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"The Rounds" Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Mekhong Kurt * * * * * * * * * * Outgoing E-mail Woes Unfortunately some sorry so-and-so (or maybe more than one) has hijacked at least two BangkokAtoZ.com addresses, namely technical@bangkokatoz.com and admin@bangkokatoz.com -- which are 2 addresses I've *never* used, not a single time the entire life of the site. I just got one myself with an executable file attached -- and it contained a virus that even Norton couldn't clean. Luckily, that e-mail I retrieved via Yahoo, so it was physically sitting it their server, from where I immediately deleted it (without opening the attachment, of course). If you get an e-mail from either one of those addresses, unless you *know* for an absolute fact that I sent it, delete it immediately, even if it has no attachment --- don't take a chance!!! * * * * * * * * * * Concerns About Nepalese Maoist Rebels The U.S. Department of State issued a travel warning recently to Americans on its mailing list regarding travel to Nepal. Apparently Maoist rebel activity in that Himalayan kingdom has increased significantly since the end of a cease-fire in late August, including particular threats to American nationals, but implicitly to nationals of other nations as well. Anyone planning to travel there might want to visit the State Department's website; the general page is located at http://travel.state.gov; the warning regarding Nepal in particular is at http://travel.state.gov/nepal_warning.html. * * * * * * * * * * Where's The Line
Between A friend of mine unwisely tested the boundaries between personal freedom and the rights of his employer to restrict his actions, a test ending in his being forced to resign, after working for the same employer a quarter of a century. I don't have all the details -- I haven't seen him since this unfortunate turn of events, but have been made aware of it by mutual friends -- but apparently he surfed the web on the company's computers visiting web sites the company deemed to be inappropriate ones. Americans, especially, like to scream, "I know my rights!" In an age of televised dictators, a natural reaction to such a declaration is to feel supportive of that person's "rights." But is it really so clear? Let's put it in another context. If I let an employee borrow a company car to go a kilometer to a store and then that employee instead goes to a porno peep-house half a kilometer away, do I have any right to complain, on any level? I would say I do. It's *my* car, and the employee is on *my* time. I have a right to say where my car will go, and since I am paying the employee, to tell my employee what to do, given that his time at that moment isn't really his at all -- I've "bought" it, by paying him wages. My friend used his employer's equipment in a manner the employer did not approve, and used the time for which the company was paying him to accomplish professional tasks set by the company. Regarding those tasks, it would not have mattered had my friend surfed perfectly innocuous web sites -- the point is that he wasn't doing the work for which he was being paid. According to the mutual friends who related the story to me, however, the *specific* reason the company forced him to resign was that someone at a level higher than his deemed the web sites he visited to be inappropriate ones. Now, my friend is well and truly an adult, and there is an implication here that merits considering. That is, there is an implication, potentially, that an employer can downright *dictate* to an employee what to do and not to do, even in the employee's personal, off-duty time away from the job, not using the employer's property. American courts have upheld this stance in some instances. For example, one state police organization was found to be within its rights when a patrol officer was caught smoking off-duty, in clear violation of regulations, and fired the officer. One supposes were an employee to be caught engaging in any conduct seriously outside the pale of societal norms then a court might very well allow an employer to dismiss that employee summarily. (I'm thinking about, say, viewing child pornography, hate sites, and the like.) Not knowing the specific nature of the sites my friend visited, it's impossible for me to know if he was merely cruising around sites unrelated to his work but otherwise innocent or if he was visiting sites a significant number of his countrymen might find objectionable to one degree or the other. So what's any of that got to do with Thailand? A lot, actually. In the run-up to the recent APEC summit meeting, Thai authorities took measures intended to ensure the summit went off safely, which, in the event, it did. (Thank goodness! -- imagine the furor that would have arisen had a foreign head of state been wounded or killed while visiting here.) Controversially, they took those steps with no apparent regard for the constitution. For instance, they flat forbad any demonstration at a couple of specific places, though organizers of those demonstrations vowed to keep them peaceful and to see to it that any property damage was rectified. Were the authorities within their rights, in any context? Many Thais wanted APEC to go as smoothly as possible, both for the sake of the visitors and for the sake of the nation's reputation. Some people didn't *want* others to engage in *any* disruptive behavior, even if that behavior was also peaceful and non-property-damaging. Did those other people's "rights" matter? If so, why -- and the same question has to