Tim and some of her friends are going to the upcoming Lady Gaga concert in Bangkok this May. Apparently Joy knew someone who was able to score them tickets before they went on sale to the general public.
While they did not ask me if I wanted to go, I was hardly upset, as I probably would have declined. One person in our family who did not take being excluded very well was Aleena. When she learned that her mom had tickets and that she (Aleena) would not be able to go, she started crying. At one point she was on the floor weeping loudly stating "I want to go". Tim was at work at the time, so I had the joy of dealing with that myself.
I explained that none of her friends were going; that this was only for the moms. Aleena asked who was going, and when I told her, she said that one of them should give up their ticket so that she could go instead. Unsuccessful with this tact, she wrote a letter to her mom, which included a picture of herself crying because she could not go.
Aleena has brought it up a couple of more times since the initial outburst of tears, and while she didn't cry, it's clear that she is not happy about it. I guess I'm going to hear about this for a while.
Showing posts with label Bangkok. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bangkok. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
In Chiang Rai
We arrived safely in Chiang Rai this afternoon. Our first stop here was to the hospital. Nalin's ear was bothering her, so we went to see a doctor. She is okay, but they gave her some drops. Part of the problem was that she had sand in her ear; probably from our trip last month.
We are staying at the Meridien; a very nice resort that is part of the Starwood properties. Our original plan was to stay here for four days, but we are thinking of pushing it out until November 2nd due to the flood.
I plan on spending most of my time at the hotel for the first few days to give my feet a rest. They feel a lot better, but I want to be able to run again sometime in the near future. I brought my tablet and the external hard disk with my photos on it so that I will have plenty to do.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Bangkok Motorshow
Yesterday I made my way to the Bangkok Motorshow, camera in hand. Last year the family went, and Tim ended up buying a car. She is still driving on the temporary tags on that one since we are waiting for her "lucky" number license plate.
This year I went alone. I took a cab because it was on the other side of town, and I read that sometimes you can wait up to an hour to find a parking spot there.
Like a lot of the amateur photographers there, I was more interested in taking photos of the female models than the new car models. Its not every day that you can photograph models. I also noticed that there were a lot of photographers there with some nice glass. Strangely, it seemed like there were a lot more Canons than Nikons.
Overall, I was somewhat happy with the photos. The lighting there was top down and not very great. I used a flash on low power, but sometimes it wasn't enough to get rid of the shadows from the overhead lighting. While the light was plenty bright enough to see in, I had to shoot at a little slower shutter speed than I would have liked, and I used a higher iso. I didn't have the sharp focus that I really would have liked.
I didn't take my 70-200 2.8 mm lens, which would have been a much better choice than the 24-105 mm. The 2.8 aperture would have let me shoot at a higher shutter speed, and I would have had a shallower depth of focus, making the models stand out from the background more. When I got home, I was actually going ot go back with my 70-200 lens. I had Nalin tell the guard to call a taxi for me to arrive in 30 minutes. An hour later I walked to the guard station. He had forgotten. At that point it wasn't worth going back.
One thing I noticed is that the Thai photographers would all stand around the models, sometimes three or more people deep. Most of the photographers in the back couldn't be getting a lot of great photos, there were people in their way. I wasn't going to stand in the back and wait for ten minutes only to have the model leave. I would just walk around to the front of all the photographers and shoot sitting down or kneeling. Essentially I was in the front row.
Throughout the day, I only saw a handful of Thai photographers shoot from any position but standing. I'm glad they didn't or I couldn't have gotten so close all the time. Since they were standing, I could work my way up to the front without blocking anyone's shot. The models look at different cameras so you can take your shot, and since I was in the front, I never had any issue with them looking my way.
I definitely plan on going back next year. In fact, I may end up going for a few days.
Here are a few photos of the models. I'll add some more and some of cars (I did take a few) later.
This year I went alone. I took a cab because it was on the other side of town, and I read that sometimes you can wait up to an hour to find a parking spot there.
Like a lot of the amateur photographers there, I was more interested in taking photos of the female models than the new car models. Its not every day that you can photograph models. I also noticed that there were a lot of photographers there with some nice glass. Strangely, it seemed like there were a lot more Canons than Nikons.
Overall, I was somewhat happy with the photos. The lighting there was top down and not very great. I used a flash on low power, but sometimes it wasn't enough to get rid of the shadows from the overhead lighting. While the light was plenty bright enough to see in, I had to shoot at a little slower shutter speed than I would have liked, and I used a higher iso. I didn't have the sharp focus that I really would have liked.
I didn't take my 70-200 2.8 mm lens, which would have been a much better choice than the 24-105 mm. The 2.8 aperture would have let me shoot at a higher shutter speed, and I would have had a shallower depth of focus, making the models stand out from the background more. When I got home, I was actually going ot go back with my 70-200 lens. I had Nalin tell the guard to call a taxi for me to arrive in 30 minutes. An hour later I walked to the guard station. He had forgotten. At that point it wasn't worth going back.
One thing I noticed is that the Thai photographers would all stand around the models, sometimes three or more people deep. Most of the photographers in the back couldn't be getting a lot of great photos, there were people in their way. I wasn't going to stand in the back and wait for ten minutes only to have the model leave. I would just walk around to the front of all the photographers and shoot sitting down or kneeling. Essentially I was in the front row.
