Thailand in 2012 - Some personal thoughts (Part 1)
Originally published at Siam Voices on December 28, 2012 As tradition dictates, we're here to yet again look back at the year gone by in Thailand. It looks quite different compared to the previous ones - at least on the surface. While we did not have to deal with week-long political protests, 'biblical' natural disasters, and even the self-proclaimed "Thainess" heralds went easy on us in 2012 (well, almost). Nevertheless, there was still enough going on to report on, as you will see here.
If you read this article, we have apparently survived the Mayan Doomsday Prophecy (and Christmas as well). Luckily, Thais did not really believe it and academics from Chulalongkorn University reassured us that nothing was going to happen - but then again, who knows if this finding was actually theirs and not stolen? Now, since we are still here, let's look back at Thailand 2012.
In part 1 today, we look how 2012 was for the government of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, for the opposition in and outside parliament and also the ongoing injustice despite the change of government.
Yingluck's first full year in power: challenging the odds
As hinted in the introduction, this year in politics was relatively calm compared to the tumultuous and eventful previous years. It was the first full year for the government of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the Pheu Thai Party - and arguably no other in recent history has been under much fiercer and thorough scrutiny by the political opponents both in and outside parliament. Many of them are legitimately aiming against the government's policies, like the subsidy rice-scheme that puts a big dent in the country's agriculture economy, or giving away tablets at schools instead of tackling our decaying education system head-on and now the tax refunds for first-car-buyers. On the other hand, many target this government with very irrational and erratic behavior - more on that later in this article.
Nevertheless, her government has more or less sailed through this year unharmed despite everything that was thrown at them: it has comfortably survived a no-confidence debate in November and the Constitutional Court has spared them from doom in the summer. Even the hawkish military feels comfortable to side with Yingluck at the moment (and despite a few hulk-outs, army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha was pleasantly less erratic this year), since it has a government that is willingly buying new toys for them.
But the main challenge for the government will remain not to step on anybody's toes, while trying to push ahead their policies and political goals as far as they can. In doing so, it will and already is running danger to alienate and disappoint the red shirt supporters, who are still seeking for justice for the victims of the 2010 crackdown and of the still archaic lèse majesté law - both issues that the government has been very hesitant to tackle. Add to that the ongoing omni-presence of Thaksin, who's constantly testing the water (as he did recently on state TV) for a potential return with possible amendments to the military-installed constitution of 2007 or an amnesty bill, and the Pheu Thai Party could be in for a busy 2013 if they're not careful enough.
Extremely loud and incredibly desperate: Thailand's opposition wrestling with relevancy, reality
Ever since elections in July 2011, Thailand's opposition both in and outside the democratic playing field are trying to grasp with the new reality of yet another Thaksin-influenced government - and have done so quite badly. While the Democrat Party is taking on their usual role as the parliamentary opposition and have been eager to criticize every single thing the government is doing, there have been some incidents however during the debates over the 'amnesty bills' earlier this summer, where the tantrum thrown by them are just erratic and desperate.
Meanwhile outside the House, the reemergence of Thailand's royalist, right-wing and anti-democracy movements show how little progress has been made to overcome the political intolerance: the yellow-shirted, ill-named "People's Alliance for Democracy" (PAD) have staged street protests at the parliament in summer with just a couple of thousand supporters and the ultra-royalist multi-color shirts have attempted to re-brand themselves under the "Pitak Siam" ("Protect Siam") banner and Gen. Boonlert Kaewprasit as their (most of the time lackluster) leader, who right out of the gate calls for yet another military coup as the only way to topple the government.
Emboldened by their first rally in October, Pitak Siam upped the ante a month later with a rally at the Royal Plaza, in which the group was deliberately trying to provoke the police forces and to incite violence. Fortunately for all involved, the rally ended in a non-violent disaster with Gen. Boonlert calling it off and also throwing in the towel as leader, as they have failed to rally enough supporters in order to reclaim 'their' Thailand that either doesn't exist anymore or has never existed in the first place. However, this year has also shown that a compromise is not what is on their minds and their irrational hatred makes real reconciliation harder to realize.
Impunity prevails: when 'reconciliation' is more important than 'truth'
One of the key problems of this political conflict is the fight between competing 'truths' about past events in recent history, especially when it comes to the violent clashes and the crackdown of the red shirt protests in 2010. In September, the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT) presented its final report on its investigations into the violent clashes between the authorities and the red shirts, in which at least 90 people have lost their lives and thousands were injured. The overall conclusion of the inquiry was that the commission finds faults with both sides.
But the report will not change much or bring any justice, because both sides are already subscribed to their version of the 'truth' (and to some extend in total denial) and the TRCT never had any real powers and access to conduct a proper investigation in the first place. It must have been more insulting for the red shirts on May 19, on the anniversary of the 2010 crackdown, when Thaksin phoned-in yet again to urge to push for national reconciliation and set aside their feelings of anger and injustice. Of course, Thaksin had to back paddle after some considerable outrage by his supporters.
Even though now more and more death cases are determined to have been caused by the army an, then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his then-deputy Suthep Thuagsuban have now been formally charged by the very flexible Department of Special Investigation, it is doubtful that these two or any other will ever be convicted - since this country has always upheld a culture of impunity - especially towards the army - in a numbers of events (1973, 1976, 1992, 2006 etc.) and it needs a lot more to end this.
In the second part of our year-in-review tomorrow: Lèse majesté claimed its first victim, Thailand's upcoming regional challenges, the dismal state of our education and all the other small stories that made 2012.
Ecclestone gives Bangkok Formula 1 GP the green light
Originally published at Siam Voices on December 19, 2012
The much-rumored and highly anticipated Thailand Formula 1 Grand Prix has made a big step forward with the championship's promoter and Formula One Management (FOM) president Bernie Ecclestone giving the project his blessing, according to the Wall Street Journal:
Formula One Chief Executive Bernie Ecclestone revealed that the 2015 Grand Prix calendar will feature a night race on the streets of Bangkok. (...) Ecclestone said that the location has now been chosen, and specified that the race would come a year later. "They say 2014 and I say 2015. It is serious and it is good," he added.
"F1 Adds Bangkok Race to 2015 Schedule", Wall Street Journal, December 18, 2012
This comes after weeks of silence and months of campaigning by the Thai side, as government officials (potentially prematurely) announced the race as a done deal in October. Normally, Ecclestone and the FOM are not very keen on future hosts jumping the gun, but this seemed to have no effect on the negotiations.
Thailand's Formula 1 ambitions go back as far as late 2010 when Red Bull Racing, whose parent company that makes the energy drinks is rooted in Thailand and is now co-owned by Chalerm Yoovidhya with a 51 per cent majority, did one of their popular demo runs in a Red Bull Formula 1 car around Democracy Monument on Rajadamnoen Avenue, watched, reportedly, by over 100,000 onlookers.
And it was Red Bull's influence that eventually will bring Grand Prix racing to Bangkok, as first concrete rumors surfaced earlier this year and hardened over the summer that the race could take place as early as 2014.
A lot of work lies ahead for the organizers of the race, if it actually takes place on the streets of Bangkok during the night as proposed. They already need to think about how they will close off the roads for weeks before and after the Grand Prix without causing a total traffic disaster in a city that already has chronic traffic problems.
It would be the third race in Southeast Asia, with Sepang in Malaysia and Singapore being the other two. Singapore is currently also the host of the only night race on the calendar.
Then there's the issue of financing: as reported here and elsewhere, the Thai government will foot 60 per cent of the costs to host a Formula 1 race, which is at least $27m per year or, by the Thai authorities estimations, almost $40m, which will rise by 10 per cent annually. The rest will be paid by large Thai corporations like Singha Beer and Red Bull.
And finally, there needs to be a lot of promotion: last weekend's Race of Champions (think of it as the motorsports equivalent of All-Star Weekend) went without any problems, but was not very well attended. Sources familiar with the matter have expressed their disappointment with the very low-key promotion campaign in Bangkok, on billboards and in local media alike.
So, there is a lot to be done between now and 2015 if the dream of Formula 1 cars in Bangkok can be finally realized. This dream goes as far back as 1939, when a scheduled non-championship race around Grand Palace had to be cancelled because of World War 2.
Thailand: Abhisit, Suthep charged with murder over 2010 crackdown
Originally published at Siam Voices on December 7, 2012 Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has said it will charge former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and then deputy prime minister Suthep Thuagsuban with premeditated murder for their involvement in the death of a taxi driver during the crackdown on the anti-government red shirt protests in May 2010, where about 90 people were killed. Both will be summoned to acknowledge the charges on December 12, 2012.
The charges come after a court determined that taxi driver Phan Khamkong was killed by security forces during the crackdown - more similar cases and inquiries lead to the same conclusions.
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI), police and Thai prosecutors jointly decided to charge the former leader and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban under article 288, the section of the Thai criminal code that deals with murder, said DSI chief Tarit Pengdith. "Their actions -- repeatedly sending the armed forces against civilians -- show an intention to endanger life," he said.
"Ex-Thai PM to face murder charge", by Thanaporn Promyamyai, AFP, December 6, 2012
The timing of the charges is no coincidence as the parliament is currently in recess until December 21 and Abhisit is not protected by its immunity. DSI chief Tharit Pengdith has been lining up the charges against the two Democrat Party politicians earlier this year.
Last month Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's government comfortably survived a vote of no-confidence. Emboldened, it is now considering pushing for amendments to the constitution and another attempt to bring forward the so-called "reconciliation bills" is expected. Depending on which version will be eventually passed, it states that all charges and verdicts related to political protests between 2005 and May 10, 2011 (so a few days before the May 19 crackdown) will be dropped, including the verdict against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Some analysts said the charges were a way for the ruling Puea Thai Party to pressure the opposition into accepting a broad amnesty deal that could whitewash guilt on both sides of the conflict and bring Thaksin home from his self-imposed exile in Dubai.
"It's a political game and a way for Puea Thai to gain the upper hand by forcing their opposition to accept some sort of amnesty deal," Kan Yuenyong, director of Siam Intelligence Unit, a think tank in Bangkok, told Reuters.
"Former Thai PM Abhisit charged over crackdown deaths", by Amy Sawitta Lefevre, Reuters, December 6, 2012
This decision also highlights the very flexible nature of DSI chief Tharit towards whoever is currently in power. Just a few years ago, Tharit was focussed to prosecute the red shirt leaders and not put the blame for the deaths during the protests on the army after the crackdown, leading to inconclusive reports. Now, as seen above, he is working against those the used to serve. The DSI has also now accepted more other cases to investigate allegations of irregularities of big projects and constructions, especially against the Democrat-led Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, whose Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra is up for re-election in February.
Even if Abhisit and Suthep will face trial, it can take years of legal process until this eventually goes to court - and this is just over the death of one person during the protests. Nevertheless, it is a sign that those cases are being very slowly progressed. However, this decision is rooted in political consequences and will cause further political consequences, as the current political climate could rise again.
However, one crucial section that is responsible during the clashes and the crackdown is still being left untouched: the armed forces have so far been not charged and even the slightest hint by DSI chief Tharit has been met with so much uproar that he caved in and apologized.