be asked should we say their rights *didn't* matter. It comes back to the ages-old conflict between individual and group rights. I'm certainly no smarter than the next guy, nor any wiser than him, so I won't presume to say I "know" the answer -- I don't. But I will say that in my opinion the actions of the authorities did have the results desired by many people, so in that sense were good. There remains the question of the fine disregard of the nation's constitution, which is a deeper, and more troubling, query. * * * * * * * * * * Great Thailand-Related Publications Site I've just run across a great website for people who love to reads periodicals from all over the world: http://www.AllYouCanRead.com. It has subsections based on regions and countries; the one for Thailand is http://www.allyoucanread.com/news/thailand_news.asp. It lists 63 publications, ranging from newspapers to magazines, covering a wide array of topics. I didn't have time to explore it extensively, so don't know how many are in English, how many are in Thai, and how many might be in a third language, but you ought to be able to find something of interest from that fairly extensive list. And for those interested in other regions and countries, the home site http://AllYouCanRead.com is, as I said, an excellent resource covering the entire planet. (If you contact the Web Master or write to any of the publications, I wouldn't mind a mention that you learned about them here -- wouldn't mind a BIT!) * * * * * * * * * * Loy Krathong Come and Gone Again Loy Krathong was November 8th; this is the first one since 2000 I spent here in Bangkok (spending the holiday in Jomtien in both 2001 and 2002). I walked from my home just east of The Emporium towards Sukhumvit Soi 33, intending to stop at Queen Sirikit Park (between The Emporium and Washington Square); there's a small but beautiful pool-cum-fountains on the front side of the park where people throng to float the stunningly beautiful loy krathongs in the water. However, when I looked across the street as I drew even with the park, I abandoned the idea; the crowd put ones in American shopping malls on Christmas Eve to shame! Several friends later in the evening told me they had attempted to get close enough to watch but ended up giving up, making way for excited, happy Thais to push forward so they could put their loy krathongs into the pool. In an interesting and innovative twist, a bakery here in Bangkok made pastry loy krathongs that turned out to be a huge hit. In recent years, most loy krathongs have been made with styrofoam floats -- not at *all* eco-friendly, something both the current and previous governors of Bangkok noted with woe. I read an article in one of the local papers about the bakery, an article which included a photo of some of the pastry loy krathongs, and they indeed looked beautiful. I don't know where the bakery is, and in any case I rarely eat baked items (other than bread), but if I ever find out, I'll sure send people to it. Applause all 'round for a great idea. * * * * * * * * * * Airline Industry
to An article in The Bangkok Post Wednesday, November 12th reports that Shin Corp, the conglomerate controlled by the family of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is acquiring a 51% stake in Malaysia-based discount airline AirAsia. And the implications for travelers on domestic routes in Thailand and regional routes in Southeast Asia are huge -- as they are for the conventional airlines competing on routes AirAsia seeks to fly. AirAsia will offer fares as little as half what conventional airlines currently charge -- a real boon for travelers, but an enormous headache for conventional airlines. There already is a degree of illogic in some area fares. For example, one can fly on Lao Air from Bangkok to Vientiane for around THB6,300, while the same flight on Thai International runs well north of THB8,000. In that case, it is true that much of the time Lao Air uses ATR-42's and ATR-72's, twin-engine turboprops that take about 1 hour 20 minutes to make the flight, compared to Thai's full jets that take only 50 minutes. It also is true that the seats on Thai's jets are more comfortable than those on the ATR aircraft. Finally, it's true that the food served on Thai flights is *greatly* superior to that served on Lao Air flights. But for such a short flight, is it really worth the extra 1/3 one has to pay for a Thai ticket compared to the cost of a Lao one? About the only other difference is the flight schedule. Thai's daily flight leaves at 8:20 A.M., then returns after a stay of about an hour in Vientiane. This is quite convenient for anyone needing to do a quick exit-reëntry; I've left my apartment about 7:00 A.M. and walked back in as early as 12:30 P.M. In contrast, if one wants to fly both ways on Lao air, it is necessary to stay overnight in Vientiane. For some travelers, that is a factor, not only in terms of time, but also in terms of expense -- even a cheap guest house costs about 600 baht, plus there is the expense of getting to and from the city. I would say for travelers for whom speed isn't of the essence that even those added expenses keep the overall cost sufficiently less than the Thai flight to warrant considering flying Lao Air -- which, by the way, is now operating a full-blown jet on the route, so the flight time is the same. The same holds true on some other routes. For example, last July I flew to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, on Bangkok Airways. My return ticket cost about 8,000 baht, and I flew in a jet with marvelous cabin crew. The same flight