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"The Rounds" Friday, June 30, 2006
Think About It
"They sleep safely in their beds because rough
men stand ready in the night Not a particularly pleasant thought for peaceful, genteel people to consider, but one all of them should consider, agreed? If not for such men -- and in this era, also some women -- who would deal with the barbarians at the gates? Headlines His Majesty's 60th Anniversary as King A Post-Memorial Day Reflection A Sort-Of UK Visa Service in Phuket New Province for New Airport Area Enterprising Spirit Alive and Well Thais Take More Interest in U.S. Foreign Affairs than You Might Think * * * * * * * * * * Just a reminder you can sign-up for free to receive the BangkokAtoZ.com Updates (plain text) e-mail to always know when I add something new to the site or modify it in some important way. A great way to be sure YOU don't miss something of interest, best of all is that this service is absolutely FREE! * * * * * * * * * * His Majesty's 60th Anniversary as King His Majesty the King's 60th anniversary since his ascension to the throne is approaching, with holidays and celebrations set for Friday, June 9th through Tuesday, June 13th set to commemorate this august event. On the practical side, I heard today, though I've not confirmed it, that Friday will be a bar-closing day, as well as for the government and private businesses. I further heard the government offices will be open Monday and Tuesday, though again I haven't confirmed that. I do know the Friday holiday was declared just today by the Cabinet. Enough of the practical. His Majesty is the world's longest-reigning monarch, and as anyone who knows even just a little about Thailand knows, he's deeply loved and revered.
There's a really nice website the
government has established with news, pictures, and schedules of events,
something I got by e-mail a few weeks ago but decided to wait until the event
itself to post it here. You can see it at: Long May His Majesty Reign! [Tuesday, June 6, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * A Post-Memorial Day Reflection Sometimes, I'm lucky enough to get a really outstanding e-mail, and the one below is no exception to that category -- and it ties in nicely with the quote from George Orwell near the top of this column. This particular e-mail comes from a gentleman who has "been there, done that" as a retired colonel. I reckon he's got as much right as anyone to offer his observations. The Good Colonel sent these observations to me in a private e-mail. I was so moved I wrote him back and requested permission to reprint his e-mail, permission he graciously granted me. I know there are those who are disagreeing with honoring soldiers, then going the next step to dishonor them. That's over the top. We can disagree with a war without dishonoring its warriors. But make up you own minds about the Colonel's words. I was reduced to quiet tears.
Today is Memorial Day 2006. I
loaded my wife, daughter, and grandson into the vehicle and we drove to the
Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. We went early. I wanted to avoid the pomp
and ceremony that was to come later in the day. My mission in going was to try
to teach my grandson some of the meaning of Memorial Day. He is eight years of
age and it was my fervent desire that he should begin to understand some of the
responsibilities of citizenship. Below is my reply:
May I be so presumptuous as to
salute you, though I myself am not a vet? I hope you get some value from these words, as I did. [Tuesday, June 6, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * A Sort-Of UK Visa Service in Phuket Saw a story in The Phuket Gazette headlined "Phuket service launched for UK visas" that I for sure wanted to read. The short version is the British Embassy has contracted a private company in Phuket to review applications before sending them on to Bangkok. In other words, if the story is correct and I read it right, visas won't be issued in Phuket. And it's not clear to me just how one is to get the visa if he or she isn't required to come to Bangkok for an interview at the Embassy just how the visa will get into the person's passport, unless that can be done by mail or courier. For those applicants who aren't required to come in for interviews, this will be a convenience, even if they have to come here to actually get the visa. (Surely not?) It will save at least one trip. I was surprised when I read the article, as I personally have never heard of an embassy contracting a private entity to do an initial review of an applicant's paperwork. I assumed what the headline meant was an honorary consul had been appointed. That would have been really nice for Phuket-area applicants for UK visas. Still, this is a pretty big step in the right direction. [Sunday, June 25, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * I thought some tips