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"The Rounds"
* * * * * * * * * * Headlines Upcoming Activities at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand Welcome Rains Come to Parts of Thailand Interesting Story about the Atlanta Hotel in Bangkok Encouraging Story in Al-Jazeera Newspaper Bernard Trink Still Around -- on the Internet American Citizen Services Unit to Visit Udorn Thani March 25th Korean National Dish Kimchi May Help Fight Avian Flu Lazy Mango Book Store in Siem Reap, Cambodia Closes Worrisome Report from English Scientists about Another Quake "On a Wing and a Prayer": Riding in an F-14 * * * * * * * * * * Note: Though I didn't get very much feedback on my experimental design changes in the last edition of this column (about 15-16 people commented), all but 2 not only didn't like it but actually disliked it a LOT. And 1 of the 2 who gave positive responses was pretty lukewarm! Back to the drawing board, and meanwhile back to the former appearance. Oh, well . . . * * * * * * * * * *
Upcoming Activities at the
The FCCT sent out a notice of more activities scheduled
over the coming weeks, so I wanted to send it along to you. Unusually, I
couldn't open the attachment to get price information, but you can call the FCCT
at the number shown below.
The Foreign Correspondents' Club
of Thailand (FCCT) [Tuesday, March 15, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Welcome Rains Come to Parts of Thailand Yesterday I was startled to get up and see it was cloudy had had sprinkled a bit of rain. Today, mid-morning brought a fairly heavy, if brief, rain, and remains cloudy with more rain forecast at least through tomorrow for the Bangkok area. Curious, I went to The Weather Channel web site and checked about 15 cities across the Northeast, North, and Central Plains, then checked another 5-6 from Hua Hin south to Hat Yai. In the upper Northeast, North, and Central Plains rains are predicted through at least tomorrow, with more rains in the long-range forecast for next week. South of here, rains are predicted for next Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. This is good news, given the drought (though yesterday's papers say the government is now saying some provincial authorities overstated the case in an effort to tap into national coffers), but even so, those same reports mentioned a dam in the Northeast behind which the water has gotten so low that the structure is in danger of damage. I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping rain continues over a good while, in moderation. With China building a series of dams along the Mekhong River inside that country, water supplies to the Mekhong riverine countries are uncertain, at best. In Thailand's case, that means the eastern reaches of the North and all of the Northeast are especially at risk. Some people with whom I was talking about the drought situation yesterday complained that some of the problems are self-inflicted, in the form of deforestation in particular, but there's no short-term solution for that. For now, my guess is the best that can be hoped is that we have some steady rain. Meanwhile, the current weather situation is pleasant. It's overcast, but not now (about 12:30 P.M.) overcast -- and the temperature is an astonishingly pleasant 27 degrees Celsius/81 degrees Fahrenheit. Love it! By the way, you can get The Weather Channel free Desktop Weather service that is really good. Upon installation an icon is put in the right end of your toolbar that shows the current temperature for the city you select (whenever you're connected to the Internet, that is.) You can click on the icon and get a larger picture that gives a number of pieces of useful information: cloudiness, current temperature and apparent temperature, today's high and tonight's low, chance of precipitation, wind speed and direction, current barometric pressure, and today's sunrise and sunset times. There are tabs leading to other services, including online weather maps (though the maps are far better for the U.S. than they are for the rest of the world) and the 12-hour forecast in 3-hour increments. There's even a paid version of the program The Weather Channel calls "Platinum" at US$29.99 per year. I've been using the free version for less than a week, but have found it more accurate than forecasts in the local newspapers and on CNN. [Wednesday, March 16, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Interesting Story about the Atlanta Hotel in Bangkok The Atlanta Hotel in Bangkok in Sukhumvit Soi 2 is one I've known for years does exist, but I've never been there and knew little more than it does exist. But now I'm going to make it a point to visit. A friend in the U.S. sent me a link to an interesting story about the Atlanta Hotel in the March 13, 2005 edition of the online LA Times headlined "Civilized oasis in wild Bangkok." I had no idea a budget hotel could be so grand. (You have to sign up for free with the LA Times.) Nor did I no such a hotel could be so cultured and culturally sensitive to a degree one familiar with Bangkok expects only in top-end hotels such as the famed Mandarin Oriental. Despite the hotel's budget status -- rooms start at THB330 per night for a fan-cooled room or a 2-room suite on the 3rd and 4th floors -- it is just such a place. An air-conditioned 2-bedroom suite starts at just THB1,300 per night for up to 4 people; up to an additional 3 people 12 years old or older can stay for THB150, with a maximum of 7 people allowed. Additional children under 12 years old can stay for an incredible THB75 per night, up to the suite's capacity. And these are suites on the 1st and 2nd floors. (The rates for additional people is the same no matter what kind of room you want.) Payment is accepted in cash, in Thai baht only; no credit cards are accepted. Payment must be made for each day (or more) in advance; no credit is extended. They don't have an e-mail address, and only in unusual cases accept telephone reservations; confirmation is made only by either return fax or airmail. But back to the information in the story. For starters, the story reports that near the front door there are 2 noteworthy signs. One reads "This is the place you're looking for if you know it. If you don't, you'll never find it." Nearby is a much more in-your-face sign that reads "Sex tourists not welcome."
