"The Rounds" December 26, 2003

Doug Harrison, owner of The Bourbon Street Restaurant-Boutique Hotel and The Courtyard Restaurant sent me an announcement about the New Year's Eve buffet he will be offering at both restaurants New Year's Eve from 7:00 P.M. on. Below is his menu and the location and contact information

Starter of Shrimp Cocktail
With
Choice of
Oyster & Artichoke Soup or Crawfish Bisque
and
Salmon Florentine
or
Grilled Lamb Chops
or
Crab Cakes
and
Pecan Pie a la Mode
or
Cajun Bread Pudding with Bourbon Whiskey Sauce
595++
plus our regular menu
250 Baht++ under 12

9 Somerset Suwan Park View, Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Rd.
Tel. 0-2658-5678

Best Regards,
Doug

BOURBON ST. Bar & Restaurant and BOUTIQUE HOTEL
http://www.bourbonstbkk.com
Tel. 66-2-259-0328/9 Fax.- 259-4318, 259-4317
29/4-6 Sukhumvit Soi 22
Washington Square
BANGKOK 10110 THAILAND

The Courtyard
#9 Soi Tonson in
The Somerset Building

Texas Lone Staar to Host Locally-
Based Canadian Author Christopher G.
Moore and Offer a Free New Year's Eve Buffet

George Pipas, proprietor of the Texas Lone Staar in Bangkok's Washington Square (Sukhumvit Road at Sukhumvit Soi 22) is offering a repeat of his Christmas buffet by hosting another one New Year's Eve at 3:00 P.M. While the food is free, he does ask you buy at least one drink, which is perfectly reasonable thing to ask. Some of you may have seen the "Farang Affairs" column in The Nation yesterday that had an item criticizing Cheap Charlies who go into a place, in this instance one offering free food, then order nothing more than a glass of water. I remember once the astonishment we all felt at one of George's regular Saturday free lunches when 4 young strangers came in, ordered 4 glasses of water and the food -- beef brisket, which George does *most* excellently -- then proceeded to swallow the entire lot right down. And then they had the audacity to complain to the manageress about the quality of the food and the meager portions, both nonsensical complaints, and utterly unfair and unjustified. Every owner I've ever known who offers free *anything* is doing so for 2 reasons: first, to try to expand the establishment's customer base; and, second, as a reward for regulars.

In any case, Author Christopher G. Moore will be on hand 2:30-4:00 P.M. with copies of his latest work, Waiting for the Lady, as well as some of his other works, all available at deeply discounted prices. Chris also will autograph the books, if you like.

Those of you unfamiliar with Chris's work ought to drop around. I'm a huge fan of his writing, especially his "Smile" series and his Vincent Calvino one. He's currently working on the 7th in the latter series. And Chris is a really nice man, one of the most gentlemanly individuals it has ever been my pleasure to know. [Written Saturday, December 20, 2003]

Note: George's Christmas Eve feast went very nicely, with droves of patrons in attendance. I don't know how in the world George makes his turkeys so moist, but he does. Everything was simply scrumptious. [Written Thursday, December 25, 2003]

Perplexingly, the Thai baht continues to strengthen against the U.S. dollar. Just yesterday (Friday the 19th) a friend of mine changed some dollars and got 39.28 baht to the dollar -- about a full baht stronger than it was just a few weeks ago, and about 4 baht above where it stood at its latest weak point some months back.

There is more than one reason this is confusing, especially to those of us (including me) who are untrained in the complexities of macro-economics. A stronger baht makes exports less competitive (while of course making imports cheaper, true). It also makes it more expensive for foreign tourists to visit Thailand, and for foreign businesses to carry on business here, at least in the context of starting a business -- and that assumes the company's income will be generated in Thai baht, not a foreign currency (especially the U.S. dollar, at the moment).

There are some specific concerns as well. Rumblings regarding the health of the property market are gradually increasing in both volume and scope, according to numerous media reports; some fear another property bubble that could burst and plunge the country into another nose-dive, a la 1997, when Thailand gained the unwanted "glory" of leading the economic collapse that followed around the region. And that earlier collapse resulted, in part, as I understand it, from an out-of-control real-estate sector. Easy consumer credit -- too easy? -- is another concern. It seems just about anyone with an income not that far above bare subsistence can get a credit card or loan, raising fears ordinary consumers will get over their heads in debt, leading to an increase in personal bankruptcies. Related to this is the mess from commercial credit in the last collapse is far from cleaned up.

