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"The Rounds"
Headlines Bangkok Airways Continues to Excel The Killing Fields of Cambodia Thai Medical Tourism Gets Boost from "60 Minutes" TV Show RFID Proposal by U.S. Department of State Gets a Big Thumbs Down . . . And Other Privacy Concerns Al-Jazeera TV Network Garnering Attention Sad Week in the Washington Square Area New Branch of Subway Sandwiches Opening on Sukhumvit Soi 33/1 * * * * * * * * * *
Excellent Value for Lunch Buffet at the Fairview Coffee This afternoon I had the pleasure of being one of several guest at a buffet lunch at the Queen's Park Hotel, a buffet that is absolutely astonishing. The host and his wife and another couple had been to the buffet previously, which is from 11:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M., and had raved about it to us, the other 3 diners. Believe me, you will need that long if you go there hungry. The buffet contains an astonishing array of choices of international cuisines, ranging from dim sum to sushi to roast beef and all manner of other dishes in between. I couldn't begin to remember all the dishes. There were so many on offer that I rarely get that I decided to go the sampler plate route, taking just a bit from a total of maybe 20 offerings. My focus was on fish: sushi, raw oysters, clams, (both in the shell), 2 kinds of baked fish with cream sauces, boiled shrimp, smoked salmon, fish dim sum, and the like. I also had a lamb chop cooked to perfection with a magnificent pepper sauce. Some of the other guests practically attacked the roast beef, where the chef carved in such a manner that what a diner gets is, in essence, a prime rib. (In the end, I didn't have room to try even a single bite.) I did heed Mother's admonishments to eat some vegetables -- and ate a tiny serving of traditional Greek salad, some green olives (on which alone I can make a meal!), and one small new potato in a cream sauce. There's even a limited selection of Thai food, but I skipped it -- hey, I live here and can get superb Thai food just about anywhere, including from street carts. Besides roast beef, there is a long counter with raw meats -- beef, pork, chicken, and lamb chops -- as well as all sorts of raw fish; the chefs prepare your choice to order. Additionally, there are numerous soups, a nice salad bar, and sauces by the score. The dessert counter is more limited than some of the others, but what they had was good; between us I think our party had some of everything on offer, including fresh fruits, sumptuous ice cream with equally ecstasy-inducing toppings (try the blueberry; it's out of this world), and cakes. And that, unbelievably, isn't all. Champagne is included in the set price -- as much of it as you want. It is brought out to a common table a single bottle at a time, but today the poor waitresses and waiters were running constantly, because there were so many people there drinking the bubbly. Some of the party (and people at others tables) took full advantage of this side treat. Not being a huge fan of champagne, I settled for maybe 3 small glasses (and a beer for a starter). Fresh coffee made a nice final drink for we 4 men. All this in a place called a "coffee shop." Coffee shop, my foot -- to label the Fairview a coffee shop is about the same as calling a marbled restroom an outhouse. The host, I, and 2 other gentleman guests puzzled over the term -- not the first part, as you can exit onto the small rear grounds of the hotel and directly enter the park separating it from The Emporium. There is live music, a duo, a talented pianist, a man, backing up a singer, a lady, as well as playing piano solos at times. Finally, there's a kiddies' area where children can play, drink sodas (the children's substitute for the adults' unlimited champagne), and eat a limited selection of essentially American foods, with hot dogs appearing the clear favorite, along with French fries. The host couple and 1 of the 2 other couples each have 1 daughter who happily spent the majority of their time there. And what does all this gastronomical ecstasy cost? -- 650 baht plus service and VAT charges totaling 17%, i.e., 760 baht each for the adults (about US$19). For 7 adults, then, the bill came to 5320 baht. Did the host get hit by the 4 cups of