We’re Sorry, Thailand.

The TV spot reportedly banned by the Thailiban censors.

Should not be seen on TV? Hypersensitive? Creative reflection anyone?

The ad’s keyphrase: “If there was anyone to blame, it would be all of us.”

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July 19, 2010 | Filed Under Culture & Arts, News & Media, Society | Leave a Comment 

Thai Politics Go Blockbuster

Hollywood has discovered the power of the misery of Thai politics. Guaranteed box office hits soon to arrive in a theater near you: “The Happiness of Sondhi,” “Prince of Montenegro,” “Thueag, I Love You.”

Release dates of the latest Thai blockbusters are not yet finalized, but expect the Thai film scene to take the world by storm after the “strange dream” Uncle Boonmee pocketed Cannes’ Palme d’Or 2010.

This is an exclusive, the movie posters of flicks starring real-world heroes and traitors. The kingdom of soap operas aims for new glory with the groundbreaking cinematic interpretation of what’s really going on, such as Thaksin’s “search for that M79″:

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May 28, 2010 | Filed Under Books & Movies, Culture & Arts, Politics, Seriously, Not ... | 12 Comments 

God Vs. Ghost

You’re well aware of the dark daylight and bright nights here in the land of illusion and camouflage. If you’re into the twilight world of protective tattoos and amulets, you know why Central World’s Zen burned down and Isetan survives without a scratch.

Ratchaprasong is powerfully protected by seven deities and their shrines. In front of Central World’s northeastern corner you find the Trimurti Shrine, devoted to Phra Trimurti, god of love, where people ask for success in love and lay down roses, flanked by the Pikanet Shrine, dedicated to Ganesha, god of wealth and prosperity.

In front of Zen? There was this beheaded Indian figure, an artist’s way to celebrate Thai-Indian friendship, the head of a … yes, a ghost, that’s how the artwork is called by now. Zen was made vulnerable by a staring ghost – oh and remember the Erawan Shrine attack? When mentally deranged Thanakorn Pakdeepol in 2006 smashed the statue with a hammer and was beaten to death on the spot by angry bystanders, Thais knew: doom will beset the nation.

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May 22, 2010 | Filed Under Culture & Arts, Culture Shock, Politics, The Thai Mind, Truly Bangkok | 3 Comments 

Rocket Yoga. Get There Faster.

Back in my year in India when I was looking for enlightenment one of the toughest part was the goddamn meditation. To sit quiet for a few minutes that’s OK. But for hours! They are saints back there in India, and I’m not. But there are ways to find inner peace, and one of those more active methods is blooming in Thailand: yoga, or more specifically: Rocket Yoga. Get to the fitness nirvana faster.

Larry Schultz? Says something? Argh you ignorant soul. This is Larry Schultz. And Larry Schultz recently brought his Rocket Yoga teachings to Bangkok for the first time. And guess where. At Bangkok’s top yoga studio Absolute Yoga Bangkok. An unintentional namesake of this site. There they find peace of mind by body activity, here by mental work …

Anyway, Larry Schultz has been teaching yoga for 30 years and has influenced yoga practitioners around the world. Bangkokian fellow yoga practitioners felt indeed lucky to have him here. In case you missed this express way to salvation, here’s a short cut. You might wanna give Rocket Yoga or any yoga for that a try. Yoga is booming here. Khun Ben and Khun David, participants at the workshop, sent us this little report with photos by Patrick Thorpe:

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February 22, 2010 | Filed Under Culture & Arts, Health, Body & Mind, Sports & Fun | 2 Comments 

Apolitical Thai Hangover Causes & Cures

The real art these days in Thailand is to say something by not saying it. What cannot be said can still be said, just chose a careful wording. Some say though that some are still too cautious. As a trusted friend advised: “The boundaries have been stretched enough to allow you more space to roam.” Well, I don’t trust the “Thai spring” yet. There’s no Thai spring far and wide and I wouldn’t be surprised if all of a sudden reactionary hard-hitting forces take over again, killing all dissent and throwing the kingdom back into even darker ages. Common sense is hard to find in these divisive times. Just look what’s going on with our costly dowsing rods aka GT200.

They’re a con, a fraud, a crime, reports the Bangkok Post, but our honorable army defiantly insists they’re working. It’s encouraging to say the least that there’s an open conflict between the civilian and army leadership. Our dear prime minister, all diplomat, implicitly called the dowsing rods a fraud. Without actually being aware of it even our dear army chef confirmed they’re hardly working. The device had performed some 300 rounds successfully over the past few years, Anupong Paojinda was quoted as saying. Some 535 devices are used in the violence-plagued south. Do the math. Meaning, roughly every second device worked once over the past few years …

There’s actually no difference between a soldier trying to detect bombs holding a GT200 and a Big Mac … This is Thailand. If you dare to and have the backing you can just stand there and say something is true even though the whole world knows it is not. Anyway, this blatant mockery of sanity and reason makes it an even bigger pleasure to introduce Chef Tummy, an American and chef dedicated to adventurous Thai cooking who will hopefully become a regular writer on aB.com with his focus on Thai food culture. Trying to stay sane we have to have some more positive content on this site. Got a politics hangover? It’s good to stay away from politics – Thai politics! – once in a while. And Chef Tummy may have an answer or two:

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February 19, 2010 | Filed Under Being Farang, Culture & Arts, Food & Drink, TTT - Top Thai Things, Travel & Tourism | 4 Comments 

Why Morals

Leaping into the morality debate ring, as someone recently wrote. Momma always told you to be nice and not to lie. There will be consequences, you were told. And indeed. You cheat, you get cheated. You betray. In a moment you’re the betrayed.

Morality, a key concept of Western thought, is a much more flexible thing over here in the East. Morals are more pragmatic, more Confucian, less rigid. What’s moral leadership for some here is a culture shock for others.

The more pleased I was to read a piece in The Nation titled Moral students projects rolls across 9 provinces; project that set aside a special quota for students with a record of volunteerism and strong morals to become “good students.”

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February 1, 2010 | Filed Under Culture & Arts, Culture Shock, Politics, Society, The Thai Mind | 5 Comments 

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