on Thai was over 13,000 baht. (I don't know if AirAsia intends to compete on that route or not.) People on expat employment packages or retired with a lot of money may not care, especially if they have one-year visas so don't have to exit frequently or not at all. However, there is a substantial number of people on more restricted incomes -- and I don't mean just the backpacker set -- and those people are bound to welcome cheaper prices. Consider, for example, foreign teachers at universities here, who make an average of around 25,000-30,000 baht per month -- hardly a king's ransom, especially for those teachers supporting a spouse and perhaps one or more children. Of course, such people are given work permits and one-year visas, with no need to exit the Kingdom, but it is likely many, quite reasonably, may want to travel around Thailand and the region a bit. To be fair to Thailand, it is hardly alone in having its air fares out of balance. For instance, a return ticket on EVA Airlines' Evergreen Deluxe Class (a big step up from regular economy, one approaching Business class) Bangkok-Los Angeles-Bangkok in January next year is shown in the airlines' web site for 37,500 baht, equal to about US$940. But to fly the opposite direction on exactly the same days (January 12th and January 26th, 2004) -- Los Angeles-Bangkok-Los Angeles costs an amazing US$2,069 -- over double to cost of flying from this end! Similarly, a friend visiting Florida wanted to fly back here a few months ago and called an American carrier, and was quoted a price of about US$2,100 for a ONE-WAY, economy class ticket. And that's downright ludicrous. I like to travel, and flying is my preferred mode of travel, so while I'm better off, financially, than some people, I'm not so well off that I won't welcome cheaper air fares within Thailand and the region. Thai was already facing stiff competition from small, privately-held carriers such as Bangkok Airways and Phuket Air, but AirAsia introduces an entire new level of competition -- and a fierce one. Interesting days ahead for air travelers . . . and carriers . . . * * * * * * * * * * Change in the Music New Square One Pub in Washington Square, conitues to offer free music Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, but on a reduced schedule. Formerly the music was offered 2-6 P.M. and 7-10 P.M. every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Now the schedule is a straight 4:00 P.M.-8:00 P.M. the same days, the hours experience showed were the most popular -- by far. Khun Teng, the vocalist/keyboardist remains there all those hours, and the four lady singers (Venus, Su, Anne, and May) continue to perform (one at a time, in 2-hour stints, backed by Khun Teng). This past weekend was the first on the new schedule, and while it went well, it's too early to say if this new schedule will prove more suitable. I, for one, sure hope it does; as I wrote last time, I get to fall in love half a dozen times each weekend -- all over again! * * * * * * * * * * Other Washington Square News I'd like to mention the recent addition of The Hare and Hound to the eatery-bars in the Square. Located on the south (back) side of the Square immediately next to The Prince of Wales Bar, Dave -- the same owner who had a place of the same name in Soi Cowboy until about two years ago -- offers excellent food that is extremely good value for money. The place also offers a large-screen television, and Dave plays all the football (soccer to Yanks) matches, rugby games, etc. for sports fans. Do drop around and pay the place a visit -- you won't regret it. Now that the legendary George Pipas, owner of The Texas Lone Staar, is well and truly back, business is picking up there again. Resident in Thailand for 40 years -- he celebrated his 40th anniversary in the Kingdom in October -- George *is* the business; many of the customers come first and foremost to visit George. He will be paying a relatively quick visit to Florida for about three weeks in December to take care of the sale of some commercial property he owns there, but that absence shouldn't be long enough to cause any really damage to his business here. I'm planning on writing a series of vignettes of interesting (and in some cases, such as George's, well-known) foreigners here in the Kingdom -- and George is the subject of the first, which I've already begun. I'll let you know once I have the series started and up. Business at Mambo Cabaret has roared back to life, with the parking area packed with buses bringing in almost exclusively Japanese and Korean tourists. The degree of fascination the katoeys -- men who've had the medical operation to become "women" to those groups is itself fascinating to me. Yes, I did go to a show there last year -- once, and found it quite entertaining, but it wasn't one I plan on visiting again anytime soon. But the Japanese and Koreans flock to the twice-nightly shows. And the crowds aren't just men, but a fairly even mix of men and women; the women "ooh" and "aah" even more than the men, if anything, posing with the assembled katoeys in the ground-floor, open-air foyer where the katoeys gather before, between, and after shows for that express purpose -- a photo op. I've been trying to clarify what the future holds for the Square -- and when. I've asked a number of owners of various establishments, and by far the single most common answer was "In about six years, the last of the leases run out, and the property owners are likely to put something like a huge hotel or shopping center on the land." I've found the people I asked to be reliable in the past, so unless something happens unexpectedly, my bet is that they're right.
