"The Rounds" January 16, 2004

I ended up having to miss the Grand Opening of Mojo's Thursday, January 8th, but have talked to numerous people who did go, and they all report it was a smashing success.

The owners offered up free draft beer until 9:00 P.M. and free buffet food all night. My friends who went said that the food was simply delicious -- not surprising, given that part-owner Robb is a top-flight chef. There was also excellent live music.

As I've written here before, Mojo's is an excellent bar and restaurant, tastefully decorated, with its food and drink reasonably priced, and offering low-key service. I highly recommend it. [Written Saturday, January 10, 2004]

Just a quick reminder the Lunar New Year is next week. If you've never witnessed the celebrations of the holiday and are somewhere you can, you won't regret attending the festivities.

If you are interested in a bit of history, see the links in my article about it last week; last week's "The Rounds" is here. [Written Saturday, January 10, 2004]

A Little More Information Regarding
Policies Governing the Operating Hours of Bars

A couple of days ago I met my police buddy and the subject of the apparently discriminatory (to me) enforcement of the closing time for bars. A few days previosly police officers from the Thonglor Police District had gone around the Queen's Park Plaza-Sukhumvit Soi 22-Washington Square area, Sukhumvit Soi 33, and the Soi Cowboy-Asoke Corner-Asoke Plaza area ordering bar owners/managers to close that night at 1:00 A.M. -- but not all bars.

According to my friend, the law says no one can sell alcohol after midnight unless they have an entertainment license, and that if they do have such a license, they must close by 1:00 A.M., but that the police had been lenient and allowed them to stay open until 2:00 A.M. I pointed out that there is a license some bars have explicitly granting them the right to stay open to 2:00 A.M., not just 1:00 A.M., in direct contradiction to the law he had just explained. He countered by reminding me he knew good and well I know that when a new law is written, previous laws addressing the same issue is not automatically made null and void, allowing the authorities to pick and choose just which law it is they wish to enforce in any particular situation. So long as enforcement is benevolent, this is perhaps acceptable, but otherwise, it's scary. Even my buddy couldn't figure out the logic of leaving conflicting laws in place.

He further explained that each police station commander has considerable latitude in deciding which laws to enforce and how stringently to enforce them. I had not previously known that, assuming the varying enforcement from police district to police district to be the result of corruption, etc. But according to him, the station commanders have such authority by law. While I still don't understand the reason why they have such authority, that seems to be the case. When I asked him how that relates to selective enforcement within a single police district, he said it provides the police a mild tool to pressure problem bars, in the form of forcing them to close an hour earlier than their competitors that are not problem bars. Given the authority exists (whether it should or not being a different question altogether), the part about, um, "corrective enforcement" does at least make sense. [Written Saturday. January 10, 2004]

The American Mars probe Spirit, which landed on the surface of the Red Planet last Saturday morning (EST in the U.S.), and is proving to be a huge relief for the embattled U.S. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), which had suffered a series of dramatic setbacks, culminating in the loss of the Columbia Space Shuttle and all the astronauts aboard almost a year ago.

You can read a fairly extensive and fascinating account of |Mars Mania" resulting from this successful mission here.

More than you might think at first blush. People have long been fascinated by Mars, especially since right up until the first landers landed there a few decades ago, there was still a belief in some quarters not only that Mars might support life, but intelligent life at that -- i.e., other "people."

The article reached through the link above reports that from 3:01 A.M. Saturday, January 2nd EST (Eastern Standard Time, i.e., the time zone along the east coast of the U.S.) until 9:00 A.M. Thursday, January 7th, the NASA website recorded an astonishing 1.45 billion hits, a mind-boggling rate; it's amazing NASA's servers didn't burn out handling so much traffic. So many hits clearly proves there's one heck of a lot of lot of interest in the Red Planet generally and in Spirit in particular -- set to be joined by sister robotic explorer Opportunity. And there are Thai astronomy and space enthusiasts who undoubtedly are following this fabulous success with great eagerness and interest.

Such news is "feel-good" news, true, but that's natural. After all, it's spectacular, and just as news as horribly spectacular as 9/11 grips the psyche the world over in terrible, repulsed fascination, so this sort of news does, in a happy, inspiring way. If Opportunity lands and functions successfully, then NASA will bask in the well-deserved glow of a double-whammy feel-good pair of extraordinary accomplishments. Especially given the recent disasters NASA has endured the past few years. But even if it doesn't, the success of Spirit will endure, and inspire.