coffee and the 1 beer that didn't come with the meal, or by the bill for the 2 children? -- no: the grand total was about 5900 baht -- a little under US$150. I can't remember anywhere I've eaten in such nice surroundings with such a veritable galaxy of choices of dishes that one could entertain 9 people so elegantly and "fillingly" for that little money. True, it's not something anyone less than pretty wealthy can do every day or two, but for the occasional splendid lunch out, it's hard to beat -- I'd say likely impossible even to match, let alone beat. Just to show I wasn't completely addled by it all, I will say there was 1 thing I noticed about 2 of my food choices: the sole boiled shrimp and 1 lime wedge I got were dry. But that is so piddling in the larger context of the 99.9999% spectacular meal that I wouldn't even mention it -- except to prove I'm neither addled nor on the venue's payroll! If you visit or live anywhere in the Greater Bangkok area, Fairview "Coffee Shop" is what I consider to be a must-try-the-Sunday-buffet-lunch place. One of the guests observed that until he discovered this buffet, he a thought a competitor's one down Sukhumvit Road the best in town -- but not now, and not only on price, nor, even, especially on price, but more on the great number of offerings (which, by the way, change weekly, at least partially). I won't hesitate to recommend it to people who live here or are staying as far away as across the river, in the far reaches of north Greater Bangkok, or way out in the boonies beyond Bangna-Trad to travel into town to try it. Why don't you? [Sunday, April 24, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Bangkok Airways Continues to Excel I took the Bangkok Airways flight to Phnom Penh this morning, and it was a good as it has been the other times I've flown it. Not only did we start taxiing precisely on time, but we landed 15 minutes early, no small feat considering it's only a 70-minute flight in the first place. The food was okay, the service impeccable. The airline is expanding quickly; it now has flights to a number of domestic destinations and international flights to Singapore, Cambodia (including Siem Reap), Burma, several cities in mainland China, Laos, Hong Kong, even the Maldives. And more are in the planning stage. Bangkok Airways uses 3 different aircraft from 3 different manufacturers: the 70-seat ATR 72 turboprop, the 125-seat Boeing 717-200, and the 162-seat Airbus 320-232, all aircraft with good records. The ATR 72 has a range of 777 kilometers; the Boeing 717-200, 1942 kilometers; and the Airbus 320-232 3700 kilometers. (All 3 figures are for when the aircraft is carrying its maximum passenger payload.) With 9 ATR 72's, 4 Boeing 717-200's, and 2 Airbus 320-232's, Bangkok Airways has a varied fleet that allows it to serve numerous destinations. The current flight schedule is broad; from Bangkok alone 51 Bangkok Airways planes head out all over the Kingdom, including as many as 41 on certain days to Koh Samui! Internationally, there about 20 flights scheduled, though some not daily. Some of the flights serve out-of-the-way places such as Jinghong, in China's Yunnan Province not far up the Mekhong River from where Burma, Laos, and China all meet. It's a 2-leg flight with a stop in Chiang Mai (3500 baht return ticket valid for 6 months) then on to Jinghong (4200 baht return ticket valid for 6 months). One thing I like about the airline is that its prices as shown on the Internet are close to the actual price -- which can't be said for certain other carriers. I got a 6-month-validity return ticket; the fare shown on the web site was exactly 8,000 baht. With extra charges, I paid around 8700 baht. Now Bangkok Airways has become my airline of choice for regional destinations. My experiences has been consistently excellent. [Monday, May 10, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * The Killing Fields of Cambodia Today I made my first visit to Phnom Penh's own killing field in the southwest outskirts of the city, prompted to go after reading local news reports about the pending trials of former members of the Khmer Rouge. It was deeply disturbing, though the beautiful setting helped mitigate the impact. Dominating the area is a tower, rather a lovely one from a distance.
