Living In Thailand Blog
Tuesday 20th April 2010
With some of the news reports that have been coming out of Thailand of late it must be a little worrying for people who have vacations booked in Thailand, or who are contemplating making a visit.
What's the real situation?
Reporting news is primarily a business. News media companies are more concerned with TV ratings, newspaper sales, and/or hits on their web sites. Bad news sells, and events such as those that occurred in Bangkok recently are sensationalised for profit.
On my trips around Thailand I have discovered that Thais from other regions (who have never visited the south) believe the entire southern region is unsafe. They have a genuine fear, based on their perceptions from watching TV and reading newspapers.
It's nothing like that at all. Life is perfectly normal ... or as normal as life can be in Thailand. In most cases, you only see problems on TV. In the tourist resorts it is unlikely that you will have any problems.
I would suspect the biggest problem for European tourists at the moment is volcanic ash that is causing flights to be cancelled.
However, this doesn't mean that there aren't risks. Caution is advised, and most of all, use your common sense.
When I was in Bangkok recently and went along to chat with the red shirts it was obvious that there were no problems at the time. I felt perfectly safe because it was perfectly safe.
If, on the other hand, I had sensed anything that felt unsafe, I would have been out of there very quickly.
When I was watching live TV reports of the scenes in Bangkok the other Saturday night there were lots of people just hanging around, despite what was going on. It's up to you, but to me this is pure stupidity.
If you are on the beach in Thailand and spot a huge wave coming towards you, don't stand there taking photos with your new digital camera. Run inland as far as you can.
If you find yourself in an area where there are obvious problems, don't stand around taking photos. Get away quickly.
If you attend a Full Moon party on Koh Phangan, don't get high and then decide to go swimming where there are strong riptides ... or flying from tall buildings. Think about the possible consequences and act accordingly.
If you decide to rent a motorbike, dress properly, wear a helmet, don't ride it while intoxicated, drive carefully, drive slowly, and be extremely careful of Thai drivers and other hazards such as stray dogs running into the road.
Remember that the biggest hazard to tourists in Thailand exists on Thailand's roads.
These things sounds obvious but for some reason Thailand has a strange effect on many foreign tourists. They may be quite sensible people at home - or they may not - but once in Thailand their common sense goes out the window and stupidity takes over.
I have observed tourists (normally male, and often travelling in small groups) who seem to regard Thailand as some kind of an adult Disneyland. I can remember the feeling, but Thailand can actually be quite a hazardous place for tourists. Quite a few go home each year in boxes.
Foreign & Commonwealth Office: Thailand Travel Advice
If you read through the whole list, Thailand can start to sound like quite a frightening place. It's not but I will reiterate. Enjoy yourself, but use lots of common sense and pay attention to your 'sixth sense' and gut-instincts.
As if the unfortunate Thais don't have enough domestic problems to deal with at the moment, those trying to earn a living offshore are also not immune to problems:
Somali pirates seize three Thai fishing vessels
I think it's about time the combined armed forces of the world put an end to this nautical menace.
More soul-searching from The Nation. It happens every year around this time:
When will we ever learn about road safety?
To start with, some proper driver education and actually enforcing traffic laws would probably help to improve the situation.
Monday 19th April 2010
Since this political crisis unfolded in Thailand several years ago it has completely split the country. Thaksin is a very divisive character; people either love him or hate him, without there being much middle ground.
With the red shirt protests causing so much disruption recently - and it looking as if they might pressure the government into getting their own way - it was always inevitable that the yellow shirts would soon take action.
Thailand faces threat of yellow-shirt counter-protest
As I said earlier, there isn't a single solution at the moment that will satisfy both sides. The red shirts' demands are purely for themselves, with no thought about the wider consequences to the country if they get their way.
Whenever the BBC reports on this issue, they always use a stock phrase to describe the yellow shirts:
"The yellow-shirts, or Peoples' Alliance for Democracy (PAD), are a loose grouping of royalists, businessmen and the urban middle class."
This inaccurate description is unfair because it makes them sound like a bunch of uncaring snobs who look down on the rural poor. The south is very 'yellow' but there are also a lot of rural poor in this region who proudly wear yellow shirts.