And while this mission is entirely a U.S. one, its appeal transcends national boundaries. I know that when the People's Republic of China had its recent first manned space flight last October 15 successfully concluded after a few orbits, I was about as elated as anybody, including P.R.C. nationals. Yeah, yeah -- so what if I am a space-astronomy buff, a wish-I-could-have-been-an-astronaut, and a former resident of years of China? -- I felt the same way about manned Soviet space flights, even at the height of the Cold War. (Of course, living in America most of that time, I was plenty darned circumspect about openly expressing admiration of the Soviet manned space exploration program, you can be sure!)

I was apprehensive about the mission, in large measure because of the increasingly likely loss of the ESA's (European Space Agency) Mars probe. It landed on Christmas Day but the orbiting mother ship and ground controllers have been unable to establish contact since then, though efforts to reestablish communication continue. (The 12 efforts so far have failed, and just yesterday did anyone start talking publicly about a new Mars probe later this decade.) The loss of another Mars probe so closely on the heels of the apparent (but not yet certain) loss of ESA's would have been disastrous for space exploration efforts everywhere.

And I hope the ESA is successful in reestablishing contact with Beagle so our European friends can celebrate a successful Mars robotic probe, too. [Written Saturday, January 10, 2004]

Heads-Up: Sukhumvit Soi 22 Massage
Parlor Refusing to Honor Discount Card Issued by Previous Management -- Despite Honoring It Before

A friend of mine who likes traditional Thai massage regularly goes to the P.K. Massage Parlor on Sukhumvit Soi 22 (the first one on the left coming from the Soi 22 entrance to Washington Square, and formerly named "V.I.P.") He did so last night, with irritating results.

The clerk told him, "Oh! We don't honor that card anymore -- that was issued by the old management!" My friend pointed out that he has been twice since the change-over, and that the clerk had stamped his card with a P.K. chop, just as before it was stamped with a V.I.P. chop. She still refused. After considerable rather hot debate, she relented, with ill grace.

Unfortunately, these sorts of shoddy business practices and ethics aren't uncommon. Those of you who read last week's column will remember the story about Ramkhamhaeng Hospital's medical tourism program. Just this morning I saw "Cowboy" Jon, one of the Americans helping with the program. He told me he and "Doctor" Dennis had the unhappy experience of being cheated, essentially, out of about 40,000 baht and the hospital far more than that.

So how did that happen? Through their online marketing program they were contacted with a person wanting to come here for some elective medical procedure and after some wooingm that person came and went to see the designated hospital doctor -- who also has a private practice elsewhere. He told her to go see him there -- and, predictably, did so behind everyone's back.

That the hospital sacked him immediately when superiors there found out is little comfort to the owners of the hospital (which is private) or to Jon and Dennis, as everyone's just plain out of the money. And the people who told Jon and Dennis about it also told them "that sort of thing happens all the time in Thailand." [Written Saturday, January 10, 2004]

I just talked with a friend who went to the Immigration Bureau to ask the requirements for he and his wife both to qualify for a retirement visa. Among the various things they were told was that even though there are 2 of them, the financial require doesn't double to 1.6 million baht but remains at the 800,000 baht figure -- and that you can take it right back out of the country (or send it out) immediately after you get your visa, until the next time you want to apply.

That bit directly contradicts what I have been told, and have heard from others.

Bottom line? As I just told my friend, I'm beginning to suspect that it well may be no one can actually know what the requirements are until visiting Immigration, receiving instructions there what to do, then fulfilling those instructions and returning to the Bureau. At that point, my guess is that it's anybody's guess what will happen.

Not that this is unique to Thailand, of course; I still shudder when I remember the numerous utterly inexplicable tales coming out of various embassies here in Bangkok regarding Thais applying for whatever kinds of visa for those countries, embassies including my own. [Written Saturday, January 10, 2004]

This week, the Thai Cabinet discuss an idea to restrict the operating hours of bars, video game parlors, Internet cafes, etc. to 6:00 P.M.-12:00 A.M. [Midnight].

The logic behind the idea is fairly straightforward, if almost certainly fatally flawed: first, to keep minors from having access to alcohol, illicit drugs, and sex; and, second, to cause people to go home to their families earlier than is now the case.

