David in Siam

Wikileaks Thailand cables tell #thaistory

2011-06-23T17:34:00.002+07:00

Andrew MacGregor Marshall*, formerly a journalist for Reuters, has published #thaistory based on the contents of diplomatic cables released originally obtained by WikiLeaks. The story should reveal many details about the inner workings of Thai politics including revelations about the role of the palace**.

Any public discussion of these matters in Thailand is prevented by the lese majeste law. In the prologue to Part One of #thaistory Marshall notes that, "Discussion of the reality among Thais is relegated to private conversations or oblique references using coded imagery and parables. The truth about the palace's enormously influential role in Thai politics and economics cannot be uttered openly in public."

In an article in The Independent Marshall discusses some of the reasons why he resigned from his job at Reuters in order to publish #thaistory. The money quote is, "Thailand is sliding backwards into authoritarianism and repression. And one stark indication of this is that just saying it is illegal."

Part One of #thaistory is now available online as a pdf file. I have only read part way through it, but it explores in detail the life of King Bhumibol and is based on a number of academic sources as well as the diplomatic cables.

Part Two should be released tomorrow (24 June). According to a tweet from Marshall, "Part 3 (events from 2006 coup to 2010) and 4 (conclusions and predictions) will be online within a week." I will update this post with links as they become available.

The cables the story is based on are being published on Marshall's website www.zenjournalist.com. WikiLeaks cables from Thailand can also be found at thaicables.

*Andrew MacGregor Marshall who published #thaistory should not be confused with Bangkok-based journalist Andrew Marshall who writes for TIME and other publications. Andrew MacGregor Marshall tweets at @zenjournalist. The other Andrew Marshall tweets at @journotopia.

** I use the word "palace" not just to refer to the royal family, but to describe in more general terms how the monarchy is used, manipulated and appropriated by a range of players in the Thai political scene.

More on lese majeste and Amnesty International

2011-05-25T19:41:00.001+07:00

Lese majeste is a topic I have mentioned frequently on this blog. As Thailand waivers between dictatorship and dysfunctional democracy the spectre of the lese majeste law is ever present. It continues to be used as a political tool to limit free speech.

The Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) held a forum discussing lese majeste on 24 May 2011. Speakers at the event included David Streckfuss, Sulak Sivaraksa and Ben Zawacki of Amnesty International (AI). Political Prisoners in Thailand (PPT) has a report on the event. According to the report Zawacki presented a new AI position on lese majeste.

He was followed by Zawacki, who despite presenting an account of AI’s position on lese majeste that was meant to suggest continuity, concern and activism, essentially outlined a new position. He said that everyone on lese majeste charges and/or convicted is considered a political prisoner (tell that to the U.S. State Department!) and that if there is no evidence of inciting violence or “violent words” or “intent,” then each person convicted is then a prisoner of conscience. This is a new statement on lese majeste. The most recent AI country report on Thailand concentrated on the Computer Crimes Act and not lese majeste. AI, and Zawacki in particular, have been under enormous pressure form activists and bloggers (PPT included) to come up with a credible position on lese majeste.

PPT goes on to note that Zawacki faced some criticism during the question time. Zawacki responded to one of the questions by attacking the questioner. This led PPT to write, "If AI is to ever resurrect its already shattered mantle in Thailand, the next step is to remove Zawacki and appoint someone who is able to address vital human rights issues with transparency and openness."

Andrew Spooner recently published an excellent interview with David Streckfuss on the topic of lese majeste. Spooner asked Streckfuss about whether things might have been different if Amnesty had taken stronger action on lese majeste in the past. Streckfus responded,

Who knows what might have happened had Amnesty International taken a more forceful stance from the beginning. The main question now is how will Amnesty International make up for lost time and reclaim a modicum of respect from many activists and academic groups in Thailand — and abroad — who have quite rightly criticized the organization for taking a more consistent and forceful stand on the issue of lese majeste which, after all, as a matter of the right to freedom of expression, has traditionally been a core issue for Amnesty.

I just sent another e-mail to AI questioning their policy on lese majeste in Thailand. Sadly I don't expect a reply. However, I did remind AI that as it advocates the universality of human rights there is no room for exceptionalism in dealing with lese majeste cases in Thailand.

Update: Siam Voices has a report about the FCCT forum which provides more details.

Thailand's media not free: Freedom House

2011-05-02T19:14:00.001+07:00

According to Freedom House's latest annual report on Freedom of the Press, Thailand's press is now classified as "Not Free." Thailand was ranked 138th in the world compared with 124th position last year. Freedom House wrote:

Also in 2010, additional pressure on the media in politically turbulent Thailand led to a four-point score decline, from 58 to 62, and a status downgrade to Not Free. Key factors included the use of the restrictive new Computer Crimes Act to punish online expression, a continued increase in lèse-majesté prosecutions, and periodic violence between political factions that caught journalists in the crossfire and led to censorship of media outlets.

The downgrade is not surprising considering the deaths and injuries to journalists during the protests in May 2010 and the continuing use of lèse-majesté as a tool of political repression.

The downgrading of Thailand's status is part of a long-term downward trend in press freedom in Thailand. Thailand's media was classified as free in the period from 1999 to 2002. The graph at the top of this post shows Thailand's decline from 2005 to 2010. It doesn't show the additional decline in 2011.

*More details available at Freedom of the Press 2011 Survey Release.

New documentary about the red shirt movement

2011-02-18T19:19:00.002+07:00

A new documentary, Enter The RED Shirts, by Aphiwat Saengphatthaseema explores the red shirt movement in Thailand. An eight minute preview of the documentary is available on Vimeo and embedded above. Sulak Sivaraksa is among the people interviewed in the documentary.

In the description of the video Aphiwat writes:

For over seven years, from 2004- 2010, I documented and witnessed the red shirt’s political struggle on Rajadamneon Road, the road famous for having been hosted Thai political contexts etched on it for a long period of time. The road is also a landmark of political symbol, where it hosted many political struggles and egalitarianism between the people, on one hand, and the state on the other. The data and footage collection sprang from my personal interests to document historical events, without event knowing what the future would bring or if there would be the “red shirts” entering the scene on the political struggling on the road in Thailand.

Perhaps the documentary may help answer some of the important questions asked by Andrew Marshall in his recent report about the April-May 2010 protests.

*via Siam Voices.

New book about lese majeste by David Streckfuss

2010-10-22T18:27:00.008+07:00

Lèse majesté is a topic that I have often written about on this blog. A post I wrote about David Streckfuss and lese majeste is also one of the most frequently read posts on this blog. David is one of the foremost experts on this topic which many people are afraid to even discuss. His opinions are authoritative and he has recently published a new book. I haven't had the chance to read Truth on Trial in Thailand: Defamation, Treason, and Lèse-Majesté (Rethinking Southeast Asia) yet, but C.J. Hinke at FACT has written a review of the book. He writes:

David Streckfuss, a human rights expert on Thai political and cultural history, finds that the heart of the longstanding and ongoing lèse majesté debate rests in the country’s defamation law. This truism concerns not only academics who are constrained from speaking freely but also ordinary citizens.
Truth on Trial in Thailand details a 110-year trajectory of lèse majestéprosecutions, “sedition and treason, the press and cinema, anti-communism, contempt of court”, and libel since 1900. This censorship centres on the legal and cultural concept min phraboromdechanuphap––หมิ่นพระบรมเดชานุภาพ.

Also of interest is an interview with David Streckfuss recently published on Prachatai (also on New Mandala). A quote from the interview:

2) Some Thais claim foreigners do not and cannot really understand Thai society. Is your book yet another example of a portrayal of Thai society from a 'naive' outsider's perspective?
These days, I’m not so sure that anyone really understands what’s going on in Thai society—Thai or foreigner. The discourse on Thailand and Thai-ness has drifted into terra incognita and as such perhaps no one has a privileged perspective any more. As for the book, I think it does pretty well in appreciating and characterizing the historical roots of “Thai” perceptions of the truth. The conclusions the book draws are a descriptive analysis of this very “Thai” system confronting modern, largely universal legal norms and human rights discourse. I wouldn’t argue that the book’s perspective is “the right one.” It is merely one perspective, but one that I hope will resonate for some who live in Thailand—both Thai and foreigner—and who sincerely want the best for this country and its people.

The number of lese majeste cases has increased dramatically in recent years. According to Hinke's review, "765 persons were prosecuted for lèse majesté between 2006 and 2009—an average of almost 191 per year—a spectacular increase over the immediate previous decade when there was an average of just five new cases per year." As I have noted previously major international human rights NGOs such as Amnesty International have been reluctant to speak out about the issue. It is essential that journalists, bloggers and human rights activists continue to shine a light on this issue, especially as lese majeste is being used as a political tool to suppress freedom of speech in Siam.

*This post contains Amazon.com affiliate links.

Monks, protest, nonviolence and violence

2010-06-03T09:09:00.017+07:00

Image by Damir Sagolj/Reuters via The Big Picture.

When I first saw the image above on The Big Picture a couple of weeks ago I was deeply disturbed. Without knowing more details about the exact circumstances the photo was taken in it is hard to know exactly why the monk has been restrained. However, the anguished expression on his face clearly shows that he is deeply suffering.

Of course this raises the question of if or how Buddhist monks should participate in mass protests and political movements. I think there are four possible circumstances in which the monks might have participated in the protests.

(1) The monks went to the protest hoping that their presence would have a calming effect and discourage immediate acts of violence.

(2) The monks went to the protest in support of greater democracy and justice and society. They were concerned about addressing issues of structural violence.

(3) The monks were caught by advancing troops and engaged in acts of self-defense to protect themselves and protesters.

(4) The monks were actively involved in the protests and this included joining other protesters in carrying out acts of violence.

Of these four possibilities I believe only the last is unacceptable behaviour for a monk. Others may disagree and say that monks should be apolitical and removed from society. However, standing by silently in the face of injustice is just supporting that injustice. It is the responsibility of monks to come out of the temple and work for a more democratic and just society. Although of course they should use nonviolent means that are in accordance with the Buddha Dharma and their monastic vows.

Sanitsuda Ekachai has written her own thoughts in the Bangkok Post. A quote follows.

What roles should monks play in this politics of hate?
Traditionally, monks are expected to stay out of politics, which led to their general silence against injustice and their inaction for social change. The cleric elders have adopted this stance. But indifference could not be right, could it?
What does Buddhism say about the roles of monks in politics?
Both the yellow and red shirt movements have monk supporters to legitimise their causes. But according to the monastic code of conduct, monks are barred from being makers of strife, disputes and quarrels as well as being the messengers of rulers and politicians. In other words, participating in political rallies is a no-no.
So what can monks do in times of conflict? The story about the Buddha's intervention to stop a war over a water feud is illuminating. He does not take sides. Nor does he evade the problem. Instead, he offers words of wisdom to trigger the conscience of both sides.
This is why there is still a glimmer of hope. Although anger and hatred refuse to subside and the principle of free speech is still ignored by all parties, the non-violence movement led by Phra Paisal Visalo shows our society has not totally lost touch with humanity and the core Buddhist values. This voice of reason and compassion needs to be heeded to prevent future violence and war. If ignored, we just have to prepare for another nightmare.

Bangkok explodes

2010-04-10T21:39:00.016+07:00

After several tense weeks of protesting by the Red Shirts in Bangkok the situation exploded into violence on Saturday 10 April 2010.

Twitter is providing a steady stream of updates. The following are mostly people working in the media based in Bangkok. Please check the tweets from the following list or see my Asia news list on Twitter.

According to tweets from tulsathit, Hiroyuki Miramoto, a Japanese reporter for Reuters, has been killed. The exact number of deaths is uncertain at this point but it seems several Red Shirt protesters have also been killed by gunshot wounds. More than 100 people have been injured. This includes both Red Shirts and soldiers. Also a report from Prachatai says two foreign tourists were injured and "One was shot at the chest after having shouted 'Fuck You!' to the soldiers."

Updates on blogs from Bangkok Pundit and New Mandala. Nirmal Ghosh, Bangkok correspondent for the Straits Times, also provides excellent reportage on his blog. The Big Picture on Boston.com also has an amazing collection of photos, but these are from before the major outbreak of violence on 10 April.

I will update this post with more more links as further reports come through.

Update: The latest report from The Nation says 8 dead and 486 injured. ~~The Nation reports 5 people killed.~~

Update 2: On Sunday morning more detailed reports are coming through. Bangkok Pundit has a foreign press round-up of Saturday's violence. Current reports say 15 dead and over 600 injured. The Nation has a Chronology of Black Saturday. Prachathai has a list of the 15 dead. Eight are civilians, one is a Japanese national, three are military and three unknown.

Eyewitness account of vaitor, a foreigner who was shot in the arm. Includes photos and video. On New Mandala a report from Nicholas Day titled War at Khao San.

This event also highlighted the value of Twitter as a news source. Richard Barrow tweets: "Only with the help of Twitter yesterday were non-Thai speakers able to find out what was going on."

Update 3: Latest report from AP says 18 dead, five soldiers and 13 civilians. Nirmal Ghosh on the spiral of violence.

The Economist covers the real crisis

2010-03-20T08:14:00.010+07:00

The Economist has published a number of articles over the last couple of years that have pushed the boundaries of what had previously been acceptable in discussions of the Thai monarchy. (See Monarchy is part of the problem: The Economist and The Economist from 1932 to 2009 earlier published on this blog for examples.) Due to the sensitive nature of this topic in Thailand the issues of The Economist containing these articles have not been distributed in Thailand. However, they have still been available via the internet and outside Thailand. The publication of these articles has also had a knock-on effect with other news outlets also becoming more willing to mention the previously unmentionable.

The most recent issue of The Economist contains what is probably the most open discussion yet of the issues surrounding succession in the Thai monarchy. Two articles, The battle for Thailand and As father fades, his children fight, both discuss the succession issue and the challenges Thailand faces in restoring democracy and maintaining stability.

*More analysis available at Political Prisoners in Thailand, Bangkok Pundit, Bangkok Bugle and New Mandala.

Update: The Economist has another article calling for the removal of the lese majeste law.

Amnesty International finally speaks out against lese majeste

2010-01-14T09:43:00.004+07:00

In September 2009 I noted the failure of Amnesty International to take sufficient action in response to lese majeste cases. At the time I wrote to Amnesty International's London office to ask Amnesty to take action on the case of Darunee Charnchoengsilpakul (aka Da Torpedo) who in 2009 was sentence to 18 years in prison for lese majeste. In my letter I wrote that Amnesty's failure to take action on this issue undermined the core principle which the organisation stood for, the universality of human rights.

Finally Amnesty International has spoken out on the issue with a statement titled "Thailand: Reverse backward slide in freedom of expression" on its website (via Prachathai). The statement says, "Thailand should reverse its recent backward slide in respect for freedom of expression, as illustrated by the sharp increase over the past ten months in cases under the lese majeste law." It also mentions Suwicha Thakhor and Darunee Chanchoengsilapakul who are both currently serving prison sentences for lese majeste.

The statement says that the lese majeste law supersedes the constitution and "goes beyond the permissible restrictions on freedom of expression provided for under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)." Furthermore it also mentions the 2007 Computer-related Crimes Act. It says the Act has been used to block tens of thousands of websites and this is another violation of the ICCPR.

The statement ends by saying that Amnesty supports the Prime Minister's initiative to review the law and encourages the government to amend the law in line with international standards. The government should suspend the use of the law until changes are made and the government should stop censoring websites on the grounds of upholding the lese majeste law.

It is good that Amnesty International has finally spoken out on this issue. Their previous silence seriously undermined their credibility in addressing human rights issues in Thailand. I hope that Amnesty will also launch campaigns for the release of Suwicha Thakhor and Darunee Chanchoengsilapakul.

2009 INEB Conference

2009-11-27T18:04:00.005+07:00

The biennial conference of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) was held in Chiang Mai this month. The conference marked INEB's 20th anniversary. I was involved in organising the conference in Taiwan in 2007 and in Thailand in 2001. I didn't attend this time, but came across a couple of reports online.

Brooke Schedneck, a Ph.D. candidate at Arizona State University, writes about the conference at Wandering Dhamma (also posted on New Mandala). The Clear View Project has a report from Alan Senauke, a long term member of INEB (link via Rev. Danny Fisher). Alan also reports on the Think Sangha meeting that followed the INEB conference. (Update: Priyadarshi Telang from TBMSG's Jambudvipa project also has a report.)

The conference statement below comes from the Clear View Project website.

INEB CONFERENCE STATEMENT

This week in Chiang Mai the International Network of Engaged Buddhists celebrated its 20th anniversary with a successful conference dedicated to peace and social transformation. As kalyanamitta, more than two hundred socially engaged Buddhists from twenty-five countries – from Asia and the Pacific region, from North America and Europe – joined together for study, dialogue, and dharma practice, committing ourselves to work for peace.

We affirm our deep belief that the suffering of society – war, racism, poverty, gender oppression, destruction of the environment, and cultural degradation – can be transformed into liberation for all beings.

We affirm and have seen ourselves that peace can arise from even the fiercest of conflicts.

Together we confronted critical concerns that affect life on this precious and fragile planet:

• the intertwined disasters of consumerism and environmental destruction;
• the vital need to empower and educate young people;
• the pervasive oppression of women, and all gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgendered men & women;
• the denial of human rights and meaningful livelihood;
• the need to preserve Buddhism and all traditional culture and religion;
• and the obscenity of war, civil strife, and violence.

These concerns, wherever they arise in the world are our concerns. They are close to our hearts. In the Buddha's way and in the way of every great religion, we know that we must meet this suffering not with faith alone, but with all our efforts and action day by day.

— 17 November 2009

Understanding the sex industry

2009-10-26T11:59:00.011+07:00

Many people that visit Thailand will come into contact with the sex industry in some way. It is a topic that many people hold very strong opinions about. The issue is very complex and there are no simple answers to the problems associated with it. In order to better understand the issues I have tried to read as much as I can on the topic. I have made a list of brief reviews of books that offer a variety of insights into the sex industry and prostitution in Asia, and in particular Thailand.

This page was formerly hosted at the now defunct Geocities. Click on the links to buy the books direct from Amazon.com or the publisher.

Invisible Trade: High-class sex for sale in Singapore
by Gerrie Lim
Monsoon Books, Singapore, 2004
ISBN: 9810510330
This book offers many fascinating insights into a world most people will never have the chance (or money) to visit. It examines high-class escort services in Singapore. The book is based on interviews with women working in the industry.
Escorting is in many ways sophisticated and glamourous. However, ultimately it is still about selling sex. It is just that it comes packaged with conversation and companionship -- and a high price tag. It is very interesting to read about what some clients ask their escorts to do -- often it doesn't involve sex. Cross dressing, auto-asphyxiation, foot fetishes and BDSM are among the more peculiar things that clients are interested in and willing to pay large sums of money for.
The stories for the most part reveal women that are confident and self-assured about what they doing. High pay, international travel, designer clothes and gifts from generous clients make it a rewarding career choice. Although at times it reveals they must face their inner demons and insecurities. They also have difficulty forming long-term relationships.
For a well written, inside look at the sex industry from the perspective of its workers this book is a must read.

Whispers and Moans
by Yeeshan Yang
Blacksmith Books, Hong Kong, 2006
ISBN: 9628673289
This book offers many insights into the sex industry in Hong Kong. The author spent time speaking to workers in all sectors of the industry and through gaining their trust she has created a magnificent reference. From drug-addicted street walkers to high-class hostesses and gigolos, a myriad of perspectives are offered.
A movie based on the book has also been released with the same title, Whispers and Moans. If you expect to be titillated the movie will disappoint, but I think it has done a good job of presenting the issues in the book on screen.

