Thailand Voice

“Whoever has seen of what the Siamese are capable cannot stop himself from thinking what they could do if they were encouraged and pulled out of the sleepy lethargy in which they vegetate. What could one not hope for from a… Read full story >>>

A few days ago, a user called “musicxpresso” put up for sale on ebay a wanted poster for Thaksin and his wife for a mere 99 cents. The photo showed the massive banner used as the backdrop for one of the yellow shirts stages while they occupied the Government House area. However, if you read…

It’s the best of possible outcomes to avert further mayhem. It’s no guarantee against further mayhem, but no side can claim victory and no side can pretend total defeat after the Thai Supreme Court’s handing down of a partial seizure of … Read full story >>>

Thailand’s Supreme Court ruled a few hours ago that Thaksin must surrender $1.4 of $2.3 billion in frozen assets. Here’s an NYT story with the details: The Supreme Court on Friday confiscated $1.4 billion in frozen assets from the fugitive former prime minister, Thaksin Sinawatra, after finding him guilty of… Read full story >>>

While last fortnight’s column didn’t appear online at The Nation,* this fortnight’s column is online and is about double standards. Key excerpt: In Thailand, there is a close connection between power and illegality, between social status and defiance of the law. Often, laws seem to exist precisely to allow certain people t… Read full story >>>

GM Spending Bailout Money Overseas General Motors announced this week that they would be spending 455 million dollars, that’s 15 billion baht to you and me, retooling their plant in the Tayong Province of Thailand. Now, I’m all for companies expanding their businesses in… Read full story >>>

I rarely do this, but this “field manual” for Thai politicians written by Prophessor Stephen B. Young for The Nation is worth to be mirrored in full. You may remember The Nation’s telling interview back in September last year with the man. Young introduces his helpful rules for Thai politicians with this… Read full story >>>

The highland, minority cultures of southern China and southeast Asia have sustained a rural, agrarian, and traditional way of life for centuries. Groups such as the Miao (Meo), Hmong (Mong), and Dong are well-known for their highly developed sewing skills.  Their clothing is frequently embellished… Read full story >>>

The time has come to reframe the great questions before Thailand and upset the forces pressing for polarisation and confrontation. Farang perspectives on individualism and hierarchy, resting as they do on emotional, psychological, intellectual and philosophical nihilism of post-modernism, offer little in the way of constructive … Read full story >>>

The Thai Star known as Goh Tee is one of Thailand’s most loved comedians. Goh Tee ( โก๊ะตี๋) was born Jaroernpohn Onlamai on the 31st December 1980 and attended the Wat Phra It primary school in the central Thai province of Ang Thong where … Read full story >>>

Angkor, the ancient capital of Cambodia is a haunting place in which you’ll surely find great beauty. In each of the temples there are many beautiful girls, full figured and voluptuous and wearing only a sarong. It was Kent’s quest to find and to photograph as many… Read full story >>>

He’s the “most Thai foreigner” I know. After years of work in the twilight of Bangkokian nights and his recent front line coverage of Thailand’s political conflict he has become something of a celebrity around here. Thai Politicians of all sides and… Read full story >>>

It’s my great pleasure and honor to present an essay by the – as I call him – political poet Khi Kwai (“buffalo dung”, read: bullshit), one of the finest minds observing Thai politics. Khi Kwai introduces his latest book… Read full story >>>

Google are promoting the Nexus One phone for direct sale on the web . I was not surprised to see that it is not available in Thailand. Unfortunately tech companies see Thailand as a low priority. Nexus One Not in Thailand It is available without service in the US, UK, Singapore and Hong Kong. I don’t… Read full story >>>

Samut Prakan was built as a frontier town to protect the approach to Bangkok upriver. Fortresses were built on both sides of the river from the estuary all the way up to Phra Pradaeng. Not many of these forts are around today. They are either in ruins …

