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| "The Rounds" Friday, February 27, 2004
Mekhong Kurt * * * * * * * * * * New Photo Gallery I have a new photo gallery of a new BangkokAtoZ.com model, Khun Pat, who kindly agreed this past Tuesday to let me take a series of casual snapshots of her, and has agreed to a more professional session in a studio at a later date. The gallery is already proving to be a big hit; I sent out a notice to the BangkokAtoZ.com mailing list midday Thursday, and traffic to the site soared almost immediately. (See what you get for not signing up!) These galleries are proving really popular with people visiting the site, accounting for about 1/3rd of the total traffic. I plan to expand these offerings as time goes on and I'm able to acquire more models and have more photo sessions with the current ones. Now go take a look at the initial batch of photos of the lovely Khun Pat! * * * * * * * * * * More on Bar Closing Times Heard last Sunday that a meeting of bar owners or representatives of bars or areas in the various venues along Sukhumvit Road from Soi Zero to Soi Ekamai on Saturday night at the Nana Hotel went as well as could be expected, with the consensus being to wait and watch. Many believe the government will make some accommodation, whether at the last minute or soon thereafter, but in any case sooner rather than later. So far, if the media are accurately reflecting the situation, there sure doesn't seem to be any indication of a willingness to compromise, not that I can see anyway. One street intelligence source said the news media were ordered by the government to stay away from Saturday night's meeting and all other such meetings. I stress I heard this from only one source, so make of the report what you will. Everyone knows the relationship between the current administration and the press is somewhat frosty, overall, so the possibility the report is true, in one version or another, can't be discounted, so the rumor shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. Confusion continues. And if we widen our view to take in beyond Bangkok, things get even cloudier than they are here in the capital. The Pattaya Mail has a story about actions taken there to try to improve the situation (improve from bar owners' perspective, that is) under the headline "City calls for review of entertainment legislation to allow 4 a.m. and/or 24 hour operation in specific zones." This report suggests the municipal and provincial government leaders and other officials are taking to heart complaints from owners of bars and other affected venues. The point is made that no regulation has been acted on yet by Parliament, and as I understand it (which I may well not, admittedly), without approval from Parliament, the regulations cannot be put into effect. Of course, Thai Rak Thai enjoys a commanding majority in Parliament, but this issue is so controversial I wouldn't even try to guess how MP's will vote, if the measures are put before them for approval. There are some (but not all, not by far) members of officialdom who feel laws they want outweigh the Constitution when those desired laws are in conflict with the Constitution. It could be the case that yet others feel regulations sought by the Cabinet don't even need to have the legal status of becoming public laws to be enforced -- if anyone knows, I haven't run across it. Of course, next Monday we'll see with our own eyes what happens then. But that's not to say the situation will necessarily be any clearer, whatever happens. If the Parliament approves the regulations and votes them to become laws, will anyone challenge their constitutionality? And if they do, will a court issue a stay order, if requested? How might a court rule on the constitutionality issue, should it arise? Will there be efforts to enforce the regulations if Parliament either doesn't vote or actually rejects the bills? If so, can those efforts succeed? Just Sunday night I saw a couple of petitions for Thais and foreigners both to sign. One was what I felt to be rude and inflammatory, so I declined to sign it. I did sign another one that was very low-key and respectful; it asks only that the government reconsider the matter, and I felt that petition was fair enough all the way around both to affected business owners and to the government. Most importantly, it doesn't take away any face from anybody, a vital consideration in any conflict resolution. A number of true Old Thai Hands and some Thais have told me they'll believe it when they see it, and express an absolute belief that in the end, one way or the other nothing will happen and business will carry on as normal. Be that as it may, there sure are a heck of a businesspeople worried sick. The effort may well be well-intentioned, but even so, the "well-intentioned" part of has become lost along the way -- and I'm not being sarcastic. Since no one seems to understand what's going on, it's hardly fair to scream "Foul!" at the government, including at Prime Minister Thaksin. It's easy to accuse. To back an accusation up with hard evidence and reason is an altogether different matter. It's important to remember that even the proposed regulations provide for a variety of entertainment venues, with different opening and closing times for different types of establishments (though those differences are pretty confusing). I for one can't imagine anyone going to, say, the Accor Group (which owns and/or manages a number of hotel properties in Thailand) and ordering them to limit their bars to 6:00 P.M.