"The Rounds" July 15, 2005

In today's edition of the Bangkok Post there's a story headlined "Adisai vetoes plan to give guns to teachers" reporting Education Minister Education Minister Adisai Bodharamik vetoed Deputy Education Minister Rung Kaewdaeng's proposal to assist teachers in the Kingdom's 3 troubled provinces in the Deep South obtain personal side arms.

Even so, the Ministry isn't ignoring the danger teachers face, as the Minister also said a plan to issue body armor to them will go ahead. The vests are said to be able to deflect a variety of bullets: .22, .38, and .357 calibers as well as 9mm and 11mm rounds. Further, the Minister said he had no problem with teachers owning handguns so long as the weapons were properly registered with the Interior Ministry.

Further details were not provided regarding the body armor, other than to say it is made of steel and weighs 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) and that they will be domestically produced, each one costs only 3,000 baht and has a long life span.

I'm sure we all hope the reason for teachers to need to wear body armor will quickly disappear so they can get back to the business of teaching the nation's youths. [Saturday, July 9, 2005]

Four extensions of the Skytrain totaling just over 45 kilometers are to be proposed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA) to the Cabinet over the next 2 months or so.

The extensions won't be cheap at 84 billion baht (about US$2 billion at current exchange rates) but it seems clear the original Skytrain routes are proving successful.

The four routes are the 10-kilometer Samrong to Samut Prakan route, the 4.5-kilometer Taksin to Phet Kasem route, the 23.9kilometer Mor Chit-Saphan Mai-Lam Luk Ka route and the 7.7kilometer National Stadium-Phran Nok route.

The BMA already recently asked for approval of 2 other Skytrain extensions as well as a change in how they are to be financed.

The proposal is to have these extensions complete by 2010. Together with the plans in the work for extensions to the subway, mass transit will be greatly expanded towards to ultimate goal having a network of mass transit rail-based lines covering the greater metropolitan region, including the 28-kilometer rail link between Phayathai Road and the under-construction Suvarnabhumi Airport in neighboring Samut Phrakan Province.

As anybody who knows me or has long read this column knows, I rarely have occasion to use either the Skytrain or the subway -- but they sure are nice to have at hand the times I do need them.

As I am wont to do, I've been rather tardy in reading some of my e-mail, including one from the folks at the popular Dasa Book Cafe announcing a sale the entire month of July in celebration of the shop having passed it's first anniversary recently.

The over 11,000 books in stock are all available at 15% off the price marked -- and from having loaded up with a number of titles a little while back, I can attest that those prices are already more than reasonable.

If you're not sure you want to make the trek (though the shop is only a short walk from the Skytrain Station at The Emporium), no problem: go to the shop's web site and download the entire list of books in stock, a list cleverly called the "Dasa"base. (You need Microsoft Excel to open the file.) The list is arranged alphabetically by the author's name, and is subdivided into books available and books on hold. I just downloaded the list, and 10,996 titles are available. And here's a handy map I copied from the web site, though a correction is in order. While it shows the Miracle Mall as being on the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Sukhumvit Soi 43, it actually is on the corner of Sukhumvit road and Sukhumvit Soi 41 -- and having lived in Soi 41 for nearly 5 years a short distance behind the Miracle Mall, I reckon I know! Anyway, with that proviso, here's the map:

Don't forget that drinks (non-alcoholic) and desserts are available, and they're quite tasty.

I've met Don, the shop owner, though I haven't met Kiwi and am unclear whether he is a co-proprietor or employee. Anyway, if you get a chance to meet them, Don in particular, tell them you heard about them here, if you would.

The shop is open 10:00 A.M.-9:00 P.M., 365 days a year (and, yes, 366 days in Leap Years!). There are some pictures of the front of the shop at the web site to help you recognize it. [Sunday, July 10, 2005]

ThaiVisa.com Planning Launch
of ThaiVisa Gold Card for Expats

I'm happy to report that the fine folks at ThaiVisa.com have a plan to launch a Gold Card for expatriates in Thailand, a card they hope will include a credit card and numerous discounts.