One of the most controversial and worrisome considerations is the 30-baht health scheme, which many consider to be unsustainable and ruinous. Friends who have far better contacts throughout the Thai community at large than I do say that before the scheme was introduced, most of their Thai friends were very supportive of the government, especially the Prime Minister himself. Now, they say, their friends are grumbling and worrying what the ultimate impact is going to be on the national economy. (There are other complaints about the government circulating, but as those don't relate to the economy, I'm skipping them here.)

Then there are factors probably beyond Thailand's control, most notably the policies of leaders in Beijing and Tokyo. Anecdotal evidence suggests the rate of foreign firms relocating out of Thailand to mainland China is increasing, as China strives to deal with both internal and external economic stresses, some of those stresses enormous ones. Leaders in both capitals politely but firmly refused U.S. President Bush's request for what came down to currency manipulation. China is rushing to lower barriers to foreign investment, even to foreign retirees wanting to go there to live -- while Thailand is upping the bar, especially regarding financial requirements. And if you get, say, 20,000 foreigners relocating out of Thailand to places such as China, the Philippines, etc., they're going to be taking their incomes or pensions with them. Even if the average of all those salaries and pensions is a rather modest US$20,000, that's a lot of money -- US$ 400 million. And I'd guess just about any government would consider that a respectable amount of change.

I just hope the policy makers do in fact know what they're doing and where the economic road is leading -- and that it leads to a strong, stable economy for the people of Thailand. [Written Saturday, December 20, 2003]

I got a nice e-mail from well-known Ken Bowers, who lives in San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A. and is married to Khun Lat; Ken served at the U-tapao Air Base during the Vietnam War. He wrote about another American, Gene Ponce, who is devoting his efforts to bringing together the offspring of Americans and their fathers.

Gene now lives here in Bangkok with his Thai wife, though I've never met them. He has built a database of about 100,000 names of Americans who served (both military and civilian personnel) in Thailand and elsewhere across Southeast Asia during the war. And he has had a number of successes. The Washington Post had a story about him in its December 17, 2003 edition that is excellent; you can read it here. Gene has his own website about his activities at http://amer-thai2001.tripod.com/gspresearch/. There's an e-mail address at the site for anyone interested in contacting him.

I really admire people like Gene. No doubt there are sad times for him, such as when he fails to locate a father, or locates him but he wants to leave the past buried, or discovers he is dead. But the times he succeeds in bringing together father and child must be soul-satisfying.

As soon as I finished reading Ken's e-mail, I read the newspaper story and looked at Gene's web site, then wrote him an e-mail to express my admiration of him and to invite him to speak to The Expats' Association of Thailand some time early next year.

Do visit Gene's site and if you agree his work is worthy, drop him a line and let him know. And if you know either an American father who would like to find his offspring or an Asian in search of his or her father from that era, let that person know about Gene's selfless efforts -- who knows, you might get the ball rolling down a path that leads to a happy reunion! [Written Monday, December 22, 2003]

The fine folks at http://Thaivisa.com have posted a new photo gallery of people and places here in Thailand, and some of the pictures are truly stunning. Each photo is clickable and leads to many more photos; click here to start viewing them. And if you're as impressed as I am with the gallery, let the people at Thaivisa.com know; just go to their contact form page at http://www.thaivisa.com/375.0.html.

Best of all, the photos come from site visitors, so if *you* have any photos you would like to share, you can do so; just go to the gallery and click away. [Written Monday, December 22, 2003]

I just received an e-mail from a friend in California containing a link to funny spoof photos of "The Beast of Baghdad" Saddam Hussein. You can see them here -- some are truly hilarious (except maybe to Saddam himself, that is!). [Written Monday, December 22, 2003]

A friend of mine who's a Thai police officer and has worked most of his career in Immigration told me the other day the rules have already changed for first-time applicants wanting a year-long visa based on their marriage to a Thai citizen and/or providing support to a Thai minor. Formerly, one had to show 200,000 baht in the bank, but he says that has now been raised to 800,000 baht. I just tried to visit the Immigration Bureau's web site to see if I could find any confirmation there, but the site is down. When I pointed out a mutual friend, an American, just quite recently renewed his "marriage visa" but had to show only 200,000 baht, my police officer buddy said anyone holding such a visa when the rules changed is grand-fathered (unless he lets his current visa expire).