about tipping here might be useful for people coming here but not familiar with the norms. These apply to Bangkok, especially in the areas with concentrations of foreigners. If you take a taxi from the airport, in my experience, it is pretty much luck of the draw -- some drivers expect a tip, others don't. I always give a tip, despite the fact a 50-baht surcharge is built into the fare for the driver, mainly because I've never been able to discover if the driver gets anything from the fare as shown on the meter. But even if he does, I figure another 10% or so isn't going to kill me -- and I do feel sorry for a driver when traffic is heavy and he is more likely than not going to return to the airport without a passenger. Restaurants and bars are a bit more problematic. I remember one time in my early years here when a Thai friend invited me to join him, his girlfriend, and several of their friends for supper at a Thai restaurant owned by a friend of theirs. We were there about 4 hours, and the owner assigned a waitress to us full-time the entire time. And we did run the poor gal's legs off. Our bill came to about 800 baht. My friend put down the exact amount, then added 3 or 4 baht. Mystified, I asked him what the few extra baht were for. He said, "A tip." I was astounded. For so lengthy a time and so much work on that large a bill? I've since learned it's not wise for a foreigner to try this. If that's all you're willing to give, then don't leave any tip. However, not to leave any tip is something I urge people not to do, simply because in very many cases the wait staff receive a pittance of a salary, the expectation being that tips will increase their incomes. For instance, I know of one place where the monthly salary is equal to about US$50. Now, the locals can really stretch money -- but to try to get by on that small a sum is tough even more the most frugal of them. I've given some thought thinking about this article over the past few days to the case in which a service charge is added to the bill. I've never seen such a service charge vary from 10%. The problem is, one can't be sure the staff will actually get the money. No, I'm not talking about in a five-star hotel or some such, but, rather, the stand-alone places, whether they be owned by a local or a foreigner. Yes, I have known of foreign owners who add in a service charge, then keep it, or keep a portion of it, usually with some reason: "Oh, that's to cover my breakage," or "Well, I provide their uniforms," etc. I reckon those costs ought to be built into the prices customers pay, but okay, if an owner wants to charge for such costs, at least don't call the extra a "service charge" when it's no such thing. This doesn't happen in all the independent places, but it does in some. Also, keep in mind the tips are shared. I don't know how many times I've been in a place with maybe 2 or 3 friends, and we were the only customers the entire time. It hardly seems fair for our wait person to have to share any tip we may want to leave when the rest of the staff have done little or nothing (except the cook, when we eat). All that said, the staff often do depend on their cut of the tip box to supplement their wages, so what I choose to do -- and this is very much an individual choice -- is to pay the bill as is and slip something to the wait person. But it must be done discreetly, or there likely will be trouble for the worker after you leave. And sometimes the worker will decline. There's also something to watch for: when you get you change, then want to leave a tip. For instance, the other day I had a bill of 130 baht. Not having any small bills or coins, I handed over 200 baht, expecting to get back 3 20-baht notes and a 10-baht coin. But I got a 50-baht and a 20-baht note. Hell -- I would probably have left 20 baht anyway (though that's a pretty rich tip for that amount), but I want the choice to be mine. I've even had instances when my bill was 50 baht, I handed over a 100-baht note -- only to get a 50-baht note back. A couple of times the cashier even told me there wasn't any smaller change when I asked to have it broken done into smaller change. (In those cases, I just smiled and said, "Oh, that's too bad -- I wanted to leave a tip, but I'm not going to leave a 50-baht tip for a 50-baht bill." On a related matter, when I go to a new bar and the bartender doesn't put a cup for my bill with the bill in it, I ask him to do so. If he objects, it's red-alert time. I'll say "I really want my bill here.) If he still objects, I finish one drink and hit the road. It is all too common in such instances to end up with a "stuffed bin" -- "bin" being the pronunciation of "bill" one will most likely hear in an ordinary bar.) Hope this helps. [Sunday, June 25, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * For starters, it's frustrating for the Thai people. Whatever side they're on, they want resolution one way