Throughout the day, I only saw a handful of Thai photographers shoot from any position but standing. I'm glad they didn't or I couldn't have gotten so close all the time. Since they were standing, I could work my way up to the front without blocking anyone's shot. The models look at different cameras so you can take your shot, and since I was in the front, I never had any issue with them looking my way.
I definitely plan on going back next year. In fact, I may end up going for a few days.
Here are a few photos of the models. I'll add some more and some of cars (I did take a few) later.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace
Visited Thailand's famous Wat Phra Kaew and Grand Palace today. I've been there a few times to take photos. I like to use it as bit of a gauge as to how I have developed in my photography.
I decided against taking all the same shots that I have in the past. I wanted to do something a little different. Some of the shots are similar to ones I've taken before, but I also wanted to try some new angles.
One thing that caught my eye this time were the beautiful pots that housed some of the plants. The artwork on these were very beautiful. I think it is the symbol of the royal family.
You can see the white elephant in the design. The white elephant was at one time on the Thai flag and is considered very auspicious. My understanding is that part of the reason it was changed was because Europeans thought that it was a white rat. Not sure if that's true, but that was what I was told.
I decided against taking all the same shots that I have in the past. I wanted to do something a little different. Some of the shots are similar to ones I've taken before, but I also wanted to try some new angles.
One thing that caught my eye this time were the beautiful pots that housed some of the plants. The artwork on these were very beautiful. I think it is the symbol of the royal family.
You can see the white elephant in the design. The white elephant was at one time on the Thai flag and is considered very auspicious. My understanding is that part of the reason it was changed was because Europeans thought that it was a white rat. Not sure if that's true, but that was what I was told.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Inside Lane
Those of you who spent some time in Thailand or have read my blog before know that the driving habits here are quite a bit different than back in the states. Motorcycles are the worst offenders; they drive on the wrong side of the road, on sidewalks, and weave in and out of traffic.
I was on Silom road one day when I saw this motorcyclist taking a bit of a shortcut. I think the light was red and you can't expect the guy to wait for the traffic light. I mean, there was a perfectly empty sidewalk in front of him. Heck, even if its not empty, people know to get out of the way, right?
I was on Silom road one day when I saw this motorcyclist taking a bit of a shortcut. I think the light was red and you can't expect the guy to wait for the traffic light. I mean, there was a perfectly empty sidewalk in front of him. Heck, even if its not empty, people know to get out of the way, right?
Monday, January 18, 2010
Flags at the Temple
This shot was from Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, in Bangkok. I took it in December when I visited. I really liked the little flags blowing in the wind with the temple as the backdrop.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Wonderful Weather
The weather this past week or so has been fantastic. Although I'm reading that we are still experiencing highs in the upper 80's, it really feels like the upper 70's or lower 80's. Perhaps its a result of lower humidity or a gentle breeze, but its just been so pleasant. The rain has stopped as well, so its overall a good time to be outside.
During most of the year, if I'm at home I'll often have the air conditioner in my room running. This past week I've just had the windows open and fans running and its still very pleasant.
There is an amusing side effect of the cool down. You'll see people around, mostly Thais, wearing jackets to stave off the freezing 80 degree weather.
During most of the year, if I'm at home I'll often have the air conditioner in my room running. This past week I've just had the windows open and fans running and its still very pleasant.
There is an amusing side effect of the cool down. You'll see people around, mostly Thais, wearing jackets to stave off the freezing 80 degree weather.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Packing and Cheap Tripods
Today Dave and Joe came over and helped me to load some of the furniture into the pod. The whole packing experience is just not very much fun.
This evening I went to downtown Cincinnati for an hour or so to take a few pictures of the suspension bridge. I left my nicer tripod back in Thailand figuring that the cheap one that I had here would suffice for a few weeks.
The difference between a cheap and a nice tripod became very apparent today. I was shooting over a chain link fence at one point, so I had to fully extend the tripod. I was also using my heaviest lens (Canon 70-200 2.8 IS). The tripod was actually swaying and I had a hard time keeping it stable. I actually got some blurry pictures using the tripod.
I was pretty disappointed in the overall quality of the pictures, so I won't post any.
This evening I went to downtown Cincinnati for an hour or so to take a few pictures of the suspension bridge. I left my nicer tripod back in Thailand figuring that the cheap one that I had here would suffice for a few weeks.
The difference between a cheap and a nice tripod became very apparent today. I was shooting over a chain link fence at one point, so I had to fully extend the tripod. I was also using my heaviest lens (Canon 70-200 2.8 IS). The tripod was actually swaying and I had a hard time keeping it stable. I actually got some blurry pictures using the tripod.
I was pretty disappointed in the overall quality of the pictures, so I won't post any.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Beer Suit
My attire here in Thailand generally consists of a pair of shorts and a polo or tee shirt. The fact that I've only had to wear slacks or jeans a handful of times since I've been here has probably helped make the heat much more bearable. If I had to wear a suit and tie every day, I would seat even more profusely.
As a consequence of the heat and the absence of a dress code in my current role in life, I did not bring a suit with me. It just didn't occur to me to bring one. When would I possibly need one?
Apparently "when" is today. Singha Beer is the king of beers in Thailand. It is produced by the Boon Rawd brewery. This year, Boon Rawd brewery is celebrating their 75th year anniversary.
At this point you might be trying to find the intersection of beer, which I don't drink, and a suit, which I don't have with me. Well, Boon Rawd is throwing a big party to celebrate three-quarters of a century brewing beer. My wife has been invited as a VIP to the party. Her bus station is a very good client of Singha (I'm hoping the passengers are drinking it and not the drivers, although one never knows here), so they invited her. Since I will accompany her to this event, I need to dress nicely.