Everything is still in the planning stage, though it's clear a lot of work has already gone into this before the popular outfit -- they have about 20,000 members -- went public with their ambition.

Here's the story from their web site:

Dear Valued Thaivisa Members,

Thaivisa is in the first stages of designing a special Thailand Expat Gold Card. Your input is requested as this card/program will offer as many features possible for you (membership cost is to be determined). This is not an attempt to duplicate the Thailand Elite Card, we want it designed by the Expats for the Expats of Thailand.

Here are some features, members please add to the list, feedback and comments appreciated.

1. SMS messaging worldwide from the forum
2. SMS Thailand News Alerts option (breaking news)
3. 1000 MB yourname@thaivisa.com email account POP3 and WebMail
4. Private access to Card member information website, newsletters and forum
5. Travel and Airline discounts (THAI Airways, Bangkok Airways etc); Royal Orchid Mileage Plus
6. Restaurant Discounts
7. Hotel Discounts (Special Member World-Wide Hotel Booking Online)
8. Real Estate Sources
9. Visa & Business Consultations (Sunbelt Asia)
10. 24/7 Emergency Law service hotline (Sunbelt Asia Attorney)
11. Business/Work Permit/Startup Packages (Sunbelt Asia Attorney)
12. Health Care/Dental/Insurance Discounts, VIP service (BUPA, AIA)
13. Golf/Fitness Discounts
14. Bank/ATM/Commerce Services (2nd edition)
15. Car/pickup/motocycle rental discounts <added>
16. Internet access (Dial up/ADSL/Satellite) <added>
17. Discounted mobile/telephone call packages <added>
18. Sports activities, bowling etc. <added>
19. Currency exchange services, bank services (internet banking, on-line statements etc) <added>
20. Preferential rates with Indo-siam.com, SunbeltAsia.com <added>

... And much more... Please post your ideas!

Thailand Expat Card sample:

Mentioned sponsors and partners are still under negotiations. The first edition card released may not be Visa or VISA Electron associated. We reserve the rights to change card functionality, design etc.

Please note that the sample card is exactly that -- a sample. There's no indication that ThaiVisa.com has formalized a deal with Visa.

There's a lively discussion of the ThaiVisa Expat Card underway at the web site; you can read the thread without being a member, though to add a comment you do have to sign up, a free, quick process.

This is an excellent web site, and many contributors to the various discussions (which cover the spectrum in terms of topics having to do with just about anything you can imagine related to Thailand). It's well worth bookmarking if you have even just a passing interest in the Land of Smiles. [Sunday, July 10, 2005]

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Tourism Authority of Thailand Discount Card

In researching the story above I discovered TAT has a Thailand Visitor Card available which is not a credit card but which offers discounts at a variety of venues for various products and services. Here's the post I just made at ThaiVisa.com in the discussion thread there, with some additional information:

I had not taken a look at this site until just now, and while it's of considerable interest, there are some caveats that stand out:

(1.) This card is for a limited time, until March 31, 2006.

(2.) The card is NOT a credit card, debit card, or anything of the sort: it's a straight discount card.

(3.) Use of the card is limited to 7 destinations in Thailand, and therefore of useless to people visiting/living in other areas.

Another drawback is that to find out how to get the card you have to call TAT's Call Centre (1672), and even then, I had to be transferred to a second person to get any answers. There's no way to learn the information from the web site. The guy I spoke to told me the card is free (a big plus), but to get it, you have to go to the Information Counter at the main TAT office. Not very handy for arriving visitors. Maybe TAT could coordinate with the Foreign Ministry to make the card available in Thai embassies and consulates abroad -- get your visa and card at the same time! For that matter, having it available at international airports in the Kingdom and at border entry posts would be most excellent for those wishing to use the card.

Every participant I recognized (which means a lot, since I've been here years) was high-end. This means, for example, one can do better online for hotels than this card affords (as is often true of such offers, to be fair); discounts are on the rack rates. I recently checked into a Bangkok hotel's discount package and found I could beat it substantially through online third-party providers.