Considering that the hotel is very
near the flesh center Nana Plaza, located just one soi over, this is indeed
remarkable. Most hotels are what sex tourists call "guest friendly" -- but
clearly the Atlanta Hotel is not. As they openly state on their web
site, "Run on conservative principles and imperiously heedless of fashions
and trends, It's definitely worth going through the newspaper's registration process. Once you've done so, the easiest way to get back to the story (which has an interminably long URL), the easiest thing to do is to come back to this story and click on the link above. I most assuredly plan to go stay a night or two -- only guests are allowed into the restaurant or to wander around except in special cases or with permission from staff at the front desk. [Wednesday, March 16, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Encouraging Story in Al-Jazeera Newspaper An interesting story about a meeting of around 150 Islamic and Coptic Christian leaders in Egypt is in today's online edition of the increasingly well known Al-Jazeera newspaper under the headline "Interfaith dialogue opens in Egypt;" attendees come from 5 Arab countries. What's most interesting is that the religious leaders are presenting a unified front by stressing common facets of Islamic and Coptic Christian teachings. While the story does not indicate whether any of the attendees condemned terrorism, it is to be hoped that they will. In any case, to stress the shared teachings of religions in itself is an step in the right direction. Separately, a friend told me yesterday he read in the news media that a small group of Muslims in the Middle East were reported to have openly rejected terrorism, as have leaders of the Islamic community in Spain to mark the first anniversary of the train bombings in that country a year ago. The community in Spain went so far as to issue a fatwah against Osama bin-Laden. Now, that is good news! [Wednesday, March 16, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Bernard Trink Still Around -- on the Internet Many of you will recall Bernard Trink and his famous, if controversial, column "Nite Owl." Well, both he and his column live on -- on the Internet. After being quite unceremoniously dumped by the Bangkok Post at the end of 2003, Trink dropped out of sight for awhile, presumably to regroup. There are those, of course, who never liked him, so were happy to see the last of him. But his column attracted about 30,000 visitors each week -- and that was just to the paper's web site. Some of those readers read him just to write letters to the editor complaining about him, others to complain that in the last few years the column ran in the paper it went down in quality, in those writers' opinions. Even some of his fiercest critics were dismayed by Trink's cavalier handling the management at the paper. Trink re-surfaced about a year ago with his own web site. At first he was soliciting US$12 per year for access to his column archives, but at the end of January this year he changed it to free; now all one has to do is sign up for free so you can log in. Those of you interested can see Trink's web site and the archived stories there at http://www.idontgiveahoot.net -- and notice the extension is ".net," not ".com" as the latter takes you to an entirely unrelated site. [Thursday, March 17, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Former Microsoft executive Paul Wood ran the China outpost of the monolithic software company until a few years ago. Then he got a real mission: to help bring educational opportunities to some of the most disadvantaged countries in this region. Room to Read is the result. A charity organization that teams up with local communities to provide libraries and schools and to outfit them with books and computers, and to give scholarships to girls in the countries involved, the organization has been an astonishing success in the 4 countries in which it currently operates: India, Nepal, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Wood and his organization have earned -- and merited -- many accolades, including for Wood himself being most recently named one of the Asian Heroes of the Year by the Asian edition of TIME Magazine late last year. Again, by the way. (The link takes you to the TIME article about him.) I know. As a former university instructor for years in Asia, I'm prejudiced. But hey, here is a guy who when he was south of 40 years old gave up a most excellent job to try to do something for the less fortunate. I'm considerably older than Wood is, and can only wish I had ever done even a tiny fraction of what he and his dedicated teams have done. I am not affiliated with Room to Read at this point, though I'll say outright I e-mailed the organization earlier this week offering to help in whatever way I can. But whether my offer is taken up or not, I will continue to support the organization. A lack of society-wide education in countries across Asia (and other parts of the world) is a major inhibitor of those nations' development. The