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CNN. This is the
American all-news network started some years ago by Ted Turner that caught
on and has become an authoritative source of television news. Later owned by
the Time-Warner conglomerate which at the end of 2000 was being bought by
AOL (America Online), it broadcasts around the world, including to
Thailand, where it is available over cable television. It is not
universally popular, and had to face a great deal of criticism, perhaps
criticism a bit unfair, for its coverage of the 2000 U.S. presidential
election (as did virtually every American news organization covering the
election). It also is sometimes criticized for being "too American"
and "too provincial," though it can be argued that it is natural
for an American organization to take a somewhat American view. A
substantial number of people prefer England’s BBC, yet CNN has its
devotees.
Cable Network
News.
This is the American all-news network started some years ago by Ted Turner
that caught on and has become an authorative source of television news.
Later owned by the Time-Warner conglomerate which at the end of 2000 was
being bought by AOL (America Online), it broadcasts around the world, including
to Thailand, where it is available over cable television. It is not
universally popular, and had to face a great deal of criticism, perhaps
criticism a bit unfair, for its coverage of the 2000 U.S. presidential
election (as did virtually every American news organization covering the
election). It also is sometimes criticized for being "too
American" and "too provincial," though it can be argued that
it is natural for an American organization to take a somewhat American
view. A substantial number of people prefer England’s BBC, yet CNN has its
devotees.
Calendar
[Western].
This calendar – the one based on the birth of Jesus Christ – is widely
understood and used in Thailand, despite the fact that the official
calendar is the Buddhist Era one, in which, for example, the Western
calendar year 2000 is 2543.
Canals [Khlongs]. In a long-gone era, Bangkok was known in many quarters as
"The Venice of the East" as a result of the numerous canals which
laced the city, and which formed a major part of Thai culture. In the
post-World War II era, the willy-nilly pace of development has seen one
canal after another filled in or paved over. There are still a few canals,
but certainly not nearly so many as before. Khlong Saen Saeb, which runs
parallel to and immediately south of Petchburi Road for a part of its
length, is one of the few remaining major transportation arteries. Starting
the the far eastern reaches of the city, it ultimately connects to the Chao
Phraya River near Sunan Luang. Ferries run along it, long, open-air boats
with a roof against the tropical sun, presenting a cheap (and fast)
alternative to riding in Bangkok’s notorious road traffic.
But a word about the
ferries. Anyone using them should exercise caution, particularly when
embarking and disembarking. The docks themselves can be dangerous; one
collapsed a few years back and there were several deaths, including of
children. A ferry will pull up alongside the dock, but as likely as not
won’t tie up. One has to step onto the gunwales then down into the boat to
embark, and the boat is small enough to rock. At peak hours especially,
peiople are both embarking and disembarking en masse, increasing the
possibility of losing one’s footing and slipping into the canal. Finally,
some of the boatmen – not all, but some – fancy themselves speedboat
drivers.
Cashier
Checks. These
are widely available in Bangkok, though small banks may not be able to
issue Bank Draft Checks (a.k.a. "Cashier’s Checks," a term
largely unknown here). The best banks to go to are international banks,
such as Citibank or Hong Kong-Shanghai Bank or to larger branches of the
bigger Thai banks, such as Bangkok Bank and Thai Farmers Bank. Note: if you
want to cash a foreign Bank Draft Check, be prepared to wait, as
local banks, even the international ones, handle them the same as they do
personal checks – that is, they wait for them to "clear" before
you can get your money. Thai banks are notorious for "sitting on your
money" long after it has arrived. If you think you might need money in
a hurry but don’t want to carry large amounts of cash, consider Credit
Cards, International ATM Cards, Travelers’ Checks, and Western Union.
Cashier
Cheques.
These are widely available in Bangkok, though small banks may not be able
to issue Bank Draft Checks (a.k.a. "Cashier’s Checks," a
term largely unknown here). The best banks to go to are international
banks, such as Citibank or Hong Kong-Shanghai Bank or to larger branches of
the bigger Thai banks, such as Bangkok Bank and Thai Farmers Bank. Note: if
you want to cash a foreign Bank Draft Check, be prepared to wait, as
local banks, even the international ones, handle them the same as they do
personal checks – that is, they wait for them to "clear" before
you can get your money. Thai banks are notorious for "sitting on your
money" long after it has arrived. If you think you might need money in
a hurry but don’t want to carry large amounts of cash, consider Credit
Cards, International ATM Cards, Travelers’ Checks, and Western Union.