What ThaiVisa will offer (if everything works out) is considerably more than the TAT card, especially in terms of validity time. With the possibility of some sort of financial instrument(s), it gets even more interesting, even if at the end of the day the card will be useable as only a debit card.

Different concepts for overlapping, but not identical, markets.

As I wrote in an earlier post, I really am keen about the ThaiVisa card and hopes it comes to pass. A huge thanks to all you folks at ThaiVisa.com for your efforts to bring another fine service to the expatriate community here.

Also, though the card itself is valid until March 31, 2006 some of the offers are for shorter periods of time or for intermittent time frames.

More comment: a specific example is a flight between Bangkok and Chiang Mai on Bangkok Air. Using the TAT card, the fare is 3,500 baht for a return ticket -- exactly the same as a ticket good for 6 months available on the airline's own site, and 500 baht more than a promotional fare the airline is running on the route right now. So, there's so savings to be had there.

Even so, it's worth looking into.

Meanwhile, keep a lookout at Thaivisa.com for developments there. [Sunday, July 10, 2005]

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Funds Sought for Warning Towers in Andaman Sea Provinces

There is an encouraging story in today's The Nation headlined "Bt138m sought for 62 warning towers," the money to be provided by the national government if the Cabinet approves the project.

The move is in response the last year's Boxing Day tsunami that killed over 5,000 in Thailand alone and some 2,800 unaccounted for to date. The towers will make up an early-warning network and be linked to the Kingdom's National Disaster Warning Center’s Control and Transmission Center in Nonthaburi.

Each tower will have loudspeakers and sirens to alert people in the area of a threat such as a tsunami. Warnings will be issued in an impressive 5 languages: Thai, English, German, Chinese and Japanese, languages covering a great many people in those areas.

The story also provides figures for each of the 6 places to receive the towers. I was interested in noting that the most towers -- 16 -- are planned for Phang Nga, in contrast to much better-known Phuket, slated to receive 4. Much of the foreign aid went to Phuket, best-known of the 6 locales. However, my friend who organized a private relief effort felt Phang Nga was in more dire need of immediate assistance than Phuket, precisely because of the outpouring of aid to the famous resort island in contrast to the relatively little aid to the largely unknown (outside Thailand, anyway) Phang Nga.

Of course, it's normal in such a widespread disaster as the region-wide earthquake/seaquake and the resulting tsunami last December for individuals, companies, and agencies to rush into places they know, or that they know better than the other affected areas. Also, understandably, much of the initial attention was centered on Indonesia, far more heavily damaged than any other place, and Sri Lanka, also heavily affected.

The price tag is small for such an admirably widespread warning network. Coupled with carefully-thought-out emergency evacuation plans and regular drills, the towers should help lessen the impact of any future disaster should one happen.

I hope the Cabinet approves this measure and provides the funding as soon as possible. More to the point, I hope the towers aren't ever called into service. [Monday, July11, 2005]

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Airlines Raising Fuel Surcharges as Oil Remains Expensive

With global oil prices up over 1/3 this year alone so far, airlines are having to raise fuel surcharges, and airlines here are no exception.

The Nation has a report today on the subject, "THAI to increase fuel surcharges," reporting not only that the national flag carrier but also several domestic airlines are raising prices. In the case of Thai International, the surcharge will increase US$5 per flight coupon (leg) on international flights covering Asia and the Middle East. Budget airlines Nok Air, AirAsia and One-Two-Go are said to be raising prices on domestic flights 200 baht per flight segment, as Thai did starting the first of this month.

Some travelers object to these increases, but airlines are already operating on very thin margins. we tend to think of every seat on every plane being occupied, but it has been a long time since I've been on such a flight. Every empty seat represents a chance for income missed. And not only fuel prices are increasing; in some instances, landing and parking fees are going up, too.

Besides, prices do remain affordable for many. Anyone can get a return ticket from Bangkok to regional destinations for well under 10,000 baht. When I flew to Texas last year, my return ticket cost me about US$1100 -- including the expensive domestic flights on a U.S. carrier between Los Angeles and Dallas.