If my friend is correct, then another bar for yet another category of visas has been raised, raised significantly. I myself know quite a few people who will be unable to meet such a lofty financial requirement.

I mentioned in a recent column that some countries in the region are loosening visa requirements. I've done a little research and was surprised to see the foreign spouse of a Philippine citizen is eligible (with nominal restrictions) to enter the country, essentially permanently with at least the first year fee-free, and ensuing years for a small annual fee. Even mainland China has before its State Council draft regulations to institute 2 types of residency visas, one for 3 years, the other for 5 years. (I couldn't figure out the difference.) I've *heard* the Beijing government is seriously considering granting retirement visas. And all these are available for people not ethnically Chinese. (When I was married to a Chinese national, I could stay there only on a tourist visa, unless I was working and had a work permit, so this is a huge change.) I understand Taiwan, Malaysia, and Indonesia are moving towards liberalizing their respective laws governing visas.

Back here in Thailand, there's even a rumor that some visa holders will be required to return to their country of origin to renew their visas. Easy enough for people from bordering countries, even other regional ones -- but a real pain in the neck for people from the Americas, Europe, Africa, etc. The rumor further holds that this regulation will be put into effect sometime in 2004.

I just can't see the benefit to the Kingdom, overall, of putting policies in place that make it quite difficult for a substantial number of foreigners to stay here -- in some cases, it is becoming impossible. [Written Monday, December 22, 2003]

Danish citizen Meinert Lynge Badstue Madsen, 53, wqas found dead in his condo last week. His body was covered with heavy blankets, and there was a plastic bag over his head and a telephone recharger wire wrapped around his neck; police said he had been dead at least 24 hours. For reasons unexplained in the article I read, the police are saying the death doesn't appear to be a murder, other than to say there were no signs of a struggle. But that seems peculiar to me -- at first blush I would think, if the report is accurate, that death by natural causes or by suicide would be remote possibilities, indeed. Have you ever heard of someone putting a plastic bag over his own head and drawing a telephone cord tightly around his own neck then reclining and having, say, a massive, fatal heart attack or stroke? Or of someone doing the same and choking himself to death???

Meinert used to live in Bangkok when I first arrived here a decade ago; he had the popular Odin's Restaurant in Sukhumvit Soi 22, a popular eatery offering huge portions of delicious food at very reasonable prices. His nickname was "Odin," and he looked the part of a Viking warrior, but I always liked him and found him to be very congenial. After he moved to Pattaya (he lost his restaurant's lease), I rarely saw him, as he seldom came to Bangkok. You can read more about his death here. [Written Monday, December 22, 2003]

United States Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has raised the threat level to "Code Orange," the second-highest alert level under the Department's color-coded threat levels. Published reports say he did so 2 days ago, on December 21st. Raising the threat level brings increased security measures across the country and at American facilities around the world.

This warning isn't relevant to citizens of other countries -- at first blush. But just how does one identify an American solely by looking? After all, America has a very diverse population, so citizens of other countries may be mistaken as Americans. Further, consider the World Trade Center -- a lot of people affected there weren't Americans at all; some were even Middle Easterners.

Secretary Ridge's comments are among the most specific I've heard since the Department was set up in the wake of 9/11. He mentioned an increase in intelligence intercepts of information indicating terrorists are seeking ways around security measures and hope to use airplanes in a more spectacular version of 9/11 than the original was. Those interested can read the Secretary's full remarks here. [Written Tuesday, December 23, 2003]

News sources say Prime Minister Thaksin has ordered a clampdown on people going to neighboring countries to gamble this holiday season. Apparently 3 video cameras have been installed at the Aranyapathet-Poi Pet border crossing into Cambodia, where there are a number of legal (under Cambodian law) casinos immediately beyond the border post. The P.M. added punters' winnings are subject to confiscation, presumably under currency control laws that limit the amount of cash that can be brought into and taken out of the Kingdom.

This edges pretty close to extraterritorial law enforcement. True, technically any currency offense occurs on Thai soil so is of course governed by Thai law. But it is the source of the money that clearly is what makes government officials unhappy; after all, people such as those at the government's Board of Investment are only too happy to arrange the inflow of scads of foreign investment money.

At least Thailand isn't out-and-out setting up extraterritorial jurisdiction over its nationals legally gambling in another country. Some countries in the world hold that their laws apply to their nationals' behavior -- anywhere in the world (including my own home country, the U.S.A.)