They may not be as poor as some other folk in Thailand but they seem to have a better ability to understand the wider issues, without their minds being brainwashed by strong personalities and free handouts.
The red shirts were holding up banners in Bangkok telling people not to believe the Thai press. Since I've been living here, I have been horrified at how inaccurately the foreign press report matters in Thailand.
Jonathan Head, unfortunately, ran into some problems in Thailand and was moved elsewhere. He had a lot of experience in Thailand and Southeast Asia, and his articles were accurate.
Since he moved on, the BBC Thailand correspondents seem to write about issues in Thailand without really having a great deal of background knowledge.
Friday 16th April 2010
I have a new friend - an eight month old male gibbon.
The wildlife you see in Thailand is interesting. It's not unusual to see elephants roaming around the streets, and a few days ago while walking to the supermarket I saw this fine animal swinging around in a tree.
At first the owner wasn't happy about me taking photos. The reason was that he is afraid of theft and wasn't sure why I was interested. I asked how he had acquired the gibbon.
He told me he bought it from the local zoo for Bt10,000 after its mother had died. It seemed strange to me that a zoo should be selling animals to the public (I think gibbons may even be an endangered species) but I took his word.
He just eats fruit. The owner told me mainly papaya, but here we see him tucking into some bananas (with banana mush all over his face). To get around he walks on two legs.
I wasn't sure about picking him up but he is very gentle. He likes to be held and hugs you like a baby. The trouble is that he doesn't like it when you want to put him down. While trying to put him back in his tree he bit my finger gently.
He's getting quite attached to me. I've walked past a few times since we first met and he comes running over. He never likes it when I need to go.
I want one!
I've never been very keen on the idea of having kids but a gibbon would be great. Now, all I need to do is find a Thai girl who feels the same way. It could be a long search ...
It used to be cheap to live in this region but that situation is gradually changing.
My recent trip to Singapore was a family reunion and I had a chance to catch up with my brother who lives in London. He used to buy lots of electronic gear on his visits to Singapore but now he buys nothing. He tells me that everything is cheaper in England due to the exchange rate.
ATM transactions add a charge and give a reduced exchange rate but, even so, at the beginning of 2005 I was getting around SGD$3.04 to the UK Pound. I drew some money from an ATM a couple of weeks ago and got SGD$2.06. It's a big drop.
Just recently Singapore has allowed its currency to rise further in order to control economic growth and inflation: Singapore dollar allowed to appreciate as economy booms
According to the BBC, "Other currencies across the region also jumped on the news." The UK Pound is still currently trading at less than 50 Thai Baht, and there are no signs of any improvement.
Basic accommodation rental and local food still make Thailand a relatively cheap place to live if you need to live cheaply, but living on a budget in Thailand gets very boring very quickly. Anything imported from abroad is expensive and the girls are even putting up their prices.
To live in Thailand, to have fun, and to do the things you want to do gets more expensive each year - especially if you are British and your main source of income is paid in UK Pounds.
Of all the economies and currencies hit by the financial crisis, Britain seems to have come off worst. Those Brits who have savings and were once living off the interest from those savings have suffered a double-whammy with the collapse of interest rates to almost nothing.
The one Western country that seems to be an exception - with a booming economy and rising interest rates (currently at 4.25%) - is Australia.
There are a fair number of Aussies in Thailand these days, and a high proportion of on-line interest about Thailand comes from Australia.
The current exchange rate is bad for many Brits living in Thailand but I paid my apartment rental today and was reminded of some of the good things.
It is stinking hot at the moment and I've been using my air-conditioner quite a lot recently. Despite this, my electricity charge was still only Bt200. There is a minimum charge of Bt100 and my normal usage is so low that I normally only get charged the minimum amount.
Water is metered but, again, my water usage is never enough to exceed the minumum charge of Bt100 per month. I shower at least twice a day, and the same for the girlfriend who has been staying here quite a lot of late.
There is a machine in the apartment that provides drinking water for Bt1 per litre, therefore, drinking water is also very cheap.
When I lived in England my utility bills each month were quite significant. That certainly isn't the case in Thailand.
I have a landline phone in my room but I don't use it. The phone is unplugged and sitting in a drawer somewhere. My mobile phone bills vary with usage, of course, but quite often I only top up my phone with about Bt500 each month.