I suppose oil prices will drop sooner or later; if so, it'll be interesting to see if increased prices for products and services (not just airline passage, but anything affected by fuel costs) will go back down as well. [Monday, July 11, 2005]

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Subway Set for Major Elevated Extension

Yesterday's Bangkok Post ran the story "Northern Bangkok faces traffic hell: Elevated subway work set to paralyse roads," a piece which obviously focuses on the pending traffic chaos expected in areas northwest of Mochit from early next year when construction will begin.

However, the article also contains more encouraging information as well. The extension will connect the current northern terminus, Bang Sue, to a new terminus at Khlong Bang Pai, a length of 24.2 kilometers. The article isn't specific specific about whether the Bang Sue-Tao Pun leg will be underground or elevated; in the article's graphic that section is shown in the same color as the existing underground line, will the rest of the new route is in another color, implying that stretch will be underground.

The plan is to have the new "Purple Line" in service by 2009, serving the northwest part of Bangkok. Friends who live in that general area sometimes complain at the lengthy time it takes to travel between there and central Bangkok, so for them to have the option of making their way to one of the new stations (16 of them) then being able to travel to considerable portions of the city quickly will be a welcome relief.

There will be disruptions, of course, and not just to the congested traffic that is a daily fact of life in the area, as it is just about everywhere in Bangkok. Land will have to be bought, for one thing, dislocating some people, but the authorities involved are adamant that building the elevated extension the disruption will be far less than were they to have taken the option of building the extension underground. They also say going underground would triple the price, a major consideration in such a large project.

The article is silent on one point. If flight operations are shifted to the new airport before the new subway route opens, presumably that would lessen traffic to some degree, as going to the current airport along the Don Muang motorway is also the most logical way for people traveling to the region to be served by the new subway line. If that speculation is correct, perhaps the shift in airports will lessen the impact on traffic. [Wednesday, July 13, 2005]

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Though I hadn't read anything about this, a number of people told me they've read or heard news stories sometime in the last few days reporting that the authorities down in tsunami-struck Phuket are planning to expand the entertainment zones there. I decided to do a bit of research.

I found a story dated last Friday in the Phuket Gazette titled "Gov proposes changes to entertainment zones." (You have to sign up for the free membership to be able to access the story.) It's reported there that Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura wants indeed does want to expand entertainment areas in the resort. He says there will be consultations with people in each area before any changes are put into effect.

In response to the argument that such a plan would bring competition to hotels that have their own entertainment outlets, he pointed out some hotels have space to rent, possibly for entertainment, and added there already are many unlicensed bars along Patong Beach which would be helped by coming within the law.

This is good news for local entertainment businesses and their employees, tourists, and the general population of the island. More tourists means more income -- as opposed to charity -- for residents still struggling to overcome last year's tsunami.

And it won't be just owners and employees of entertainment spots who'll benefit. Tourists spend on other things, of course, the most obvious being hotel rooms, food, tours, sporting activities, and souvenirs. Further, the government will benefit from increased tax revenues.

Given the number of reports I've heard from people who've visited Phuket saying it's virtually a ghost town compared to before the tsunami, just about anything to promote tourism has to be good news.

Then there's the potential for other southern holiday destinations to benefit, such as Phang Nga to the north and Krabi to the east.

Incidentally, the region is well removed from the troubled 3 southernmost provinces in the Kingdom's Deep South; Yala, for instance, is upwards of 300 kilometers south.

This seems a far sounder idea than a trial balloon floated here recently: in line with the energy conservation campaign, order entertainment outlets to close every Monday, a balloon apparently since cast adrift.

Good luck to Governor Udomsak in presenting this plan to the public. The very fact he is going about this in concert with his constituents is also very encouraging. [Wednesday, July 13, 2005]

Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Thepsuthin is seeking the money for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (which, curiously, had no information I could find about this on its own web site) to woo travelers, the numbers of which are below official targets. The announced aim for 2005 is nearly 13.4 million, a goal authorities still believe can be met despite the ongoing after-effects of last Boxing Day's tsunami, which scared away untold numbers of visitors.

Not all the money is slated to be spent on promotion. Some will go towards developing new attractions, for example.

