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"The Rounds" Thursday,
October 31, 2002
Mekhong Kurt * * * * * * * * * * "The Key Of Desire" And the time is upon us in just 2 more days for the unveiling of the 2nd in Richard K. Diran's planned series of 7 paintings, one for each day of the week, the series overall now -- I've just learned from Richard -- is called "A Week of Seduction." "The Key of Desire," the 2nd painting in "A Week of Seduction" is for Wednesdays, and will receive its first public unveiling Saturday, November 2, 2002 between 2:30P.M. and 5:00 P.M. at New Square One Pub in Washington Square on Sukhumvit Soi 22. When one gets close enough to this second creation it's easy to see the extraordinary attention to detail paid by Diran in aspects such as the lady's hairline, where individual strands of hair are clearly visible. Richard's first art exhibition continues to excite comment. Meanwhile, he forging ahead with his 3rd painting, a visual delight, he promises, built around 3 mermaids swimming as seen from beneath. Remember: The first 10 people who approach me and correctly tell me the name of Diran's 2nd painting will receive a drink from me; the first one to name *both* his first and second paintings' names will receive 3 drinks from me. Finally, if anyone can correctly name BOTH paintings AND the week, he or she will likewise get 3 free drinks on me, an autographed 8"X10" color photograph of the second painting, AND his or her picture taken with Richard for inclusion in this column. So pay attention -- and drop by! [Please note: you have to approach me personally, immediately upon entering the bar, and tell me the name(s) EXACTLY to receive your drink(s); I won't be buying drinks because the girl told me, or because you talked to Richard 2 hours and got the name from him! And yes, I will be there until all 16 drinks are served!] So come on by this Saturday and view this beautiful painting in oils. * * * * * * * * * * I know this sounds like a whine, but there remain international connectivity problems from Thailand to foreign servers, particularly servers in the U.S., where BangkokAtoZ.com's server is located. I will try to be on schedule next week; as I understand it, work is frantically afoot to improve the international connections. * * * * * * * * * * It has been a *very* quiet week for the most part; people who go to Nana Plaza and Patpong said that even those venues were rather empty. I know that Sunday afternoon I walked around from about 12:30 P.M. until about 2:30 P.M. looking in 9 Washington Square bars; other than me, 1 bar had 1 other customer, a 2nd bar had 2 other customers -- and the other 7 had no one *except* me. And that's discouraging to the bar owners. Even in mid-afternoon, when Ott at the Silver Dollar Bar lays on a free meal -- this past Sunday an American favourite, red beans with sausage and rice, there were about only 5-6 customers. Ditto the Saturday free feed at the Texas Lone Staar this past weekend. Friends in Pattaya-Jomtien report a similar situation there. On the brighter side, Phuket is benefiting from events in Bali and is booked solid for weeks and weeks. * * * * * * * * * * Despite some raining, the weather hasn't been bad, and the accompanying cool air makes it far easier to accept the rains than might otherwise be the case. Nothing out of the ordinary, mind you, just some rain every day. Yet I read the other day we might be facing water shortages here in Bangkok because the city's reservoirs are being missed by the rain clouds, which instead have caused flood waters to reach around 3 meters of rain on some parts of the Kingdom, such as in remote Isaan near the borders of Laos and Cambodia. * * * * * * * * * * Remember the story about the raid on Soi Cowboy by The Men In Brown Saturday-before-last? Since then it has been reported the police even hit the normally completely-off-the-radar-screen Rex Hotel on Sukhumvit Road opposite the entrance to Sukhumvit Soi 49. The Rex Hotel has had a 24-hour restaurant for years. Living near there when I first moved to Thailand way back when, I sometimes would stop there to have a meal -- excellent food at good prices. It gradually seeped through my ignorance that all those pretty girls sitting around weren't there just to gossip about their boyfriends or whatever. However, it was all *very* low-key -- absolutely none of the in your face stuff for which places such as the Thermae Coffee Shop are so well (and rightly) known. But the underlying principle is the same: girls who haven't scored that night will sometimes hang out at the Rex and