Thailand Voice

Well, if you were to read The Nation or the Bangkok Post, that would certainly be the perspective that you will get. Not everyone is of the same opinion. AP: “Their image last year was very negative in people’s views. They were defeated then, but this year they… Read full story >>>

Clearly somebody at The Economist has decided that it is time to nudge the public debate about Thai politics in more critical directions.  One of their most recent articles  about Thailand covers a fair amount of ground that has, until now, largely remained restricted to obscure… Read full story >>>

Sweet comedy is proving to be the salve to soothe the bleeding eardrums of Bangkokians besieged by the anti-government red-shirt rallies that have taken over parts of the Thai capital for the past week. The top film at the box office last weekend was GTH’s Baan Chan … Talok Wai Gon (Por Son … Read full story >>>

Andy of Bangkok Bugle had the news that there would be no The Economist this Friday in Bangkok and well having read the main article and the leader (ie editorial) piece, well there is no chance that it will be distributed in Thailand. The t… Read full story >>>

The anti-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) is planning to stage a major rally in Bangkok on 20 March, according to UDD leader Jatuporn Prompan. Puea Thai MP Jatuporn Prompan disclosed today that the group will hold a major mass demonstration this weekend in… Read full story >>>

Released in cinemas today , the “monks-with-guns” crime drama The Shadow of the Naga ( Nak Prok , นาคปรก ),has predictably drawn a protest from Buddhist organizations which are calling on the Ministry of Culture to ban the film. The story involves three thieves, Singha (Ray MacDonald), Parn (Somchai… Read full story >>>

Ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been granted citizenship by Montenegro and is currently visiting the Balkan country with his children, local police say. They say Mr Thaksin arrived from Dubai at the weekend and there have no legal reason to arrest him. (thaksinlive.com) More…

Driving along Rte 13 about 25km north of Vang Vieng, I passed by this roadside market, bordered by a stream and shaded by tall limestone cliffs: I learned later that the area is known as Pha Hom, ‘Fragrant Cliff’, but ironically there was a foul smell… Read full story >>>

Fishing on the Nam Song, Vang Vieng, Laos If he was fishing for assholes, he’d be a rich man. Read full story >>>

Things have been relatively quiet here in Bangkok today. So I don’t have much new to share. But I did want to point out that the images I snapped of the bizarre blood protests here in Bangkok have been picked up by the uber-blog BoingBoing . Take a look at the (46 and… Read full story >>>

Yes we’re all tired, some upset, some still hopeful. Some puppet masters are playing us Pharisees and Philistines. Still trying to decipher Thaksin’s latest Hitler and gay phone-ins? Maybe you need a break from it all. Why don’t you just let go and head over to the 4th … Read full story >>>

The way the media sometimes portrays the place of the Reds in Thai society, it is, perhaps, natural to assume that it is  only folks from up-country, from the northern and north-eastern provinces, who support the current protests.  A … Read full story >>>

Traditional wisdom dictates that political instability anywhere, but especially in Thailand, can only harm the domestic economy. Everybody ‘knows’ mass protests in Thailand are likely to lead to disaster for both tourism and inward investment, two golden eggs for the Thai economy. However, even as protesters blocked Bangkok streets, issued ultimatums to authorities and performed… Read full story >>>

Yesterday, a vigorous storm blew through Bangkok, washing away the dust of the dry season, and sending the rats of Klong Toey market scurrying from their nests. I went shopping. As the city cooled off, and there was a quiet, contented vibe in the largest downtown produce market.    Read full story >>>

Earlier today the red shirts went to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s house to symbolically throw blood. BBC reports: Thai protesters have hurled plastic bags filled with gallons of blood in a symbolic protest at the prime minister’s house in Bangkok.Security forces agreed to let a few… Read full story >>>

My pics of the day this week are of Thai hands. I hope I have caught something of the gentleness and elegance that I see in Thai hands, no matter how young or old they are, male or female. Click on the Pic … Read full story >>>

Writing as long ago as 1908, Prince Dilok Nabarath* wrote: “The Buddhist religion in Siam has an extraordinary influence on the entire economic life but not a favourable one. The philosophical attitude of this religion has completely dazed the people. It brings resistance to progress and to every development towards a higher culture, to … Read full story >>>

Thitinan in The Guardian: During his five years of pandering populism, Thaksin unwittingly awoke the rural masses to a sense of opportunities and upward mobility previously unseen, and in so doing delivered Thailand into the 21st century. That he won’t go away enables his establishment opponents to paint the reds … Read full story >>>

One of the most unusual musical instruments that I have come across in Thailand is the “angklung”. It is made from carved bamboo tubes which are attached to a frame which is then shaken to produce a note. Each frame has…

Al Jazeera, unfortunately not carried by Thailand’s monopolist cable TV company TrueVisions – an offspring of Thaksin’s old IBC – recently aired this 24-minutes “Inside Story: Thailand’s Blood Sacrifice” embedded below. Something to sit back and relax a little after those nervous days. Worth a watch. The London School … Read full story >>>

Reuters: A brief statement from Montenegrin national police said Thaksin arrived on a private plane from Dubai on March 13 at the Adriatic coastal airport of Tivat.”Mr. Shinawatra is a Montenegrin citizen and is now located in Montenegro,” police spokeswoman Tamara Ralevic said in… Read full story >>>

The Nation: Veera, the chief red-shirt protester from the Democratic Alliance Against Dictatorship (DAAD), denounced and purged ex-communist insurgent Surachai Sae Dan from the organisation for his strong criticism of the red leaders for not bringing down the government.The DAAD would Read full story >>>

Prachatai has this statement by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s personal spokesman Thepthai: ดังนั้นอยากตั้งข้อสงสัยว่าเลือดที่นำมาเทนั้น… Read full story >>>

After another questionable display of blood spilling, this time at PM Abhisit’s private house , and the decreasing number of attendance , there was still the looming question of what the next move of the anti-government protests would be. But more on that later. One of … Read full story >>>

It’s marvellous political theatre, but it has deep emotional significance… – Professor Charles Keyes , quoted in Olivia Ward, “ Thai protesters spill own blood ”, The Star , 17 March 2010. Read full story >>>

Directed by Witthaya Thongyooyong and Mez Tharatorn Starring Chawin likitjareonpong, Paula Taylor, Jaturong Mokjok, Nichapat Jaruratnawaree Released in Thai cinemas on March 11, 2010; rated 13+ Wise Kwai’s rating: 3/5 After the blood-spilling stunts by the red-shirt demonstrators in Bangkok, the gory twist in GTH’s Baan Chan … Talok Wai Gon (Por Son Wai) ( บ้านฉัน…ตลกไว้ก่อน… Read full story >>>

For those of us who aren’t traipsing the streets of Bangkok this week, freelance journalist Simon Roughneen provides a striking picture of the action in this photo page .  If you click on the YouTube video you get all the photos set to music. NM readers who come across other interesting photo collections … Read full story >>>

BP confesses to being a fan of The Nation’s Pravit Rojanaphruk for a long time. BP doesn’t necessarily agree with everything that Pravit writes, but in the seemingly one-dimensional worldview of The Nation (Supaluck and Chang Noi aside as well)… Read full story >>>

The red shirt leaders have more formally divorced themselves from Surachai and Seh Daeng, but what about Arisman? He has long been a hothead prone to making inflammatory statements. See this post last week, but there is another YouTube video online of him making inflammatory statements. Am unsure on the… Read full story >>>