If I knew a little more in advance, I probably could have had a suit made for me in fairly short order. There are a lot of places to have a suit made here in Bangkok, and many of them cater to tourists. If they are catering to tourists, that means that they need to be able to turn orders around pretty quickly. Since I've only been back a few days, however, I'm just going to borrow a jacket from my brother-in-law. We'll see how it goes.
As a consequence of the heat and the absence of a dress code in my current role in life, I did not bring a suit with me. It just didn't occur to me to bring one. When would I possibly need one?
Apparently "when" is today. Singha Beer is the king of beers in Thailand. It is produced by the Boon Rawd brewery. This year, Boon Rawd brewery is celebrating their 75th year anniversary.
At this point you might be trying to find the intersection of beer, which I don't drink, and a suit, which I don't have with me. Well, Boon Rawd is throwing a big party to celebrate three-quarters of a century brewing beer. My wife has been invited as a VIP to the party. Her bus station is a very good client of Singha (I'm hoping the passengers are drinking it and not the drivers, although one never knows here), so they invited her. Since I will accompany her to this event, I need to dress nicely.
If I knew a little more in advance, I probably could have had a suit made for me in fairly short order. There are a lot of places to have a suit made here in Bangkok, and many of them cater to tourists. If they are catering to tourists, that means that they need to be able to turn orders around pretty quickly. Since I've only been back a few days, however, I'm just going to borrow a jacket from my brother-in-law. We'll see how it goes.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
A "Friendly" Reminder
I had to be downtown on Friday at 10:50. I was pretty confident that I knew how to get there and get back, but I wasn't 100% sure. The night before I was asking Tim for directions to confirm the way, and she suggested that we use Top's driver. Top is visiting Germany for some other business venture that he is in, so he wasn't using the driver.
Tim called Tham and confirmed the driver was indeed available. The driver confirmed that he would be at the house by 10:00. That would give us plenty of time to get to my appointment on time.
Now those of you who have read my about my previous experiences with Thai drivers will probably not fall off your seats when you read that things hardly went smoothly. When 10:00 rolled around, the driver was not to be found. At 10:15, still no driver, so I had Tim confirm that he was still coming. He was almost there he professed to her. Finally, at 10:30, when I was about to just go on my own, he arrived. At this point, I am doing a fairly good job hiding my anger. I really don't like to be late for an appointment, and at this point there is no way that I'm going to make it on time.
So off we go on our trip downtown. We go on to the expressway via the back entrance of Nichada. The advantage to going out the back entrance is that you can get on the expressway in less than five minutes as opposed to fifteen to thirty minutes exiting out the front gate. The down side is that you have to join the club to use the back entrance. Fortunately, I joined in order to work out.
A few interesting features about the expressways here. First, they are built on large cement support structures, and are actually above the regular roads. Secondly, they are toll roads. The toll from here to the city is a little less than $2 each way. Thirdly, as I was soon to discover, Thailand's finest like to hang around the toll booths to engage in personal revenue enhancement.
As we exited the toll booth, one of the brown clad officers motioned for us to pull over to the side of the road. I just started laughing. Not only had the driver been thirty minutes late, but now we were pulled over. The officer and the driver talked for a few minutes, and the policeman let him go. The driver dropped the name of an officer with whom he was friends (and a higher rank than the officer who pulled us over), so he was released without a ticket.
Once again we were on our way. I was reading a bit when I saw that we exiting the expressway. My appointment was only a hundred yards from the exit, and it was only 10:52. For a moment I was elated, as I thought that I would only be a few minutes late. As I looked around, the buildings didn't look familiar. As luck would have it, the driver got off on the wrong exit. So we spent the next 45 minutes driving, and sometimes just sitting, through Bangkok city traffic.
When we finally arrived, I pointed to the building that I wanted to go and said there in Thai. Usually drivers will then stop and let you out in front of the building and go park. Apparently when I said "there", it sounded to him like I said "don't stop here and drop me off, instead keep moving and drive through four levels of the parking garage and then exit said garage." He certainly followed those directions. Finally, after we exited the garage, I opened my door while we were moving very slowly. The driver was at that point gracious enough to stop and let me out. I looked at the time and saw it was 11:45. By the time I got to where I was going, I was an hour late.
This was just a reminder of how frustrating it is to deal with Thai drivers. There are probably some very good ones out there, but the majority are not. I really don't miss having one in our employ. Sure, its nice to have someone park the car for you in some places, or to take a nap en route. The frustration of waiting just isn't worth it. Next time I need to go somewhere that I don't know how to get to, I'll probably try taking a cab. Or maybe I'll buy a GPS system. I've actually heard good things about some here.
Tim called Tham and confirmed the driver was indeed available. The driver confirmed that he would be at the house by 10:00. That would give us plenty of time to get to my appointment on time.
Now those of you who have read my about my previous experiences with Thai drivers will probably not fall off your seats when you read that things hardly went smoothly. When 10:00 rolled around, the driver was not to be found. At 10:15, still no driver, so I had Tim confirm that he was still coming. He was almost there he professed to her. Finally, at 10:30, when I was about to just go on my own, he arrived. At this point, I am doing a fairly good job hiding my anger. I really don't like to be late for an appointment, and at this point there is no way that I'm going to make it on time.