Even the Prime Minister questioned the first, according to press reports; he pointed out that kids could (and presumably would) go to private apartments, etc. and *still* have access to booze, drugs, and sex -- without any adult around at all.

As for the second, there have been numerous outcries that frown adults don't need to be told when they can come out and when they must go home.

Though I've not seen this next point discussed in the media or other public forums, there's the factor of shift workers. In my view, just because a person happens to work, say, 4:00 P.M.-Midnight is not a reason to have him unable to go out for a drink -- or a video game parlor or Internet cafe -- just because there plain aren't enough free hours for him reasonably to do so. In private conversations, some of my friends have made the point that fewer evenings and late nights than work day shifts, which is presumably true. However, I countered with "If the aim is to lower the number of people frequenting such establishments, then allow those places to open only, say, 8:30 A.M.-11:30 A.M. and 1:30 P.M.-4:30 P.M.. The places could still be open 6 hours each day -- but virtually all day-shift workers would be unable to visit those venues, other than on their holidays.

It was also brought up during the Cabinet meeting that such a draconian move would have tremendous negative economic effects on people who own and work in such venues; in fact, the Prime Minister himself is said to have mentioned this point.

In the end, the decision was not to make a decision, but to refer the matter to a committee for further study. Those of us opposed to such a proposal can only hope that for it to be sent to committee has the same effect here in Thailand as it has in bureaucracies the world over: it dies a quiet death. [Written Thursday, January 15, 2004]

On Friday I went to the Immigration Bureau to seek an extension of my current visa. Just before I departed from Washington Square, a guy I know told me he had been there earlier that day for the same reason, but was 1 day late applying.

In the past -- as recently as about 10 days ago -- the policy was to chastise one a bit and do a little paperwork, but one was forgiven the 200-baht/day fine.

No more. I confirmed with an Immigration visa officer that anyone reporting to the Immigration Bureau even just 1 day late will have to pay the fine, with no exceptions. I asked him about people departing at the airport; he said in that instance, it is handled on a case-by-case basis, though he gave no particulars.

While on the subject, I want to mention how very much better Immigration is today than it was when I first arrived a decade ago. The service is courteous, efficient, and user-friendly. We need to keep in mind that the officers with whom we deal are simply doing their jobs, not making policy, so our unhappiness with various rules ought not be directed at them -- it's certainly not their doing, much less their fault. I made it a point to mention to one of the officers how much I and other long-time resident foreigners here appreciate the dramatic improvement in the services. [Written Sunday, January18, 2004]

In a recent column I said I supposed this building will be a hotel. A regular reader told me it in fact is going to be a dual-purpose building housing serviced apartments and office space -- and he should know, since his company is moving office there.

As I've mentioned a number of times, construction continues apace. Coming back from Immigration I came up Sukhumvit Soi 22 from Rama IV Road and noticed yet another new apartment tower under construction about mid-soi. I just hope fears of a real-estate bubble prove unfounded, but I suspect they well may not so prove -- when the bubble bursts (again). [Written Sunday, January 18, 2004]

Anecdotes from people returning (or visiting from) the U.S. indicate the new fingerprinting and photographing of people at American ports of entry are causing lengthy delays in getting processed through; times averaging 3 to 4 hours are being reported.

I heard one report that a large crowd of Brazilians demonstrated against the new U.S. procedures, though I've not seen anything about such an incident in any news media (which may have been there but I missed). I assume the demonstration, if it occurred, was also in support of the Brazilian government's retaliatory move made in protest of these new U.S. measure, indicating Americans will undergo the same treatment upon arrival in Brazil.

I do know Thai friends, including ones who've never been to the U.S. nor have any intention of ever going there, object strenuously to the blanket nature of the policy. I myself wonder if the procedures include, say, infants or others who are glaringly obviously not a security threat. While I agree with the basic premise that any nation has the right and responsibility to protect its citizens and visitors, I also am unconvinced that my government needs to be quite so draconian.

We'll just have to see how this all plays out -- the effectiveness itself of the measures, and the reaction from our friends around the world. [Written Sunday, January 18, 2004]

I just learned that at least 1 branch of Kasikorn Bank (formerly named "Thai Farmer Bank") is open on Sundays, the Bangkapi branch located on the corner of Sukhumvit Road and Sukhumvit Soi 33.

This particularly branch is innovative in its presentation. It shares its ground floor with a Starbucks Coffee outlet, making it more pleasant to do banking business involving waiting (as much such business does), at least for those who like good coffee. A friend just told me the bank is open 11:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M. every Sunday, a real boon for those who have to work 6 days a week.

