Thai Culture Minister’s anti-religious-tattoo-on-foreigners-gate redux
Originally published at Siam Voices on June 3, 2011 Yesterday's post on the Thai Ministry of Culture's declaration of intent to stop foreign tourists from getting religious tattoos has created quite a buzz around the net. No wonder, since this is a) a story affecting a lot of tourists, and b) quite honestly yet another stupid idea by the self-proclaimed heralds of everything 'Thai-ness'. So much so that this story took a life of its own beginning from not giving enough details to going completely hyperbole as these two snippets from the international media show:
BANGKOK (AFP) – Thailand has ordered a crackdown on foreign tourists having religious images tattooed on their bodies while visiting the kingdom, official media said on Wednesday.
"Thailand cracks down on religious tattoos", AFP, June 1, 2011
Thailand ordered a crackdown on the "alarming trend" of foreign tourists having religious images tattooed on their bodies while in the country, the Phuket Gazette reported Wednesday.
"Thailand Orders Crackdown on Religious Tattoos", Fox News, June 1, 2011
Reading from these two excerpts gives the impression that everybody who already has a tattoo will be stripped-searched at the airport and barred from entering the country if there's a Buddha or Jesus tattoo, which is clearly not the case (just imagine the outcry!). But where did this mistake come from? One possible source could be the Phuket Gazette:
The Culture Ministry has attacked the growing trend for tourists in Phuket and other parts of Thailand to have religious images tattooed on their bodies. It has ordered provincial governors across the country, including Phuket, to crack down on such tattoos, igniting a debate on the human rights implications of forbidding the practice.
"Crackdown ordered on religious tattoos in Phuket", Phuket Gazette, June 1, 2011
Wow, let's not get too much ahead of ourselves! I have to admit that the headline of my own article might have been misleading as well depending how you read it, although I think it rather indicates the intention to crack down on tourists from getting tats.
Nevertheless, amidst the apparent flood of bad PR from anywhere, Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat has now backtracked his own verbosity:
However, at an interview with Pattaya Daily News reporter, Minister Nipit denied making any statements against tourists with religious tattoos.
Minister Nipit clarified that tourists with religious tattoos will not be prohibited from entering Thailand. The warning is directed at those tattoo shops that allow etching sacred images onto tourists’ bodies especially on the lower body parts such as ankles, Minister Nipit said.
Minister Nipit said it was a misunderstanding by foreign media that Thailand would do a body check on tourists while visiting the kingdom.
"Tattooed Tourists Welcomed In Thailand, Culture Minister Says", Phuket Daily News, June 2, 2011
So, case closed and let's move on, right? Not quite! Let's go back to the original Thai quotes he said during the announcement earlier this week that got this brouhaha started in the first place:
"ที่ประชุมมีมติให้แจ้งผู้ว่าราชการจังหวัดทั่วประเทศ โดยเฉพาะจังหวัดท่องเที่ยว ให้เข้มงวดตรวจสอบสถานประกอบการสัก โดยห้ามไม่ให้บริการสักรูปสิ่งศักดิ์สิทธิ์ของทุกศาสนาบนร่างกาย (...) ขอความร่วมมือไม่ให้นำภาพทางศาสนามาให้บริการสักแก่ชาวต่างชาติ (...)" รมว.วธ.กล่าว
"We have come to the conclusion in our meeting that all the governors, especially those in tourist areas, should inspect tattoo parlors and ask them not to use sacred motives of all religions on the bodies (...) and seek cooperation of the parlors not to tattoo sacred motives on foreigners [at all]" said the culture minister.
นายนิพิฏฐ์กล่าวอีกว่า (...) ต้องช่วยกันควบคุมไม่ให้นำรูปที่คนเคารพในทุกศาสนามาสักบนร่างกาย แม้กระทั่งสักบนศีรษะ ใบหน้า หรือขาก็ไม่ควร หากมีพฤติกรรมที่ไม่ดี เช่น ไปนั่งกินเหล้า ทะเลาะวิวาท ภาพนั้นก็จะติดบุคคลนั้นไปด้วย
Mr Nipit further states (...) everybody should support the non-use of sacred motives of all religions for tattoos on bodies, whether it is on the head, the face or the legs; it is inappropriate. If there's is bad behavior, for example alcohol consumption or loud quarrels, this will also stick with the bearer.
"(...) ผมจะนำเสนอต่อที่ประชุมคณะกรรมการวัฒนธรรมแห่งชาติ เพื่อขอความเห็นชอบในการออกกฎหมายในการนำสัญลักษณ์ทางศาสนามาใช้ในเชิงพาณิชย์ต่อไป โดยจะเอาผิดทั้งผู้ให้บริการ และผู้ใช้บริการ" นายนิพิฏฐ์กล่าว
I will inquire at the Office of the National Culture Commission for agreeing on a law banning any religious motives for commercial use, which will penalize both parlors and customers," said Mr Nipit.
