This is not good news for anyone who needs to communte from the East Bay over to San Francisco. Early this morning, some dingbat driving a truckload of fuel crashed and burned and brought down the central portion of the so-called MacArthur Maze, where several major freeways interest just east of the Bay Bridge. Thank God I don't live in the East Bay, cause the communte just went to hell.
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The heat of a dramatic gasoline tanker fire destroyed an overpass and closed two major roadways in the MacArthur Maze at the East Bay access to the Bay Bridge early this morning.
A section of the roadway taking traffic from the Bay Bridge onto eastbound Interstate 580 fell onto the connector that brings East Bay traffic from Interstate 80 to Interstate 880 southbound toward Oakland and San Jose.
Lanes of 580 near the East Bay Municipal Utility District sewage treatment plant at the maze are draped like a blanket over the northeast edge of the freeway below with the corner tip touching the ground below that.
Traffic is being routed several different ways around the scene and tie-ups are likely to worsen as the day wears on.
"We're screwed, huh? That's going to be rough on everybody," said Joe Dorey, 55, an engineer who lives in Oakland.
SF Gate Link
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Freeway Collapse in the Bay Area
Odd Restaurants in Asia
Taiwan, for inexplicable reasons, seems to have the market cornered on this one, but you'll also find a hospital cafe in Singapore and, of course, Cabbages and Condoms in Bangkok.
Odd Culture Link
Saturday, April 28, 2007
IP Theft by the Thai Government
Few people seem to mind that Pantip Plaza vendors openly sell bootleg computer discs and Hollywood movies, but when the Thai government blatantly steals American and European copyrights and patents, then a chorus of protests rises, as shown by a recent article in The Washington Times. It's easy to understand the scams and double-pricing acceptance in Thailand when such rip-off attitudes are fostered and promoted by the Thai government.
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What happened to Thailand? We've long regarded Thailand as a fine little country, friendly to America, nice rulers -- the stuff of "The King and I."
Thailand has for years been one of the rising Asian tigers, growing rapidly as it harnesses the global trading system to its benefit. And since World War II, when Thailand became an ally of the United States and deepened its business and commercial ties with the West, it has grown at an average of almost 8 percent annually. It rose to become the second largest economy in Southeast Asia. But it's no longer your grandfather's Siam.
In September 2006, Thailand's democratically elected government was toppled in a military coup, while Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was deposed while addressing the U.N. General Assembly. When Daniel Patrick Moynihan titled his memoirs on serving as our ambassador to the U.N. "A Dangerous Place," he didn't know the half of it. The ruling junta has since initiated a series of policy measures that jeopardize Thailand's economic prospects as well as American jobs and technological innovation.
Shortly after taking power, the coup leaders hastily and shortsightedly announced new foreign capital controls. In a fit of economic nationalism, the government is spooking outside investment in the country by increasing surveillance of economic transactions, restricting business advertising and pushing foreign investors to sell Thai holdings.
This political and economic recklessness is already taking a punishing toll. Foreign direct investment is understandably being scared off. Several estimates project Thai growth at less than 4 percent this year, far below the 7.3 percent that the World Bank forecasts for the economies of East Asia.
And now the military has set its sights on stealing U.S. innovation, the cornerstone of the American economy. A 2005 USA for Innovation bipartisan study by economists Rob Shapiro and Kevin Hasset estimates U.S. intellectual property is worth between $5 trillion and $5.5 trillion, equivalent to about 45 percent of U.S. GDP and greater than the GDP of any other nation in the world.
The new attack on American IP takes many forms. The International Intellectual Property Alliance noted in its annual recommendations to the USTR that piracy rates increased for every U.S. copyright-based product in 2006, at record-setting losses for American innovators. In addition to copyright concerns, piracy of consumer goods, satellite, cable and telecommunications signals thrive largely unchecked by the Thai government.
Most recently, the government brazenly announced it was breaking patents on drugs produced by Western corporations. And while this action is in line with the rampant theft of U.S. innovation in Thailand, it is also glaringly self-serving. An official Thai spokesman admitted busting patents "will be good for local pharmaceutical companies to improve their capacity." Perhaps unsurprising, one local pharmaceutical supplier happens to be owned by the Thai government, the Government Pharmaceutical Organization.
Washington Times Link
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Thaksin linked to US criticism of government. Democrat calls for swift response to article by adviser to ousted PM's lobby firm.
A top Democrat yesterday urged the government to respond swiftly to what he described as a coordinated attempt to discredit Thailand in the United States that is being orchestrated by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Korbsak Sabhavasu, a member of the Democrat Party's executive board, was responding to an opinion piece by Ken Adelman - a former US ambassador to the United Nations and an adviser to Edelman Public Relations - in the Washington Times on Friday.
The article blasts the Thai government over its patent dispute with US drug firms.
"We've long regarded Thailand as a fine little country," Adelman wrote in the article that accuses Thailand's military of trying to steal US intellectual property (IP).
Thailand now belongs to what he calls "the axis of IP evil". Korbsak said the tone of Adelman's article made it apparent that he was trying to discredit the government on behalf of Thaksin, although Adelman signed the article in his capacity as director of USA for Innovation, a group that lobbies for US pharmaceutical firms.
Edelman PR was hired by Thaksin earlier this year to launch a public relations campaign to help him return to the Kingdom, Korbsak noted. The Chicago-based firm also represents Abbott Laboratories, which is involved in a patent dispute with Thailand over its life-saving Aids drug Kaletra. Adelman's article attacks the Thai government over its capital controls as well as the drug patent row, Korbsak said. He said the article written on behalf of USA for Innovation sounded like it was actually written by Edelman on behalf of its client.
The website for USA for Innovation advises visitors to "tell President Bush to stand up to Thailand's military".
USA for Innovation also turned to YouTube last week to "release a message to the people of Thailand". It claimed that the video-sharing site was blocked in Thailand for criticising the government.
Korbsak said he suspected Adelman, Edelman and USA for Innovation were coordinating attacks against the Thai government on behalf of Thaksin. The Public Health Ministry is negotiating with Abbott so there is no need for other people to interfere, Korbsak added.
Adelman's article also likens the Thai government to the Burmese junta because it increased the military budget by US$1.1 billion (Bt36.12 billion), Korbsak said. He urged the government, the Foreign Ministry and the Council for National Security to respond swiftly to this attempt to discredit Thailand.
The Nation Link
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Is "USA for Innovation" a fake lobbying group set up only to attack the current Thai government?
With perfect timing, this new lobbying effort has appeared and targeted the Thai military government. Practically overnight, a Google search returns 24,300 hits for "USA for Innovation" (as of the writing of this article) and they all appear to refer to the press releases this lobbying group has issued over the last few days.
USA for Innovation's sparse website has a news page with occasional press releases going back to 2005, but only the recent Thai patent issue has multiple press releases. There is also a gap, nearly a year long, between press releases from May 2006 to April 2007.
Pre-April 2007 press releases from USA for Innovation do not appear to have been released to PR Web or other press release websites. Pre-April 2007 press releases do not even appear on Google--perhaps indicating they were only recently placed on the website to give USA for Innovation a plausible history before this April.
Archive.org shows no activity for the site either.
The broad sweep of issues addressed in both the USA for Innovation website and its Wall Street Journal ad is peculiar for a lobbying group that ostensibly is concerned with pharmaceutical issues. Taking the angle of "Slouching towards Burma" and "Radical new regime" could indicate a broader agenda than just focusing on protecting patents. Calling the PM a "Military Dictator," bringing up "targeted 'disappearances'" in the deep south, attacking military spending, and trying to highlight YouTube censorship seems to go far beyond what would be expected from a typical lobbying group attempting a diplomatic solution to a patent issue.
This PR initiative comes at a suspiciously opportune time as pro-Thaksin groups attempt to build on issues from the draft constitution to destabilize the government before the momentous rulings on disbanding the Thai Rak Thai party at the end of May.
According to SourceWatch, USA for Innovation's Executive Director Ken Adelman is also a senior counselor to Edelman. Edelman is the PR firm hired by former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.2Bangkok.com is attempting to contact USA for Innovation, Edelman, and Baker Botts for comment.
2 Bangkok Link
Thailand's Woes
Wat Po by Carl Parkes
The "Letter" section of The Nation newspaper in Bangkok often features some of the most opinionated writing in the newspaper, which doesn't say much about the editorial section but at least we get to listen to farangs and recent tourists wing about their favorites causes. This one neatly summarizes what many tourists find most obnoxious about the country, in three simple notes. I strongly agree with this writer, and wish the Thai government would do something about these serious, long-running problems which do nothing but embarrass the Thai people and irritate the hell out of both resident foreigners and overseas visitors.
Three things that spoil the Kingdom's good name
I love Thailand, its history, its people, its craziness, its weather ... most things about it. But the things that I and many others don't like are threatening to drag the good down into a sinking hole.