* * * * * * * * * * The Disappeared Case of Duangchalerm The mysteriously gone-from-everywhere criminal case against Duangchalerm, accused awhile back of shooting and killing of an on-duty plain-clothes police officer, seems to be re-surfacing in at least some people's minds, as they wonder what the status of the case is, especially since the court granted the young man bail sometime back. Since the release of the accused on bail, the story has utterly dropped out of sight. It's true that the criminal justice system moves slowly here, as it does in many jurisdictions, but it does seem rather curious -- even in this forgiving Kingdom -- that a story formerly so prominent in the news has completely vanished, as far as I can tell. My more jaded -- cynical? -- friends, both foreigners and locals, express the view that a deal has already been cut, some going so far as to say they don't believe for even a nanosecond that Duangchalerm will ever see the inside of a jail cell again, no matter what the final legal verdict. But I'm not so sure. A fair number of people still take the "People's Consitution" seriously, and they remain hopeful that if Duangchalerm is found guilty then he will be treated like any other convicted killer. And some of those people are *quite* vocal, and, I imagine, would raise a howl of protest were the young man be found guilty only to walk with, say, a probated or suspended sentence. Another angle to this story is the disappearance of the accused's Father, Police Captain Chalerm, who in years past has had a reputation for being extremely vocal. Yet there hasn't been a peep out of him, as far as I know, in months now. It will be interesting to see if the story ever re-surfaces. . . . * * * * * * * * * * Sukhumvit Soi 33 I earlier reported a rumor that there is a new sub-soi running west off Soi 33 that will be home to over half a dozen bars. Now I notice a 3-storey building going up on Soi 33 itself, right beside where the sub-soi is said to be planned, though due to plastic covering I can't see whether or not a street is being laid. The soi was generally throbbing the night of Loy Krathong, of course, with the hostesses at all the bars beautifully decked out in traditional dress. In at least one bar, even the male staff were wearing traditional man's clothing, a nice added twist. Tuesday, November 4th saw The Office Bar & Grill hosting a Melbourne Cup Day. I went, though I had to go late -- the bar opened at 9:00 A.M, but I didn't arrive until about 11:00 A.M., shortly before the race was run. This year's race was really a thriller as Makybe Diva surged from behind to win in the last few furlongs. It's a 3,200-meter race (just under two miles), so for Makybe Diva to win in the final stretch made for an exciting race indeed. Tickets to the event cost 1,200 baht -- but were worth every satang. The cost covered a buffet breakfast, a buffet lunch, the race itself on a 10-foot projection television screen, all the house white and red wine, draft Carlsberg beer, and house vodka (including with tomato juice and orange juice -- with Bloody Marys in particular for breakfast), and two drawings for prizes. While the all-you-could-drink was limited to 9:00 A.M.-2:30 P.M., I felt that was plenty fair. In other Soi 33 news, a new venue will be open directly opposite The Office Bar and Grill in the sub-soi, open perhaps as early as this weekend. Called Mojo's, it's opening as a blues club, with a full kitchen, where the chef will be Rob, formerly the chef at Tequila Reef down in Pattaya. I can attest to his excellent cooking skills from the numerous times I ate food he prepared at Tequila Reef (California Mexican cuisine in that case). I'm not clear on the schedule for the planned live music, but will pass the information along as soon as I get it. * * * * * * * * * * Soi Cowboy Update Soi Cowboy appeared to be coming back to life when I was last there a few days ago. I helped a friend look for a third friend reported to be in the soi, and went into every single bar on the strip, and was please for the bar owners to see as many customers as I did. Not that any of them were bursting at the seams, mind you, but the amount of business that evening was far better on the soi as a whole than I've seen in quite a long time. * * * * * * * * * * Packed Hotels A friend tried late last week to book a room beginning last Monday for a friend of his coming from abroad. He called a number of hotels, only to be told in every case, until the last one he called, that there were no rooms available at all for time periods ranging from the next two weeks to three months. Friends with one of the hotel's room manager, my friend dropped by that hotel and asked the room manager if there really weren't any rooms to be had. The room manager said every single room not only was booked for the next several weeks, but already paid for. But the numbers of visitors to the night-life areas don't reflect that, suggesting a sea change in the nature of tourists and business people visiting here. In the Queen's Park Plaza-Washington Square area, for instance, there are three hotels right on Sukhumvit Soi 22: The Regency Park (directly opposite the back entrance to Washington Square and less than a block from Queen's Park Plaza), The Imperial Queen's Park Hotel (about one block from Queen's Park Plaza and two blocks from the back entrance to Washington Square), and the Jade Pavilion (a block or so further away, past the Imperial Queen's Park). Now, Regency Park and Jade Pavilion are smaller hotels, true, but Queen's Park is massive, with 1,287 rooms (not to mention a 1,500-car parking garage). If it is packed (which I have no reason to doubt), way south of 1% of the guests are making their way into Queen's Park Plaza, Washington Square, any of the bars scattered along Soi 22, or Soi 33 -- places I go regularly. And reports from friends indicate that while business is picking up a bit in other entertainment areas (Nana Plaza, Soi Zero, Patpong, etc.), the increase is far less than one would have expected with so many visitors to The Big Weird. I get directly conflicting reports about both Phuket and Pattaya-Jomtien. By coincidence, a couple of weeks ago friends visited both areas. Some came back reporting deserted bars, restaurants, and beaches. Others came back reporting chock-'a-block packed *everywhere.