So off we go on our trip downtown. We go on to the expressway via the back entrance of Nichada. The advantage to going out the back entrance is that you can get on the expressway in less than five minutes as opposed to fifteen to thirty minutes exiting out the front gate. The down side is that you have to join the club to use the back entrance. Fortunately, I joined in order to work out.
A few interesting features about the expressways here. First, they are built on large cement support structures, and are actually above the regular roads. Secondly, they are toll roads. The toll from here to the city is a little less than $2 each way. Thirdly, as I was soon to discover, Thailand's finest like to hang around the toll booths to engage in personal revenue enhancement.
As we exited the toll booth, one of the brown clad officers motioned for us to pull over to the side of the road. I just started laughing. Not only had the driver been thirty minutes late, but now we were pulled over. The officer and the driver talked for a few minutes, and the policeman let him go. The driver dropped the name of an officer with whom he was friends (and a higher rank than the officer who pulled us over), so he was released without a ticket.
Once again we were on our way. I was reading a bit when I saw that we exiting the expressway. My appointment was only a hundred yards from the exit, and it was only 10:52. For a moment I was elated, as I thought that I would only be a few minutes late. As I looked around, the buildings didn't look familiar. As luck would have it, the driver got off on the wrong exit. So we spent the next 45 minutes driving, and sometimes just sitting, through Bangkok city traffic.
When we finally arrived, I pointed to the building that I wanted to go and said there in Thai. Usually drivers will then stop and let you out in front of the building and go park. Apparently when I said "there", it sounded to him like I said "don't stop here and drop me off, instead keep moving and drive through four levels of the parking garage and then exit said garage." He certainly followed those directions. Finally, after we exited the garage, I opened my door while we were moving very slowly. The driver was at that point gracious enough to stop and let me out. I looked at the time and saw it was 11:45. By the time I got to where I was going, I was an hour late.
This was just a reminder of how frustrating it is to deal with Thai drivers. There are probably some very good ones out there, but the majority are not. I really don't miss having one in our employ. Sure, its nice to have someone park the car for you in some places, or to take a nap en route. The frustration of waiting just isn't worth it. Next time I need to go somewhere that I don't know how to get to, I'll probably try taking a cab. Or maybe I'll buy a GPS system. I've actually heard good things about some here.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Cell Phones in Cars
A new law went into effect today, prohibiting the use of cell phones in cars, except when used in conjunction with a hands free device. The first offense is a fine, while the second can also result in the suspension of our license. Authorities are confident that this will result in a significant reduction in traffic accidents.
I don't want to be critical of the the law. This is their country, and I'm just a guest here. Additionally, Thailand is certainly not alone in restricting the use of cell phones in cars. I do wonder, however, if there aren't other areas that might warrant attention first. I might think that they might first focus on things like cracking down on people driving the wrong way on motor cycles, weaving in and out of traffic on motorcycles, cars pulling out in front of people, and maybe just rethinking the back assward road system they have here. Of course, restricting cell phones is easier.
I don't want to be critical of the the law. This is their country, and I'm just a guest here. Additionally, Thailand is certainly not alone in restricting the use of cell phones in cars. I do wonder, however, if there aren't other areas that might warrant attention first. I might think that they might first focus on things like cracking down on people driving the wrong way on motor cycles, weaving in and out of traffic on motorcycles, cars pulling out in front of people, and maybe just rethinking the back assward road system they have here. Of course, restricting cell phones is easier.
Cyclone Aid
As the details of the havoc and death left in the wake of the cyclone that recently hit Myanmar (Burma), people and countries around the world are looking to help. There have been pledges of money, supplies, and even personnel trained to handle these type of catastrophes.
One of the big obstacles is the Myanmar government. There are emergency personnel waiting to enter with supplies who are waiting to get visas approved. So far the government has not been inclined to waive or expedite visas in order to help its own people. While there are apparently some supplies already in country, those will quickly be exhausted leaving the victims of the storm in more peril.
France has actually floated the idea of a U.N. resolution to allow aid workers to enter Myanmar without visas. They would invoke a "responsibility to protect" clause of the U.N. charter. Presumably, if such measures were taken, the Myanmar government would not forcibly resist such aid. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, and that the Myanmar government doesn't have complete disregard for all of its people. Their past behavior gives one pause, however.
Interestingly, the government had previously scheduled a referendum on a proposed constitution on May 10th. This proposed constitution was written by the military junta, and will do little to reduce its power or provide more freedom to the people of Myanmar. The government has decided to proceed with the vote, except in the areas hit hard by the cyclone. Its really sad to see that it is going to devote at least part of its attention to this sham referendum when so many of its people are suffering.
One of the big obstacles is the Myanmar government. There are emergency personnel waiting to enter with supplies who are waiting to get visas approved. So far the government has not been inclined to waive or expedite visas in order to help its own people. While there are apparently some supplies already in country, those will quickly be exhausted leaving the victims of the storm in more peril.
France has actually floated the idea of a U.N. resolution to allow aid workers to enter Myanmar without visas. They would invoke a "responsibility to protect" clause of the U.N. charter. Presumably, if such measures were taken, the Myanmar government would not forcibly resist such aid. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, and that the Myanmar government doesn't have complete disregard for all of its people. Their past behavior gives one pause, however.