Royal birthday fireworks 'ban' sparks confusion in Thailand
Originally published at Siam Voices on December 5, 2012 Today is the 85th birthday of His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Tens of thousands are expected to convene at the Royal Plaza in Bangkok to attend a rare grand public audience by the King - only the sixth time such an event has reportedly taken place.
And like every year, there will be lights and candles and singing and of course fireworks - except this year apparently:
The Interior Minister has issued an order restricting pyrotechnic performances during this year's state events marking the auspicious occasion, meaning that the customary vigils and singing of the royal anthem at city halls across the country will not include such activities.
"Social media debates fireworks decision", The Nation, December 4, 2012
This was a rather unexpected and confusing development, especially since nearly all provinces have probably already prepared fireworks to celebrate the occasion:
Most social media postings complained that the restriction would go against a custom they admired, while certain anti-government pages, without giving proof, accused PM's Office Minister Nivatthamrong Boonsong-paisal, the head of the panel and a long-time close aide to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, of being behind the decision.
"Social media debates fireworks decision", The Nation, December 4, 2012
There have been far more outlandish claims and accusations from both sides of the political divide - one side sees a deliberate affront against the monarchy by the current government while the other side fears and the loud bangs and noises are a perfect cover to stage a military coup - but that is not the main point of this article. The question we are asking here is: how could that happen?
An article by the Thai daily Kom Chad Luek breaks down the confusing layers of different ministries, departments and competences that lead to the 'order'. It starts with Distorn Vajarodaya, the Grand Chamberlain of the royal palace, who is denying that the palace had anything to do with the ban order on fireworks nationwide.
"We are not involved in granting or refusing approval [for fireworks]. We do not know who prohibited them," he said, referring to a letter issued by the Interior Ministry which asked provincial governors not to arrange fireworks displays during the celebration.
Mr Distorn personally agrees with the use of pyrotechnics, saying: "If I was a celebration organiser, I would choose to use fireworks. It is part of the spectacle."
"Royal Bureau 'did not order' fireworks ban", Bangkok Post, December 4, 2012
The focus then shifted to Wibun Sanguanphong, permanent secretary for the interior, who immediately pointed to the organizing committee of the King's birthday celebrations (ส่วนสาเหตุคงต้องไปถามคณะกรรมการ ทั้งนี้ ในงานเฉลิมพระชนมพรรษาของส่วนภูมิภาค).
The Minister of the Office of the Prime Minister Nivatthamrong Boonsong-paisal says there'll be no fireworks on display at Bangkok's Sanam Luang Plaza, but instead decorative lights and singing (ปีนี้จะไม่มีการจุดพลุที่ท้องสนามหลวง แต่จะมีการประดับไฟและการถวายพระเท่านั้น).
Concerning the 'order' not to have fireworks in the provinces, and whether or not the provinces (who have already prepared them for weeks if not months) still setting them off constitutes as an act of breaking the 'order', permanent secretary for the Prime Minister's Office Tongthong Chandransu avoids the question by saying this:
Permanent secretary for the Prime Minister's Office Tongthong Chandransu said "several phuyai" (respected senior figures) had suggested that the committee of the Foundation of King Rama IX the Great, the organiser of the King's birthday celebrations at Sanam Luang in Bangkok, wisely consider the use of budget in arranging suitable activities.
"Royal Bureau 'did not order' fireworks ban", Bangkok Post, December 4, 2012
He also believes (since that doesn't guarantee knowing) that the Ministry of Interior has invoked the 'order' after there have been considerations to find "more appropriate ways of celebration" (ได้พิจารณาแล้วและเกิดความคิดว่าน่าจะเหมาะสมกว่าในการเฉลิมฉลอง).
However, when reporters pressed again why there is this fireworks 'ban', Thongthong had nothing else to say than: "Shall we talk about something else...?" (ผู้สื่อข่าวถามว่า ขอทราบเหตุผลการงดจุดพลุเฉลิมฉลองฯ นายนิวัฒน์ธำรง กล่าวว่า เราคุยกันเรื่องอื่นดีมั้ย)
In the end - and right in time for this auspicious day for nearly all Thais - there is some official clarification:
Every province in the country is allowed to hold a fireworks display to mark His Majesty the King's 85th birthday Wednesday, Interior Ministry permanent-secretary Wibool Sanguanphong announced Tuesday.
Wibool said that the committee tasked with organising celebrations to mark His Majesty's birthday had decided to keep fireworks displays at Sanam Luang restricted on grounds of safety (...)
He said that he had ordered officials to be careful and observe safety measures while setting off fireworks, especially if the displays were positioned on the premises of state offices.
"Interior Ministry denies banning fireworks", The Nation December 4, 2012
So in the end, it was not a direct order to ban fireworks rather than an 'order' to be careful setting them off. But given the complicated and multi-layered realm of officialdom and bureaucracy things can come out more muddled than originally conceived - and any move outside the perceived usual, traditional norm is met with suspicion that can become something entirely else based on emotions rather than truth, especially in these times.
Anti-Thaksin flight attendant quits after Facebook rant
Originally published at Siam Voices on December 4, 2012 A Thai flight attendent has lost her job after posting hot-headed remarks on Facebook aimed at the daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The episode is another example of how hot Thai tempers still are when it comes to politics and certain public figures.
Thai media sources (like this one) and Associated Press are reporting that the flight attendant resigned.
The flight attendant said Monday on Facebook that she resigned in order to take responsibility.
"Thai flight attendant quits over Facebook coffee threat", Associated Press, December 4, 2012
The scandal erupted last week when the Cathay Pacific flight attendant posted a passenger list of her flight on Facebook that included Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra. She took great displeasure to serving a member of the Shinawatra family and took out her anger on Facebook:
“I have heard that the Shinawatra family often uses Cathay Pacific to travel to Hong Kong. I never expected that (Paetongtarn) was on board today,” Honey wrote. “I immediately told my flight manager that I could not work knowing that the daughter of my enemy was on the plane. The manager was kind to reassign me to be in charge of other sections.”
"Thai Flight Attendant Stirs Honey's Nest", by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Asia Sentinel, December 1, 2012
This could have been the end of the story. However, she continues...
She continued: “I also called my personal advisor asking if it would be all right to throw coffee at Paetongtarn, but was told that this could breach Hong Kong’s law. I was so angry and could not come to terms with the failure of last Saturday’s anti-government rally in Bangkok.”
(...) “Initially I made another plan with the help of my colleague on the flight who was also an anti-Thaksin to slander Thaksin in front of his daughter before the plane landed in Hong Kong,” Honey wrote on Facebook. “But I gave up. I could not stop crying realizing that we will have to continue to fight with ‘bad peoples’.”
"Thai Flight Attendant Stirs Honey's Nest", by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Asia Sentinel, December 1, 2012
Obviously, her thoughts didn't go unnoticed and have been shared multiple times by both pro- and anti-Thaksin Facebook users alike and she was either attacked or praised by these groups respectively. Cathay Pacific has responded to this case and has issued a statement promising to look into the matter and stated later that day that the flight attendant is no longer working for the company.
“We have investigated the matter thoroughly. We can confirm that the incident involved a member of our cabin crew who has privately posted certain information on a social media site about one of our passengers and that it is an unauthorised incident. We can also confirm that the cabin crew concerned is no longer an employee of the company."
“Cathay Pacific regrets this unfortunate incident and wishes to assure all of our customers that their privacy – and strict adherence to all privacy regulations – is extremely important to us. All staff are expected to strictly adhere to our privacy policies as well as the highest standards of customer service. Non-compliance is unacceptable. We have highlighted this message to staff again today."
Cathay Pacific Statement, December 3, 2012
For the Thai deputy interior minister, this is enough to call for charges against her.
Deputy Interior Minister Pracha Prasobdee said yesterday that he wanted criminal action taken against the Cathay Pacific stewardess, claiming she intended to intimidate and assault a client and had violated the privacy of the airline's customer by publicly revealing the client's information. The deputy minister tweeted that he would go today to the airline to make his point.
"Cathay Pacific fires flight attendant in Paetongtarn case", The Nation, December 4, 2012
This whole story comes after the anti-government and anti-democracy Pitak Siam rally took place in late November and failed to gather any substantial support. And this failure - and any of the past failures by anti-Thaksin groups since the last election - have been met with even more fierce hate against everything that is remotely associated with Thaksin and outright dispair, that is being reflected in the chatter of Thais on social media. And thanks to the immediate nature of Twitter and Facebook, extreme political views are being amplified within a short period of time.
The heated political climate has also led to online witch-hunts, both social and political, regardless whether or not the accused is guilty or innocent. In general, emotions have been running high for a long, long time already by those invested in Thai politics and has only gotten higher and more heated in recent years - so much so as the Public Health Ministry as diagnosed parts of the country with "Political Stress Syndrome" and have recommended to decrease the intake of political news.
Only time and a level-headed political discourse can assure us that when the next time something is brewing up, that it will be only hot coffee.
'Evil man from Krabi': Thai image protectionism goes horribly wrong
In late October a YouTube video titled "Evil man from Krabi" was uploaded which describes an incident where a woman was assaulted and raped by a Thai tour guide earlier this summer in the Southern resort town of Ao Nang, Krabi province. It then turns into an English-language music video that repeats the accusations and calls for justice (the man in the video is the victim's father). The suspect was arrested by the local police (a full month after the sexual assault), but was released on bail soon after. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRErWjo809g
Ever since this video was reported by Thai media last week, it went viral: the view counts have quadrupled and are now over 400,000 as of writing. However, the reactions by Thai officials have been anything but supportive of the father's plea. Instead...
It is possible to block from viewing in Thailand a YouTube video clip produced by the father of a Dutch girl who was reportedly raped in Krabi, permanent secretary of the Tourism and Sports Ministry Suwat Sitthilor said yesterday. (...)
In addition, a video clip promoting Thailand as a tourism destination will be produced and distributed among ambassadors of many countries, including the Netherlands, Australia, UK and China, he added.
"Blocking of Krabi video considered", The Nation, November 10, 2012
Damage control for the sake of Thailand's tourism is far more important to those in charge than the allegations of rape or reassurance that crimes against tourists will be properly investigated. As for the video - the numbers speak for themselves.
This dangerous disconnection of justice and protection of the country's image by Thai officials has led to this unbelievable comment by the Tourism Minister:
Tourism Minister Chumphol Silapa-archa had said earlier that the incident could not be considered rape. He quoted provincial tourism police chief, Pol Maj-General Loi Ingkhaphairoj as saying: "The woman had dinner with the Thai suspect and a foreign man*. Later, she told the foreign man to return to the hotel before heading off with the suspect."
"Blocking of Krabi video considered", The Nation, November 10, 2012
The victim's boyfriend has denied that all three have dined together before the assault.
Chumpol's horribly crass and irrational conclusion shows no remorse or not a single sign of sympathy to the victim, but instead even resorts to blaming the victim: she apparently knew her assailant and willingly left with him, so it couldn't have been possibly rape, according to Chumpol's logic.