Well, there’s always an exception that proves the rule. According to a recent poll Bangkok was voted the no. 1 most attractive city in Asia. Thai media hailed the headline. But the poll was conducted in Bangkok, among 500 foreign tourists. As if 500 interviewed tourists in Tokyo… Read full story >>>

(The following is a brief Thai> English translation from various local news sources) Customers at Melody Karaoke, in the close vicinity of Prachacheurn Police Station, were originally charged an astonishing 30,000 Baht for 3 hours of karaoke. Charges included 100 Baht for a…

Political Prisoners in Thailand has a neat little story about a new district in Chiang Mai province that will be named in honour of Princess Galyani Vadhana.  The ever-reliable Tambon has more details , as does this Thai-language report . I… Read full story >>>

Note: This article consolidates my preliminary observations based on one book. Due to time constraints and lack of sources, I am unable to gather wider knowledge about kite flying activities. I would be happy to hear corrections and comments from historians, as well as from those who know more… Read full story >>>

Back in 2007, we had the “Thaksin, where are you?” book and in an adaption of this terminology, the latest edition of Matichon Weekly (October 9-15, Edition 1521) has Prem on the cover and asks “WHERE R U?”: Source: Matichon Weekly The article is on page 6 and is entitled “WHERE R U?”. … Read full story >>>

New Mandala readers keen for something a bit different will enjoy John Stanton’s 1950 report, published as “ Siam: Garden of Smiles ” by TIME Magazine . It includes many details on royal life and the first years of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s reign. The report also touches … Read full story >>>

Bloomberg Sept. 22 (Bloomberg) — Honduras’s deposed President Manuel Zelaya breathed new life into his efforts to regain office by slipping into the country and taking shelter in the Brazilian Embassy, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said. Clinton, speaking in New York after meeting with Costa Rican … Read full story >>>

Well, partially back. Albeit I am not aware if he was ever really gone. But he’s not back with the old Bangkok milieu talk . His former employer the Bangkok Post brings the Trink book review of Harold Stephens ‘ For the Love of Siam . … Read full story >>>

It’s an often heard charge and foreigners swinging into Bangkok keep on blaming themselves to this day, at least some: Since the mid-1960’s, when U.S. soldiers arrived from Nam for serious R&R, Thai officials keep lamenting the decline in morality. American soldiers had a good time in Bangkok… Read full story >>>

Not much to add. He’s splashed all over the headlines this July 26th. What shall we say. Happy birthday? Many told you so. Man forges his own destiny. Or you’re not blaming yourself a tittle for being apart from your family and friends and country? Here’s some more help to understand. The grand… Read full story >>>

Thailand Politics has a couple of interesting posts here and here . BP : Problem for the Democrats is that they have long been predicting a rebound in the 4th quarter and then having an election around the middle of next year. Problem is that the US economy has not rebounded as quickly as … Read full story >>>

Saranukrom watthanatham thai phak tai [The Encyclopedia of Thai Culture: The South] . Bangkok, Thanakhan Thai Phanit Munnithi Saranukrom Watthanatham Thai, 1999. 18 volumes, 8613 pp. In Thai language. In the National Library of Australia while reading up on religion, banditry, and the environment in Thailand’s mid-south, I stumbled across the Encyclopedia of Thai Culture… Read full story >>>

The I Love Thailand website launches… Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva recently launched a website to unite the Thai people: ilovethailand.org . The site is not only in Thai, so if your Thai is not up to it but your English is, you should find something of … Read full story >>>

This month at the National Library of Australia’s Asian Collections we have put together a display of Thai ephemera: late 19th and early 20th century advertisements and cigarette cards. The images of advertisements we display are reproduced from the books by Anake Nawikamune; the cigarette cards are originals which we acquired recently. Anake Nawigamune was… Read full story >>>

Chatthip Nartsupha, The Thai Village Economy in the Past . Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books (distributed by University of Washington Press), 1999. pp. viii + 131. EDITOR’S NOTE: It is worth pointing out that this book review interacts with some of the the key themes examined in Andrew Walker’s new edited … Read full story >>>