1) Scams. A friend was recently in Vietnam and overheard a group of people commenting on how they wish they'd skipped Thailand and spent all their time in Vietnam, as they were scammed at nearly every stop they made. Those who don't go to tourist sites might not realise it, but most of Thailand's major attractions are crawling with aggressive, rude, lying, duplicitous jerks. They will say anything and do anything to steal your money and often resort to group intimidation to get your baht. And then they have the chutzpah to call themselves Buddhist.
2) Double pricing. It's not necessarily the fact that we have to pay a bit more. What really bugs foreigners about double pricing is that it just reeks of arrogance and ignorance. In any Western country, a sign that says (essentially) "White people - $5; Thai people - $20" would cause an epic uproar both at home and certainly here (the government would probably whip up some negative rhetoric pretty quick for the sign's host country). We charge equal prices because we respect everyone equally (most of us, anyway). Greed doesn't get in the way of our morals or human decency.
3) Censorship. Blocking websites, banning films, blurring out guns - to most this is hilarious for a while, until it just becomes a sad commentary on how frightened and out of touch those in charge are.
These things aren't being discussed by my friends and me over a beer - they're being widely talked about on the Internet, radio stations, travel magazines and bulletin boards around the world. The phrase "Land of Smiles" may not be around too long if things don't change - indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if it was quietly replaced with "Land of Fake Smiles".
Friday, April 27, 2007
The Perfect Beach
Articles about finding or even defining the perfect beach are a regular addition to many travel websites, but I haven't seen one as thorough as the recent post by Chris at Nomad4ever in a long time. Chris sets out his parameters, which you can hardly argue with, then turns it over to his readers who chime in with their favorites. Those of you who know the beaches of Southeast Asia well will probably agree with some of the opinions and find others completely off their rockers. Come on. Ko Lanta? Ko Samet? Nah. Ko Tarutao is probably the best of Thailand, but I find it curious that nobody has yet mention El Nido in the Philippines. Or the photo above, Bantayan.
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Ever since having read Alex Garlands ‘The Beach’ in a bamboo beach hut on Honduras’ Roatan island in Latin America, I was possessed with the idea that there must be a ‘Perfect Beach’ for everyone of us on this our beautiful planet.
So I began to look out for nice getaways in white sandy bays with crystal clear waters on my travels. I thought the Caribbean, Egypt, Australia or the West Coast of the US would be great places to settle down one day.
That was of course before Asia took my heart by storm and where else than in Asia with its thousands and thousands of islands would I be able to find it?
Nomad4Ever Link
Elephant Hospital in Thailand
A Russian website recently posted an outstanding series of black-and-white photos of an elephant hospital, presumable in Thailand, but since I can't read Cyrillic, who knows? Do check out the elephant ass photo as well as the elephant in chains.
Ochevidec Link
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Poodle Confusion in Japan
Japanese consumers have sometimes been accused of being naive, but this just goes beyond the pale of believability. But it's cute.
______________________Thousands of people have been 'fleeced' into buying neatly coiffured lambs they thought were poodles. Entire flocks of lambs were shipped over from the UK and Australia to Japan by an internet company and marketed as the latest 'must have' accessory.
But the scam was only spotted after a leading Japanese actress said her 'poodle' didn't bark and refused to eat dog food. Maiko Kawakami, who starred in the Japanese thriller Violent Cop, showed photographs of her pet on a television talk show only to be told it wasn't a dog - but was in fact a lamb.
The discovery prompted hundreds of women to contact the police with similar problems and the authorities believe as many as 2,000 people have been conned.
'We launched an investigation after we were made aware that a company was selling sheep as poodles,' a police spokesman told The Sun. 'Sadly, we think there is more than one company operating in this way.
'The sheep are believed to have been imported from overseas - Britain and Australia.' Poodles are famously used by the rich and glamourous on the continent but are extremely rare in Japan, with many people having little idea what they look like. The company, which translates as Poodles as Pets, sold the 'poodles' for £630, about half the cost of a normal poodle but is now understood to have been shut
down.
Metro Link
Impeach Bush at Ocean Beach
Badhdad Burning Leaves Iraq
Iraq's most enigmatic and highly personalized blogger has finally thrown in the towel and intends to leave her homeland for distant shores, most likely Jordan or Syria until she and her family can find status in another country.
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On a personal note, we've finally decided to leave. I guess I've known we would be leaving for a while now. We discussed it as a family dozens of times. At first, someone would suggest it tentatively because, it was just a preposterous idea- leaving ones home and extended family- leaving ones country- and to what? To where?
Since last summer, we had been discussing it more and more. It was only a matter of time before what began as a suggestion- a last case scenario- soon took on solidity and developed into a plan. For the last couple of months, it has only been a matter of logistics. Plane or car? Jordan or Syria? Will we all leave together as a family? Or will it be only my brother and I at first?After Jordan or Syria- where then? Obviously, either of those countries is going to be a transit to something else. They are both overflowing with Iraqi refugees, and every single Iraqi living in either country is complaining of the fact that work is difficult to come by, and getting a residency is even more difficult.
There is also the little problem of being turned back at the border. Thousands of Iraqis aren't being let into Syria or Jordan- and there are no definite criteria for entry, the decision is based on the whim of the border patrol guard checking your passport.An airplane isn't necessarily safer, as the trip to Baghdad International Airport is in itself risky and travelers are just as likely to be refused permission to enter the country (Syria and Jordan) if they arrive by airplane. And if you're wondering why Syria or Jordan, because they are the only two countries that will let Iraqis in without a visa. Following up visa issues with the few functioning embassies or consulates in Baghdad is next to impossible.
So we've been busy. Busy trying to decide what part of our lives to leave behind. Which memories are dispensable? We, like many Iraqis, are not the classic refugees- the ones with only the clothes on their backs and no choice. We are choosing to leave because the other option is simply a continuation of what has been one long nightmare- stay and wait and try to survive.On the one hand, I know that leaving the country and starting a new life somewhere else- as yet unknown- is such a huge thing that it should dwarf every trivial concern.
The funny thing is that it’s the trivial that seems to occupy our lives. We discuss whether to take photo albums or leave them behind. Can I bring along a stuffed animal I've had since the age of four? Is there room for E.'s guitar? What clothes do we take? Summer clothes? The winter clothes too? What about my books? What about the CDs, the baby pictures?
Badgdad Burning Link
Flying Pigs in Korea
Gadling contributor Neil Woodburn finally confessed his photographic obsession: weird food displays from the markets of Asia. The photo was taken by a flickr member who joined the Gadling pool, so you can find more shots of the same photographer by following the link.
http://http://www.gadling.com/2007/04/26/photo-of-the-day-4-26-07/
Michael Jordan Crib
The modest digs of Mr. Jordan as captured not by Google Earth but that competing aerial photography service by the other guys. I found this at Bird's Eye Tourist, which has a RSS feed that just went into my Bloglines subscriptions under "Fun."
http://www.birdseyetourist.com/?p=1721
Singaporeans Flee Singapore
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Lee Kuan Yew is fond of telling stories. Most of them, however, are left incomplete.In Lee's version of the tale of emigration, it is the well-educated, the well-trained and the talented who get to leave. They leave because they have better career opportunities and can earn more money elsewhere. They leave because they are ungrateful and irresponsible and do not care about their less-advantaged fellow citizens.
There are other versions of this tale.If you would like to know the full story, you must not rely on Lee Kuan Yew's version alone. You should listen to individual Singaporeans tell their own stories and explain their own reasons, and then you may begin to piece together the complete picture for yourself.Here is one Singaporean's story (he did eventually emigrate to Australia):
http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/04/lee-kuan-yew-on-emigration.html
Internet Woes in Phuket
Soi Bangla, Phuket, 1960s, by Superman at Thai-Blogs.
We've all heard the tales of woe coming from expats in Thailand who attempt to have high-speed internet installed in their homes, most painfully for those people who live in somewhat remote areas of the Kingdom, such as Phuket. A young American who lives north of Patong and teaches English in a local school, recently attempted the feat only to face total disaster. It's a funny, cautionary story about the massive ineptitude of the government agency which manages the communications infrastructure of the country.
I had been looking forward to a working ADSL connection when I returned home from work today. After all, TOT's "customer service" center had promised us yesterday that it would certainly be hooked up today. But, as usual with dealing with this company, our expectations were shattered by being told we'd have to wait another two months and possibly more!
Here's a brief summary of our "adventures" with the only phone company that services our part of Phuket: On March 22, my wife submitted our application for a phone line and ADSL broadband service at TOT's office in Central Festival. This was several days after we filled out the application at the large TOT center on Chaofa West Road in Chalong (located less than one kilometer from our home and where all the service calls for southern Phuket originate from).
They had told us that we'd have to pay the deposits and installation charges at the Central office. At the time, they were running a promotion where the router was included in the installation charge. Dtim paid fees of more than 5800 baht and upon returning home told me that the phone line and ADSL would be hooked up in a few days. Workers arrived on March 29, stringing phone cable along the front of the entire row of shophouses (including three soi gaps) before reaching our home.
