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"The Rounds"


Friday, June 10, 2005

  Mekhong Kurt
 

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Headlines

Young Briton Last Seen in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, October 24, 2004

Grim Anniversary: Tiananmen Square Sixteen Years Later

"Christian Family Loans"

Survey of Foreigners Who Live or Lived in Thailand

Increased Concern Over Dengue Fever

Speaking of Southern Unrest and Suspect Religious Calls . . .

Good Information Web Site about Thailand

Petrol Prices Continuing To Rise; Diesel Prices Likely to Follow

Economy Generally Lagging

Conde Nast Traveler Readers Rate Thailand Second-Favorite Country in the World in 2004, Narrowly behind Australia

New Book Fact or Fiction?  My Name LON; You Like Me?

One Event Reminder and One Event Correction

Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand Schedule

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Grim Anniversary: Tiananmen Square Sixteen Years Later

Today marks the 16th anniversary of one of the grimmest days in China's modern history.  On this date in 1989, China's People's Liberation Army was ordered to crush the demonstrations centered in Beijing's world-famous Tiananmen Square, the vast square in front of what the world knows as "The Forbidden City" but which the Chinese government is pleased to call "The Palace Museum."  Who can forget the searing image of a lone protestor, a man, standing in the middle of The Avenue of Heavenly Peace near Tiananmen Square facing down a column of several tanks?  The commander was faced with a major conundrum by that courageous individual, well aware -- as he must been -- of cameras zeroed in on the gripping scene from high up in the nearby Beijing Hotel.

This wrenching event remains problematic for Chinese Communist Party authorities, who have traditionally had trouble coming to grips with the Party's rather checkered past -- and "checkered" is the kindest word one can use reviewing the history since Mao Ze Dong emerged victorious in the civil war with the Nationalists, who fled to Taiwan, in 1949.

When the massacre occurred, I had more than one reason to be deeply interested and concerned.  Having lived in China 1985-1988 in Tianjin, Beijing's port city about 135 kilometers SSE of Beijing (1985-1986) and in Beijing itself (1986-1988) and having become a dedicated Sinophile, I was interested on the academic level.  I had not long before written a couple of guest columns for a local newspaper in Beaumont, Texas, where I was living with my then-wife (we divorced in 1994), a native of Beijing whom I married in November, 1987.  My marriage to her was another reason for my strong interest, especially since her immediate family -- Father, Mother, 3 Sisters and their husbands, a niece, and 2 nephews -- all lived about 5 kilometers ESE of Tiananmen Square.  Besides, I had numerous former students and colleagues, as well as Chinese and foreign friends, all resident in the capital.

We were frantic as we tried for days to telephone Xia's Mother and Father, the only family members who had a phone in those days.  Desperate to learn something for my wife (and myself), I resorted to calling CNN's headquarters in Atlanta, where a kindly news editor listened with compassion.  He asked me to call back 2 or 3 times a day so he could tell me of any news that didn't make it into the networks broadcasts, especially any news out of the Chaoyang district of Beijing, where my in-laws all lived.  I'll never forget the kindness of the various people with whom I spoke over the ensuing days until we were finally able to reach my wife's parents and learned all the family members were safe and sound, if deeply troubled by the tragedy of the suppression of the so-called "counterrevolutionary rebellion."  In 1990 we went to Beijing en route to a new posting I had in Macau, and I telephoned the now-famous Mike Chinoy, then CNN's Bureau chief for China and thanked him for his and his colleagues excellent coverage, and asked him to relay our deep gratitude to the folks in Atlanta.  (He remains my favorite and most respected international correspondent to this day.)

On the larger canvas, the central authorities were absolutely ruthless.  A garrison commander refused to move with force against the demonstrators, and was summarily executed for his humanity.  (I know quite more about him, but have to remain silent to protect innocents still in China; now is the first time I have ever publicly acknowledged that.)