Only 13
by Julia Manzanares and Derek Kent
Only 13 Publications, 2005
ISBN: 0977284107
If you want to read an inside story of Thailand's sex industry from the perspective of woman who worked in it read this book. It is a no-holds-barred expose of not just the Thai sex industry, but poverty and corruption in Thailand.
At the age of 13 Lon left her village in Isaan hoping to escape poverty. She soon found herself working in Bangkok's sex industry. On one level she was successful; she made a lot of money which allowed her to live a comfortable life and support her family. However, the personal cost was very great and she was exploited and deceived in many ways. She speaks with the powerful and determined voice of an activist making clear the injustice that she and many other girls have suffered.
This book is one of the few books I have found that gives an honest and detailed account of the life a sex worker.
NOTE: This book was originally published in Thailand with the title My Name Lon... You Like Me?. More information about the book can be found at www.only13.net.

Travels in the Skin Trade: Tourism and the Sex Industry
by Jeremy Seabrook
Pluto Press, London, 1996
ISBN: 0745311156
Seabrook is a veteran journalist and he uses his skills to good effect in this investigation of sex tourism in Thailand. He looks at the many sides to the issues. He interviews with men that come to Thailand looking for sex and relationships and also people working to help and empower the women working in the sex industry. He also sees the problems of sex tourism as part of a broader pattern of exploitation of the South by the North.
Written in the mid 1990s, the HIV epidemic that then seemed imminent never happened. This is one of the few public policy successes in Thailand. However, the corruption and other problems detailed in book are still present today -- little has changed.

Sex Slaves: the Trafficking of Women in Asia
by Louise Brown
Virago Press, London, 2000
ISBN: 1860499031
This is a well researched and insightful look at the sex industry in Asia. The author has done in country research in Thailand, Cambodia, Japan and on the Indian sub-continent. The book shows how women are trafficked into and controlled in the sex industry. It also highlights the difficulties many women face if they want to leave the industry.
The author makes it quite clear about the fact she is totally opposed to prostitution and the injustices associated with it. This quote from the book summarises very well the root causes of the abuse of women and children in the sex industry.

Let us make no mistake, prostitution is not just about poverty. It is a business founded upon all sorts of inequalities. It is a business that is constructed out of the distorted relations between men and women, between the poor and rich and between the minorities and mainstream of a society. (p. 60)

The point, in essence, is that only if patriarchy, poverty and racism can be eliminated, can the problems associated with prostitution be resolved.

Sex and Borders: Gender, National Identity, and Prostitution Policy in Thailand
by Leslie Ann Jeffrey
Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai, 2002
ISBN: 9747551861
Rather than being about the sex industry in Thailand per se, this book looks at how public policy has been used to manipulate national identity in Thailand with particular reference to gender politics and prostitution. It helps to explain the reasons why a mainstream feminism movement has never developed in Thailand. The book is very academic in its tone and extensively footnoted, but still quite readable.

Hello My Big Big Honey!: Love letters to Bangkok bar girls and their revealing interviews
by Dave Walker and Richard S. Ehrlich
White Lotus, Bangkok, 1992
ISBN: 9748876195
This book is made up of love letters sent to bar girls by their farang customers and interviews with bar girls. The letters are alternately romantic, sad and just plain crazy. They are filled with love, lust, longing and loneliness. In contrast the interviews with the women reveal concerns with matters much more mundane. The women's primary concerns are money, their health and securing their future. Some women do admit to genuinely loving some of their customers, but for the most part they consider the relationships as simply business.

Guns, Girls, Gambling, Ganja: Thailand's Illegal Economy and Public Policy
by Pasuk Phongpaichat, Sungsidh Piriyarangsan and Nualnoi Treerat
Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai, 1998
ISBN: 9747100754
This book is thoroughly researched and reveals the inner workings of the illegal economy in Thailand. The sex industry and trafficking of women and children makes up only part of the illegal economy. The most interesting thing about this book is that it shows how deep the problem of corruption in the police force is and how that is a big obstacle to better law enforcement. It also details how the tentacles of the illegal economy stretch to manipulate the electoral process in Thailand. With respect to the sex industry it provides some reliable statistics about the size of the industry.

Private Dancer
by Stephen Leather
Three Elephants, Thailand, 2005
ISBN: 9749275535
The shelves of Bangkok's bookshops are filled with fictional works set around go-go bars. They are usually tales of romance, lust, betrayal and intrigue. Amongst them all this book looked like it might offer something a little bit different and more insightful.
What makes this book interesting is the way it is alternately narrated by different characters taking part in the story. The book revolves around two main characters: Pete, an English guidebook writer living in Bangkok and Joy, a young Thai lady dancing in a go-go bar in Nana Plaza. The way two people can have such different perceptions of the same events highlights the enormous cultural divide that exists between Thai bar girls and their farang customers.
Private Dancer is both an entertaining read and an informative look at the farang-oriented sector of the sex industry in Thailand. While it does at times seem unsympathetic to Thai culture the book finishes up as a cautionary moral tale.

Trafficked - New Internationalist No. 404 September 2007
The September 2007 issue of New Internationalist Magazine was on the theme of sex trafficking. All the articles are available online at the New Internationalist website.

List of books to read

Human Traffic: Sex, Slaves & Immigration by Craig McGill
The Wisdom of Whores by Elizabeth Pisani
Trafficked (Briefings) by Kathleen Maltzahn
Platform by Michel Houellebecq

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon.com affilliate links.

Amnesty fails on lese majeste

2009-09-07T19:37:00.002+07:00

Thailand: Amnesty criticised on lese majeste issue

The issue of lese majeste is again in the news following the 18 year prison sentence given to Daranee Chanchoengsilpakul. International human rights groups including Amnesty International have come under criticism for their failure to take sufficient action in lese majeste cases. Political Prisoners in Thailand says that Amnesty should be ashamed of its position on the issue. Bangkok Pundit also criticises Amnesty's response.

*Post from Global Voices used under Creative Commons licence.

Nick Nostitz's report on red shirt protests

2009-04-20T21:23:00.004+07:00

Photojournalist Nick Nostitz has written a detailed eyewitness account of the red shirt protests with photos at New Mandala. His account begins on 26 March and ends on 14 April with the red shirts surrendering. It helps paint a picture of the situation on the ground as events unfolded and the feelings and attitudes of the red shirts.

Update: The Bangkok Post has a timeline of the red shirt protests. It provides a brief summary of the key events that happened over the same period as Nick's report.

Thitinan: our country is governed by an establishment

2009-04-18T18:27:00.007+07:00

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, in an op-ed in the New York Times (link via BP), contains this quote which eloquently sums up the failure of democracy in Thailand.

Westerners think of Thailand as a democracy, ruled by the will of the majority. In reality, our country is governed by an establishment made up of the monarchy, military and bureaucracy. Elections are held, but if the establishment doesn’t like the winning party, the government is dissolved. Unable to rely on the ballot box, people take to the streets.

Shawn Crispin wrote something similar in the Asia Times.

Thailand's conflict is more accurately portrayed as a struggle between competing elites, both able to mobilize disruptive masses to their political calls, jockeying for position ahead of an uncertain royal succession.

Thitinan's editorial concludes,

The onus rests on Mr. Abhisit and his backers. The elite must stand aside and let the power of the ballot carry the day. We need to discard the undemocratic provisions of the 2007 Constitution and replace them with elements of its popularly drafted 1997 precursor. We need a fully elected legislature, courts that can make impartial decisions on election outcomes and independent watchdog agencies.
By Tuesday afternoon people were out everywhere, celebrating what was left of the New Year. But don’t be fooled by this uneasy calm. Until Thailand becomes a true democracy, we can expect more chaos in the streets.

I sincerely hope both peace and democracy prevail.

The Economist from 1932 to 2009

2009-04-17T11:02:00.005+07:00

The Economist has taken a fearless approach to reporting on a subject that was once unmentionable -- the role of the Thai royal family in politics. Its December 2008 edition carried two articles which frankly discussed the monarchy's role in Thai politics. The issue was not distributed in Thailand, and subsequent issues of The Economist which have contained articles with references to the monarchy have not been distributed in Thailand. The articles have all been available on The Economist's website and no doubt translated and circulated to some degree in Thailand.

A few days ago The Economist published a report from its archives on the 1932 Siamese Revolution on its website. The full text follows.

Last Friday a successful revolution was achieved in Siam by the officers—or a clique among the officers—of the naval and military forces. The heir to the throne and the chief of police were placed under arrest; and the King, who was not in Bangkok when the coup was carried out, returned to the capital and accepted the fait accompli. The only casualty seems to have one high military officer, who was shot and wounded in the act of resisting arrest; and this sole victim is happily expected to recover. The revolutionaries deprecate the application of the term “revolution” to their work; but a revolution does not cease to be a revolution when it is accomplished without loss of life; and this Siamese specimen is not difficult to classify and pigeon-hole. Like the recent alarums and excursions in Chile, the present upheaval in Siam is evidently a political expression of the malaise produced by the pressure of the economic crisis. But the crisis has caught Siam in a different stage of social development from some of these other countries; and accordingly, this Siamese revolution had taken rather a different form. While our Latin-American revolutionaries move in an endless cycle from one dictator or one junta to another, and while the Japanese Fascists are moving backwards from a pseudo-constitutional regime towards a one-party tyranny, the Siamese revolutionaries are moving in the opposite direction—from absolute monarchy towards self-government. This Siamese affair is a movement, engineered by military officers, for securing a parliamentary constitution; and the nearest obvious modern analogy is the Turkish revolution of 1908. In Siam, as in Turkey, the military officers are the political radicals because they are the element in the country which has been the most deeply imbued with Western ideas. The economic crisis brought the political movement in Siam to a dénouement by imposing the necessity for an increase in taxation—an increase which the late Government attempted to provide for by imposing a tax on salaries. The Siamese peasantry, whose minds are hardly touched yet by Westernisation, and whose taxes have actually been lightened, seem to have been passive spectators. It remains to be see how these peasant masses will get on with the small and rather exotic Westernised intelligentsia if the intelligentsia now comes into effective power through the curious semi-democratic constitution to which the King has now agreed.

The 18 April 2009 print edition of The Economist has also been withheld from circulation in Thailand. It contains an article titled The trouble with the king. Here are the paragraphs which no doubt ensured the magazine can't be sold in Thailand.

If the correspondent had in mind something like the Dutch monarchy off shopping on their bicycles, in Thailand that vision got hijacked on the way to the supermarket. Today King Bhumibol Adulyadej, at 81 the world’s longest-reigning monarch, has actually accrued power over the years, and remains central to Thailand’s political chaos. This helps explain one bizarre episode among many in the country’s latest crisis. At a time when large-scale bloodshed seemed possible as the army confronted anti-government “red shirt” protesters in Bangkok, Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister deposed in a coup in 2006, gave a television interview. His voice quaking with emotion, and doubtless recalling the king’s famous televised carpeting of an army chief and a protest leader after a massacre in Bangkok in 1992, he beseeched “his majesty” to intervene again to end the showdown.

Yet Mr Thaksin, in exile and convicted in absentia of corruption, is accused by his opponents of being a closet republican. And he has indeed come close to criticising the palace, by demanding the resignation of two of the king’s privy councillors, widely assumed to be behind the 2006 coup. When “yellow shirt” protesters laid siege to the government led by Mr Thaksin’s loyalists late last year, they did so invoking the king’s name. Yet now even Mr Thaksin felt obliged to profess again his loyalty to the king, and to pay homage to his power.

Such regal influence was far from preordained when the king came to the throne as a stripling, the American-born son of a half-Chinese commoner. He and his image were moulded by palace advisers and by successive military governments. They saw how useful it would be to have a figurehead depicted as not merely beyond reproach but very nearly divine, for the king’s blessing could then legitimise what otherwise would look awfully like any old Latin American junta, in Thailand’s case backed by business cronies and the Bangkok elite. The need helps explain why a king held supposedly in wonder by his subjects warrants one of the world’s most draconian laws against lèse-majesté. The king has been not just a figurehead for Thailand’s elites, but a source of patronage and power in his own right, with destabilising consequences, especially now his reign is in its fumbling twilight. He has long bestowed honours in exchange for donations to his good causes. The causes may benefit his beloved rural poor, but the patronage system perpetuates royal influence.

*Many thanks to Bangkok Pundit and Political Prisoners in Thailand for their excellent blogging which has been the source of many useful links and information for me.

Black Songkran 2009

2009-04-16T19:10:00.009+07:00

They are calling it Black Songkran. Instead of the usual fun and water throwing there were bullets and petrol bombs on the streets of Bangkok. For the moment at least calm has returned, but the fundamental conflict has not been resolved. It is probably only a matter of time before there are more red shirt protests with the potential for more violence. There is a lot of news to digest, so here I will collect links to some articles with brief quotes.

BBC journalist Jonathan Head sums the whole situation up well writing that there are no winners. There are also no leaders that can mediate between the two sides and create a peaceful resolution.

There appear to be no towering, Obama-like figures in Thailand, who can win the respect of both camps. Certainly not Mr Abhisit, who often looks uncomfortably out of place in the rural, red heartlands of the north and north-east.

How he deals with the leaders of the "red uprising" now - and how that compares with the treatment given to last year's "yellow uprising" - will be an important test of his promise to uphold the rule of law impartially.

So the conflict which erupted so spectacularly in Bangkok and Pattaya over the past week will probably rumble on, steadily eroding the confidence of investors, tourists and the Thai people, in a stable future for their country.

Much of the problem is rooted in the lack of justice and rule of law. David Streckfuss writes that all parties involved must stand and face the justice system.

The PAD said it needed to seize the airport. UDD leaders said the coup was illegal and the PAD has not been punished. They said therefore that they had to apply pressure by closing down the roads and wreaking havoc on the activities of the government.

But what about dropping all the discussion of "necessity" and "justification" for breaking the law, and an honest declaration: "I knowingly broke the law and will serve the time." Period.

The simple and evident truth becomes obscured through partisan rationalisations which appears (and is) self-serving hypocrisy.

Every Thai political leader claims to be acting for the good of the nation, and says much about sacrifice. A sacrifice would entail adopting a noble attitude, and a willingness to suffer the consequences for doing something you believed in.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak also addresses issues of justice. She writes that the red shirts are expressing anger at injustice in Thai society.

The undercurrents against establishment forces should not be underestimated. The lack of recognition and accommodation will make these undercurrents pent-up and dangerous.

The onus for the way ahead now rests on Mr Abhisit and his supporters. The reds' miscalculated gamble has made their months-long movement futile. What is needed next is the willingness of the establishment forces to accept, address and accommodate the reds' sense of injustice and inequality.

Otherwise the demands for greater social justice and share of the pie may well reappear in other shapes, forms and colours down the road.

Giles Ungpakorn was part of the red shirt movement and fled Thailand to escape lese majeste charges. He describes the conflict as a class war for a genuine democracy and a challenge to the monarchy.

What we have been seeing in Thailand since late 2005 is a growing class war between the poor and the old elites. It is, of course, not a pure class war. Due to a vacuum on the left in the past, millionaire and populist politicians like Thaksin Shinawatra have managed to provide leadership to the poor.
The urban and rural poor, who form the majority of the electorate, are the Red Shirts. They want the right to choose a democratically elected government. They started out as passive supporters of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai government, but have since formed a new citizens' movement they call Real Democracy.
[...]
Yet the Red Shirts are not merely Thaksin puppets. They are self-organised in community groups, and some are showing frustration with Thaksin's lack of progressive leadership, especially over his insistence that they be "loyal" to the crown.

Andrew Walker and Nicholas Farrelly, academics at ANU and authors of New Mandala, also discuss the role of the monarchy. It was not so long ago that this topic was barely mentioned, but from Paul Handley's 2006 book The King Never Smiles to the more recent articles that saw issues of The Economist withdrawn from sale in Thailand, the monarchy and its role in Thai politics is now coming under regular scrutiny in the international media. Walker and Farrelly write,

When the smoke clears, there will, of course, be vigorous attempts to put the royal genie back into its gilded and apolitical bottle. Legal restrictions on royal commentary will be enforced with increasing gusto. Thais who dare speak up about the country’s political realities will face the risk of heavy legal sanctions. International commentators calling for free speech will be vilified as cultural imperialists seeking to impose western values on the loyal subjects of the Thai king. But these attempts to impose silence won’t work because each clamp-down on royal discussion generates yet another, more penetrating, round of debate, speculation and, in some cases, irreverence.
With or without Thaksin’s latest provocations, and whatever the ultimate fate of the red-shirts, the extraordinary events of the past few years mean that silence on Thailand’s monarchy is no longer a viable option.

The Economist, which has consistently good analysis of Thai politics, ponders on the future direction Thailand might take.

Many Thais are heartily sick of the crisis and its enormous damage to the economy in terms of lost investment and tourists. Another military coup is rumoured, although it is unclear where the army’s political inclinations lie. Presumably Mr Abhisit’s days are numbered as prime minister, though who might succeed him is anyone’s guess. Mr Thaksin hopes to ride the protests and return to power. Yet with plenty of scores to settle, his would presumably be a brittle and autocratic rule at a time when reconciliation is badly needed. Fresh elections are probably the best bet, with the promise of a search for a broad political consensus for constitutional change to allow a more representative politics. For now, with violence in the streets again, Thailand teeters on the brink.

It seems Abhisit has clung onto power for now, although it is only a matter of time before he faces another challenge. Ensuring that all those responsible for violence in the past few months -- the red shirts, yellow shirts and the army -- face the justice system would help strengthen his position and give him credibility. If the red shirts are really committed to achieving democracy they need to spend some time spelling out their agenda. I suggest possibly returning to the 1997 constitution, with some amendments, followed by fresh parliamentary elections. Whatever happens all sides must work for a peaceful resolution. Thailand cannot afford to be torn apart by violence. It is the ordinary, working class people that would have to pay the highest price.

Democracy in crisis

2009-04-16T19:00:00.000+07:00

Thailand's democratic crisis

By Tyrell Haberkorn

The turbulent polarisation between "red" and "yellow" political camps in Thailand is a symptom of a deeper disorder, says Tyrell Haberkorn.

[Originally published at openDemocracy on 14 April 2009. Republished under a Creative Commons licence.]

Thai citizens are again living under a state of emergency and the threat of bloodshed. The successive mass mobilisations by supporters of the "yellow" and "red" camps could in other circumstances be seen as evidence of a vibrant engagement with democratic politics; in the context of the near-meltdown of Thailand's constitutional order, they are more symptoms of a dangerous crisis. Where does Thailand go from here?

The most recent events are part of a series that began in 2005-06 when members of the fledgling Peoples' Alliance for Democracy (PAD) first donned yellow shirts and called for the removal of the elected prime minister and head of the Thai Rak Thai party, Thaksin Shinawatra. The demonstrators had their wish when (in September 2006) the military ousted the populist Thaksin, who had already left the country amid outstanding conflict-of-interest charges (on which he was to be convicted in October 2008) but who has retained much of his popularity among Thailand's rural and poor people.

An inconclusive period of military rule was followed by elections in December 2007 that brought to power the People Power Party (PPP), a rebranded version of Thai Rak Thai. The "yellow" camp persisted in campaigning against this outcome; its activities reached a new peak when PAD demonstrators laid siege to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport (and the smaller Don Muang domestic airport) in November-December 2008. A court decision that ended the siege led to the resignation of the government and the appointment on 17 December of a new prime minister from the Democrat Party, the England-educated Abhisit Vejjajiva.

This did nothing to still the tumult; Thai politics have moved from the chaos of December to the deep crisis of April.