The tower just inside The Killing Fields at Choeung Ek in Phnom Penh
The tower houses 10 shelves like these, arranged
This is the mass
grave of more than 100 women and children victims of the
I had considered visiting Choeung Ek a number of times
before, but never did until today. There was some intended relief, in the form of the children playing in the area, the younger ones presumably entirely unaware of the nature of the site. Little boys kept coming up, each with the same patter: "Hi, what your name?" then, when one walks on, they switch to phrases 2 and 3, i.e., "Give me money? Give me a dollar?" While urchin beggars aren't a tourist delight, that their lives go on, placidly, is comforting against such a backdrop. [Tuesday, April 26, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * I'm staying in a hotel that bills itself as Phnom Penh's only luxury hotel, the Amanjaya Hotel. And am I ever happy -- it's great, and well worth the money. So let me talk about the cost first. I'm paying US$75 per night, but I should add I get a US$20 discount due to the fact I am the web master for a company that has a corporate discount; my room costs US$95 per night if you walk in off the street. But I feel it's a bargain even at US$95; the only thing that keeps it from qualifying as a 5-star hotel is the fact it doesn't have a swimming pool. (Curiously, the web site shows a rate of US$108 per night for my room.) The only room I saw before now was a friend's, a room for which he was paying a corporate rate of US$100 per night. About the only real difference between his room and mine is that his was a corner room, with a wrap-around balcony on 2 sides. But since I'm not much into sitting in the heat, my having a regular balcony didn't bother me at all -- I haven't even ventured onto it, and I'm not likely to do so. The service is superb. When I arrived yesterday morning, I first mentioned my friend's name (the one who is head of the company for which I'm web master). and the clerk hesitated, but when I mentioned the company's name, she brightened immediately and offered me the corporate rate. I had a problem accessing the Internet from my room this afternoon (a problem that turned out to be "operator trouble"), and when I went to the desk to ask about it, a staff member immediately went with me to my room and got me straightened out. It's small touches that always set a place apart. I got the standard serving of fruit -- and a salad plate, knife, and fork, the cutlery tastefully arranged on the edge of the plate. The hotel is located just across the street from the Ton Le Sap River, which joins the famous Mekhong River just a few hundred meters south of the hotel. The hotel faces east, so one can see a nice sunrise over the water, enjoying watching the early risers out taking advantage of the early morning coolness. The room charge includes breakfast. I thought it would be a set breakfast, but in fact you can choose just about any combination on the menu, a menu that includes several set breakfasts and an a la carte selection. There's even congee -- and the restaurant actually has real soy sauce, not the Maggi sauce widely served which isn't soy sauce! That may not sound important, but when you want soy sauce and not substitute Maggi, which is what you get most of the time these days, even in China itself, it *is* important. The restaurant is called Kwest (pronounced k-west) and has a wide selection of international fare. The service is just as excellent there as it is in the hotel proper. I don't know if the restaurant is part of the hotel or if someone else leases the space from the hotel. If your laptop or notebook computer has wi-fi capability, the restaurant is a hot spot, which is convenient. I wrote about Cambodia in my last column, and I do need to correct one bit of information. I was wrong in saying telecommunication costs are cheap; in fact they're higher than in Thailand, as is electricity. I'm paying what I consider to be premium prices, especially for Internet services, but that's not due to the hotel -- it's just the way things are, something I confirmed with the driver I always use here. (Three hours of Internet service is a flat US$10, and the dial-up charges are US$.10 per minute -- the latter applies to any local call, whether from a landline or a mobile phone, and without regard to whether you call a landline or mobile phone.) Anyway, this place is great. I've spent more than US$40-50 a night for a hotel room only twice before in my life, and I certainly am not regretting splurging this time. I've tried to get a room here twice before, but the hotel is small. The room is a spacious 64 square meters (roughly 640 square feet). Try it!
