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Great New Dish at Bourbon Street Restaurant The Office Bar & Grill Sports Schedule for Thursday, April 13 - Wednesday, April 19, 2006 Reminder of Upcoming Bar Closures * * * * * * * * * * Just a reminder you can sign-up for free to receive the BangkokAtoZ.com Updates (plain text) e-mail to always know when I add something new to the site or modify it in some important way. A great way to be sure YOU don't miss something of interest, best of all is that this service is absolutely FREE! * * * * * * * * * * Once in a great while, there turns out to be a bit of justice in the universe, and last night was an instance of it. Two nights ago I was sitting in a small bar in Queen's Park Plaza chatting with the owner, the only other person there. That particular bar doesn't have a restroom, so when I need to go, I went outside to the public restroom the management of the Plaza provides. When I got back to the bar, the owner was back in the storeroom -- and my book bag was gone, irritatingly enough. There wasn't anything of any real value in it, just a couple pre-paid telephone cards worth 600 baht and my blood pressure medicine, which was more important to me than the telephone cards were. I did the only thing I could do: sighed, and resigned myself to buying a new bag, more telephone cards, and more medicine. Yesterday I was tired -- I've been a bit under the weather with a fairly miserable cold -- so went home about sundown and went to bed. About 9:00 o'clock last night, my phone rang. It was the cashier at another bar in the Plaza. She asked me to come by her bar to see her, so I explained I was sleeping. She said I really, really, really would be happy if I were to drop around. She didn't tell me why, mind you, but I was intrigued. So out of bed I got, threw on my clothes, and headed her way. She had my bag. I asked her how in the world she got it, and she said she had been going to the public restroom herself -- her bar doesn't have one, either, and ran into a police sergeant who's one of our regular patrol officers on this beat and whom I know. They were walking along and she saw a guy with what appeared to her to be my bag -- she didn't know someone had taken it the night before -- and she commented on it to the sergeant. He agreed, and stopped the guy, who claimed he had "found" it. The sergeant opened the bag and saw my name card, so he confiscated the bag, told the guy he was lucky he couldn't prove he had stolen the bag, and let him go. Then he gave the bag to the lady and asked her if she could see to it I got it back. Practically gives me a little faith in humanity again! The lady asked for no reward -- indeed, she objected when I offered her one. But I know she hasn't seen her parents and son, who lives with Mom and dad, in several months, and with Songkhran coming up this week, I gave her some money to go upcountry to see her family and just to have a few days off. Least I could do, isn't it? And she certainly deserves it. She hasn't taken a single day off in several months, so I'm sure she'll enjoy the mini-holiday. [Monday, April 10, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * While I'm writing on Monday, come "press time" it'll be Friday, the second day of the three-day Songkhran holiday, and no doubt the water will be flowing more freely than pleases me. I still haven't made any firm plan to escape, but I certainly intend to do so. It's only a bit after 6:00 A.M. as I write, so I'll have to wait awhile before I can call my travel agent, but she'll be pleased to hear from me! If you expect to be here anytime over the next week or so, then just plan on getting wet, unless you plan to hole up somewhere and not venture outside! A lot of folks enjoy this stuff, so if you fall into that category, then now's the perfect time for you to be here. Have fun! [Monday, April 10, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * There's a gentleman, Randy Cassingham, who has been publishing since 1984, publishing a variety of different newsletters (eight in all) whose e-publications I want to boost. First, here's the list, using Randy's descriptions:
AMUSE:
http://www.ThisIsTrue.com In one context, Randy is a crusader, and I'm absolutely with him: ridiculous applications of zero-tolerance laws. He tends to get a lot of supportive e-mails, representative ones making into his publications. I e-mailed him over a particular story that I was going to start boosting him here and on my radio show. Like Randy, I support strong laws treating people fairly, and for punishing genuine wrongdoers -- punishing appropriately. But some of this zero-tolerance stuff has gotten WA-A-A-A-Y out of hand. See his http://www.thisistrue.com/zt.html page for some excellent, if disturbing, examples, and some discussion about the issues involved. But that's far from all Randy does. He writes numerous funny stories, others that inspire, some with lots of useful information. One of my favorite features is his "Honorary Unsubscribe." Each week he reports on a subscriber who has died, and gives some information about the person's life illustrating why that person almost certainly wasn't famous but equally certainly deserves being known about and remembered. He also write about ordinary people who do extraordinary things helping others. Another personal favorite. People around the world enjoy his writings; he has subscribers in most of the world's countries and territories. I hope you'll add to our ranks. [Tuesday, April 11, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * I've written about this before, but merits mention again. Medical tourism in Thailand is a growing business, given the far cheaper rates for world-class service here in world-class facilities compared to other countries and regions -- especially in places such as the U.S., Singapore, Hongkong, and Japan, to name just a few. Further, not all countries have any world-class medical