One worker leaned a very tall bamboo ladder up the side of the house and drilled a hole right under the third floor window in the master bedroom. The phone line was run straight up the wall, nailed to hold it in place, and run through the hole on the third floor before being tied off in a messy loop and a phone jack attached to the end (just hanging there without being attached).
http://markjochim.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-can-tot-stay-in-business.html
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Mursi Tribeswoman, Russian Rifle, I-Pod
Monday, April 23, 2007
Dust Storms in China
How much sand could a sandstorm storm if a sandstorm could storm sand?
Well, I received quite a vivid and colorful answer yesterday morning as I was preparing to leave Korla for a quick business trip to Kasghar. My newly-organized perch high over Korla gives me the perfect vantage point for observing the effect of a brisk wind on trillions of microscopic particles of sand from the Taklamakan Desert.
This first photo was taken at 9:24am, when I awoke to find the air above the city as clear as I've ever seen it. Things changed rather quickly when the wind kicked up. This second photo was taken at 9:35am, only 11 minutes later.
http://china.notspecial.org/archives/2007/04/behold_mother_n.html
Chicago Spire
Developers behind what would be the nation's tallest building - a twisting, lakefront tower in Chicago - will this week discover whether they have crossed one of two final hurdles before proceeding with their record-breaking plan.
The city's planning board last week endorsed a plan for the 150-storey building, known as the Chicago Spire. This week the plan goes before the city's zoning committee and if that gives the green light, the full council is due to vote next month.
"This is a wonderful project, and everyone is very enthused," Constance Buscemi, a spokeswoman for the city's planning department said. The 2,000ft tower featuring 1,200 residences, would top the city's 1,451ft Sears Tower and become the tallest building in the US. It would soar above the 1,776ft Freedom Tower that is currently being constructed on the site of the World Trade Centre, which was destroyed in the September 11 attacks.
The Chicago Spire was designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Spanish-born architect known for designing the Milwaukee Art Museum addition and the Athens Olympic sports complex. It is being built by the Irish developer, Shelbourne Development.
Shelbourne executives have declined to say how much the development will cost.Estimates by local media have placed it at around $1bn (£500m) though some have suggested it could be as much as $2bn. Currently, the tallest building in the world is the Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan, which measures 1,671 ft and has 101 floors. A tower in Dubai now under construction is expected to reach to 2,300ft and have more than 160 floors.
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2474399.ece
Saturday, April 21, 2007
More Sharia Canings in Aceh Sumatra
An amorous young couple in Aceh are given the lash.
Two romancing university students, a boy, Nuriadin bin Ismail (22), and a girl, Devita Citra Putri binti Ismail (21), were caught together in a boarding house room on 6th February 2007, subject to a citizens’ arrest by local people, and then handed over to the religious police, Wilayatul Hisbah, and they were then charged with unlawful proximity between an unmarried male and female.They were later tried and found guilty of violating article 22 of Qanun (sharia law) No.14/2003 concerning sexual crimes.
On 20th April 2007 the two young people were each given four strokes of a rattan cane in the grounds of the Tungkop mosque in the Darussalam district of Aceh Besar regency, after Friday afternoon prayers had been performed. Devita cried as she was caned while the crowd cheered as each stroke landed on her back.
http://http://www.indonesiamatters.com/1248/girl-caned/
A member of Aceh’s sharia police was caught with a teenage girl in a Banda Aceh public bathroom on Thursday night. Raihan, 33, and Magda, 17, were found by military personnel patrolling Ie Masen village in Ulee Kareng district. The two were handed to village officials.
“They were caught at 1:30 a.m. inside a public bathroom,” Jamaluddin, the village’s secretary, said. The village residents decided that the two, who were alleged to be lovers, should get married in accordance with the local custom. Raihan said he was wrong and had acted against sharia, which has been implemented in the province since 2001. “I confessed my wrongdoing and I’ll marry her,” he told journalists.
He said the two were childhood friends and both had no living relatives. The sharia police chief in Banda Aceh, Bahagia, said he could not decide what to do with Raihan. “I’ve no comment. No decision has been made on his punishment,” he said.
Raihan’s case adds to a long list of sharia violations by Aceh officials this month. Sabang district court head Puji Wijayanto was recently caught with his girlfriend Rina, although the case is still being processed as he has claimed the two are relatives.
Meanwhile, police officer Darus was caught with a girl in a car in Kuala Batu airport’s parking lot in Susoh district. A large number of people founding guilty of gambling, drinking alcohol and “indecent acts” have been punished with public caning in the province.
http://http://www.planetmole.org/indonesian-news/sharia-policeman-caught-with-a-girl-banda-aceh-sumatra.html
Friday, April 20, 2007
Airport Hitchiking in Cambodia 1974
Just stumbled across a fascinating story by a young Aussie who spent time in Cambodia in 1974, where he found himself teaching English and hitchhiking around the country to wherever the next plane was headed. Also, some great photos taken with good old Tri-X.
Back in 1974 when I was 17, I was travelling around South East Asia. I ended up in Cambodia about six months before the war there came to an end. One of the reasons why I went to Cambodia, is that I met a Belgian guy when I was in Laos who said it was possible to hitchhike in Cambodia by military aircraft or civilian air cargo.
I stayed in Cambodia for about six months and found myself various jobs teaching English (not being qualified, didn’t stop me). Road travel at that time was impossible as the government only controlled the cities (if you could call them that) and several of the larger towns. The Khmer Rouge were in control of the rest of the country.
When I wasn’t working (which was often) I used to hitch a ride down to the Phnom Penh airport,
Razzbuffnik in Cambodia Link
Pattaya Image Treatment
This recent article in the Wall Street Journal about Pattaya's latest image makeover doesn't really cut any new ground, but at least the city administration continues to try to change the old perceptions about the beach-sex capital of the country.
April 18, 2007
Extreme Makeover for 'Red Light' City
Thai Resort Makes Push
For Wholesome Visitors,
But Is Area Too Far Gone?
By BRUCE STANLEY
PATTAYA, Thailand -- Few cities have a raunchier reputation than the Thai beach resort of Pattaya.
This one-time fishing village, notorious as an R&R hot spot for U.S. servicemen during the Vietnam War, draws mostly male visitors from as far away as Europe and North America to its 1,000-plus girlie bars and go-go joints.
When ad agency Leo Burnett was asked to create a slogan for Pattaya, as part of its work in 2001 for the state-run Tourism Authority of Thailand, the firm came up with "Extreme City." Some city officials thought the phrase had a negative connotation and persuaded the mayor not to adopt it.
"In the past, anyone who valued their reputation would never admit to visiting there," says Paul Logan, a vice president for InterContinental Hotels Group Asia Pacific.
Pattaya, notorious as an R&R spot for U.S. servicemen during the Vietnam War, is on a tourism push. Now, thanks to Thailand's prosperity and the location of its new
international airport, city officials believe that perceptions of Pattaya
are ripe for change -- and they've gone into overdrive to remake them. Pattaya now boasts a pair of slogans, both home-grown: "Fun Every Square Inch" and the mayor's own "City of Variety."
Local officials cite a rise in Pattaya's corporate conventions business, a crackdown on street crime and a widening array of wholesome activities, such as rock climbing and golf. Hotels are getting more guests from the flourishing industrial region east of Pattaya, and real-estate brokers say condominium prices in the city have jumped by 60% or more during the past five years.
High-end hotel chains such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., Accor SA and InterContinental are opening new properties here, and the city council has approved plans for a 92-floor office and residential tower that it says will be the tallest building in Thailand.
To spread the word about Pattaya's incipient transformation, city officials have taken a marketing effort that was almost nonexistent three years ago and amplified it into a roadshow to tour operators in major markets, including Russia, South Korea, China and Hong Kong.
Though modest, Pattaya's ad budget of $420,000 for the current fiscal year is 60% larger than two years ago, when Thailand was struggling to recover from the tourism-damping effects of the 2004 Asian tsunami.
The biggest boost to Pattaya's image and economy could come from Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand's new international gateway, which opened in September. Suvarnabhumi is a 90-minute drive from Pattaya -- an hour closer than its predecessor -- and some hoteliers are already seeing more business, in spite of troubles the airport is having with congestion and cracks in its taxiways. The Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa credits Suvarnabhumi with a 10% increase in visits from foreign businessmen compared with last year.
Pattaya is hardly the first tainted place to strive for a new civic image. In the U.S., Las Vegas and New York's Times Square overcame unsavory reputations to become family destinations. But skeptics question whether Pattaya's reputation simply might be too far gone to salvage. "It would be the ultimate challenge," says Mike Amour, chairman and chief executive in the Asia-Pacific region for ad agency Grey Global Group Inc.
For one thing, crime remains a problem. Early one February morning, two Russian women were gunned down in their deck chairs while relaxing on a city beach. City officials say that police have arrested a Thai man for the killings, but his motive is still unclear. "We wish the world to know how bad the state of affairs is here in Pattaya," said the English-language Pattaya Daily News after posting lurid photos of the crime scene on its Web site.