Amanjaya Hotel * * * * * * * * * * Thai Medical Tourism Gets Boost from "60 Minutes" TV Show
* * * * * * * * * *
RFID Proposal by U.S. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Systems are electronic tracking systems widely used in business for inventory control and tracking. The U.S. Department of State proposed some time ago to use RFID technology in U.S. passports for the laudable, if arguably misguided, purposes of improving security and speeding processing of travelers. But the proposal has run into a wall of controversy, to no small degree from U.S. allies whose nationals can enter the U.S. without a visa (about 29 countries, if memory serves me). Civil liberties groups also have weighed in, such as the Electronic Information Privacy Center (EPIC). This is not the best-prepared the State Department has ever produced. The main problem with the originally proposed technology is that data would be both unencrypted *and* readable by unauthorized people using relatively inexpensive scanners surreptitiously from nearby. (I read somewhere such radio scanners run in the neighborhood of US$30,000, though I didn't confirm that figure.) It's easy to protect the data; simply enclosing the passport in a metal cover is enough to prevent unauthorized interception of data. And now the State Department has proposed putting metal threads into a passport's cover for that purpose, and encrypting the data in such a way that it can't be read when the passport is open until after it has been optically scanned manually -- which completely defeats the purpose of using RFID technology. In these post-9/11 days, we have to accept tighter security as being only sensible, and in principle, I'm all for the effort. But the State Department has been rather disingenuous in its entire approach. A Department spokesman recently reacted to concerns of representatives of those nations whose citizens can enter the U.S. without a visa by saying the U.S. is *not* requiring use of the technology -- though such was widely reported -- and laid the blame on those nations for adopting risky technology in the first place. In other words, he shot the Department in the foot: if the technology is risky, then why is the State Department continuing to push for it? Regardless of what we may think about a world increasingly globalized, that it is so is beyond any reasonable dispute. That fact requires caution -- caution both in the sense of protecting nations from another 9/11 and the sense of taking into account the concerns and convenience of individuals. When I returned from my trip to Cambodia and landed at Don Muang Airport, I was somewhat surprised to round the corner in the Customs area to see several Customs officers directing arriving passengers to put their luggage on a conveyor belt for scanning, surprised because when I last arrived in early December of last year, there were no personnel at all in the Customs area. Some of my fellow travelers objected to the "inconvenience," but I thought such objections unreasonable; the scanning delayed us by a matter of seconds -- and very few seconds at that. I have no idea why Customs' officers where scanning the luggage; perhaps there had been a specific creditable threat, or maybe they had intelligence regarding an attempt to smuggle contraband into the Kingdom -- I just don't know. Neither did I mind. Nor will I should it happen again. Thanks to Gerry in the U.S. for updating me on this issue. [Sunday, May 8, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * . . . And Other Privacy Concerns Here in Thailand there has been something of a tempest in a teacup regarding pay-as-you-go mobile phones in that the government has proposed requiring one to show identification to purchase SIM cards, which I take to mean both the card itself -- the physical item that contains the number and so on and which you physically insert into the phone -- and the stored-value cards, available in various denominations. The latter have a scratch-off area (sometimes 2 areas) with a user name, and when there are 2 such areas, a password. The idea is to try to prevent the use of mobile phones to detonate bombs, as has happened repeatedly in the problem-plagued Deep South of the Kingdom. While I seriously wonder if this effort can succeed in achieving the laudable goal of eliminating bombings, it truly doesn't bother me, especially as I am, after all, a foreigner. I don't see it as anti-foreign at all, as part of the proposal is to require Thai citizens to show their national identity cards (or, I guess, their passports if they have one). Returning to the concern of will this be enough to stop the bombings, I fear not. Though anything to do with electricity, radio waves, and the like is entirely black magic to me -- hey, I'm a guy who had to take Trigonometry 101 in university 3 times before I finally passed it with a C, as I recall -- I believe there are other ways. I initially thought to muse on other ways, but