professionals or facilities. Finally, there are the lengthy waits for treatment in some countries. I have a friend from England, where her Mother still lives. Her Mother needed a surgery, and needed it quickly, only to be told by a doctor the wait would be three years, and frankly advised her to go to a private doctor. Luckily, my friend was able to help her pensioner Mother -- but my friend had to sell her own home to be able to pay the medical bills. Probably the best-known hospital here offering such services in Bumrungrad Hospital just off Sukhumvit Road down between Sois 1 and 3. It already had a growing reputation, then awhile back the U.S. network news show "60 Minutes" did a fairly long piece on it and facilities in India. I read awhile back that roughly half the hospital's patients are from outside Thailand. There is a less well-known private group of several hospitals around Thailand. A friend of mine is involved in that with this hospital group (as well as some other areas) in a venture in which I'm an investor. My friend's very first medical tourist was a gentleman from England who had been active all his life in sports -- bicycling, snow skiing, mountain climbing, etc. But both his knees were in shambles; he had to use crutches or a wheelchair to get around. He flew in, had both knees replaced -- and nine days later walked into a restaurant with my friend to meet me. And while he had a cane, he wasn't using it. He was walking slowly and carefully, of course -- but I was pleasantly stunned. (As a footnote, he was so pleased and had fallen in love with The Land of Smiles so much that he promptly stayed on a bit for a holiday, then returned to England, wound up his affairs -- then moved back here for good!) Obviously, coming here isn't a possibility in emergency cases or with patients who need, say, heart surgery but it need it soon. But for non-emergency, elective procedures, coming here is indeed worth considering. Back in 1999 I had two occasions to visit Bumrungrad. The first was when I was struck simultaneously with two infections, which required me to spend three nights in the hospital, in a luxurious private room, with a whole host of nurses, orderlies, and the like, not to mention, at one point, seven doctors. (They had a spot of trouble figuring out just what was wrong with me.) The second was a couple months later when I had a largish skin growth removed. That involved two doctors, with a follow-up CT scan. Guess the cost for all that? About US$1,700! Unbelievable. And over a third of that was for the CT scan and the oncologist's reading of it. An American friend visiting from Los Angeles had a friend in hospital there virtually simultaneously, and his room alone was running him US$900 per day. In general, as I understand, it overall costs here run 1bout 1/10th to 1/8th or so costs for the same treatment in the U.S., considering the U.S. as a whole. So, if you need treatment and want to come here, get mended, then spend a week or two in a tropical climate -- spending less for the total than just the treatment alone in some places would cost you, give Thailand a thought. And there are several really good hospitals here. [Tuesday, April 11, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Somewhat to my mystification, the baht continues to strengthen against currencies such as the U.S. dollar, reportedly the result of capital inflows into the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Adding to my puzzlement is that various publications I believe to be rather knowledgeable about economics I've read have said that investor and consumer confidence is falling, partly as a result of the politically turbulent time through which the Kingdom is currently passing. Senate elections are this Sunday, and by-elections for seats left unfilled in the lower House in the recent election are the 23rd of this month, so those results will undoubtedly influence the macro-economics, at least for awhile. Another factor will be if current caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is perceived to have actually relinquished the reins of power. His party did win well over half the votes, after all, in the first go-around of elections. Then there's the price of gold, which closed yesterday at 10,600 baht per baht weight; when I bought a gold ring a few years ago, it was 5,500 baht per baht weight -- and in considerably weaker baht at that. Of course, that's not happy news for folks whose money is in the form of one of the currencies against which to baht is gaining. For instance, my own income from the U.S. is in greenbacks, so when I go to an ATM I'm getting fewer baht than I did not so long ago. Thais going abroad are finding their money stretching a bit further. After all, the baht is about 35% stronger today relative to the U.S. dollar than it was several years back, when it sank to the 58-baht range. Not that people with baht incomes have that much extra disposable income, since prices have gone up in intervening years, most notably for fuel. While taxi drivers haven't raised their flag-fall fares, public buses and airlines have, and I imagine some of the increase in food prices stems from higher transportation costs. I do know people who are fearful of another economic meltdown. One friend has been changing large sums he had in baht to other currencies for exactly that reason. I myself wonder how long the baht can hold up, given the enormous financial pressures on the government -- the 30-baht medical scheme, numerous mega-projects such as the new airport, etc. I've been thinking frequently of the ancient Chinese curse recently that goes "May you live in interesting times." I rather expect to think of it more as the days roll on by. . . . [Tuesday, April 14, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Bourbon Street Restaurant Late last evening I stopped into Bourbon Street Restaurant to get something to eat, not having eaten all day. (I'm still battling