Meanwhile, to further emphasize the video's negative effect and to distract from the serious allegation itself, there have been reports that "a number of Western tourists have cancelled their bookings" in Ao Nang - there could be even more soon thanks to the awful, haphazard response to the allegations by the Thai authorities.
The month in Thailand: Reshuffles, coup rumblings and the 3G farce
Originally published at Siam Voices on November 1, 2012 October is normally a politically heated month in Thailand, as seen in the numerous street protests, military shenanigans and other political developments in the recent history and in the more distant past. However, the events in this month were less controversial, or the changes were in the detail, or both. Here are some of the stories that show that.
Military promotions and cabinet reshuffle: look who's talking now?
Normally, the annual reshuffle and promotions of countless military officers and civilian ministers is enough source for discord between the government and the armed forces and for both groups within themselves. This year's military merry-go-round has been largely unsurprising - apart from the removal of Defense Permanent Secretary Gen. Sathien Permthong-in - and reassures the ongoing truce with the government. Also, the promotion of Yingluck's nephew is seen by some as a good sign.
The new cabinet of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on the other hand has some interesting changes. Yongyuth Wichaidit has resigned as deputy prime minister and Pheu Thai Party leader, some saying to evade a potential corruption case, while the rest of the Yingluck cabinet has the pundits reaching for very different conclusion. Some are saying Thaksin is slowly reclaiming the party, while others say Yingluck is holding her ground.
Sleeping hawks are awake, confused
One more thing that normally comes up during this time of the year (mostly as a negative outcome of the two issues above): rumors and calls for a military coup - since that is apparently the only time-proofed method to bring in stability and democracy in Thailand, according to some.
Last Sunday saw yet another rally that calls for the current government to be ousted by nothing else but a military intervention. The group calls itself Pitak Siam (Protect Siam) and their main organizer is Ret. Gen. Boonlert Kaewprasit, chairman of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (AFAPS) Foundation and Class 1 graduate. He's also been consistent in demanding coups on a regular basis (and having participated in the failed coup attempt of March 1977), citing the cause of protecting the monarchy from lèse majesté. No change this time:
"I'd love to see a coup because I know this puppet government is here to rob the country. Several sectors of society can't take it anymore. If I had the power a coup would have been staged by now," he said. (...)
Over the past year the government has not only stood by as offensive criticism has been hurled against the monarchy, but it has appeared to encourage it, he said. The government has showed itself to be Thaksin's puppet, he said, adding that by installing his sister Yingluck as prime minister, Thaksin had insulted the entire nation.
"Pitak Siam rally hopes to oust govt", Bangkok Post, October 24, 2012
The rally itself was joined by groups (many are PAD-aligned) that can be generally described as ultra-royalist, anti-democratic and nationalist, but also some that are just fed up with the current government. Attendance figures varied wildly between 3,000 (police estimate) and 30,000 (organizer's estimate) - but it's safe to say that they were able to fill the main grandstand at the Royal Turf Club, which holds about 20,000.
What all the coup demands in recent years have in common (apart that it is potentially illegal) is a relentless contempt against Thaksin and the willingness to accept the damage of a military coup with the disregard for the democratic system. The upper echelons of the army at the moment are siding with the government - for now. Gen. Boonlert has announced that there'll be another rally soon and is even more hell-bent to topple this government no matter the costs. However, he and like-minded people should also take into account that another military coup will be even less well-received by the general population than at the last one.
Thailand's eternal 3G farce - the last chapter?
After an almost eternal and tedious waiting period Thailand will finally upgrade to 3G mobile technology making it the second-to-last country in Southeast Asia to do so. It's been a long and painful process but now Thailand's citizens, especially smartphone users, can look forward to finally get wide 3G coverage even before the end of year - or may be not...?!
See, the issue with the 3G implementation in Thailand is a neverending story and - admittedly - much more complicated to explain than the government's rice pledging scheme! The last auction attempt in 2010 was stopped by a last-minute court order after a complaint by a state-owned telecommunications company that the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) was not authorized to hold the auction - a mess created by the 2007 constitution.
Now, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) which had the authority to hold this auction. There were in total 9 slots of 5 MHz bandwidth each, three bidders who cannot get more than three each and the results were underwhelming for some.
Thailand has raised 41.6 billion baht (US$1.4 billion) from its long-awaited auction of 3G mobile licenses, with the three bidding operators said to have paid "only a small premium".
[...] the three bidders - AIS, Dtac and True Move - managed to secure 3G licenses. The NBTC noted that AIS submitted the highest bid at 14.6 billion baht (US$ 475 million) for three slots of 5 MHz bandwidth. The other two operators each submitted the minimum bid of 13.5 billion baht (US$439 million) for the three slots of bandwidth, it added.
"Thailand nets $1.4B from 3G auction", ZDNet, October 17, 2012
Dtac was the only one to bid slightly above the starting price and overall the auction only gained a plus of only 1.125 bn Baht ($36m) or 2.78 per cent above the reserve price. Amidst that meager profit from the bidding a torrential flood of criticism poured down on the whole event, especially on the NBTC. Most fault them for missing out on a lot of money during the bidding and thus the 'damaging the country' (even leading The Nation to draw up the most ludicrous conspiracy theory or a poor attempt at satire). On the other hand considering that this was a bureaucratic mess almost a decade in the making and the resistance of state companies, one has to wonder what is still left of the real price of infrastructure progress in Thailand.
And meanwhile across the border, Laos is preparing to launch 4G...!
Lèse majesté update: Judiciary upholds constitutionality while suspect is acquitted
Thailand's Constitutional Court has ruled the Kingdom's draconian lèse majesté law unanimously and unsurprisingly as 'constitutional', after Somyos Prueksakasemsuk and Akechai Hongkangwarn (both accused and detained on lèse majesté charges) have contested Article 112 of the Criminal Code in a landmark legal challenge.
Meanwhile, some good news: A 41-year-old programmer has been acquitted of lèse majesté charges. The court ruled in doubt for the defendant after it was not clear whether or not he was the author of defamatory Facebook messages and that computer evidence could have been even forged.
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Cambodian royalist rage: A lesson for Thailand
Originally published at Siam Voices on October 24, 2012 Last week, the former King of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk, died in exile at the age of 89 years. The monarch played a major role in the country's turbulent past, having been credited with leading Cambodia to independence from French rule but also assisting the rise of the Khmer Rouge regime. He served numerous times as prime minister and twice as King of Cambodia until ceding the throne to his son in 2004.
However, royalist rage erupted last week amid an online scandal. The privately run 'I Love Cambodia' page on Facebook posted a picture on October 17 showing Thapanee Eadsrichai, a reporter for Thailand's Channel 3, doing a piece-to-camera while laying her paper notes at her feet. One of the pieces of paper was a portrait of the late King Norodom, which the reporter almost stepped on - an unimaginable offense to any individual, let alone a King, in Cambodia and Thailand.
This accidental misstep by Thapanee sparked outrage on Cambodian social media - as of writing, on the original Facebook post alone over 900 'likes' and over 500 comments have been posted with the majority spewing hateful, emotional and often barely comprehensible calls for violence (or worse) either against the Channel 3 reporter, Thailand or both.
Fortunately, the ultra-royalist rage hasn't turned to violence and all involved parties were executing damage control, with the Cambodian government calling on its people to exercise restraint, and the Thai reporter, her channel and the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs all apologizing, insisting that there was no intention to defame the late King and to harm relations between the two country
The Channel 3 reporter explained that as she was doing a stand up report in front of the main pavilion, Chaturamouk, and she needed to lay down all of her personal belongings including mobile phones, notebooks, and the newspapers which carried stories and the photo of the late king Sihanouk.
She said she did not lay the stuff close to her. The photo that appeared on Facebook was shot from behind and to the side, making it appear that the items were on the ground near her.
Learning about the misunderstanding on the social media on Tuesday night, she had returned to the same spot and made gestures of remorse in front of the king’s photo board.
"Reporter apologises for mistreating Sihanouk photo", Bangkok Post, October 10, 2012
The story could have ended there with all sides acting very quickly to defuse the situation and to clear up the unintentional gaffe. Nevertheless, some still found something to be riled up about:
After causing an uproar by mistakenly stepping on a photograph of late Cambodian King Sihanouk while covering his funeral, Channel 3 reporter Thapanee Ietsrichai is in trouble again - this time it is for not taking her shoes off while apologising at the Cambodian embassy in Bangkok. Messages posted on Cambodian websites and the social media dubbed her apology as being insincere, claiming she was "not genuinely penitent".
"Channel 3 reporter in trouble again", The Nation, October 19, 2012
Relations between the two countries have been strained in recent years. In 2003 a Cambodian newspaper wrongly accused a Thai actress of claiming Angkor Wat belonged to Thailand. Riots ensued and protesters burned down the Thai Embassy in Phnom Phen. There have also been a number of border clashes between the two countries. On the other hand relations have turned friendlier recently with the new Yingluck government, as Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen welcomed her brother Thaksin more than he already used to.
One thing the two countries certainly have in common is a tendency towards royal extremism. The ferociousness of the reactions to this latest incident in Cambodia should give Thais an opportunity to reflect about similar behavior among their own people. The Thai Ministry for Information and Communication Technology (MICT) issued a redundant warning to Thais not "to share or to 'like'" the controversial photograph and cited the same ambiguously worded Computer Crimes Act that it has been using in against suspects in lèse majesté cases.
With the unchanged stances over Thailand's lèse majesté law and the continuous insistence of Thai ultra-royalists to show their loyalty to the monarchy by witch-hunting those deemed not loyal, some should look at the comments made by their Cambodian counterparts to get an idea of how it feels to be a victim of extremism.
Bangkok's Formula 1 Grand Prix a done deal?
Originally published at Siam Voices on October 19, 2012
We have been following the attempts by the Sports Authority of Thailand to bring the Formula 1 World Championship to Thailand in 2014 and even possibly to the streets of the capital Bangkok. From the first concrete declaration to bid for a race in March and the estimated costs in July and motorsports' exhibition equivalent to All-Star Weekend, the Race of Champions, taking place later this December, we have heard a lot from the Thai organizers revving up their efforts, as much as now calling it numerous times a 'done deal'. Ironically, this early call could potentially throw a speed bump into Thailand's F1 ambitions. But first things first...
Rumors about a potential Formula 1 race in Thailand's capital Bangkok have gained considerable traction this week with the Thai organizers going to press to say this:
Thailand's government sports authority says it has struck an in-principle deal to host a Formula One race in Bangkok in 2014, with negotiations ongoing about the hosting fee, according to a report in The Nation newspaper.
Kanokphand Chulakasem, governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, was quoted as saying "Formula One has decided to include Thailand in its 2014 season calendar" with a race slated for November. (...)
"Once the negotiations are complete, we will bring this before the cabinet for discussion and approval," Kanokphand was quoted as saying. "We will sign a deal only after we get the nod from the government."
"Thailand government claims to have struck deal to host Bangkok Grand Prix in 2014", Associated Press, October 18, 2012
First off, that report from The Nation is nowhere to be found! Most likely, AP has confused it for this article from the Bangkok Post, which we will get to later.