Gambling is the real issue here, of course. I've always been a bit confused by what seems to be to be a self-contradictory official attitude. On the one hand, the government itself has a twice-a-month lottery with winnings of up to 3 million baht possible, and this lottery is perfectly legal. Yet there have been strenuous efforts to stamp out the parallel underground lottery, rather than to legitimize and regulate it. Casinos are another source of conflict; some want them, others vehemently oppose them.

Though generalizations are always tricky and often wrong, it does appear that Thais, as a group, love gambling. And even if every type of public gambling were effectively eliminated and banned, my guess is our hosts would retreat to private homes and break out the deck of cards, dice, whatever -- and gamble. Short of establishing the most severe, draconian police state, I can't imagine any government ever being able to completely stop all gambling, and even then it would be extremely difficult to do.

It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. [Written Tuesday, December 23, 2003]

The Night Light Bar on Jomtien Beach Road in Jomtien, owned by the affable "KGB Howie," will see it's second anniversary this coming Saturday. Howie will be throwing a party that day in celebration both of the anniversary and of his own birthday. (Unsurprisingly, he won't say which birthday this one is!)

I and 2 friends will be traveling down that day to join the festivities, and I won't be surprised to see other Bangkok-based Old Thai Hands show up. Last year's party was a huge success, and Howie is getting as excited as a little boy the night before Christmas as the day draws nigh.

Howie has done a really good job of establishing the bar. It occupies one end of a short row of shophouses, so can be open on 1 side and the front. Sitting immediately adjacent to the road, it affords excellent views of the beach and sea just across the road. Howie has developed a loyal local following, and there are plenty of us from up this way who like to meander down once in awhile. His staff are all really nice and pay attention to service.

Howie also offers some excellent food, prepared in the bar's kitchen at the back. There is a pool table, CD player, and large television for patrons' entertainment. Of course, there are numerous drinks available, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

Howie invites one and all to drop around and say hello. [Written Tuesday, December 23, 2003]

Most of this month has seen the onset of the welcome cool season, and we're having the best one we've had in several years. While low temperatures haven't dipped as much as they did 2 or 3 times in 1999, they have been wonderfully cool. A few nights ago I awoke about 3:00 A.M. and thought I heard something on my balcony, so went out to check. Clad only in my underwear, the fairly strong breeze which greeted me got my attention real quick; had I stayed outside very long I imagine I would have been out-and-out shivering! And as best as I recollect, this is the longest cool season we've enjoyed since 1995 already. Daytime temperatures have been generally nice, too, sometimes not exceeding the low 80's (upper 20's, Celsius).

Last Saturday say the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars, a U.S. organization) celebrate Christmas with a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River here in Bangkok. Myself ineligible to attend, I did learn from some of the folks who did go that it was excellent, with delicious Thai food and live music.

There was a humorous footnote to the story. Two friends, the irrepressible "Bear" many of you know and "Las Vegas" Herb went in Bear's car to go down to the dock, with Bear's pleasant driver at the wheel. The driver had gotten directions from another driver, but boy oh boy, were they ever wrong -- they ended up somewhere WAY north of the Monchit Skytrain Station, well on the way to the airport. Of course, they [literally] missed the boat.

Determined to do something having to do with the river, they made their way back down to a riverside, open-air restaurant and enjoyed a feast there. They noticed the restaurant itself had a pier for the water taxis plying the Chao Phraya across to the Thonburi side, and resolved that by golly, they were going to get to ride a boat, even if just for a quick trip across the river and back, resolve strengthened by their having seen the VFW boat sailing by. Finished dining, they stepped over to the pier to buy a ticket on the next water taxi -- the schedule is one every few minutes, so they were untroubled by the fact that one was just then pulling away from the pier. But much to their chagrin, the ticket-seller apologetically told them that that boat -- the one just meters away, but far enough away it may as well been beyond the moon -- was the last one of the day.

I've heard of "missing the boat" but not missing the BOATS"! Bear and Herb, you really outdid yourselves, missing 2 boats in a single evening!!! [Written Tuesday, December 23, 2003]

Discount Airlines Taking to Regional
Skies; Thai International Gets a wake-Up Call

I wrote recently about one of the carriers below already, but want to update the information and add news about 2 more discount carriers.