There is no such thing as Council Tax in Thailand. The Council Tax for my UK property is quite high (more than my rent here) and I never got much for it. The downside here is that with less money in the coffers for the local municipality, some public areas look a mess but I can live with that.
The other big cost I had in the UK was transport and commuting. UK petrol prices are at an all-time high at the moment and running a car is expensive with tax, insurance, maintenance, petrol, parking and congestion charges.
If you need to commute in the UK, then train fares are also expensive. I used to commute and run a car. I can walk to work now if I have time (and it isn't too hot) or take a motorbike taxi. The fare should only be Bt20 but I give the guys Bt25.
When I eat local food I sometimes feel embarrassed at how little they charge. A freshly cooked rice-based meal will cost typically Bt30. If I eat kaaw gairng (the pre-prepared dishes from which you choose your own selection) at the local university, it's even cheaper.
My total income is a lot lower than it used to be, but without all the high expenses and stealth taxes I'm probably not much worse off than when I was living in England. My salary is low, but so are my taxes and living expenses.
If you want to live the high-life in an expensive area of Thailand (Phuket springs to mind), the sky is the limit with regard to how much money you can get through. However, to live a fairly basic life isn't too bad.
As I alluded to above though, eating fried rice every day and trying to save money gets very boring. Basic living in Thailand is cheap but you need to have a certain amount of disposable income to make life bearable, otherwise you'll die of boredom.
Thursday 15th April 2010
Songkran fatalities up compared to a year ago
"A total of 1,427 road accidents occurred in the first two days of the Songkran holiday, killing 114 people and injuring 1,536 others, the Road Safety Center announced yesterday."
If this number of deaths and injuries had occurred as a result of further rioting or a plane crash, this story and these statistics would be front page headline news around the world.
However, Thailand's notorious road safety record goes virtually unreported in other countries. It's almost as if road deaths are perfectly acceptable, or unimportant.
I've heard tourists worry about all kinds of insignificant dangers in Thailand, but none seem bothered about the most dangerous thing of all - travelling by road (or even simply crossing roads).
I know I talk about this a lot but I find it quite strange.
Wednesday 14th April 2010
Songkran road toll tops last year on Day 1
"Forty five people were killed and 607 others injured on the first day of the Songkran Festival.
Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department chief Anucha Mokhaves said there were 557 road accidents on Monday alone, which was 165 more cases than the same period last year. Drunken drivers were still the major cause of road accidents.
Most accidents involved motorcycles and happened during nighttime, he said."
Certain things in Thailand are just so predictable.
Tuesday 13th April 2010
On Thai TV today are images of happy, smiling Thais having the time of their lives throwing water at each other.
Less than three days ago, the TV images were of Thais killing and injuring each other in what looked like a war zone.
After a while of living in Thailand you get used to the absurd contrasts and contradictions that exist in this country.
Today is Songkran (the more phonetically accurate version being, song-graan). What is it?
Thais celebrate the conventional New Year but Songkran is the traditional Thai New Year. It's an important holiday for Thais. Just like Christmas in the UK or Thanksgiving in the US, this is when a lot of Thai families get together.
Due to poverty in many areas of the country there has been a lot of economic migration. Many Thais from impoverished regions go to work in Bangkok or the popular tourist resorts where there is work.
Lots of Thai families are split up and there are lots of young girls doing massage and other work in the tourist areas with children back in their rural villages being looked after by their parents. Songkran is a three-day holiday in Thailand and it's a chance for families to get together.
The book 'Essays on Thailand' compiled by Thanopol Chadchaidee says that Songkran is a Thai word which means 'move' or 'change place' because Songkran day is when the sun changes its position in the zodiac.
Most Thai holidays seem to be based on lunar activity, but this one appears to be based on solar movements. This is also the hottest time of the year.
Being an auspicious day, the superstitious Thais perform merit-making acts to ensure good luck. I've discussed these before so won't bore you again with my views.
Anyone who has been in Thailand during Songkran will have noticed a lot of water flying around. As with most things in Thailand, there are different ways to describe what goes on.
First, there is the Thai polite society, tourist board version.
This involves gentle Thais respectfully bathing the hands of older people and Buddha images with scented water. I've experienced this once (in very polite company), and it's all very pleasant.