The meaning of chaos

The rhetoric has sharpened alongside the polarisation. From his exile, Thaksin Shinawatra addressed the red shirts on the evening of 12 April 2009 and commented: "Now that the military has brought tanks out on the streets, it's time for the people to come out for a revolution." It is reported too that Thaksin "has promised to return and lead it" (see "Thailand's ugly crisis", Economist, 13 April 2009).

The dangers of escalation are evident - even if a show of strength by the Thai military on the streets of Bangkok on 13 April defused the immediate protests. The most spectacular of these was in the resort town of Pattaya on 11 April, when the red-shirt activists calling for Abhisit's resignation invaded the site of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean's) annual summit. In forcing the summit's cancellation and the attending regional leaders' evacuation, the demonstrators followed the example of the airport siege in exposing Thailand's breakdown to an international audience.

Abhisit responded to the summit humiliation by declaring a state of emergency on 12 April covering Bangkok and the surrounding areas. This placed prohibitions on public gatherings and gave greater powers of arrest to the government. The red-shirt protestors were defiant: they continued to storm government buildings, surround the seat of government, and remain in the streets. At least some sought to go further, by confronting opponents and seeking to destroy buildings and vehicles. The army and other state forces responded with tear-gas, tanks and live bullets. Amid reports of government cover-ups and restriction of information, the precise number of the dead and injured on all sides is unknown.

How to characterise this chaos? The most convenient and perhaps plausible way is to see what is happening in Thailand as a straightforward contest for power between Abhisit Vejjajiva's government and Thaksin Shinawatra, symbolised in the colourful struggle between yellow and red shirts. The problem with this view is indicated by the fact that both groups claim to be supporting and embodying "democracy". The passionate appeals to principle and ideals cannot be ignored or dismissed. Thailand's crisis is about more than power alone.

Indeed, much more is at stake, even if it is hard to define exactly what. The historian Michael Montesano has identified the current situation as revolutionary, arguing that "neither an election nor a mediated process of reconciliation" will resolve it. But he leaves the content of this revolution unnamed, instead commenting that "the real significance of [the] debacle at Pattaya may lie in its prompting Asian leaders, along with the rest of us, to anticipate the process of revolutionary change on which Thailand now seems to have embarked"(see Michael Montesano, "On the brink, again", Straits Times, 13 April 2009).

The implication that Thailand's now lengthy series of protests represents a larger social movement is echoed by the political scientist Giles Ji Ungpakorn - now also (since February 2009) living abroad after accumulating threats to his freedom - who identifies growing republican tendencies within the red-shirt phenomenon that express a demand for participation in democracy by all Thai citizens (see "The Reds' Fight for Real Democracy", Guardian, 13 April 2009). The argument is that while some red shirts are mainline supporters of Thaksin, others are criticising the disproportionate role of elites in governance. The bus-drivers, workers, and young people protesting in Bangkok and in provincial centres have taken to the streets to stake their claim for a role in a future Thai society.

In this perspective, Thailand's disorder might be seen in terms of a longer view, where many of its people - under great economic pressures, and amid rooted structures of power - are seeking a transformation in the underlying social and political relations of rule. The warning contained in Antonio Gramsci's Prison Notebooks seems apt in this respect: "The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appears."

The colour of change

The morbid symptoms include a tide of repression - in particular, the curtailment of free speech - under Abhisit Vejjajiva's leadership. The conviction of the Australian novelist Harry Nicolaides has received the most international attention (which contributed to his release); but many more such cases of lese-majesté being prosecuted or investigated in 2009 of which Thais themselves are the main targets.

It was anticipation of a heavy sentence for alleged lesè majesté in his book on the military takeover of 2006 - A Coup for the Rich - that led Giles Ji Ungpakorn to flee to England. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the editor of the online newspaper Prachatai, was arrested in early March and her offices searched under the "computer-crimes" law of 2007; her alleged offence was vague and unspecified: not removing comments that contained content threatening to national security. Chiranuch is at the time of writing out on bail.

Suwicha Thakhor, an engineer, was sentenced to ten years in prison on 3 April 2009 on charges under both Article 112 of Thailand's criminal code (the lese-majesté law) and the computer-crimes law. Suwicha's alleged crime was posting an image insulting to the monarchy. Even after his conviction, the image or even a description of it has not been released. The expanded use of these two legal measures to silence any questioning, let alone criticism, of the royal institution in Thailand indicates a profound insecurity about its stability as well as the power of its political allies.

The repression of speech, the reconsolidation of the royal institution, violence in the streets, and a descent into bitter factional enmity - these morbid symptoms of Thailand's dysfunctional and unstable polity clearly have the potential to become mortal wounds.

Do they offer other potentials? Philip Bowring sees a possible "silver lining" in the current crisis: "It might still convince enough of the yellow shirts that demands for a full democracy will not go away, and enough of the red shirts that democracy unchecked by law easily leads to tyranny - and both of them that Thailand needs a monarch who is symbol of the entire nation" (see "What Shirt for Thailand?", New York Times, 13 April 2009). This assessment, however, leaves unquestioned the relationship between the enduring royal institution and the possibility of full democracy or the just use of law in Thailand. A lesson of this now lengthy crisis is that scrutiny of the sources and uses of power in the interests of strengthening democracy in Thailand and the participation of all citizens in governance is now needed.

The red shirts or yellow shirts alone will not provide an answer to Thailand's deep-rooted problems; neither will its existing elites and power-structures. The future of the country - whether that will involve a reconsolidation of the royal institution, a republic, or a not-yet-articulated third option (as Pavin Chachavalpongpun suggests) - is in the balance. What is clear amid much uncertainty is that any longer-term solution must find a way to accommodate the interests and voices of the mostly poor and working-class Thai citizens who have filled the streets in Bangkok and the provinces. The hour is late, but in the commitment of Thais to "democracy" lies a slender reed of hope.

Taiwan-Thailand connections

2009-04-13T07:04:00.011+07:00

Now I am living in Taiwan life in Thailand seems somewhat distant. Yesterday I joined the Thai New Year (Songkran) celebrations in Taoyuan, which was just like going back to Thailand. There are about 75,000 Thai workers living in Taiwan and 20,000 of them live in Taoyuan, a city near Taipei.

The event held at the Taoyuan Stadium featured Buddhist monks, traditional Thai dance and Blue Sky, a Thai rock band with my friend MJ Klein on guitar.Of course there was some water thrown, but it was very tame in comparison to what happens in Thailand.

I have written a more detailed report on my Taiwan blog and also uploaded some photos at flickr.

On Friday night a saw a new Taiwanese movie called Detours to Paradise. The film portrays the difficult lives of migrant workers from Southeast Asia in Taiwan. The plot revolves around an Indonesian maid and her Thai boyfriend played by Banlop Lomnoi.

I reviewed the film on my Taiwan blog. The excellent Thai cinema blog, Wise Kwai's Film Journal, also mentioned the film.

Thai media on Listening Post

2009-03-02T08:30:00.004+07:00

Al Jazeera's Listening Post program of 27 February 2009 featured a story on the Thai media. The program looks at Thai PBS, Prime Minister Abhisit and the lese majeste law. The Global Village Voices section of the program includes a comment by David (author of this blog) from 7:23 to 7:48.

Al Jazeera also recently reported on the situation in the deep south. Reporter Step Vaessen reported directly from the south and also interviewed PM Abhisit about the situation there. The links are to the videos at YouTube.

Harry freed with royal pardon

2009-02-21T08:46:00.006+07:00

Australian Harry Nicolaides, who was serving a prison sentence for lese majeste, has been granted a royal pardon and deported from Thailand. The Age reports:

Australian author Harry Nicolaides, who was jailed in Thailand for criticising the country's royal family in a book, is on his way home after being granted a royal pardon.

Nicolaides walked free from prison yesterday after Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej issued a royal decree on Wednesday, his brother Forde Nicolaides said.

The 41-year-old author spent five months in a Thai jail after being arrested last August for insulting the Thai monarchy in his book Verisimilitude. He was sentenced to three years' jail last month after pleading guilty to 'lese majeste' - the crime of criticising the royals.

His release ends a "six-month nightmare" for the family, his brother said.

Human rights problems abound

2009-01-24T13:03:00.012+07:00

It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it. - Aung San Suu Kyi

Andrew Walker of New Mandala has an article in the Sydney Morning Herald on human rights in Thailand. The article focuses on the lese majeste case of Harry Nicolaides and the Thai military's treatment of Rohingya refugees. These are just two of the issues that have been in the news in the past few weeks but there are also more lese majeste cases and Amnesty International's recent report on torture in the Deep South.

Giles Ungpakorn's case is important and will bring even more international attention to the issue of lese majeste. He has shown a brave and principled response to the charges so far. He is very articulate in both English and Thai so he can communicate his arguments to both domestic and international audiences. He is sure to have much support from academics around the world.

Giles writes why we must oppose lese majeste:

The lese majeste law in Thailand represents a gross attack on the freedom of speech, freedom of expression and academic freedom. The practical impact is that we do not have a fully developed democracy or internationally accepted academic standards in our universities.

I think lese majeste must be treated as a human rights and freedom of speech issue. There is no need for diplomatic niceties. You can still speak out about this issue while maintaining respect for the king. I am no longer living in Thailand so that gives me the freedom to write on this blog without fear. And although I don't know exactly what Thai people think about this issue I am sure many of them are talking about it and although they may not express their views publicly, they would be discussing them in private.

I think the most important thing to recognise is that these problems are not a product of the Thaksin regime or the military coup. They are deeply ingrained within Thai institutions and exacerbated by a weak rule of law and a culture that suppresses honest criticism. The military in particular should be singled out for scrutiny. It acts with a culture of impunity. It has never faced justice for the 2006 coup or the Tak Bai massacre. In the recent incident involving Rohingya refugees it merely obfuscated rather than taking concrete action to address the problem.

There is no simple solution to these problems. Effecting institutional and cultural change will take decades. However, in the short term there are two important things that can be done. The first is having more international observers present in Thailand. Their presence will help in clearly documenting the problems and also perhaps moderating the behaviour of those that might abuse human rights.

The second is for foreign governments to be far more frank in their dealings with the Thais. If they are prepared to call a spade a spade in neighbouring Burma, then why not do the same in Thailand? Thai society has a degree of democracy and openness that Burma does not so such statements can have much greater influence. The time to speak out is now for failure to speak out against injustice is to condone it. There is no excuse for silence.

Banned book available for download

2009-01-20T21:14:00.008+07:00

Australian writer Harry Nicolaides was sentenced to three years in prison for lese majeste on Monday. The charges relate to the contents of a book titled Verisimilitude written by Harry. Only 50 copies of the 2005 book Verisimilitude were ever printed and seven copies sold. Harry was arrested in August 2008 and held in a Bangkok prison until his trial. There are serious concerns about his health and mental state.

Here is a link (now broken, search on Google and you will find it) where you can download a pdf copy of the book. The text for which Harry was found guilty of lese majeste is on page 115 of the book (p. 65 of the pdf). I am making the book available for download to protest against the ridiculous of the lese majeste law. This law goes against the most basic principles of human rights and freedom of speech. It must be abolished.

I appeal to His Majesty the King to grant a royal pardon to Harry Nicolaides. I appeal to the Thai Government to abolish the lese majeste law. I appeal to the Australian Government to do everything in its power to assist Harry and secure his release from prison as soon as possible.

Update: I have written a post for Global Voices on the blogosphere's reaction to Harry Nicolaides' sentence and also mention the cases of academic Giles Ji Ungphakorn and BBC correspondent Jonathan Head.

Amnesty International and Freedom House reports

2009-01-14T15:20:00.004+07:00

Amnesty International released a report on Tuesday saying that the Thai military is engaging in torture and other systematic abuses in Thailand's deep south. The southern provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla, and Yala have been affected by ongoing violence since 2004 that has claimed over 3,000 lives. Amnesty International writes:

Amnesty International's report focuses on incidents between March 2007 and May 2008. The organization obtained testimonies concerning the treatment in detention of at least 34 people during that time. Thirteen torture survivors were interviewed directly, as were relatives and witnesses to the torture or ill-treatment of the others.

Survivors said that the most common torture techniques they faced were beatings, being kicked or stomped on and having plastic bags placed over their heads until they nearly suffocated.

The report acknowledges abuses by all sides in the conflict. The full report is available in pdf or html formats on Amnesty's website.

Meanwhile, Freedom House released its Freedom in the World 2009 report in Taipei on Tuesday. I have written a report of the press conference on my Taiwan blog. Although my report focuses on Taiwan it also covers some broader human rights issues affecting Asia.

Freedom House rated Thailand as "partly free" in its 2009 report which is based on events during the 2008 calendar year. Thailand scored five for political rights and four for civil liberties on a scale from one to seven with one being the most free. Thailand's score for political rights improved by one point from last year.

Monarchy is part of the problem: The Economist

2008-12-05T07:59:00.008+07:00

As I wrote in the previous post, the unmentionable is now being mentioned in the international media. The 4 December 2008 edition of The Economist goes even further with two articles that discuss in detail the role of the king and the royal family in the current crisis and Siam's democracy (or lack of) in past decades.

The first article, Thailand's king and its crisis, details much of the goings on in the royal family. It warns readers, especially Thai ones, that they may not like what they are about to hear.

Many Thais will squirm at what follows, and will prefer the fairy-tale version of the king’s story. But the king’s past actions are root causes of a conflict dividing the country, and need to be examined.

The second article, Thailand's monarchy is part of the problem, goes even further.

The lèse-majesté law is an outrage in itself. It should not be enforced in any country with democratic pretensions. Worse is that the law hides from Thais some of the reasons for their chronic political woes. For what the king himself calls the “mess” Thailand is in stems in many ways from his own meddling in politics during his 62-year reign (see article). In part, the strife also reflects jockeying for power ahead of the succession. With the king celebrating his 81st birthday on December 5th, that event looms ever larger.

Much of the story of how the king’s actions have hurt his country’s politics is unfamiliar because Thais have not been allowed to hear it. Some may find our criticisms upsetting, but we do not make them gratuitously. Thailand needs open debate if it is to prepare for the time when a less revered monarch ascends the throne. It cannot be good for a country to subscribe to a fairy-tale version of its own history in which the king never does wrong, stays above politics and only ever intervenes on the side of democracy. None of that is true.

The article states how the image of the king intervening in 1992 enhanced the image of the monarchy, yet the king's alleged influence in 1976 saw the army slaughter unarmed student protesters. It also says that the king approved of, rather than merely accepted the 2006 coup.

Later The Economist writes,

In the imagination of Thai royalists their country is like Bhutan, whose charismatic new king is adored by a tiny population that prefers royal rule to democracy. In reality, with public anger at the queen’s support for the thuggish PAD and the unsuitability of Bhumibol’s heir simmering, Thailand risks the recent fate of Nepal, which has suffered a bitter civil war and whose meddling king is now a commoner in a republic.

The analogy with Nepal is one that will probably be much repeated in the media in months to come. Nobody would have thought that events there could lead to the end of the monarchy and a Nepalese republic.

Further intrigue and speculation will no doubt now occur after the King failed to appear on the eve of his birthday to make a scheduled speech. Perhaps most significant was the Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn made a short statement and then his sister, Princess Sirindhorn, also spoke detailing the nature of the King's illness. The Crown Prince is the heir to the throne and has taken on many of the King's duties in recent months. However, many Thais prefer Princess Sirindhorn.

The Thai media is likely to remain tight lipped and continue to write about the monarchy in revered and respectful terms. However, there is likely to be more speculation and reporting in the international media about the role and future of the Thai monarchy. And while the Thai media might be silent there will be no shortage of whispers in Thai society. When those whispers become a roar the face of Thailand may be changed in ways never thought possible.

Mentioning the unmentionable

2008-12-02T18:17:00.004+07:00

"Covering this crisis is like trying to explain the unexplainable, without mentioning the unmentionable." (quote from NBC via BP*)

New Mandala notes that international media reports are increasingly mentioning the role of the royal family in this crisis.

An article in the International Herald Tribune (link via BP again) goes even further asking, "Could the monarchy in Thailand go the way of Nepal's, the latest crown to fall to republicanism?"

*Bangkok Pundit has done a superb job of aggregating and analysing the news throughout the most recent crisis in Siam.

Photos of Siam from LIFE

2008-11-21T11:53:00.005+07:00

Google is now hosting an archive of photos from LIFE magazine. I did a search for Siam and it displayed photos of Siam cobras and the cremation of King Ananda in 1950.

Siam cobra

Cremation of King Ananda, Siam 1950

Ajarn Sulak arrested

2008-11-07T22:01:00.004+07:00

I just received the news that Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa has been arrested for lese majeste. I don't know any details apart from what has been published in news reports on the internet. The BBC reports:

One of Thailand's best-known social activists has been arrested on charges of insulting the monarchy.
Sulak Sivaraksa is often described as the founder of Thailand's movement of non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
The 76-year-old was detained in connection with a speech he made last December. He has been released on bail.

I will update the blog again if I receive any more substantial news.

Update: Report from The Nation:

Somchai said that what Sulak had said in a public speech last December in Khon Kaen was very mild. Somchai also said the military had had a role in this by raising ultra-royalist fervour in recent weeks and this might explain why Sulak had been arrested.
Sulak was later given bail and flew to London last night for a pre-arranged engagement; he will return to Bangkok in November to fight the charge.

From Reuters: Arrest of Thai academic raises free speech fears

Ong Bak 2 trailer

2008-10-20T08:52:00.003+07:00

If you loved Ong Bak, then get ready for Ong Bak 2 (องค์บาก2). Wise Kwai's Thai Film Journal reports:

Despite a dispute over the budget that led to delays in production and a meltdown by its star and director, Tony Jaa's forthcoming magnum opus Ong-Bak 2 is nearly complete and is set for its planned release on December 4.

The Ong-Bak 2 website is live, and the trailer is playing in cinemas.

I can't wait to see this one. I expect it will get a commercial release in Taiwan, hopefully not too long after the Thai release.

October 7: another black day in Bangkok

2008-10-13T07:56:00.004+07:00

7 October was another dark day in Thai history as police clashed with protestors from the PAD*. A report and photos by Nick Nostitz have been posted at New Mandala. Nostitz, a photographer, has been based in Bangkok since 1993 and he gives an excellent report from the midst of the violence. Another perspective of 7 October can be found in a photoset by adaptorplug at flickr.

Today's Bangkok Post carried an article with opinions from veterans of the October 1973 and 1976 revolutions. Here is a quote from the article:

Former student leader Thongchai Winichakul, an historian at the University of Wisconsin, said he believes the PAD would try to provoke more violent confrontations so that it could provide a pretext for a military intervention, just as they did before the 2006 coup.

"The PAD is an anti-democratic movement. Its goal, New Politics, is for a hierarchical political system in which privileges are given to certain groups of people at the expense of others," he said in an email response when asked for his views by the Bangkok Post.

The PAD had the right to campaign in favour of its ideas in a democratic manner, but should not try to overthrow the political system or force their New Politics down the public's throat, said the history professor.

The Voice of America (VOA) had an editorial on the Thai conflict on 10 October 2008. The VOA states that it reflects the views of the US Government.

The United States regrets the recent violence and is disturbed by reports that some demonstrators instigated violence against the police. The United States urges all parties to respect the rule of law and address their differences within Thailand's democratic institutions.

The United States calls on protesters to peacefully express their views in a manner that does not impede the functioning of a democratically elected parliament and government. The United States welcomes Prime Minister Somchai’s commitment to resolving the current crisis within the rule of law.

