The Vongthip Letter Dec ’10
(…) Moving laboriously forward: The month of November has not been too unkind to PM Abhisit. With quieter and calmer political situation, PM Abhisit was able to travel to Guangzhou for the inauguration of the Asian Games before attending the 2010 Apec meeting in Yokohama, where world’s leaders continued their discussions on G20 Summit Meeting
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Isaan, My Love: Of Hobbits & Cobras
My Isaan is life. My Isaan is temples and festivals, it’s food and folks, governors and nai amphers. Once a person realizes you can’t change Isaan and you’re happy to become part of the landscape, life is ooooh soooo brillant. Stop in Nakhon Nowhere at 7 am at the local eatery and the circus has
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The Vongthip Letter Nov ’10
Another hectic month: In October, things were somewhat calmer during the first two weeks. PM Abhisit managed to take off for ASEM Summit meeting in Europe and make his first official visit to Burma (after two years in the office). There were a few subdued political demonstrations to mark the anniversaries of the yellow and
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Moses Abhisit, Where Art Thou
Thailand, under water, needs a leader these days who is able to walk on water. Impossible, you say, but then again, the impossible is exactly what’s needed to alter course around here. The current floods with billions of baht of damage are just one burdensome legacy of politicians’ and planners’ greed, neglect and shortsightedness. And
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Peaceful My Ass
The day started so lovely after a beautifully coolish night without fan nor air con, just cuddling in a thick blanket. And then this in Foreign Policy after the guy already managed to hijack the Huffington Post (understand it as a sign how far away their faraway editors are from here): “Opponents of Thaksin recently
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The Vongthip Letter Oct ’10
The Oct jinx: True to tradition, the last and the first month of government fiscal year have never been quiet and peaceful when key government officials, police and military generals reached their mandatory retirement and had to be replaced. This year, things have been more unstable than usual due to the discontent of those left
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BKK News Feed Archive Q4/10
BKK News Feed for Weeks 51 & 52 in 2010/11, December 20th – January 02nd: NYT – Thais Look to the Supernatural ASIA SENTINEL – Thailand Caught Out ASIA TIMES – Thailand Tourism Picks Up ASIA TIMES – Abhisit Interview: Tentative Democrat, Reluctant Autocrat BANGKOK POST – Pregnant & Persecuted THE NATION – Korn’s Wife:
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Senatorial Role Models
Chapeau! Two Thai senators, Payap Tongchuen, 59, and Direk Tungfang, 64, recently replaced their velvet gloves with boxing gloves. A senator kicking at a senator, glorious. On September 13th, 2010, they kicked the crap out of each other at a temporary boxing ring in the compound of Bangkok’s parliament. Well, why temporary! The senatorial fight
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The Vongthip Letter Sep ’10
Reasons to celebrate: On 12/8/10, HM Queen Sirikit’s 78th birthday (also Thailand’s Mother’s Day), the people were in for a joyful celebration with their families over the long weekend. Local tourism managed to boost the number of tourists and hotel occupancies in most upcountry popular destinations, notwithstanding the heavy rainstorms and floods in some areas.
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Food Prices Soar
Thailand’s rising prices of sugar and egg – a political issue? Simple inflation? Dark market mechanisms or even speculators at work? Food giant CP must love it. You may not have noticed because for you the price increase is minimal or you don’t do your own shopping, but the issue has become so political that
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