Given the importance of tourism to the national economy, I hope the concerned authorities carry out the various plans efficiently and rapidly for the Kingdom's people's benefit. [Wednesday, July 13, 2005]

The excellent Thailand-oriented Business Day is reporting delays until January, 2006, of Bangkok's new international airport, later than the September target date originally targeted, in the article "Suvarnabhumi fully operational only in January."

Actually, this isn't breaking news; the Prime Minister himself acknowledged not long ago the September date was too soon, though he didn't indicate just when Suvarnbhumi Airport would come fully online.

This isn't entirely bad news. Consider, for example, that the transportation infrastructure to move large numbers of people into and out of the new airport are way far from complete; had the airport opened when intended -- come to think of it, I think it first was supposed to be on Her Majesty the Queen's birthday this year on August 12th, though I'm not positive of that -- it's possible traffic congestion would have been bad for that much longer. The new date is for complete opening; the September date remains as the planned soft-opening one.

Still, with the government's goal of getting an airport that can reasonably be expected to compete with the gleaming facilities of regional rivals -- especially Hongkong, Singapore, and South Korea -- in an effort to become an air hub for Southeast Asia, the delay must be disappointing.

It helps to recall that the airport was discussed for decades before the first shovel of dirt was turned to begin construction of the massive facility. Late or not, it's finally coming into being.

Some fear increased travel distance compared to the distance to Don Muang Airport, but that depends on where you are, of course. For me, it's about the same distance to both. For people in southeast Bangkok, Chon Buri, Pattaya, etc. it will be closer. As mass transit routes multiply, even people who are in places further from the new airport compared to the current one will be able to reach Suvarnbhumi with relative ease.

Whenever the airport does first open its doors to the public I plan to visit, as if it's half as attractive as the advance billing says, it will be lovely indeed, in an "airport-y" way.

Seems like half the news coming out of Bangkok involves transportation one way or another these days! [Wednesday, July 13, 2005]

I happened to read an article in yesterday's USA Today newspaper about the 5+% jump in gasoline prices in the U.S. over the weekend, an unwelcome development for that country's motorists.

However, the article did bring up a bright spot. The average price of gasoline at the pump in the U.S. in March, 1981, rose to nearly US$1.42 per gallon then. When the current average price nationwide in America this past Monday is expressed in 1981 dollars, not 2005 dollars, the price works out to nearly US$3.11 -- way above the price today.

Sometime back I also read that the price of oil globally in the first oil embargo in the 1970's was over US$80 per barrel when calculated in 2005 dollars, much more than the current levels of around US$60 per barrel.

The first statistic, about retail fuel prices in the U.S., have no direct bearing on matters here, or course. Even so, it takes some of the sting out the current surge in energy costs when we realize we're not as bad off now as we were in the 1970's and 1980's.

I know, I know -- in a way this is akin to the comfort offered by a sympathizer of a person who has lung cancer in "just" one lung that at least he doesn't have it in both lungs.

Still, in this time of economic battering, especially for the average Thai, it is somewhat reassuring to realize maybe we can avoid those shocks of decades past.

And it's no argument to say since I don't drive, I don't care; as a fare-paying passenger, I'm affected, too. I fully expect to have to start paying more for surface transportation if the high prices persist, as we all already have to do for air travel. (I don't see how taxis can hold the line at 35 baht at flag fall for long -- that's almost ridiculously cheap; today it equals about US$.83. Try getting that kind of flag fall rate in other major capitals! [Wednesday, July 13, 2005]

Yesterday's Business section of the Bangkok Post had a story "Hackers said to try to hijack mobile phones" that's a bit scary. [The story isn't hyperlinked because the link isn't working right now, and I don't want to send you on a wild goose chase. If you want to try to read it yourself, you can put the headline in the "Exact Phrase" box in Google's Advanced Search feature and read the article in other places.]

The key is this: hackers are sending short SMS text messages supposedly from a mobile phone service provider technician to people here asking them to cal either 90# or #90. This could allow the hacker to steal your number and use it to make calls by stealing your phone's SIM card registration number -- with all charges made to you.