Secondly, we are used to Thai politicians and officials saying things that could be premature. Numerous international news outlets have picked up on this non-existant The Nation article and also on Kanokphand's confident words that this deal is as good as done. However, there's at least one important person who wouldn't like that - both the words and especially the timing: Bernie Ecclestone, president of the Formula One Management (FOM) and effectively F1's promoter for decades, is not a friend when the other party of a deal does something not OK'ed by him. Seasoned Formula 1 journalist Joe Saward had this to say:
Bernie Ecclestone likes race promoters who do not talk a lot and deliver deals – before they go public. Thus he cannot be overly impressed with the Thailand’s government’s sports authority, which has been putting out stories for some weeks that it will be hosting a Formula 1 race in Bangkok in 2014. If a contract has been signed, numbers agreed and guaranteed by the government then it is a good moment to make a noise, but Kanokphand Chulakasem, the man in charge of the Sports Authority, admits that the negotiations are not yet completed and the project has not been signed off by the Thai government.
"A lot of talk in Thailand…", by Joe Saward, October 14, 2012
Then there's also the financial aspect to this. Various reports have quoted Kanokphand's estimation that the hosting fee will be 1.2 billion baht ($39.2 million) per year and "not more expensive than Singapore". 60 per cent will be paid by the government and the rest will come from wealthy sponsors such as Red Bull and Singha. However the bill could get bigger - a lot bigger:
It would be a surprise if the Formula One group would be willing to accept such a deal. One can understand that the total may have dropped from the high-spending days in the early 2000s, when deals up to $50 million a year were agreed. All the F1 contracts are believed to include a 10 percent increase per year, which means that a $40 million a year race fee with a normal 10 percent annual hike means that over a seven-year contract a promoter must find around $380 million, without including the money needed to either build a track or assemble and disassemble a street circuit each year. This will add around $200 million to the bill.
Thus the government must be willing to guarantee funds of around $600 million if a deal is to go ahead. If private partners are going to kick in 40 percent that is fine, but the guarantee is likely to be at government level only.
"A lot of talk in Thailand…", by Joe Saward, October 14, 2012
And finally, there's the question about the venue of that potential Thailand Grand Prix. Many possible places have been named, from an upgrade of the nation's only internationally certified Bira Circuit near Pattaya to a new purpose-built circuit in Chiang Mai, it looks like the organizers have zeroed in on the most obvious, but also potentially most complicated, solutions to where the F1 cars will run:
It is likely to be a night race and could be staged at Ratchadamnoen Avenue or Muang Thong Thani, the governor said. "We have been working closely with F1 officials to look for the best site," Mr Kanokphand said. Such a big project must be approved by the government and a public hearing may be needed, he said.
"Formula 1 venues in Thailand", Bangkok Post, October 17, 2012
The idea of a night race is an obvious attempt to rival the championship's only night race so far at Singapore's Marina Bay. However, closing off the area of Ratchadamnoen Avenue, a large boulevard not far from the Democracy Monument but also from the back-packer district of Kao San Road, for weeks before and after race to construct and dismantle all the barriers, catch-fences, etc. would be a daunting task for literally everybody involved, especially the traffic that would be diverted.
As much as I'm personally a fan of Formula 1 and motorsports in general and have been since my childhood, a Thailand Grand Prix and much less a Bangkok city race still would not create enough excitement to care about. Maybe it's the fact that this country doesn't have a large enough fan base for the sport.
But maybe it is also be due to the fact of how of things work in Thailand, especially if politicians are involved in the organization of large-scale international events - or not, as the fiasco of the still unfinished Futsal stadium shows, while the FIFA Futsal World Cup is just two weeks away from now. We will have to wait and see if the Formula 1 grid will ever race on Thai soil or even through the streets of Bangkok. However, if the deal suddenly does not materialize, we may know why.
Thailand's Democrat Party rallies behind "men in black" conspiracy
Originally published at Siam Voices on October 15, 2012 On Saturday, members of Thailand's opposition Democrat Party rallied in the streets of Bangkok that were the scenes of the bloody clashes of the anti-government protests in 2010. At least 92 people were killed and thousands were injured when the red shirts rallied and blocked off streets in central Bangkok in order to force out the government of that very same party, that of then-prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. They took to the streets recently to present their own version of under what circumstances people, both civilians and security officers alike, lost their lives and also who is to be blamed.
The mobile rally, accompanied by supporters wearing black T-shirts, black balaclavas and cardboard rifles, made stops at various places of the 2010 protests. One of them was Wat Pathum Wan, a Buddhist temple which was supposedly a designated safe zone after the bloody crackdown of May 19, 2010. However, six were killed inside the temple compound by shots fired from the elevated BTS tracks, where soldiers where supposedly engaged in a firefight with nearby armed men.
The Democrat Party held an emotional rally in Lumpini Park yesterday to condemn the government and provide its version of the military crackdown against red shirt protesters in 2010 when it was in power.
Party members attempted to shed light on the mysterious men in black who had been linked to the red shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and who were believed by some to have attacked security forces and killed people during the 2010 political violence.
"Abhisit urges truth about men in black", Bangkok Post, October 14, 2012
The 'men in black' are the often mentioned group of armed men that have been spotted at various incidents like during the first clashes of April 10, 2010 and have reportedly fought against military forces. Countless rumors have been made about their affiliations, among them allegedly being under command of the late Maj. Gen. Khattiya ’Seh Daeng’ Sawatdiphol, who had his own group of 'security personnel' during the rally and was considered to be a hawkish hardliner among the red shirt protest leaders. 'Seh Daeng' was shot by a sniper (most likely from a building under military control) on May 13, 2010 while he was giving an interview for The New York Times and later died in a hospital.
The activities culminated in a rally in Lumphini Park, not far from where Italian photographer Fabio Polenghi was killed on May 19, 2010 - recent reports suggest he was killed by shots from the army side (same goes for the death of Japanese Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto). Reportedly 2,000 supporters listened to the speeches by the Democrat Party heavyweights, as they presented "The Truth Without Colours" - same as the book by party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva that is being currently released. The takeaway from this event was probably this accusation:
The Democrats yesterday accused ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of being behind the so-called "men in black" who were allegedly hired to kill innocents including red-shirt protesters in order to smear the previous Abhisit government.
"Democrats: Thaksin was behind 'men in black'", The Nation, October 14, 2012
Despite or rather especially because of this, last Saturday's rally is very reminiscent in style and content to their pre-election rally at Rajaprasong in 2011, where in a last-ditch attempt the Democrat Party was presenting their version of what happened at that intersection during the military crackdown and taking every opportunity to blame Thaksin for rallying up a 'red mob' and painting him as the main reason of the political crisis.
Another parallel is that both rallies were primarily held to fire up their own supporter base, as those loyal to one political party are unlikely to switch allegiances and those neutral are likely by now fed up with the bi-partisan bickering. This shows that the Democrat Party, Thailand's oldest political party, has moved forward very little since their defeat in the 2011 elections and sometimes come across as desperate, as their antics in parliament earlier this year have shown.
However, what is particularly striking is the apparent willingness of the Democrat Party to still overlook the role of the military during the protests, as this tweet by Abhisit shows: he wrote that "if there weren't any 'men in black', no policeman, civilian or red shirt would have lost their lives!"
เพื่อที่จะบอกท่านว่า ถ้าวันนั้นไม่มีชายชุดดำ ไม่ว่าตำรวจ ไม่ว่าทหาร ไม่ว่าปชช. คนธรรมดา หรือคนเสื้อแดง จะไม่มีใครเสียชีวิตเลยครับ (3/3)
— Abhisit Vejjajiva (@Abhisit_DP) October 13, 2012
It bears some cruel irony that this political rally, meant to reveal the 'truth' of what happened to the victims of the bloody clashes during these 9 and a half weeks in 2010, took place on the same weekend as the anniversary of October 14, 1973, when pro-democracy protesters were brutally gunned down by the military regime of Field Marshal Thanom. Seventy-seven people were killed and over 800 were injured, but ultimately no one was held responsible. It is this culture of impunity that still prevails today and that is being preserved by the mindset the Democrat Party (but also the Pheu Thai government, should they give a blanket amnesty including for Thaksin) is still promoting with this rally - by focussing on one issue only and completely missing the bigger picture.
Op-Ed: A 'truth' for the sake of Thailand's reconciliation does little
Originally published at Siam Voices on September 30, 2012 Last week, the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT) presented its final report of their investigations of the violent clashes between the authorities and the red shirts during the 2010 anti-government protests. At least 92 people were killed and thousands injured. The overall outcome was that they find faults at both sides. However, it does very little to move the country forward to the much-yearned for national reconciliation.
Right from the outset the commission was met with skepticism and rejection, especially from the red shirts, since it was established shortly after the protests during the Abhisit administration and the fear of bias was strong. Even if an investigation would have been set up by the succeeding Yingluck government, any inquiry that would be set up by any government would be regarded as partisan in this current political climate.
The real problem of this panel is not what is being pointed out by the report or whether or what the motives of the nine commissioners were, but rather the toothless nature of the panel. It was given virtually no powers and access to forensic and official information in order to conduct proper investigations regarding the violent clash of April 10, 2010, and the bloody crackdown that ended on May 19, 2010.
And so the actual report was criticized and rejected by both sides, neither fully acknowledging the claims by the TRCT that there were mistakes done by them in order to prevent violence. However, the emphasis of the alleged link of a black-clad militia group to the red shirt leaders, especially to the late rogue Major General Khattiya"Seh Daeng" Sawatdiphol - who denied any involvement with them, but confirmed their role during the April 10 clashes shortly before he was assassinated from a sniper who the TRCT concluded must have shot from a building under control of the army - all without proper evidence, which begs the question where the priorities of the commission lie.
The personal opinion of TRCT chairman Khanit na Nakhon (which has been wrongly reported as an official statement of the commission by a few outlets) that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra should "sacrifice himself" and keep out of politics underlines one major misunderstanding and the ultimate blind spot of many political actors: the notion that Thaksin is the root of all evil problems ignores the long-term effects of his (in no way altruistic or goodie-goodie) policies that lead to the political awakening of the population outside of Bangkok.
On the other hand, there were many solid and legitimate findings and recommendations made by the TRCT report, such as the call for amendment of the draconian lèse majesté law and the call to the armed forces to restrain themselves from taking political sides. But those are just non-binding recommendations and it has to be seen if anyone would take these to heart and implement actual change. Furthermore, this report does not give more clarity for the victim's families, which is unfortunately more the rule than the exception in Thailand, as political events that have turned violent in the past have never been properly investigated.
This country has a very long history of impunity where the state perpetrators have never been held accountable for their decisions and their consequences - many of them resulting in deaths. Whether it was the attacks on democracy activists on October 14, 1973, the Thammasat University massacre of October 6, 1976, the Black May of 1992 or the recent military coup of 2006, the events of modern Thai history have left gaping wounds in the nation's fabric and those responsible have never been brought to justice. Instead, for the sake of national 'reconciliation,' the anger has been attempted to be quelled with the ever-repeating mantra of forgiving and forgetting - only for the next tragedy to strike and many to ask how it could happen again.
