Why Are Thai Women Not Like That

“I can’t believe that Thailand has become like this,” she says.

“Why does no one think of Thailand in that light?”

“Why do Thai women let people do that to them?”

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December 30, 2009 | Filed Under Culture Shock, Nightlife & Entertainment, Society | 33 Comments 

Hail 2010, Year of More Liberal Booze

As we all know, being a wine lover in Thailand is an elitist thing. Imports being taxed over 200%, because wine lovers are considered to be snobs who can afford any price. An average bottle sets you back at least the double of the price you pay in the West. Or even in Vietnam or Cambodia for that, former colonies still honoring their former master’s way of life.

Some good news for a change. There’s a fierce price war between local alcohol producers and importers looming. Prices could fall, partially at least. Starting 2010 the Asean Free Trade Area Afta will be fully established. Afta reduces and – for some products – entirely drops import taxes. Darn free trade and globalization. Meaning imported alcohol will also be cheaper. Import duty on alcoholic beverages is cut down to zero, nullifying the customs tariff.

That doesn’t go down well with our purists who not only pushed for laws that reinterpret what a beer calendar can look like. The radicals of Chamlong Srimuang’s Santi Asoke sect successfully prevented legal Thai companies producing legal alcoholic products from listing on the Thai stock exchange. Perfectly consistent with his yellow insurrection against Thai democracy. But change is in the air:

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December 26, 2009 | Filed Under Business & Economics, Food & Drink, Health, Body & Mind, Nightlife & Entertainment, Society | 5 Comments 

Where Are The Tourists?

Where are our dear foreign guests who usually invade the kingdom this time around? This is by no means a post backed up by hard facts and figures, but by simple observation and talks with tourists and hoteliers alike. OK, last year’s high season was a non-event after Bangkok’s airport seizures. But don’t only blame the international credit crunch and financial crisis. This holiday season Westerners travel to the Caribbean and Southern Europe, to Turkey and wherever. But not to Thailand.

Occupancy rates in Thailand’s major hotels are miserable. Had a talk with a big shot of the Dusit in Hua Hin and some regular guests who stay there every year. Never seen that place so quiet. Hua Hin’s famous night market is empty compared to previous high seasons. Tweets tourist Bob the “hotel in Cha Am we’ve been staying at every year for the past ten years is also A LOT quieter than usual” – and a friend in Pattaya tells me in December you usually have to push your way through Walking Street. Not this time.

Our honorable leaders prefer to blame external circumstances. But don’t underestimate the ghosts of the airport occupations. Had some family friends coming over from Europe who even thought that the reds – not yellows! – were seizing the airports a year ago and now that the reds announce new demonstrations for January they’re scared if they’ll run into trouble. Friends that told me that back home in Europe many Thailand regulars avoid the kingdom for fear of a new breakdown. Thailand keeps on paying a heavy price for this sort of superficial stability.

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December 23, 2009 | Filed Under Business & Economics, News & Media, Travel & Tourism | 16 Comments 

Warring Colors

An Al Jazeera feature: For three years Thailand has been divided into two political camps, the yellows and the reds. Rageh Omaar asks is the country at the brink of a bloody conflict.

Thailand has emerged from months of political turmoil and street protests with a new, conservative government and now the country’s Oxford-educated Abhisit Vejjajiva, the prime minister of Thailand, is keen to stress to the world that things in Thailand are back to normal.

But from his self-imposed exile in Dubai, ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra is trying to keep alive the flames of a revolution. In the meantime Thailand’s political conflict had become color-coded. The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in yellow, and the rural driven National United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), calling for Thaksin’s return, in red.

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December 18, 2009 | Filed Under Politics, Society | 6 Comments 

Beauty’s Moral Decay

Finally we see some focused government action in these trying times. Not only the Ministry of Information & Communication Technology is overly active these days to ensure a pure and prosperous society.

We learn that the Ministry of Health “is considering action against alcohol beverage firms that distribute calendars clearly showing their brand names or logos – but with no constructive or educational information of value to society.” Instead they show sexy girls. Wow.

Another Protect-the-Nation’s-Dignity campaign by our puritan leaders. Say thanks to the chosen ones behind the yellow movement who want to ban alcohol altogether. Mens sana in corpore sano. Never mind the endless political bickering and hate. It all comes down to, it seems, loose morals and abounding obscenities in today’s Thai society.

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December 16, 2009 | Filed Under Bangkok Sirens, Culture & Arts, Food & Drink, Nightlife & Entertainment, TTT - Top Thai Things | 17 Comments 

OMG

A problematic ground is always a fertile ground for religions. From a church’s official press release: “More than 36,000 Christians representing more than 1,700 churches across Thailand are prepared to implement My Hope, a successful outreach project of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). Evangelistic meetings will be taking place in homes, churches schools and various other venues all over the country December 17th to 19th.”

Christian missionaries are especially aggressive along the border with Myanmar, now they go more local: “In a country where only one-half of one percent of the population belongs to a evangelical church, the need for the Gospel is tremendous,” said Bill Conard, vice president of international ministries at BGEA. “But the church is ready, and we are eagerly anticipating what God will do through His people.” This new campaign My Hope Thailand mainly targets the local segment:

“My Hope Thailand is an effort driven by local Christians who want their communities to know God’s love in Jesus Christ. These Christians, referred to as “Matthews,” (recalling the disciple who invited friends to his home to meet Jesus – Matthew 9), will host neighbors, relatives and friends to watch a thought-provoking TV program or video, which feature sermons from Franklin and Billy Graham dubbed into the Thai language, as well as testimonies and songs from Thai Christians (…)”

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December 16, 2009 | Filed Under Culture Shock, Health, Body & Mind, Society | 6 Comments 

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