First is Air Asia, which currently connects Phuket and Bangkok to destinations in Malysia. The fare between Phuket and Kuala Lumpur is about 5,580 baht (return ticket), while the fare between Bangkok and Johor Bahru is about 100 baht less than that -- according to the airline's web site. (Johor Bahru is in the far south of Malaysia, just opposite Singapore, so is quite a distance from Phuket.)

Second is Sky Asia, Thai International's planned budget airline scheduled to take wing about April 1, 2004. I couldn't find a web site for the airline, nor could I find anything about Sky Asia on Thai's own website. When the airline does release information, it'll be meeting with some stiff competition. I did

Third is Orient Thai Airlines. They've got a nifty map of their routes at http://www.orient-thai.com/web/routes.html. If you take a look, you can see that some of the routing that includes a stop-over is a bit weird; for example, one can reach Kuala Lumpur from Bangkok -- via Singapore! One vital bit of information isn't on the web site: air fares, with one exception: the airlines ran a special from December 3rd, but it ends tomorrow, the 24th, on its 4 daily flights to Chiang Mai, the fare (one way) running a dirt-cheap 999 baht on it's widely publicized One 2 Go promotion. Just under 2,000 baht for a return ticket between Bangkok and the Northern Capital is REALLY cheap, weighing in at just under half Thai Airways web site price of 4,340 baht for the same route. I don't know what Orient Thai's fare will be after the 24th, but they have vowed to beat Thai Airways.

All in all, regional air travel is being transformed. Further afield from Thai skies -- for the moment -- are some other discount carriers are in the making, including a joint venture between Singapore Airlines and Europe's Ryanair called Tiger Air, set for a 2004 launch. It will compete head-to-head with ValuAir, set for a June, 2004 launch. Then there's Richard Branson's Virgin Blue, his Ausralia-based carrier, where it has an extensive network of routes. It's international arm, Pacific Blue, will soon be serving destinations in New Zealand, and knowing what a go-getter Branson is, I'm betting it won't be long until his gaze falls in this direction. (He already has an interest in 4 radio stations here in Bangkok under his Virgin Entertainment company, including the popular Smile Radio 105 FM, which is broadcast from its studios atop the Emporium.) Australia's main flag carrier Quantas has also announced plans to get into the budget airline business.

From where I sit, I think it's about time regional airfares became rational. Take the Bangkok-Vientiane route, for instance, currently served only by Thai International and Lao Air; the former's price is about 8,600 baht, compared to the latter's 6,500 or so baht (both are return fares). It's a 55-minute flight -- yet with some judicious shopping around, I can fly all the way to Singapore -- much further at about 2-1/2 hours away -- for less than 6,000 baht.

On the global scale, there are some vast inconsistencies. EVA Airline from Taiwan offers a Bangkok-Taipei-Los Angeles and back Economy Deluxe fare of less than 40,000 baht -- not bad, especially considering its unique Economy Deluxe is just a small step down from business class -- and a big step above regular economy. But the fare flying the other way around is just over double that. A friend of mine looked into a 1-way ticket from northern Florida in the U.S. to Bangkok with a major U.S. carrier and laughed when he was quoted a price of over US$2,700 -- for economy class at that!

Anyway, now that Thailand has declared a free-skies policy (which it did last year), we're virtually certain to see major changes that'll benefit us, the travelers, and see them sooner rather than later.

There's an insightful commentary in today's The Nation about the evolving Asian air industry here. [Written Tuesday, December 23, 2003]

Remember the embassy will be closed January 1-2 for New Year's. (This applies to U.S. embassies and consulates everywhere, as far as I know.) American citizens in need of assistance can telephone the ACS section directly at 02-205-4049 (24/7). You also can get current information at http://usa.or.th/embassy/acs.htm. [Written Tuesday, December 23, 2003]

I've just become aware of an attempt by some to have the United Nations be put in charge of the Internet. "What's the problem?", you ask? After all, the United Nations' own Universal Declaration of Human Rights says "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers" (Article 19). But hold on -- read a little further down, to Article 29, Section 3: "These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations." (See for yourself at the UN's own website, here.)

The very thought of the UN controlling the Internet scares me, and scares me badly. The argument that the U.S. "controls" the Internet is plain wrong; anyone with the hardware, software, knowledge, and a phone line can set up his own mini-Internet; after all, companies around the globe do with Intranets. The basic technology isn't classified, so that's not a problem, especially given that the oft-maligned "have" countries are often free ones which others can visit to acquire the physical materials and knowledge to set up an Internet -- assuming his or her home country has the telecommunications infrastructure to support it.