proof can be found in countries such as India, which has worked on developing an educated group of computer software and hardware experts -- who have stolen the march on competitors in the West. Indian programmers, software developers, and hardware technical experts are second to none -- at a fraction of the cost of the brethren in numerous other countries. The efforts of Room to Read are more broadly based than single sectors, but that is a strength, not a weakness; after all, no one sector can pull the majority of its society up all alone. If you wonder if I'm whistling in the wind, do, say a Google search for the organization. I just did (again) and got over 28,000 returns. Then read however many of the stories you need to read to be able to decide for yourself if this is a worthy organization. I bet you will decide it to be so. In light of the many travails plaguing various parts of the continent, efforts such as these are heartening to learn about. Not because Wood is a Westerner; that's a happenstance of biological history. There are plenty of Asians doing equally good things for their home continent. Even so, there is considerable noteworthy selflessness in Wood's choosing an entirely different part of the world than his own to help (a statement meant in no way to denigrate the laudable efforts of Asians to help their own home). So what's my goal in wanting to do something to assist? Well, life has been plenty darned good to me, so -- why not try to give a little back? Payback doesn't always have to be a bitch. I lack on-the-ground expertise in any of the countries in which Room to Read currently operates, but I do have some experience in Thailand, China, and Macau; maybe that expertise could be put to good use in one of those places. Or maybe there is something I could do for or in one of the organization's current countries not requiring local knowledge. [Thursday, March 17, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * The budget airline Air Asia (English-language site; other languages are available from the page) has a limited but excellent fare on offer for travel to Xiamen, China (known in the past as "Amoy,") located on mainland China's southeast coast during the period April 5, 2005 to October 29, 2005. The 1-way fare is 1,899 baht ++, and there are only 8,888 seats being sold at this price, which took effect at midnight last night (Thursday night). There are some caveats to keep in mind, especially if you normally fly business or first class. First of all, the actual amount you will pay will be considerably more than shown because of added (but unlisted) charges. For example, a friend flew Bangkok-Penang-Bangkok about 2 months ago; the advertised fare for a return ticket was 1,398 baht. In the event, he paid about 2,900 baht -- still an excellent bargain, but a bit over twice the rate blared in newspaper ads here. Secondly, each passenger is restricted to one piece of luggage, and must carry it for check-in himself/herself. Thirdly, though food on such relatively short flights isn't much of a concern to many of us, passengers do need to know there is no free food and beverage service; food and drinks are available, for a charge. Fourthly, due to the fact the airline flies the Boeing 737-300 aircraft exclusively, at least at Don Muang Airport here in Bangkok the airline's aircraft cannot arrive at the actual terminal -- they're too small, I gather, for the Skywalks to reach them. That means you'll report to what be termed a "staging gate" to be bussed out onto the tarmac where the plane is parked, then on landing be bussed to the terminal at the destination. (The jet carries 148 passengers in one class.) Finally, though I have no recent input about this, those people I know who have flown Air Asia have all mentioned the late -- sometimes very late -- flights; in one friend's case, both his outbound and return flights ran about 5 hours late, according to him. But all of these are relatively minor drawbacks for travelers on a budget and who have flexible schedules (the latter to accommodate the uncertainties of actual departure and arrival times). Even for those who aren't so concerned about these matters, why pay far more on a regular airline? For instance, I can fly Bangkok Airway to Phnom Penh from Bangkok for something over 8,000 baht (return), while the exact same flight on Thai International runs around 10,000 baht (return), and since I can get a free meal on both flights, and have to be bussed to and from the terminal in Phnom Penh in both airlines' case, it's hardly worth it to me to pay around 2,000 baht more for a flight no more comfortable that offers as its sole advantages no bussing and free alcoholic beverages. Here's the e-mail I got from the airline:
