which nation wants to surpass Thailand’s astonishing rate of foreign jumpers – jumpers from Thai balconies that is. Over the years in Thailand I read of if not hundreds of farang fellas who chose to end their lives by taking a step too far. Jumping from a balcony isn’t a common way of committing suicide in the West – but not only this statistic makes you think:

One of the strangest suicides I came across was a Swiss-Italian resident of Bangkok who was found expired in his bed with his arms and legs tied behind his back – and a plastic bag over his head. Death by suffocation, was the verdict of Bangkok’s mighty in brown. Indeed the world just lost a uniquely talented artist who was able to tie up his arms and legs while putting a bag over his head. “By rocking his body,” was the official word.

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February 25, 2009 | Filed Under Being Farang, Health, Body & Mind, Society, Truly Bangkok | 11 Comments 

Aseanmania

Not only do we have the probably most talkative prime minister on Earth – there’s no major newspaper and network left Abhisit Vejjajiva didn’t give an interview to yet. Abhisit talks and talks to all of them and you must wonder if he has any time left for work.

And you come to think of CNN’s Wolf Blitzer during the recent U.S. presidential election when Blitzer was talking day and night! What were they feeding Blitzer. Abhisit talkativeness again feeds on his strong convictions and respectable manners.

He looks good and his British accent is nice and his views about anything are reasonable, if not pleasant. Abhisit puts on a great show – a show that culminates with Thailand’s hosting of the 14th Asean summit in sleepy Hua Hin custom-tailored for Abhisit: Hua Hin got transformed into a little Disneyland to impress the foreign guests.

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February 24, 2009 | Filed Under Politics, Society, Travel & Tourism | 10 Comments 

Happy Harry

He has shocked many, saddened a few and warned others. Now Harry Nicolaides, a previously completely unknown author who rose to fame thanks to Thailand’s rigid laws on lèse majesté, is back home on Australian soil. With big career plans.

A royal pardon was granted surprisingly fast to the man you could call slightly naive. Freedom though came not without further humiliation and pain. Hours before receiving the pardon Harry fell into a prison’s sewerage tank.

He then was asked to kneel before a portrait of the king and was told his mother suffered a stroke two weeks ago. “I’ve been crying for eight hours” he told reporters after arriving back home in Melbourne where he has become a cause célèbre.

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February 22, 2009 | Filed Under Being Farang, News & Media, Society | 11 Comments 

Thailand In A Glass: Siam Sunrays, Cocktail & Savior

What a hard-to-understand place. First they try to prohibit all sorts of alcohol and related pleasures – even during Thailand’s most sanuk of all sanuk-festivals Songkran the sale of alcohol shall be prohibited -, and then the authorities launch a national cocktail to lure tourists to save the nation from the brink of the world’s indifference towards Siam.

First they try to class Thai national herbs and plants such as lemon grass, ginger, chili and others as hazardous and therefore controlled substances, and then the Tourism Authority of Thailand TAT launches “Siam Sunrays,” Thailand’s signature cocktail – that’s right, something like Siam’s answer to Singapore’s Slings or the Manhattans downed in The Big Apple.

But: main ingredients of the new Thai signature drink are hazardous substances such as chili pepper, ginger and lemon grass. Leading to the question who will be allowed to mix this drink in Thailand given some of the substances are ranked as hazardous along with explosive materials. What a brand experience, a drink ranked along with explosives?

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February 20, 2009 | Filed Under Culture & Arts, Food & Drink, Nightlife & Entertainment, TTT - Top Thai Things, Travel & Tourism | 3 Comments 

Confessions Of A Farang Artist

Bangkok’s an easy and not an easy territory for artists. An oxymoron? Not at all. The local talent is inexhaustible – but getting recognized can be tougher than anywhere else. As art can awaken, criticize, judge.

Thailand loves to promote showcase culture, such as traditional arts and whatever enhances the image of a chosen, pure society. Meaning reflective, contemporary art is still at very early stages? Yes and no.

Even provocative, controversial art is not that risqué any longer. We spoke to Kevin Jesuino, an aspiring actor in Bangkok whose troupe is currently working on a show. A dirty show. I hear you asking: “No censorship?” Wait …

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February 18, 2009 | Filed Under Being Farang, Culture & Arts, The Interview, The Thai Mind, Truly Bangkok | 2 Comments 

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