hope to drum up a little last-minute business. I have *never* heard of the slightest controversy regarding the Rex in this light, the only negative I've ever heard at all was some years back when a long-time foreign resident wrote a letter to the local papers complaining that his Thai wife was forced to a higher rate for him than for herself -- the old double-pricing syndrome. The only one until now, that is. The same Saturday night as the one on which the murky raid on Soi Cowboy took place, apparently the gendarmes also descended in some force on the Rex Hotel restaurant, checking ID's and taking girls down to pay fines. Reportedly, they also made the restaurant start serving alcohol, though it has always been exempt from that rule in the past (as are many places catering primarily to foreign tourists). On the one hand, if it's legitimate to raid Soi Cowboy or any of the other usual targets, then it's equally legitimate to raid places such as the Rex Hotel. But given the Rex's long "excluded" status, I have to wonder what's afoot. Some of you may think, "Idiot, it just means they are enforcing the law equally." Well, Old Thai Hands share my wonder, as the police have no history of uniform enforcement across the city, even within single police districts, let alone across the Kingdom, so it will indeed be headline news if uniformity of law enforcement becomes the order of the day. * * * * * * * * * * More trouble in paradise. Despite assurances from leading luminaries that Thailand is completely safe -- a police chief in Phuket going so far as to say that tropical isle is likely the safest place on the planet -- there were some torchings of 5 schools, each damaged to varying degrees (with one reportedly razed), as well as 1 bombing of a temple, 1 attempted bombing of another (the bomb failed to go off), and threats against 5 railway stations. All these were in the far South, down near the border with Malaysia. While it seems early for the Prime Minister's absolute assertion that these events were *not* the work of terrorists, there is some indication he well may be -- even likely may be -- right. The schools are reported to have all been torched between about 2:00 A.M. and 10:00 A.M. -- most of which hours the schools would be empty. Similarly, the 1 bomb that did explode and the 1 that failed to do so were both set to go off at 3:00 A.M., so while 1 of the temples is said to be popular with certain foreign tourists, none of them would have been affected anyway. One government leader has opined the perpetrators are individuals set upon discrediting the government, and there is a certain ring of truth to her claim, given the circumstances. It's true that the majority of Thai Muslims are concentrated in the South. It's also true that Malaysia warned Thai authorities the other day that some Islamic terrorists may have escaped across the border into the South, terrorists the Malaysians said *may* have connections with the murderous Al-Queda. But it is *also* true that the great majority of Thai Muslims are peace-loving, ordinary folks just as horrified by acts of terror as the rest of us. Further, if what I've read and heard over the years is even halfway true, then indeed there is a history of different people with their own private agendas attempting to foment dissension between Thai Muslims and other Thais and the government. You can read about these latest events at the Bangkok Post and The Nation (both link directly to the related story). * * * * * * * * * * That said, I still am urging people to visit the Land of Smiles. Of course I suggest prudence and caution -- just as I have for years, long before 9/11 changed international consciousness. And as I would in *any* large city of somewhere between 8 million and 12 million people -- some of whom are the usual criminal types found around the world. And people should lump problems such as gem scams, double-pricing, etc. in with the horrors of terrorism. * * * * * * * * * * Roland of Starlite Bar in Queen's Park Plaza wants it known he continues to offer a daily special at prices ranging from 80 to 120 baht (and well worth every baht, I can testify!). Late Saturday afternoons he's offering up charcoal-grilled ribeyes at 180 baht and pork steaks at 120 baht -- and they're both good, I can again testify. Drop by and try the food. * * * * * * * * * * I mentioned the infamous Duang Chalerm case
last week; now the National Counter Corruption Commission has found a Police
Lt.-Col. Manas Saengwongngam guilty of aiding the young Chalerm to escape; the