Finally Giles Ungpakorn's analysis at the FACT website is described by FACT as the "most cogent and intelligent we've seen". Giles labels the PAD as a "ultra right-wing fascist mob". Giles writes:

We need to reform society to bring about progressive changes. This means expanding democracy, not allowing Thailand to slide back into the dark ages of dictatorship. But the task will only take place by forces in the Peoples’ Movement – the Left, the NGO networks, social movements and trade unions coming together to outline our own reform strategy. We cannot rely on the corrupt human-rights abusers in the government, nor the fascists of the PAD and their allies to achieve these aims.

The hopes for peacefully resolving the current stand off against the PAD seem slim. However, democracy must be seen as the solution not the problem. Although there are many weaknesses in democracy and the rule of law in Thailand if the system is given a chance to function without the threat of violence it can be improved. As undesirable as the pro-Thaksin government might seem to some it needs to be respected as the government elected by the people. If the people want to reform Thai politics then they must build a genuine people's movement that unites all sectors of society. Real and lasting change can only be effected through peaceful and nonviolent means.

Update: I just want to add a few more links.

Shawn Cripsin has an excellent article at the Asia Times Online: The bounce of a ping-pong bomb.
New Mandala says the the PAD has chosen bloodshed over ballots.
Giles Ungpakorn speaks on ABC Radio's Asia Pacific program.

(Additional links added 15 October 2008).

*PAD stands for People's Alliance for Democracy, however their agenda is fundamentally anti-democratic as they seek to overthrow the democratically elected government by unconstitutional means.

Chocolate - movie review

2008-10-01T00:15:00.002+07:00

Chocolate (ช็อคโกแลต) is a Thai movie directed by Prachya Pinkaew who also made Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong. Like those two movies it features a lot of fighting action based on Muay Thai, a Thai martial art. However, Chocolate puts Yanin "Jeeja" Vismistananda, a female, in the starring role. She kicks and punches with the best of them.

The film includes an obvious nod to the legacy of Ong Bak and Tony Jaa. Zen, the character played by Yanin, is autistic. She learns her fighting skills from watching Ong Bak on video as well as watching people practicing Muay Thai next door to her house.

The pace of the movie is not quite as relentless as Ong Bak as a little more time is taken with developing the characters and the plot. The story is one of feuding gangs and settling scores. It is very much in the style of Hong Kong gangster movies.

The fight scenes are the highlight of the movie. They are well choreographed and Zen pulls off some great moves.

At the end of the film there are a series of outtakes and you can see that the actors do get hurt while performing the fight scenes. It also shows that wires were used in one scene, although more for safety reasons than for special effects.

Overall the film was enjoyable to watch and I look forward to seeing Yanin Vismistananda's next role on the big screen.

* I saw the film in Taipei where it screened with Chinese and English subtitles.

Links

Chocolate - Internet Movie Database
Chocolate - official website
Chocolate - Wikipedia
Review at Wise Kwai's Thai Film Journal

Top 100 Thai blogs

2008-05-30T14:38:00.003+07:00

David in Siam is currently ranked 98 in the list of the top 100 Thai blogs. It is not bad considering how infrequently I update this blog. An explanation of how the list was compiled is here. You can vote for the blogs you like.

The top 10 at the time of writing this post are:

1. New Mandala
2. 2Bangkok
3. Thailand Blogs
4. Bangkok Pundit
5. Thailand Land of Smiles
6. Bisean
7. The FARANG Speaks 2 Much
8. FACT
9. Bangkok Metblogs
10. Thai Photo Blogs

I don't actively follow the Thai blogosphere and the only Thai blogs I regularly read are 2Bangkok.com, Isaan Style and Thai Girl. A brief survey of the list reveals some interesting blogs and I think it is a great way to find blogs about Thailand.

Sitting down for your rights

2008-04-24T09:47:00.001+07:00

The lèse majesté law has once again reared its ugly head with a 27 year old man facing charges for refusing to stand and pay his respects to the king at the start of a movie in a Bangkok cinema. Mr Chotisak Onsoong explained his actions:

"Not standing up is not an offence against anyone – that's what I think," Mr Chotisak said in yesterday's Bangkok Post, after being charged on Tuesday. "The public have the right to make a choice whether to rise or not . . . I would like to stress that what I did was not intended to insult or express vengeance to the King. I was simply enjoying my right to freedom of expression."

Prachathai has an interview with Chotisak. There is also a link to an online petition you can sign to support Chotisak.

The Bangkok Post has an article on the origins of the practice of paying respects to the king in movie theatres in Thailand. The practice began in Britain in the early 20th century and was later imported into Thailand.

The practice was "imported" to Thailand by British-educated Thais and theatre owners, said the historian.

A picture of His Majesty was shown on the screen along with the Royal anthem at the end of a movie and all movie-goers were supposed to rise.

Around the 1970s, Thai theatres began to play the anthem before the movie and this practice has continued until the present day.

This case only highlights the continuing absurdity of the lèse majesté law.

*links via 2Bangkok.com and Google News.

New book by author of Thai Girl

2008-04-17T10:48:00.000+07:00

I earlier wrote about Thai Girl by Andrew Hicks in my post on some recommended books about Thailand. Andrew has now published another book called My Thai Girl and I. The book is about his personal experience of living in Thailand with his Thai partner. You can read more about it on his blog.

The book is being distributed by Asia Books in Thailand so it should be easy to pick up a copy if you are in the country. When I can get hold of a copy here in Taiwan I will write a full review.

Day trips around Bangkok

2008-01-29T09:39:00.000+07:00

I just discovered a great new website Bangkok Day Trips via Thailand Blogs. The name of the website aptly describes its contents with suggestions of many interesting places to visit around Bangkok. I have only visited a few of them, but there are plenty of wonderful places to discover.

Sulak's book banned

2007-10-04T22:20:00.000+07:00

I have written about the banning of books in Thailand on this blog before. The latest case involves Sulak Sivaraksa. There is a short entry on Ajarn Sulak's blog about the case.

On October 2nd, 2007 the Special Branch of Police issued a warrant to confiscate Sulak Sivaraksa’s Thai book entitled “75 Years of Thai Democracy: Full of Obstacles” citing the Criminal Law that the book creates unrest in Thai Society. There is not yet a warrant of arrest on the author.

I have pasted the full text of the article from the Bangkok Post 4 October 2007 below.

Book on democracy banned

ANCHALEE KONGRUT

The Special Branch Police has banned a book on Thai democracy written by respected scholar Sulak Sivaraksa.

The ban on Khawn Sattawat Prachatippatai Thai (Thai Democracy After More Than Half A Century) was issued by Pol Maj-Gen Sombat Supacheeva, chief of the Special Branch Police printed media affairs section, who claimed the book ''undermines social order and public morals''.

Police said sales and distribution of the book are prohibited. They will confiscate copies already on sale.

Mr Sulak said the ban came as a surprise since the book, an anthology of his articles and speeches, was released in March. He doubted the ban was politically motivated.

''Normally I would say this case reflects an attempt to suppress freedom of expression. But this time I think there is a hidden agenda as it will tarnish the government's image and may derail the planned election,'' he said.

He has asked human rights lawyer Somchai Hom-laor to bring the case to the Administrative Court and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

He denied that his book undermines social order as claimed by the police.

''This is preposterous. What I wrote were the facts. [Police] must prove that I was wrong before banning it. My book is little or nothing compared to threats from corrupt politicians and the use of taxpayer money to sponsor lavish functions,'' said the outspoken scholar.

Mr Sulak has been in hot water before for his forthright remarks on social and political issues. He was charged with lese majeste several times but acquitted.

Many of his recent works are on sensitive topics. For instance, he wrote a review of The King Never Smiles, a banned book, for Pacarayasara, a bi-monthly magazine published by the Sathien Koset Nakhapratheep Foundation.

Ajarn Sulak in Taiwan

2007-09-10T18:05:00.000+07:00

The INEB* Conference and study tour took place in Taiwan from 31 August to 6 September. It was a great honour to be able to welcome Ajarn Sulak to Taiwan and also renew my connections with INEB. I have written about the conference on my Taiwan blog. See the links below.

* International Network of Engaged Buddhists

Not just another ghost movie

2007-08-18T11:17:00.000+07:00

Ghost movies are extremely popular in Thailand. I think in part it reflects that belief in ghosts and spirits deeply permeates Thai life.

I came across the website of what looks like an interesting film. It's title "P" which means ghost in Thai. It was directed by Englishman Paul Spurrier, the first foreigner to ever direct a Thai-language film. He spent several years studying the Thai language and learning about the supernatural world before making the movie. The synopsis follows:

Whilst growing up in rural Thailand, a young orphan girl is taught the ways of magic by her grandmother. But when grandmother falls sick, Dau is lured to Bangkok to find work so that she can buy medicine.

She finds herself working in a go-go bar, and her journey from naiveté to maturity is swift. She uses the magical skills her grandmother taught her to her advantage, but in doing so makes enemies within the bar. As her magic gets darker, and the consequences increasingly horrific, she gradually loses control, and something evil takes over.

The film was released in 2005 and screened at a number of film festivals. The film's content would undoubtedly have raised the ire of Bangkok's censors. In particular for its depiction of a go-go bar and prostitution. As far as I know it hasn't been released in the country it was made.

Although I am not a big fan of horror movies I would like to see this film for its depiction of the life of a young woman who leaves her rural village to work in the sex industry and also to see how the "spirit world" influences Thai life.

Links

Phee Borb - official website
P - Internet Movie Database
P - New York Asian Film Festival

Small breakthrough for human rights in Thailand

2007-06-22T18:27:00.000+07:00

A small breakthrough for human rights in Thailand. Laws regarding rape have been reformed. BBC News reports:

The Thai national assembly has passed into law the nation's first marital rape bill.

Offenders now face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of 40,000 baht ($1,156; £620) for raping their spouses - the same penalty that exists for non-marital rape.

The bill also allows for women and homosexuals to be prosecuted for rape.

The previous law had defined a rapist as a person who rapes a woman who is not his wife.

Richard Barrow at Thailand Blogs had a very good post on this topic last month. He wrote:

What is so wrong here are the words “who is not his wife”. Social activists want this part deleted for good reason as it basically gives permission to husbands to rape their wives as they please without having to worry about consequences. A wife could be separated from her husband and living elsewhere. But he can come and rape her at any time with the full blessing of the law. There is nothing she can do to stop him.

...

This attitude towards women is so embodied into Thai society that it is difficult to change. But, it must change if women are to be protected and to be treated as equals. Things are certainly moving.

It is good to see that in the midst of all the bad news in Thailand there is one small positive. However, changing laws is one thing. Changing social attitudes that consider rape and violence against women as acceptable is another.

Life on the border

2007-06-15T16:38:00.000+07:00

Restless Souls
by Phil Thornton
Asia Books, Bangkok, 2006
ISBN: 9748303918

Over the years I have heard various stories about things that happen along the Thai-Burma border. It is often difficult to discern fact from fiction. So it was with this interest and sense of curiousity that I picked up Restless Souls.

Phil Thornton spent five years living in the border town of Mae Sot researching this book. He is obviously very sympathetic to the plight of the Karen*, and after reading this book I think anyone would be. The Karen face extreme hardships both in Burma and across the border in Siam (Thailand). Thornton obviously had plenty of time to gain trust with the locals and made numerous trips across the border into Burma (Myanmar). His observations and insights help reveal the complexities of the world there.

As Thornton observes many journalists come and go from Mae Sot. Most only spend a short time there in hope of getting a scoop or some sensational images. The most well known case of this is the 12 year old twin boys, Johnny and Luther Htoo who led the God's Army guerrilla group. Stories like this make the papers, but don't illuminate the background of the Karen people's struggle.

And the struggle is complex indeed. For the ordinary Karen life in Burma is to live poverty, in fear of the Burmese army and to be at risk of injury from landmines. There is haunting photo in the book of a Karen soldier holding a machine gun with the two stumps of his arms, his hands presumably having been lost to a land mine.

Life is often little improved in Thailand where many Karen escape to in hope of a better life. Karen face the choice of living in the confines of a refugee camp or being exploited as a source of cheap labour by the Thais. When I visited Mae Sot in January 2005 I wrote this about the Mae La refugee camp.

The road travelled close to the Burmese border. In one place I saw what looked to be a small village. However, it seemed to extend for a long distance and was surrounded by a barbed wire fence. I later found out it was the Mae La refugee camp. The camp is home to 40,000 refugees from Burma all of whom are stateless. Many of them have never had the opportunity to leave the confines of the camp.

There is also the war on drugs. The KNLA (Karen National Liberation Army) are anti-drugs and do not participate in drug trafficking. However, Burma is the world's second largest opium producer and drugs have a strong influence on the conflict in the region. They pit the KNLA against rival ethnic groups and also the breakaway Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) who produce and traffic the drugs often with the support of the Burmese Army.

Some Karen become drug addicts, too. Thornton reports on a Karen drug rehabilitation facility. Conditions were like a prison and some prisoners were kept in chains. One man recovering from addiction comments, "What's the difference between iron chains and mental chains? During withdrawal, the drug chains are worse."

I have scanned 2Bangkok.com, The Irrawaddy News Magazine online and Google News for more recent news about the Karen and it shows little has changed. The International Herald Tribune of 4 June 2007 has a report from Mae Sot:
In a Thai border town, Burmese workers toil in penury. The Irrawaddy reports on Karen refugees in Siam seeking resettlement in the United States.

Thornton notes the difficulties of reporting on the struggle. Conditions in the region make travel difficult and dangerous, it is often impossible to verify facts and stories that are filed are often simply deemed as not important enough to publish.

So while the columns of a newspaper may not be the best place to understand the Karen's struggle Thornton has created an important document. His book provides an insightful account of the situation of the Karen.

* I have used the term Karen in this review. However, they generally refer to themselves as Pakenyaw, which in their language simply means people. See the article Karen people at Wikipedia for more background.

Thailand: the most racist country in the world?

2007-05-25T17:07:00.000+07:00

I earlier blogged about the racism implicit in the name Thailand. Sanitsuda Ekachai has another article in the Bangkok Post that highlights the racist attitudes in Thailand (link from 2Bangkok.com).

Thailand's entrant in Miss Universe, Fahroong Yutitham, wore a Hmong costume in the section for traditional costumes. This outraged Ladda Tangsupachai, director of the Cultural Surveillance Centre of the Culture Ministry (a most Orwellian sounding department). Quoting Khun Ladda from the Bangkok Post:

The Thai national dress, she stressed, must be Thai. It also must be in line with the official, royal designs and it must be used for proper occasions. She also criticised Ms Fahroong for failing to do her duty as Miss Thailand to show the outside world an authentic national Thai dress.

Furthermore, wearing an ethnic dress but calling it Thai could confuse young Thai minds and set a bad example for the youngsters to emulate.

How many Thais walk around wearing a traditional costume of any sort? These days most Thai people wear jeans and t-shirts. Also implicit in this comment is that people from minority groups cannot be considered Thai unless they conform to a very narrow ideal of Thai-ness, an ideal that doesn't in anyway reflect the everyday reality in Siam.

Ideofact has also blogged on this topic and raises this important point. It seems that the Cultural Surveillance Centre considers the Hmong costume, pictured below, is not national dress.

But their lack of comments regarding the costume below raises some interesting questions about exactly what might be considered "Thai national dress".

I think a picture is worth a thousand words here.

I'll let Sanitsuda have the last words though:

Not only the ethnic groups suffer from this narrow definition of Thai-ness, but society as a whole.

Putting Thai arts and culture on the altar, for example, has killed creativity and trapped them in rigidity and pretentiousness.

Women also greatly suffer from the Thai-ness rubbish which mandates virginity as an indispensable quality of good Thai women. This is why women who are raped or face unplanned pregnancies get social condemnation instead of help. Or why divorced women or widows are considered tainted goods.

A Thai beauty queen in an ethnic dress? Why not? Only when we can equate Thai-ness with cultural diversity, can we hope for an open and more humane society.

* photos from Miss Universe

Thonburi extension of the Skytrain

2007-05-24T07:26:00.000+07:00

I used to live in the Chareon Nakhon district of Bangkok not far from the Thaksin Bridge so I have a special interest in the extension of the skytrain across the river to Thonburi. I know the regular traffic jams that occur on the Thaksin Bridge and the huge numbers that use the ferry to cross the river during peak hour.

Work on this line has been on and off for a number of years. This was mainly due to conflict between the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the central government. The BMA is controlled by the Democrats while the other was controlled by Thai Rak Thai. Eventually the BMA decided to go ahead with the completion of the extension and financing it from its own funds without assistance from the central government.

The first phase of the extension will be 2.2 kms long and have two stations -- Chareon Nakhon and Wong Wian Yai. The Wong Wian Yai Station is located on Krung Thonburi several hundred metres to the south of the Wongwian Yai traffic circle and the SRT Wongwian Yai Railway Station which has commuter services to Mahachai in Samut Sakhon.

In April 2006 I walked out along this line and took the above photo at the site of the Chareon Nakhon Station.

I came back again in May 2007 and took the above shot of the Chareon Nakhon Station. The station now appears nearly finished, although how long it will take to fit out the interior of the station and do systems testing I don't know. Still it looks like there is a good chance it might open before the end of the year.

Links

Bangkok Skytrain - Wikipedia
The Bangkok Skytrain - 2Bangkok.com
The Skytrain Extensions - 2Bangkok.com
Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited

Suvarnabhumi airport - BKK 2.0

2007-05-24T06:55:00.000+07:00

Returning to Thailand this month was my first time to arrive and depart at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. I had previously been very familiar with the busy, but aging, Don Muang Airport.

There was a fair degree of controversy surrounding the new airport. These related to allegations of corruption during the construction process and the cracks in the runway. Don Muang airport reopened for a limited number of domestic flights in March 2007 to reduce the load on Suvarnabhumi and allow for repair works.

The airport rail link is under construction. It will run from the airport to connect with the MRT (subway) at Phetchaburi Station and the BTS (Skytrain) at Phaya Thai. It was originally scheduled to open this year, but they were still pouring the concrete for the tracks in many places so I would say that they are at least a couple more years away from completion. The elevated line is visible from the expressway on the way to the airport but I didn't take any photos. More information can be found at 2Bangkok.com and Wikipedia.

I found getting to and from the airport to be quick and easy. When I arrived I took the Airport Express bus to Banglamphu. It took just 40 minutes, although this was late at night when there wasn't much traffic. Leaving Bangkok I took a taxi from Thewes to the airport via the expressway. It took about 35 minutes at two o'clock in the afternoon. The airport express bus cost 150 baht. The taxi cost 220 baht plus 65 baht in expressway tolls.

The terminal design is in many ways similar to the Hong Kong airport. There is a single large check-in hall. Suvarnabhumi is the world's second largest building -- Hong Kong airport is slightly larger.

The air traffic control tower is the world's tallest at 132.2 metres.

Everything seemed new and well designed in the airport. While there may be some problems with it I doubt these will affect the average passenger arriving at the airport. Overall I was quite impressed and I think the new airport is a definite improvement on Don Muang.

There are several Family Mart convenience stores in the airport. The prices are the same as elsewhere in Thailand. This makes it easy to get a drink or a snack without paying the usual inflated prices associated with airports. There are a range of restaurants in the airport but no KFC or McDonalds.

The urinals in the toilets at the Sky Loft (restaurant area) had pictures of beautiful women taking a look at the action. I thought it was quite amusing, but I wonder if others might find it makes them nervous.

Taking off there was this wonderful view.

And a little bit later this lovely sunset.

Links

The Suvarnabhumi Airport - 2Bangkok.com
Suvarnabhumi Airport - Wikipedia
Suvarnabhumi Airport - AOT official website
Suvarnabhumi Airport - photoset @ flickr

Koh Kred: Island in the stream

2007-05-21T08:20:00.000+07:00

Koh Kred is an island in the middle of the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi Province. The island is home to a Mon community and pottery along with tourism are the major industries. The island has no cars although motorcycles do travel around its narrow pathways. You can explore the island by walking or hiring a bike for 40 baht.