Banking in Thailand remains creaky compared to more developed places such as Singapore and Hongkong, both of which offer top-quality, world-class banking services, but that's as much due to antiquated banking laws as it is inadequate management (though the latter is a real problem).

But Kasikorn Bank is to be credited for both the novel sharing of its premises and its Sunday opening. [Thai visitors can see the Thai-language site here. [Written Sunday, January 18, 2004]

I recently paid a visit to the soi's newst bar, The Blue Parrot. This bar is located on the sub-soi runing alongside The Wall Street Bar, which is situated directly on Soi 33.

I'm going to have to visit the bar again to develop any true impression. The time I went there, which was in early evening, I was the only customer, and the service was merely adequate. The physical facility was nicely done, though there is nothing to make it stand out. But maybe on another visit it will prove to be livelier than it was my first visit.

I haven't been to Nana Plaza at night in about 1½ years, but close friend go there regularly. They report that on the whole, business appears to be declining there, though certain bars retain their loyal -- and large -- followings. One friend told me just yesterday that he was down there Friday night as was positively shocked by the change since he last visited the Kingdom 2 years ago. And just today an acquaintance told me he was there last night and was astounded to find the once-teeming Carousel A-Go-Go was devoid of customers and had only 1 dance on-stage.

Converting the cark park into an area for open-air beer bars seemed to make sense for the landlord -- but not for bar owners; walking into and out of the plaza is something of a pain, since you have to navigate your way around a bunch of cookie-cutter beer bars.

I guess the ongoing "social order crusade" is having its effects. Whether those effects are good or not remains open to debate. [Written Sunday, January 18, 2004]

I haven't checked gold prices in quite awhile, but I did just now, and was shocked to see the current rate to buy gold is 7,800 baht per baht. (A baht is 15.16 grams, or just over 1/2 troy ounce.) When I bought the sole gold ring I own 2 years ago, I paid 5,600 baht per baht for the gold itself, so the current price is precisely 50% more, in baht currency terms, than it was that recently. In dollar terms, it's even greater. When I bought the gold, the price was the equivalent of about US$125; today's rate equals about US$206.60 -- a 60% increase, in U.S. dollar terms. (I'm kicking myself for not going through with the idea I had to buy about 50 baht of 1-baht gold ingots back when I bought my ring; my US$6,250 investment would be worth about US$10,330 today. In fact, if I had had the slightest idea that the dollar was going to plunge against the Thai baht and that Thai gold prices were going into the stratosphere, I would have bought maybe 500 baht weight in gold, not just 50. (Hey, I'm as greedy as the next guy!)

As it turned out, I bought a single 1-baht ingot. Sigh. At least it\s worth 2300 baht more than I paid for it! [Written Sunday, January 18, 2004]

Trink has his own website now at http://idontgiveahoot.com, for people who like his "Nite Owl" column. It is a subscription-vased site, one which costs US$12 per year.

I haven't checked it out yet, so can't say how it's doing. I reckon he might make some decent money, given that he had 30,000 hits a week when he was till doing the column for The Bangkok Post, even if he wins over only 2,000 -- which, granted, will take some time and is perhaps a wishful figure -- that would amount to US$24,000 for him.

Another story we'll just have to follow to see how it turns out. [Written Sunday, January 18, 2004]

The Banana Bar in Q.P.P. has closed its doors yet again. I haven't found out what's behind this latest closure, but have come to expect it of that particular venue, given that it has closed numerous bars ever since its initial opening. If history is any indication, it'll re-open yet again under new management. [Written Sunday, January 18, 2004]

Comments Again Invited: Khun Ae Number Two
Interested in Feedback on Her Photo Galleries

The subject of my most recently added photo galleries has taken a keen interest in reactions from you to those galleries; this link will take you to the 3 sets of photos here to date.

Having known Khun Ae for several years, I am not exactly the most neutral assessor of the quality of her pictures, though I sure can't see how anyone could ever claim her to be unattractive!

Please feel free to browse through her galleries and send her an e-mail: MekhongKurt@BangkokAtoZ.com -- subject = Khun Ae Number Two.

Khun Ae has already gracefully agreed to let me add more photos of her over the coming weeks and months, so her fans can be looking forward to seeing those. [Written Sunday, January 18, 2004]

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