City officials say they are tightening up on public safety by installing better radio equipment for police and beefing up security patrols with 16 new motorcycles and, to prowl the beaches, a golf cart. Pattaya has also installed 85 closed-circuit television cameras, many at key intersections downtown, and along some beachfront areas. Then there are the many hotels that charge a fee for women who join guests in their rooms for the night. At the Sheraton Pattaya Resort, this "joiner's fee" is about $25.
One visitor from a market Pattaya is trying to crack, Mehmet Fakioglu of Istanbul, recently made his first sojourn here. The minerals exporter said he and his wife "were shocked at what we saw. ... In Europe, you have cities with red-light areas. This whole city is red light." Prostitution isn't a crime in Thailand. Police in Pattaya are trying to keep flagrant solicitation away from family areas.
All over Pattaya are the contrasts of a town in transition. On the edge of the red-light district, a swank new Asian-European fusion restaurant called Mantra recently opened. Among the signature features of Accor's Pattaya Mercure are the condoms in every room's mini-bar, offered up in a red box that "matches the decor," General Manager Erwann Mahe proudly notes. At the same time, the Mercure's dozen "family suites" feature Sony PlayStations and cartoon wallpaper.
The Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya cultivates a family-friendly image with volleyball games in what it claims is Pattaya's biggest swimming pool -- just a few blocks from a string of bars leading to "Walking Street," the red-light district's main thoroughfare. Meanwhile, police make sweeps of streetwalkers on the beachfront, advising them to take classes in hairdressing or cooking at the "Fortune of Life Center" for vocational training near city hall.
The new push seems to be having some impact: Pattaya attracted 5.3 million hotel guests last year, a 17% increase from 2005. Russians, Chinese and Koreans led the pack.
Yet even Pattaya's boosters say there are limits to the image makeover. As city council chairman Tawich Chaiswangwong notes, "People don't come to Pattaya city to pray."
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Bangkok Post Letters
What's the best thing about the Bangkok Post? It's probably the Letters, sent in most often by disgruntled farangs. Just below, I've posted a good letter from somebody who has issues with the bus service from the new Bangkok International Airport, but here's a couple more letters that I found very interesting.
Unholy trips Whenever
I visit the computer mega-mall, Panthip Plaza, I cannot avoid noticing pairs and trios of saffron-robed Buddhist monks apparently enjoying all the consumer goods on display. Upon asking vendors what monks are doing in such a place, they smile, shrug and say "ma teeow" (they're just wandering around). I assume they are on a test set by the senior abbot, something like: face rampant greed and want and thereby conquer one's desire. Is there any other explanation?
PERPLEXED SHOPPER
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Not very urgent
Call me gullible but I was pleased with last year's coup, and believed the generals were sincere that they were a caretaker government attending only to the most urgent matters.
Among the "emergencies" the caretaker government has handled:
- changing the spelling of Thailand's most famous airport.
- banning the advertisement of beer, including even the use of brand-labeled mugs. (Fortunately, because of "Asian values," this directive applies only to foreign-owned bars and restaurants.)
- dropping the stock market 15 percent in a single day. This (almost) makes one miss Thaksin: At least there was method in his madness. BEMUSED Nakhon Sawan Veteran adviser
Re: "Thaksin's pet project scrutinised" in Monday's paper. I find it very interesting that Pansak Vinyaratn is in the news again. As former prime minister Thaksin's chief policy adviser, Khun Pansak has a perfect record - a chief adviser to two Thai prime ministers who have both been kicked out in coups after allegations of massive corruption. The first PM he advised was Chatichai Choonhavan.
The question now is, will Khun Pansak go for the hat-trick once a new PM is elected?
EX ASIA TIMES JOURNO
Bangkok
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PR campaign
I don't like to be in the position of defending army generals, but in a recent news article in a local newspaper, it was explained that Chianchuang Kalayanamitr is actually a distant cousin of Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr, not his brother. He spent 18 years in the United States, has a Ph.D. and worked in Silicon Valley where he was recruited to work for the country by Khun Korn Dabbaransi and that this anti-Thaksin operation actually started before the coup.
According to that article, Khun Chianchuang has worked for former premier Anand Panyarachun for a period of time as well.
Given the serious human rights abuses and corruption of the Thaksin government, I find it hard to condemn anyone for participating in an anti-Thaksin campaign whether they were paid or not.
A READER
Bangkok International Airport Woes
The new Bangkok International Airport continues to get criticized by all angles, and a letter today in the Bangkok Post points out that their tourist bus from the airport into town doesn't really make a great impression for first-time visitors.
Unsightly views
Can you please invite Khun Phornsiri Manohan, the recently appointed governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, to travel by public bus No. 551 from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Victory Monument. (It is the bus provided for foreign and Thai visitors to travel into the city.)
This bus for the visitors and for local people takes about an hour to reach the monument during which it passes by a mixture of many empty grubby shophouses, slum settlements, shanty houses, vacant allotments strewn with garbage and footpaths littered with rubbish. The foreign visitors will conclude that Thailand is still, sadly, a Third World country.
Monday, April 16, 2007
China Olympics Website Disaster
I just checked out the website for the 2008 China Olympics, and if the folks running that website are also running the Olympics, then we are all in for a world of hell. Their website is a mess. Many of the links don't open and pages are loaded with all kinds of Flash crap which makes the website designers look cool and trendy, but irritates everyone else. And how do I even order tickets? The Chinese government has already reserved 80% of the tickets (read: corrupt politicians), so there's almost no possibility anyone else will get a shot, unless you're willing to pay the black market rate.
China Olympics Website Disaster
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Spiderman 3 Opens in Tokyo
Since when did Hollywood films open in Tokyo? Marketing concerns aside, it seems that Hollywood would do well to promote their own interest in their home town rather than go overseas. In any event, it seems like Spiderman 3 will open in Tokyo, which I'm sure will please the goth-fetish-elvis-anime-sado kids out in Harajuku on Sundays.
A summer of blockbuster films starts early on Monday when Sony Pictures Entertainment launches Spider-Man 3 in Japan before it appears in the US and Europe.
This is the first time Sony has launched such a high-profile film outside the US and comes as the studio and its Hollywood rivals look to boost returns from international markets.
MSNBC Spiderman Link
War Shooters and Baghdad Burning by RiverWalk
The two most important blogs about war and the war in Iraq are War Shooter, a portal for photojournalist covering crisis and disaster, and Baghdad Burning, an intimate and searing portrait about living in a city in crisis. Together, they form a look at the world with incisive photos and narrative If you don't know Zoriah or RiverWalk (yes, I've got her photo), then you haven't been paying attention.
Please Help Support The Families of these Slain Afghan Journalists
The non-profit November Eleven is collecting funds for the families of Afghan driver Sayed Agha and journalist Ajmal Naqshbandi (see below). They were kidnapped along with Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo on March 5, 2007, in southern Afghanistan. While Mastrogiacomo was freed in exchange for five Taliban prisoners, Agha and Naqshbandi were subsequently beheaded, apparently when the Afghan government refused to make a similar trade for their lives. Their families could use your help so please consider donating to this worthy cause.
Instructions from November Eleven: You can donate online or you can send a check, payable to "November Eleven" (US banks only please) to: November Eleven 5315 N. Clark, Suite 200 Chicago, IL 60640 When submitting a check please specify that the funds are intended for the Ajmal Fund. More information about the Ajmal Fund is available from youarenotforgotten.net -- this site will be updated with news and background information as it becomes available.
Warshooter
*******************************
It takes a lot to get the energy and resolution to blog lately. I guess it’s mainly because just thinking about the state of Iraq leaves me drained and depressed. But I had to write tonight.
As I write this, Oprah is on Channel 4 (one of the MBC channels we get on Nilesat), showing Americans how to get out of debt. Her guest speaker is telling a studio full of American women who seem to have over-shopped that they could probably do with fewer designer products. As they talk about increasing incomes and fortunes, Sabrine Al-Janabi, a young Iraqi woman, is on Al Jazeera telling how Iraqi security forces abducted her from her home and raped her. You can only see her eyes, her voice is hoarse and it keeps breaking as she speaks. In the end she tells the reporter that she can’t talk about it anymore and she covers her eyes with shame.
Baghdad Burning by RiverWalk
Gadling on Shanghai
Tamil Nadu Kids by Carl Parkes
Gadling tends to be fairly conservative about travel issues, but sometimes a contributor bends the rules and comes up with something new. Canadian journalist ) Ember Swift writes about ladies bars in Shanghai, which sound almost more active than the similar places here in San Francisco. I also want to thank Neva Chonin for her brilliant column in the Chronicle Sunday Datebook (April 15, 2007) that makes me feel sorry that I posted that blurb about Out and Cooper and Jodie. Neva, you are right and I am wrong.
