Thailand Voice

A new app for the iPhone called SF Showtimes in Hand will help you choose what to watch at the cinema. Before I proceed, I should point out that this app for the iPhone is only for the SF Cinema chain in Thailand… Read full story >>>

Veera Musikapong (2L), a senior leader of the anti-government ‘Red Shirt’ movement, arrives at court in Bangkok on July 30, 2010. The top leader of Thailand’s ‘Red Shirts’ was released on bail, more than two months after being detained on …

One night in Bangkok, as the song goes. And a guy is hanging out on Soi Cowboy. Photographer, writer and visual conceptualist Jimmy Wing, making his debut film Wet Nana Dreamscape , tells what happened next. Wet Nana Dreamscape was conceived… Read full story >>>

Spoken by almost 100 percent of the Thai population, Thai is the only national and official language of the country. A survey shows that the people of Thailand take pride in their language, which reflects distinctive culture and traditions passed on from generation to generation. Permanent Secretary for Culture Vira …

The 1908 book ” Twentieth century impressions of Siam “, edited by Arnold Wright and published in 1908 was recently scanned and made online by archive.org. The section about the administrative system, which by that year had the thesaphiban reforms implemented all over … Read full story >>>

A recap of posts here at Newley.com during the month of July: 10 links Bangkok bomb kills 1; Dems win parliamentary by-election A visit to Pheu Thai’s red shirt exhibition (guest post at BP) More on Sunday’s parliamentary by-election at BP NYT on … Read full story >>>

  Each and every weekend tens of thousands of Thais and tourists waddle through Chatujak Market, which I'm told is the world's largest weekend bazaar. Regardless, it's huge, and wading through the sweaty current of humanity makes one hungry. This being Thailand, there'… Read full story >>>

An injured man is taken on a stretcher by a rescue team after a grenade exploded on Rangnam road near a duty-free shopping centre in Bangkok on July 30, 2010. A grenade exploded on a street in central Bangkok, leaving one person seriously hurt in the latest violence…

This is a review of what happened in Thailand during the last week based on topics that I tweeted. You can follow me live for latest news about Thailand @RichardBarrow . I have also started a new version of my Bangkok Dangerous Map as there have been more…

Actually, on the substance of Tulsie’s opinion piece in The Nation on why Abhisit is acting tough now BP thinks Tulsie is basically right so do not have a dispute with that, but then there is this: Defending its decision to support Cambodia’s registration efforts, the Samak government pointed to … Read full story >>>

Today there has been another explosion in Bangkok , apparently from a grenade or bomb in the middle of the night. The explosive was put in the garbage and exploded when a scrap-collector touched it. It happened at Soi Rangnam, near Victory Monument. Read full story >>>

This week’s From the Barracks column by Wassana Nanuam (one of the few items worth paying my subscription for) concerns the plans of army chief General Anupong to establish the 7 th Infantry Division at Mae Rim in Chiang Mai – or at… Read full story >>>

Anaximander (c.610-545 BCE) is thought to have been a disciple or at least student of Thales of Miletus, who is in turn considered to be the western world’s first philosopher. The two certainly coincided in time and space at least for some period. Read the full article here . Read full story >>>

(Photo by Natthawat Wongrat ) Pre-Wedding photo shoot at V Villas in Hua Hin, Thailand. Shot with Nikon D3S + 14-24mm f/2.8 and processed in Adobe Lightroom. More wedding photos are available here . Read full story >>>

Today the Thai government got criticized for the way the “investigated” the shootings of two foreign journalists during the protests in April and Mai.The Committee to Protect Journalists (based in New York) released a report that stated that the government investigations were “incomplete and opaque”. What’s more … Read full story >>>

Martin Apfel, president of General Motors’ Thailand/Southeast Asia operations, gestures during a new conference at a hotel in Bangkok July 29, 2010. General Motors Co expects Thailand’s vehicle sales to rise more than 700,000 units fuelled by the country’s growing economy, and its executive was optimistic about the growth opportunity in…

The other day I blogged that I thought my newest rabbit was pregnant as she started building a nest. She was pulling her hair and Cola, my male rabbit’s out and gathering paper and piling it together behind the door. I separated the two of them as I… Read full story >>>

Detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi believes that the upcoming Burmese election is “absolutely unlikely” to be free and fair “because the election date has not been set and political parties will not have enough time to campaign.” she said this to Nyan … Read full story >>>

Bob has sent me a few more photos as well as some video footage. This photo he took at the intersection of Chayangkun (main road) and Sapphasit Road in 1967. Bob mentioned that “the young people in Ubon don’t remember the days of the 2-lane asphalt main road. There was dirt on Read full story >>>

Today the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) announced the 12 finalists for the 2010 outstanding district officer award (นายอำเภอที่มีผลงานดีเด่นระดับเขต ประจำปี 2553). The finalists per area are the following. Note that since I only have the names in Thai, the romanized names follow the RTGS transcription, however it is quite possible the officers… Read full story >>>