or another. Or so my Thai friends say. What amazes me is that though His Majesty recently spoke out again, not everyone seems to have listened, at least if numerous news stories are to be believed. Only a few have been reported to have followed His Majesty's wise advice, and even in some of those cases it appears the parties involved were very reluctant to do so. That the Prime Minister and his Thai Rak Thai party are in a very difficult situation is clear. Depending on the outcome of judicial proceedings, the party could even face dissolution. (Two small parties have already been dissolved for election irregularities.) There have been a couple resignations of senior Thai Rak Thai members who held high-level government posts. In one very narrow context, there is analogy to the situation when U.S. President Nixon was under increasing pressure to resign. The public complaint wasn't with the Republican Party, per se, but with the President himself. Similarly, Thai Rak Thai as a whole hasn't been attacked; the chief target has been the Prime Minister himself. Meanwhile, the Executive Branch continues to make mostly popular decisions. Curiously, when a group of senators recently sought to take judicial action against the party, the Executive argued they had no authority to do so because they are caretakers. Isn't the Executive also in a caretaker status? That's certainly how the English-language newspapers refer to both the Executive and Legislative. The various opponents of the government who are themselves outside government entirely continue to threaten to start street protests again if PM Thaksin doesn't go. On the plus side, there has been virtually no violence. Yesterday someone threw 2 fake grenades into the compound of the Thai Rak Thai headquarters. That was way out of line, in my view, whatever anyone feels about that party. At this point, I don't have a clue how this is going to be sorted out. In recent days there has been some movement, if only after intense pressure. Attempts to dodge doing anything (not to mention responsibility) or pass the buck continue apace. Let's hope matters work out. [Sunday, June 25, 2006] Update: The situation has in some senses deteriorated this week. The Election Commission dragged its feet for weeks before finally forwarding the report from its own subcommittee to the Attorney General. That report recommended prosecution of Thai Rak Thai, the PM's party, for offenses for which party dissolution is called for if the party is found guilty. Much later -- this past Monday -- the EC forwarded another report indicating the Democrat Party should also be prosecuted. That report is said to be 1,500 pages or so -- yet on Tuesday the AG's office accepted it. Extraordinary speed, indeed, to review such a thick document. Further clouding matters is that the Attorney General had a private meeting with the PM Monday, reportedly to discuss the situation in the Deep South. That's interesting in two aspects: one doesn't suppose the Attorney General has anything to do with martial law in the Deep South, for one thing. For another, the timing raised many eyebrows. The media report various outcomes, most not very pretty, as possibilities. This could get uncomfortable -- not for those of us who are foreigners, so outside the loop, but for the Kingdom. [Friday, June 30, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * New Province for New Airport Area It has been widely reported this week that the Cabinet finally decided to created the country's 77th province, a province to surround the new airport. It has been known for a good while such a move was being considered, though there has been considerable opposition to the idea. From what I've read, the main objections are that such a move would take land away from existing provinces and that it makes little sense to create a built-up area in the immediate environs of the airport. Regarding the first, just today I read that only about a third of the people already living in the areas to be affected want to live under the new local administration this move will create. Regarding the second, while I haven't read this, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure building up a swamp area will be costly, at best -- just look at how long it is taking to get the airport itself completed and operational, situated, as it is, atop Cobra Swamp. (Of course, it's not swamp now, but it started out as such.) And the problems the builders of the airport faced will be encountered in at least some of the areas to be brought into the new province.) Also in regards to the second, I remember when people bought homes near, even adjacent to, Love Field near downtown Dallas, only about 40 miles from my childhood home. In time, they complained about noise. Duh. When you buy a home 30 meters from the end of the runway, it will be loud. Legal actions were taken, and the fracas went on -- and on -- and on. I