It was a time of great hope.  Had Party leaders been more flexible, the tragedy could have been avoided, but those authorities were, and remain, obsessed with maintaining complete political control.  It is an uncertain government that name  its own Dali Lamas and Catholic Cardinals within the boundaries of officially sanctioned so-called "churches" and "temples," religious authorities malleable in the State's hands.  In my view, a reasonably well-informed one for a layman, the chief villain in the unfolding of events was Li Peng (李鵬), President and Premier (at different times) of the People's Republic of China from 1987 to 1998, among other offices he concurrently held during portions of that time frame.

A colorless, uninspiring Party hack, Peng's chief talent was merely being able to survive in the cutthroat world of Party politics, no small feat, to be sure.  Better leaders than he ever could have been fell victim to the endless internal struggles, yet this despot not only survived, but prospered, in political terms.  He deigned to meet with some student leaders in a famous live broadcast from The Great Hall of the People, home of China's rubber-stamp legislative body.  Even that rubber-stamp body censured him, in effect, by a large number of delegates abstaining the vote to approve his annual equivalent of the U.S. President's state of the Union message -- a remarkable event, in that context.  Those delegates may as well have walked up to him on a crowded street and spat in his face.  (See a biography of Li Peng.)

Deng Xiao Ping ( -- a calligraphy version of the name), undisputed Supreme Leader after his return from the political wilderness in 1978 until his death at 93 in 1997, was markedly ill-served by Peng, among others.  Peng and his allies counseled the Iron Fist, and their view prevailed, with the ensuing loss of life.  the chief, if lone, voice of moderation was the late Zhao Zi Yang, Chairman of the Party, who was forced from office in disgrace after meeting student leaders in Tiananmen Square and not only admitted the government had made mistakes but also apologized to them -- in front of the international media, whose cameras were turning.  Zhao was so feared that even his funeral was a closely-guarded, carefully monitored event, as funerals of such people have political significance Westerners have trouble grasping.  (See an interesting memorial web site honoring Deng Xiao Ping -- Deng "Little Bottle" in a pun on his given names.)

The night of June 3-4, 1989, was a time of sheer horror.  International correspondents reported tanks rolling over demonstrators, crushing them to death, and infantry troops opening fire on unarmed demonstrators in the name of the martial law that had been declared May 20th.  Foreign friends, a couple, who were still living at the Friendship Hotel in Beijing, where I lived during my years in the Chinese capital, went to a major intersection due west a few kilometers of Tiananmen Square along Chang'an Avenue -- an ironic name translating as "The Avenue of Heavenly Peace" -- were they witnessed a pitched battle between army troops sympathetic to the demonstrators and others loyal to the Party.  (Under the largely meaningless Chinese Constitution, the military forces belong to the Chinese Communist Party, not to the government -- a critical distinction.  That clause isn't meaningless, however, you can rest assured.)  Though the pro-demonstrator troops fought bravely and well, they were out-gunned and out-manned -- and slaughtered, to my friends' horror.

When we were in Beijing in 1990, I went to visit a friend and asked him if anyone we knew had been injured or killed during the massacre.  At first he parroted the Party line, but when I said "C'mon -- give me a break; stop preaching the story out of Zhong Nan Hai [the leadership residential compound since the days of Mao to  the west of The Forbidden City proper].  Was anyone we know hurt or killed?"  He paused, then asked me to go for a walk -- away from any listening ears -- and told me that indeed some of our mutual friends had been hurt or killed during the chaos.

Other friends told me of death and destruction wrought in parts of the city -- indeed, across the nation -- that never made it into Western media reports.  In some neighborhoods I visited, bullet pockmarks gave mute confirmation of those stories.

When my wife and I made our post-Tiananmen Square visit that summer, I approached with a sense of fascinated dread.  It was hard to imagine my beloved square awash with the blood of the innocent.  As I stood in the middle of the square, gazing upon the Monument to the Revolutionary Heroes, Mao's mausoleum looming starkly in the background, the only sight visible indicating something was forever changed at the historic site was the heavy presence of police and military forces keeping a watchful eye on visitors to the hallowed square.

I left with heavy heart, but glad that more people I knew weren't hurt or killed than were, but saddened by the senseless loss of life.