Chang: "Elephant"
Chang Beer. Appearing
on the scene in the late 1990’s, this domestic beer has proven popular with
some, more so among Thais than expats, perhaps owing to its relatively
inexpensive price compared to prices for its longer-established and
better-known cousins, Singha Beer and Singha Gold Beer.
Chao Phraya River. This river is at the heart of Thai culture and
life. When the former capital Ayutthaya fell, the King decided to move the
capital to Thon Buri, across the River from present-day Bangkok; the
capital later moved to its present location. [See entries for
"Bangkok" above and for "Thai Culture" and "Thon
Buri" below.
Checking
Accounts. These are available, though many banks require
one to have a resident’s permit. Most foreigners who are resident here –
this really doesn’t apply to tourists – use either a bank in their home
countries or one of the truly international banks [a title to which
few Thai banks can lay legitimate claim] – Hong Kong-Shanghai Banking
Corporation (HKSB) and Chase-Manhattan spring readily to mind.
Even if you somehow
manage to open an account, be wary – as discussed elsewhere, banks here are
often very slow. We have waited as long as several weeks for an Electronic
Funds Transfer, but as little as a few hours. The unpredictability is the
major drawback. Electronic Funds Transfers typically take 2-3 minutes, once
your bank abroad inputs the data into the computer. However, you may well
have to have your foreign bank fax you proof of when it’s computer’s
received the confirmation signal from the Thai bank’s computer before you
can hope to collect the money. Take the fax to the bank in question and
demand your money – now. Otherwise, the Thai bank invariably blames the foreign
bank, an argument with which it is impossible to argue unless you have
documentation to the contrary. We can hear the howls of protests from
banks, both foreign and domestic, in Thailand, but we have been told
authoritatively that it is is the true that banking computers handle these
transactions, even between the most far-flung computers, in minutes, not
weeks.
This "sitting on
your money" is hardly unique to Thailand. However, a number of other
countries’ banks which do so at least tell you, up front, something like,
"We don’t care if your money is here in 30 seconds; you can’t
have it for 30 days, because we’re going to make interest during that
time." This is precisely what Thai banks do, though they are loath to
admit it. In fact, they won’t admit it.
Whichever bank you
use in Thailand, it is better to use a branch of it abroad, if possible; if
that isn’t possible, find which banks are "correspondent banks"
of the Thai bank you are using, and use one of those.
In short, if
possible, try not to bother with a checking account in Thailand. To do so
is fraught with headaches, both in terms of establishing an account in the
first place, and in terms of using it to retrieve money from abroad. If all
you want to do is pay your rent by check – assuming your landlord will
accept it, which is yet another matter – fine. For anything more
complex, you’ll be as well off using, say, a bank in Nigeria – that bastion
of banking integrity!
Checks. You are
indeed determined if you need to read this. Blank checks for you to write
are in standard format, and you can use either the Western calendar or the
Thai calendar for recording the year. You should have your signature on
your signature card at the bank reflect your signature on your passport – exactly.
Otherwise, you’re asking for trouble. In fairness, foreigners wouldn’t be
familiar with Thai nomenclature were they to be bank employees in their
home countries dealing with Thais, so we can hardly expect even
English-speaking Thais (or Thais who speak other languages) to be all that
familiar with names from our own languages. One proviso: if your native
language does not use the English alphabet, or one very close to it (such
as the Spanish alphabet), use the English Romanization of your name, even
if you wrote it in your passport in your native script. As far as we know,
every country will have at least a typed English Romanization of your name
on the identification page of your passport, which will suffice.
Chefs. Bangkok is a
culinary connoisseur’s delight. A number of the top hotels regularly employ
or import foreign chefs to showcase various foreign nations’ dishes.
European food is particularly well represented. At the very top, if you
find a restaurant offering dishes from your homeland, you can legitimately
expect them to offer servings of them comparable to the same dish in top
restaurants back home – you certainly will pay a premium price for them.
Below the very top, expect a bit of substitution. For example, the red
chili peppers you get in, say, certain Chinese cuisines might in fact be
similar Thai ones – and certainly acceptable. (Thailand does have
world-class chilis, you can rest assured.)
Chequeing Accounts. [See "Checking
Accounts" above.]
Cheques. [See "Checks" above.]
Chok Dee:
"Good Luck"; used as a toast.