"นิพิฏฐ์อีกแล้ว ห้ามสักรูปพระ", Khao Sod, May 31, 2011
I don't know where to start...! Who in their right mind would get a tattoo on their head or on their face (unless your name is Mike Tyson or Stu or you are a Maori warrior)? And the 'sin by association' is quite an argument - the original article also quotes someone form the Cultural Surveillance Center (sad enough that such a thing exists!) warning if “people who showed their bodies for a living, such as prostitutes and go-go dancers, had a religious tattoos, it would undermine respect for religion" - again, why would these people get such a tat? It's pretty much crying hypocrisy at the wrong problem!
And most of all, even though Mr Nipit said in the most recent denial that only the parlors would be targeted, the original intent was to draft a law that would penalize both the customer and the tattoo artist after all!
What this more-than-absurd episode reveals though (and probably will be overlooked by the international media as soon as this story cools down) is the anachronistic mindset of the Ministry of Culture (or also often mockingly referred as 'MiniCult') to control and forcefully define what 'Thai culture' in their view is. Problem is, as explained in our interview with Kaewmala, their vision of 'Thai culture' is a recent construct and not always historically accurate. Another point of contention is the monopoly of Buddhism claimed by the Ministry of Culture and thus to define the religion, as this side note from this tattoo-gate reveals:
Mr Niphit said the ministry would publish guidelines on the "acceptable use" of Buddha images and religious items for business operators and tourists.
The guidelines will give advice on how to portray or treat Buddha images, teachings, pictures and photos. They will also urge respectful handling of monks' garb and items and temples' important features. People are discouraged from dressing like monks, or portraying monks in an unfavourable light.
Tattoo artists, business operators and movie makers are unhappy about the restrictions. Pawat Pawangkasiri, director of Nak Prok (In the Shadow of Naga), a film about bandits who disguise themselves as monks, said the guidelines seem vague and could threaten freedom of expression.
"If a filmmaker wants to portray monks with the aim of constructively criticising Buddhism, would that be allowed?
"Who will judge what is appropriate? If monks are forbidden to do comedy in films, the guidelines have to specify which joke is okay, and which is not," Mr Pawat said.
"Buddha curbs 'stifle expression'", Bangkok Post, June 3, 2011
Indeed this is a real problem in the making should these guidelines be as ambiguous as other laws in Thailand and actually enforced (not that they had a good track record except for one particular issue). The authorities claim to define what the Buddhist religion should be from their point of view instead of letting it evolve naturally by itself. After this there's only one question left: WWBD - What would Buddha do?
Thai Culture Ministry to crack down on religious tattoos on foreign skin
Originally published at Siam Voices on May 31, 2011
Tattoos have a very special place in Thailand. They're more than just permanent fashion statements, not unlike amulets they are regarded as spiritual guardians. Tattoos with religious or spiritual motives, called Yantra tattoos, are yet another sign that Thais take their beliefs skin-deep. Philip Cornwel-Smith dedicated a whole chapter in his excellent book "Very Thai" about this issue:
You are what you wear. While apt in fashion, the saying is literally true if it's a Thai tattoo in which you're clad. Imbued with magical powers, the arcane roi sak (tattoos) possess their owners - mostly men - at intense moments like combat, love or ritual. (...)
Like all amulets, it requires activation by the tattooist [mostly by a monk], who murmurs incantations in khom [ancient Khmer script] while he wields a two-foot steel needle, (...) It's the spell that matter. Call it spiritual insurance, for most seek roi sak for invincibility. (...)
With Thailand's government pledging to bar monks from performing tattooing rituals, roi sak is another tradition on the wane.
From: "Very Thai", by Philip Cornwel-Smith, 2005
Still to this day, religious tattoos are very popular among Thais (especially young men) to an extent that is probably best encapsulated by the annual tattoo festival at Wat Bang Phra in Nakhon Chaisri near Bangkok. And how a simple tattoo can literally turn out the beast in a man can be seen in this video here.
These tats are also a favorite among tourists, who mostly do it for looks and don't care much about the mystery behind it. In that light, it is nearly unavoidable that someone would contest that, right?
Enter the self-proclaimed herald of everything 'Thai-ness'...
Citing a survey in Phuket Island, Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat admitted that a number of foreigners coming to Thailand are interested in having their skin tattooed with Buddha images or Hindu god Ganesh in several parts of their bodies such as arms, legs, ankles or chests. The minister indicated that using religious objects as tattoo patterns is inappropriate according to the Thai tradition and culture as well as affect the faith of people toward those religions.