But in some sense, the Li Pengs lost out.  Though political control remains tight, it isn't nearly as absolute as it once was.  When I was last in Beijing in the summer of 2002, I was excited to see a story in The People's Daily newspaper about municipal elections in the capital.  Unable to read much Chinese, I asked a desk clerk in my hotel to translate it for me.  She did so, in summary form, telling me the last of Beijing's 5,000 or so neighborhoods had had a reasonably democratic election of what might be best described as "advocates."

The way it worked, I was told, was that residents chose a list of potential candidates with more names than there were posts.  That list went to the Party for vetting.  The election itself was more or less based on consensus, the list shortened as people discussed the candidates, each of whom was allowed to give campaign speeches in the run-up to and during the election.  Once the list was pared down to the number of seats available, it was forwarded back to the Party for confirmation and acceptance.

Such events were completely beyond the pale in 1979, when Deng Xiao Ping finally ascended to power.

On the personal level, people enjoy considerable freedom.  They can change jobs at will.  Internal visas are relics of the past and no longer required.  Even international travel is possible, far more easily possible than it was even when I lived in The Mouth of the Dragon.

There's an ancient saying in Chinese: "The mountains are high and the Emperor is far, far away."  In other words, the Chinese people pretty much ignore Beijing when they can -- which is more and more of the time.  that's why the Party is struggling not only to keep power these days, but fighting a drift into irrelevancy.

Though economic disparity between regions remains a major concern, the nation as a whole is prospering and moving towards increasing freedom.  And if freedom and prosperity are the legacy of those who died during the tumultuous events of 1989, then something worthy has been born.   [Saturday, June 4, 2005]

Late note:  Surely no one is surprised that the mainland authorities refused yet again to consider a re-examination of events that fateful day, a refusal made in the wake by the U.S. Department of State for them to do just that.  The invariable party line is that such calls are "interference in internal affairs" -- a line often accompanied by the internal affairs of the country to which China is responding.  In other words, The Middle Kingdom can criticize everyone else -- but if you want to criticize it, keep your mouth shut.  [Tuesday, July 7, 2005]

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"Christian Family Loans"

I've received a couple e-mails in recent days from this outfit of apparently well-intentioned folks, though I regard those e-mails to be spam.

But that's neither here nor there; the implication of the name is what bothers me.

The implication, as I see it, is that one has to belong to a certain religious group to qualify for what might be called "wholesome" loans.

Imagine how people of other faiths might react to, say, a service called "Islamic Family Loans," "Jewish Family Loans," "Hindu Family Loans," "Buddhist Family Loans," etc. etc. etc.  Yes, various religious texts say not to overcharge borrowers and the like, but does what's the aim of this service (if it really exists)? -- to lend money only to Christians who meet some sort of theological litmus test?

We have enough sectarian problems right here in Thailand that it seems counterproductive to have such organizations.  Members of many religious sects can be tiresome, as I discovered anew when I was last in Phnom Penh at the Thai embassy awaiting my passport when another American struck up a conversation and kept trying to press a religious tract on me.  He persisted even after I explicitly stated 2 points: I seriously looked into becoming an Anglican priest when I was a young man (yeah, that's right -- only my wonderful parish priest helped me avoid a serious mistake), and the further point that I'm very open to the notion that whatever works for an individual is fine with me though I don't appreciate him (or her) foisting it off on me, particularly in such an incongruous setting as we were in.

I won't be applying for a loan from these folks anytime soon -- doubt I could pass their list of moral requirements anyway!  [Tuesday, June 7, 2005]

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Survey of Foreigners Who Live or Lived in Thailand

A Farang Survey is being conducted by a professor of the University of New South Wales in Australia of foreigners who have lived in Thailand at least 1 year regarding their reasons for living/having lived in the Kingdom, and in the latter instance, their reason(s) for leaving.

The survey comes in 2 forms to fit the 2 groups.  The web site assures complete anonymity, which I tend to believe, as when I took they at no point was I asked to disclose any personally-identifying information.