The other version is what tends to happen most of the time.
In the morning, groups of Thai kids set up water stations on the street. Anyone who walks past their station is a target and will get liberally doused with water. No one escapes, and farangs are especially welcome targets.
Some prefer mobile water stations. Pickup trucks are abundant in Thailand and these get turned into mobile water stations during Songkran. They are loaded up with barrels of water and lots of kids on the back. The drivers drive around slowly while the kids throw water at anyone they see.
Normal temperature water wouldn't be too bad but most people add lots of ice. It may be the hottest time of the year, but when you get hit with gallons of iced water it's not much fun.
Another 'tradition' of Songkran is to mix talcum powder with water to make a paste, and then to smear the paste over strangers. Thais are normally very 'hands-off' in public so this is about the only time of the year when tactile interaction is allowed between strangers.
I am told that some Thai males use this as an opportunity to acquaint themselves better with Thai females, and to do some free groping. Many girls I know will not go outside during Songkran.
Alcohol flows freely, and as the day goes on you can see people getting visibly more drunk. Thais do not leave their motorbikes at home, but use them to increase the fun during Songkran.
The roads are very busy with so many people travelling around the country, they are very slippery from all the water, and there are more drunk drivers than usual. As can be expected, the already high road accident rate goes even higher during Songkran.
My only real objection to Songkran is that non-participation is not an option. If people want to act like 13 year-olds and throw water at each other all day, that's fine. But not at me.
I don't plan on going out today. I stocked up with food yesterday so that I wouldn't need to go out and although there are things I can do indoors, it's really a wasted day.
If I go out I will have water thrown over me. I can't go out to take photos because my camera gear will get destroyed. You might get an apology after they throw water, but by then the damage has been done. And simply saying sorry doesn't replace expensive camera gear.
In fairness to Thais, they aren't actually too bad. They understand Songkran, and they understand when to show some restraint.
Here in southern Thailand, lots of Chinese Malaysians come over the border for Songkran and they are the worst by far.
My eyes aren't great; I wear glasses for myopia, and a hard contact lens in one eye to correct irregular astigmatism caused by an eye infection some years ago.
I went out for Songkran a few years ago but my eye problems didn't stop a bunch of Chinese Malaysians offloading their high powered water guns in my face from point-blank range (while roaring with laughter). I went home to sort things out and that ended Songkran day for me.
I have never participated in Songkran since then.
I've watched farangs participating in Songkran on TV and they don't seem much better. Some foreigners think they have a free licence to be obnoxious to anyone during Songkran but that's not the idea at all.
Last year I was in Singapore during Songkran. I like being outside of Thailand during the festival but that's not how it has worked out this year. Instead, I will just stay indoors.
At least the water-throwing only goes on for one day down here. In other parts of the country, it lasts for a week.
Sunday 11th April 2010
It's the morning after the night before and there are reports that 15 people died in the riots last night. To see Thais killing Thais is really sad for Thailand. I hope the country can find a solution soon before more blood is spilt.
The carnage on Thailand's roads is unbelievable. One of the main problems is that there is no proper driver training. There is a test, of sorts, but it is not actually necessary to drive in a real-life situation to get a licence.
The first time many Thais encounter real traffic situations is on their own after they get their licence. Instead of a qualified instructor teaching them how to drive properly, they simply follow what other Thai drivers do.
They also drive too quickly, and without any anticipation that something might happen. When something unexpected does happen (which it does all the time), the speed at which they are travelling means that an accident cannot be avoided.
When you factor in the general disregard for traffic laws, it's a recipe for disaster.
One thing Thai drivers learn quickly is not to give way to other road users. There have even been times when I've tried to cross a road on foot through stationary cars, and a driver has inched up to the car in front so I couldn't cross.
A few days ago I saw an ambulance with lights flashing trying to get from a side road on to the main road with slow-moving jammed traffic. The driver of the ambulance might have been on his way to a serious emergency but no one on the main road was going to let him out.
I was watching this while waiting to cross the road and found myself shouting at drivers to let the ambulance out. I could see on their faces that they had no intention of giving way. Hard to believe but true.