A Canadian In Beijing: La La Bar Land
Apr 15th 2007
Ember Swift
If I can suggest anything to a fellow traveller about entertainment and experience in other cultures, I would suggest taking in the gay scene in any major city in the world. Regardless of sexual orientation, I think it's an amazing experience and I regularly seek out the "alternative" establishments to pepper my more mainstream music and dance club prowls.
Last night, I went to a women's bar in Beijing.
Gadling Link
Blogger Finally Adds Labels
Mom, Carl, Kevin, Dad
My nephew, Kevin, was acting in a play in Sacramento about the wild west and I attended the opening along with my sister (Claudia), my brother in law (Stan), my Mom (Marice), and my Dad (George). Obviously, I needed a haircut, but long hair is just the kind of guy I am. Recently, I spent 8 months doing just about nothing (a vacation with free laundry and soap) and I didn't bother to get my hair cut, but it really looked a mess, so it's been trimmed.
I almost forgot the reason for this post, which was to point out the Google/Blogger has finally added the "Labels" option which had been requested/demanded for many years from bloggers such as myself. So I did it. There are some new labels over on the right that you can instantly use to search for intellectual subjects such as "Bali" or "Islam" or you can just do what my Mom will certainly do: search for "Sex in Asia."
Geez.
Travel Warning: Bangkok Bus Terminal Scam
Along with the gem stores who sell pieces of glass to unsuspecting tourists, and the "black" taxis who operate illegally from Don Muang and Suvarnapoom (that's the proper pronunciation), there's the long running scandal over the con-artists who work the various bus terminals in Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket. Most of their victims are illegals from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, but a few farangs are intimidated into paying bribes to escape threatened incarceration from these fake cops. Southeast Asia is filled with con jobs, and the average traveler can protect themselves by being aware of these games, and refusing to be sucked into these schemes.
A number of foreign tourists and migrant workers at state-run bus terminals, including the Ekamai bus terminal on Sukhumvit road, are reportedly falling prey to the "khaki mafia". Tourists, migrants searched, held, forced to part with money to secure own release.
Ekamai and Southern bus terminals are known as hunting grounds for "mafia in khaki" who prey on foreign travellers and illegal aliens. The mafia extort money from foreign tourists and illegal migrant workers who lack proper immigration documents. They arrest the migrants, and demand money in return for their release from custody, say bus terminal officials and witnesses.
The Transport Co, operator of the terminals, admits the problem is rampant at the state-run bus terminals. An official at the Southern bus terminal said: "Mafia extortionists have been roaming the terminal for almost two decades. The practice is blatant and people working at the terminal, including officials and shopkeepers, know about it."
The mafia, claiming to be policemen, work in gangs, along with bus staff, taxi and van drivers who tip off the extortionists about the arrival of their targets, mostly Burmese and Lao workers travelling from Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi, Ranong, and Songkhla.
The "mafia in khaki" approach the workers, search their belongings and ask for immigration documents. Any illegal immigrants are told they must pay at least 5,000 baht to walk free. Anyone without money or valuables is forced to seek refunds for their tickets to get cash, or face being locked up until friends or relatives find money to pay the fines.
The terminal official said the gangsters claim to be officers from Taling Chan police station, the 191 emergency unit or police from other areas. They work in uniforms or plain clothes, often in the dark, from evening until 4am. A shopkeeper at the bus terminal, located on Pinklao road, said no one dare interfere with the extortionists for fear of retribution.
The practice differs at the Ekamai terminal for east-bound buses on Sukhumvit road. An Ekamai employee said officers claiming to be officers from Thong Lor police station had boarded buses to accost foreigners for the past seven months. They scattered their belongings in drug searches. If any drugs were found, money changes hands.
"The practice hurts the country's tourism, especially when innocent foreign travellers become victims of intimidation by people claiming to be state officers," the employee said.
More frequent police searches might stem from heightened security to prevent terrorism, he said. But that might also be the work of extortionists. He said many bus operators are upset because the searches delay departure schedules. "The mafia has escaped the hand of the law," the employee said, citing the recent closure of a terminal's radio station after it alerted high-level terminal officers to look into the mafia activities.
Wuthichart Kalayanamitr, acting president of the Transport Co, admitted mafia extortionists are rampant. He said the Crime Suppression Division had been asked to patrol the Southern terminal and crack down on the mafia. As a precaution, warnings have been issued on the public address system and more closed-circuit cameras will be installed, he said. Renovation is under way at the Southern terminal to seal off the terminal area, so it is accessible only by passengers and officials, he added.
Metropolitan Police Bureau spokesman Supisal Pakdinarunat said police patrols and undercover agents have been sent to investigate, especially cases involving possible police misconduct. Pol Col Supisal advised victims and witnesses to contact the police complaint centre, the Prime Minister's Office hotline or the media. He also urged victims to file charges against the gangsters
Bangkok Post Link
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Web Stats
As you can see from this photo, I was once a teenager living in Bellevue Nebraska, working on my guitar licks with my classic Gibson ES-225, and surrounded in my room with all the paraphernalia of the psychedelic era. I just had a look at my recent web stats and its seems a few visitors are coming back to my site, though I'm not sure who's looking at my blog, but it's comforting to know that over 500 visitors checked in yesterday.
Last Visitors
1. 14 April 05:52 Telecom Algeria, Algeria
2. 14 April 06:02 SBC Internet Services, Los Angeles, California, United States
3. 14 April 06:03 SBC Internet Services, Los Angeles, California, United States
4. 14 April 06:08 Optimum Online (Cablevision Systems), Randolph, New Jersey, United States
5. 14 April 06:08 Optimum Online (Cablevision Systems), Randolph, New Jersey, United States
6. 14 April 06:24 ADSL HuaweiBB TrueLocal Infrastructure True intern, Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand
7. 14 April 06:27 SBC Internet Services, Los Angeles, California, United States
8. 14 April 06:48 Uppsala University, Uppsala, Uppsala Lan, Sweden
9. 14 April 06:50 Uppsala University, Uppsala, Uppsala Lan, Sweden
10. 14 April 06:50 British Telecommunications, Whitefield, Bury, United Kingdom
11. 14 April 07:00 Cox Communications, Wichita, Kansas, United States
12. 14 April 07:19 Telstra Internet, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
13. 14 April 07:22 Telstra Internet, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
14. 14 April 07:25 tot ip network ip address pool in bras lty pop, Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand
15. 14 April 07:27 Cox Communications, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
16. 14 April 07:27 Truehisp, Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand
17. 14 April 07:31 MILLENNIUM DIGITAL MEDIA, Seattle, Washington, United States
18. 14 April 07:35 SBC Internet Services, Selma, California, United States
Page Views Per Day
2 April 2007, Monday 252
3 April 2007, Tuesday 266
4 April 2007, Wednesday 266
5 April 2007, Thursday 251
6 April 2007, Friday 201
7 April 2007, Saturday 171
8 April 2007, Sunday 193
9 April 2007, Monday 296
10 April 2007, Tuesday 216
11 April 2007, Wednesday 217
12 April 2007, Thursday 232
13 April 2007, Friday 568
14 April 2007, Saturday 100
Country of Origin
1. United States 70,288 39.6 %
2. Singapore 14,117 7.9 %
3. United Kingdom 11,577 6.5 %
4. Thailand 8,253 4.6 %
5. Australia 7,809 4.4 %
6. Canada 7,151 4.0 %
7. Malaysia 4,790 2.7 %
8. Philippines 3,834 2.2 %
9. Indonesia 3,757 2.1 %
10. Germany 3,379 1.9 %
The rest 42,738 24.1 %
Total 177,693 100.0 %
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Taiwan, Crocodile, Zoo Keeper, What could go Wrong?
A very unfortunate zoo employee in Taiwan had an encounter with a disturbed crocodile, and the croc won, though his arm has been sewn back on and he just might recover.
A TAIWANESE zoo vet has had his arm reattached after it was bitten off by a crocodile. Earlier reports that the crocodile had been shot have been proven untrue after an examination of the animal.
Chang Po-yu, 38, from the southern Kaohsiung city's Shou Shan Zoo, was injecting the sick crocodile with anaesthetic when it attacked him. The Associated Press reported that Mr Chang was trying to retrieve a tranquiliser dart from the reptile's hide when it attacked him.
AU Croc Link
Tandy Radio Shack TRS-80 For Sale
Computer collectors note that I've got a classic Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 4P for sale here in San Francisco, the same one I wrote the first edition of Southeast Asia Handbook on in the late 1980s. After I signed my contract with Moon Publications, Bill Dalton suggested I contact Radio Shack and pick up one of their discontinued "portable" models for under $600, and a few weeks later I was happily typing away in CPM and saving my Wordstar files on 5 inch discs. It's got a small green-on-black nine inch display and there's no hard drive, but it was far better than attempting to write a guide on a typewriter. A few years ago, I plugged it in, and it still works, and it's the same model I saw once at a "classic" computer exhibit at the local SFMOMA. I figure it's worth big bucks, but is anybody interested in this piece of computer history?