Interested? -- then my bet is you better book soon! [Friday, March 18, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Impact Arena is one of Bangkok's premier exhibition and events centers, and has a continuous stream of a wide variety of events. I read on line about one event starting today, Thailand Expo 2005, and decided to explore the venues web site. The Impact Arena Events Page is clear, concise, and informative of the many events taking place there throughout this year. There is everything from expositions to Disney on Ice to rock concerts. There's an excellent map page for Impact Arena offering 3 different maps, each covering a different-sized area than the other 2. There also is a transportation page listing what buses are available to reach Impact Arena, (and from where); it also provides details of on-site shuttle buses, taxis, limousines, and the arena's own shuttle services (on trade days) from various points around the city. Curiously, neither the Skytrain nor subway routes are shown; both could save you some time, though neither go all the way to Impact Arena. The map does show the State Railways of Thailand line running north to Don Muang Airport, but it does not show the small station at the airport -- and taking the train there also can save you some time if you're anywhere near the main station at Hualamphong. There are 12 trains daily of various classes, the earliest leaving at 6:00 A.M. and the latest leaving at 9:30 P.M. Fares range from 20 baht to 120 baht above and beyond the basic ticket price, which ranges from 5 baht to 21 baht, the extra fare depending on the train class, ticket class, and day of travel. (This service is also handy if you are going to or arriving at Don Muang Airport and time is important.) In any case, if you live here or are planning a visit, it's worthwhile to check out what's on at the arena. [Friday, March 18, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * American Citizen Services Unit to Visit Udorn Thani March 25th I received an e-mail from the ACS Unit at the U.S. Consulate here in Beijing awhile back announcing an upcoming visit to Udorn Thani to offer services to U.S. citizens in the area. Here's the e-mail I received: The
Consular Section of the American Embassy in Bangkok wishes to inform you of an
upcoming Embassy consular visit to the Udorn area. Consular staff will be
available to provide consular services to resident American citizens on
Friday, March 25th, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Charoensri Grand Hotel,
Udorn. The following consular services will be available: The
U.S. Embassy Consular Section is located at 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330,
Thailand (Nearest BTS Skytrain station: Phloen Chit) As always, I suggest all U.S. citizens in the Kingdom for extended periods to sign up for the free e-mail notification service the ACS Unit offers. [Friday, March 18, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Korean National Dish Kimchi May Help Fight Avian Flu I know, I know -- such a claim seems absurd on the face of it. For those of you not familiar with the dish, it is made by fermenting cabbage with red peppers, radishes, and lots of garlic and ginger. The first time I ate it (or had even heard of it) was when I arrived in The Middle Kingdom nearly 20 years ago. To say I approached the fiery dish with suspicion and caution is an understatement; I already knew how it was made and what its ingredients were, and was singularly unenthusiastic about eating it, but since courtesy in China require one to try at least one bite, even a tiny one, of everything. I was an instant convert. Now, not all Westerners react the same way; some refuse to even try it, some on the basis of it's a fermented dish (so are some Western ones) -- even if those same people devour tofu with glee, which is fermented soybeans. Others object to the spices, despite their love of flame-hot Mexican dishes, Portuguese dishes, Mozambican and other African national cuisines, etc. I read about this in the BBC World Online Asia-Pacific edition in a story headlined "Korean dish 'may cure bird flu'." Some researchers in Seoul feed a kimchi extract to 13 infected chickens -- and a week later 11 of them started to recover. Though to have this result in so few birds is scientifically insignificant, it does suggest further research is called for. Who knows, perhaps a cure (or better still, a preventative vaccine) can be developed. I surely hope so. While the direct human cost has been fairly low, the disruption of daily life has been widespread and extensive every time there has been an outbreak of the disease, as has been the panic. The researchers were careful to point out that they haven't the faintest idea what might have led to the recoveries. Therefore, even if the results aren't a mere statistical fluke, research will have to be done to establish just what it is about the extract they used that worked. Let's all keep our fingers crossed. Heck, I love chicken in just about any form as much as I love kimchi, but I'm very hesitant to eat it except in places I know prepare it at sufficient temperatures for sufficient lengths of time to make sure any traces of the dread disease are eliminated. And I don't like being so hesitant -- after all, I'm from Texas -- and one of our "national dishes" is Southern fried