Religious tattoo patterns are very popular among foreign tourists and can be as expensive as 20,000 baht each. Some of the tourists deem religious tattoo patterns a fashion without any religious respect while some probably have those tattoos because of ignorance.
Mr Nipit stated that the ministry hence asked provincial governors nationwide, especially provinces with foreign tourists such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai to inspect tattoo studios and seek their cooperation not to use sacred objects of all religions as tattoo patterns. The minister then announced that he will ask the Office of the National Culture Commission to issue a law banning people from using sacred objects or holy beings in Buddhism or any other religions in their tattoo patterns.
"Culture Ministry alerted by religious tattoo patterns", National News Bureau of Thailand, May 31, 2011
After having 'successfully' restored sovereign 'Thai-ness' against the un-Thai drunken, public bearing of bare female breasts by inciting a witchhunt (against what tureds out to be teenagers), Nipit now turns against the non-Thais daring to display the sacred motives of the Lord Buddha without paying respect to the culture, beliefs and moral sovereignty of the Kingdom, just to fulfill their vain pursuit for superficial acknowledgement, a typical Western.... - sorry, I got carried away there...!
Kidding aside, does this mean that Angelina Jolie has to remove some of her tattoos? Also what is evident by that move of the culture minister is the monopoly claim over Buddhism or faith in general and more or less defining what that is and how one should behave within that realm (like they are trying to impose their vision 'Thai-ness' in general). If only the Vatican would complain in the same fashion about the countless Jesus and crosses motives...
h/t to @wisekwai for the link and the Angelina Jolie-joke!
"Only taboo when it’s inconvenient!" - Interview with Thai author Kaewmala on the outrage at topless Songkran dancers
Originally published at Siam Voices on April 19, 2011 Traditionalists and other self-proclaimed heralds of the 'true' Thai culture are having a tough time these days. Especially in the most recent Songkran (the Thai Lunar New Year) festivities they bemoan that it essentially has been reduced to almost a week full of excessive water fights and heavy drinking, that lead to countless deaths on the roads.
Now they have a new reason to cry wolf ever since a video emerged online, depicting three young girls dancing topless during a nightly water fight on a bustling Silom Road in downtown Bangkok. What followed was a flood of public condemnations, with authorities fearing yet further moral decline and the loss of cultural 'Thai' traditions - at least until the moral panic blows over quickly, which normally is within a few days.
Undoubtedly, the girls (who, according to the latest news updates, are actually underage) have done something terribly regrettable and in today's day and age it was a matter of time when somebody whips out his or her cell phone, films it and uploads it to YouTube. In many other countries they would get little to no further punishment to the public embarrassment - but since this is Thailand, all parties involved are being prosecuted, with the girls facing a 500 Baht ($17) fine and the uploader astonishingly threatened with a hefty 100,000 Baht ($3,320) fine and up to five years of prison thanks to the draconian Computer Crimes Act.
All this public fervor is accompanied by a barrage of self-proclaimed moral figures sternly wagging their fingers. Case in point, the Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat, who openly scolded the girls and suggested them to do social work, like reading the holiday's true meaning to school children. The minister has also urged authorities to prioritize the hunt of the girls, since their actions are "destroying the country's reputation." Come again?
To discuss about the public outrage and what it says about Thai society, we talked to Thai author "Kaewmala". In her book "sextalk", she gives a unique, raw insight into what Thais think about love, romance, sex and everything that comes with it. She also reflects about Thai language, politics and other current affairs on her blog and also can be followed on Twitter @thai_talk.
Saksith Saiyasombut: Were you surprised about the public outcry following the videos of topless girls?
Kaewmala: Not a bit. The “outcry” was entirely predictable, though still ridiculous and tiresome.
Culture Minister Nipit Intarasombat was very vocal about this incident, saying it negatively affects the reputation of Thai Culture. Is there any place for nudity in (modern) Thai culture?
Are you kidding?! Ever heard of Thai body massage? Or been to Patpong (Ed. note: which is actually located just down the road from where this incident happened), Nana or Ratchada? People often shed their clothes in spas and broth-, sorry, message palors, you know.
Seriously, I think Mr. Nipit was just being a good Thai parrot reciting the inviolable state of Thai Culture (with a capital C). The fact that he is the minister of Culture means he has to be an even more zealous parrot with an official mission to “protect” the “reputation” of Thai Culture. Of course what Mr. Nipit and his ministry consider “Thai Culture” may not be the same for much of the Thai public, many of whom have moved along with time to see Thai culture in its existence in the present century— not the one frozen in time or fashion like that exists in the mind of Mr. Nipit and other Thais like him.