Now that you’ve discovered what computers can do for you— from word processing to database management, from better-than-arcade games to educational programs—you may also find that choosing which machine to buy can seem hopeless. If you’re thinking of joining the computer revolution, consider these six best buys that we chose out of the dozens in the computer world.
Even these best buys will be right for some buyers and wrong for others. But you need not throw your-self on the mercy of the first computer salesman you meet—here’s how you kick a computer’s tires:
Computers are priced a bit differently from other things you may have bought. For one thing, there is no “standard” setup recognized by all the companies. It’s as if all four wheels were standard on one model of automobile and optional on another. The variations can make comparison shopping a chore.
All six computers we chose (Apple II, Atari 800, IBM Personal Computer, Commodore PET, Radio Shack TRS-80 and Texas Instruments’ 99/4A) have various features in common. For one thing, they’re all programmable in basic, which is the most popular of all * personal-computer languages. It is similar to English and easy to learn.
But what happens when you find that the Apple II offers two forms of basic and so does Radio Shack?
Modern Mechanix Link
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
A Short History of Cat Blogging
This very funny visual illustrates the short history of blogging, taken from the view of the cat bloggers. I use Blogger and administer a dozen travel sites on Flickr, but haven't gotten around to any big use of YouTube. Twitter is the latest twist on blogging, but it's really just another version of text messaging, which seems to be common throughout the world, but not so here in the States. Hopefully it will stay that way, since I've already got way too many people sending me their photos of their cats.
Scams in Bangkok
The two guys who founded the always excellent thai-blogs recently visited the Grand Palace in Bangkok and offered themselves up as willing victims to the con-artists and scammers who have been working that neighborhood since the start of time. Both expats have just put up extremely informative posts about their experiences. Steve writes about the tuk tuk scam, while Richard follows up with various other scams that go on at several Thai temples, which infuriates him to no end. Hopefully, both of these posts will see wider distribution, either in The Nation newspaper or be picked up by wire services.
After, having talked about the idea for ages and ages, myself and the Webmaster Mr Richard finally got round to seeing for ourselves first-hand just how the cheapo Bangkok Tuk-Tuk scam works.
Up early, adorning the most touristy-looking set of clothing, cap and sunglasses that I could find in my wardrobe, I went to meet Richard before the scam-baiting and discuss our plans. Both of us, having lived in Thailand for donkeys years had read and heard so much about the supposed 10Baht Tuk-Tuk, that it was certainly time to get scammed deliberately just to see how it was for the average unassuming tourist/backpacker.
Parking the car near Pinklao Bridge, the first destination of the day was….of course….the epicenter of ‘scamming the naïve tourist’ – The Grand Palace. Alas though, after having walked just 50 meters from the car carrying a Lonely Planet map, pretending we were lost and didn’t speak a word of Thai, we were approached by a young burly looking guy, politely offering advice on sightseeing. And, before we could hardly mutter a word, he was suggesting a tour of the Big Buddha temple, the Lucky Buddha temple and fortunately, by complete chance – a government fashion shop was holding a grand Thai New Year sale which…..wasn’t to be missed! Just as he was explaining that a Tuk-Tuk ride would cost an unbelievably cheap 10Baht, we were once again granted heavenly luck when a cheerful-looking Tuk-Tuk driver appeared from absolutely nowhere. Such incredible co-incidence!
Steve Suphan on the Great Tuk Tuk Scam
I have been to Bangkok many times. I have heard people talk about all these scams but I have never once knowingly been scammed. The place where I parked the car on Sunday with our Steve was exactly where I have parked before. It is my base for exploring the area. I then either walk or go by tuk tuk. Never have I been approached by scam artists. I went there with Steve, we took about a dozen steps away from the car and then the vultures starting swooping in for the kill. As one guy was showing Steve places on the map, I could see other scammers circling in the distance. For the following three hours we just went from one scam to the next. It was relentless. So, why this sudden interest? Did we have a sign above our heads that said something like “fresh off the boat”? I of course blame our Steve. He was so dressed the part as a tourist. Cap, t-shirt, sunglasses, shorts and rucksack. But, I think the clincher was the map. I don’t think they would have approached us if Steve wasn’t holding a map. This was an essential prop to their scam. They needed to give us suggestions of different places we could visit. The only thing that we didn’t have was a piece of paper. For some reason all of them wanted to write these destinations down for us.
Richard Barrow on More Scams in Bangkok
Monday, April 09, 2007
William Gibson: Disneyland with the Death Penalty
Singapore Handbook by Carl Parkes
It's always great fun to revisit classic posts from the past, such as this Wired article about Singapore by William Gibson. At the time, it was considered scandalous that anyone would criticize the squeaky-clean government of Lee Kuan Yew, but over the years many people have come to realize that Singapore is the perfect police state, so completely hidden behind doublespeak that even the citizens sometimes have a hard time seeing the control through the media. Singapore is perfect, it's beautiful, the trees and flowers are gorgeous, there's no graffiti, and hardly no crime, but that camera on you is always focused; Orwell never conceived a place like Singapore, but it's here and now.
Disneyland with the Death Penalty
We sent William Gibson to Singapore to see whether that clean dystopia represents our techno future.
By William Gibson
"It's like an entire country run by Jeffrey Katzenberg," the producer had said, "under the motto 'Be happy or I'll kill you.'" We were sitting in an office a block from Rodeo Drive, on large black furniture leased with Japanese venture capital.
Now that I'm actually here, the Disneyland metaphor is proving impossible to shake. For that matter, Rodeo Drive comes frequently to mind, though the local equivalent feels more like 30 or 40 Beverly Centers put end to end.
;-)
Was it Laurie Anderson who said that VR would never look real until they learned how to put some dirt in it? Singapore's airport, the Changi Airtropolis, seemed to possess no more resolution than some early VPL world. There was no dirt whatsoever; no muss, no furred fractal edge to things. Outside, the organic, florid as ever in the tropics, had been gardened into brilliant green, and all-too-perfect examples of itself. Only the clouds were feathered with chaos - weird columnar structures towering above the Strait of China.
The cab driver warned me about littering. He asked where I was from.
He asked if it was clean there. "Singapore very clean city." One of those annoying Japanese-style mechanical bells cut in as he exceeded the speed limit, just to remind us both that he was doing it. There seemed to be golf courses on either side of the freeway. . . .
"You come for golf?"
Wired Link
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Malaysia Fears Bloggers
See Malaya Poster
Why is it that the governments of Asia fear the internet? Freedom of speech has long been an endangered privilege in the region, and most Asian governments -- from the Chinese to the Singaporean -- despise a free press or the public's ability to comment on public issues, especially on a forum as open and friendly as the internet. The crackdowns continue on a near daily basis, from the Thai government recent shutdown of YouTube to the recent suggestion that the Malaysian government may actually force bloggers to register. Orwellian.
Government plans to force bloggers to register
Reporters Without Borders voiced concern today about a statement by the deputy minister of energy, water and communications, Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor, on 4 April that, in order to prevent the spread of “negative or malicious content,” bloggers will soon have to register with the government.
While claiming they do not intend to censor bloggers, they have warned that bloggers are not above the law when they “disturb peace and harmony” in Malaysia.
“This measure could jeopardise online free expression,” Reporters Without Borders said. “It could push many bloggers to opt for anonymity or censor themselves out of fear of reprisals. The deputy minister’s statement once again demonstrates the government’s desire to exercise improper control over the online flow of information inside Malaysia. The obligatory registering of blogs is a measure that so far has only been adopted by countries such as China that violate Internet users’ rights.”
The political parties and the government control most of the media in Malaysia. The most popular blogs serve as a counter-weight, offering political comment that is often critical of the government. Science and technology minister Kong Cho Ha said on 4 December that he wanted to “create strict laws to control abuses on the Internet” and to dissuade “bloggers from advocating disorder and chaos in society.”
On 19 January, Reporters Without Borders took up the cause of two Malaysian bloggers who are the target of libel suits by members of the staff of the New Straits Times, a Malaysian newspaper. Jeff Ooi, who writes one of the country’s most popular blogs, Screenshots, has been sued for refusing to take down 13 posts which the newspaper’s staffers consider to be defamatory.
Ahiruddin Attan, who produces a blog called Rockybru, says he is being sued over a post in which he accused some of the newspaper’s journalists of being agents of the Singaporean government.
Reporters Without Borders Link
Malaysia's most famed blogger, Jeff Ooi, is all over this issue, with updates and links to blogger organizations now forming to fight this latest challenge.
Again, it was at Internet speed, within 36 hours of earth time, that the world reacted to the formation of Malaysia's National Alliance of Bloggers (NAB):
Thursday, April 5, 2007, 9.00pm onwards...