Some suggest for the UN to have control of the Internet would allow it to raise funds for its own operations. In the first place, governments already get more than enough treasure for their coffers from the Internet, thank you very much. While a sales tax, for example, has proven very controversial in many places, consider the *other* taxes arising directly and indirectly from the existence of the Internet and the hardware and software that drive it. There *are* sales taxes paid in many jurisdictions when we buy computers and peripherals, software, CD's, and so on. We often pay taxes for telephone service, as well as for ISP services. No, from my perspective there are already too many tax collectors holding out their hands -- I sure don't want another one, especially not one from the UN. People employed one way or the other at least in part because of the existence of the Internet pays income taxes.

Even if none of the above were true, anyone tries to convince me the UN is just the organization that ought to be in charge of arguably the most vital communication link there is will have a hard time of it. I flat don't see it, simply because the UN has proven to be a paper tiger, by and large.

There's also that little problem that crops up again and again in human history: human nature. Far too often, some people just cannot keep their grubby hands out of others' private affairs. I can just see the old men in Zhong Nan Hai -- the leadership residential compound in Beijing -- rubbing their hands in glee at the thought of having some measure of control over the Internet internationally (via the permanent seat on the UN Security Council the People's Republic of China holds). People of ill will can really muck things up: think Burma. Do you know that one has to have a government permit to have a fax machine there? -- and that it is a criminal offense to have one without said permit?

Am I arguing the Internet should be utterly lawless? -- no, I'm not. But nations already have the ability to act against anyone doing something wrong, however a particular nation's laws define "wrong." For example, if I send a death threat to you via the Internet, in a letter or note written on paper, via fax, etc., I can already be prosecuted (and rightly so) in any jurisdiction I've ever heard of. What do supporters want? -- for me to be hauled before a United Nations' court???

The UN has a bloated, inefficient bureaucracy. And the bureaucrats are all too often knowingly wasteful. An acquaintance of mine is involved in a UN aid agency; he once told me his biggest ongoing battle is fighting off bureaucrats who want to use the excuse of a "study" or "inspection" tour for having the UN send them here on an all-expenses-paid trip -- those expenses sometimes coming out of my acquaintance's budget. Which means that money never gets to its intended destination, but instead winds up in, for example, hotel coffers -- wasted, in terms of aid. (And I'm not criticizing the hotels for that.)

People right here in Thailand should be wary of this move, especially if there is any truth to the rumors -- so far unsubstantiated, as far as I know -- that the government here is meddling with the Internet; some even claim authorities are monitoring e-mails.

As the headline above says, the move was thwarted, as reported in The Washington Times in a story by John Zaracostas in the paper's December 8, 2003 edition ("UN control of Web rejected"). There's also an excellent online discussion thread at WebProWorld; you can see it here.

You can express your opinions by e-mailing the UN at inquires@un.org; I just did. [Written Wednesday, December 24, 2003]

The controversial NTC is in the process of being set up -- again. Called for by the Constitution, the 2000 Act of Broadcasting and Telecommunications Frequencies Commission is the law governing the appointing, by the Senate, of the members to the 7-member panel. The original selection process was declared null and void by the Supreme Administrative Court; interestingly, 7 of the 14 nominees this time around were also nominated in the overturned earlier selection process. Some nominees are affiliated with telecommunications groups, affiliations seen by some observers as creating conflicts of interest.

There's considerable suspicion around, as indicated by a Seri Raiwan editorial of December 22nd, reprinted in today's The Bangkok Post under the headline "Watching the commission" (the original is in Thai).

Such suspicions are scarcely unique to Thailand; my own home country, the U.S., has seen plenty of instances of politicos in bed with business types. Still, it will be interesting to see how this plays out -- especially if the final appointments are challenged. [Written Wednesday, December 24, 2003]

Thailand's Government Lottery Office
Reported to Be Considering Sweetening the Pot -- a Lot

The Bangkok Post today also has the interesting report "First prize may go up to 10-30m baht: GLO wants to deter overpricing of tickets" that says the GLO is seriously considering to raising the maximum pay-out for the twice-a-month lottery from 3 million baht to 10-30 million baht (depending on the number of tickets held and from which set they come). That's a huge increase, in percentage terms -- 30 million baht works out to around US$756,000, not mere change by anyone's standard.

