Thailand Voice

Last Sunday was Valentines Day; I had a very nice offer to attend a party that would have had very pretty promotional girls and silly games taking place. A local company were going to have fun with condoms and then head to the local park to hand them out to … Read full story >>>

Another four villages were renamed by three announcements in the Royal Gazette on February 11. Ban Kameng (บ้านกาเม็ง), Mu 1 of A-song subdistrict , Raman district, Yala province is renamed to Ban Kuemeng (บ้านกือเม็ง) [ Gazette ]. Interestingly, in the DOPA excel sheet this … Read full story >>>

On February 4, the announcement on two subdistrict and two administrative villages renamings were published in the Royal Gazette. All four name changes were decided in the meeting 3/2009 on November 10 by the committee on name changes of province, district, subdistrict and villages (คณะกรรมการพิจารณาเรื่องการขอเปลี่ยนแปลงชื่อจังหวัด อำเภอ… Read full story >>>

The main reason why the aristocracy-establishment so hates Thaksin and his government cannot be mentioned – by the establishment because they refuse to admit that it exists.* Instead, refuge was taken in the Treason of the Intellectuals. In Thai Democracy in Crisis: 27 Truths, Chaturon Chaisang cites Kaewsan Atibodhi’s… Read full story >>>

Announced in the Royal Gazette on February 2 , two municipalities have changed their name. In both cases the name was originally same as the corresponding subdistrict and is now modeled after the name of the district, as both form the major (or only) municipality within … Read full story >>>

The Phangan Film Festival , featuring a lineup of documentaries on “nature and spirit”, is set for February 12 to 14. The open-air fest will be held at the Holiday Beach Resort on the island in the Gulf of Thailand. Most of the movies are… Read full story >>>

Published on January 27 was a new license plate graphic for the province Prachinburi , only available for passenger cars with less than 7 seats and a license codes obtained in the official auction. While I know that rafting is a popular tourist attraction in Prachinburi province – … Read full story >>>

As I blogged about previously we had decided to celebrate Christmas on January 12 as that was the day after my parents arrived. The kids had been asking me for the last two weeks ‘when Christmas was coming’ because ‘it takes too … Read full story >>>

A few weeks back I blogged about postponing Christmas due to various reasons. I am so glad that I did as on Christmas morning we ended up having a meeting with our lawyers going over a business problem that we had at the time. Thankfully the day improved as we had shut the kitchen for… Read full story >>>

Google Being Blocked in Thailand? is a post from: ThaiPulse.com/blog/ , a Thailand focused website. ©2009-2010 ThaiPulse I cannot go to any google.com search page either by typing it into my address bar, or using the small plugin I have with FireFox. I can … Read full story >>>

Already on January 19, a new administrative village (Muban) in Sakon Nakhon was announced ( Gazette ). The northern part of village 2 Ban Ngon (บ้านง่อน), Sawang Daen Din subdistrict , Sawang Daen Din district was split off and forms the new village 26 named Ban Ngon Mai (บ้านง่อนใหม่). Sadly the TAO website has no… Read full story >>>

If you criticize the govenrment then the predictable response is that you will be questioned as coming under the influence of the evil one. Tumbler has the details of PM Office’s Minister Satit questioning HRW…. Read full story >>>

Published in the Royal Gazette last Thursday was the rename of one administrative village (Muban) in Nakhon Ratchasima province. Village 1 of Tum subdistrict , Pak Thong Chai district was renamed from Ban Non Tak Daet (บ้านโนนตากแดด) to Ban Khlong Wat (บ้านคลองวัด). As the rationale for the name change, the history of the village is… Read full story >>>

Published on December 30 was the 12th amendment of the local administration act of 1914 (พระราชบัญญัติลักษณะปกครองท้องที่ พระพุทธศักราช ๒๔๕๗), which deals with the central administration at subdistrict (Tambon) and village (Muban) level. If I understand the amendment correctly, it adds one sentence at paragraph 3, which previously only stated that all laws in contradiction with the … Read full story >>>