Consisting of nearly 40 questions (with room for additional comments by respondents in some cases), the survey appears to my untutored eye to be well-structured with the potential of reaching statistically significant conclusions if enough people respond.

The survey is free to take, and since useful information may be forthcoming from its results, I urge anyone meeting the criteria to fill it out.  It takes an average of about 10 minutes, and is very straightforward.  [Tuesday, June 7, 2005]

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Increased Concern Over Dengue Fever

A report in today's The Nation says health authorities are concerned about a rise in the incidence of infections by dengue fever ("High alert for dengue fever"), though the rate of infection remains relatively low at this time.  But upcoming months could see a rise in that rate.

That said, the reported extent of the infection in the Deep South is said to be 16% of the population.  While dengue fever isn't anywhere near as dangerous as other diseases, such a bird flue, any widespread epidemic would several stress the nation's medical resources.

It's difficult to know what to recommend, since I'm not a medical professional.  Part of me says to suggest you avoid travel to the Deep South since there is no preventative vaccine against the disease.  However, another part of me is well aware that the Deep South (and neighboring areas a bit further north) desperately need a revival of tourism.

My own reasons for not going to that part of the Kingdom have little or nothing to do with the threat of disease, civil unrest, or the tsunami's aftermath: I'm just not a sun-n'-surf sort of guy, so the beaches hold no special appeal, and there's not much else appealing to my particular preferences, though I readily confirm I have many friends who love that part of the Kingdom for their own many and varied reasons.

Do exercise health caution should you find yourself visiting or traveling through the area.  For that matter, I suppose the same might be said across Southeast Asia for now.  [Tuesday, June 7, 2005]

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Speaking of Southern Unrest and Suspect Religious Calls . . .

Tying into 2 stories above are reports in today's media of the beheading of a Buddhist plantation worker in the Deep South by suspected Islamic separatists.  (See "SOUTHERN UNREST: Militants chop off plantation worker’s head" in today's edition of The Nation and "Insurgents behead rubber tapper" in today's Bangkok Post.)

Thankfully, a voice of denial of the "Islamicness" of this sort of barbaric murder is growing in the Islamic world, if with painful slowness.  I saw a report a day or two ago, I forget where, that a member of a committee from the OIC, an international Islamic organization, visiting the Deep South explicitly said the issues were territorial (think of the Palestinians, for instance), not religious.

Further, if the murderers are indeed southern separatists, then they are guilty of slaughtering a fellow Thai, if not a co-religionist.

In fact, despite threats to target foreigners in particular by the separatists, virtually all of the victims of sectarian violence have been compatriots, not foreigners.  That gives foreigners contemplating visiting the region a considerable degree of comfort, but it remains a shame that Thais are killing Thais.

Strenuous efforts are underway by a host of people here to find a peaceful solution to problems in that benighted region, efforts that will, it is hoped, pay off -- and pay off sooner rather than later.  [Tuesday, June 7, 2005]

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Good Information Web Site about Thailand

Time to lighten up a bit!

I ran a freebie magazine for visitors today at Bourbon Street Restaurant called Sa-Bai Thailand I've not seen before (or don't recall having seen, anyway) that appears quite useful.  (Curiously, the web address on the magazine's cover was incorrect, so if you pick it up, delete the ".truesme" between the magazine's name and the ".com" following -- that link takes you to True telephone company's Small and Medium Enterprise page!)

Clearly aimed at a level of visitor not likely to be found in Khao San Road, the backpackers' paradise here in the capital, there is even so information useful to all, such as a complete listing of embassies, flight schedules (limited, but very useful for domestic and regional flights), the magazine also includes a monthly calendar of events, and specialized calendars of events in different categories, such a dining.

The web site itself is in essence a travel site -- hotel bookings and the like, without, as far as I could see, any of the reports and reviews the dead-tree version has.  Therefore, you'll have to hunt for the magazine in public places if you want the whole enchilada.

