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| "The Rounds" Friday, December 12, 2003
Mekhong Kurt * * * * * * * * * * Earlier
Reports of the Passing of "Cowboy" The reports I passed along in a recent column that Cowboy, whose name became the name of the well-known night-entertainment area here in Bangkok just north of Sukhumvit Road running a block between Soi Asoke and Sukhumvit Soi 33, were apparently incorrect. It now seems it was Cowboy's brother who passed away -- but I stress I am passing along information that has been through no telling how many hands before it reached my ears. * * * * * * * * * * Furore over the Thai Rak Thai Party's Announced Plan to Screen Candidates Continues to draw Fire -- from Thai Rak Thai Paty Members, not only the Opposition The announced intention of the leading party in the current government, the Thai Rak Thai [or "Thai Love Thai"] Party to make sure none of its candidates maintain mistresses continues to draw fire, most notably from within the Party's own ranks. More than one news report speaks of this; a good example is the BBC's, found here. In that report, TRT politicians are said to have claimed that if this policy is in fact instituted will make the party able to field no more than about 30 candidates (as opposed to about 200 now). The report goes on to add the party leaders reached the decision because wronged wives or mistresses had created public scandals over the issue. People not familiar with local social practices here may feel rightly confused, given that Thailand is, after all, a nation with a constitution that assures equal rights for the sexes. But just as America, my own homeland, is still a far cry from achieving such equality, Thailand also is at least an equally far cry -- arguably, a lot further. Why do I say "a lot further"? -- for the simple reason that here to maintain a mistress is accepted, even a badge of honor and achievement, even by the wives and what I can term only as "Number One Girlfriends." Thai ladies are not the dunces some people think them to be, and they deal with the harsh reality they face. In exchange, they do make their own demands, such as for their men folk not to rub into their faces or otherwise embarrass them regarding mistresses. I remember when U.S. President Clinton was in his darkest hours of the Monica Lewinsky affair. Here, there was genuine bewilderment about just what the problem was -- even amongst the ladies. When I tried to invoke the concept of how shocking it was even to the most ardent Clinton supporters to think of the possibility he had used a politically sacrosanct location, The Oval Office, it didn't really register, not even when I drew parallels to what they might think were a genuinely respected major public figure to engage (if the accusations were true) in illicit sexual activities in a temple, for example. My male Thai friends were even more at sea, explicitly saying Clinton had shown he could live up to the expectations men have of other men. Is any of this a justification? -- no, it's not; whether or not one approves of a man having a mistress (or of a woman having her own paramour, for that matter) is none of my business, but is the business only of the person reaching a decision what opinion to hold. What I have said here is merely by way of explanation for the unfamiliar reader who may run across the controversy. Two final points: (1.) my use of the Clinton parallel is in no way meant to indicate my like, dislike, or neutrality regarding him or his alleged behavior, and, (2.) I realize there's nothing I can say to keep the FemmeNazis of both sexes howling in protest -- but they can howl their lungs out, given that their doing so won't change reality anyway. * * * * * * * * * * Clarification of
Earlier A few columns back, I reported difficulties with an eatery here in obtaining the order one actually places. In my October 24th column, I ran the story under the headline "'Service' Tale." The other night the owner asked me why I had sent out an e-mail to many people naming the establishment -- neither of which I did -- and why I had said the food there is terrible -- which I didn't. I *did* write about the anonymous eatery, the closest to identifying it being my mention that the owners are a Thai lady and her foreign husband -- but that describes a *number* of places I frequent that serve Mexican food (the central complaint in the story). Further, later in the story I specifically answered the question of why I didn't name the place, which has something to do with Thailand's strict libel laws, at least in part. I want to make clear that anyone assuming he knows whereof I speak without being told by anyone directly in the loop is doing precisely that: assuming. And the word "assume" has long been tongue-in-cheek -- but with a serious undertone -- defined as a word that makes an "a** [out of] you [and] me." If anyone tells you I did send such a group e-mail, just ask the person so claiming to forward it to you. I guarantee you won't get one. Goes to show the nature of rumors in what is in some ways a small village, as the foreign community can often be here in the metropolis of millions. . . . * * * * * * * * * * Health of His Majesty Improving Last week during his birthday celebrations His Majesty the King took pains to assure all that his health situation is improving. He has had to enter hospital a few times over the last couple of years, something causing great concern among all his loving subjects and admiring, well-intentioned foreigners. Everyone is relieved to hear that His Majesty's health has improved, and I join in wishing the King to enjoy good health for many years to come. * * * * * * * * * * Reaction Swift