Reconciliation cannot happen without understanding or even be ready to acknowledge what brought us here to the first place, that competing narratives and opinions about our past, present and future exist, that 'unity' should not require surrender of differences and that the 'truth' can no longer be claimed by just a few. That is the main point of this column: it's not so much what the 'truth' is here presented by the TRCT, what is crucial for this country is how the 'truth' is being handled and implemented by the stakeholders and by the common citizen in order to move Thailand beyond the current power gridlock.
The full TRCT report in Thai can be downloaded in PDF form here and the English-language press release here.
Thailand: What we missed in September 2012
Originally published at Siam Voices on September 27, 2012 We look back at some news stories that made the headlines in Thailand this month.
Rich kids, fast cars, solid impunity: Social injustice on the roadside
At the beginning of this month, Central Juvenile and Family Court in Bangkok sentenced an 18-year-old girl to two years in jail for reckless driving, resulting in a crash with a van in which nine people were killed in December 2010. The sentence was suspended and the girl is banned from driving until the age of 25. What caught the attention of the public eye in this case is that not only was the driver 16 years old at the time of the accident (thus not legally old enough to drive a car), but also the daughter of a well-connected, high-society family, or "hi-so" in common Thai slang. That fact and that she survived almost unharmed made her the target of a relentless online witch hunt (we reported).
Just a few days later another lethal traffic accident involving an heir of a wealthy and influential businessman occurred in Bangkok when a police officer was hit by a sports car and dragged down the road for some distance. The drunk driver fled the scene and was later to be revealed as Vorayuth Yoovidhaya, the 27-year-old grandson of the recently deceased founder of Red Bull. However, since this is a wealthy and well-connected heir, the Thong Lor district police inspector initially attempted to cover up the hit-and-run case by detaining the family's caretaker as a scapegoat. This did not work and the inspector got suspended and Vorayuth will be brought to court. In the meantime, his family has reached a settlement with the siblings of the victim: a meager sum of 3m Baht ($97,000).
There have been countless incidents in the past were the offspring of the rich and powerful have gotten away after somebody else was killed (*cough*Chalerm's son*cough*) and these two incidents have yet again spurred some widespread outrage - but also, as usual with such widespread public outcries, quickly died down. Ironically, days later after Vorayuth's incident, a female pop singer was caught drunk driving at a police control, but - showing her total obliviousness to recent events - initially refused the breathalyzer test because - according to herself - she "is a celebrity and knows many senior police officials" and felt "not in an appropriate condition. And when I'm sober, I'll blow into it."
2012 Flood Watch: Waiting for the deluge?
After last year's flood crisis swept through Thailand and had most of central Bangkok spiraling into panic, many were wondering if such a large deluge can happen again this year. According to the numbers, this is unlikely to repeat, as there weren't heavy rainfalls that raised the water levels at the nation's dams like in 2011. Nevertheless the question that has been often raised is whether or not the country is ready for a big flood again and the if lessons were learnt from last year's failures. The problem that appeared this month though is that the heavy rainfalls that are falling directly over Bangkok are flooding the streets, prompting a deluge of pictures from sois under water on social media. The reason is the city's drainage system is struggling to cope with the downpours.
ASEAN Economic Community: Coming soon-ish
One of the big upcoming projects for Southeast Asia is the common ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). That is supposed to launch in 2015, but concerning Thailand there are some doubts whether or not the country is ready for the regional economic changes as many areas are still in dire need of improvement - education and English proficiency would be two right off the top of my head. It looks like that the other ASEAN countries have similar issues in the run-up to the AEC and thus the economic ministers have agreed to delay the launch from the first day of 2015 to the very last day of the year. However, ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan has a rather interesting take on the issue:
"However, there was never an agreed, exact date as to when in 2015 we should all work towards -- should it be 1 January? Mid-year? Or year-end 2015? The AEM (asean economic ministers) agreed on 31 December 2015," he said in the statement.
"Surin: AEC still on track", Bangkok Post, September 12, 2012
Ah yes, so we also learn that the launch date of "2015" was apparently just meant as a general guideline and they expected to set this off somewhere in those 365 days...!
Reading: World Book Capital of a non-bookish country
A recent story in the Bangkok Post revealed this:
About 60% of Thai children never even get to see a book in the first three years of their lives, according to the former president of the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT).
Citing a study conducted in 2008, Rissawol Aramcharoen said the parents of over five million young children never read any stories, or fairy tales, to their children when they are young.
These children had also never been involved in activities that could develop their intelligence, she told told a seminar to mark International Literacy Day on Sunday.
"60% of preschoolers never see a book", Bangkok Post, September 10, 2012
Regular readers of this blog will not be surprised by the numbers, since we have often reported on the dismal state of Thai education (see above) and that also correlates to a much cited study that says Thais on average read seven or eight lines per year - yes, you read that right: not eight to seven pages, let alone books, but lines! However, not much else is known about the source of this study. Regardless, it does not hide the fact that Thais are not very bookish. The reasons for a lack of reading culture are very clear as mentioned over at Bangkok Pundit.
Note: The release of the final report by the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT) into the deaths during the anti-government red shirt protests of 2010 will be addressed in a future column.
Thai media and the problem of Bangkok-centric perception
Originally published at Siam Voices on September 17, 2012 Last week, Pravit Rojanaphruk wrote a story for The Nation about Thai film-maker Naulnoi Thammasathien, who talked about her upcoming documentary about life in Thailand's southern border provinces and voiced her discontent about the Bangkok-centric media coverage:
Issues like rights of residents, normalcy and positive aspects of life in parts of the region are often overlooked, the filmmaker said. Her 40-minute documentary, titled "The Agent of Change", screened in Bangkok on Monday.
Nualnoi said her film was different because it was made in collaboration with local Thai-Malay Muslims in the South. "People in the three southernmost provinces want others to see them in a positive light," she explained.
She also called on the media to not just focus on people being arrested or accused of separatism, but also report if they are acquitted or they could be branded as separatist for good. The separatist strife has taken more than 5,000 lives over the past eight years and injured 10,000 others.
(...) The rest of Thai society still lacked adequate understanding of the South, while people in the region were given little say or a chance to participate in how conflicts are resolved.
"Media reports on insurgency one-sided : filmmaker", The Nation, September 12, 2012
This is certainly not a new complaint and indeed the only news stories we hear from the South are about the nearly decade-long violent insurgency. TThailand's media organizations (especially the newspapers) have a tendency to turn a blind eye not only to the South, but to everywhere outside Bangkok.
One excellent source of information about the Thai media landscape is "Politics and the Press in Thailand: Media Machinations" by Prof. Duncan McCargo of the University of Leeds, who carried out in-depth research about the workings of Thai newspapers in the late 1990s. Most of his findings remain valid today. Here's one:
Another feature of the Thai news media is its Bangkok focus. (...) The division of editorial departments into desks is revealing: typically, Thai newspapers have desks for types of news (...) In addition to these, they have a separate desk for ‘provincial’ news. Any news story which breaks outside Bangkok is first and foremost a provincial story; only in a secondary sense will it be considered a crime story, a political story, or whatever.
Thai newspapers do not, as a general rule, maintain proper news bureaux staffed by career reporters in provincial areas. (...)
Most Bangkok-based reporters are uncomfortable travelling to provincial areas (...). Beyond Bangkok is a kind of hinterland, where nothing of much significance is deemed to occur. Thus a typical political desk of a Thai newspaper might have twelve to fifteen reporters, none of whom ever venture outside Bangkok, except either to accompany a politician (such as the prime minister) on a provincial visit or to cover an election.
From: "Politics and the Press in Thailand: Media Machinations", by Duncan McCargo, 2000
There have been two other examples in recent years that highlight the problems of Bangkok-centricism: In the run-up to the 2010 red shirt protests, there were fundraising events in north-eastern Isaan and other activities - all reported exclusively by the foreign media. When the red shirt protests increased in attendance, persistence and duration, many Bangkokians were stunned and shocked - so were most of the local Thai media, as they had failed to monitor the activities of the red shirts in the provinces.
The other incident was during last year's flood crisis, when large areas in and around Bangkok were inundated by Thailand's worst natural disaster in some time. However, there were also floods elsewhere, like in the north-eastern province of Khon Kaen. But reports from other flood-hit locations were almost drowned out by the non-stop coverage of the crisis in the capital - so much so that it took a mental toll on Bangkok residents.
While residents outside the capital have several local media outlets like small-scale community papers or community radio stations, not much of that local coverage ever reaches the big media organizations in the capital. The internet does, however, provide a chance for grass-roots media in the provinces to reach a wider audience. One such example are our friends at The Isaan Record (who are coming back from a hiatus, by the way!) who have taken great strides in covering the stories and issues that matter in Thailand's north-east.
Did a Thai MP really tell Thai women it's better to marry a foreigner?
Originally published at Siam Voices on August 29, 2012 Sunai Julphongsathorn, a Pheu Thai Party MP from Chum Saeng in Nakhon Sawan Province and the chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, was at the center of controversy recently over his alleged advice that poor Thai women should marry a farang (a Western foreigner), since their lives would drastically improve since "European governments give everything for free". And that has been the headline an English-language website was running with. But is the MP's recommendation really to ship off the disenfranchised to European welfare states in exchange for a better life or is there more to it?
The English-language article continues:
Sunai tells the audience of around 1,000 red shirts to find a farang husband for an easy life “because European governments give you everything for free.”
Sunai went on: “Get a German husband. Get a Swedish husband. Get a Norwegian husband. People used to love [Thailand] unreservedly. But the more they loved the country, the poorer they got. The more they loved the country, the stupider they got.”
“All you need is a farang husband and their government will pay you to study,” he said.
Even more controversially, he then implied that the best way to study a foreign language was by sleeping with a foreigner.
“Sitting studying is too slow. Lie down to study, then go to the hospital. They will pay you to have the baby… It’s all free, right up to the shitty diapers.”
"MP urges Thai women: Marry a farang for an easier life", Coconuts Bangkok, August 28, 2012
Their only source pointed to a Thai website, which in return is basing the whole story on a single 12-minute YouTube clip, which is an excerpt from a speech by Sunai at a red shirt gathering in front of about 1,000 people in Samut Prakan just outside of Bangkok on August 19. The video has very poor audio so that Sunai's voices comes off very distorted. Listening to a clearer, more complete video feed gives a very different impression and also reveals more context to what he was saying, before he was taken out of it by the aforementioned source.
The generally gist of Sunai's speech (at least the first 20 minutes concerning this story) is about social inequality and the disenfranchisement of the rural population - one of the long-time talking points of the Pheu Thai Party and the red shirt movement. This time the focus is on women in particular and how many would move from the North or North-East Isaan region down to the Central region around the capital in order to find work and potentially also a husband.