The 878th district of Thailand and 25th district of Chiang Mai is now officially created. Published in the Royal Gazette on December 25 was the decree titled พระราชกฤษฎีกาตั้งอำเภอกัลยาณิวัฒนา จังหวัดเชียงใหม่ พ.ศ. ๒๕๕๒ . The decree is divided into 5 sections. Section 1 just states that the decree is named “Decree on the creation… Read full story >>>

From the Google map the great temple of Banteay Chmar in north west Cambodia shows as a square block and to the east is the huge baray or lake, now mainly cultivated as rice paddies, with an island temple in the middle. The only boat is too small so the only way … Read full story >>>

There are many more provincial courts than provinces in Thailand – a complete list seems to be found at tambol.com , however with expired links – and now yet another one has been created. Published in the Royal Gazette on December 18 , a provincial court in Hot district was established, making… Read full story >>>

Kavi in The Nation: It was interesting to read several editorials and vernacular columnists in the past two weeks criticising the government’s handling of the arms seizure at Don Mueang Airport on December 11. They thought the impounding of illegal cargo was another Read full story >>>

December 3 two announcements were published in the Royal Gazette, both about the boundaries of either subdistrict or administrative villages. The first one lists three subdistricts in San Sai district, Chiang Mai, and together with the list of the villages within them also defines the current boundaries. The … Read full story >>>

Here are some handy tips for Bangkokians called upon to use the lift (or elevator, if you must): The lift moves in a predictable pattern – either up or down. There is rarely any need to be surprised when the door opens and it is your turn to … Read full story >>>

Matichon reports that a military court has found Maj General Khattiya Sawasdipol guilty of defaming former national police chief General Sant Sarutanond and sentenced him to a jail term of six months, … Read full story >>>

The Bangkok Post reports: “I believe Mr Sivarak does not want the case to cause more problems,” Mr Abhisit said. “I would like this problem to conclude now.” Atiya in the Bangkok Post argues that th… Read full story >>>

You don’t need expensive satellite systems to watch Thai Television outside Thailand. With Thai Online TV there are many free channels online available. Thai Online TV has the Thai National TV channels as well as free Music and entertainment channels including movies and sport. With the introduction of Broadband Internet to many countries… Read full story >>>

This is a blog only I have been following the Thai ‘non spy’ in Cambodia affair with interest.  In fact I am as usual having a problem reading the newspapers with a straight face. Seems nobody in Thailand has done any real reporting on this case at all, or… Read full story >>>

When I wrote about the Terminal 21 construction project on Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok I mentioned that there’s still an old market that has not been demolished to make way for the development. Asoke Market could disappear at any time. So I stopped by on Monday afternoon to … Read full story >>>

แกงแพนงหมู or “gaeng penang moo” Read full story >>>

Last week I wrote on the sixth amendment of the Tambon Council and Tambon Administrative Organization act , removing the limit of two consecutive terms for the TAO chairman. Now amendments for the acts covering the other local administrative units have been published in the Royal Gazette, all … Read full story >>>

They thought no one on the outside world will ever hear those torrents of hatred, but then again, they’re actually no torrents of hatred but … utterances of devotion and pride. Pure affirmations of love and dedication till death. Judge for yourself. This is scary stuff not … Read full story >>>

Just do it. Take it from. Today I lost all the data from my laptop which caught a virus after I borrowed a USB to help print a document. Silly move. Of course the work I have written is replacable with… Read full story >>>

The entity behind the independent news site Prachatai, The Foundation for Community Education Media, and Chulalongkorn University have organized a dinner talk on Thailand. The blurb is below: Dinner Talk on “Thailand in Transition: A Historic Challenge and WHAT”S NEXT?” Date:Tuesday 8 December, 2009; 6:30pm-10pm Venue Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit. … Read full story >>>