In my view it’s the official, fantasized notion of “culture” (shared among many conservative Thais) that is at the root of the “outcry” - and the source of hilarity as we have seen in the Ministry of Culture’s reaction to the Topless in Silom incident and its response to the public criticism of its hypocrisy, its website banner with several traditional beautiful pairs of bare Thai breasts in particular. (Ed. note: on the same day word of the banner made rounds around the banner, the ministry quickly replaced it with another one.)
Is the harsh reaction partly because of the country's sensitivity towards its international cliché of 'easy' girls the government is trying hard to clamp down?
I’m not sure if that’s what people, the source of the outcry, were thinking. I’m inclined to think that their reaction was almost automatic really. Every time a Thai girl’s bare skin is exposed to the public, you can count on people like Mr. Nipit to jump up and down, pointing to the vice, ranting on the deterioration and eventual apocalyptical destruction of Thai Culture like a bunch of Thai cultural Taliban squad. In fact, it would not be inappropriate to call them Thai Cultural Talibans as their idea of Thai Culture is based on faith, not facts.
The way these people go on and on about Thai female chastity you would think all Thai women remain a virgin till their breasts are wrinkled like a pair of old socks. Of course that isn’t the case. Many Thais and non-Thais do know that not a century ago, Thai women were still walking around bare breasted. So where did this make-believe puritan “model” of Thai Culture come from? It sure didn’t come from the old, ordinary Thai ways. Thai folks in the old days weren’t sexually uptight if you read old Thai literature. Just read "Khun Chang Khun Phaen", the classical Thai epic, the hero Khun Phaen made a move on the heroine Nang Pim when he was a still novice in yellow robes, in the temple. He broke into her bed chambers at night, slept with her servant, before making his way into her bed, in the same night
King Rama V’s and his successor’ mission to modernize Siam involved importing Western technologies and values, initially to apply to the royal and noble classes and those in the upper echelons of society. The modernization program was quite successful and the new modern ways would spread among the aspiring classes of officials, merchants and commoners. I gather Victorian values came with this wave of Western import, then another wave when Phibun Songkram made it mandatory for Thais to civilize up, or else! And that included not walking around bare-chested.
Phibun’s time was just 70-80 years ago, but modern Thai history education is funny. Somehow it has managed to make many Thais believe that we’ve always been the way are told to be. Proper, grand, and “civilized.” Thai females are the embodiment of the post-Phibun ideal of Thai Culture: very prim and proper. Of course I’m not suggesting that our ancestors weren’t civilized or Thai women were historically slutty, but this notion of “civilized” and “proper” ("riaproy pen kulasatri Thai") is recently constructed and if it has any root in the old Thai culture it wasn’t from the ordinary folks. What we have here is the adoption of the old Siamese court culture combined with the newly imported and constructed idea of culture to be the official national culture known to Thais only in the last few generations.
The sad part is I don’t think many Thais like Mr. Nipit realize that their idea of Thai Culture is a recent construct, something of a delusion. The problem with what’s made up is that sooner or later it’ll come unstuck, exposed But the problem is it’s culturally delusional people are in the position of power dictating what is and isn’t Thai Culture.
What do you think of some early suggestions that the girls might be working girls or even katoeys?
That to me is quite an interesting aspect, though again, not unpredictable. Those who have a set way of seeing things, in this case an inflexible idea of what “real” Thai women should be can’t process or accept the fact that some actual Thai women would do things outside of their expectations. So some tried to rationalize the incident by supposing that the girls must either be hookers, katoey or drunk. The three Topless in Silom girls turned out to be 13, 15 and 16 years old. Not working girls. Not katoey. Not drunk. They’ll have to chew on that!
The really interesting part of this reaction to me is that the implication that if these girls were prostitutes and not real women (but transvestites) their exposing their breasts would somehow be acceptable. Apparently this may not be the case either, given the cops in Pichit province arrested two katoeys for dancing bare breasted. The subtext of these reactions is that women who sell their bodies and “Type 2 female” transgender have less value than natural born women who are the “good girls.” The same people (men) who would demand female chastity from the “good girls” would be visiting brothels or massage palors and have their ways with “Type 2 females” because they are thought to be game, available, easy.
What does it say about Thai society, when even the person who filmed and uploaded the video is being prosecuted?
Is he? Or she? I didn’t know. But for sure, the punishment for possessing and disseminating the offending clip (100,000 Baht or $3,320 fine and up to 5 years jail) compared to 500 baht fine for the girls exposing themselves, is beyond ridiculous. But this is the usual shooting the messenger syndrome. It’s just the pattern that we’ve known Thai authorities to do: tackle the tail-end of the problem first.
What does this whole brouhaha say about the maturity of society's openness towards sexuality? Is there a sexual hypocrisy?
We can spend hours discussing Thai maturity or lack thereof in sexual matters, but the word hypocrisy sums it up pretty well.