Interestingly, the government had previously scheduled a referendum on a proposed constitution on May 10th. This proposed constitution was written by the military junta, and will do little to reduce its power or provide more freedom to the people of Myanmar. The government has decided to proceed with the vote, except in the areas hit hard by the cyclone. Its really sad to see that it is going to devote at least part of its attention to this sham referendum when so many of its people are suffering.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Big, Big Number
Every wonder what number comes after a trillion? After my son kept making up names for numbers beyond a trillion (a concept he cannot possibly understand), I decided to look it up.
Here are the next few nomenclatures...
# 0's Name
6 million
9 billion
12 trillion
15 quadrillion
18 quintillion
21 sextillion
24 septillion
Here are the next few nomenclatures...
# 0's Name
6 million
9 billion
12 trillion
15 quadrillion
18 quintillion
21 sextillion
24 septillion
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
All Rise
Thailand is one of only a handful of countries where lese majeste is still prosecuted. Lese majeste is the French expression meaning injury to the Majesty. It is essentially offenses against the king and royalty. Thailand’s lese majeste is codified in article 112 of its 2007 constitution which makes it a criminal offense punishable by three to fifteen years in prison for insulting, defaming or threatening the King, Queen, Heir to the Throne or royal regent.
Thai police have charged twenty-seven year old Chotisak Onsoong with lese majeste for an offense occurring in September of 2007. What insult, offense or threat did Mr. Chotisak give against the throne? He refused to stand at the playing of the King’s anthem at the start of a movie.
At the start of every movie here in Thailand, there is a musical and pictorial tribute to the King, at which time all patrons are expected to stand and pay their respects. When Mr. Chotisak refused to rise, one of his fellow patrons became incensed and demanded the movie theater owner take some action. Unsatisfied at the movie theater’s lack of action, this patriotic fellow called the police and demanded that Mr. Chotisak be prosecuted for lese majeste. Six months later, the police did just that.
It’s not certain if the case will be successful. Does failing to rise during the tribute really offer offense to the royal family? Mr. Chotisak has stated that he did not intend to give any offense, but rather thought that everyone had the right to decide for themselves whether to rise or not. Part of the case may hinge on a sixty-five year old degree requiring one to stand during the Royal anthem at public events.
The case is interesting for a few reasons. First, lese majeste is a pretty foreign concept to Americans. The ability to criticize our leadership is a cornerstone of American free speech and democracy (okay, we are really a republic, but let’s not split hairs for the moment). Can you imagine if it were against the law to offer insult to a U.S. President? Rush Limbaugh would be serving consecutive life sentences for his words during the Clinton administration, and Air America would have their own wing in some federal prison for their “thoughtful” critiques of the Bush administration.
As I have mentioned before, Thais love their king. It’s a kind of reverence which I honestly don’t understand. They are very upset by any perceived slight against the king.
To me, this case is a lot like the flag burning cases in the U.S. A lot of people, particularly those who have served in the military get very upset by someone burning the flag. Let me first state that I don’t support burning the flag (except for the proper disposition of the flag) and I think that those who do it are generally jack asses who are starved for attention and largely bereft of reason. They perhaps do not appreciate the irony that the flag they are burning is a symbol of what gives them the right to do the burning in the first place.
I do, however, support the flag burners’ right to burn a flag. The Supreme Court has found it protected speech, and I concur. To prevent someone from burning a flag as political speech would be a restriction of the rights that the flag symbolizes. It’s not necessarily a popular stand, but it seems pretty obvious to me. And before you start filling out my applications for the ACLU and the American Communist Party for me, just remember that Justice Scalia joined the Supreme Court’s decision protecting flag burning. Justice Scalia may be accused of many things, but one of them is not making up rights not in the constitution. I don’t think you’ll find a stricter constructionist than Justice Scalia. Of course, I have no problem with charging the jack asses for burning it in public if burning is against the law there.
Part of the reason for the case may be that it was Mr. Chotisak. He was a former student activist and was involved in an anti-coup group. Although I don’t know a lot about him, I’m speculating that his activism is the type that probably rubs a lot of people the wrong way. My guess is that there are probably people in power who are not sad to see him in trouble. At first I thought that perhaps he was instigating the case for publicity or to challenge the law. The Bangkok Post article makes it sound, however, like the other patron is the one who pushed the issue.
One issue with lese majeste is that it is pretty vague and can encompass a lot of behavior. It can make an excellent tool for discrediting one’s political enemies, as a charge of lese majeste could severely diminish one in the public’s eye. One of the charges against Thaksin by the 2006 coup makers was lese majeste. The King himself said in 2005 that he didn’t take lese majeste very seriously, but apparently some of his more ardent supporters have a different opinion.
When I go to the movies here I stand when they play the King’s anthem. I’m guessing that if, as a falang, you didn’t stand, that you would not face lese majeste charged. The Thais around you might politely indicate to you to stand, or more likely just think you are a stupid falang. In any case, if it takes six months to prosecute, you may well already be gone. I don’t think the U.S. would extradite you for that.
Thai police have charged twenty-seven year old Chotisak Onsoong with lese majeste for an offense occurring in September of 2007. What insult, offense or threat did Mr. Chotisak give against the throne? He refused to stand at the playing of the King’s anthem at the start of a movie.
At the start of every movie here in Thailand, there is a musical and pictorial tribute to the King, at which time all patrons are expected to stand and pay their respects. When Mr. Chotisak refused to rise, one of his fellow patrons became incensed and demanded the movie theater owner take some action. Unsatisfied at the movie theater’s lack of action, this patriotic fellow called the police and demanded that Mr. Chotisak be prosecuted for lese majeste. Six months later, the police did just that.