- mStar: Penulis blog tubuh 'pakatan nasional'
- Malaysiakini: Bloggers unite in face of hostility
- Malaysiakini.tv: National blogger alliance takes shape
- Malaysiakini: Blogger bersatu hadapi 'serangan'
- Malaysiakini: 维护发言权鼓吹部落格风气, 全国部落格联盟昨正式成立
Friday, April 6, 2007:
- The Star: Bloggers form grouping
- AgendaDaily: Bloggers kini sudah ada ‘payung’ sendiri
- IHT, Paris: Malaysian political bloggers form alliance to counter criticism from government
- Al-Jazeera, Doha: Malaysians form 'band of bloggers'
Saturday, April 7, 2007:
- MSNBC, USA: Malaysian political bloggers form alliance
- The Age, Australia: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- San Francisco Chronicle, California: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- Houston Chronicle, Texas: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- San Luis Obispo Tribune, California: Malaysian bloggers form alliance
- Press of Atlantic City, New Jersey: Malaysian bloggers form alliance
- Wyoming News, Wyoming: Malaysian bloggers form alliance
- Sydney Morning Herald, Australia: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- MLive.com, Michigan: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- FOX News, USA: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- Newsday, New York: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- Forbes: New York: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- Washington Post, DC: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- BusinessWeek: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- Seattle Post Intelligence, Washington: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- Lompoc Record, California: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- Chippewa Herald, Wisconsin: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- Bismark Tribune, North Dakota: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- KSTP.com, Minnesota: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
- Brisbane Times, Australia: Malaysian Bloggers Form Alliance
Jeff Ooi Link at Screenshots
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Putrajaya: Hindus, Buddhists, Christians Not Welcome
Sky Kingdom
A few years ago I spent an afternoon in Putrajaya, enjoying the stunning architecture and collection of striking bridges which cross over the artificial river which bisects the modernistic capital of Malaysia. It's a monstrous place, strangely deserted, sort of the Asian answer to that forelorn capital in Brazil. Our group attempted to enter the gigantic mosque but even after donning some silly robes, we weren't allowed to enter the structure. Nor did we see any signs of houses of worship for Hindus, Buddhists, or Christians, though it never occurred to me that such places may not even exist in the nation's capital. Finally, an explanation of sorts cropped up last week in a story from the Associated Press.
The cavernous pink Putra Mosque with its soaring minaret is one of the most commanding sights and popular tourist photo backdrops in the new city of Putrajaya. A house of worship for thousands of Muslims in the 8-year-old administrative capital of Malaysia, it is a showcase of the nation's dominant faith — Islam.
But the mosque also highlights the fact that Putrajaya doesn't have a single church or temple — a fact that minority Buddhists, Hindus and Christians see as one example of the second-class treatment other faiths get in this Muslim-majority country
Religious minorities have long complained about obstacles in getting the government's permission to build places of worship in Malaysia. But their frustrations have grown amid recent accusations by religious rights activists that authorities are destroying non-Muslim shrines, heating up racial bitterness that has simmered for decades beneath a veneer of multicultural harmony.
"There is much disillusionment" among non-Muslims, said P. Uthayakumar, a Hindu lawyer who has launched a court battle to prevent authorities from demolishing temples. "Every time a temple is demolished, the people's confidence is shaken further."
The issue of churches and temples is part of a wider debate in Malaysia regarding racial and religious rights. Majority ethnic Malays, who are exclusively Muslim, enjoy a host of privileges, while other groups struggle with issues such as a perceived lack of recourse when they get into legal disputes with Muslims over religious matters.
"The debate and conflict over places of worship for non-Muslims is one of the results of the radicalized communitarian politics," says Farish Noor, a Malaysian Muslim political analyst.
"Thus far the Malaysian government has been talking about being a government for all Malaysians, but sadly we see that the Malay-Muslim agenda still dominates politics at a major level."
Some observers say the destruction of temples reflects the government's failure under Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who took power in 2003, to curb attempts by some Malays to assert their influence and privileges
Christian Post Link
Big Plug for TravelFish
Ko Phi Phi by Carl Parkes
The idea of strictly using the internet to plan your Thailand vacation seems immensely appealing for the currency of content and opinions offered by the public, but in reality it's still a tough nut to crack. There's far too many sites with blatant commercials and ill-informed commentary to really trust travel information on the internet, and perhaps just as bad, some travel sites such as WikiTravel refuse to offer dependable opinions but just play it safe with useless facts.
All this was brought home today in an article on Slate, written by a professor who attempted to plan his vacation solely with the use of the internet, forgoing his familiar pattern of digging into the latest Lonely Planet guide. The article doesn't get into the myriad problems of internet travel planning, but exposes the fundamental failures of WikiTravel and then goes on to highly recommend one of the best travel sites for Southeast Asia: TravelFish.
My Web travel project was on the verge of complete meltdown until I chanced on a different, and also mostly free, site named Travelfish.org. Unlike Wikitravel, Travelfish is a professionally written site, but it prominently features sections for volunteer feedback. It only covers Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. But Travelfish is good.
Travelfish serves as a reminder that sharp writing, not neutral points of view, is what makes a guide useful. Here's how Travelfish describes Tonsai at Railay:
The vibe here is mellow, introspective, and slow-paced. … Let's put it this way—two popular bars here are called Chill Out and Stoners. Pictures of Bob Marley abound. What, do we gotta spell it out for you?
Slate Link
Friday, April 06, 2007
The Sad State of Thai Education
Steve Suphan and Mr. Gor
Steve Suphan (not his real name I suspect) has been teaching English in Thailand for over a decade, so when he writes about the sad state of English instruction in Thai public schools, he knows of what he speaks. Steve is also a weekly contributor to The Nation newspaper, and his most recent contribution was an article on the subject, although I imagine it was highly edited so as not to cause great offense. He's just posted the unedited version on Thai-Blogs, which he cofounded many moons ago with Richard. It's a fascinating and unvarnished look into the underside of public education in the Kingdom. Great work Steve.
As for the last schooling year which has just ended, much was said and reported about the horrendous state of dodgy foreign English teachers operating in Thailand. Thereafter, hardly a month went by without new news of some supposed crackdown on ‘fake’ Farangs with the likes of their Micky-Mouse qualifications.
Let us today however, have a look at the quality of the local Thai teachers. While stories of Farang teacher child-molesters have hit national headlines, the gory stories of Thai male teachers taking advantage of their students make the back page. Obviously due to the fact that such indecencies are absolutely nothing new. If the culprits are unfortunate, they may get kicked out of the civil service. And I specifically mention civil servant teachers. As they are held in high-respect within Thai society, before they can be jailed for some kind of gross offence, they first have to be judged……guilty.
Thai-Blogs Link
Thursday, April 05, 2007
F-22 Fighter Jet Images
F-22 Fighter Jet
F-22 Jet Clouds
Not much to do with Southeast Asia (nothing actually), but Slate has posted a few amazing photos of the clouds created by the subsonic action of the vastly overpriced F-22 stealth fighter jet. But how "stealth" can a plane be that makes such an obvious trail?
Wired Link
Playboy Indonesia Not Guilty
Playboy Indonesia Protests April 2006
In a rare victory for freedom of the press in the world's most populous Muslim country, an Indonesian court has just acquitted the editor of Indonesia Playboy on indecency charges. First, an Annabel Chong play opens in Singapore and now this? Next we'll find that Youtube has been opened in Thailand, since the offending video of the King has been removed by the poster and the government censors no longer have much of a leg to stand on.
Editor of Playboy Indonesia Is Acquitted
An Indonesian court acquitted the editor of Playboy Indonesia on indecency charges today, angering conservative Muslims who have been fighting to shut down the magazine since it first appeared last year.
The trial, which lasted months, highlighted growing divisions here between a rising conservative movement and the moderate Muslims who make up the majority of the population.
Hundreds of conservative Muslims, many of them members of the Islamic Defender’s Front, a hard-line Islamic organization that has led the fight against Playboy, staged a protest outside the courtroom during the verdict, blocking traffic and shouting slogans. Hundreds of police officers were deployed, armed with water cannons, to keep order.
In the trial, the prosecutors argued that the magazine editor, Erwin Arnada, was guilty of indecency for publishing photographs of unclothed women. They sought a jail term of more than two years.
But the presiding judge, Erfan Basuning, said the prosecution’s arguments did not square with laws passed in 1998 guaranteeing freedom of the press.
“This is not only a victory for Playboy, this is a victory for all of the press in Indonesia,” Mr. Arnada said in an interview after the verdict. “This decision will become a legal precedent.”
Unlike its American counterpart, Playboy Indonesia, which has been published monthly since April 2006, does not feature photos of models who are entirely nude, though many are wearing very little. Most of the magazine’s contents are articles about Indonesian politics and culture and interviews with prominent Indonesian artists. Far racier magazines and newspapers are available on street corners in all of Indonesia’s major cities.
New York Times Link
Annabel Chong Play in Singapore
Annabel Chong
Who woulda thought that Singapore authorities would allow a play to be mounted about the life and times of former porn star Annabel Chong? I expect it to be a major hit, but it's curious that the Singapore blogosphere hasn't mentioned this yet........
Whore or hero? Singapore porn star's life on stage
Few Singaporeans have courted controversy like sex star Annabel Chong, but a new play about her life which opens on Thursday aims to reveal the person behind the pornography.