Obviously, sexuality is still a taboo in Thailand, with sex ed lacking on the school curriculum and censorship cracking down harder on nude scenes than on e.g. depiction of gruesome violence. Is this yet another case, as seen in many other cultures and countries, of the youth being more knowledgeable and thus being more comfortable with sexuality?
Sexuality both is and isn’t taboo in Thailand. It is taboo only when it’s inconvenient or causes embarrassment (real or perceived). Thais like to think that we are a conservative and proper society when we really aren’t - at least behind closed doors. People have a delusion that Thai kids are too innocent to be contaminated by sex education, another area of inability to deal with facts. There are people who actually buy into the ideal Thai Culture line (good, grand, long-lived, sexually innocent or sexless, religiously Buddhist). And these people will not tolerate any deviation from this ideal and would sing the chorus to the occasional outcries, whenever the media drum one up. Like most cultures, much of the Thai Culture is sexualized (mostly involving females) and people are drawn to sex.
On violence, my theory is that we Thais still have our originally Thai penchant for violence. Thai people love blood and gore. Stabbing, kick boxing, shooting, blowing things up - you name it. You might even say it’s in the culture. This Thai love for violence has never gone through any westernizing or civilizing process, so here we are. Sex is bad (new notion believed to be old). Violence is normal.
A recent public opinion poll in the aftermath of the controversy, a whopping 91 per cent said that Thai society has long deteriorated. Do you agree?
Deteriorated from what? Some fantasized golden place and time? I don’t know where or when that society was. Plus, the chance of 91% of poll respondents giving the same answer can only result from a set of push questions from the pollsters. I would not lend too much credence to that type of polls.
What needs to be done? Does Thai society need to 'loosen up'?
Thai society needs to get real. Work with the facts, not fiction or fantasy of what Thai Culture is said to be. And understand that cultures are not static. A culture cannot be frozen in time or in some fantasy like a fairy tale. Cultures change as people change. Culture is supposed to evolve, for better and for worse.
As we see, increasingly Thai government is tightening its control over the Thai narratives and rules on culture, morality and behavior of citizens. The tension of late is that more and more Thais are unable and unwilling to accept the official(ly imposed) narratives. We'll see how this emerging struggle will turn out.
Finally it’s just a couple pairs of breasts! Get over it! There are plenty other consequential issues to deal with. People are killed, our systems are broken, the country’s future isn’t looking that great! Don’t get distracted by just a couple pairs of breasts!
"Black Khmer magic" a threat to the Thai army?!
Originally published at Siam Voices on February 20, 2011 During the most recent clashes at the Thai-Cambodian border the Thai military have beefed up their presence in the area with more troops, more military hardware and apparently also more amulets...?!
The chief of the 2nd Army distributed talismans to his troops to help protect them from evil curses which he believes Cambodians are likely to call upon in their fight over disputed border areas. As a result, soldiers guarding the border with Cambodia are now equipped with arms, life-saving kits - and talismans.
Second Army chief Thawatchai Samutsakhon issued assorted talismans to soldiers stationed at the disputed border area near the Preah Vihear temple in Si Sa Ket's Kantharalak district to ward off Khmer curses. "I believe in this and I have to take care of my subordinates in every possible way," Lt Gen Thawatchai said.
Lt Gen Thawatchai is a follower of the late Luang Poo Jiam Atissayo, a respected monk at Wat Intrasukaram in Surin's Sangkha district. (...)
An army source stationed at the border said he believed Cambodian troops would perform "some kind of rituals" on Preah Vihear temple to counter the army's distribution of talismans to its troops.
"Keep your talismans close, boys", Bangkok Post, February 12, 2011
Now, it would be easy to laugh it off as a quirky side note and call it a day. But you have to consider that superstition in ghosts and black magic is deeply rooted in South-East Asia and coexists alongside more established religions (and sometimes leads to some wild spiritual mashups). One big aspect of this are talismans and amulets that are supposed to give magic and/or protective powers from bad influences, but also bullets, knives and other worldly dangers.
So much so that in another incident, where two F-16 fight jets of the Thai Air Force have crashed during an exercise drill with US armed forces, there were persistent rumors that...
The air force spokesman brushed off a rumour that there could be a supernatural cause of the crash. "Do not believe in this sort of thing. I can't see how the crash could be related to that [black magic]. This is science: an engine problem perhaps, not superstition.
"Air force seeks clues to crash of F16 jets", Bangkok Post, February 15, 2011
Its impact reaches regularly into politics in Thailand, when there have been dozens of predictions by fortune tellers about the possible downfalls of prime ministers and/or military coups. And like all predictions, some are correct (partly), some are not (yet) and some utter nonsense!
For more on superstition and its influence on Thai politics I recommend you an article written by Pasuk Phongpaichit and Chris Baker called "The spirits, the stars, and Thai politics", available here.