NCCC will ask apropriate agenices to take action against the police officer. * * * * * * * * * * 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! * * * * * * * * * * Got a "Traveler's Tale"? -- send me a line! MekhongKurt@BangkokAtoZ.com * * * * * * * * * * Since this is late getting out, I can go ahead and mention that Nanapong.com's dance contest at Soi Cowboy's Rawhide Halloween night was reportedly a huge success. Look for this event to become a regular one. * * * * * * * * * * I haven't explored either place, but I have heard a few positive reports about Sukhumvit Plaza (opposite Clinton Plaza on Sukhumvit Road) and the multi-named place near the Lumpini Police Station that runs along Rama IV Road and is huge. If the reports are true, then they're worth a visit -- one I plan to make in the near future. * * * * * * * * * * Anyone needing printing services in Bangkok contact the affable Austrian, Khun Franz, at his e-mail address or office: franzs@loxinfo.co.th Franz has now done 2 print jobs for me, and I'm greatly pleased with both the quality of his work and his low prices. And no, I *don't* get a cut! * * * * * * * * * * 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). * * * * * * * * * * I'm pulling off the individual mentions of bars for sale, but any interested parties can e-mail me here: MekhongKurt@BangkokAtoZ.com. * * * * * * * * * * I'm pleased to announce that the excellent Country-'n-Western singer Marcus Sugg will be giving a live concert at The Texas Lone Staar Bar in Washington Square on Sukhumvit Road. He will begin at 7:00 P.M. on Saturday, November 23, 2002, and play until everyone leaves, his voices wears out, or closing time hits! Marcus is a highly talented individual, good enough to appeal even to the likes of me, i.e., people who aren't all that fond of cowboy music. You can hear a sample of his work at his site: http://www.marcussugg.com. I hope you'll come by and hear Marcus. You'll also find him to be a very pleasant, personable, approachable man. And tell him you read about his concert here! * * * * * * * * * * Construction on Bangkok's subway continues apace. And it won't open a moment too soon, as traffic is returning to pre-crash levels of monstrosity. As of now, the subway is slated to open sometime during August 12, 2004. There are plans to extend it eventually to the Thonburi side of the river, and dreams of running it out into other areas as well. [The same is true regarding the Skytrain, by the way.] To learn more about the project, visit this webpage: http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/Subway/index.shtml; there's also a simple, easy-to-read map there. * * * * * * * * * * Talked the other day with a friend who owns a bar down Jomtien way; he said business is very quiet, for the most part, although due to his assiduous cultivation of a core of regulars, he reckoned his business is up some month-on-month for September-October. * * * * * * * * * * The local papers sure do seem to have peculiar stadards for what they'll publish and what they won't. Since Richard K. Diran's first show was in a bar -- as his second one will be -- both he and I sent e-mails to Bangkok Post "Nite Owl" columnist Bernard Trink, and were surprised when he didn't run the announcement. In the following column he commented, without referring to either Richard or me, that he doesn't cover art shows. Well, to my way of thinking it was a bar event. Further, Trink *has* run announcements for 2 of our writers when they were having book signings at The Texas Lone Staar Bar, and for Marcus Sugg's concerts in that same venue, and I fail to see any qualitative difference between book signings and concerts on the one hand and an exhibition of a painting on the other. As the Venerable Trink himself might say, oh well. This time out I contacted a friend at The Nation, who passed the information along to the appropriate editor -- but who didn't run it, apparently because she questioned why Richard doesn't wait until he finishes all 7 paintings then have 1 show rather than have a show for each painting as it is completed. I guess there must be some magic minimum number in her mind before an exhibition merits inclusion in that paper's listings. Again -- oh well! We'll just keep plugging along, spreading the word as best we can as each new show approaches, and depend on you and our other friends to let others know. * * * * * * * * * * But enough!!! Until next time -- Mekhong Kurt |
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Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 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 at bangkokatoz.com |