Here are some extended excerpts from Sunai with the time codes to follow along in the said video starting at 13:31 minutes:
13:31 min - 14:28 min: "Some get a good husband, some get a drunken one and some lucky even get a farang husband! And they are getting scolded about why they would get [a farang husband] (...) I used to scold these Thai women too! But ever since I became a red shirt, I know everything about their problems - having traveled all across Europe, I've found the truth that: they are really better off marrying a farang! If you ask why - well, it's because their lives have no future (perspective). The poor people in Isaan, the poor people in the North - they don't have a future at all! And the women have it harder than the men!"
He then talks about the "restrictive culture" and challenges women are facing when coming to Bangkok and the outskirts, as when they have reached some welfare they're being told to go back home and "live sufficiently". We continue at 16:41 minutes:
16:41 min - 16:56 min: "My dear friends, [these] women are still restricted by culture. These women who are coming from upcountry, who are sitting here and can set up their lives here, these are real brave women! Give yourself a round of applause! (Applause)
18:03 min - 18:43 min: ...they may don't match the local taste, but sometimes those of the farangs! And how are these poor, rural people are gonna meet one of them? With partnership agencies, of course! Some good luck, some bad luck, eh? In the end, you get a German husband, [or] a Swedish husband, [or] a Norwegian husband! Before, they loved the country - but the more they loved the country, the poorer they would become. The more they loved the country, the more stupid it gets.
The last sentence is admittedly hard to translate, as it might as well mean that either the people left behind in the fields are getting more stupid or the idea of staying at the farm is getting more and more stupid.
Sunai turns to the scenario of a poorly educated Thai woman, who would marry a foreigner, move over to let's say Sweden or Norway and register there, the fact that she is married a local, the authorities would then in his words "hire" her to learn to local language - except though that language courses is compulsory in many European states in order to stay longer and even to apply for a citizenship later on.
At 20:08 min comes the main talking point and the necessary context in order to fully understand why Sunai was bringing up the point of Thai-Farang marriages in the first place:
20:08 min - 21:06 min: "(Talking in the role of the Thai woman) 'I may not be fully capable of the Thai language, but I can do German! I can do Norwegian! Because their government has hired me to learn it!' Thailand has hardly a penny for education. They're still poor and they can't even afford free education! But Thaksin makes you learn for free, Thaksin has introduced the 30 Baht healthcare scheme. Why the hell have you putsched against him? (Applause) [army chief] Prayuth Chan-ocha, Anupong Paochinda [fmr army chief] - I don't need to talk about Sonthi Boonyaratglin [coup leader against Thaksin in 2006] anymore because his eyes have been opened now (...) - but those in the army (...) have not been enlightened yet. Why have you seized power? They are...Thaksin is currently starting to build welfare in Thailand, in order for the continuation of the monarchy. That is the beginning of the welfare state, my friends!
In essence, Sunai's speech here is highlighting the benefits of European welfare state and how a Pheu Thai-led government will re-introduce that with what has been already done during the Thaksin years: a repeat of the populist policies (such as tax cuts, subsidies, free handouts etc.) to benefit the disenfranchised rural population, which was part of "Thaksinomics" before he was toppled in a military coup in 2006, which was also a target of Sunai's speech.
All these are legitimate, reasonable points that were brought up by the Pheu Thai MP (despite the fact that Thailand has free basic education of 12 years, and past governments have thrown more money at the qualitatively poor education system - whereas Pheu Thai's most public education policy is to introduce tablet PCs in the classrooms) - and even if it's just to tout the past and present policies of Thaksin and the Pheu Thai Party.
However, there was this at the end...
21:38 min - 22:29 min: After some they of learning, they're even better at Norwegian than Thai! Why? (...) Because they learn it in sleep! My friends, with a farang husband it gets much quicker. It's so much slower in sitting. When they're done learning in their sleep, they're getting pregnant. They're brought to the hospital and the state is paying [the costs] for the birth. And then they're paying monthly child benefits!
It's one thing to showcase that learning a foreign language in a family environment is sometimes quicker than in a school. But it is an entirely another thing to (unwittingly) suggest that it is mutual to sleeping with a foreigner - if not borderline unacceptable. It is that lapse in judgement and that poor choice of words that nearly completely diminishes a perfectly valid argument!
So, the MP has not really recommended Thai women to marry a foreigner in order for a better life, but rather why many of these women would go into a marriage with a foreigner in the first place! The solutions offered may be debatable and will certainly be at the center of more discussions about it (and about the man behind it) - but in this case Sunai was taken out of context!
Saksith Saiyasombut is a Thai blogger and journalist currently based in Hamburg, Germany. He can be followed on Twitter @Saksith and on Facebook here.
Thai army reshuffle: A new rift between government and military?
Originally published at Siam Voices on August 28, 2012 The transfer of high ranking military officers to inactive posts by the defense minister may spark a new rift between the civil government and the armed forces over the control on military matters, such as the upcoming annual reshuffle of generals, major generals, colonels and other top army members.
Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat yesterday abruptly transferred Defence permanent secretary General Sathien Permthong-in and two other senior officers to inactive posts at the Defence Minister's Office.
Sukampol signed the order - to take immediate effect - at 2.30pm. The move of the three officers came just a few days after Sathien unsuccessfully sought a meeting with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to complain about Sukampol's alleged efforts to interfere in the annual reshuffle of senior military officers.
The two other transferred officers were General Chatree Tatti, deputy permanent secretary, and General Pinphat Siriwat, director of the Defence Secretariat. The three were in charge of compiling the annual military reshuffle list. Deputy permanent secretary General Witthawas Rachata-nan was made acting permanent secretary of Defence.
"Top army officers transferred", Bangkok Post, August 28, 2012
There has been tension between General Sathien and Defense Minister Sukampol in the past week, as both have locked horns over who should succeed Sathoen as the permanent secretary for defense, as he is to retire later this October. Sukampol is favoring General Thanongsak Apirakyothin, assistant army chief and former chief of the Third Army Area in the North of Thailand. Sathien on the other hand wanted his deputy permanent secretary of defense General Chatree Tatti to take over.
All of them reportedly are somehow linked to active or former members of the ruling Pheu Thai Party (PT) - Sathien is married to a PT mayor, Chatree reportedly close to former prime minister and army chief Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, and Thanongsak is rumored to have the support of Thaksin's sister Yaowapa Wongsawat, wife of former short-time prime minister and banned politician Somchai Wongsawat.
This incident puts the spotlight on the infighting between the government and the armed forces and its implications forhow the promotions of army officers will play out in the future. After the coup of 2006, the interim government of General Surayud Chulanont introduced the Defence Ministry Administration Act, which also regulates the process of army promotions with the instalment of a so-called Defense Committee (or Council, depending on how you want to translate it). The committee, in theory, consists of seven members: the defense minister, his deputy, the permanent secretary for the defense, the supreme commander and the chiefs of army, navy and the air force.
The reality is that the position of deputy defense minister has been vacant for some time already, and due to the fact that the military side clearly outweighs the civilian side in this process, attempts by the government camp have been made to tip the scale in their favor by seeking to amend the Defence Ministry Administration Act.
Another possible scenario that was rumored earlier this year was to reshuffle positions so Sukampol would step down in order to let Prime Minister Yingluck to take over as defense minister (which she denied), as he would fill in the vacant deputy defense minister position and also put one of their own as permanent secretary for defense after Sathien retires - which would nearly balance out the power scale in the Defense Committee against the other four military members, where a weak link could act as the tie breaker in delicate decisions. UPDATE: A tweet by a Thai journalist reminded to add what is an open secret: This Defense Committee has actually never convened so far, as the promotion list for army officers is being sent back and forth between all members.
A different point that has been brought up in this case of Sathien's successor is the important role of class association from the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School (AFAPS). Interpersonal relationships among classmates always plays a role in military promotions, such as during the promotion of General Prayuth Chan-ocha as army chief as he was Class 12 that allows him to stay on until 2014, when he has to retire at age 60. In the current case, Sukumpol was reported to consider General Chatree Tatti, until Monday Sathien's deputy, as too young since he hails from Class 14, whereas the defense minister's favorite General Thanongsak Apirakyothin graduated in Class 11.
There's more to this story than the political and bureaucratic in-fighting between high-ranking soldiers: The compromise between the civilian government and the armed forces not to intervene too much into each other's matters could be seriously put on the test as the military side could see Monday's events as exactly that - Sathien certainly does:
In a letter dated Aug 24 and seen by the Bangkok Post Sunday, Gen Sathian requests a talk with the premier and accuses Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat of unauthorised "interference" in the legal procedure to promote senior officers at the general level.
Gen Sathian says in the letter that ACM Sukumpol did not heed his contention that his current deputy, Gen Chatree Thatti, was the most appropriate choice because of his high rank and seniority. (...)
A source said Gen Sathian has also discussed his conflict with ACM Sukumpol with Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont and sent a copy of the list of nominated officers, prepared by the Office of Permanent Secretary, to Privy Council president Gen Prem Tinsulanonda.
"Sathian seeks PM's counsel over reshuffle", Bangkok Post, August 26, 2012
Contrary to his usual behavior, General Prayuth's response was somehow surprisingly tepid, saying that he sees no problem in the much debated move of the three officers to the Office of the Defense Ministry since the defense ministry has the right to do so and seeks to talk with the parties involved.
And all parties, both civilian and military, will need to talk if they want to uphold the status quo. The government clearly wants to increase their influence over the set-up of the armed forces, as it never has been monolithic but factionalized and also to prevent a possible military coup against the government of Yingluck.
However on the other hand, this should also put a spotlight on the self-entitlement of the armed forces to withdraw itself from any outside control in their matters and accountability, since the army sees itself and in fact is an independent factor in the Thai power struggle - and with lacking transparency, also an unpredictable force for the outlook of Thailand's democracy.
Saksith Saiyasombut is a Thai blogger and journalist currently based in Hamburg, Germany. He can be followed on Twitter @Saksith and on Facebook here.
Thailand: What we missed in August 2012
Originally published at Siam Voices on August 27, 2012 In a new section on Siam Voices, we look back at some news stories that made the headlines in Thailand this month.
Thailand's Olympic medal winners: Sporting hurt pride
Earlier this month, the 30th Olympic Summer Games took place in London. As usual, Thailand's Olympic ambitions included the expectation of some medals, having won seven gold, four silver and 10 bronze medals at previous games in the weightlifting, boxing and taekwondo competitions. That was not the exception this time around again, as silver medal winners Pimsiri Sirikaew, Kaeo Pongprayoon and bronze medalist Chanatip Sonkham won medals at exactly these sports respectively.
However, it wasn't all smiles and joy: especially in the case of light flyweight boxer Kaeo Pongprayoon, many Thais took offense to his loss in a controversial final against China's Zou Shiming due to some questionable officiating and actions by Zou. Predictably the Thai fans couldn't shake off the feeling that 'they' got robbed and some of them predictably took their anger online, partly in very poor taste. An example of nationalism-fueled rage was to be seen on the Facebook page of the International Boxing Association, whose picture of a celebrating Zou Shiming got over 65,000 comments, most of them negative and still counting two weeks after the end of the games.
And generally, despite the fact that Thailand did quite well compared to its neighbors, these games were a disappointment for the officials, who hoped for two gold medals as a target (that's nothing compared to the secret German medals target that was missed by lightyears) and now have to think about how to improve the support for athletes, both olympic and paralympic, whose summer games are starting later this week.