It’s not certain if the case will be successful. Does failing to rise during the tribute really offer offense to the royal family? Mr. Chotisak has stated that he did not intend to give any offense, but rather thought that everyone had the right to decide for themselves whether to rise or not. Part of the case may hinge on a sixty-five year old degree requiring one to stand during the Royal anthem at public events.
The case is interesting for a few reasons. First, lese majeste is a pretty foreign concept to Americans. The ability to criticize our leadership is a cornerstone of American free speech and democracy (okay, we are really a republic, but let’s not split hairs for the moment). Can you imagine if it were against the law to offer insult to a U.S. President? Rush Limbaugh would be serving consecutive life sentences for his words during the Clinton administration, and Air America would have their own wing in some federal prison for their “thoughtful” critiques of the Bush administration.
As I have mentioned before, Thais love their king. It’s a kind of reverence which I honestly don’t understand. They are very upset by any perceived slight against the king.
To me, this case is a lot like the flag burning cases in the U.S. A lot of people, particularly those who have served in the military get very upset by someone burning the flag. Let me first state that I don’t support burning the flag (except for the proper disposition of the flag) and I think that those who do it are generally jack asses who are starved for attention and largely bereft of reason. They perhaps do not appreciate the irony that the flag they are burning is a symbol of what gives them the right to do the burning in the first place.
I do, however, support the flag burners’ right to burn a flag. The Supreme Court has found it protected speech, and I concur. To prevent someone from burning a flag as political speech would be a restriction of the rights that the flag symbolizes. It’s not necessarily a popular stand, but it seems pretty obvious to me. And before you start filling out my applications for the ACLU and the American Communist Party for me, just remember that Justice Scalia joined the Supreme Court’s decision protecting flag burning. Justice Scalia may be accused of many things, but one of them is not making up rights not in the constitution. I don’t think you’ll find a stricter constructionist than Justice Scalia. Of course, I have no problem with charging the jack asses for burning it in public if burning is against the law there.
Part of the reason for the case may be that it was Mr. Chotisak. He was a former student activist and was involved in an anti-coup group. Although I don’t know a lot about him, I’m speculating that his activism is the type that probably rubs a lot of people the wrong way. My guess is that there are probably people in power who are not sad to see him in trouble. At first I thought that perhaps he was instigating the case for publicity or to challenge the law. The Bangkok Post article makes it sound, however, like the other patron is the one who pushed the issue.
One issue with lese majeste is that it is pretty vague and can encompass a lot of behavior. It can make an excellent tool for discrediting one’s political enemies, as a charge of lese majeste could severely diminish one in the public’s eye. One of the charges against Thaksin by the 2006 coup makers was lese majeste. The King himself said in 2005 that he didn’t take lese majeste very seriously, but apparently some of his more ardent supporters have a different opinion.
When I go to the movies here I stand when they play the King’s anthem. I’m guessing that if, as a falang, you didn’t stand, that you would not face lese majeste charged. The Thais around you might politely indicate to you to stand, or more likely just think you are a stupid falang. In any case, if it takes six months to prosecute, you may well already be gone. I don’t think the U.S. would extradite you for that.
Monday, April 21, 2008
More on Olympic Torches
Apparently the Olympic torch that was purportedly stolen from the runner after he passed the flame has been returned as was another missing torch. Officials say that the torch was never in fact stolen, instead that security had taken it from him to keep it safe. The former actor still believes that it had been stolen and later returned by the thief.
Tough call as to which way it really happened. The officials certainly don't want to lose face by having allowed someone to take off with the torch. The former actor would not want to endure an loss of face by admitting he was wrong about it being stolen, and that perhaps he even sat it down at some point.
Also in the article was a blurb about a worker finding a third torch on the ground outside a building. A dog was gnawing on the torch, which may have been an extra.
Tough call as to which way it really happened. The officials certainly don't want to lose face by having allowed someone to take off with the torch. The former actor would not want to endure an loss of face by admitting he was wrong about it being stolen, and that perhaps he even sat it down at some point.
Also in the article was a blurb about a worker finding a third torch on the ground outside a building. A dog was gnawing on the torch, which may have been an extra.
The Heat is On
We are now in the midst of Thai summer. It is pretty warm out. Yesterday it was over 101 degrees Fahrenheit in the city.
As a result of the heat, I find myself sweating what can only be described as profusely. When the kids are in school, I tend to stay in the comforts of my air conditioned room. Still, being in the heat doesn't bother me as much as I might have thought it would. I think having short hair and dressing in shorts helps.
Jacob holds up to the heat very well. I see him playing a game in the living room, and I ask him if he is hot and wants me to turn on the AC. "No, I'm fine" he says as the sweat pours off my brow.
Speaking of the kids, they started back to school today. I'm not sure that they were exactly looking forward to it, but I think they had an okay time.
As a result of the heat, I find myself sweating what can only be described as profusely. When the kids are in school, I tend to stay in the comforts of my air conditioned room. Still, being in the heat doesn't bother me as much as I might have thought it would. I think having short hair and dressing in shorts helps.
Jacob holds up to the heat very well. I see him playing a game in the living room, and I ask him if he is hot and wants me to turn on the AC. "No, I'm fine" he says as the sweat pours off my brow.