BONUS: As said above, superstition is widely common in South-East Asia and doesn't stop at the highest ranking people. The Irrawaddy runs a story where Burma's military junta leader Than Shwe was seen wearing a women's skirt in "an intentional act of superstition" to nullify many fortune-tellers prediction "that a woman will rule Burma one day".
If You Are Farang, Don't Meddle With Thai Politics - Or Their Food!
Originally published at Siam Voices on September 28, 2010 Normally here on this blog, we don't write about topics most tourists would associate with Thailand, one of which is food*. While this is one of the few things Thailand is renowned for worldwide and can still be proud for it, the New York Times features an Aussie chef, who humbly declares that he is "on a mission to revive Thai cuisine"!
That is a tall order. Coming from the mouth of a farang (a Western foreigner) and admittedly from a very pompous one, this would not bode well with the Thai people. It didn't took long until the first national heralds would step up and protest:
Suthon Sukphisit, a food writer for Thai newspapers and an authority on Thai cuisine, reacts to Mr. Thompson’s stated mission as if he had just bitten into an exceptionally hot chili pepper. “He is slapping the faces of Thai people!” Mr. Suthon said in an interview. “If you start telling Thais how to cook real Thai food, that’s unacceptable.” Mr. Suthon has not eaten at Nahm — “I’m not going to,” he said.
"Politics Are One Thing, Thais Say, but Hands Off the Food", by Thomas Fuller, New York Times, September 23, 2010
The article is full of memorable lines that not only displays the uphill battle for acknowledgement in the culinary world, but also has some eerily parallels to the Thai perceptions of foreigners regarding other issues. For example:
Mr. Thompson’s quest for authenticity is perceived by some Thais as a provocation, a pair of blue eyes striding a little too proudly into the temple of Thai cuisine. Foreigners cannot possibly master the art of cooking Thai food, many Thais say, because they did not grow up wandering through vast, wet markets filled with the cornucopia of Thai produce, or pulling at the apron strings of grandmothers and maids who imparted the complex and subtle balance of ingredients required for the perfect curry or chili paste. Foreigners, Thais believe, cannot stomach the spices that fire the best Thai dishes. (...)
Politics, of course, have been exceptionally tempestuous, too. (...) Many Thais feel that their country and its political problems have been oversimplified, misrepresented and misreported by the outside world.
"Politics Are One Thing, Thais Say, but Hands Off the Food", by Thomas Fuller, New York Times, September 23, 2010
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? And if that wasn't enough, The Nation had M.L. (the Honorable) Saksiri Kridakorn chime in on that matter, too. While Khun Saksiri is right that you rarely get the real deal if you dine at a Thai restaurant abroad and that they "make it on ambience, service and tastes that suit western tasted buds," but the conclusion again bears a certain tone:
We welcome any chefs, Thai, farang or whomever, who can make a real culinary contribution. We are happy that there are Western cooks who want to learn and promote Thai cuisine to the world. But don't think that the Michelin stars that they received gives them the right to come to Thailand, the Motherland of Thai cuisine, to teach Thai chefs with a lifetime of cooking experience how to make Thai dishes. Or to tell Thais what they have been eating is not authentic. Thai cuisine, like any other complex cuisines around the world, is continually evolving with new ingredients and new cooking methods that real Thais know and are happy to enjoy and support with their pockets. (...)
"Farang chef? Give us a real Thai meal, please", by M.L. Saksiri Kridakorn, The Nation, September 26, 2010
Hm, everybody from everywhere is welcome to contribute to Thailand but they should not (even try to) suggest modifications or different perspectives on things that have been that way for a long period of time?
May I remind you where the ingredients and techniques, that make the Thai flavor so unique, originally came from? Here are some just from the top of my head: Curry - India of course! Stir-frying is borrowed from the Chinese, deep-frying as well. And the chili? Thank the farangs for that, specifically Portuguese missionaries in the late 1600s!
Also, what was that again about authenticity?
As a Thai who has lived half my life in Western countries, travelled extensively and often tasted Thai food outside Thailand, I have never found an "offshore" Thai restaurant that I would rate better than what we commonly and easily find here on almost every corner. In fact, if I do not ask the cook there to make it as authentic as he can, I wind up not enjoying it and usually end up going to a KFC. At least, I know it is authentic.
"Farang chef? Give us a real Thai meal, please", by M.L. Saksiri Kridakorn, The Nation, September 26, 2010
Sure, as authentic as American soul food you can get at KFC...!
Saksith Saiyasombut, whose father is a retired chef for Thai cuisine with over 25 years of experience, is a Thai blogger and journalist based in Hamburg, Germany. He can be followed on Twitter @Saksith.