Pheu Thai's rice scheme: The Price is Right?
It bears many names: pledging scheme, mortgage scheme, fixed pricing scheme - but they all mean the same rice policy of the Yingluck government that has been one of the essential cornerstones of Pheu Thai Party's campaign before the election and of the current administration since last October. In a nutshell, the government buys rice at 15,000 Baht (about $480) per ton - that is 50 per cent more than the market price. What was primarily aimed to help the around 8 million rice farmers in the country was met with criticism and concerns that it will either lead to a global price hike, a loss of Thailand's status as the world's top exporter of rice or both.
Almost a year after its introduction, the criticism has increased in recent months, as export numbers are declining and projections that Thailand will lose its number one position in global exports. And so the critical analysis pieces go on, and on, and on, and on - but the consensus was the same: the government's rice policy causes private rice millers and exporters to suffer and the governments sits on a huge pile of rice that they can't get rid off in bi-lateral deals, as it is about to spoil. Nevertheless, the government will continue it. More details can be read over here at Bangkok Pundit's post.
Policemen found guilty of extrajudicial killing - and released on bail!
In early August the Criminal Court in Bangkok found five police officers guilty of the murder of a 17-year old man. The teenager was arrested by these policemen in 2004 in the southern province of Kalasin for allegedly stealing a motorcycle. That was during the time of the "War on Drugs", a heavily-propagated campaign by the Thaksin administration that targeted drug dealers and traffickers, but also ensured security officials to use a heavy-handed and violent approach, in which, according to rights groups, over 2,500 people were killed - many of them extrajudicially - and over 1,600 died in prison or custody, about 131 of them as a result of police brutality. The 17-year-old was one of them, as he was detained for over a week and later found dead in another province.
Three police officers have been sentenced to death for premeditated murder and hiding the young man's body, one to life imprisonment for premeditated murder and the Police Colonel was sentenced to seven years in jail for abusing his power to cover up the murder. However, despite the convictions, these men are walking free on bail pending appeal. Understandably, the key witnesses are concerned over their safety, since their witness protection program ironically ended with the court verdict. Calls for new witness protection have been so far unanswered.
Thaksin's US travels spark anti-American tantrum
Yeah, Thaksin is still traveling freely around the world, even more so since many countries have re-granted him entry. The United States was the latest to do so and that issue alone has stirred up some diatribes from his enemies, most of all the self-proclaimed Thaksin hunter, diplomatic wrecking-ball and former foreign minister Kasit, who immediately called to severe ties with the US, should they not extradite him to Thailand. If only when he and his cabinet issued an extradition request for Thaksin when they were in government - but they didn't!
The fugitive former prime minister traveled to New York first and then was scheduled to appear at a red shirt gathering in Los Angeles - but Thai media reported that some "700 to 2,000" yellow shirts have allegedly foiled the event and Thaksin had to bail out. The problem is that the numbers were from a Thai community paper in LA and cannot the independently verified. And let's be honest: an assembly of 2,000 similarly dressed people would have made local news already over there - only it didn't! Meanwhile, back in Thailand the anti-Thaksin protesters gathered at the US Embassy and have come up with some rather bizarre conspiracy theories. Let's see where Thaksin goes next...
Thai Senator 'accidentally' kills secretary with uzi - or pistol - or wife - or cousin...!
In mid-August, a news headline from Thailand went around the world that was both shocking and bizarre: "Senator 'accidentally' kills secretary with Uzi". Mae Hong Son Senator Boonsong Kowawisarat was carrying the firearm during dinner at a resort when it accidentally discharged and killed a woman believed to be his secretary. Of course, these circumstances were perfect ingredients for yet another 'quirky' news item from Asia for Western media - and when even Gawker was reporting it (predictably not without mistakes), you know something has hit critical mass.
But the next morning, the circumstances weren't that clear anymore as nearly every detail of this incident was put in question: What was the weapon and who did it kill? In the end it emerged that the Senator's pistol, a 9mm Jericho 941 (also named Uzi Eagle), fired a bullet into the stomach of Chanakarn Detkard, his domestic partner with whom he has two children.
Saksith Saiyasombut is a Thai blogger and journalist currently based in Hamburg, Germany. He can be followed on Twitter @Saksith and on Facebook here.
Tongue-Thai’ed! Part XVII: The difference between lies and 'lies'
Originally published at Siam Voices on August 26, 2012 “Tongue-Thai’ed!” encapsulates the most baffling, amusing, confusing, outrageous and appalling quotes from Thai politicians and other public figures – in short: everything we hear that makes us go “Huh?!”. Check out all past entries here.
Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong has been so far one of the deputy prime ministers in the government of Yingluck Shinawatra that has not stood out with the blow-hard attitude, lofty ideas or brain farts demonstrated by some of his peers - that was until this week when Kittiratt had an ill-judged epiphany: to admit that he sometimes lies just to boost confidence in the financial market. Here's the money quote:
"The finance minister can lie about some things, such as export targets. But these are white lies,” he said yesterday. “If I said from the start that we couldn’t grow, what would be the impact on confidence?”
Mr Kittiratt acknowledged that his pledge earlier this year that exports would grow 15% this year was a "white lie”. On Tuesday, the government officially cut its export target for 2012 to 9% growth.
"Kittiratt: I tell 'white lies'", Bangkok Post, August 24, 2012
Like fellow blogger Bangkok Pundit noted in his post, we're hardly shocked to catch a politician lying, let alone admitting it. Nevertheless, PR-wise, his comments would appear unwise - not only will every economic target projection be taken with a huge grain of salt (if they haven't been already), Kittiratt has instantly put himself out there to be ridiculed (as usual, the opposition was quick to criticise) nationally, but also internationally since such a catchy headline á la "Thai Finance Minister Finds Nothing Wrong with Lying". It was a welcome light news item for editors abroad (for example here in Germany).
In the end, it was an unwarranted gaffe by a Thai politician and minister who had acquitted himself well until now. All by admitting to the truth at a decisively wrong moment for seemingly a greater good - whether it pays off has yet to be seen. The more important issue will be whether or not Kittiratt will own up to his own lies later down the road.
If you come across any verbosities that you think might fit in here send us a email at siamvoices [at] gmail.com or tweet us @siamvoices.
Saksith Saiyasombut is a Thai blogger and journalist currently based in Hamburg, Germany. He can be followed on Twitter @Saksith and on Facebook here.
Thai army chief blames the media for everything - again!
Originally published at Siam Voices on August 22, 2012 Thailand's army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha is not known to be the smoothest talker and the most gentlest person to handle the media. In fact, there were several incidents when he lost his temper while talking to the press too often - whether it was self-inflicted or sparked by a dumb question. And normally we'd would make fun of this in Tongue-Thai'ed section of this blog and be done with it. However, the most recent flare-up by Prayuth is the new epitome of the army chief's problematic relationship with the media and also his own perception of his job.
Some background: In the ongoing insurgency in the deep southern border regions, four soldiers were killed in an ambush while on patrol in late July, all very visibly in front of surveillance cameras. The blunt nature of this incident has put the violent conflict back on the public agenda and, as it is usually the case, the government will introduce some quick, short-term initiatives to sooth the increased public awareness. It is the same case with the current Yingluck administration, which has, for example, set up a special command center for the South (and giving it an utterly stupid name).
It was in light of these events where army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha had to face press yet again over the separatist insurgency in the deep Southern provinces - and yet again, he just can't stand being asked questions, no matter how critical. Just look at this video as he increasingly angry...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bV9s2DsfuI
It hardly needs translation to see how his mood has shifted downwards, but there are some lines that are both very memorable and very questionable as well. Here are some with the time codes for the video above for you to follow along...
0:29 : There're some things you just don't get, no matter if I explain you to death with it, you'd still don't get it!
0:37 : You think you can do better? Then you can take over as army chief...! That's it! Period!
1:29 : Man...! Then you're going to write again that I've blown a fuse - I'm angry as I'm normally am, otherwise I wouldn't be able to do this job - so I gotta be able to get angry. I'm not a monk after all!
1:48 : All the brilliant journalists should gather around here and ask me - and if I answer them and they can't follow-up with something, they should shut it!
3:18 : I'm already as calm as I can be and I'm exhausted - I was a little angry, but now I'm good again!
3:28 : Anything else?! Ah?! Ok, I'm not mad at you! If I'd be angry I would have killed you all already!
Erm, yes...! I guess there were definitely no more questions.
Prayuth has also weighed in again on the controversial issue of the fraudulent bomb-sniffing device GT200, which have come up again in July after it was discovered that the bogus dowsing-rod is still in usage. The army chief came out to defend the ongoing usage of the GT200 while being totally oblivious to scientific evidence that it just doesn't work. The armed forces are currently in search for new bomb detectors to replace, but haven't finalized a deal yet. And Prayuth knows already who to blame for it.
"The media should help us find other alternative equipment to protect soldiers and police officers from bomb attacks. If you can't find it, then don't ask because it's annoying," the national army chief said.
"South 'may be lost if UN intervenes', army general warns", Bangkok Post, August 10, 2012
The third incident was from last week when the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) - another highly politicized institution that has a long record of serving to whoever is in power - has indicated that they were going to summon military snipers for questioning for their role in the violent 2010 crackdown on the anti-government red shirt protesters, in which almost 90 people on both side have lost their lives.
Prayuth of course didn't like the DSI's insinuation that the army has actually killed people when the protests deteriorated quickly and he and the army's spokesperson Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd (who ever since 2010 has been regarded as seemingly 'impeccable') have been touting the same line that no soldier has killed any protesters at all. They did that shortly after the crackdown and they did that again this time - so much so that apparently Prayuth made the bendy DSI chief apologize to him.
And just to make sure he also rammed his message that there were no snipers involved to the press as well - only for Prachtai to later that week exclusively reveal documents that there has been authorizations to use snipers during the crackdown, including the baffling revelation that of the 3,000 snipers rounds only 880 were returned.
But here is his now obsolete message anyways:
"What is a sniper? What person would use snipers? And do you know who the snipers are? Those who appeared to be soldiers [in the photographs or video clips] were just equipped with an enhanced scope. And the enhanced scope and the gun are not a sniper type. If you say what you don’t know, you’d better shut up. These things, which are used for marksmanship and are available for sale at informal markets for the purpose of shooting birds, are not sniper stuff. Don’t just ramble on."
"CRES authorized use of snipers during crackdown in 2010", Prachatai, August 21, 2012
And rambling on seems to be almost the only thing he does ever since he took the post of army chief in late 2010, already showing his outspokenness then. He reacts irritated nearly all time when dealing with the press and mostly sees no other way to lash out, throw a tantrum and divert attention from the matter itself, by either accusing the press of not supporting the troops - as most don't have a problem with the soldiers, but rather with the one(s) who lead them - or simply taunting somebody else to take over his post.