It's well worth keeping a lookout for.  [Tuesday, June 7, 2005]

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Petrol Prices Continuing Rising;
Diesel Prices Likely to  Follow

Petrol prices rose by 50 satang (½ baht) yesterday except at PTT stations, which put prices up 40 satang -- for now.

Rising global oil prices are having a major impact on Thailand, as they are countries right around the world.  Yet at under US2.00 for 4 liters for petrol, the local price remains relatively low compared to petrol prices in a number of other countries.

However, the economics work a bit differently here, as people in lower income brackets are strained to meet any possible increases in fares for municipal and long-distance buses and trains.  After all, for a person making, say, 4,000 baht monthly who commutes about 4 weeks out of the month, even a modest increase for municipal bus tickets would have a serious affect.  Yet presumably at some point those fares will have to increase, if oil prices continue to rise.

Experts are reported as saying we're nowhere near the level of the oil crisis back in the 1970's, yet the suddenness of the spike in prices does hurt quite a bit.

Tourists are being affected as well.  Airlines are already charging fuel surcharges in some cases as they strive to remain profitable.

One form of public transport that has held the line on prices is in the ubiquitous taxi.  I arrived here almost 11 years ago, when the flag-fall was 35 baht, or US$1.40 at the time.  Today it's still 35 baht, or about US$.87 at current exchange rates.  I don't know how companies and individual owners have managed to keep prices that are, after all, exceedingly low compared to fares in major cities around the world.  (Think Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, New York, etc.)

In an acknowledgement of the future possible reality, the government has set a cap on oil prices and on government subsidies of fuel prices while indicating it will be permissible for companies operating service stations to exceed the cap on prices should world oil prices rise to a level demanding such an increase.

Let's hope for everyone's sake the price at least stabilizes -- soon.  [Wednesday, June 8, 2005]

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Economy Generally Lagging

On the larger canvas, the economy is suffering in general as a result of a variety of factors, not just rising energy costs.

Stories in the media yesterday say the economy has slowed down, with lower-than-expected figures for the first quarter, leading the Bank of Thailand to lower its growth forecast to the range of 4.5-5% for all of 2005.  (See the Thai News Agency 2 stories "Thailand’s projected economic growth downgraded" and "BOT to review economic forecast," the Bangkok Post story "Growth slows to lowest rate in four years: NESDB revises 2005 estimates downward," and the story in The Nation headlined "ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN: BOT set to cut growth estimate" for further details; the Post story having a particularly good chart).

Though these reports don't focus on the property markets per se, the business property market remains red hot, from what I've read and heard, but the residential property market is slowing rather dramatically, according to media  reports I read last week.  One report that said of all new housing in 2004 across Bangkok, 42% of it was in the Sukhumvit Road area alone -- a stunning figure, if accurate.  I think that meant homes both occupied and under construction.  The report said this year that growth has slowed down enormously as, I assume, a glut of such properties are are making developers find the difficult economic circumstances of the Kingdom aren't conducive to sales, particularly in the high-end range.

Within a kilometer of where I'm sitting I can think of about a dozen luxury condominium and apartment buildings under construction -- and many of the sois I haven't been down in years, sois I've heard are filling up with residential construction projects in some cases.

Thais and locals alike in the market for business or residential property might choose to sit on the sidelines awhile, on the one hand to see if the business property market cools off and on the other hand to wait for a fall in residential property prices, the latter likely to happen if the current economic situation persist over an extended period.

While the threats don't seem to be nearly so great as the country faced in the run-up to the mid-1997 crash, all these various reports do prod one's memory uncomfortably of that time.

There are other indicators.  Reports of companies that invested in manufacturing facilities here in recent years but which are now shifting their operations elsewhere, most notably China, have appeared in the media.  In the past I've mentioned the perilously narrow gap between the values of imports and exports, with exports maintaining a rather narrow lead (good news for the Kingdom).  The baht continues to drift downward in value relative to the U.S. dollar, if at a very modest pace.  (See the Bank of Thailand's chart going back to the beginning of 2004 showing the fluctuations in the baht's value against the dollar and other currencies.)  This table doesn't include this month.  At the start of 2004, the baht stood at 39.0350/US$1.00, while the rate today is 40.4534/US$1.00; at its post-crash strongest several years ago, the baht rose to the 37/US$1.00 range.  That's far better than the 58 or so it reached against the dollar at its worst, true, but the downward drift is something the government is said to be watching with wary eyes.