Not everyone who wins turns out to be another fool soon parted from the money. A few years ago a motorcycle taxi driver who worked at the entrance of Washington Square had 2 tickets with the same number, so he got a double prize of 6 million baht. Girls around the Square who knew him told us he and his wife took some money, a modest amount, for them and their children to take a nice, but low-budget, domestic holiday, visiting various parts of Thailand. Then they built themselves a small, very modest home for their family somewhere in the remote outskirts of Bangkok. Next, they built small houses -- bungalows, really, if the description I heard was right -- for each of their parents. The rest of the money? -- the guy got a lawyer, who worked for him for a pittance, and went to a bank, where he sought investment advice, specifically (and wisely) diversifying his remaining money.

The story goes he promptly got a decent job, in a factory as I recall, and lived mostly from his salary, occasionally topping up just a little from interest income.

Imagine what such a restrained person could do with 30 million baht! -- heck, he could set up an entire village!

Given Thais' insatiable love of gambling (mentioned in an earlier story here), I'll bet they're watching REALLY closely, rubbing their hands at the mere prospect of such a large increase in the lottery pay-off. [Written Wednesday, December 24, 2003]

Thais may be an almost entirely Buddhist country, but Thai people really love to party, as much as any other group I've ever known. Department stores and shopping centers everywhere are bedecked in Christmas decorations and lights, and shoppers are flooding them. Our Thai host may not give a whit about the religious side of Christmas, but, then, there are plenty of people in [nominally] Christian lands who pretty much ignore that aspect of the holiday, too.

I really enjoy watching Thais, both friends and strangers, having fun. I imagine tonight will be the high point for many of our local friends, and I plan to go stroll around outside the Emporium, which has a well-deserved reputation for setting up some of the most stunning and tasteful decorations in the capital.

Mother Nature even gives a helping hand. As I write this, mid-morning Christmas Eve, the sun is shining brightly and the temperatures very modest.

I expect throngs will be in and around the Emporium; going there has become something of a personal annual tradition for me, one I've come to anticipate keenly. [Written Wednesday, December 24, 2003]

Note: It's now Christmas Day morning, and I can report the crowds at the Emporium were every bit as festive as I had anticipated! [Written Thursday, December 25, 2003]

The Bangkok Post has a story today ("Nightspots may close at 1am") about one aspect of the government's "social order crusade." Under the odd way laws work here, authorities can pick and choose which laws to enforce -- i.e., when a new law is passed in lieu of an earlier one, the earlier one isn't automatically voided, as one would expect. It takes an act of parliament to void the earlier law -- something successive parliament's apparently have never gotten around to doing, at least not with the various laws governing the hours of operation of watering holes.

Readers and visitors can be forgiven if they are confused by the paper's report that existing law allows bars to open 1:00 P.M.-1:00 A.M., since in fact bars can be open, as their owners have been officially informed by the police, until 2:00 A.M. The primary ostensible reasons for enforcing an earlier closing time are that many bar managers/owners allow underage customers and ignore substance abuse occurring in them.

But these reasons fail to go to the root of the problems they indicate. Many people have illegally-acquired I.D. cards indicating they are old enough to drink alcohol legally when in fact they are not. The roots are twin: it clearly is too easy to obtain such I.D. cards, and the people obtaining them haven't developed the sort of moral thinking the authorities (and many a parent) want the nation's youth to have. As for the drug usage, I've been in bars here literally thousands of times, and not once have I witnessed illegal drug usage. In fact, in the only case of it I've ever heard of directly from people, when the establishment's owner went to the restroom and smelled marijuana smoke, he called the police, and when the culprit came out of the restroom and tried to flee the scene, customers physically detained him until the police arrived, who promptly arrested him. What does the government expect bar owners to do? Post guards in the toilets? Put spy cameras in them?

Now, if it is demonstrable that the owners, managers, or employees of a given bar knowingly allow underage people to enter or for anyone to use illegal drugs on premises (or both) -- fine: throw the book at them.

Meanwhile, educate the nation's youth. Try to reform (and punish, if appropriate) drug abusers. Imprison corrupt officials issuing fake I.D. cards. Stem the drug trade (preferably without the widely assumed-to-have-been open-season on mere suspects we witnessed earlier this year). This bit about drugs raises another question: awhile back the government announced that Thailand is drug free -- so what happened???

At least a 1:00 A.M. closing time would be vastly better than the one made by a comedian aspiring to turn politician has come up with: 10:00 P.M. Unbelievable -- that's stricter than what is (or was, last I knew) being enforced in neighboring Laos.