I visited Koh Kred yesterday and found it made a nice trip out of Bangkok. The level of the Chao Phraya River is very high at the moment. This is due to a combination of rains, wind and tides. Some parts of the island, including the footpath pictured above, were underwater.

The island has a number of Buddhist temples. The reclining Buddha above was in Wat Paramaiyikawat.

There are many ways to get to Koh Kred involving combinations of boat, bus and taxi. I got there by taking a ferry to Nonthaburi and then a taxi to Pak Kred. The taxi to Pak Kred from Nonthaburi should cost less than 100 baht, but I paid a little more as the driver didn't really know the way. From Pak Kred you can take a ferry across the river to Koh Kred for 2 baht. I returned to Bangkok on the 505 air-con bus. There are also boat tours that run to the island every Sunday from Sathorn Pier.

Fermented rice wine

2007-05-19T16:59:00.000+07:00

I don't normally drink alcohol, but when I saw this I had to make an exception. It is fermented rice wine. You add water to the jar and then drink the wine through a bamboo straw. You can keep adding water and repeating the process.

The last time I drank this was in Darjeeling about ten years ago. Although on that occassion it was made of millet not rice. Still the taste was quite similar.

I was told the alcohol content was about 6% so I didn't get too drunk!!!

Riding the Maeklong Commuter

2007-05-16T19:51:00.000+07:00

Unless you looked really hard you would probably never find the Wong Wian Yai Railway Station in Thonburi. It is a single track in the midst of a crowded market. The Maeklong Railway line connects Wong Wian Yai with Mahachai Station in Samut Sakhon, a small province neighbouring the Bangkok metropolis. Trains leave from here about once every hour. The trip takes about 55 minutes.

I had long been planning to take a ride on this train. Last year I headed out here, but ended up getting sidetracked taking photos of the Thonburi extension of the skytrain. I went back to see how far the construction had progressed and I will post some before and after shots on this blog at a later date.

Anyway I arrived at the station in time to catch the 8:35 train to Mahachai. Tickets were just 10 baht. The train mostly runs on a single track and trees brush the train on both sides in places. There were a number of small stations along the way.

I wouldn't exactly call the countryside that the train passes through idyllic, but it is a green contrast to Bangkok. Unfortunately the the area along the railway tracks seems to be filled with rubbish and canals full of very dirty water.

When I arrived in Samut Sakhon it was pouring rain. I waited for about twenty minutes until it cleared. I spent some time wandering around the town. It was pretty typical of most Thai towns with a very crowded market and plenty of gold shops.

The nearby Tha Chin River is quite big and serves as a fishing port. You can cross the river here and another train runs onto Samut Songkram. There was also an interesting looking Chinese style temple near the river. Although the temple looked every bit like a typical Chinese temple there were Thai style Buddhas inside. At the rear of the temple was the City Shrine complete with its Hindu style architecture. I always feel a little confused by the mix of religious iconography here, but obviously the Thai thinking is the more the better.

Samut Sakhon couldn't really hold my attention for more than a couple of hours. Still it was a nice escape from the huge and busy Bangkok. I recommend it to anyone looking for something interesting and different to do in Bangkok.

Links

An afternoon with Ajarn

2007-05-15T09:09:00.000+07:00

It was more than two years since I last met with Ajarn Sulak. It was great to be able to see him again and spend some time with him.

Even though he is now 74 years old Ajarn still maintains a very busy schedule of travel both in Thailand and abroad. He had just returned from a Tibet Support Group meeting in Brussels. He says that he will retire next year. I don't quite believe him.

Ajarn gave me a copy of a book called Teaching Dhamma by Pictures. This book was republished last year to celebrate the centenary of Ajarn Buddhadasa Bhikkhu. Ajarn Sulak asked me if I could try and get the book translated into Chinese. I will make some enquiries when I get back to Taiwan.

I also had the chance to catch up with the latest issues of Seeds of Peace magazine. I haven't finished reading them yet, but there seems to be plenty of great material there. Ajarn also asked me to draft a paper on the "Role of Religion in Conflict and Peacemaking". It will be good for me to refresh my interest and knowledge on this topic. Over the past few years I have wanted to do something for Ajarn and now I finally have the chance.

I asked Ajarn about the political situation here in Siam. He didn't go into a lot of detail. Of the new Prime Minister (Surayud) he said he is a nice man, but he has done nothing.

I spent the afternoon reading while Ajarn did some writing. In the evening a number of guests came for dinner. They included a doctor of Tibetan Medicine. He said Ajarn's health is good and he should have a long life.

Bangkok connections

2007-05-15T08:47:00.000+07:00

Yesterday was my first full day in Bangkok after arriving late the night before. It was great to renew my connections with the city and meet many friends along the way.

My first stop was the place where I usually eat breakfast. The lady there still remembered me. She asked me if I had been gone for half a year. I said it was a year already and she was surprised. The bowl of khao tom moo (rice soup with pork) was delicious.

Next I took the ferry down the Chao Phraya River to Thaksin Bridge. I think the ferry is one of the best ways to travel in Bangkok and there are no traffic jams! The photo above shows one of the ferries that shuttles passengers across the river. The ones that run along the river are much bigger.

I got to Thaksin Bridge and took the skytrain (BTS) to Chong Nonsi. It is frustrating to see the Thonburi extension of the skytrain is still not open. This is a result of conflict between the BMA and the central government. Hopefully it will finally open by the end of the year and relieve the traffic jams that frequently occur on Thaksin Bridge.

Next I went to visit the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (unofficial Taiwanese embassy) to apply for a new Taiwanese visa. I got there early and didn't have to wait long. I will pick up the visa today.

I then wandered along Sathorn Road back to Thaksin Bridge. I took the ferry across the river to Thonburi to visit the SEM office where I used to work. This neighbourhood was also the place I used to live in Bangkok. On the ferry I met my former colleague Pi Ladda. I had bought some tea from Taiwan to give here. Pi Ladda told me the news that Madame Pridi had passed away a few days earlier.

We walked to the office together. On the way we passed the old lady who sells bananas. I used to buy bananas from her every day. She still remembered me and told me that she missed me! I felt very touched. Pi Ladda told me that she often asks where has the farang gone.

The SEM office has completely changed since I used to work there five years ago. A new building was built at the back of the grounds a few years ago. Now they are constructing another new building where the old house once was.

I got the latest issue of Seeds of Peace. I also met Ann, the director of INEB. I found out there are plans to hold an INEB conference in Taiwan later this year. Hopefully I will be able to assist or participate in some way, but details are still not confirmed at this stage.

I then spoke to Ajarn Sulak on the phone. He had returned to Bangkok early because of the death of Madame Pridi. He invited me to his house for lunch. More about that in the next post.

Return to Bangkok

2007-05-15T08:23:00.000+07:00

On Sunday night I returned to Bangkok for the first time in a little over a year. I thought it would be interesting to note a few things that have changed since my last visit.

The airport

I landed at the Suvarnabhumi Airport which opened in September last year. I arrived quite late so I didn't have much time to take lots of photos and look around much. It looked very new and modern. The airport bus took about 40 minutes to get to Sanam Luang, although this was late at night when there was little traffic. When I leave next week I'll try to take some more photos of the airport.

The Government

Last time I was here Thaksin was still the Prime Minister. How things have changed. Thailand now has a military government leading the country down the path to authoritarianism rather than a democratically elected leader with authoritarian tendencies!

The baht

Last time the baht was at about 38 or 39 to the US dollar. Now a dollar only buys 33 baht. The baht is actually at about the same value as the New Taiwan dollar.

Vale: Madame Pridi

2007-05-15T07:59:00.000+07:00

Thanpuying Poonsuk Banomyong, wife of the late Pridi Banomyong, passed away on 12 May. She was 95 years old.

I had the chance to meet her briefly a few years ago. She had all the dignity, grace and humility one would expect of the wife of a great statesman.

Ajarn Sulak said she had a wonderful ability to forgive. Despite all the hardships that she and her family faced she never felt any hatred. Ajarn has written a piece about her that will hopefully be published in the Bangkok Post in the next few days.

The Nation reports that she left instructions for only a simple funeral service to be held. The memorial service will take place at the Pridi Banomyong Institute on 20 May.

Political meltdown

2007-05-09T20:40:00.000+07:00

An article by Michael Connors from the Canberra Times (link via 2Bangkok.com) really nails the gravity of the current situation in Siam.

A Constitutional Drafting Assembly was formed to draft Thailand's 18th constitution since 1932.

No one has great hopes the new constitution currently being drafted under the shadow of the military will solve the country's woes.

The fragility of constitutional rule in Thailand has as much to do with vested and conflicting interests between old and new wealth as it does with flawed constitutional design.

And this is why it is possible to speak of meltdown.

The battle between old and new money is really the root of the issues with Thaksin and ultimately what led to his downfall. For Thailand's political elite, whether they represent new or old money, democracy is of very little concern. Their interest in democracy only goes as far as gaining power and legitimacy which they can then use to enrich themselves and their cronies.

So is there any hope for democracy in Thailand? The revolutions of 1973, 1976 and 1992 had great potential for creating real change, but sooner or later Thai politicians fell back into their old habits. The article continues:

So what of the prospects of democracy in Thailand? The Government promises an election will be held at year's end under the newly-drafted constitution. But pro-democratic and some pro-Thaksin forces are calling for the constitution to be rejected.

A rejection could be interpreted as condemnation of the coup and support for Thaksin paving the way for his political comeback in some form. Others fear that should an election be held pro-Thaksin forces will win anyway.

That's why some people have given up on democracy all together, saying the rural masses in Thailand are not ready for it. Instead a mixed system that incorporates the people, the aristocracy, and the king should be devised until the masses are ready to act like democratic citizens.

Nothing annoys me more than people who say the poor are not ready for democracy. From the perspective of the poor democracy is often their only hope. Without democracy the powers that be will never have the need to listen to them.

The article goes onto list the other two major threats to political stability in Thailand. These are the succession after the current king dies and the ongoing insurgency in the south.

May is a dangerous month in Thailand. So is October. No doubt before the end of the year there will be some major change in the government. And it may not necessarily be for the better.

From bad to worse to war?

2007-05-01T22:44:00.000+07:00

Following the September 19 coup last year I blogged about whether the coup might bring peace to the south of Thailand. I know at the time it certainly looked like the change in government (albeit by undemocratic means) might have provided a much needed circuit breaker to relieve the tensions in the south.

Going back through the archives only a little over a month later I wrote that there seems to be no peace in the south.

Now six months on there seems to be no end to the violence in sight and it is perhaps even escalating. I noticed this report from AP in today's Taipei Times which prompted me to write something here. It notes a pattern of recent tit-for-tat attacks with both sides seeking revenge.

The article also identifies a problem with both sides having access to weapons. In the case of the Buddhist villagers these weapons were actually supplied as part of a royal program.

The region is awash in firearms, thanks in part to the government.

In 2004, Queen Sirikit bluntly urged people to defend themselves, and she sponsors arms training programs that cater almost exclusively to Buddhists. After the attack on the van her military aide, General Napon Bunthap, quoted her as saying: "We have to help people there to survive. If they need to be trained, train them. If they need to be armed, arm them."

In Ban Bala, some 400 village militia members, mostly Buddhists, share 140 shotguns they take out on patrol, village chief Prasit said. The interior ministry has also trained and armed thousands of other civilians -- Muslims and Buddhists alike -- to defend their villages.

And these two quotes from the article really highlight that the region really is hovering on the brink of an even more serious conflict.

"We are most concerned that people will be divided to the point that Muslims and Buddhists will wage a war against one another," said army spokesman Colonel Akara Thiprot. "The insurgents are trying to cause rifts among people to show that the situation has gone beyond the government's control." [...]

"When state power does not function, people feel the responsibility to protect themselves and take justice into their own hands," said Chaiwat Satha-anand, a political scientist at Bangkok's Thammasat University.

It also seems the current government's policy on the conflict is quite confused.

The government is persisting with its peace effort. Visiting the south last week, Surayud said the government was considering offering the insurgents an amnesty -- something the previous government rejected.

At the same time, he supported the arming of Buddhists to protect their families.

I feel so sad that there seem to be no solutions and no end to this conflict in sight.

Siam: a nation for all peoples

2007-04-20T16:05:00.000+07:00

The issue of changing the name of Thailand back to the old name of Siam has been in the news again recently. This is thanks to a petition launched by historian Charnvit Kasetsiri. The Nation reports:

"People who have been part of our country have different ethnic, linguistic and cultural identities. Therefore, to reflect historical fact and the present reality, the name of the country should be Siam, not Thailand," historian Charnvit Kasetsiri wrote in an open letter issued yesterday.

This is a viewpoint I am quite familiar with as it is also a frequent theme of Sulak Sivaraksa's writings. Sulak even goes so far as to refuse to use the name Thailand. For a little bit more background on the history of the names Siam and Thailand Wikipedia is a good place to start.

The country's official name was Siam (Thai: สยาม; IPA: [saˈjaːm], RTGS: Sayam) until 24 June 1939. [1] It was again called Siam between 1945 and May 11, 1949, when it was once again changed by official proclamation. The word Thai (ไทย) means "freedom" in the Thai language and is also the name of the majority ethnic group.

It is the nationalist sentiments in the name Thailand that are of most concern. The name implies that Thailand is a land for the Thai people. However, this excludes other ethnic groups, many of whom continue to be denied basic rights or are subject to education and propoganda which forces them to assume a Thai identity. Sulak's viewpoint is better explained in this book review by Jeffrey Sng:

He decries the name change from " Siam" to " Thailand" on June 24, 1939, as an attempt to claim ownership of this country for ethnic Thais at the expense of the Mon, Lao, Cambodian, Shan, Malay, hill-tribe and other ethnic minorities in our population. At a lecture he delivered at the Siam Society earlier this year, Sulak traced [he problem of separatist violence in the South back to a nationalist agenda which sought to establish the primacy of Thais over other ethnic groups- Modern Thai nationalism which emphasises the primacy of the former and its right to dominate other ethnic groups in the polity has alienated minorities, especially the Malay Muslims in the southern provinces. Sulak continues to campaign to have the Kingdom's name changed back to " Siam".

Sanitsuda Ekachai has an opinion piece (link via 2Bangkok.com) in the Bangkok Post further discussing the issue. She also identifies the issue of exclusion of minority groups as a key problem in the name and mindset that go with the name Thailand. She writes:

Name is a very important part of our identity. It defines how we see ourselves and how we relate to others. Naming is political, and politically dangerous when it makes one particular group more powerful than others.

While the inclusive Siam is more in line with our pluralistic society, the word Thailand gives ownership to only the ethnic Thais while alienating other ethnic groups as "the outsiders".

She concludes by saying:

For Acharn Charnvit, embracing cultural pluralism is the key. Reverting to Siam or not, discussing the pros and cons of it so we understand who are manipulating our sense of identity and what ugly forces are behind our patriotism, is a start in the right direction.

If his campaign has only received lukewarm reception, it is not his fault. The Pibul regime is long gone, but its racist legacy is deeply rooted in our minds, thanks to the education system and popular media. If we choose the path of prejudice and heartlessness through ethno-centric nationalism, we have but ourselves to blame.

I wholeheartedly agree and await the day when Thailand is once again Siam.

David Streckfuss on lese majeste

2007-04-14T07:09:00.000+07:00

There is an excellent article in the Bangkok Post about the lese majeste law by David Streckfuss, academic and author of Modern Thai Monarchy and Cultural Politics.

Streckfuss discusses the use of the lese majeste law and suggests it does nothing to protect the monarchy. After noting some details of what HM the King himself had to say about lese majeste in his 4 December 2005 speech he goes on to note:

Lese majeste as it manifests itself in Thai political society represents a serious threat to the freedom of expression as guaranteed in Section 39 of the 1997 constitution. It inevitably becomes a political tool aimed at suppression of criticism.

As the King suggests, it also tarnishes the reputation of the monarchy when unscrupulous parties - or maybe even anyone - decide to level the charge. And yet even to talk about lese majeste impugns the patriotism of the speaker. How can this measure, fortified in the days of dictatorship, be reined in?

Thailand Jumped the Shark has also linked to the article and has some more comments.

Book review: Keeping the Faith

2007-04-12T22:23:00.000+07:00

It's hard to believe that I wrote this review five years ago. I thought I would post it here. The book is a good one and still remains very relevant to Siam today.

Keeping the Faith: Thai Buddhism at the Crossroads
by Sanitsuda Ekachai
Bangkok: Post Books, 2001
ISBN: 974-228-016-9

Being at the crossroads means there is a choice about what direction can be taken. Each choice leads to a different destination and each road has its own characteristics. Some roads might be smooth, others might be rough and at worst some might be impassible.

Some of the problems facing Thai Buddhism are well known. For example, the sex and money scandals involving monks and the extreme conservatism of the Sangha council. Seeds of Peace readers will also be familiar with the more positive aspects of Thai Buddhism. The monks working for community development and environmental protection and the promotion of women’s status through attempts to establish the bhikkhuni order in Thailand.

Hence there are two main roads that can be found in this book, each leading to very different destinations. One road is the path of decline of the Buddha sasana due to the forces of consumerism, greed and lust. The other road is one less travelled but leading to a revival of the religion as Buddhism is used as a means to address social and environmental problems.

Keeping the Faith is a collection of articles written for the Bangkok Post over more than ten years. Interestingly, the book begins with some stories of people who have been able to remember and recount their previous lives. This is perhaps an antidote to the all pervasive attitude of materialism that has led most Thais to abandon their belief in rebirth. And with abandoning that belief they also give up on the even more important ethical guidelines of Buddhism. It is perhaps this which is a major part of the crisis in Thai Buddhism that is evidenced in this book.

Sex scandals involving monks have become so common place in Thailand these days that unless they involve a senior member of the Sangha they are not even seen as newsworthy. “Is a chaste life realistic in this society when even coffee must be sexy in order to be sold?” Sanitsuda asks. Sulak Sivaraksa comments that monks “have mistaken a chaste life as meaning only celibacy. Senior monks are then living in luxurious quarters similar to those of millionaires. They are riding in Volvos and Mercedes… They are strict on rules and forms which show that they are pure. But their way of life directly violates the pious existence prescribed by the Buddha.”

A reaction to this has been the formation of new sects. Santi Asoke is the one of a number of controversial sects in Thai Buddhism. Its leader Phra Bodhirak disrobed and ostracized from the mainstream Sangha. In contrast the other major controversial sect in Thailand, Dhammakaya, maintains a relationship with the mainstream Sangha, albeit a somewhat uncomfortable one. Perhaps this is because the capitalist nature of Dhammakaya and its large following among educated, urban Thais poses less of a threat to the status quo than the self-sufficiency and anti-consumerism promoted by Santi Asoke.

Outside these two large organisations though there is perhaps a much quieter revolution going on. This revolution does not grab the same headlines as the many controversies that have seemingly engulfed Thai Buddhism, but it is a revolution that will perhaps lead Thai society in a more positive direction in the future.

Sanitsuda details some of the fruits of this revolution. The revival of traditional medicines and methods of healing in the temples; the ordination of trees to protect Thailand’s rapidly diminishing forests; training monks in techniques of nonviolence; and changing some of the rituals to make them more meaningful and relevant to lay people.