The point that he could use media training or just let Col. Sansern speak for him instead has been raised many times already, but it would change little about the lacking professionalism of the Thai armed forces and in its outwards portrayal, since General Prayuth is one of these military figures that think that anger and bruteness are the only ways to show power, authority and self-assureness, while these erratical flare-ups though create the opposite.
Saksith Saiyasombut is a Thai blogger and journalist currently based in Hamburg, Germany. He can be followed on Twitter @Saksith and on Facebook here.
Thai Buddhist cult claims to know afterlife of Steve Jobs
Originally published at Siam Voices on August 21, 2012 A Thai Buddhist cult movement claims to know the whereabouts of Steve Jobs in the afterlife. In a TV special on DMC.tv, the satellite TV channel of the Dhammakāya (pronounced "tah-mah-guy") Movement, and its website have given their take on the question hardly anyone was asking in the first place: Where is Steve Jobs now? The Apple co-founder and CEO passed away in October 2011 after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer.
This question was asked by a man called "Tony Tseung" - who claims to be a senior engineer at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California - to Phra Thepyanmahamuni, the abbot of the Wat Phra Dhammakaya (their main temple). The movement was established in the 1970s and puts the focus of their teachings by literally interpreting Dharmakāya, which equates obtaining Nirvana as the "true Self", also known as atta - contrary to the main Theravada Buddhism teachings most Thais are following in which Nirvana is the ultimate goal, in which Self ceases to exist (anatta).
The abbot's answer is very elaborate to say the least:
หลังจากที่คุณ Steve Jobs ได้ละจากโลกนี้ไปแล้ว ก็ได้ไปบังเกิดใหม่เป็นเทพบุตรภุมมะเทวา (...) รวมกับอัธยาศัยพื้นฐานของตัวเขาซึ่งเป็นคนที่มีความรู้ความสามารถทั้งทางด้านวิทยาศาสตร์และสุนทรียภาพทางศิลปะสูงมาก (...) ตัวเขาก็ได้ไปบังเกิดใหม่เป็น “เทพบุตรภุมมะเทวาระดับกลางสายวิทยาธรกึ่งยักษ์” ที่มีที่อยู่ที่อาศัยซ้อนอยู่บนโลกมนุษย์ใกล้ๆ กับที่ทำงานเดิมของตัวเขาในทันที
"ภุมมะเทวาสายวิทยาธรกึ่งยักษ์" นั้นมีลักษณะเป็นอย่างไร (...) ก็คือภุมมะเทวาที่มีอัธยาศัย 2 อย่างมาผสมผสานกัน ได้แก่ อัธยาศัยของวิทยาธรที่รักในการเรียนรู้ศาสตร์และความรู้ต่างๆ กับอัธยาศัยของยักษ์ที่มักโกรธ ขี้โมโห (...)
After Mr. Steve Jobs has passed away, he reincarnated as a divine being (...) encompassing his characteristics: a person with the knowledge (and a great appreciation) for both science and arts (...) His reincarnation is a "Thepphabhut Phumadeva [divinity] of middle rank - half a Witthayathorn, half yak" that lives in a parallel universe not very far away from where he was as a human.
What is this divine being like? (...) It is a being that has two characteristics mixed together which includes his thirst for knowledge of sciences [his Witthayathorn half] together with his yak half, that is prone to be angry and hot-headed (...)
"ปรโลกนิวส์ ตอน สตีฟ จ็อบส์ ตายแล้วไปไหน ตอนที่ 1", DMC, August 21, 2012
Aha, Jobs is now apparently "half a Witthayathorn" - a term the abbot came up by himself - and, apparently because of his well-known temper, "half a yak" (not the animal), a giant demon that is mostly seen 'guarding' Buddhist temples in Thailand.
When the abbot went on describe how the life of Afterlife-Steve Jobs looks like, things get even more interesting:
ส่วนวิมานหรือที่อยู่ที่อาศัย ของท่านเทพบุตรใหม่จะมีลักษณะเป็นวิมานที่เรียบๆ ง่ายๆ ขนาดปานกลาง ที่สูงประมาณตึก 6 ชั้น ซึ่งตัววิมานจะประกอบด้วยโลหะสีเงินสีขาวและแก้วผลึกขนาดใหญ่ที่มีขอบเขตกว้างขวาง และอยู่ไม่ไกลจากที่ทำงานเดิมในสมัยที่ตัวเขายังเป็นมนุษย์ (...) นอกจากนี้ ท่านเทพบุตรใหม่ยังมีบริวารอันเป็นทิพย์ที่คอยรับใช้ดูแลอยู่ประมาณ 20 ตน ซึ่งทั้งหมดนี้ก็เกิดจากผลแห่งบุญที่ตัวเขาได้เคยทำบุญแบบสงเคราะห์โลกเอาไว้ในสมัยที่ตัวเขายังเป็นมนุษย์ เช่น บริจาคทั้งเงิน สิ่งของ ความรู้ให้แก่ผู้อื่นและสังคม
Concerning the living space of this new divine being: it is a very clean-cut, simple and middle-sized, six-story in height, which is built with silver metal and crystal in large quantities and that is not very far away from where he used to work in his human form. (...) Apart from that the new divine being has about 20 celestial servants at his service which comes from karma he obtained from charitable nature during his human form like donating money, objects and knowledge for others and society.
"ปรโลกนิวส์ ตอน สตีฟ จ็อบส์ ตายแล้วไปไหน ตอนที่ 1", DMC.tv, August 21, 2012
Anybody who dares to read the full explanation can go to their webpage here - even though it is only in Thai, the pictures should give an idea...! Also, there'll be a part two of the TV special on DMC.tv...
That last sentence is exactly the way of the Dhammakāya Movement many critics find fault in: give enough money for charity (preferably to Dhammakāya) and you might also reincarnate with your personal living space that coincidentally resembles an Apple Store and with your own personal Geniuses...erm, I mean servants!
The practices and methods by the movement are something more akin to what some say Christian TV evangelists with a giant temple on the outskirts of Bangkok, opulent mass-ordination ceremonies, the aforementioned TV channel with some production value, grand-scale downtown pilgrimages by monks, nationwide promotions such as a special credit card with a special perk to convert the bonus points into money donations to Dhammakāya, among many other actions.
And where does the money come from? Of course from donations by devotees, who are encouraged to donate large sums in exchange for great merits in order to ensure enough good karma for the afterlife. It basically blends religion with capitalism - a fact that may be why this movement had an increase of followers among the Bangkok middle class in the 1990s as this scientific article argues. This practice parallels to the selling of indulgences in Christianity during the middle ages until the 16th century, which was one of the points German reformist Martin Luther was protesting against in 1521.
Also, the Dhammakāya Movement is considered as one of a few Buddhist groups that have some to large supporters in Thai politics, as this cult is rumored to be closely linked to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The other noteworthy group is the Santi Asoke sect, which practices and propagates a more ascetic lifestyle that is opposed to materialism and mass consumption - in some ways the diametrical opposite of the Dhammakāya Movement business model. Followers of the Santi Asoke also took part in numerous protests against the government(s) of the aforementioned Thaksin Shinawatra and its reincarnations.
This whole story is intended as a lesson of karma and their take on what happens next after one has passed away. And of course this story is also yet another attention-grabbing PR stunt by the Dhammakāya Movement to gain new followers (and if you have been reading until this point you know why) by purely making up blatantly speculating predicting the afterlife of a worldwide-known figure. Not to mention the potential new devotees abroad, since this movement also has branches in 18 other countries including an open university based in California.
Steve Jobs was certainly influenced, if not even inspired, by Buddhism of various teachings. But he was not known as a devotee - not by practice and certainly not any of Thailand's various Buddhist's groups. Also, the abbot suggests that Jobs was concerned with life after death - contrary to his well-documented remarks that he regards death itself as "very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent.” He also said in the same commencement speech to university graduates in 2005: "Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking."
Saksith Saiyasombut is a Thai blogger and journalist currently based in Hamburg, Germany. He can be followed on Twitter @Saksith and on Facebook here.
Tongue-Thai’ed! Part XVI: Chalerm and the new Pentagon
Originally published at Siam Voices on August 1, 2012 “Tongue-Thai’ed!” encapsulates the most baffling, amusing, confusing, outrageous and appalling quotes from Thai politicians and other public figures – in short: everything we hear that makes us go “Huh?!”. Check out all past entries here.
Chalerm Yubamrung is a veteran politician known for his erratic behavior and boastful nature which naturally leads lots of verbosities that are bordering on ridiculous or simply head-scratching. He's also currently Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister mainly in charge of security - so, in both regards to his position and his outspokenness he is the actual and spiritual successor to our favorite Tongue-Thai'ed! contributor Suthep Thuangsuban.
On a more serious note, the ongoing insurgency in Thailand's deep southern border region has claimed more victims again when five soldiers were killed in a drive-by ambush last Sunday, which was caught on CCTV and leaked by the local police. It was that very gruesome depiction of this violent incident that has reminded the Thai public yet again about the violent conflict that has claimed by now almost 5,500 lives since 2004, with an end nowhere near in sight.
That incident has prompted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to appoint Chalerm to take care of the South. And since the Thai government has also granted some 391m Baht (US$12.3m) for this operation, he wants a new command center at the Royal Thai Police HQ in addition to the few government agencies already assigned with the troubling border region.
And since every Thai institution needs a nice sounding name - preferably long, convoluted and pretentious - Chalerm has already an idea for this command center. It is however not very original...
The new centre would operate to the same standards as that of the US Pentagon, and the centre should be called Pentagon II, he said.
Mr Chalerm said he believed Pentagon II would improve efficiency in the government's fight against the southern insurgency just as the Pentagon worked successfully to hunt down Osama bin Laden.
"Sukumpol wants aircraft for South", Bangkok Post, August 1, 2012
I don't know where to even start! Pentagon II?! We don't know (yet) if he was joking with this proposal and couldn't come up with a better name on the fly. But this is Chalerm we're talking about: when he's got an idea, he'll pull it through (that is of course there's one or two instances that prevents him from doing so!). And does he also know how long it took to get bin Laden?
Instead of that knock-off brand name, we (that is Siam Voices contributor Kaewmala) came up with original Thai names for that command center that embodies the Thai language and that is long-winded, and most of all, pretentious:
- "ศูนย์ดับไฟใต้ด้วยปากเหลิม" - "Center for Putting Out the Fire with Chalerm's Mouth" ("ปากเหลิม" ["bpaak lerm"] = drooling, mostly from being blabbering know-it-all, also refers to Chalerm)
- "ศูนย์ปราบทักษิณัคคีภัย" - "Center for Suppressing the Southern Threat" ("ทักษิณ" ["Thaksin"] = from Pali/Sanskrit, South, also the name of a certain fugitive former Prime Minister)
Or just call it Center for Recon and the Advancement of Peace and be done with it! You can thank us later, Chalerm!
via @MartinPetty and h/t to @thai_talk for the alternative names
If you come across any verbosities that you think might fit in here send us a email at siamvoices [at] gmail.com or tweet us @siamvoices.
Saksith Saiyasombut is a Thai blogger and journalist currently based in Hamburg, Germany. He can be followed on Twitter @Saksith and on Facebook here.