a cold, drat it!) The owner, the affable Doug, was there and saw me flipping the menu pages back and forth without much enthusiasm, and he asked if I like lamb, which on occasion I do. when I said I do, he narrowed his question to whether I like lamb shank in particular, which I also like. The dish is on the menu now -- I hadn't noticed it. It comes with garlic mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and lamb shank a gravy or sauce. The meal was excellent. The lamb portion was way more than enough for me, and was cooked to perfection, without even a spot of pink right down to the bone. Further, the meat was very tender, nearing the falling-off-the-bone level. And the gravy was simply out of this world, positively delectable. [A reminder: I have NO financial interest in the restaurant!] For the immediate Washington Square neighborhood, Bourbon Street isn't exactly cheap, but, then, neither does Doug charge prices on the lines of those charged in some of Bangkok's finer hotel restaurants, not by a wide margin. The lamb shank meal costs 385 baht++ -- the "++" meaning a 10% service charge and the government-imposed 7% VAT. It is very good value for money. Besides, Bourbon Street is far more family-oriented than most of the other places in the Square, important to many people. If you like lamb shank, make this one of your must-try meals (and tell Doug I sent you!). [Wednesday, April 12, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * The Office Bar & Grill Sports Schedule for Thursday, April 13 - Wednesday, April 19, 2006 This always-popular venue for watching sports broadcasts has several days' worth lined up. I've deleted the Thursday schedule here simply because the Thursday games will be history by the time I get this up Friday. The bar is located in the third drive to your right on Sukhumvit Soi 33 coming from Sukhumvit Road; there is a fair amount of parking available. Better go early to be sure of a seat with a view!
[Thursday, April 13, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Reminder of Upcoming Bar Closures With two more elections almost on us, bars will be closed. The Senatorial election is next Wednesday, April 19, 2006. Bars will have to close at 6:00 P.M. Tuesday evening and not re-open until their normal starting hour on Thursday. The by-elections in about 40 Lower House constituencies follow on Sunday, April 23, 2006. Most of those constituencies are here in Bangkok and in the Deep South, and I'm supposing that only bars in constituencies will be required to close at 6:00 P.M. Saturday night then not be allowed to re-open until Monday. At least that's the theory. I don't know if I'll ever fully understand requiring bars to close 14 hours prior to the opening of the poll booths, other than to vote is a requirement by law. Even so, I don't see why people ineligible to vote -- foreigners -- can't visit places Right straight through. For sure I'll never understand in the slightest why they can't re-open promptly at 3:00 P.M. on the day of the election itself, since that's when polls close. In past elections, I have been in restaurants and bars in 5-star hotels that were openly serving alcoholic beverages, but perhaps there is a clause in the election law exempting certain categories of venues. More fun-'n-games . . . [Thursday, April 13, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * British Visa Application Procedures to Change The British Embassy in Bangkok has notified the media procedures to apply for a British visa will change with effect from April 21, 2006. Here's the full text of the letter I saw in a local paper:
As part of our commitment to continually improve
our visa services, the British Embassy has entered into a partnership with VFS
(Thailand) Ltd to expand arrangements for the receipt and return of visa
applications. [Thursday, April 13, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * I know I wrote earlier about the political uncertainties, but news reports I just read suggest a new development important enough to merit its own story. One of the root causes of concern has been the near-certainty that even after by-elections April 23rd not all House seats would be filled. The Constitution requires that all 500 seats be filled before Parliament can convene. However, the Constitution also stipulate Parliament must convene by the 30th day after the election. In this instance, "the election" refers to the one held April 2nd, meaning Parliament is required to convene no later than May 1st. However, a source has said the caretaker ruling party, Thai Rak Thai," may have found a legal way out of the dilemma. Reportedly there are certain clauses in the Constitution that permit the existing government to seek a Royal Command from His Majesty the King ordering Parliament to convene. Those clauses are said to revolve around the concept of disorder in governing the country -- and if not all seats are filled by the 30th day, then there's a conflict between the sections requiring those be met, which certainly would result in an impossible dilemma without some solution. The reports I read don't say what would happen once Parliament does convene, if TRT indeed seeks a Royal Command and His Majesty the King issues one. By that I mean I haven't the slightest idea of the new government would remain in power until the next general election or if there is some requirement new elections be held in a shorter period. Resolution is needed. If it isn't achieved reasonably soon, there's a real possibility of significant economic impact on the Kingdom. Already exporters are complaining that the strengthening baht is beginning to affect their competitiveness in international markets. Let's just keep our fingers crossed things get sorted out -- sooner rather than later. [Friday, April 14, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Enough for one go . . . Until next time -- Mekhong Kurt
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