*Thai food blogs worth following: www.enjoythaifood.com by Richard Barrow and Lonely Planet's Austin Bush's Foodblog
Pongpat's Acceptance Speech - A Lèse Majesté Case?
Note: This article was originally published on July 31, 2010 in a series of guest blogger posts for Bangkok Pundit at AsianCorrespondent.
On May 16, when the street battles between the soldiers and the anti-government protestors were bringing large parts of Bangkok to a grinding halt for days already, elsewhere life went on as nothing has happened as for example the Nataraj Awards, the national television and radio awards, took place that evening.
The most notable moment during the award ceremony was the acceptance speech of actor Pongpat Wachirabanjong for best supporting actor. Here's the video with English subtitles.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/6xYfbUIGqW4&w=600&h=360]
The speech has, as evidently seen in the video, touched many Thais and hit a nerve among a certain people. It was forwarded via email, Twitter and heralded as the 'best speech ever' or 'or true patriotic act of loyalty'.
Last week, the very same actor has been hit with a legal charge for lèse majesté...
Actor Pongpat Wachirabanjong will be summoned to hear his lese majeste charges on July 29, and if he fails to show up after two summons have been issued, police will seek an arrest warrant for the man, Deputy Bangkok Police Chief Pol MajGeneral Amnuay Nimmano said yesterday.
The police are also planning to invite witnesses, lawyers and Thai language experts to listen to the actor's acceptance speech at this year's Nataraj Awards as part of the investigation. Amnuay said the case should be concluded within a month.
Despite media and social networks describing Pongpat's speech as a moving declaration of his love for His Majesty, singer Phumpat Wongyachavalit filed a lese majeste complaint against the actor on June 23, accusing him of using inappropriate words.
"Pongpat summoned to hear charges", The Nation, July 22, 2010
Police Wednesday summoned Pongpat to surrender to face lese majesty charge after a singer filed complaint with police, alleging Pongpat had insulted His Majesty the King by simply calling His Majesty as "father".
"PM says police should consult special advisory panel on Pongpat's case", The Nation, July 22, 2010
This is certainly a very odd case, since the use of the word "father" (or more correctly "Father") in connection to HM the King is widely used in Thai language.
Even the prime minister got involved in this case and has suggested that the police should contact a recently set-up advisory board that deals with these kind of cases. The result came back very quick and the case against Pongpat has now been (unsurprisingly) dropped.
Nevertheless this whole strange act again shows the discrepancies of the authorities dealing with lèse majesté cases. (I'm NOT discussing the law itself!) One can be amazed by the speed the police has dealt with this charge - from filing until the dismissal it took only just more than a month. Also, no efforts have been wasted, language experts have been invited by the police to determine whether the use of word in this context was illegal or not. There are other more obvious cases that are still lingering in legal limbo.
The other point is Pongpat's speech itself. The key phrase "If you hate our Father, if you don't love our Father anymore, then you should get out of here!", which was followed by the audience cheering and applauding enthusiastically, sets a worrying subtext of "if you're not for us, you're against us" - and even more scarier was the reaction by the crowd.
Why Was The 'Sorry Thailand' TV Ad Banned?
Note: This article has been originally published on July 22, 2010 in a series of guest blogger posts for Bangkok Pundit at AsianCorrespondent. Earlier this week we have reported on the banned TV commercial "ขอโทษประเทศไทย" (Sorry Thailand). For those, who haven't seen it yet, here's the video with English subtitles:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dNIu8_-iU8&w=600&h=360]
The ban has created some considerably public uproar and the censorship board, which consists of representatives of the free-TV channels and other 'experts', has gotten itself into the crossfire of criticism.
The ad was made by a group called "Positive Network", which is made up by "people from many professions such as advertising, PR, event, regional community representatives, [corporate] companies, government officials and academics from all across the country." During the launch event on June 16, the group states that their main goal is to "terminate the divisions in society". One of the executives of the network has mentioned the launch of an advertising campaign, even though this one was called "ต่อไปนี้ถ้าเธอพูด ฉันจะฟัง" ("From now on when you talk, I will listen"). Daily News has more about the launch of the group (article in Thai).
The founder of the "Positive Network", Bhanu Inkawat, appeared on ThaiPBS recently to talk about the ad and his reaction on the ban.
Mr Bhanu Inkawat [...] said that the purpose of the advertisement is "to let the Thai people realize what problems Thailand has right now, which are not just only the protests and the burning of buildings, but many more that have their roots. So [if] we don't go to the bottom of the problem, we'll only be able to solve the problem in the short term and it will come back."