As the economy adjusts to the forces of globalization, there will be inevitable dislocations, painful in some instances.  Let's just hope it can adjust with minimal distress.  [Wednesday, June 8, 2005]

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Conde Nast Traveler Readers Rate Thailand Second-Favorite Country in the World in 2004, Narrowly behind Australia

Despite the various woes besetting Thailand, one really bright spot is the ranking of the Kingdom as the Number 2 favorite international destination overall by readers of one of the travel industry's most respected magazines, the widely-read and highly respected Conde Nash Traveler.

This ranking speaks volumes about the numerous attractions of one of the loveliest and friendliest countries on the face of the planet, especially when you factor in concerns such as the security concerns and social disorder in the Deep South, not to mention lingering fears in the wake of last December's tsunami.

Further, not only did Thailand place second in the overall ranking, but in the magazine's Top 100 list, a list of winners from all ranking categories without regard to which category, Phuket's Banyan Tree Spa placed an admirable 4th place.  In all, Thailand took 6 spots in the Top 100.

This must be music in the ears of tourism authorities, government officials tasked with dealing with tourism, and everyone in the private tourism sector -- and rightly so.

It merits mention that the magazine's readers/voters tend to be extremely discriminating.  (I guess one might say "demanding.")  So for that august group of travelers to honor the country with this accolade is a worthy achievement indeed, especially given the problems with which the country has wrestled.

For the sake of the local populace, particularly in the Deep South and in tsunami-affected areas, I hope this poll leads people to give consideration to traveling to Thailand, whether on business, pleasure, or both.  And to increased numbers of tourists, of course!

Congratulations are in order and happily given.  [Thursday, June 9, 2005]

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New Book Fact or Fiction?  My Name LON; You Like Me?

I read this fairly short book (187 pages for the story itself) in 2 readings, and was left unable to decide if the book is a real autobiography or a work of fiction, despite the assertion "A True Story" that appears on the title page.

It purportedly is a no-holds-barred autobiography of an impoverished Isaan (northeast Thailand) girl named Lon who ran away from home when she was 13 and quickly ended up in the sex trade.  Eventually her escapades led her from Bangkok, where she entered "The Life," to Europe, with all sorts of grim if fascinating experiences along the way.

Though blunt, the writer is not pornographic, so thrill-seekers will be keenly disappointed.

After mulling the possibilities over and trying unsuccessfully to discover on the Internet the past 2+ weeks whether the work is factual or fictional, I decided to go ahead and write about it, despite remaining doubts -- strong ones -- about the book's authenticity, a decision I made because fact or fiction, the book is powerful.

Let me address the causes of my doubts first.

For starters, the author identified on the cover is Derek Sharron.  On the page listing the publisher, ISBN number, etc., 2 authors are mentioned: Sharron and Areerut Sudha.  "Lon" is a common nickname -- most Thais take nicknames -- but nowhere did I see anything identifying Lon of the title with Areerut Sudha.  I found Sharron on the Internet in a number of returns, including ones identifying him as the book's author -- but a search for Areerut Sudha identified her (?) as co-author.  So, while it appears Sharron is at least co-author.  But who is Areerut Sudha?

Next, the editing is, quite simply, atrocious, to the point that in places one has to read a sentence or passage more than once to sort out just what the writer(s) meant.  This poor editing is particularly noticeable in the earlier part of the book, the editing improving somewhat the deeper into the tale one goes.

Third, early in the book Lon asserts she lost her virginity when she was raped by Thais who had lured her upon her arrival in Bangkok, but later refers to having lost it when she sold her sexual favors to a foreigner.  The contradiction remains unaddressed throughout the book.