to His As could only be expected, there has been widespread reaction to the King's birthday speech 2 days ago. The media are reporting favorable reactions from across the Kingdom and across all social boundaries. As I mentioned last week, the King is held in extraordinarily high regard by all Thai people. Therefore, I sincerely believe that even were it not against the law to criticize the King, people wouldn't. Look at any stock press photo of ordinary Thais who get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet him, and the adoration -- adulation, really, is clear for anyone to see. He is truly the Spiritual Father of the Kingdom. As details emerge of the speech for benefit of those who don't speak Thai, it is clear that it was a brilliant display of His Majesty's making his points in his trademark kind and gentle way, a wonderful example of well-meant criticism. After all, the King did give credit to the P.M. on several issues. His Majesty also used the device of humor to soften his points. Public reaction, therefore, is highly appreciative and approving of the King's words of advice. * * * * * * * * * * Curious Points
about As I've long understood it, Thai law requires bars to close on various public holidays and election days, but allows establishments classified as restaurants to continue to serve alcohol. I was in 2 different Western-oriented restaurants on the King's birthday; one was serving alcoholic beverages (and was never given a letter from the police about closing) while the waitresses at the other restaurant the police had come around and told the owner he could be open but couldn't serves alcohol -- and these 2 restaurants are in the same venue, within 40-50 meters of each other, and in the same police district. Sidewalk restaurants that normally serve limited alcohol (usually just beer, maybe Thai whiskey) were selling quite openly and unabashedly. In 2 instances, such eateries were being patronized by uniformed police officers who seemed completely unperturbed by the beer drinking of other customers around them. Then there's the fact that the bars in hotels -- not bars operating under a restaurant, but plain, out-and-out bars -- (Landmark, President, Novetel, etc.) didn't have to close or not serve alcohol. A social indicator of the scientific concept of "order in chaos"??? * * * * * * * * * * Trink Again: Uncertainty Remains What's going on with Trink? When will he leave? The local discussion boards have threads hotly abuzz with debate about Trink and his "Nite Owl" column. Some of the opinions expressed about Trink's column are a bit saddening in that they're so illogical, on both sides of the issue. One contributor to a discussion board hear based his (or her) argument condemning Trink to a small degree upon having seen Trink recently and Trink could hardly walk. Well, Stephen Hawkins, the great mathematician and theorist, is wheelchair-bound -- yet no one I've ever heard of bases any objection to his mathematical theories on the poor man's physical condition. Besides, I saw Trink maybe 3 months ago, and while he didn't look like a marathon runner, neither did he look ready to collapse on the sidewalk. On the other side, fans have sometimes made attacks on decision-makers at the newspaper, criticizing their mental conditions, etc. Such issues are utterly beside the point. The points are these:
Just about anything else I can think of is a red herring argument. Does anyone seriously believe that were Trink not to write about the flesh trade it somehow would magically go away??? Even some of his supporters who have gotten to at least one of the points of made the mistake of making a statement then failing to back it up with concrete examples. The kind of mistake I mean is if one wants to say Trink's column is good or fills a public need, then he needs to tell us what he means by "good" or what "public need(s)" Trink's columns fills. Others who argue that he is a "bad" writer" or a "good writer" should point to specific examples at the very least, and if they have professional qualifications to make formal assessments of the quality of Trink's writing, add in a mention of those qualifications. * * * * * * * * * * Bacara Bar (Skumvit Soi 22) Closes This nice bar near The Imperial Queen's Park Hotel has gone out of business after nearly 3 years of operation. Khun Ah, the owner, told me her lease was expiring and that when she went to