Translated from: "แจงสาเหตุแบนโฆษณา"ขอโทษประเทศไทย", ThaiPBS, July 18, 2010
The TV programme also had Kiatisuk Wattanasak, a member of the censorship committee board, to give his point of view on the issue:
"After we have [initially] watched it, we all liked this ad. However, there are a few things that are not conform with the rules [...]. [They] have not sent us any documents, nothing for us for consideration. We don't know if they had permission for [certain] footages [in the ad], even if it's news footage we have to ask if they have permission to re-air it in this ad. [...] So [without any documents proving it] how can we possibly let this through?"
Translated from: "แจงสาเหตุแบนโฆษณา"ขอโทษประเทศไทย", ThaiPBS, July 18, 2010
He also goes on to give other reasons for the ban that were reflected in a statement later this week after the board has met once again, subsequently defending it's decision to withhold the ad from airing but not banning it altogether.
The censorship board has denied banning the controversial TV commercial "Thailand, We Apologise", saying it was in the process of correcting the advert before allowing it to be aired.
Certain scenes in the commercial, lasting about 20 seconds, would be cut because they were deemed to be inappropriate and could be against the law, the board said in a statement released yesterday.The producers of the advert submitted it to the board for approval on June 21 and on June 28 they reported to the board about changes they had made to to correct some parts that the board had said were against the law.
The board said the producers were now in the process of correcting the problematic parts of the commercial and would then resubmit it for approval.
Scenes to be removed include those of protesters torching public property [on May 19], security officers holding weapons and getting ready to fire them, some pornographic images, some deemed offensive to religious institutions, images of protesters [both yellow shirts and red shirts] gathering in political rallies in a way that might trigger a state of unrest or affect national unity or internal security.
"Controversial ad 'not banned'", Bangkok Post, July 21, 2010
Taking the objected scenes out of the ad, there wouldn't be much left of it. Also, if you remove the footage of the red and yellow protests, that will totally miss the point. But looking at a statement from another board member, little does surprise me here:
The manager of Channel 7's censorship division Sneh Hongsuwan, also a member of the committee, said the panel agreed to ban the commercial because it felt the images could cause rifts in society.
"Instead of giving positive messages, it will only remind viewers about the conflict. We believe that the clashes are in the past, and we should let bygones be bygones and think about positive things. If this commercial was put on air, some images would have to be cut out," Sneh said.
"Ban of 'apology' advert puzzles PM", The Nation, July 20, 2010
Oh, how convenient! Let's forget about the past and look forward without actually considering why we're in this mess in the first place! This is a bad case of 'mai pen rai' ('no big deal') where people tend to forget about a certain issue if it is out of sight. It fits the current trend of suppressing of what happened that lead to the lastest escalation of the political crisis in some parts of society. Again, some people try to put a blanket over the ever-increasing rift and wonder in hindsight why we don't make it over to the other side. A solution cannot take place if there's not a confrontation of the problems and it's effects. But, and I realize I'm going out on a limb, part of Thai culture is to avoid confrontation and uncomfortableness with everyone at all costs.
On the other hand it is to be questioned if the ad, if it gets ever aired, would have any effect in making a change? As mentioned above, the ad is just one of many campaigns the group will do in the future. Nonetheless, the controversy can be counted as a win-win situation, since it got a certain portion of people talking about it, the original uploaded YouTube video got over half a million views and also got many people asking themselves what on earth the censorship committee was thinking.
Censorship on TV in Thailand has always been a delicate matter and, as 2Bangkok.com shows with examples of censoring smoking on 'The Simpsons', it is also pretty inconsistent. Many measures appear to many just downright absurd and this case shows yet again how outlandish and outdated the rules are. Speaking of outlandish, have you spotted the larkorn (soap opera) scene in the ad? Yeah, that kind of nonsense of women slapping each other is the norm! Hypocrisy in Thai lakorns - that's a whole double standard case in itself!
No April Fools' Day in Thailand
Update: Of course this was an April Fools' Day joke by 2bangkok.com - but given the Ministry of Culture's track record, it wouldn't have been surprising if they have really done it... 2Bangkok.com reports it, among other high-profile English websites in Thailand, has received a letter from the Ministry of Culture.
It advises that, owing to the political climate, creating April Fools' Day news items might "cause misunderstanding" and that the ministry would initiate action against Thai websites posting fake news items. Fake items posted in past years are to have a clear disclaimer added.
Interestingly, later in the letter, it mentions that April Fools' Day is not a Thai tradition, but a "foreign holiday."
Due to the possible risks and legal costs related to this MOC notice, we have decided to forgo April Fools' stories this year.
"No April Fools' Day jokes?", 2Bangkok.com, April 1, 2010
Playing the "heated political situation"-card? Check! Playing the "legal threat"-card? Check! Playing the "foreign and Thai tradition don't mix together"-card? Check! Congratulations, full house!
But then again, I have not seen this letter mentioned anywhere else...!
Further reading:
- Bangkok Post Blogs: New Facebook group: We're sick of the Ministry of Culture