-Midnight. Think about the venerable Mandarin Oriental, the star of the hotel scene right across Thailand. And what about the night dinner cruises? For that matter, what about the heavily-promoted day lunch cruises, promoted (as the night ones are) by the government itself via the Tourism Authority of Thailand? I wrote the above paragraphs Monday and Tuesday; it is now midday Friday, and the week has been filled with numerous rumors, rumors often contradicting others to one degree or another. I gather -- but am unsure about it -- the decision has been made to go the regulatory route rather than having Parliament pass legislation, thereby easing the way for introducing whatever controls are to come into place. The papers have continued covering the issue, and the Internet is white-hot in some discussion forums, with strong debates being carried on across Internet space. Interestingly, one media report says even the head of the RCA owners' association opposes the move, despite RCA being one of the lucky 3 designated entertainment zones, on the basis that he feels the government ought to have set up a welfare program in advance to assist displaced workers, should the need arise. Some of my bar friends can live just fine, well-heeled as they are, even in the extreme case of simply closing their establishments entirely. But many others depend upon their bars (or massage parlors, karaokes, etc. etc. etc. that fall under the new regimen) for their daily bread,and it is amongst those owners and their employees that tensions seem to be skyrocketing exonentially with each passing day. I've heard -- second-hand, at best -- that some owners in the Thonglor Police District have sought clarification from the authorities there but were told the authorities themselves, at least at district level, themselves are confused and aren't sure what they will actually be required to do come Monday, March 1st. Far more questions than answers remain, for now. . . . * * * * * * * * * * Completely Irrelevant, but Guaranteed to Bring a Smile I got the following just now in an e-mail from Cowboy Jon, and I had to smile. And I know you will, too, so read and enjoy! [Don't even ask why it reproduced so weird when I copied it from his e-mail then pasted it onto this page. It's funny enough I figured, "What the heck . . ." and put it here anyway.]
* * * * * * * * * * Controversy at The Bangkok Post Continues The sudden dismissal of Khun Veera Prateepchaikul as editor of the nation's largest-circulation English-language newspaper continues to generate controversy. Somewhat surprisingly, the paper ran a story on page 3 last Monday candidly reporting that the Campaign for Popular Media Reform is strongly critical of the move, quoting that group's statement, which said, in part, Khun Veera's removal from the post of editor and reassignment was the result of political pressure from the government, pressure said to have been brought because of great displeasure among government figures caused by stories run in the newspaper under Veera's editorship that are critical of the government in general and certain members of government in particular, especially of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The Nation has a scathing editorial in its Monday edition under the title "Crisis of credibility for the media." It also has an editorial of the excellent Asia News Network web site under the headline "We strongly support 'Bangkok Post' journalists' independence." In that piece the tone is firm, but far less scathing, and laudatory of The Bangkok Post for its decades-long record of editorial independence regardless of the political situation of the day. The point is also made that Thailand's English-language newspapers have a special responsibility to journalistic integrity because they are accessible around the world and are important components in building the Kingdom's image around the world. I remain confused about why Khun Veera was so unceremoniously axed from his job as editor. After all, he is the one who so disingenuously said to a reporter from the Asian edition of TIME "Do you want something that's modern, or something from 30-40 years ago?" in reference to the axing of Bernard Trink's popular column "Nite Owl." My point is that the ending of Trink's column certainly fit in line with the wishes of people such as Deputy Prime Minister Purachai, I assume. Coupled with growing concerns over iTV's situation, it seems quite likely concerns about the media, especially freedom from any official influence, aren't going away anytime soon. There certainly is a lot of talk on the Internet about it, including dissenting views. Interestingly, in one discussion thread a contributor who says he (or she) is employed at The Bangkok Post presents Veera as anything but a champion of journalistic freedom, maintaining that he (Veera) ordered copy cut right, left, and center. I myself put the following comment in the same thread: As
we all know, perception matters more than reality. And the current perception
certainly is that the government did demand Veera's removal -- whether that
perception is fair to the government or not. Lots
and lots smoke surrounding this case, that's for sure. Stay tuned. * * * * * * * * * * Prince of Wales Bar's