"251" is named after Chong's most famous film, "The World's Biggest Gang Bang", in which she set a world record for engaging in 251 sexual acts with around 70 men over a 10-hour period in January 1995.
Starring, produced and directed by Singaporeans, the play also marks a milestone for this city-state which has long considered Chong a pariah and where oral and anal sex, as well as pornographic films, are banned.
"Singapore has definitely opened up much more in terms of what it's willing to allow on stage," said playwright Yi-Sheng Ng, who has been fascinated by Chong's life since he heard about her infamous film as a teenager.
"She's an icon, a figure of the taboo, of doing that which is forbidden and scandalous in Singapore, she's one of our country's great anti-heroes," he told Reuters.
Asian Sex Gazette Link
Congo River Goliath Riverfish
Goliath Riverfish
Smile for the Camera
And I thought it might be dangerous to swim in the Mekong and come across one of those giant catfish, but that doesn't compare to the badass creatures who inhabit the Congo, but then who's crazy enough to swim in any African river?
The Cellar Link
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Matthew Polly on Slate
Clutch by Matthew Polly
Slate doesn't do much travel, but the few stories they post are almost always worth the time, including this weeks ongoing series about Thailand by Matthew Polly. Those readers familiar with Thailand probably won't learn much new from his writings, but it's all very descriptive and his slide show has some amusing shots from his visit to the famed Tiger Temple near Kanchanaburi. So far, the series includes three days of visits to Khao San Road, Lumpini Stadium, Patpong, a few temples, and the Bridge over the River Kwai, and I assume we'll see two more stories on Thursday and Friday.
Khao San Road is only a decompression chamber if you are ascending from Laos or Vietnam. I had descended from Midtown Manhattan, and Khao San Road was giving me the bends. I wanted to shout, "Get a job." Then I remembered that travel journalism isn't exactly coal mining, and I exhaled nitrogen and whiskey as I merged with the never-ending party.
Khao San Road is where WTO protesters go to vacation. It is a collection of cheap hostels, Internet cafes, semi-legit massage parlors, disreputable travel agents, nightclubs, and endless stalls manned by Thai merchants willing to cater to the desires of the First World's spiritually confused, culturally eclectic youths. And what do they want? Primarily, tattoos, henna, and dreadlocks. As I walked past a Thai grandmother braiding Bob Marley hair into a twentysomething Japanese head while a Thai man was needling Superman's symbol onto his shoulder, I thought: If this is where peace, love, and understanding lead, then let's give war a chance.
My morning was spent blearily drinking with a table full of Australians on multiyear walkabouts. This inevitably led to a heated argument about whether Foster-drinking, g'day-mate, crocodile-hunting Australia actually exists or is simply a myth invented by pommy descendants too embarrassed to admit that they'd been banished and never found a home to call their own. As the debate raged on, I found myself significantly outnumbered and decided that I should probably start exploring the city.
Slate Link
Out Magazine Gay Power List
Anderson Cooper and Jodie Foster
Not much to do with Southeast Asia, but there's an interesting list of the 50 most influential gays in the May issue of Out, which somewhat controversially shows Anderson Cooper and Jodie Foster on the front cover. Actually, those are two models holding masks in front their faces, but you get the idea. Neither have ever openly admitted to being gay, but apparently neither go to great lengths to deny their sexual orientation. But who cares? The list otherwise contains few great surprises, though it never really occurred to me that Suze Orman would be there.
OUTED
Most of the celebrities and tycoons on Out magazine's first Gay Power List (May issue, on newsstands Apr. 17) will probably be grateful for the honor, but maybe not the two on the cover. That's because Anderson Cooper and Jodie Foster have never publicly identified themselves as gay, though neither has ever challenged plentiful speculation to that effect.
"It's a bit of chutzpah on our part," acknowledges Out editor in chief Aaron Hicklin. But he says it wasn't merely an attempt to stir up controversy. "The A-list and even B-list gays are mostly in the closet still, and those are the kinds of people we need to have on our cover. This is a way of addressing that."
While the ethics of outing are up for debate, Cooper and Foster, who appear on the cover in the form of models holding up masks of their faces, were fair game, says Hicklin, because they inhabit what he calls the "glass closet." "The Anderson Coopers and Jodie Fosters of the world don't go to any great lengths, if any at all, to pretend they have partners of the opposite sex. There are a lot of closeted gay men and women who aren't going to make that list because the risk of litigation [against Out] is too great."
1. David Geffen
2. Anderson Cooper
3. Ellen DeGeneres
4. Tim Gill
5. Barney Frank
6. Rosie O’Donnell
7. The New York Times Gay Mafia: Richard Berke, Ben Brantley, Frank Bruni, Stuart Elliott, Adam Nagourney, Stefano Tonchi, and Eric Wilson
8. Marc Jacobs
9. Andrew Tobias
10. Brian Graden
11. Jann Wenner
12. Andrew Sullivan
13. Suze Orman
14. Joe Solmonese
15. Fred Hochberg
16. Christine Quinn
17. Perez Hilton
18. Scott Rudin
19. John Aravosis
20. Sheila Kuehl
21. James B. Stewart
22. Nick Denton
23. Tom Ford
24. Nate Berkus
25. Adam Moss
26. Jim Nelson
27. Lorri L. Jean
28. Adam Rose
29. Annie Leibovitz
30. Simon Halls and Stephen Huvane
31. Bryan Lourd
32. Bryan Singer
33. Jonathan Burnham
34. Brian Swardstrom
35. Robert Greenblatt
36. Chi Chi LaRue
37. Dan Mathews
38. Neil Meron and Craig Zadan
39. Ingrid Sischy
40. Marc Cherry
41. Carolyn Strauss
42. Irshad Manji
43. Jodie Foster
44. Christine Vachon
45. André Leon Talley
46. Hilary Rosen
47. Matthew Marks
48. Benny Medina
49. Mitchell Gold
50. David Kuhn
Radar Online Link
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Schapelle Corby: Free At Last
Gunarsa Three Dancers
You may recall the unfortunate Australian lady who was busted at the Denpasar airport holding some four kilos of weed and is now serving 20 years in the Bali prison just north of the lovely beachside town of Seminyak. She's written a book, of course, about her arrest, trial and life with the jail birds, and it's been a publishing sensation in Australia with all sorts of financial shenanigans. Darryl Mason offers some juicy tidbits about the ongoing saga.
Smuggle Drugs Into Bali, Get Busted, Become Media Sensation, Sell Your Story For $350,000 And Counting
If Schapelle Corby had actually managed to sell the 4kg of cannabis she was busted trying to smuggle into Bali in late 2004, she may have earned around $40,000.
Now serving 20 years in a Bali jail, Schapelle Corby's incredible legal adventure has spawned autobiography and media rights sales to her story worth more than $350,000. And that's before the movie rights to her life story are sold, and long before she makes another half million, or more, for the inevitable Schapelle Corby : Free At Last memoir, due sometime after 2024.
The autobigraphy, My Story, written by a journalist, Kathryn Bonella, from extensive interviews she conducted with Schappelle inside Bali's Kerobokan Prison, has been the Australian publishing phenomenon of the year.
The 'memoir' has sold more than 100,000 copies, and recently two Australian current affairs shows engaged in a week long war over unproven allegations that Schapelle's sister, Mercedes, and even her own mother, Rosalie, were dope smokers and drug dealers/smugglers.
It's the story that refuses to die, or so the Australian tabloid media hope.
But behind the incredible success of Schapelle's book is a remarkably seedy story of how an Australian publishing company tried to get around laws that prohibits a convicted criminal from profiting from their crimes, by writing books or giving paid interviews or selling their life rights to a movie producer.
The Orstrahyn Link
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Philippines Blog Awards
Philippine Blog Awards
Two big events took place last night (Saturday) in Southeast Asia. Guns n Roses kicked off their world tour with a surprise concert in Bangkok, covered today in the Outlook section of the Bangkok Post, and the Philippines Blog Awards were announced at a ceremony in Manila. I haven't had time to look at the myriad winners, but the travel division featured an outstanding blog by a graduate student in Manila who has apparently backpacked throughout the archipelago and posted stories and photos of every nook and cranny of the country. Excellent job, Ivan, and congratulations!
The 2007 Philippine Blog Awards: Ivan About Town is Best Travel Blog!
Ivan About Town was named Best Travel Blog at 2007 Philippine Blog Awards! I found out about it from text messages of fellow finalists Bikoy and Karlo who were there at the event. It was depressing not being able to attend since I had wanted to meet fellow bloggers whom I've known only through their blogs. But it was physically impossible for me to travel from Batangas City to Makati in time for the event.
Again, my heartfelt gratitude goes to the organizers, judges, volunteers and fellow bloggers who made this event a great success! Do let me know when the next Pinoy bloggers' gathering is. My appreciation goes as well to all of you who take time to read what I have to say. Let's all travel around the Philippines! It's such a beautiful country! Thanks again!
Ivan Henares Blog