her landlord to discuss renewing it, he refused, on the grounds he wanted to use the space Bacara occupied for expansion of the foot massage parlor next door, which is run by his daughter. Also affected was M2 Karaoke upstairs (run by Ah's sister) as part of M2 projects into an upstairs area the landlord also wants back. Only Ah's sister's Ariyama Japanese restaurant remains totally unaffected; M2 will be scaled back in size. Bacara is simply out of business, and as of now, Ah has no plans to re-open it or to open another bar anywhere in Bangkok for the foreseeable future. * * * * * * * * * * Visa Overstay Dangers A friend of mine is sitting in prison as I write, sitting there for a series of reasons that began when his more-than-a-year overstay got noticed. (How the overstay got detected remains murky.) Initially, it appeared that if he paid bail and got someone local to vouch for his stability and unlikelihood of fleeing the scene, his release would be routine, probably culminating in his being ordered to leave the country, get a proper visa, then to be allowed to return. Logically enough, everyone expected his live-in girlfriend of several years' standing (and for whom he has built a house and supported her son by a former Thai husband). A policeman and a bails-bondsman even coached her in exactly how to respond to the judge's questions, the policeman assuring her that even if my friend were to flee, she wouldn't be in any legal trouble at all. This is when his case got complicated. For reasons no one has been able to figure out, when the judge asked my friend's girlfriend if it is true he had lived and cared for her for several years as her boyfriend, she said that he is *not* her boyfriend, only someone who drops by once in a awhile and spends the night with her -- and pays her money for doing so. This is a whole different issue -- loyalty -- but the immediate result was that the judge had no choice but to order my friend be transferred from a police jail to prison to await the next court date. Over the next couple of days, someone noticed my friend's passport had expired in 1996. What wasn't noticed was that the passport was a one-year one issued in 1995 -- and that had been extended a few months later for 9 more years, making it valid until sometime in 2005. Even after it was brought to local authorities' attention the passport is indeed still valid, they remained suspicious, apparently unfamiliar with such a passport. Unsurprisingly, none of the authorities could be bothered to telephone the embassy concerned, nor as of this writing has anyone at the embassy (where notification of the situation was made by phone this past Monday morning) gotten around even to calling the authorities, much less hustling a consular official down to check on my friend. Webs within webs . . . Then it got even more complicated. Earlier this year my friend was involved in a traffic accident, a minor one not resulting in any injuries or deaths, and, more importantly in this case, one the police determined was entirely the fault of the other driver, leaving my friend utterly blameless. But some local cop dragged that case back up, insisting the case isn't settled until the matter is addressed by the courts, and further that despite the official police conclusion of my friend's utter innocence in the accident, he is, in effect, guilty until declared innocent -- by a court, not by the police. And that he would either have to put up a hefty bail for *that* or sit in the slammer until a court date could be set. Webs within webs with yet more webs . . . Fortunately, a senior immigration official has intervened, so there's hope. After reviewing the paperwork in the case, he has concluded there was a certain amount of pure harassment going on, and ordered it ceased. He also ordered the return of the hefty "deposit" my friend had been required to make -- though his doing so had not led to his freedom. The immigration officer is looking into the possibility of having my friend ordered out of the country (but not technically deported) and not become declared persona non grata, deportation and such a declaration being real possibilities in this case. Late news: My friend is out of prison and will be able to exit the country to get a proper visa, and will be able to do so without being technically deported -- meaning he can go to an embassy or consulate in a neighboring country rather than being forced to return to his home country. My friend's dilemma is unusual, and one of his own making; he has long been lax about keeping his affairs in order. Regarding his visa, he [wrongly] figured if he "stayed low" he could get away with it, and that even if he didn't, his girlfriend would help him get out of trouble -- another erroneous assumption, one he had been told by numerous friends seemed to them to be entirely unlikely, given the history of their relationship, which has pretty much been one-way -- he gives, she takes. The lessons in this complicated tale are these: keep your affairs in order, don't expect a local girlfriend