To top it all off, the report says the authorities are considering telling bars they can't open until 3:00 P.M. Why? On what grounds? By what authority, if the law itself allows a 1:00 P.M. opening time?

The Prime Minister has shown himself to be politically astute and strong, and is still riding the crest of a tidal wave of popularity and power. He also has demonstrated rare political courage in taking on a number of vested interests, including some "dark forces." In light of those indisputable facts, the government's limp-wristed approach to the social problems evidenced by underage illegal alcohol consumption and by illegal drug abuse in bars is puzzling.

I believe the Prime Minister has the political capital and intestinal fortitude to tackle the underlying problems head on. Nowhere on the political scene of the Kingdom is there another political leader who even comes close to his stature and the influence that stature confers upon him. I assume those running the social order crusade are doing so under his guidance, given his strong tendency to oversee all aspects of government.

Perhaps the Prime Minister is just biding his time. To be fair, there are numerous issues with which his government is grappling. Maybe, in time, he will bring his power to bear on these issues, too. [Written Thursday, December 25, 2003]

Note: In a late development, Prime Minister Thaksin somewhat contradicted the Interior Ministry's statement, saying nothing has been decided. He said any decision would be made in the best interest of the general public, and noted compromise between the government, bar owners, and bar customers should be possible, saying that if a bar is open 7:00 P.M.-Midnight instead of 9:00 P.M.-2:00 A.M., the bars are still open 5 hours, so why can't customers go home earlier to their families.

My guess is the liquor industry has been privately raising holy hell with the government over this issue. But the Prime Minister deserves credit for speaking up. [Written Friday, December 26, 2003]

According to The Nation today, "Traffic will be banned between the Rajprasong intersection and the Chalerm Loke bridge from 8pm to 3am" in the paper's "In Brief" lead item. This is the stretch of the broad street running north-south on the east side of Central World Plaza (formerly known as The World Trade Center"). Given the many entertainment spots in the neighborhood, revelers who plan to engage in festivities in the area will welcome the move, no doubt. Kudos to the authorities for making the move. [Written Thursday, December 25, 2003]

I managed to make it around to a number of places in Washington Square, Queen's Park Plaza, Sukhumvit Soi 33, and Soi Cowboy yesterday and last night to wish various people Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I was downright stunned at the high percentage of bars that were completely bereft of customers in the first 3 venues. I mean none -- in maybe 2/3's of the places I visited, there was exactly 1 customer: me. Even the popular Dubliner at the Sukhumvit Road entrance of Washington Square had only a light crowd when I walked past around 8:00 P.M., a time it is often wall-to-wall, standing room only. I felt especially sympathetic for the girls, many of whom wore forlorn expressions; a couple confided in me I was the first customer of the day in their respective establishments.

There were exceptions. Ott, owner of the Silver Dollar in the Square, had a fair crowd, as she laid on a free meal with ham as the meat at 5:30 P.M., not only for Christmas, but because her husband, Ned, celebrated another birthday the 22nd. New Square One Pub had a few of its regulars in when I stopped by, as did the ever-popular Moonshine in Queen's Park Plaza. There were others, but not many. (I visited about 20 places in all, counting all 4 venues.)

Soi Cowboy was rather busier, though far from packed. I stopped by 4 bars there, and all had some customers.

Hope the absence was solely because of the holiday. I'll be interested in seeing what happens today. [Written Thursday, December 25, 2003]

The CAT (Communications Authority of Thailand) and the TOT (Telephone Organization of Thailand) have been rather at loggerheads over international call rates. The CAT has no domestic network of its own, handling only international calls, whereas the TOT does have such a network. Therefore, people calling from inside Thailand to somewhere outside the Kingdom use the TOT for the domestic portion of the call before it is taken over by the CAT's foreign lines. CAT has had to pay TOT for its domestic service on each call.

Information and Communications Technology Minister Surapong Suebwonglee originally had told the 2 agencies to compete, b ut later decided it would be more beneficial for them to cooperate, so has ordered them to do so. International call rates stand to be cut anywhere from 20% to 70%, depending on the destination. That will mark a substantial savings; he gave the example of a reduction in calls to the U.S. to just 9 baht a minute, way down from the 30+ baht a minute it now costs.

You can read the full story The Nation has in today's edition here. Written Friday, December 26, 2003]

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