chicken! [Friday, March 18, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Lazy Mango Book Store in Siem Reap, Cambodia Closes The Lazy Mango Book Store in Siem Reap, the town associated with the World Heritage Anghor Wat, closed recently. The book shop was owned by Don, who also owns and runs Dasa Book Cafe on Sukhumvit Road just east of Sukhumvit Soi 26 (on the inbound side of Sukhumvit), a little over a short block from The Emporium. In fact, Don operated the shop in Cambodia before he came to Thailand early last year to open a second shop and to try to get a more comfortable lifestyle than he was able to get in Siem Reap. I've written about before Dasa Book Cafe and am rather shame-faced I have yet to visit it, despite it being only a block from my home. Any lover of books will understand why I'm sorry it turned out to be too big a task for Don to shuttle back and forth between the 2 locations (though he's been based in Bangkok since moving here.) For people here in Bangkok who want to pick up second-hand books, Dasa Book Cafe is an excellent choice with over 10,000 titles in stock. Friends of mine have been there and say the selection is excellent -- as are the coffee and desserts available. Give the shop a try; I plan to do so over the weekend. [Friday, March 18, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Worrisome Report from English Scientists about Another Quake Scientists at the University of Ulster in the U.K. have written in the respected British journal Nature there is, in their opinion, a strong possibility of a follow-up quake in the region. The article is not available in Nature online (at least not for free reading -- I didn't check further). I learned about this while reading BBC World Online Asia-Pacific edition in an article headlined "New Asian quake threat warning." There is disagreement in the scientific community about whether the warning is merited. But since the scientists have gone public, I decided it's better to give people the resources to read the story and decide for themselves if they need be concerned. Even the scientists making the claim a 7.0-7.5 earthquake and a 8.0-8.5 seaquake state they have no idea when such quakes might occur, making predictions based on the scientific evidence they examined impossible. But evidence they give of follow-up quakes elsewhere do give reason for one to pause and reflect. It also adds urgency to the need to establish an effective Indian Ocean early-warning system. Your call. Mine is to stay put; Bangkok wasn't affected anyway. [Friday, March 18, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * "On a Wing and a Prayer": Riding in an F-14 This isn't a story about any place in particular, but it is a story of universal appeal to people everywhere. Rick Reilly, a writer for the popular U.S. sports magazine Sports Illustrated, got invited by the U.S. Navy to take a ride in the back seat of an F-14 fighter jet, a formidable piece of military hardware. Reilly writes a hilarious yet thoughtful account of people who "push the envelope" -- test themselves to the limit, often in service to their countries, other times in search of sheer adventure. His ride is about people in the former category. I got the story in an e-mail -- sans title -- and had difficulty tracking down the link to the original Sports Illustrated story, but after 30-40 minutes of searching, I located it. The story is headlined "On a Wing and a Prayer" is both humorous as Reilly essentially makes fun of himself for his reaction to his ride with a pilot who took him through all sorts of high-speed aerobatics and precision combat maneuvers. If you're not both laughing mightily but also thinking soberly about the things people like fighter pilots and others like them go through routinely . . . well, you're a lot different from most folks I've ever known. Read it, and enjoy. It's one of the best such articles I've ever read. [Friday, March 18, 2005] * * * * * * * * * * Enough for one go . . . Until next time -- Mekhong Kurt * * * * * * * * * * E-mail Change Notification Sign-up Sign-up here for e-mail notification when I add or change something on the site. Just go to the sign-up page. * * * * * * * * * * 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* "Traveler's Tale"???
Got a "Traveler's Tale"?
-- send me a line! Just send me a *query* note at * * * * * * * * * * Linking to BangkokAtoZ.com If anyone reading this has a website and want to link it to 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).
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Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005 by Kurt T. Francis, except as noted otherwise. Materials by Christopher G. Moore, Dean Barrett, Richard K. Diran, Sonia Pressman Fuentes, and Hardy Stockmann are copyrighted © by those respective authors. All rights reserved. Please see the Copyright Notice for further information. Click here for our Privacy Statement Please direct all inquiries to mekhongkurt@bangkokatoz.com |
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