necessarily to get you out of a jam with the authorities, and don't count on foreign friends always to be both willing and able to bail you out. My friend committed all 3 errors -- and is in his 13th day as a "Guest of the State." Visitor Numbers Picking Up There has been a noticeable increase in the number of tourists across the city over the past week, as I myself have observed in my own usual stomping grounds and have heard reports about from friends who frequent other venues. One can only hope this signals a strong tourist season. I was quite surprised Thursday night to find the Queen's Park Plaza-Sukhumvit Soi 22-Washington Square area, Sukhumvit Soi 33, and Soi Cowboy all thriving, at least compared to earlier weeks and months. And I hope this week isn't just an anomaly, but the mark of a further return to normalcy as memories of 9/11 shift into historical perspective -- and I hope that for everyone, everywhere, not just for Thais and Thailand. Of course, the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan keep the cauldron boiling, so it's likely to be sometime yet before everything becomes completely normal again. It has been said again and again by various observers that Thailand is generally quite safe, and the points made that it is economically competitive as a tourist destination (especially compared to other regional ones such as Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Hongkong, Singapore, etc.), the natural scenery remains as beautiful as ever, the wats and other cultural attractions remain, and the people are as friendly as ever. Not a single Thai has in any way given me the slightest trouble for my being American or the actions of my government -- unlike some of my Western friends! :-) * * * * * * * * * * New Square One Pub Suspends Music Taffy and his wife Khun Lay, have made the decision to suspend their Friday-Saturday-Sunday live music 4-8 P.M. for the remainder of the month due to low turnout. Last Sunday during the 4 hours of music, there were only about 4 or 5 customers. (Ironically, last night, Friday -- I'm running late with this week's column -- the place had upwards of 20 patrons during the former music hours! Depending on the steadiness of the trade, Taffy and Lay may put the music back on come January, or even sooner if there is sufficient demand; several patrons came last night, it turned out, in part to hear the music (and, no doubt, to ogle the singers!). * * * * * * * * * * Thailand
Conducts First On Friday the 12th, 4 convicted criminals were executed at the Bang Kwang maximum security prison just north of Bangkok, the first such executions since Thailand retired it's last machine-gun executioner in October. Three of the 4 were drug dealers, while the 4th was sentenced to death for carrying out a contract murder. You can read more here. * * * * * * * * * * News Reports
Claim P.M. Thaksin A front-page report in The Nation newspaper this past Thursday quoted P.M. Thaksin at some length from statements he made regarding the importance of democracy in Thailand. The story's headline, "PM'S DECLARATION: 'Democracy is not my goal'," implies that he is anti-democratic. But I've read the quotes several times, and I find it at least a bit of a stretch to reach such a sweeping conclusion based solely on the quotes provided, which seem to indicate he sees democracy as a tool for helping the people, with the actual goal being the bringing of peace, happiness, and prosperity to the people -- goals difficult to challenge or criticize. There are two points to consider here. First, the P.M. and the newspaper have long been at loggerheads, so anything one says about the other is perhaps not unprejudiced. Second, there *have* been moves on the part of the P.M. and his ruling Thai Rak Thai Party that seemed aimed at blocking expansion of checks-and-balances within the system -- indeed, to reduce existing ones, if news reports are correct and to be believed (something I cannot judge, having no access to the corridors of power). Those moves seem more indicative of the tenor of his political purposes than the quoted cited in the article. But decide for yourself; the story is here. * * * * * * * * * * 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! * * * * * * * * * * Where is *Your* "Traveller's Tale"??? Got a "Traveler's Tale"? -- send me a line! Just send me a *query* note at MekhongKurt@BangkokAtoZ.com. * * * * * * * * * * Linking to BangkokAtoZ.com If anyone reading this has a website and would like to place a link there for BangkokAtoZ.com, you can copy-and-paste the banner and text link below into your site; they are live links to this site's homepage:
I'll appreciate an e-mail telling me the URL of where you placed it. If you want me to put a link on BangkokAtoZ.com for your site, do tell me where you have placed our link, and I'll give you a link in a comparable position, of the same nature (i.e., banner-for-banner, text-for-text). * * * * * * * * * * Enough for one go . . . Until next time -- Mekhong Kurt
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