would expect at least some of the same here if this plan goes through. [Sunday, June 25, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Well, the "government" in Burma is at it again. According to a story in today's edition of The Nation headlined "Junta stays one step ahead of demonstrator," a retired Burmese citizen first had his passport cancelled by radio, then couldn't get an explanation from the Burmese Embassy here, and finally was refused permission to board a Thai International flight to Rangoon, where he planned to lead a protest against the government. Cancel a passport by radio? The embassy -- which theoretically is here in part to serve Burmese citizens (okay -- HA-HA), -- refuses to respond to requests for an explanation? The situation with Thai International is a bit more complex. The article states "Thai Airways' flights between Bangkok and Rangoon would be affected," according to the paper's source. So a bunch of power-mad generals continue blithely to ignore the slightest standards of decency in dealing with its own citizens, but now is commercially threatening the national flag carrier of a country that has tried to defend it? Or is my take on that part of the article wrong? If I'm not wrong, then I can see why Thai International officials would cooperate, though it would have been nice had they said, "Fine. We're cancelling all our flights to Burma, AND recommending to Thai authorities they revoke your right to fly to Bangkok." But I'm not criticizing the airline -- they were between a rock and a hard place. ESPECIALLY given that they were contacted directly by the Burmese Embassy. (The story says Thai Immigration had no problem letting the guy board, indicating no one told them about the passport cancellation.) Those guys remind me of that cartoon character who "leads" North Korea. [Sunday, June 25, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Enterprising Spirit Alive and Well Folks in many countries amaze me with their can-do spirits, clawing survival out of practically nothing. Between Sukhumvit Road and the Soi 22 entrance to Washington Square there is what was an entirely vacant lot left after the building formerly there, a low-rise apartment house, was razed to the ground. For a good while, nothing happened. Then I noticed a vendor or two putting wares out on the ground, hawking them to passersby. Next thing I knew, there were more vendors, some with small, wire display stands and, in the case of clothing vendors, racks on which to hang their wares. Of course, these folks need to eat, so it wasn't long before itinerant food vendors set up shop. After awhile, some of them expanded, setting up tents (the kind with a top but no sides) along with folding chairs and tables. Each night, the vendors took away the lot. Next, I noticed that some of the vendors with larger tents and more chairs and tables were leaving their furnishings overnight. Just earlier this week, I was impressed to see that some enterprising soul has built a wood open-air restaurant, a quasi-permanent structure. Not that it's on a proper foundation; it's not, instead sitting directly atop the soil. There is a reason for a vendor to try to have a semi-permanent presence: he can avoid the long-standing government order here in Bangkok that itinerant vendors in Bangkok are banned on Wednesdays. The "logic" behind the ban at the time of it's imposition was it was meant to help beautify the streets of the capital. Hasn't done a jot to help in that regard that I can tell, but maybe I'm missing something. (It is true it's a helluva lot easier to walk along sidewalks on Wednesdays than it is on the other six days of the week -- but that wasn't part of the publicly-stated justification for the ban.) Anyway, there's a lot in a prime location going to waste until vendors started making use of it. Why not? Folks need to make a living, the owners of the property haven't taken any measure to evict the vendors -- maybe they're collecting rent? -- instead leaving them alone. And they're not blocking the sidewalk! [Friday, June 30, 2006] * * * * * * * * * *
Thais Take More Interest in U.S. It may come as a surprise to U.S. readers that Thais, at least those in major urban areas, take considerably more interest in U.S. foreign affairs than might be expected at first blush. But consider: Thailand has committed contingents of troops to various U.S.-led activities (and U.N.