The article is silent about whether this affects both post-paid and pre-paid mobile phones. Since the technology is the same as far as I know, I assume it does. If so, pre-paid mobile phone users' loss will be limited to the amount of credit remaining in the phone. Post-paid users, however, could be in for a rude surprise when they receive their next monthly billing, especially if the phone is enabled to make international calls.

Another point the article is silent on is whether the hackers know your number themselves, and I'm guessing they well might. That opens another area of potential abuse.

The best defense is simply to ignore SMS text messages from unknown sources. If you do have what you think might be a legitimate message from your provider but aren't sure, call the provider's regular number and ask about it.

I don't have any idea how hackers, virus writers, and the like can be defeated, but if someone invents a way to do it, that person ought to get the Nobel Prize in Science for the century, not just the year! Well, okay, maybe that would be overdoing it, but as one whose computer is regularly subjected to virus/worm/trojan/hijacking, I sighed when I read the story, thinking, "Great. It's bad enough I have to keep my computer fortified -- am I now going to have to do the same thing with my mobile phone???"

In the meanwhile, any of these people proven guilty should hope people like me aren't on their juries or on the bench -- I'd vote for an, um, "instructive sentence" -- life without parole (NO parole, period) if I was feeling congenial enough not to vote for flogging or worse! [Thursday, July 14, 2005]

Though I'm not a golfer, I was intrigued by a newspaper story I read about a high-tech practice driving range opening in Bangkok tomorrow, Thai Top Golf.

The range is the 3rd in the world, and owned by a British company. The other 2 ranges are in Great Britain and the U.S. Bangkok's opens tomorrow at Sukhumvit Road almost at Sukhumvit Soi 101/1 on your left if your outbound (going toward the Bangna-Trad intersection. (See a map of the Thai Top Golf's location.) The hours are set for 9:00 A.M.-Midnight.

The appeal is the high-tech golf balls and target areas, which in essence let you know exactly how far you hit a ball and how accurately. Thai Top Golf offers various games you can play, 6 in all, scoring points. Not being a golfer, I have only a vague understanding of them, particularly the one based on snooker's colored balls, but this sounds interesting for anyone with the slightest interest in the sport.

The complex covers 25 rai (10 acres/4 hectares) where there are 11 green-size target areas, themselves high tech. The further you hit the ball and the closer to the pin on the green your ball lands, the more points automatically added to your score. Though the web site doesn't explain how the balls are automatically retrieved, apparently they are.

One note about the web site: while it's visually very clean, it's not particularly easy to navigate; I never did find a street address even after over 30 minutes searching. Some place I saw a phone number, but I don't remember where. So, you need to be patient while exploring the site.

I'll be interested in hearing the experiences of people who try the facility. [Thursday, July 14, 2005]

It's about 8:30 Friday morning as I sit here and write. I was reading newspapers and what have you online to think about more stories to write for this week when Taffy, my friend who owns New Square One Pub, came into the Texas Lone Staar.

On Sukhumvit Soi 22 very near the exit from Washington Square there's a motorcycle taxi stand. One of the drivers, a really nice guy named Dum for Isaan, worked there.

Until yesterday, that is. About 5 o'clock he was in a neighborhood bank, apparently taking care of a bit of business for a customer -- his specialty -- when he dropped dead as a stone in the bank lobby.

I don't know much in terms of details about Dum. He left a wife and a babe. I reckon he was somewhere in his forties. The one critical detail I do know about him is that he was absolutely, completely, totally honest. I myself have entrusted him with upwards of 30,000 baht, in cash, to go pay bills for me. And he invariably brought me a receipt and meticulously counted out the change precisely, exactly.

A man of honor, Dum was. He worked at a low-paying job, yet he was totally trustworthy.

I immediately called Burma Richard to let him know, as he's the one who convinced me to employ Khun Dum to run errands for me. Turned out he already knew; he happened to be in Popeye's, an open-air beer bar right beside where the motorcycle taxi drivers park and wait for customers when Dum's wife came in, sobbing.

I don't really know why I'm writing this; few, if any, of you knew him. I guess the point is that Dum was one of those people who disproved the stereotype that Thais are no good.

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