20th Anniversary Khun Pia, proprietress of the Prince of Wales Bar (popularly called "the P.O.W. Bar") in Washington Square (Sukhumvit Road and Sukhumvit Soi 22) is holding a birthday bash to celebrate the bar's 20 years since its doors first opened in 1984. The P.O.W. is the second-oldest bar in the Square, pre-dated only by the bar now called "New Square One Pub." Festivities commence at 6:00 P.M., and the celebration is open to the public. As I understand it, free food will be on hand. * * * * * * * * * * Smoked Fish, Anyone? The hugely popular Londerner's Brew Pub (corner of Sukhumvit Road and Sukhumvit Soi 33, in the basement, accessible directly from outside on both the Soi 33 and Sukhumvit Road sides) was the venue for lunch for a friend and me Thursday, and was I ever glad she chose for us to go there. I've eaten a few times at the place -- it has an fairly extensive international menu, offering, for example, meals ranging from steak-and-kidney pie to real Italian spaghetti. Every time I've eaten there I've found the food excellent, an excellence mirrored in the low-key, efficient service. Yesterday I spotted smoked trout while looking through the menu, and decided to try it. It was to die for. Some might find the 300 baht price tag for the dish a bit high for the portion served, but I'll be eating it again, as delicious as it is. It comes on a plate with chilled salad greens beside it and a generous portion of horse radish -- in fact, it was the horse radish that convinced me to try the trout rather than the smoke salmon (which is widely available anyway, unlike smoked trout, at least unlike it as far as I know). Right now it opens at 11:00 A.M. -- I think. It has its own web site, at http://the-londoner.com. But the hours aren't posted there. However, the complete menu with prices is there (noting the prices shown don't include the VAT tax, which is 7%). People in town can take a look -- as I said, the place is hugely popular. Families will appreciate it, as they are very accommodating of that group of patrons, especially regarding children. * * * * * * * * * * Weather Gradually Warming Up The weather is finally moving beyond the cool season (surely -- it's darned near March, the hottest month of the year!). Even so, while the first part of the afternoons are on the warm side, the heat has been far from unbearable, at least taken in small doses. And the evenings remain very pleasant. Wednesday night I sat in a Queen's Park Plaza indoor establishmentabout 1½ hours, and when I came out, I was surprised a front had apparently moved in, bringing a cool -- almost cold, at times moderate breeze with occasional gusts a bit stronger. This has been the nicest cool season I've experienced in my nearly 10 years in the Kingdom, as it has been for many other Old Thai Hands. I hope the lengthy cool season promises us a short, moderate hot season before we start moving into the rainy season come May or so. * * * * * * * * * * Ruam Derm Thai Restuarant I've written about this restaurant in the past, but having had lunch there twice in recent weeks, including today, I want to mention it again. This is one of the best, and physically one of the nicest, restaurants in this neighborhood. The menu is quite extensive, mostly centering on Thai food, though there are the odd dishes such as Shanghai cold noodles (delicious). They offer a couple of dishes surprisingly hard to find: fried morning glory, and fried bean sprouts with tofu -- both of which I always order. We had an array of dishes (I went with a friend), and even after stuffing, we had a considerable amount of food left over, so I took it in take-away boxes and gave it to the girls at New Square One Pub. [As a side note, I should say for those of you not familiar with the eating habits of Thai ladies that those habits are suchthat to give them food is the 2nd-fastest way to their hearts -- the first being to give them gold, of course! ;-)] The restaurant is open 11:00 A.M.-2:30 P.M. and 5:00 P.M.-11:00 P.M. daily except Sundays. Note that the kitchen stops accepting orders about an hour before closing time rolls around. The downstairs is surprisingly spacious for such a small building; it is the designated no-smoking zone. There is an upstairs loft area where smoking is permitted (and where there are a separate air- conditioner and external exhaust fan to ensure smoke doesn't drift down to the ground floor). The loft floor is accessed via a tight spiral staircase that is quite charming. However, if you plan a heavy time of it drinking -- stick to the ground floor and if you've just got to have that ciggie, step outside; trying to negotiate your drunken way down the stairs could end up truly disastrous. The cost? We had 7 dishes in all, plus 1 bottle of water and 1 beer; the bill weighed in at a very reasonable 531 baht -- US$13.50 at current exchange rates. And had I remembered the large size of the servings, I wouldn't have ordered so much -- it was my friend's first time to visit there, so she didn't know. We easily could have eaten plenty for maybe half that, not bad for 2 reasonably hungry people. I've introduced many a friend over the years, both Thais and foreigners, to the venue, and without a single exception, they have all loved it -- and most return of their own accord, with or without me. I heartily recommend it. Next time your in the neighborhood and have a hankering for top-quality Thai food at very reasonable prices in a comfortably, beautiful setting, give Ruam Derm a try. It's