Yet there is perhaps one revolution that has yet to take place, or is at least only in the early stages. That is the elevation of women to their rightful place as spiritual equals of men in the world of Thai Buddhism. Sanitsuda recounts an interview with the deputy abbot of Dhammakaya where she asked the monk his view on women’s spiritual status. He responded that women are spiritually inferior to men, which is why they are born women in the first place. Unfortunately such attitudes run deep through Thai Buddhism and perhaps represent the greatest obstacle to the genuine and meaningful reform of Thai Buddhism.

The problem is not the Buddha sasana but patriarchy. “To look for reasons in Buddhism is misleading because popular Thai Buddhism—like many other Thai cultural norms—has been coloured by the values based on male dominance and the belief that women are but male property, to entertain and nurture male egos and desires,” says Dr Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, now Samaneri Dhammananda, who went to Sri Lanka to be ordained as a samaneri (novice) last year. Historically Thailand has never had a bhikkhuni order and this is one of the many excuses used by those who oppose its introduction to the country. How much longer such excuses will hold up is open to question. The moral lapses of the Sangha and the willingness of Thai people to seek alternative spiritual paths detailed in this book shows that Thai people are willing to embrace something new, especially when it fulfills a need that cannot be satisfied by existing institutions. Let’s hope that the bhikkhuni ordination proves to be a case in point.

Keeping the Faith chronicles the events of Thai Buddhism over the past decade. It shows that it has not so much been a period of decline, but a time in which a revival and decline have been occurring in parallel. Hence Thai Buddhism may still be at the crossroads, but the choice of which road to take might also be becoming clearer.

*published in Seeds of Peace Vol. 18 No. 2 May – Aug. 2002

Buddhism and the constitution

2007-04-12T08:32:00.000+07:00

Since the establishment to a constitutional monarchy in Siam in 1932 the nation has had 17 charters and constitutions. The "People's Constitution", proclaimed in 1997, was supposedly a landmark in Thailand's democratic development. It allowed for democratic election of both houses of parliament and explicitly acknowledged human rights. However, this constitution was replaced by an interim constitution following the 19 September 2006 coup.

The first draft of the constitution is set to be tabled this week. One major issue regarding the new constitution is whether to make Buddhism the national religion.

Sanitsuda Ekachai comments in an opinion piece in the Bangkok Post. She notes some of the problems that exist in Buddhist institutions in Thailand such as "extremely rich clergy are already enjoying heavy support from the state" and "no outside help can cure the clergy of the ills that stem from their own feudalistic and authoritarian structure which breeds inertia, nepotism and corruption." Strong words, but necessary I think. Sanitsuda goes on to say that most of what the Thais call Buddhism is nothing more than animism or spirit worship anyway.

Sulak Sivaraksa was interviewed by Radio Australia and has this to say about Buddhism and the constitution.

It is most inappropriate. Because Buddhism is universal - it includes all humanity and all sentinel beings. Once you make it part and parcel of nationalism you endanger not only Buddhism, you endanger nationalism also

Sulak goes on to say that while the King is required to be Buddhist under Thai law all other Thai citizens are free to choose their religion. The King himself opposed making Buddhism part of the 1997 constitution. According to Sulak this is "wise from the head of state". The King must govern for all the Thai people, a significant minority of whom are not Buddhist.

I will add my own opinion here. If the Buddhist clergy are so intent on being part of the constitution then perhaps they could also enact their own democratic reforms. They could democratically elect the Sangharaja and members of the Sangha Council. Any monk who has completed two rains retreats should be eligible to vote.

Finally, the most important thing the constitution should guarantee is freedom of religion. This would not only protect Buddhism, but minority religions in Siam. Any attempt to make Buddhism the official religion would only further marginalise those that are already marginalised. It would further reduce hopes for an end to the conflict in the South.

Lese majeste in the news and charges against Sulak

2007-04-04T10:02:00.000+07:00

The Christian Science Monitor has an article about lese majeste laws in Thailand. It includes comments from Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa who is currently subject to charges of lese majeste.

Sulak, a British-educated lawyer and Buddhist scholar, is facing two separate lèse-majesté cases over articles published in academic journals. He denies showing disrespect, though he says he advocates a modernization of the crown similar to that of European royalty, and the repeal of lèse-majesté laws, so that the institution remains relevant to Thailand.

Ajarn Sulak is a public intellectual of the highest integrity. His writings are based on a very deep knowledge and understanding of Thai history and culture. He is actually a supporter of constitutional monarchy. Canadian writer and intellectual John Ralston Saul wrote in a personal letter to Ajarn Sulak,

I've just read your April 2006 talk—the Monarchy and the Constitution. It is a very fine piece, which lays out the sort of parameters of justice with which so many countries and systems have struggled. In historic terms, it is the perfect argument for a constitutional monarchy. People in other countries could learn from this approach.

What Sulak is in fact critical of is those who use the monarchy and lese majeste laws as a political tool. In a speech on 4 December 2005, His Majesty the King himself epressed a desire to terminate the charge of lese majeste. He suggested that bringing the charge of lese majeste is in itself harmful.

Some more articles and letters concerning Ajarn Sulak's case can be found at his blog and at www.sulak-sivaraksa.org.

Internet censorship in Thailand

2007-03-31T10:15:00.000+07:00

The Great Firewall of China is well known. The Chinese government actively tries to regulate and control what sites internet users in China can access.

Perhaps less well known is that other countries, including Thailand, also actively censor internet content. This is probably never apparent to the average internet user. Some of the sites blocked contain pornography or are for gambling. It is perhaps understandable why these might be blocked. However, other sites such as those containing sensitive information about the royal family, separatist groups in Southern Thailand and criticism of the government are also blocked.

Yesterday I found myself unable to access my favorite Thai website, the site I rely on for keeping up to date with Thai news, 2Bangkok.com. About an hour later I was able to access the site and I found this message:

Server load issues/attacks
2Bangkok.com is experiencing server load issues from both high numbers of readers and some DoS attacks on the site. If 2Bangkok.com is offline from time to time this is why. We are working to get the problem solved.

Another popular Thai blog, Mango Sauce, was also affected by the DoS (denial of service) attacks. David at Mango Sauce writes:

My guess is that someone is testing the vulnerabilities of Bangkok's most popular Internet forums so that they can be quickly silenced in the event of a national crisis.

Most Thailand-based forums - like19sep.org - have already been shut down, blocked or heavily censored by shadowy pro-government organisations but attacking websites located outside Thailand (Mango Sauce is hosted in the US) represents a dramatic escalation of this campaign.

This is worrying and I hope the international media will pay attention to this issue. The potential for further attacks and the government using it to abuse its powers is obvious.

2Bangkok.com has a page about Website censorship in Thailand. Also read about internet censorship in Thailand in a wikipedia article about censorship in Thailand.

Thai exports to Indonesia

2007-02-26T13:55:00.000+07:00

I recently visited Indonesia and I was surprised to find some of my favorite products from Thailand on sale. These were the energy drinks Red Bull (aka Krating Daeng) and M-150. Sadly my preferred drink, Carabao Daeng, has not yet been marketed there.

What surprised me that Red Bull was labelled as Krating Daeng, a transliteration of Thai. They didn't use the English name Red Bull or the Indonesian translation, merah sapi jantan.

M-150 has "Minuman Energi" written on it which is Indonesian for energy drink. Krating Daeng has "Suplemen Makanan" written on it meaning food supplement.

Thaksin moving to Australia?

2007-02-13T20:20:00.000+07:00

Since being ousted from power by a military coup in September last year former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has led a somewhat nomadic existence. He has been spotted in London, Beijing and Singapore amongst other places.

Recent news reports say he is now in Australia and shopping for a house in Sydney. Radio Australia reports:

Thailand's The Nation newspaper says news that former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is looking for a home in Sydney has spurred speculation as to whether he has other motives for wanting to live in Australia.

The paper says there may be legal reasons behind his supposed interest in buying a home in Australia's biggest city.

It says that Australia does not have a formal extradition treaty with Thailand.

The question people are afraid to ask

2007-01-31T19:27:00.000+07:00

The Asia Sentinel has a long article that begins by asking the question:

But what happens when the King of Thailand dies?

It goes on to reach the conclusion,

"For some there is relief that the country is now under the control of the traditional elite rather than Thaksin's business elites," a diplomat said. "But how things will actually play out when the king dies is anyone’s guess."

Neither Thaksin nor Prince Vajiralongkorn nor anyone else will be able to fill the massive vacuum left when Bhumibol passes on. But that doesn't mean they won't try. And that's what makes it all the more important for Thailand to build proper democratic institutions. The alternative is instability, rumors, innuendo, restraints on civil liberties and potential bloodshed.

Democracy, democracy, democracy. One might say that the 1932 coup to abolish the absolute monarchy marked the beginning of democracy in Thailand. But it might be more accurate to say that it marked the beginning of a long struggle for democracy that is still being played out today. The fact that Pridi Banomyong's reputation is still (wrongly) tainted among many Thai people is evidence of the failure to establish a true and lasting democracy.

Just as history teaches that democracy has failed in Thailand, it also contains the seeds for a future democracy: the ideals of Pridi Banomyong and the revolutionary protests of 1973, 1976 and 1992.

A new kind of sex tourist

2007-01-27T18:46:00.000+07:00

Thailand and Bangkok are known around the world as major destinations for sex tourists. It is hard to come by any reliable statistics about the number of sex tourists visiting Thailand. Marginal Revolution asks How much sex tourism is there in Thailand?. By noting the differences in the number of male and female tourists arriving from various countries they come to the conclusion that perhaps a million men from the rich world come to Thailand every year to buy sex.

The Asian Sex Gazette reports that Japanese women are also now coming to Thailand for commercial sex with Thai men.

Herds of horny Japanese women are flocking to Thailand to make sure its capital city lives up to its name, according to Shukan Shincho.

Bangkok and its myriad netherworld charms have apparently been drawing Japanese women by the planeload over the past few years.

According to the article the Japanese ladies frequent go-go bars with male dancers who normally cater to gay men.

There is a Wikipedia article about the phenomenom of female sex tourism. The article mainly discusses women from Europe and North America travelling to destinations such as the Caribbean, Southern Europe and Africa. It also notes, "Women usually give clothes, meals, cash and gifts to their male prostitutes." I don't think this would be true of Japanese women in Thailand.

I would be curious to learn how the numbers of women compare with the numbers of men arriving in Thailand for sex tourism.

Bombs in Bangkok

2007-01-02T20:20:00.000+07:00

It wasn't such a happy new year for residents of Bangkok with bombs exploding at several locations around the city on New Year's Eve. There are two main theories about who is responsible for the bombing. The first is that it is Muslim insurgents from the south. The second is that it is political or military factions opposed to the coup.

The Asia Times has a good article discussing who could be behind the attacks. 2Bangkok.com has a page all about the bombings including Google Earth Placemarks for the blast locations and links to news reports. Bangkok Pundit has a good rundown of the events including translation of key points from the Thai Rath and Mathichon newspapers.

Best of 2Bangkok in 2006

2006-12-21T09:12:00.000+07:00

There has been no shortage of interesting news from Thailand this year. First, there was an election which was boycotted by the major opposition parties and then later annulled. The King celebrated the 60th anniversary of his accession to the throne. Then on 19 September, while Prime Minister Thaksin was in New York, the military staged a successful coup. Most sad of all was that the violence in the Muslim areas of southern Thailand continued unabated.

2Bangkok.com recorded all the news as it happened and now has the best of 2Bangkok.com in 2006 online.

Lama Surya Das meets Sulak

2006-11-30T08:38:00.000+07:00

Lama Surya Das is one of the leading Western teachers of Tibetan Buddhism. He also has a blog. I discovered that he recently met Ajarn Sulak in the United States and had this to say about him.

I asked Sulak how to talk with people who don’t want to talk with you and don’t believe in dialogue, such as Islam extremists; he said he felt that we really have to start listening more deeply, have genuine patience – “the main Buddhist virtue” -- and talk to those who will and can talk to those who won’t talk with you. He has learned this through his many decades of committed nonviolent political, social and spiritual activism. Sulak just keeps on going. “In one way we have to be patient and at the same time I’m busy!” he said. He is an exemplar of patience, tolerance and the power of listening. I can see in him a profound integration of energy and acceptance that we could all learn from, protecting us from the extremes of reactive hyper-activism on one hand and mere passivity on the other.

I think this captures the nature of Ajarn Sulak's work very well. I always admired the way he works so tirelessly. He has a wonderful ability to engage so effortlessly in conversation with people from all kinds of backgrounds. Whether he is talking to a group of poor farmers or corporate leaders he will always resonate with them and engage in a genuine dialogue.

Movie soundtracks, English teaching and visa regulations

2006-11-25T16:41:00.000+07:00

This article from the Asia Times starts off by lamenting on the fact that most movies in Thailand are dubbed into Thai. James Bond speaking Thai could never be as cool as the English speaking 007.

This was one of my great frustrations in Thailand. Apart from a few theatres in Bangkok and places like Chiang Mai and Phuket foreign movies are never shown with their original soundtrack. Perhaps Thai people have their own tastes and don't like reading subtitles. Although I often wonder if it has more to do with stopping piracy and distributors of the films making assumptions about what Thai people want.

Anyway the article goes onto consider much weightier topics including English language education and visa regulations for foreign teachers. It's worth a read.

Technorati tags: movies | visas | teaching English | Thailand

Sulak answers lese majeste charge

2006-11-20T22:09:00.000+07:00

I earlier wrote that Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa faced a charge of lese majeste. A repsonse to the charges in the form of a letter to the Prime Minister has been published on www.sulak-sivaraksa.org.

The letter is reproduced in full below. It can also be found here.

6 November 2006

RE: Dropping the charge of lese majeste against Sulak Sivaraksa at the level of inquiry officials

Dear Prime Minister,

Concerning the case of Sulak Sivaraksa, who is charged with lese majeste pertaining to his interview published in the magazine Fah Diew Kan, Bangsue Police Station’s inquiry officials, headed by deputy police chief Pol. Gen. Priewphan Damaphong, are in the process of further inquiring the alleged offender’s witnesses.

As the accused, I want to point out that the witnesses’ statements expressed during the inquiry process may impact every side and that the charge of lese majeste has been abused to reap political ends. Concerning the latter point, I faced the charge of lese majeste in August 2006 because I had criticized the administration of the Thaksin Shinawatra government. My interview in Fah Diew Kan was published since October 2005, and this issue of the magazine had been in circulation for a considerable time. The interview was also translated into the foreign languages, and likewise was circulated in intellectual circles worldwide. I affirm that the views I expressed there concerning the monarchy are academic and sincere. I wanted to protect the monarchy from being exploited as a political tool by numerous groups, and wanted to point out the threats (symbolic as well as concrete) undermining the monarchy. For this I was accused of lese majeste. The complainant did not carefully examine the whole interview, for it is clear that if the interview was fully read my intention to academically analyze the facts in order to protect the monarchy could not have been missed. Most importantly, in the royal speech delivered on 4 December 2005 H.M. the King expresses his desire to terminate the charge of lese majeste. In one part of the royal speech, the king states,

If the king is violated, the king himself is in trouble….in trouble in many ways. One, foreigners say in Thailand one can’t criticize the king, that if they can’t criticize and go to jail. There are some who go to jail, which troubles the king, who must say, after the jailing, to forgive them for insulting me severely. Farangs say in Thailand, when the king gets insulted, [the offender] must go to jail.

Indeed, they should go to jail. But because the farangs say so, [we] won’t let them go to jail. Nobody dares put the guy who insults the king in jail, because the king is troubled. They say the king is a bad person , or at least easily excitable. When someone criticizes [him] a little, [he] says to put them in jail. In fact, the king’s never said to put them in jail. In previous reigns, rebels were not even jailed…not punished. King Rama VI did not punish, did not punish the rebels. In the Ninth Reign, rebels…are treated in the same way…not put to jail. [They are] released or are first imprisoned but then released.

Seen in its entirety, the royal speech shows that the king does not want to institute actions against those charged with lese majeste. In my case, since Pol. Gen. Priewphan Damaphong, the head of the inquiry panel, is a relative of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra the dice is already loaded. Moreover, in the eyes of the international community, the reputation of the kingdom in terms of human rights will be severely impacted because the case was instituted under the former government, which greatly limited academic freedom or the freedom of expression in general. International human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch will surely protest against the case and publicize it worldwide. Therefore, should this case drag on indeterminably, the masses may be incited and mobilized (both supporting and protesting against the case), leading to hostility, social antagonism, and even violence, thereby jeopardizing the peace, orderliness, and security of the country.

Therefore, I write to ask you to find a way to end the case at the level of inquiry officials by terminating the inquiry process or ordering the discontinuation of the prosecution of case ป . วิ อาญา ม. ๑๔๒ . Relevant officials should inform the inquiry officials to drop this politically charged and spiteful case, a case that will adversely impact the monarchy. The charge of lese majeste must no longer be used as a tool to silence or destroy political opponents.

Furthermore, the country now requires a favorable climate for reconciliation. Carrying on with the case will surely be detrimental to society at large.

Yours sincerely,

Sulak Sivaraksa
(The alleged offender)

Technorati tags: Sulak Sivaraksa | lese majeste | monarchy | Thailand

Sulak Sivaraksa blog

2006-11-04T20:33:00.000+07:00

Thanks to 2Bangkok.com I discovered this link to S. Sivaraska's blog. I know Ajarn Sulak can't use a computer but I guess he asked someone to set up a blog to post some of his articles. I don't know if he has a Thai blog -- his volume of writing in Thai is much greater than in English.

There are only a couple of articles on the blog at the moment. Many more of Ajarn Sulak's articles can be found at www.sulak-sivaraksa.org.

Nui's rants about Thai history, the blog which the link came from, also looks interesting.

Technorati tags: Sulak Sivaraksa | blogs | Thailand

Thaksin living in China?

2006-11-02T15:03:00.000+07:00

According to an article in the International Herald Tribune former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra may now be living in China.

The article notes speculation that Thaksin may have met with interim Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont who recently attended a meeting of Chinese and Southeast Asian leaders in southern China's city of Nanning. It goes on to say that,

Thaksin's lawyer Nopadol Patama confirmed that the ex-prime minister was in China for recreation and to meet friends, but denied he had attempted to meet Surayud. He said Thaksin had arrived a day after Surayud left.

The article goes on to say that,

Both the council and Surayud's government have said Thaksin would not be allowed to return until the situation in Thailand is normalized.

"I was told that that he is currently living in China in (hopes of) returning to Thailand," Sondhi [Boonyaratkalin, head of the Council for National Security] said of Thaksin. "But whether or not he does depends on the government, not the (council)."

The big question is whether Thaksin is in China to relax and play golf or whether he is using it as a base to plan his return to Thailand and exert influence over Thai politics.

Technorati tags: Thaksin Shinawatra | China | Thailand

No peace in the south

2006-10-27T22:56:00.000+07:00

Not long after the September 19 coup I blogged about whether it could possibly bring an end to the violent conflict in Thailand's deep south. Well, there seems to have been little change in the terrible state of affairs.

An article in the Asia Times reports,

If Thailand's new military-appointed interim government is suing for peace with the Malay Muslim insurgent groups ravaging the country's three southernmost provinces, nobody apparently told the rebels.

One month since military coup-makers ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and vowed to reconcile Bangkok with the historically restive region, the security situation has only gone from bad to worse.

The article also uncovers some more of the complicated nature of the conflict. The Malaysians have recently been involved in peace negotiations. However, apparently former Prime Minister Mahatir Mohamad's motives may have been less than noble.

Mahathir's efforts were not endorsed by Kuala Lumpur and were apparently arranged more with a view to upstage his successor Abdullah than to establish a legitimate peace process, according to people familiar with the situation.

And still nobody really knows who is behind the violence.