Woman I by Nuntanat Duangtisarn and Four Seasons by “Teem” Chaisiri Jiwarangsan are among the selection of medium-length and short films in the Horizons (Orizzonti) section of the 67th Venice International Film Festival. Revamped for this year, the Orizzonti section is the festival’s “laboratory”, open … Read full story >>>

I remember before given up alcohol a few years back I worried about managing life in Thailand. This was my main pastime and life without it seemed dull. In fact the one thing that really attracted me to Thailand in the first place was that it seemed Read full story >>>

One of the most revered Buddha images in Samut Prakan Province is Luang Poh To which can be found at Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai. During the annual Rub Bua Festival, usually in October, a replica of this image is taken out on a boat on the Samrong Canal for …

Red Eagle is really happening. The much-anticipated reboot of the Thai action-movie franchise by Tears of the Black Tiger director Wisit Sasanatieng has a Thai release date of October 7. Red Eagle ( Insee Dang , อินทรีเเดง ) stars Ananda Everingham as a masked vigilante crimefighter… Read full story >>>

artist : sai sai mao album : ahmadaya shan tei su mya, vol. 2 tracklist : 01. yuen mok ha pa pi le 02. pong nong mi kay 03. khaaw jaam khay han 04. te hak naang ko 05. mo hum 06. taang hak naue pan 07. pen loy waasanaa 08. hue kwaang lot meng pueng 09. unknown title 10. instrumental 11. nong… Read full story >>>

One of the more uncivilized and indeed rather primitive practices in public life in Thailand is the continued use of leg irons and chains to restrict not just prisoners but people accused of crimes who have not been convicted. The use of these chains sends the… Read full story >>>

Some Thailand-related, some not: Image credit: daniel n. reid Interview with Claudio Sopranzetti: The politics of motorcycle taxis — New Mandala Temple dispute surfaces again — Straits Times US slips, China glides in Thai crisis — Asia Times Online … Read full story >>>

David Smyth updates Teach Yourself Thai … Only a handful of Thai courses are highly thought of, and David Smyth’s Teach Yourself Thai is at the very top of that list. When I asked polyglot Stu Jay Raj which books he’d recommend to students of the Thai language, David’s… Read full story >>>

The Nation : Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said at the Cabinet meeting yesterday that international organisations had been unfair to Thailand and not transparent . Such practice created conflicts among countries. Academics from some superpower nations have personal interests in the World Heritage designation, he said. … Read full story >>>

Peter Nitsch is an international award winning photographer and designer who has split his life between Munich, Germany and Thailand over the past decade. His latest exhibition is called Shophouses 4×8 m Bangkok, where he explores the relationship between business and home of Bangkok residents through photographs… Read full story >>>

US-based Thai academic Thongchai Winichakul gave a special lecture at Chiang Mai University’s faculty of humanities on Wednesday, during which he offered an insightful analysis of various issues surrounding the April-May red-shirt protest and the subsequent crackdown. An audio clip of the lecture (including the… Read full story >>>

After yesterdays blog about the continuing drought affecting Ubon Ratchathani I received an email from Bob with two photos showing a very dry time more then 40 years ago. Both these photos were taken in 1969. The first one shoes a dry Read full story >>>

Last Saturday (24th July) was the date for the 3rd annual Worldwide Photo Walk, an event which aims to get photographers out snapping pictures of their home towns, all on the same day. According to the website, this year there… Read full story >>>

Bank of Thailand Governor Tarisa Watanagase gestures during an interview with Reuters at the Bank of Thailand in Bangkok July 28, 2010. Thai interest rates are still low and a modest increase earlier this month is not impeding economic recovery, but it would be dangerous to keep rates low…

The other night I wandered down to N-Joy, a local expat bar here in Ubon Ratchathani. If you have never been there, but would like to drop in for a cold beer. Then you can click on this link for rough directions. … Read full story >>>

(Photo by Natthawat Wongrat ) (Photo by  Natthawat Wongrat ) (Photo by  Natthawat Wongrat ) (Photo by  Natthawat Wongrat ) I went to photograph two guys from US who came to Thailand to train Muay Thai (Boxing) at Sitsongpeenong Muaythai … Read full story >>>

It's “tsch” not “sch” you no good… This topic has caused many a debate in the world of Thai grammar and language. Like one of those all-too-common Asian government gang fights they pass off as legislation debates… Read full story >>>

Following the launch of CNN’s acclaimed app for the iPhone and iPod touch in the United States last year, CNN today announced the availability of the international version of the CNN App on the App Store. I was very pleased to read that CNN have just released an international… Read full story >>>

Some weeks ago Richard Barrow made an mobile blogging tour to some attractions in Chonburi province. Reporting live on Twitter on his trip, once he reached the Phra Phutthasihing Pavilion close to the government offices I wondered whether the city pillar shrine isn’t located close … Read full story >>>