A Pointless Reminder

This is a blog. This is no newspaper. This site does not pretend to know the truth. And OMG it’s wrong so often. This site was born with the aim of sharing information, encouraging debate and enhancing dialog on Thai matters. This site does not know more than anyone else nor does it pretend to know better. Reading not only anti-yellow and pro-red stuff lately? Well hopefully so.

It’s all an opinion. This site is not written by martyrs and if you’re looking for ideological reactionary stuff you may find it in here or not. If you’re afraid Thai politics are a clear-cut game, if you want to cheer one party and denounce the other, then good night and please apply for the Nobel Prize in Physics as you just inverted basic laws of not only Thai nature.

This site may also criticize the truthful and praise the dishonest. This site may surprise and offend and offers left and right and center and way out-of-line news sources in its News Feed. Because this site trusts the reader is old enough to read and judge content. But guess what, this site is not unbiased. Red may look promising. Depending on the contextual light it looks unnatural the very next second.

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March 8, 2010 | Filed Under On Our Own | 21 Comments 

Of This Site’s Blocking & Unblocking

The Thai cyber patrol can actually be quite responsive and kudos to LoxInfo. Last week I got messages from readers that this site was blocked by their ISP LoxInfo. Instead of absolutelyBangkok.com a familiar frame showed up: “This URL has been blocked by a court order OR it could have an affect on or be against the security of the kingdom, public order or good morals. CS LoxInfo Plc.” This being mainly a lifestyle and cultural blog.

aB.com respects the kingdom’s laws and is well aware that the illegal content they are looking for is related to terrorism, child pornography, defamatory material and material which is an infringement on individuals. Not really stuff you read on aB.com. Well, a loyal reader contacted LoxInfo. Within 24 hours he was reassured there is no inappropriate content on aB.com and they undid the blocking promptly. Here is what had happened:

A reader complained to LoxInfo via email and an exchange of emails ensued which he was kind enough to forward me. It remains unclear what exactly the “inappropriate content” was that led to the blocking of this site, but it is encouraging to see that the concerned parties responded quickly, professionally and efficiently.

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February 23, 2010 | Filed Under Gadgets & Technology, News & Media, On Our Own | 24 Comments 

WTF Thaksin Are You …?!

First divorcing your wife? Then traveling around the world and to sunny Cambodia, as a state guest, producing headline after headline, accusing your old homeland of false patriotism – and then this?!

Your hand on a hot blonde’s scantily clad waist. Traitor! Holding a farang! What a life. And he was arriving by private plane. And he wishes himself back to a life of Thai politics and intrigue.

What a bore. Or wait. Maybe that is not your hand on that blonde’s waist. What? A matter of perception? Get lost. What worse PR. Dare to see the whole picture?

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November 12, 2009 | Filed Under On Our Own, Politics | 1 Comment 

Quo Vadis Prathet Thai

Call me a coward. Ain’t no sacrificial lamb. Yes, I take this very personally. For the sake of peace of mind and good night’s sleep I avoid an analysis of The Times’ Thaksin interview that created a furore the moment it was published. According to the interviewer the Thai government warned not to report the contents of the interview and hinted at the use of the country’s draconian lèse majesté law, thereby counting on the Thai media’s own shock & awe antics. It’s all water under the bridge now and up to Thais to decide how much they can put up with. It’s up to Thais to speak up or not, and not to the odd farang.

But then again, allow me to sum up in a few words what the whole furore over the interview means in a wider context. You may have stubbornly refused the writing on the wall, but current Thailand is clearly on the cusp of a police state and regime of fear. Still has a long way to go though. The Sukhumvit ambiance continues to be civilized, well-developed and incredibly pleasant. Still, the furore reminds me of the falling Soviet Union. People were too scared to say anything. But they wanted to talk. So people developed an own ingenious language to say in the open what couldn’t be said in the open.

It was an intellectually and socially most challenging time. Theaters were at the center of the action. Politically highly sensitive plays were played to full houses. Everyone understood the hidden messages and symbolic language. The authorities couldn’t do much as you can’t charge anyone for hidden messages and symbolic language. In Thailand today it’s completely different. There are hardly any theaters and you run the risk of even being charged for hidden messages and symbolic language. That is bitter. Especially in a place calling itself Land of the Free. Prathet Thai quo vadis.

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November 10, 2009 | Filed Under On Our Own, Politics, Society | 7 Comments 

Asian Correspondent & Bloggers’ Coming-Of-Age

Not too long ago to blog by nature was part of an underground, anti-establishment network of supposedly amateurish spin doctors and wannabe opinion makers who weren’t really read. Some made a few bucks along the way, some could garner a respectable readership, others were in for a single minute of fame, a few got established while the majority kept on writing for themselves.

Not much has changed since. And a lot has changed. To blog remains a lonely task. With the exception that many blogs have come of age and, along the way, the blogosphere has influenced the news business per se. CNNGo is a recent incarnation of an established name attempting to package news, lifestyle, travel and fun into the concept of a, yes, blog. By integrating blog functionalities and bloggers.

The latest, vastly more political kid on the block is Asian Correspondent.com with a beta site going public on October 19th, 2009. Bloggers again play an integral part in this interesting site offering a mixture between AP news content and opinionated, localized commentary aka blogs. With the difference being that AC pays bloggers quite well. For a labor of love. The downside: A blog’s web domain will be forwarded to AC’s platform. Which is one drawback among many positives – but why I declined a contract?

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October 13, 2009 | Filed Under News & Media, On Our Own, Politics, Society | 11 Comments 

One Way Out

It’s pretty obvious by now that Thailand has become a de facto ungovernable state and society. One does as one pleases under the pretext of freedom and democracy. The higher up the less accountability, but even the good man John Q. Public thinks of himself first. You’d be stupid to not follow the example of your leaders. Be honest, get screwed. Fight for justice – where to start?

Yes, there are courts and prominent people get convicted for corruption, political offenses, defamation, etc. You actually know of anyone serving a prison term? Bail’s the magic word and if your nightclub burns down and dozens of people die, do not worry. Time is on your side. You’re defaming your nemesis? Just repeat the affront again and again until it becomes the truth.

Elections? Rule of law? A. would never accept that B. gets what A. deserves, and A. does what it has to do to claim what’s rightfully A.’s, while B. starts copying A. and keeps on ignoring honor and respect and common sense until everyone wishes for C., but C. soon turns out to be just another A. while everyone is suing everyone and even Cambodia and Laos start surpassing the once proud kingdom.

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October 8, 2009 | Filed Under Culture Shock, On Our Own, Politics, Society | 20 Comments 

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