decided it isn't in the national interest to do so. After all, such stuff is black magic to me, and I may well be wrong, and can only hope I am. As far as those of us who are foreigners are concerned, we need to remember we have exactly whatever rights to government chooses to extend to us -- and not a single right more. I laugh when I hear foreigners mutter darkly "I know my rights!" They haven't a clue. This isn't America, Britain, Germany, or wherever: we're in Thailand, and are here as guests. Foreign law and our foreign rights are completely irrelevant here, other than in instances the Thai government has extended certain privileges to us by treaty with our own governments, such as the Amity Treaty between Thailand and the U.S. with certain business privileges, and the visa treaty between Thailand and New Zealand granting extraordinary visa privileges to Thais going to New Zealand and New Zealanders coming to Thailand. [Sunday, May 8, 2005] Late note: According to media reports, enforcement begins today, Tuesday, May 10, 2005. * * * * * * * * * * Al-Jazeera TV Network Garnering Attention This may not seem relevant to Thailand -- but there is a vocal Islamic minority here, and that fact makes an Arab television network very relevant indeed. Al-Jazeera is transforming the Arab world in much the same way as CNN did from its start in the 1980's, a transformation drilled home in the first war in Iraq in the early 1990's. While the network's editorial neutrality is questioned by many (think Bush administration), that it is having remarkable effects is self-evident. There's an excellent article about Al-Jazeera in The Washington Post that reports on the network's extraordinary influence in the Arab world headlined "Al-Jazeera Puts Focus on Reform: Mideast Coverage by Network Reviled in Washington Is Boon for Bush." It also reports on the unexpected shared goals of the network and the administration of U.S. President George Bush. Though Thai Muslims aren't native speakers of Arabic, for the most part, it is to be hoped that Al-Jazeera's moderating influence can be felt here. This is a network that shows graphic footage of Islamic victims of sectarian violence -- but whose reporters also interview, for example, Israeli leaders. Interestingly, the network's reporters are banned in a number of Middle Eastern countries -- including Iraq (which surprised me to learn). What's the point for non-Muslim Westerners in reading or watching the network's news? Well, it gives a different perspective, by which I mean no criticism of the Western media (though I'll save that for another day!). Al-Jazeera has been particularly vocal in the promotion of democracy, which probably accounts for its banning in several countries. It also has been a voice of moderation regarding events in Iraq; its reports on the murder of Westerners at the hands of terrorists there have been sympathetic -- to the victims, not to the terrorists. Whether we like it or not, the network is likely to become more and more influential in forming public opinion in not just the Arabic-speaking world but the Islamic world at large, so we ignore it at our peril. Reading the network's news gives those of us who aren't Arabic speakers nor Muslim a valuable insight into the Middle Eastern mind. I subscribe to the free news alerts it provides. If you're interested, you can sign up for them too. [Monday, May 9, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Sad Week in the Washington Square Area Since I wrote last, 3 people in the vicinity of Washington Square have passed away. Week before last 2 bar owners in Queen's Park Plaza died just 2 or 3 days apart. Ron, the backer of Khun Ja at On the Rocks Bar had a heart attack; he was 52. Ron came around the Square fairly regularly, usually to visit New Square One Pub and the Texas Lone Staar Saloon, though he occasionally went to other places. He was quite widely liked, and will be missed. Jeff, new owner -- 4 months -- of Smile Bar in Queen's Park Plaza also died of a heart attack, at the even more tender age of 48. I met Jeff just once, but had a pleasant conversation with him then. People who got to know him say he was a really nice guy, and that they'll miss him, too. First in time but last we learned about was Bill Moore's death in Los Angeles about 3 weeks ago; word came last Wednesday. Most shocking to us was the report that Bill died of lung cancer -- he didn't smoke, though none of us are sure if maybe he smoked when he was younger. He had had a hip surgery shortly before departing for L.A. (He divided his time between here and L.A., if more here than there.) He also mentioned having a back ache, which he attributed to the limp he still had from the surgery. But that reminds me of 2 other Squaronians who've died in recent years from cancer, Larry Shufflebarger and Dick Vileo: in both cases, their first symptom was a back ache. Bill was universally liked and highly popular, with customers and staff members alike. I never him angry once, and don't know anybody who has. He was highly educated, the holder of several graduate degrees (including at least one doctorate), but far from the image of a stuffy intellectual. These 3 passings take the toll north of 50 in just over 28 months. Bill, Ron, and Jeff -- rest in peace. [Tuesday, May 10, 2005] * * * * * * * * * *