-led ones), if on a small scale. Thai units gave a particularly good account of themselves in East Timor. A bar employee floored me yesterday when she asked what I thought the Supreme Court might decide regarding President Bush's intentions of using military tribunals to try "enemy combatants" held at Guantanamo Bay. No, she didn't know all the words, but I figured out what she meant. Of course, just about everyone has good reason to keep one eye on the U.S. After all, to date it remains the Goliath in international affairs. This is something a rather large part of the American population doesn't grasp -- that people from other countries often know far more about the U.S. than Americans know about other countries. I don't know how many times I've told Americans (in the U.S., not here) I live in Thailand, only to have them say, "Oh, I've heard of Taipei!" Wrong comeback, since Taipei is in Taiwan, not in Thailand. In the case of Thailand's troop deployment to Iraq, that deployment was extremely controversial domestically, with very many people asking probing, incisive questions that all pointed to the big question: Why should Thailand get involved in foreign adventures at the behest of the U.S."? I admire those Thais who make an effort to be aware of the world around them. [Friday, June 30, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * In recent weeks I've been increasingly irked by what I can call a variant on spam. For a long time I've had a site ring on my homepage, a place for which people could sign up to have their banners or ads rotate through a box. I've made it clear not only that I want stuff Bangkok-related, or at least related to Thailand or the region, but that I'm NOT interested in accepting ads from Viagra sales outlets, Russian (or any other) introduction services, retail outlets on other continents who have absolutely no presence in Bangkok, and the like. (If you were looking for, say, furniture, would you really come to this site to poke around? -- *I* wouldn't. Well, except maybe for furniture stores based in Bangkok or elsewhere in Thailand.) Of late, every day I've gotten at least one submission from some outfit with an internet address in Poland, a Viagra and other medications peddling outfit. Luckily, the third party I used for this site ring allowed me the option of having to individually approve each one. For weeks I hit the disapprove button. Yes, there was a supposed reply e-mail address on each one, but there's no way I was going to write a cease-and-desist demand, knowing, as I do, it would be completely ignored -- if even read. Adding to my suspicions was that while every reply address was a G-mail one, no two were ever the same. Finally, yesterday I made the drastic decision simply to delete the site ring entirely. Hated to do it, but I could see nothing else to do. Like everyone other than those pricks themselves, I despise people who insist on doing this sort of thing. Sure wish there were a way I could hit a button or something and make the sender's hard-drive literally melt down. Yeah, this is mostly venting, but it's also to let any of you who might check the site ring for new additions it's gone. Kaput. Finished. [Friday, June 30, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * While parts of the Kingdom are suffering flooding this rainy season -- most notably the lower North -- here in Bangkok flooding hasn't been a problem. Though Thailand isn't as attractive this time of year as it is during the cool season, the monsoon season sure beats the hot season, at least for a lot of people. As long as you don't have to deal with flooding, the rains bring welcome cool. This is a time of year that normally sees some tourists coming in, though numbers are sure down, at least in venues I go to or otherwise know about. Presumably, that's in part because of the World Cup in Germany; many Europeans who otherwise might think about coming out here no doubt elected to stay there to attend the matches. And there are bargains to be had, and had rather easily. I saw an ad for a 2-day/3-night holiday in Hongkong that included airfare Bangkok-Hongkong-Bangkok on Air Emirates, consistently rated one of the best airlines in the world, plus the two nights at the Holiday Inn on Nathan Road (Hongkong's famous "Golden Mile") with breakfast included for a rather astonishing 14,000+ baht fee (based on double occupancy in a twin room). Last time I was in that particular Holiday Inn, I was impressed. Never have stayed there, but have been in a restaurant and bar there, and found them quite nice indeed. That's hardly the only special on offer. Some of the hotels here in Thailand are offering good rates, and in some cases, great packages. So are some of the airlines. Bangkok Air has a fare to Koh Samui for just 2,000 baht return. (This airline also has a frequent flyer program that's quite generous, most notably in having no blackout dates.) Various other airlines have good bargains to destinations both inside and outside Thailand. Of course, the monsoon season runs right across Southeast Asia, but with some judicious selecting, you can visit one or more places other than Bangkok, if it doesn't suit you to spend your entire holiday here. Of course, living here I get to enjoy it every day! [Friday, June 30, 2006] * * * * * * * * * * Enough for one go . . . Until next time -- Mekhong Kurt
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