Nearly three years into the renewed conflict, Thai officials still do not have a clear idea concerning who exactly they should be negotiating with to stop the violence. Thailand's shadowy insurgency notably lacks any charismatic leaders and is being perpetuated by a number of different autonomous rebel groups, some of which share divergent outlooks and competitive objectives for the resistance.

It seems there will be no quick or easy solutions to end the violence. It may indeed get worse. I wish I could say something more positive or offer some hope for peace, but there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel at the moment.

Another lese majeste charge for Sulak

2006-10-21T06:29:00.000+07:00

Ajarn Sulak Sivaraksa faces yet another charge of lese majeste. I could not find any media reports about this via Google News, but the following text appears on the front page of www.sulak-sivaraksa.org.

Following the lese majeste charge initiated under the ousted Thaksin regime, Sulak is finding himself implicated in another charge as the publisher for Seeds of Peace. The Thai police recently issued witness warrants to several people involved in the production of Seeds of Peace, Vol. 21, No. 1, for January-April 2005 from the cover illustrator to staff of the printing house. Sulak has been abroad and will shortly have to present himself to acknowledge the charge. It is possible that the contents which have led to the initiation of the charge this time are related to an article which attempts to theorize the possible scenario that has led to the mysterious demise of the late Rama the Eighth. Backed up by mountains of testimonies from the Royal Court of England in particular, the author stuns the audience as to who he believes as the “killer”.

Earlier this year, Sulak was filed with the same charge for the interview given to a Thai magazine, “Fae Deaw Gun”.

Ajarn Sulak has been charged with lese majeste a number of times in the past, but as far as I know never convicted. He faced charges earlier this year which were later dropped. Since then Thailand has experienced a military coup with military leaders loyal to the King taking control of the government.

Technorati tags: Sulak Sivaraksa | lese majeste | monarchy | Thailand

Thaksin comic

2006-10-20T10:35:00.000+07:00

photo from the Taipei Times

A comic book telling the life story of Thaksin Shinawatra has just been published in Thailand. The Nation reports,

Like it or not, a comic book with ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra as a hero for the poor is hitting bookshelves across the country.

In the 212-page comic, "Thaksin's Life", ends with the clear hope that the former premier will return one day to resume his unfinished mission - to help the poor.

The publication of the comic book is a reminder that despite being overthrown in a military backed coup Thaksin enjoyed great popularity among many Thai people, especially the poor of the north and northeast. Although the report in The Nation does say that sales of comic book have been poor.

Technorati tags: Thaksin Shinawatra | comic | Thailand

Democracy or dictatorship?

2006-10-06T17:38:00.000+07:00

The military leaders that took control of Thailand following the coup called themselves the Council for Democratic Reform. Various media outlets made the inevitable comparisons with Burma's State Peace and Development Council, a military government that does anything but promote peace and development.

The Asian Tribune has a great article Thai coup leaders exposed of their political duplicity (link from 2Bangkok.com). The article quotes a statement from the Asian Human Rights Commission which exposes the military leaders as being anything but democratic.

Apart from appointing the prime minister, and chairperson and deputy chairperson of the temporary parliamentary assembly, the junta will appoint a 2000-member body which will select 200 persons from among its ranks, among whom the generals will again select 100, who will be responsible for setting up a 35-person constitution drafting group, among whom 25 will be drawn from the 100 and ten will be handpicked by, yet again, the junta. Questions over the criteria and procedure for selection of the 2000, 200, 100, 35, 25, ten or whatever numbers of persons for whatever posts remain wholly unanswered, and largely unasked.

All this pointless whittling down of persons in order to write a new permanent constitution is apparently intended to distract attention from the fact that it is the junta deciding who does what.

Another statement from the Asian Human Rights Commission questions how the military junta will make the courts independent even thought there stated intention is to do so.

Section 18 of the Constitution of Thailand (Interim) 2006, which was signed into law by the head of the military junta, reads: "Judges are independent in the trial and adjudication of cases in the name of the King and in the interest of justice in accordance with the law and this Constitution." Section 35 goes on to order the appointment of a new tribunal in place of the Constitutional Court, comprising of judges from the two remaining senior courts.

These provisions in fact do nothing to ensure the independent functioning of courts in Thailand. The independence of judges cannot simply be declared. It is by the effective functioning of institutions and maintenance of safeguards that judges obtain true independence. The declaration in this so-called constitution is also itself directly contradicted by the order to replace a superior court with a tribunal, and stipulation of its membership, on the signature of a military officer who obtained power by force.

The military must realise that unless there is genuine participation by the people in any reform then it is not by definition democratic. Perhaps they should more accurately be called the Council for Dictatorial Reform.

UPDATE: 2Bangkok.com reports that as of 8 October the header of the Council's website now carries the English name "Council for National Security".

Never forget

2006-10-06T11:08:00.000+07:00

Today, 6 October 2006 marks the 30th anniversary of 6 October massacre of students at Thammasat University. The Nation has a good article, 'Hard to remember, yet difficult to forget', reminding us that the history of the "losers" has been lost.

Historian Charnvit Kasetsiri, who was vice rector of Thammasat at the time of the massacre is quoted as saying, "Thai society lives with [mainstream] history written by the winners [of the incidents], so there is no space left for the history of the losers".

Thongchai Winichakul, another historian, says, "...for Thai society, the October 6 incident is murky and hard to swallow. It's a past that's hard to remember, yet difficult to forget."

At this time the Thai people would do well to reflect a little on their history. Who are the winners and who are the losers? It is sad to say that the supporters of democracy have too often been the losers. Pridi Banomyong should be the hero of the Siamese Nation, but instead he has been demonised and never truly given the credit and place in Thai history that he deserves. And what of those people who lost their lives on 14 October 1973 and 6 October 1976?

The struggle for a democracy has a long history in Siam. It is continuing.

After the coup

2006-10-03T21:05:00.000+07:00

Here are some links to a few articles worth reading picked up from 2Bangkok.com.

INQ7 has an article by Walden Bello entitled, A Siamese tragedy: the collapse of democracy in Thailand. He writes:

It is now claimed in some quarters that Thaksin Shinawatra undermined the democratic regime that came into being after the people’s power uprising in May 1992. True, but Thai democracy was in bad shape before Thaksin came to power in January 2001. [...] Not surprisingly, the massive corruption, especially under Banharn and Chavalit, repelled the Bangkok middle class, and the urban and rural poor did not see the advent of democracy marking a change in their lives.

He also has an interesting perspective on what the usurping of the government means for democracy:

It is useful to pause here and note certain dimensions of the Thai conflict:

• It pitted, in general terms, the urban and rural classes -- the majority -- against the middle classes, meaning mainly the Bangkok middle class.

• It witnessed, as a principle of succession, a conflict between representative democracy via elections and the direct democracy of the streets.

• It involved a split between the two principles that are united in the system of liberal democracy -- liberalism and democracy. Invoking the legacy of liberalism, the people in the streets sought to remove Thaksin for his violations of human and civil rights and his arbitrary rule, while Thaksin’s supporters sought to keep him in power by appealing to the basic principle of a democracy -- that is, the rule of the majority.

The Nation (2 Oct 2006) has an opinion piece titled The persistent myth of the 'good' coup.

They were "acting in self-defence". They "had no choice". In some tellings, this sequence even explains why the generals had to rip up the Constitution so quickly - because the pro-Thaksin aggression forfeited all constitutional legitimacy.

This myth is not being peddled by the coup-makers themselves. [...]

Rather, this myth is being peddled by people who are surprised and a little ashamed to find themselves supporting a coup. This myth makes the coup reactive and defensive. It gives a little salve for some last shreds of democratic conscience.

It also appears that Thai Rak Thai is rapidly falling apart. Heavy weights like Somkid Jatusipitak and Surakiart Sathirathai have resigned from the party in the last few days. Thaksin has quit as party leader and The Nation (2 Oct 2006) reports that dozens of Thai Rak Thai MPs have resigned. Obviously these MPs figure that if they want to have a political future they have to distance themselves from Thaksin, and with Thaksin in exile, there seems little hope for Thai Rak Thai of surviving in the near future.

I am not in Thailand now, so I am a little out of touch with exactly what's happening , but hopefully the above links give some useful insights.

Coup equals peace in the south?

2006-09-22T08:41:00.000+07:00

The change in government in Bangkok could provide a much needed circuit breaker to end the violence in the South. Is this a realistic hope or an idealistic dream?

Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai never had much support in the south of Thailand. This lack of support extended throughout the south, not just the Muslim majority areas of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.

Tha Bangkok Post yesterday reported that southerners welcomed the coup. They also reported that PULO chief Lukman Lima, living in exile in Switzerland, "welcomed the military coup, and says it may help to end southern violence."

Sanitsuda Ekachai has written in yesterday's Bangkok Post that it may not be that easy. The wounds and grievances wrought by several years of violence run deep. They are also a result of attitudes of Thai people, not just Thaksin or a few elites.

Despite the upbeat atmosphere in the deep South, their hopes may not materialise easily. For if Mr Thaksin could win wide public support for his violent ways in the deep South, our problem is not with Thaksin, but with our society as a whole. His money-first belief and central control ideology is also much the same with officialdom, which refuses local communities, both Muslim and Buddhist, to have a say over the use of their natural resources.

Sanitsuda goes on to say what is really required to achieve peace in the south.

If we don't want bomb blasts to reach Bangkok, we must seriously think not only of political decentralisation, but also what it takes for peace to be possible in a pluralistic nation. It takes mutual respect and willingness to learn about other beliefs and histories. It takes a new definition of nationhood that is not tied to ethnicity and religion. It takes the courage to apologise, make amends and start anew. It takes an ability to forgive.

The coup may bring neither democracy to Thailand nor peace to the south. Whether these things are ever realised depends on the Thai people themselves.

Coup d'état in Thailand

2006-09-20T11:17:00.000+07:00

There has been a military-led coup in Bangkok overnight. Google News is always a good place to start looking for up to date news reports.

There are also plenty of non-traditional media outlets that harness the power of the web and serve as sources of information. Below are links to a few of them.

2Bangkok.com is always a great source of news and commentary about current events in Thailand.

Wikipedia already has an article about it. Expect lots of updates and changes to it over the next few days.

Lonely Planet's Thorntree has a sticky in its Thailand forum devoted to the coup.

There is a long thread dedicated to the coup at the Ajarn Forum.

I am sure there are many more blogs and forums out there with information, too.

End of the day for ThaiDay

2006-09-01T21:45:00.000+07:00

ThaiDay, one of Thailand's daily English-language newspapers has ceased publication. The paper was published as an insert in the International Herald Tribune.

The following announcement appeared on the paper's website:

Dear readers, Under normal circumstances, ThaiDay would have continued to thrive and grow into the newspaper of choice for the English-language readership in Thailand.

In a market traditionally dominated by newspapers that either toe the establishment line or opt for the other extreme of sensationalism, we were confident that our mature and insightful coverage of the major stories of the day would enable us to carve a niche from which we could continue to grow.

[...]

But unfortunately, these are abnormal times and we have had to operate under abnormal circumstances.

The well-known fact that Khun Sondhi Limthongkul, founder of the Manager Media Group which owns ThaiDay and chairman of this newspaper’s editorial board, has been spearheading a crusade to oust the caretaker prime minister, Pol Lt-Col Thaksin Shinawatra, has resulted in credit lines for the Group being cut, bank overdraft facilities being withdrawn and advertisements for Group publications being pulled.

The financial well-being of this newspaper and its staff have inevitably suffered.

So instead of continuing to struggle through such cloudy circumstances, we have decided to call it a day.

We hope this will be just a temporary break. [...]

Once the prevailing crisis is resolved and the various negative factors contributing to ThaiDay’s closure disappear, we intend to return, hopefully bigger and better.

Sondhi, the newspaper's published has been one of the leaders of the anti-Thaksin movement. In fact his weekly talk show which was banned from television and subsequently was held in several public venues in Bangkok and provincial Thailand was what initiated the anti-Thaksin protests.

2Bangkok.com has a somewhat different perspective on the demise of the paper.

ThaiDay was anything but impartial, consisting of mainly generalized anti-government articles penned by non-Thais with a few interesting features thrown in. As we have noted before, it is hard to believe the International Herald Tribune did not realize they were aligning themselves with a polarizing and partisan anti-government figure.

Whether pressure from the Thaksin government lead to the paper's financial troubles is hard to determine. Some said that Sondhi was already in financial difficulties when he began his anti-Thaksin crusade. Still at a time like this Thailand needs as many different voices in the media as possible. It now has one less.

Thailand photos on flickr

2006-08-04T20:25:00.001+07:00

Elephant and mahout

I uploaded some photos to flickr today. You can find some of my photos from Thailand there. I plan to upload more over the next few days. I also added a link with some thumbnail pictures in the sidebar of this blog.

Buddha statue at the Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi

No longer in Siam

2006-05-07T17:57:00.000+07:00

Please note I am no longer living in Thailand. There are unlikely to be many new posts on this blog in the future. Please enjoy browsing through the archives where you can find some useful information about travel in Thailand. I will continue blogging at David on Formosa.

Only 13

2006-05-05T03:40:00.000+07:00

My last post was about some interesting books about Thailand. I also have another webpage that has reviews of books about the sex industry in Thailand and Asia.

Although the Thai government and most Thai people are embarrassed to admit it Thailand has a huge sex industry. It is also a major destination for sex tourists. Many people visiting Thailand are going to have contact with the sex industry in one way or another. It may be as a paying customer, curious onlooker or a chance meeting. People often have very strong opinions about the moral issues involved. The books on the webpage offer a variety of perspectives on some of the issues.

One of the books reviewed on that page is My Name Lon... You Like Me? (the cover of the book can be seen above). It is the story of a Thai girl from Isaan who begins working in Bangkok's sex industry at the age of just 13. The new edition of the book has just been released with the title Only 13. For more information see the website www.only13.net.

Books about Thailand

2006-05-04T16:15:00.000+07:00

I would like to note a few books that I consider as good background reading for anyone interested in learning more about Thailand. Earlier I also reviewed Sightseeing and this book is also worth reading alongside the ones mentioned below.

Touch the Dragon: A Thai Journal
by Karen Connelly
Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai, 1992

This was written by Karen Connelly when she was a 17 year-old exchange student who spent a year in Uttaradit, a town in the north of Thailand. The book takes the form of a diary and is beautifully written. The author's youthful exuberance shines throughout the book as she writes of the highs and lows of her year in Thailand.

This book captures a wonderful snapshot of life in Thailand. Written in the late 1980's it tells of Thai life at a time just before 7-Eleven, KFC and the consumer culture had begun to take hold.

Thai Girl
by Andrew Hicks
Asia Books, Bangkok, 2004

On the surface this is a simple love story but it contains many interesting insights into Thai culture, foreigners travelling in Thailand and the the points where they collide. It tells the story of Ben, an English traveller, and Fon, a young Thai woman from Isaan. They meet on the resort island of Koh Samet. As their romance plays out issues such as poverty, migrant workers and the sex industry are explored.

This is an excellent book for promoting discussion about some of these issues. It helps give a deeper insight into the real Thailand that many tourists never really see or understand.

Phra Farang: An English Monk in Thailand
by Phra Peter Pannapadipo
Post Books, Bangkok, 2000 (2nd edition)

This is the autobiography of an Englishman who comes to Thailand to ordain as a monk. His interest in Thailand is purely based on wanting to become a monk. At first Phra Peter seems quite naive about many aspects of Thai culture and Thai life. However, as the book progresses and his practice of Buddhism develops he has some interesting insights.

This book is well worth reading to understand more about the life of a Thai monk and the role of Buddhism in modern Thailand.

Teachers wanted

2006-04-20T17:54:00.000+07:00

I snapped this picture a couple of days ago on the corner of Samsen Road and Soi Rambutri in Bangkok. It is in the Banglamphu area, just a stone's throw from the famous Khao San Road. I didn't talk to the lady to find out what sort of positions they were recruiting for.

UPDATE: I went there today to ask the woman about what positions were available. She said they were looking for maths and science teachers for a large Catholic school in Bangkok. 12 month contract, 30,000 baht per month. It seems a strange way to get teachers for that kind of position. She said if I was interested I would have to go to the school for an interview. (21 April 2006)

Provinces I have visited

2006-03-31T16:03:00.000+07:00

Here is a list of provinces I have visited in Thailand. I have not included provinces that I have just passed through in transit. I also might have omitted one or two of the small provinces around Bangkok that I have visited unknowingly.

Central

Bangkok
Kanchanaburi
Ratchaburi
Nakhon Pathom
Suphan Buri
Ayutthaya
Lopburi
Saraburi
Nakhon Nayok
Chonburi
Nonthaburi
Samut Sakhon

South

Prachuap Kiri Khan
Chumphon
Ranong
Surat Thani
Phuket
Krabi
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Trang
Satun
Songkhla
Narathiwat

North

Phitsanulok
Phichit
Tak
Sukothai
Kamphaeng Phet
Phrae
Phayao
Chiang Rai
Nan
Chiang Mai
Mae Hong Son
Lampang

Northeast

Nakhon Ratchasima
Buriram
Surin
Chaiyaphum
Nong Khai

* updated May 2007

Sleepy Satun

2006-03-29T15:13:00.000+07:00

The main mosque in Satun

Satun is nestled amongst mangroves and mountains just north of the Malaysian border. It is a little out of the way and the only tourists that visit there would be heading for the nearby islands of Koh Tarutao Marine National Park or the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi.

The town is small and quiet. Satun is one of the four provinces in Southern Thailand that has a Muslim majority. However, unlike Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat it has not been affected by violence. Historically it was never part of the Sultanate of Patani and in the more recent past has maintained a better relationship with the Thai government in Bangkok.

My main reason for going there was to cross the border to Malaysia and get a new visa stamp. I was also curious to see Satun and compare it to Narathiwat, which I visited last year in August.

The border crossing ended up taking a lot longer than I expected. I thought boats would be leaving pretty regularly throughout the day. I already had to wait until the immigration office opened at 8:30. I was told the boat wouldn't leave until there were ten passengers. It ended up being a little after 10:00 before there were enough people and the boat left.

The boat trip to Kuala Perlis took about fifty minutes. The boat was a small wooden boat with an extremely noisy engine!!! After arriving in Malaysia I got my passport stamped and two minutes later I went back to the same counter and got my exit stamp. I would have liked to have spent some time looking around the town, but I had no idea how long I would have to wait for the next boat to return to Thailand. I ended up waiting slightly less than an hour for a similarly noisy and slightly faster boat trip back to the Thammalang pier.

Once I got back to the pier I got my passport stamped for re-entry to Thailand. I then took a motorbike taxi into the town of Satun, a bus to Trang and a minibus to Surat Thani. This ended up being faster my journey to Satun where I went via Hat Yai. The motorbike taxi driver in Satun told me that it is actually cheaper and easier to go to the border crossing at Wang Prajan rather than go by boat to Kuala Perlis. Maybe next time...

Mum and Dad in Thailand

2006-03-24T18:40:00.000+07:00

My Mum and Dad have just flown back to Australia after spending two weeks visiting me in Thailand. There are some pictures on comments on where we went and what we did below.

The trip started (and ended) in Bangkok. On the first morning we visited the Chatuchak weekend market. Then we took a boat ride along the Chao Phraya River. Later in the afternoon we visited Jim Thompson's house.

Mum and Dad in the garden at Jim Thompson's house

The next day we visited Bangkok's most famous landmark, the Grand Palace (also known as Wat Phra Kaeo or the Temple of the Emerald Buddha).

Grand Palace in Bangkok

After a couple of days in Bangkok we travelled to Kanchanaburi, just a two hour bus trip away. The last time I visited this province was ten years ago so it was a chance for me to rediscover a few things.