New
Branch of Subway I noticed last week there's a new Subway Sandwiches opening on the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Sukhumvit Soi 33/1, along with a separate coffee shop upstairs called 94°c Coffee. These are welcome additions to the neighborhood, particularly if they stay open late at night. Located on the opposite side of the soi from the Villa Supermarket, the restaurants fronts onto Sukhumvit Road. I don't know the hours -- I just now learned it's open for business now. The information below is based on the web site, so the information for the new Subway may be different. People visiting Sukhumvit Soi 33, Sukhumvit Soi 22, Queen's Park Plaza, Washington Square, and Sukhumvit Soi 24 who like Subway's sandwiches are sure to be pleased by this newest addition to the growing stable of Subway Sandwiches in Bangkok; to the best of my knowledge, this makes the 4th -- and all of them are on or just off Sukhumvit Road. However, the ones running the web site are those owned by people at Soi Nana and on the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Sukhumvit Soi 7/1 Soi 6; while I know 1 man who is at least involved in this new one who also is involved with Soi Nana store, I'm assuming it's all or partially owned by his group. I assume this outlet will have delivery until 9:00 P.M., as the others do. (You can telephone 02-253-9400 to find if if you are in the delivery area.) There is a 30-baht delivery charge per order, and each order has a minimum of 200 baht. You also can deliver by fax and online. And of course, you can just walk in. The extensive Subway menu is online (and downloadable). It features a core of 16 sandwiches, each in 2 sizes: 6 inches and 1 foot long. If you're a salad lover, you can have any sandwich converted into a salad. Extras include bacon, double meat, double cheese, and egg. You also can buy large "party subs" and party platters. (At least 24-hour advance notice is required). The menu is rounded out by a variety of soft drinks, bottled water, chips, and cookies. The first foray of the chain was not very spectacular; the original Subway, since long gone, was on the south side of Sukhumvit Road between Sois 24 and 26. Lack of parking didn't help, and towards the end, the food quality fell sharply. But I've eaten at the shop near Soi Nana and found the food delicious. Folks who've eaten in the other 2 establish branches say the food in them is equally good. I had never even heard of 94°c Coffee before, the number outlets rather a mystery. One source, tea & coffee asia (yes, with small letters) says in the report from early 2004 and headlined "Mairali continues to expand in Asia" that there are more than 50 outlets in Thailand -- though The Pattaya Mail put the number at 35 as of late last year in its story headlined "Ninety Four Coffee celebrates grand opening." As for the chain's own web site? -- it claims only 22 outlets, in writing, but the 94°c Coffee branch locations pages show 25! And even 22 isn't bad for an outfit that started in 2001. The branch location pages have a really nice feature if you can read Thai: printable maps. Using the English version of the branch location page in conjunction with the maps might work, if you have some knowledge of the streets. Another nice touch is that the pages contain pictures of each branch as it is listed. The 94°c Coffee web site could use some major work; a number of the links don't work. But the page showing all of the 14 flavors available does work. So does the one regarding catering and delivery service, where I was a bit surprised to learn that the chain requires over 100 people for catering. The site says the company sells coffee equipment as well as coffee beans and brewed coffee, but beyond the statement, I couldn't find any product information. I did run across the site's "Hot Hits Menu" page nestled under the link labeled "My Favorite Cup," which defaults to the Hot Hits Menu. (The other 2 menus aren't working.) The working menu makes clear the chain does have at least some food offerings. There's a reason for the name: the folks there believe 94° centigrade is the perfect temperature for drinking hot coffee. I'm looking forward to visiting this coffee chain, too. [Tuesday, May 10, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Enough for one go . . . Until next time -- Mekhong Kurt * * * * * * * * * * E-mail Change Notification Sign-up Sign-up here for e-mail notification when I add or change something on the site. Just go to the sign-up page. * * * * * * * * * * Where Is *Your* Name??? 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