Thitinan On Continuity & Change

Some interesting thoughts from the quotemeister – to speak with Bangkok Pundit – who needs no introduction.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak remained rather quiet during the past weeks. He’s diplomatic in this Asean TV report, but minces no words.

Thitinan warns of ramifications for the region if Thai democracy does not overcome its “dead end democracy.”

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June 4, 2010 | Filed Under News & Media, Politics, The Interview | 16 Comments 

Marc Faber On Thaksin’s “Getting Hold Of The Money Pot”

Investment guru Marc Faber needs no introduction. He predicted the Japan bust and saw the gold boom arrive in time. Marc’s a regular on CNBC, Bloomberg TV and the likes. Faber has a reputation for being a contrarian investor and has been called “Doctor Doom” for a number of years. His Gloom Boom & Doom Report is mandatory reading if you want to stay ahead of the game.

Marc’s success has many enviers, still, I haven’t met anyone yet who’s able to prove him more wrong than right. What Marc says is sound and of value. You’re a fool if you call this man biased. He’s never an ideologist, but an observer and based on his analysis he makes his money. Lots of it. His analyses actually consider the interwoven financial and political systems as a cyclic process that started with the Dutch tulip mania of 1637, history’s first large economic bubble.

He rose to fame while working in and from Hong Kong. Since a few years Marc is a resident of Chiang Mai where he built his own beautiful place, he, this enfant terrible among the worlds financial gurus. Marc’s an uncomfortable character, many don’t like his straightforwardness, but they all listen to what he has to say. Let’s hear what he says about the Thai crisis.

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May 25, 2010 | Filed Under Business & Economics, Politics, Property & Investment, Society, The Interview, The Thai Mind | 27 Comments 

Dr. Weng Talks: No Thaksin Protector?

Well am not really a fan of the current red tactics, no, there isn’t any real strategy for any betterment. What looks red could easily be yellow – hey both want democracy with the king as the head of state. But that doesn’t mean that one has to concrete-caste one’s head.

So I took a stroll through Bangkok’s neo-apocalyptic red zone in the hands of urban vagabonds (see the little photo essay below) and met Dr. Weng Tojirakarn, an approachable, from the outside pleasant man who at younger age led Buddhist students and was accused of being a communist. Authorities sent gunmen to kill him, he says. He fled.

From 1976 to 1980 he lived in the jungle and practiced as a doctor, whereas two thirds of the time he was down with malaria. Dr. Weng’s the probably more reasonable voice within the red triumvirate. Here’s our little chat – yes I tried to get a feel if the reds have outgrown Thaksin. Will the doctor make you switch sides?

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April 29, 2010 | Filed Under Politics, Society, The Interview, The Thai Mind | 61 Comments 

Nick Nostitz: Photographer, Documentarian, Communicator

He’s the “most Thai foreigner” I know. After years of work in the twilight of Bangkokian nights and his recent front line coverage of Thailand’s political conflict he has become something of a celebrity around here. Thai Politicians of all sides and the top brass know him. He recently published Red vs. Yellow: Thailand’s Crisis of Identity, has been interviewed twice by Stickman, the rather pro-old The Nation just spoke to him, and now this site: pleased to meet German photographer Nick Nostitz.

Nick came over for a coffee and half a pack of cigarettes – and we talked. I actually wanted to avoid politics as much as possible. Hasn’t everything been said already? Obviously not. There is no way talking to Nick without talking about Thai politics and society. „It’s very difficult to be a Thai in Thailand,“ says Nick who has a grasp of the inner workings of Thailand that makes many seasoned observers look like dilettante newbies. So what lies ahead?

Nick’s not an observer. He’s a man at the front lines. Wrote Stickman: The man once known as “Mr. Nightlife (…) has become the Westerner whose opinions I respect more than any other on many matters Thai as he digs into the deepest, darkest depths of Thai society. When Nick covers an issue, you can be sure that what you are about to read will be a thoroughly researched, unbiased report that doesn’t seek to charm.” Here we go:

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January 10, 2010 | Filed Under Being Farang, Culture Shock, History, Politics, The Interview, The Thai Mind | 31 Comments 

Calvino Is Back

Every city has a dark side. Hardly anyone paints the dark underbelly of Bangkok more vividly than Christopher G. Moore, whose latest Bangkok novel The Corruptionist just hit the shelves. 466 pages of dark Bangkok.

I had a word with Chris about his new book, his work and Bangkok. Most expats here are familiar with his Vincent Calvino series. Some say no foreign author knows Bangkok better. A Hemingway of Bangkok, one critic said.

The book’s cover art is a painting by Chris Coles*, an inner circle mentor of the Bangkok Noir movement who is no stranger to the fascination of the city’s never tiring multiple levels of betrayal and deceit. So I started by asking Chris Moore: Why you chose Chris Coles for the cover?

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December 2, 2009 | Filed Under Books & Movies, Culture & Arts, The Interview, Truly Bangkok | 9 Comments 

George Talks

He’s an institution: George, founder and owner of ThaiVisa.com, Thailand’s probably most popular website among foreigners with its unique forum.

George is the brain behind the success, but success invites envy and jealousy, so not all you read about ThaiVisa is milk and honey.

I recently had a talk with George and here is what he says about Thailand today, ThaiVisa’s sometimes debatable moderators, politics, etc.

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November 19, 2009 | Filed Under Being Farang, News & Media, Society, The Interview | 38 Comments 

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