Thailand Voice

That’s not the red shirt, that’s the red short movement. Maybe I’ll go out on a limb – hey yes I had wrongly called the yellow protest a day before those maniacs invaded Suvarnabhumi. But looks like the Million Man March utterly failed. The rather grotesque peaceful bloodletting aside… Read full story >>>

Well either it was too hot or their numbers just didn’t cut it yet, but a few hundred red shirts marching along selected locations in Bangkok called it a day after the widely announced start of the government’s end this… Read full story >>>

Judgement Day has arrived – and over to you. Say what you think and share the latest news links, tweets and analysis right here. Don’t let me moderate. Short and sweet wins, no rude language. Please stick to the essentials. Related posts: Asian Correspondent & Bloggers’ Coming-Of-Age Not too long ago … Read full story >>>

In Thai society, the head is considered both clean and sacred. In contrast, the feet are considered dirty. It is considered an insult to wave your feet at someone while sitting down or use to your feet to push something to one side. In this picture, devout Buddhists feel honoured to…

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 >>>

Prozac? Nahh, Give Me the Good Stuff is a post from: ThaiPulse.com/blog/ , a Thailand focused website. ©2009-2010 ThaiPulse I strongly recommend a sometimes daily dose of fukitol. We all need it – especially if you’re living in the USA. Here in Thailand I don’t need this nearly as much… Read full story >>>

Thai Takes By PHILIP GOLINGAI TWENTY-TWO V-150 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) rumbled into the streets of Bangkok on Monday night. And – not surprising for politically-jittery Thailand – the immediate assumption was the military had launched a coup. It turned out that … Read full story >>>

Among the many Sak Yant designs available in Thailand is the Tiger or Tigers Yant. The Tiger is a symbol of strength and power and nothing gets in the way of a Tiger. People who choose the Tiger Yant would like to receive Read full story >>>

Apologies for joining this dark dowsing rod aka GT-200 scandal slightly too late, but fact is: the self-prepossession of our leadership-in-green is wasting human lives and even the Thai media are now stunned and in uproar, completely bewildered by the official line of argumentation, ridiculing their leaders… Read full story >>>

There are several different Sak Yant designs available for those who would like to have a Hanuman Yant. The benefits that can be bestowed on the Hanuman Yant are bravery and courage and therefore the Hanuman Yant is a favourite with many Muay Thai boxers. Read full story >>>

Talking About the Weather… What better way to break the ice and start a conversation than to talk about the weather? I know it is a bit cliché-ish but, hey, it works. And in Thailand, the sentence, “The rainy season sure is late this year” is … Read full story >>>

Not The Nation: Under increasing pressure for their controversial purchase of over 500 bomb-detecting scanners that appear to be ineffective, the Thai army responded today with a firm defense of the Gt200 scanner’s ability to detect the presence of money.“These scanners are the best we have … Read full story >>>

Just stumbled upon this site: Critical Asian Studies . A worthwhile read caught my eye: “Demanding Daughter Duty: Gender, Community, Village Transformation & Transnational Marriages in Northeast Thailand.” A study about the increased favorable acceptance of Isaan women with foreign partners. An in-depth study about a social phenomenon not known some years ago. … Read full story >>>

It will still take years until Google’s Streetview will come to Thailand, but already now it has a similar website showing views from the road for a few selected towns named MapJack . From what they write on their website, they take a much simpler and therefore cheaper approach than Google, but still their views are… Read full story >>>

Children’s Day (วันเด็ก) is celebrated on the second Saturday of January each year in Thailand. In observance of Children’s Day 2010, lots of Thai twitter users have changed their avatars to childhood photos. Prominent figures like newspaperman Suthichai Yoon ( @suthichai ) and hip hop artist Joey Boy ( @joeybangkokboy ) … Read full story >>>

Rhynchostylis gigantea (Lindl.) is an epiphytic Thai orchid widely distributed in every region except the South of Thailand. Rhynchostylis gigantea is found throughout most of S.E. Asia and China. The flowering period for this Thai Orchid is December – January. Read full story >>>

The Bangkok Post: A complaint was filed against Gen Surayud in 2007 for alleged encroachment but prosecutors decided not to seek his indictment because they believed he had bought the land without realising he might be breaking the law…. 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 >>>

“I can’t believe that Thailand has become like this,” she says. “Why does no one think of Thailand in that light?” “Why do Thai women let people do that to them?” Many answers to your questions dear vlogger jeerawan . Just … Read full story >>>

Not much time for blogging right now. But I was pleased to find this beautiful creature in my bathroom (one of them, this is Thailand).     I guess it's a moth since butterflies don't stay this still. I have books … Read full story >>>

As we all know, being a wine lover in Thailand is an elitist thing. Imports being taxed over 200%, because wine lovers are considered to be snobs and can therefore afford any price. An average bottle sets you back at least the double of the price you pay in the West. Or even in … Read full story >>>

Lately even the pro-establishment news website TAN was calling for the sacking of the ICT minister : “Almost one year as the ICT minister, Ranongrak Suwanchawee has failed to show the public any tangible achievements but a series of failed … Read full story >>>

Quick post to point out a recent AFP story that says Thailand’s exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has arrived in neighboring Cambodia. PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra landed in the Cambodian capital Tuesday to carry out his new role as economics… Read full story >>>

Call me a coward. Ain’t no sacrificial lamb. Yes, I take this very personally. For the sake of peace of mind and good night’s sleep I avoid an analysis of The Times’ Thaksin interview that created a furore the moment it was published. According to the interviewer … Read full story >>>

These two young mor lam singers appeared twice in Phana recently. They are just 9 years old but already have real stage presence and their memory for the words of the songs was very impressive. I saw them first at a tam boun baan, where I recorded them. Then they appeared at… Read full story >>>

BBC on the Deep South on the arming of Buddhist and Muslim civilians: At the local Buddhist temple at Trohgen village in Pattani province a class is being held for a group of mostly female community volunteers – but this is no religious ceremony. It is a refresher course to remind them how to … Read full story >>>

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 >>>

What a delicious barrage of outstanding quotes. In case you missed the recent panel at the FCCT on Chaturon Chaisang ’s new book “Thai Democracy in Crisis: 27 Truths,” there’s a solid write-up over at Bangkok Pundit . And here is mine: It doesn’t happen too often around here … Read full story >>>

It’s pretty obvious by now that Thailand has become a de facto ungovernable state and society. One does as one pleases under the pretext of freedom and democracy. The higher up the less accountability, but even the good man John Q. Public thinks… Read full story >>>

If you ask him, Sondhi Limthongkul, the leader of the newly-formed New Politics Party (NPP), there is no conflict between his role as a political party leader, icon of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and operator of ASTV. He went on ASTV just now to make his stand clear: The party is … Read full story >>>