Speaking of the kids, they started back to school today. I'm not sure that they were exactly looking forward to it, but I think they had an okay time.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Teak Palace
Today we visited the teak palace. I've been there before, and remembered that it was very nice. What I didn't remember is that you cannot take pictures in or outside the palace itself. Apparently its a respect thing.
Frankly, it really pissed me off and put me in an extremely foul mood. While Tim and the kids visited the different buildings, I waited outside. When they ate lunch at the restaurant on the grounds, I sat and watched.
When I was going through security to the teak palace itself, the female guard saw the bulge in my pocket from the keys. Instead of asking me to empty my pocket, she reach over and grabbed "suspicious" bulge. I was going to ask her if needed a special ticket for that kind of service, but with Tim and the kids there, I refrained. I can't imagine someone doing that in the U.S.
I could understand not letting you take pictures, particularly flash pictures inside the palace. They wouldn't let you take them of the outside of the teak palace. They wouldn't even let you take a cell phone inside lest you sneak a picture. Of course, I saw one guy on the phone in front of the guards for about 30 minutes, and another woman taking pictures.
While I would recommend people to see it if they visit Thailand, they will do it without me around because I'll never go back. I think I am going to delete the few pictures I took in the areas that you were permitted.
Frankly, it really pissed me off and put me in an extremely foul mood. While Tim and the kids visited the different buildings, I waited outside. When they ate lunch at the restaurant on the grounds, I sat and watched.
When I was going through security to the teak palace itself, the female guard saw the bulge in my pocket from the keys. Instead of asking me to empty my pocket, she reach over and grabbed "suspicious" bulge. I was going to ask her if needed a special ticket for that kind of service, but with Tim and the kids there, I refrained. I can't imagine someone doing that in the U.S.
I could understand not letting you take pictures, particularly flash pictures inside the palace. They wouldn't let you take them of the outside of the teak palace. They wouldn't even let you take a cell phone inside lest you sneak a picture. Of course, I saw one guy on the phone in front of the guards for about 30 minutes, and another woman taking pictures.
While I would recommend people to see it if they visit Thailand, they will do it without me around because I'll never go back. I think I am going to delete the few pictures I took in the areas that you were permitted.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Songkran
Back in the states, we celebrate new years one time a year. Over here, they celebrate three times each year. In addition to the Western change of years on January 1st, the Thais also celebrate the Chinese new year, and of course, their own Thai new year.
The Thai new year is called Songkran and is celebrated from April 13th through April 15th and is called Songkran. It is a major holiday here. A lot of people are off work, and the kids are off school for the entire week. Its one of the few times of year when Bangkok is not crowded, as people return to visit their family for the holidays.
Water is a huge part of Songkran. Traditionally, people would pour a small amount of water on their elders hands or over their shoulders. Now, Songkran has evolved (or devolved depending on your perspective) into a festival of fun with the theme to get soaked and soak others. Thais and expats of all ages armed with squirt guns, water balloons, buckets and even garden hoses seek to dose those around them.
People line some streets with their water arsenal in order to drench passers bye. There are some avenues where pickup trucks filled with squirt gun toting Thais battle it out with those water warriors lining the sidewalk. In order to be competitive, some of these trucks will carry one or more 50 gallon barrels of water. You can buy water if you run out, be you certainly pay a dear price for it.
In addition to water, a powdered paste is now part of the tradition. People will walk up and rub a powdered paste on others. This is believed to be related to the use of the paste by monks in blessings. Its harmless, for the most part. You don't want to wear your nice clothes and have them stained by the powder (I don't know if it comes out easily). In some area of the city, however, the more rowdier bunch use the powder as a pretense to touch women inappropriately. Tim's employees told her of a place to avoid because the women who went there would end up with powdered hand prints all over the clothing covering their breasts and crotch where party goers got a little too feely.
As with anything, some people in the past have gone too far. The police have had to crack down on some behavior. The have tried to stop people from using dirty water or hoses with too high a pressure.
Tim is going to try to get us a truck so that we can partake in the celebration. She's trying to find a place that is a little tamer because of the kids. I really would like to get some pictures of the celebration, but I am definitely leaving my good camera at home. I might take my older one, or just forget it all together. It should be a lot of fun.
The Thai new year is called Songkran and is celebrated from April 13th through April 15th and is called Songkran. It is a major holiday here. A lot of people are off work, and the kids are off school for the entire week. Its one of the few times of year when Bangkok is not crowded, as people return to visit their family for the holidays.
Water is a huge part of Songkran. Traditionally, people would pour a small amount of water on their elders hands or over their shoulders. Now, Songkran has evolved (or devolved depending on your perspective) into a festival of fun with the theme to get soaked and soak others. Thais and expats of all ages armed with squirt guns, water balloons, buckets and even garden hoses seek to dose those around them.
People line some streets with their water arsenal in order to drench passers bye. There are some avenues where pickup trucks filled with squirt gun toting Thais battle it out with those water warriors lining the sidewalk. In order to be competitive, some of these trucks will carry one or more 50 gallon barrels of water. You can buy water if you run out, be you certainly pay a dear price for it.
In addition to water, a powdered paste is now part of the tradition. People will walk up and rub a powdered paste on others. This is believed to be related to the use of the paste by monks in blessings. Its harmless, for the most part. You don't want to wear your nice clothes and have them stained by the powder (I don't know if it comes out easily). In some area of the city, however, the more rowdier bunch use the powder as a pretense to touch women inappropriately. Tim's employees told her of a place to avoid because the women who went there would end up with powdered hand prints all over the clothing covering their breasts and crotch where party goers got a little too feely.