We took a one-day minibus tour that allowed us to see some of the major sights outside the town. Kanchanaburi is well known for the bridge over the River Kwae and the Burma Railway built by prisoners of war and slave labour during WWII. We visited the Hellfire Pass and also travelled by train on a section of the railway.

Mum and Dad at Hellfire Pass

A first for the whole family was riding an elephant!!!

Elephant riding in Kanchanaburi province

My memories of Kanchanaburi ten years ago were fairly hazy. However, this Chinese temple makes a beautiful and striking addition to the riverside. Its design is reminiscent of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing

Chinese temple in Kanchanaburi

After Kanchanburi we travelled to Nakhon Pathom where we caught an overnight train to Surat Thani. On our first evening in Surat Thani we took a boat ride along the canals to one of the monkey training schools. Believe it or not monkeys are trained how to pick coconuts!!!

Charlie the monkey carrying a coconut

After the monkey training school we went to the Food Fair on the banks of the Tapee River. It was a good chance to see (and eat) some of the great variety of food available in Thailand.

These colorful dishes are Thai desserts

Fish galore!

The next day we travelled to Chaiya, a town near Surat Thani. The first stop was Wat Suan Mok, a famous Buddhist forest monastery. We also saw some temples in Chaiya and silk weaving at Phumriang (click here to see a video of the silk weaving). Finally we enjoyed a delicious seafood lunch at a seaside restaurant.

At Wat Suan Mok

Wat Phra Boromathat, Chaiya

Silk weaving at Phumriang village

The next destination after Surat Thani was Krabi. A day trip by boat took us to some of the beautiful islands near Krabi.

Koh Hong, Krabi

We also visited my favourite place in Krabi, the Tiger Cave Temple. We didn't do the strenuous walk to the top of the hill, but enjoyed a very nice walk through the forest in the valley. We also had a chance to observe some of the life and activity in the grounds of the temple. The monkeys rule here!!!

Mum enjoying some sticky rice in a bamboo tube

Monkey with Ganesh, Tiger Cave Temple, Krabi

With Mum and Dad's time in Thailand drawing to a close we flew back to Bangkok for the last couple of days. We visited the Vimanmek Palace and Khao San Road. On the last day we went to the Suan Pakkard Museum. It is a small museum with its collection displayed in traditional Thai houses set in beautiful gardens.

Traditional Thai house at the Suan Pakkard Museum

David and Na farewell Mum and Dad at the airport

Book review: Sightseeing

2006-03-02T14:11:00.000+07:00

Sightseeing
by Rattawut Lapchareonsap
Grove Press, New York, 2005
ISBN 0330421506

Sightseeing is a brilliant collection of short stories that capture the essence of Thai life. If you want a romanticised view of Thailand as the "Land of Smiles" then forget this book. It mixes gritty realism with an exuberant spirit. It portrays a world where brutality is in as much abundance as kindness.

The stories cover subjects such as a Thai teenage boy's romance with an American tourist and a young boy accompanying his older brother to a karaoke bar. The final story, which is also the longest, tells of a family where the father becomes obsessed with cockfighting and seeking revenge.

This is Rattawut's first book and it shows he has considerable talent. He writes in English and has a Master's degree in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. I look forward to reading his first full length novel about Thailand.

Political crisis in Thailand

2006-02-27T21:19:00.000+07:00

Thailand is currently in the midst of a political crisis. For the first time since 1992 large numbers of protestors have taken to the streets demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and political reform.

The political problems has been brewing for some time. However, reports in the foreign media lack background and analysis. A quick scann of ABC News and The Age from Australia reveals that the snap election and weekend protests have barely been reported. Admittedly there is plenty of other news to compete with including an attempted coup in The Philippines.

For the best coverage and analysis (in English) of what is happening in Thailand I recommend the following websites.

The Nation - English language daily newspaper. The Nation has carried some of the most fearless and critical reporting of Thai politics in recent times. It has constantly editorialised against Thaksin and his government.

Bangkok Post - Thailand's other major English language daily. Its coverage is perhaps slightly less detailed than that of The Nation, but it offers a good alternative point of view.

ThaiDay - English language daily published as an insert in the International Herald Tribune. Interestingly this paper is published by the Manager Group which is owned by Sondhi Limthongkul. Sondhi is the man who originally kickstarted the protest movement after his weekly TV talk show was taken off the air for being too critical of the government.

Asia Times - this online newspaper is also published by Sondhi. It often carries some good opinion pieces.

2Bangkok.com - news blog. Updated daily with photos and commentary.

Back to Krabi

2006-02-13T13:45:00.001+07:00

View from bus window on the way to Krabi

After enjoying my trip to Krabi so much last weekend I went back there again to explore some more. On Sunday morning I took a long tail boat out on the Krabi River. The boat navigated through a narrow channel in the mangroves. I wondered how the boat would get out as it was impossible for it to turn around, but it eventually emerged back on to the open waters of the river.

The boat navigates through the mangrove forest

On the river there were a number of fish farms. I also went to see a cave. I don't even know the name of the cave. There must be multitudes of them around Krabi.

Fish farm on the Krabi River

Cave near Krabi

Following the "river cruise" I decided to go back to the Tiger Cave Temple for another visit. This time I didn't take the strenous walk to the top of the hill. I took the valley walk instead.

Buddha statue in the valley at Tiger Cave Temple

While there were no amazing views on this walk it took me through some beautiful rainforest. The huge buttressed roots of some of the trees were spectacular. There were also a few small caves to explore and I spied some monkeys high up in the trees.

Huge buttress roots of a tree in the valley

I shot a picture of this monkey in the main temple compound. You need to watch out for these creatures. If you don't give them food they will probably steal it from you!

Monkey at the Tiger Cave Temple

On my two visits two Krabi I haven't even been to any of the beaches or islands. I am not that interested in beaches I suppose. If I come back to Krabi again I will visit the beach, but there is more to Krabi (and the south of Thailand) than the beach.

Tiger Cave Temple

2006-02-05T21:54:00.000+07:00

Krabi is something of a magnet for travellers in the south of Thailand. Most people are attracted to the nearby beaches and islands. The town is is compact and its setting on the banks of a river and surrounding mangroves and limestone karsts make it quite attractive.

My destination in Krabi was a little golden speck that could be spied atop a limestone karst about ten kilometres from town.

The hill top golden Buddha statue is just visible in the centre of the photo

The Tiger Cave Temple is at the base of a limestone karst. The cave temple itself is not very deep. It is more of an overhang, although a building has been constructed to extend the area.

Inside the Tiger Cave Temple

The grounds of the temple are busy with locals, foreign tourists, monks and maechee (Thai nuns that wear white robes). There is a large pagoda under construction, numerous buildings and a statue of Guan Yin.

All this was just an entree though. My real target was the top of the hill with its golden Buddha statue. A sign at the base of the hill duly informed me there were 1,237 steps to the top.

1,237 steps to reach the top

The first thing I encountered on the climb was monkeys. They seemed to congregate on the steps with the intent of stealing food from people trekking past. I wasn't carrying any food so they didn't bother me, but I still treated them with caution.

The other thing that deserved caution were the steps themselves. They were extremely steep in places and climbing them was pretty demanding.

The steps were extremely steep in places

I was reasonably fit from mountain biking, but my legs were still a little shaky when I reached the top about twenty minutes later.

Golden Buddha statue atop the hill at Tiger Cave Temple

The view of Krabi and the surrounding area made the climb well worth it. Looking towards Krabi town you could see the mouth of the river and the mangroves. In the other directions you could see the many beautiful limestone karsts.

View of Krabi from the top of the hill at Tiger Cave Temple

Dat Fa waterfall

2006-01-22T17:03:00.000+07:00

Dat Fa waterfall is in the Tai Rom Yen National Park (Surat Thani Province). The waterfall has some 22 levels. We came here in December but were driven back by a torrential downpour and didn't have a chance to see much. This time the weather was fine and we walked up to the sixth waterfall.

Beyond the sixth waterfall the path became very steep and treacherous. We walked some way up but eventually gave up and went back down. When we got back to the park headquarters Na asked the staff about what was higher up. They said it was a long way from the sixth to the seventh waterfall. The eighth waterfall is the highest -- it spills over an 80 metre high cliff.

Shadow plays

2006-01-14T10:06:00.000+07:00

view of the puppeteers in action

Last night in the courtyard of a small Chinese temple by the night boat pier in Surat Thani I saw a shadow puppet play (Thai: nang thalung). There were only a handful of people watching but that didn't really take anything away from the performance. Check out this video of the performance.

shadow puppet play

close up of the shadow puppets

Finding peace of mind

2006-01-12T18:56:00.000+07:00

The Bangkok Post travel section (Horizons) has an interesting article on meditation retreats in Thailand today. The article reports on three temples near Chiang Mai offering retreats and teaching for foreigners.

Wat Umong is a forest temple on the outskirts of Chiang Mai. I have visited it a few times and it is an interesting place. One of its most interesting features is the many signs in Thai and English featuring Buddhist slogans like "Today is Better than Two Tomorrows." It also has a network of caves and tunnels that were once used for meditation. The temple has offered teachings to foreigners for sometime. The Bangkok Post reports:

"We will be friends to anyone who wants to know more about Buddhism," said Songserm Bikkhu, the teaching monk who directs Wat Umong's newly-opened International Buddhist Education and Meditation Practice Centre, which has 17 rooms for foreigners who can choose from one to four-day retreats. There is no cost, just individual donation. Many Westerners give US-6 a day.

"If people would like to take a retreat or to ordain as a monk and practice here, they can," Songserm Bikkhu said. "If they would just like to come, learn and go and practice on their own, they can."

The article also says that another temple, Wat Ram Poeng, is expanding its facilities for foreigners.

Yesterday's ThaiDay had an interesting story about Sumano Bhikkhu, an American monk who has spent 15 years living and practicing in a cave in Isaan. He is the author of several books and despite living in a cave he still has a laptop computer that he uses to write with.

You can find a list of Buddhist temples and meditation retreats in Thailand here.

motorcycle + no helmet = death

2006-01-07T11:04:00.000+07:00

If there is one thing I am continually shocked and appalled by in Thailand it is the shocking disregard that people have for road safety. The recent New Year holiday higlights the massive problem. 434 people were killed over the seven days of the New Year. This was less killed than the 628 killed during the same period last year. The Bangkok Post reports:

Nearly 90% of all accidents involved motorcycles, and 65% of fatalities involved people not wearing crash helmets.

Drink driving was said to be the cause of 37% of accidents. Pick-ups were involved in almost 6% of accidents and personal cars and taxis in around 2%.

So few people in Thailand wear helmets while riding motorcycles. In Surat Thani many people will wear helmets while riding in the city were the police might stop and fine them and then take off their helmets once they leave the city limits.

And then there is the problem of drink driving. Alcohol abuse is so common place that drink driving is an almost inevitable consequence.

The fact that the road deaths were down from last year does indicate that the increased efforts of police have some effect. However, if the police only have crackdowns at the most dangerous times of the year this won't change people's bad habits. A combination of consistent law enforcement and public education is the only way to bring down the road toll.

New mountain bike

2005-12-19T12:10:00.000+07:00

I bought a new mountain bike on the weekend. It is a TREK 4300. My other bike in Australia is a TREK and I was impressed with its reliability. I haven't had much time to ride it yet, but I am looking forward to exploring the roads around Surat Thani and hopefully further afield.

Banning books

2005-12-03T10:17:00.000+07:00

A report in The Guardian yesterday said that the Thai government has banned the guidebook Bangkok Inside Out. The reason for this was said to be that the book is "too realistic."

I assume the ban only applies to copies being sold in Thailand. Amazon.com still has the book for sale. The reviews on its site are overwhelmingly positive. This quote comes from one of the reviews:

The authors include many chapters on topics you certainly won't find in other guidebooks, like "Seven Eleven", "Soi Dogs", "High Society", "Mobile Phones", "Whiskey Coke & Ice", "Motorcycle Taxis", "Fortune Tellers" and "Chic". I found it refreshing that the book addresses up-to-the-minute pop culture and urban trends and almost entirely ignores the whole sleazy sex/bar-girl scene that most book on Bangkok seem to delight in. After all, Bangkok is about a whole lot more than Pat Pong and body massages.

It is perhaps understandable that the government might try to ban books about Thailand's naughty nightlife, but what is so sensitive about motorcycle taxis and soi dogs? I fear that the Thai government may be trying to emulate their neighbours in Burma and Laos, both quirky authoritarian regimes. One really does wonder what century the leaders of Thailand are living in.

Phrae and Phayao

2005-11-24T11:26:00.000+07:00

Phrae probably doesn't have a single stand out attraction. The best thing to do is wander the quiet streets of the town and enjoy some of the beautiful houses and temples. What makes Phrae distinctive is that the vast majority of its buildings are made of wood, or to be more specific teak. This is a refreshing change in a country where so many old buildings have been demolished and replaced by ugly concrete constructions.

wooden house in Phrae

Among the higlights of the town are Vongburi House and the Governor's Residence. Both buildings are open to the public.

Vongburi House, Phrae

The architecture of the temples is a mix of Lanna (Northern Thai) and Burmese styles. The photo below of Wat Sa Bo Kaeo shows the distinctive roof structure typical of a Shan temple. The Burmese influence can be seen in many parts of northern Thailand.

Wat Sa Bo Kaeo, Phrae

My main reason for visiting Phayao was to see Wat Si Khom Kham. This temple has the largest and one of the most revered Buddha statues in Lanna. It also features murals by Angkarn Kalayanpong, Thailand's greatest contemporary artist. Unfortunately I discovered the temple was undergoing renovations. In the grounds of the temple there was a sculpture garden depicting hell and some of the beings that live there.

hell - sculpture garden at Wat Si Khom Kham, Phayao

Next to Wat Si Khom Kham was the Phayao Cultural Exhibition Hall (Ho Watanatham Nithat). This small museum was very well organised and gave a lot of information about the history and culture of the local area.

What makes Phayao distinctive is its lakeside setting on the shores of Kwan Phayao. Watching the sunset behind the mountains is a good way to end my journey to the north of Thailand.

sun setting on the lake in Phayao

Heading north: Kamphaeng Phet to Phrae

2005-11-21T18:26:00.000+07:00

I arrived at the Kamphaeng Phet bus station a little after eight in the morning. I was planning to head north to the town of Phrae. I was told the bus for Phrae didn't leave until 12:30. Instead I took a bus to Sukothai which left in about 20 minutes.

Kamphaeng Phet is a cultural and geographical transition zone between the central plains -- Thailand's rice bowl -- and the mountainous north. On the road to Sukothai a large mountain reared up ominously in the west breaking the monotony of the otherwise flat landscape.

Arriving in Sukothai I found I would have a similarly long wait for a bus to Phrae. I instead opted for a shorter wait and took a bus to Uttaradit. The bus headed to Uttaradit via Si Satchanalai, another UNESCO World Heritage site that is overshadowed by the ancient city at Sukothai. I had visited Si Satchanalai a couple of years ago so I was happy to travel straight through.

The bus trip to Uttaradit took longer than expected and it was approaching mid-afternoon by the time I arrived there. After waiting a while it seemed that the bus to Phrae would never arrive so I jumped on a bus to Den Chai.

Soon after leaving Uttaradit the bus climbed into the mountains. There was no doubt that the plains were now left behind and we were entering the north of Thailand. The bus dropped me off on the highway near Den Chai. I took a motorbike taxi into the town. It dropped me off at the railway station. The railway station is probably the main reason for Den Chai's existence as the station services nearby Phrae and Nan. However, when I arrived the whole town seemed to be asleep.

sleepy samlor driver in Denchai

I had passed through Den Chai a few years ago on my way to Nan and not much appeared to have changed. The town contains many beautiful old wooden buildings; a refreshing change from most other parts in Thailand where concrete rules supreme. After waiting almost an hour a train arrived and the town came to life. The songthaews roared into life and soon I was on the road to Phrae.

Evening was approaching by the time I arrived. The songthaew dropped me off right in front of the hotel. It had been a long but interesting trip meandering through the villages and towns of northern Thailand. I could now look forward to exploring the town of Phrae.

Unexpected in Kamphaeng Phet

2005-11-20T19:25:00.000+07:00

Wat Phra Kaeo, Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park

Kamphaeng Phet doesn't really expect foreign visitors. Arriving at the bus station a lady waved me across to a songthaew which I thought would take me into town. Well, it took me into town and straight out again. By the time I realised my error I was a few kilometres on the other side of town! I jumped out and the driver told me she thought I wanted to go to Sukothai.

The motorcycle taxis which are usually ubiquitous in Thailand were conspicuously absent. I started walking back into town and eventually managed to hitch a ride. The lady that picked me up offered to take me to the bus station. She seemed surprised that I wanted to visit Kamphaeng Phet. The hotel staff also seemed surprised to see a foreign face. I asked them if they had many foreign guests and they said they had three or four per month.

Kamphaeng Phet may be one of Thailand's smaller provincial capitals, but that hardly means it is not worth visiting. The Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is not quite as well known as the nearby Sukothai, however that means fewer crowds. Indeed when I visited I almost had the whole place to myself.

The historical park is made up of partially restored ruins in a beautifully shady and grassy park. The ruins are largely made of laterite bricks.

park like setting for the ruins in Kamphaeng Phet

Kamphaeng Phet has two museums. The National Museum and Provincial Museum are next door to each other. The National Museum is a typically uninspiring collection of Buddha statues and other historical artefacts. Even though some items in the collection are a thousand years old the lack of imagination in the way they are presented is dismal. The Provincial Museum makes a better effort and tries to inform people about the ethnic minorities (aka hill tribes) living in the province and some aspects of local history and culture.

The town itself holds few other attractions. A walk along the bank of the Ping River in the evening is pleasant and many of the locals seem to enjoy getting out there. I stayed at the Kor Chok Chai Hotel (Rachadamnern Road, Soi 8) which must be one of Thailand's best bargains. For B320 I got a very nice air conditioned room.

Loy Krathong Festival

2005-11-17T22:32:00.000+07:00

David by the river for the Loy Krathong Festival

Last night was Loy Krathong Festival. There are a number of stories about the origins of this festival -- some say it is a Brahmin festival, others say it originated in Sukothai about 700 years ago. It falls on the full moon day of November and coincides with the end of the rainy season.

The main activity of the festival is for people to go to the nearest river and float krathong on the water. Krathong are small boats, traditionally made from a piece of a banana tree and decorated with flowers and a candle.

krathong being launched on the river

I had never seen the festival celebrated before and I had some romantic visions of thousands of beautiful krathong, illuminated by candles, floating down the river in the moonlight. The reality was somewhat different. For a start the huge crowds made for quite a hectic scene. Many people took longtail boats out on to the river to launch their krathong; the boats with their open exhausts make an ear-splitting racket!

giant krathong

Beautiful Khao Sok

2005-11-13T11:25:00.000+07:00

On the weekend I went to Na's mother's house. It is near Khao Sok National Park. Although we didn't go far into the National Park itself there were still plenty of interesting sights to see. The landscape in the area is characterised by beautiful jungle-clad limestone karsts. They look quite beautiful, especially in the early morning when they are shrouded in mist. The scenery is somewhat reminiscent of Wuyi Shan or Yangshuo in China.

beautiful scenery near Khao Sok NP

We also visited the cave temple Wat Tham Wararam. You can walk through the cave to a beautiful river where there are thousands of fish waiting to be fed.

cave temple - Wat Tham Wararam

river at Wat Tham Wararam

The photos below are of some mud buildings (baan din in Thai) in a resort near Khao Sok National Park.

mud buildings in resort near Khao Sok NP

one of the mud buildings in the resort