Christmas. Though
Christmas is not a traditional Thai holiday – Thailand is, after all,
a mostly Buddhist country – it is one the Thais celebrate, at least in its
secular aspects, with great enthusiasm. Department stores are decked out
with typical Christmas decorations, as are shopping malls. Christmas sales
abound, most notably at prominent Western-style department stores,
such as The Emporium, Robinson’s and Central. Many night entertainment
establishments are also decorated along Christmas lines – it’s quite common
for staff to be wearing Santa Clause suits (some only rather scantly
covering the ladies wearing them, in the cases of some bars and the like).
Many Thai parents buy their children Christmas gifts to put under the
Christmas tree they have erected at home. Christmas parties abound, both
private and public ones. There really is no reason for one who loves
Christmas but finds himself in this Buddhist nation during the Yuletide
Season to feel forlorn; if you have to celebrate Christmas alone, it’s
probably your own fault!
Christopher G. Moore [Local
Author]. Mr. Moore has written
numerous books that fall into the two areas of fiction set in Thailand – a
series of related novels – and books about life in Thailand. His fiction
series is widely regarded among knowledgeable readers as essential primers
for anyone interested in the nightlife of Bangkok, particularly regarding the
ladies working in various drinking establishments. For further information,
visit Moore’s web site at http://www.cgmoore.com
We also want to point out that Chris does a monthly column for this
website, columns centered around his nonfiction book “Heart Talk,” in which
he explains in depth the richly varied vocabulary in the Thai language
built around the Thai word for “heart.” Chris and a Thai lady of done
a series of audio files to complement his book, files available on this
site for download.
Chulalangkorn
University. Named after the fifth King of the Chakri dynasty, who was the
first monarch to make a concerted, nationwide effort to drag Thailand into
the modern world during the latter decades of the 19th century
and the early years of the 20th century, this university in the
heart of Bangkok is arguably the finest in Thailand. A considerable number
of leaders of government, industry, commerce, and society are graduates of
it. It’s university hospital is (rightly) widely acclaimed. Both the
faculty members and the students are politically attuned, and have been
major forces in political development over the decades. It also contributes
actively to the arts, with many of Thailand’s most daring artists coming from
it. It is also home to one of Thailand’s most important Schools of Law.
Climate.
Thailand enjoys a variety of different climates. With a very tropical
south, a dry northeastern plateau, and a mountainous north; most of the
year you can find weather that will meet your taste. Sometimes even
Bangkok will experience a cool season during January when a sweater is
needed. The rainy season is between May and September in Bangkok.
Even during the rainy season it will rain for an hour and then clear
up. Overall the climate is one of Thailand’s greatest
attractions.
Web Link:
Thailand
Weather
Clubs [Night]. These
are numerous throughout Bangkok, concentrated in the city’s various entertainment
venues. Upscale hotels often include a nice nightclub.
Constellations. These
are after-hours meeting places, the legality of their being open subject to
occasional dispute. Among the best-known constellations are Thermae’s, long
an institution in Bangkok amongst expats who like to have an early
breakfast – and beer. The main, if unofficial, purpose of such places is
for free-lancing prostitutes to ply their trade.
Culture. Part of what
makes visiting Thailand so interesting is the mix of cultures which is
modern Thailand. With Thai, Chinese, Indian, and now Western cultures
all being tolerated and absorbed by Thais, Thailand is like no place
else.
Many things are
important in Thai culture, but the most important are religion, the
Monarchy, and the family. With the youth today things are changing
fast. Fashions change weekly, if not daily, and are influenced
by television, the internet, and world pop culture.
Thailand thus
far has avoided the homogenization which has made so much of the world so
much alike. We very much hope this continues
Web Links:
Thai
Visual Arts
National
Commission on Thai Culture
Thai Culture
Current
[Electrical]. The electric current in Thailand is 220
volts/60 cycle DC. Adapters are widely and inexpensively available. If you
are planning to live here, you should check the wiring of your residence to
the greatest extent possible, as wiring is almost always inferior, with
many shortcuts taken. For example, it is common to open a fuse or breaker
box only to discover that there are no fuses or breakers –
everything is directly wired, with no safety device in sight. You can get
around this by using extension cords which have fuses; such cords are
readily available, and even the best aren’t expensive – and one of the best
investments you can make. In fact, if possible, we suggest you connect all
your electrical devices to wall sockets indirectly, through extension
cords that have fuses – being careful not to overload any one outlet, of
course.