Next, there are end notes, but there aren't any references to them in the text until deep in the book, where I saw an asterisk.  I glanced at the bottom of the page, but saw nothing, so thumbed to the end of the chapter, and again saw nothing.  So I went to the back of the book and found some other sections, one apparently notes but with no indication of which note is tied to which page or passage.

Lastly, Lon says at the end she was setting up an organization to help others like herself, but I can't find a single reference to it, and the many people I've asked say they never heard of it.  Given the book came out in 2004 (though it was awhile before it started making a splash), I would think by now someone somewhere would have heard of it and spoken or written about it.

Okay, beefs out of the way, let's consider the story.

Despite the shortcomings detailed above, the underlying story is a powerful one, a story repeated untold times as young girls, driven by poverty, often driven from their homes by their desperately poor families, flee to cities, very often to Bangkok, the heart of the Kingdom in every sense of that metaphor.

On that level, it's a common story, so a reader might wonder why rehash a tale in which only the characters change.  But this story is more than that.

I don't want to give away too much.  However, few of the people in the book come out looking good, Thais and foreigners alike.  In one way or another, most of the characters are manipulative and selfish.  Indeed, in places Lon herself comes across that way, candidly so.

Though clearly not an dispassionate academic analysis (nor a passionate one, for that matter), Lon examines through her experiences what she feels is deliberate manipulative government policy of the lower classes.  She also turns her attention to the institutions of the family and Thai society overall.  Foreign sex tourists aren't spared.

Very much of what she says rings true.

There are two basic ways most people judge Lon and others like her, assuming her to be a real person.  (There are photos said to be of her on the book's cover and throughout the book.)  First is that she and others like her need "saving," as many well-meaning activists try so often.  Second is the other extreme: that prostitutes are completely selfish, lairs, incapable of genuine human emotion or thinking beyond instant, if impermanent, gratification.

Both are too extreme.  Both do contain truth, the first foolishly pollyana-ish, the second darkly cynical.

The surprising part of the story's impact is that it led me to re-examine my own well-entrenched views, though they are views I carefully considered and developed in the first place, and modified as further observation pushed me to do.

This book is well worth a read, even by Old Thai Hands.

You can order it online from publisher Bangkok Book House (though the actual order is handled by another company) for US$8.50 for buyers outside Thailand; buyers inside the Kingdom can go to a domestic-order page and pay just 295 baht -- just under US$7.30 at today's official Bank of Thailand exchange rates.  [Friday, June 10, 2005] 

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One Event Reminder and One Event Correction

Just a reminder that expat author Dean Barrett will be at the Texas Lone Staar saloon Saturday, June 18, 2005 2:30 P.M.-4:00 P.M. to sign copies of his latest work, The Go Go dancer Who Stole My Viagra & Other Poetic Tragedies of Thailand, copies of which Dean will have on hand.  He will also have copies of some of his past titles on hand.  He will be selling his works at significant discounts.  If you haven't met Dean, now's your chance!  The venue will have free food at 3:00 P.M.  Washington Square (east side), Sukhumvit Soi 22.

And an event correction: tomorrow's gathering at Dasa Book Cafe is an invitation-only affair, which I didn't realize when I wrote about it before.  Don of the store notified me, adding there will be public activities, probably later this month.  Apologies for the error.  [Friday, June 10, 2005]

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Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand Schedule

With no further ado, here is the schedule for the FCCT:

[Friday, June 10, 2005]

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Enough for one go . . .

Until next time --

Mekhong Kurt

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Where Is *Your* Name???

So you've been a slacker and still haven't signed up for the free BangkokAtoZ.com Updates Mailing List???  ;-)  Well, get with the program and sign up right now to be notified via e-mail whenever we add something to the site -- that way, you don't even have to visit the Updates Page to see if there's anything new -- we'll let you know by e-mail.  If you want to sign up, just go to the sign-up page.  I'm pleased to say that more and more of you are signing up, and I urge all of you not to hesitate!

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Where is *Your* "Traveler's Tale"???

Got a "Traveler's Tale"? -- send me a line!  Just send me a *query* note at
MekhongKurt@BangkokAtoZ.com.

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