Archive for September, 2007
Democracy Lesson With Abhisit
Thanks to reader S. for pointing out this gem of a BBC interview with Abhisit Vejjajiva, who became prime minister of Thailand “in a way that lacks democratic legitimacy,” as interviewer Zeinab Bedawi puts it. “I’m surprised by that!” – exclaims Abhisit. But Zeinab Bedawi is well prepared. Chapeau. Abhisit goes on and tells her
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Your Typical Bangkok Food Intake?
Hardly a foreigner who arrives in Thailand be it for work, to fulfill one’s own Disneyland dreams or to simply lead a peaceful life can keep his or her waistline. Epicurean temptations are plentiful, the heat makes you rather lethargic and the climate is not too encouraging for outdoor sports anyway. Worst though, even if
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The Ad, Mirror Of Society
Recently, while trying to concentrate, I somehow caught a glimpse of an ad that was both ingeniously Thai and refreshingly tantalizing. Most probably Khun Ladda Tangsuphachai, our overzealous director of cultural monitoring at the Ministry of Culture, just wasn’t yet aware of the ad. But how much more nipple can you show without actually showing
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Nigel Price & Bangkok Art Map BAM!
Bangkok is a city full of visual excitement, intriguing subject matter and an unusually lively sense of color. There are thousands of artists, designers, musicians, filmmakers and writers, both Thai and also farang, hidden away in every neighborhood and district, some working invisibly without material reward, while others are well-known, celebrated and even sometimes rich.
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Denying, Deny, Denied
Moralizing again: One of the most commonly used words in Thai politics is the word “deny” in all its forms and variations. In the most typical use of the word wrongdoings are denied, while Thailand’s higher-ups even denied the maltreatment of Rohingya boat refugees without batting an eye, even though there was ample proof of
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Broke German Firebug Not Involved With Foreign Terrorists
Thailand’s no longer the exclusive domain of good honest tourists who politely leave the kingdom after they dutifully spent their money over here. Now and then you see a farang homeless on Bangkok’s streets. He may have arrived with big hopes and great dreams and enjoyed the real-time Disneyland to the fullest. Some though met
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The Vongthip Letter Mar 09
The 14th Asean Summit Meeting in Cha Am/Hua Hin, hosted by PM Abhisit, went without a hitch, thanks to excellent preparations by all concerned particularly Asean’s new Secretary General, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan. All the back-to-back ministerial and non-ministerial meetings went just as smoothly and the 10 Asean heads of state were able to sign the
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Going Thai-Tech: Electronic Ghost Repeller
Politicians, mortals, hear ye! A ghostly topic again, but this is Thailand where ghosts are an everyday feature, so you better start living together with them. I have to say though we ourselves life in a unique place without a san phra phum in the garden, a spirit house. The former owner simply ignored them
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White Skin, Whiter Skin … Ghost
Who doesn’t marvel at the Thai culture of outdoor laborers covering the last square millimeter of skin to avoid a single ray of sunlight. It may be freaking hot, still, even the eyelid has to be covered. While the ad industry pressures women to whiten up. You may like chocolate brown skin – but you’re
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How To Plan A Successful Bangkok Jailbreak
It took him two years – and was the only Westerner ever to break out of Thailand’s Bangkok Hilton. A wanted man in Thailand and Australia, David McMillan, author of “Escape: The True Story of the Only Westerner Ever to Break Out of Thailand’s Bangkok Hilton,” today lives legally and peacefully in the U.K. The
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