As with anything, some people in the past have gone too far. The police have had to crack down on some behavior. The have tried to stop people from using dirty water or hoses with too high a pressure.
Tim is going to try to get us a truck so that we can partake in the celebration. She's trying to find a place that is a little tamer because of the kids. I really would like to get some pictures of the celebration, but I am definitely leaving my good camera at home. I might take my older one, or just forget it all together. It should be a lot of fun.
Friday, April 4, 2008
No Teeth
The title to this blog entry refers not to what one would prefer when it comes to oral copulation, but rather the Thai policy on official pictures. Read on and I'll explain.
Today I went and got my Thailand driver's license. As some of you may have read, my last attempt failed because I needed a form from the U.S. Embassy saying that I was living here in Thailand. Armed with that document (which cost $30), a medical certificate and my Ohio driver's license, I set off again to obtain the legal right to driver here.
Tim's contact met us at the DMV (not sure what its really called) and helped us jump the queue. After filling out some paperwork, I waited in line with a group of Thais to take a battery of tests. The first test was to determine color blindness, as the tester pointed at the colors and I stated them out loud in English. I could have probably done it in Thai, as I remember green and red, but I frequently forget yellow. The second test was a peripheral vision test. Unlike in the U.S., where they would have wiped the area where you rested your chin between each participant, she wanted until everyone was finished before wiping it down. I guess that way you at least reduce the spread of any disease to about 10 or so people. O.O
The third test was a reflex test. The examinees sat in a chair in front of a little box on the floor with a gas and brake pedal, and about 15 feet away there was a box with a red and green light. You held your foot on the gas until the red light flashed. When the red light flashed you had to hit the break. A light meter on the box showed if you passed or failed.
The final test measured depth perception. You had to line up these two sticks so that they were parallel to each other. The sticks were about 15 feet away, and one was controlled by a two button remote control.
The instructions for all of these were in Thai. Fortunately, Tim managed to translate them for me. On the fourth test, she forgot to tell me that there was a 30 second time limit, so I was taking my time trying to line the two sticks up. Tim yelled at me that I only had 30 seconds.
I managed to pass all the tests. Our contact then helped us jump another queue to get the actual license. When the official went to take my picture, I did what I always did and smiled. He looked at me and said, "no teeth, you can't show your teeth". So, I managed to smile anyway without showing my teeth.
When it comes to taking ones own personal pictures, Thais are free with their smiles and even enjoy flashing the "V" sign with one or both hands. When it comes to official pictures, however, Thais are all business. Tim explained to me that you just are not supposed to smile for official pictures.
It left me wondering, am I the only person in the land of smiles (a nickname for Thailand) with a smile on my driver's license? Probably not, but who knows for certain.
My driver's license is good for one year, after which I can renew it for a five year period. The driver's license is a plastic card, similar to my Ohio one. The official told me that they had just installed the new system. The old one, as Tim showed me, is paper and laminated. The new ones are much nicer.
Today I went and got my Thailand driver's license. As some of you may have read, my last attempt failed because I needed a form from the U.S. Embassy saying that I was living here in Thailand. Armed with that document (which cost $30), a medical certificate and my Ohio driver's license, I set off again to obtain the legal right to driver here.
Tim's contact met us at the DMV (not sure what its really called) and helped us jump the queue. After filling out some paperwork, I waited in line with a group of Thais to take a battery of tests. The first test was to determine color blindness, as the tester pointed at the colors and I stated them out loud in English. I could have probably done it in Thai, as I remember green and red, but I frequently forget yellow. The second test was a peripheral vision test. Unlike in the U.S., where they would have wiped the area where you rested your chin between each participant, she wanted until everyone was finished before wiping it down. I guess that way you at least reduce the spread of any disease to about 10 or so people. O.O
The third test was a reflex test. The examinees sat in a chair in front of a little box on the floor with a gas and brake pedal, and about 15 feet away there was a box with a red and green light. You held your foot on the gas until the red light flashed. When the red light flashed you had to hit the break. A light meter on the box showed if you passed or failed.
The final test measured depth perception. You had to line up these two sticks so that they were parallel to each other. The sticks were about 15 feet away, and one was controlled by a two button remote control.
The instructions for all of these were in Thai. Fortunately, Tim managed to translate them for me. On the fourth test, she forgot to tell me that there was a 30 second time limit, so I was taking my time trying to line the two sticks up. Tim yelled at me that I only had 30 seconds.
I managed to pass all the tests. Our contact then helped us jump another queue to get the actual license. When the official went to take my picture, I did what I always did and smiled. He looked at me and said, "no teeth, you can't show your teeth". So, I managed to smile anyway without showing my teeth.
When it comes to taking ones own personal pictures, Thais are free with their smiles and even enjoy flashing the "V" sign with one or both hands. When it comes to official pictures, however, Thais are all business. Tim explained to me that you just are not supposed to smile for official pictures.
It left me wondering, am I the only person in the land of smiles (a nickname for Thailand) with a smile on my driver's license? Probably not, but who knows for certain.
My driver's license is good for one year, after which I can renew it for a five year period. The driver's license is a plastic card, similar to my Ohio one. The official told me that they had just installed the new system. The old one, as Tim showed me, is paper and laminated. The new ones are much nicer.
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