* So, I flat haven't a clue. I do know the Tourism Authority of Thailand is reporting a surge in arrivals. One factor is the increased number of destinations to which international visitors can either fly directly (such as Phuket) or fly to via Bangkok, but without ever leaving the airport here, giving the capital a miss completely. It's now possible to fly to places as small as Koh Chang, and increasingly popular destination apparently destined to boom. It's going to be an interesting high season this year. . . . * * * * * * * * * * Pacific City Club I recently went for the second time to this most splendid private, members club as the guest of a friend, together with a friend of his and my "adopted daughter," Aom, to celebrate Aom's completion (I hope!) of her bachelor degree last month. Occupying the top three floors of Pacific Place II, this is one of the most elegant places I've ever visited. It's the sort of place where one *can't* pay -- not even members; instead, the members sign then are billed monthly. Another giveaway in that the menus don't have prices (though members can request such a menu, if they like). But for those with deep enough pockets to belong (which most assuredly does NOT include me!), it's sheer heaven. From its lofty perch some 300 feet up, one has a superb view of much of the city center. I won't go through the entire list of all the foods the four of us had, but I will mention a couple of dishes. At the host's recommendation, I tried the tenderloin steak. A nice-sized steak at half a kilo, it was arguably the best steak I've ever had -- anywhere. And I grew up on a ranch in Texas, so that's saying something! Our host had requested a special chocolate cake for Aom -- but with fudge topping rather than plain chocolate. I'm not even very fond of cake, but this one was one to die for. The decor is every bit as attractive as the food. There are seating areas, the dining area (including the private but windowed dining room in which we ate), a spa, even a private smoking room (situated well away from the sitting and dining areas -- a nice touch). All the furniture and ornaments are of obvious first-class quality, and whoever the interior decorator was deserves a medal. Last time I wrote about the poor service in one of my favorite places. But the service at Pacific City Club is as superb as there is to be found. For the language-challenged among us (which DOES include me, when it comes to Thai!), it is a pleasant relief to be served by discreet, unobtrusive yet attentive, waiters and waitresses who *all* speak very good English. Although I don't know if there are some staff members competent in other major regional and world languages, I would be surprised if there aren't. As I said, this is most definitely a place for those with mighty deep pockets. I haven't the slightest idea what the food prices are, other than they are high, but my friend did tell me his company's corporate membership cost 200,000 baht (about US$5,000 at current exchange rates). On the other hand, a membership in a comparable club in Tokyo runs 10 times that, so it *is* value for money. Even my friend can't go there often for just himself, though he does frequently take clients there, since the costs in such cases are paid by his company. If you happen to know someone who is a member, try to wheedle an invitation to visit. Both times I've been most impressed all around, the second time even more than the first. * * * * * * * * * * Rainy Season -- Gone at Last! The annual rainy season is well and truly gone, an occasion I always greet with mixed feelings, as the weather tends to heat up some -- the past few days have seen temperatures climbing well above 30 degrees Centigrade (into the 90's Fahrenheit), which in Bangkok's humid climate can be pretty wretched. Other parts of the Kingdom are faring better, to the north and east. On the Meteorlogical Departments web site, the predicted overnight low in Chiang Mai, for example, was 17 degrees Centigrade (63 degrees Fahrenheit). In the mountains in the far north there can be frost at higher elevations in the coming (I hope!) cool season. I say "I hope!" because we haven't *had* a true cool season in Bangkok in a number of years now; the last time I woke up actually cold, with no air-con on, was in 1995, the last full-blown cool season we had. But the just-ended rainy season wasn't bad here in Bangkok and the immediate vicinity, though other parts of the Kingdom didn't fare nearly as well, most notably in the far south, where floodwaters ravaged wide stretches, at one point cutting rail links between the Central Plain and remote southern destinations. * * * * * * * * * * 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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