located on the east side of Sukhumvit Soi 22 directly opposite the arch over the central walkway in Queen's Park Plaza, about 150 meters from Sukhumvit Road. * * * * * * * * * * Sukhumvit Soi 22 Bar Available This not the best time to be announcing the availability of a watering hole, and I likely wouldn't do it for anyone other than a very, very dear friend, given the current uncertainties. But my unofficial daughter, Khun Aom, called me last night to request I meet her to "talk about something." I met her at Arisa Pub, in which she owns a 60% stake. Her personal circumstances have changed in a manner such that she will shortly re-locate to Ayutthaya, a former capital located north of Bangkok, to assist her Mother is setting up a new business there. While it isn't necessary for her to sell or lease her controlling interest in the pub, she would prefer to do one or the other. Anyone tentatively interested (depending on how the current brouhaha over closing times works out) can drop me a line at MekhongKurt@BangkokAtoZ.com;please write "Arisa" in the subject line. * * * * * * * * * * Visa Regulations For once, some good news, if limited, for people here on year-long visas based on marriage to a Thai citizen or retirement status AND who are already in the system: such people will be grandfathered when new rules go into effect come July of this year, at which time the financial requirements will increase significantly. For further details, visit the generally excellent www.Thaivisa.com story at the following link: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6690 While no one can get it right 100% of the time, I have found the folks at Thaivisa.com generally reliable in their reportage regarding visa issues. They have a subscription news service for free (and discussion boards you can join, also for free). * * * * * * * * * * While We're Talking About Excellent Reportage . . . I *finally* got to meet Phil Macdonald, the brains behind the "Farang Affairs" page in The Nation every Friday yesterday evening (Thursday), and found him to be very friendly. By the way, I'm glad the newspaper has finally got around to putting a relatively easy-to-find link to the current edition of Phil's column for any given week on the home page; just scroll down to "Features," and you'll see it there. (I had been resorting to searching for Phil by name in the paper's internal search function, which was rather irritating.) Given the family nature of BangkokAtoZ.com, I should mention that "Farang Affairs" does touch on sensitive matters some parents may not wish their children to read (nor, for that matter, to read themselves). For example, in the edition for Friday, February 27th, there is a piece about a medical report released by the venerable Reuters at its www.reutershealth.com web site regarding detection of a small cancer danger associated with certain sexual activities. (Yes, I checked it out, and the story really does exist -- you can read it here.) That said, in my view "Farang Affairs" has taken up where Trink left off as the censors at "the other paper" cut him down bit by bit over the years. I look forward to it with great eagerness each Friday. * * * * * * * * * * "The Stupid One" Takes Corrective Action I will say right off "The Stupid One" mentioned in the headline above is none other than Yours Truly, he who completely botched the link to last Friday's column in the e-mail I initially sent to the folks subscribed to the BangkokAtoZ.com update notification service. I learned just Thursday night that my original photo gallery, the one of Khun Ae (the first one) was all buggered up, with only 1 of the 7 thumbnails there working. That is now rectified, as you can see here. By the way, Khun Ae remains one of my favorite models, and in that regard I truly regret that personal circumstances led to our losing track of each other -- I dearly wish I could ask her to pose for more photos; she proved very much to be a natural, with absolutely no training. But that's not to be. On another front, author Dean Barrett the graphic of his most excellent mystery novel Skytrain To Murder on the www.BangkokAtoZ.com home page did *not* lead to a review of the book, as I had advertised. When I did the technical check inside my web-page building program, I found that despite all the runes said the link was valid, clicking on the graphic, both in the program and on the Internet, led to nothing. Zilch. Zip. Zero. I re-did the link, and tested it both offline and online, and it now works. (You can click the graphic yourselves to read the review, or click here.) Conscientious web master that I am, I like to explain my boo-boo's to my audience in clear terms. After pondering the matter and doing some background reading, I can offer the following explanation, which I have spent much of the day struggling to distill down to something one doesn't need to be a rocket scientist to understand. The short version: I don't have a CLUE. The technical version: I STILL don't have a clue!!! Sigh. But it works now. * * * * * * * * * * 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 MekhongKurt@BangkokAtoZ.com. * * * * * * * * * * Linking to BangkokAtoZ.com If anyone reading this has a website and would like to place a link there for 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). * * * * * * * * * * Enough for one go . . . Until next time -- Mekhong Kurt
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