Because no one gives way, drivers play a game of bluff with each other. They try to bluff their way out, hoping that the other driver will be forced to give way. Sometimes they out-bluff each other, no one gives way, and the result is a meeting of vehicles.
This is what happened in the photo above. After a road accident the vehicles are left in the same position waiting for the police to do their report. This little accident caused a huge traffic jam.
My girlfriend announced she was going to visit a friend in hospital the other night. I asked what happened and she said her friend was involved in a minivan accident. The girl is a teacher and several students were also injured in the accident.
I wrote recently about the hair-raising minivan journey I took from Phetburi to Bangkok. It's quite usual for minivan drivers to drive like nutters. I think the only reason I have avoided a serious road accident in Thailand so far is down purely to luck.
The annual Songkran festival takes place next week. Along with New Year, the road death toll soars during these two holidays. Most fatalities are motorcyclists, and many accidents are caused by drunk-driving.
A lot of water is thrown around at Songkran so the roads become very slippery. I don't think Thais set out intentionally in the morning to kill themselves but once they get caught up in the sanook atmosphere of Songkran (along with a few bottles of Leo), they lose control.
One of the things I find depressing about Thailand is that nothing ever seems to change. Every year at Songkran a big thing is made of all the road deaths, but next year exactly the same thing happens.
It will happen again next week, and then again next year, and it will still be the same in 20 years time.
Saturday 10th April 2010
My trip to Singapore was brief but fairly enjoyable; certainly a lot more enjoyable than when I was there just after Christmas.
Depending on circumstances and my state of mind, Singapore can have a different effect on me. Despite being fairly close to Thailand, you couldn't have two countries that are more opposite. This is both good and bad.
Travelling by road from Thailand, the driving improves noticeably as soon as you cross the border into Malaysia. Malaysia is still considered a developing country, but the style of driving there isn't anywhere near as third-world as it is in Thailand.
In Singapore it feels great as a pedestrian just to be able to cross a road safely - something you can't do in Thailand.
Everything is maintained and cleaned regularly in Singapore. The whole place is immaculate, and even public toilets are useable in the majority of places. Everywhere is very safe but, even so, you shouldn't be too complacent about crime.
There are posters reminding people that, "Low crime doesn't mean no crime," and my mother was pickpocketed when she went to take a look at one of the new attractions on Sentosa.
The history of the entire Malay Peninsular is quite fascinating. On this trip I went to the Malay Heritage Centre at Kampong Gelam (I previously thought the spelling was Kampong Glam).
The Malay Peninsular once consisted of many individual kingdoms and sultanates with their own power struggles. Throughout history, the local people had to deal with Dutch, Portuguese and British colonial powers.
There has been massive Chinese and Indian immigration over the years. About three-quarters of Singaporeans are ethnic Chinese. Malaysia has enacted bumiputra laws to favour indigenous Malays, and both countries have suffered race riots and periods of racial tension.
It was racial tension that led to Singapore's expulsion from the Federation of Malaya in 1965.
Singapore's development in the last 50 years is nothing short of amazing. It was just a steamy, tropical swamp with few natural resources and a lot of slums. Rice (the staple of Asia) isn't grown in Singapore (as far as I'm aware), and there isn't enough fresh water to support the population.
Whatever views you may have on the authoritarianism and single-party-state politics of Singapore, the development of the economy and living conditions is an economic miracle. The fact that Singapore is so small (26 miles x 14 miles) helps, but even so it is quite remarkable.
When I hear foreign visitors talking about Singapore, they lavish praise on it. There's a lot of good things to say but there is another side of Singapore that I'm not keen on.
When I left the UK in 2003, Singapore was my first stop. It summed up all the things that I wanted to leave behind in the UK, and I couldn't wait to leave Singapore for Thailand. The culture is very materialistic and I find that once there I start to be affected.
The way of life for most Singaporeans is to work hard, earn money, and consume. There are always fancy shops and restaurants opening, and whatever you are interested in you will always find the best and most expensive items in Singapore.
I am constantly amazed at some of the mega-expensive cars being driven around in Singapore, but this applies to absolutely everything. I went with a small shopping list but after being there a few days I found that my shopping list had started to grow.
There's nothing wrong with having expensive things but it can easily develop into an obsession where you are never satisfied with what you have because there is always something newer and better that you want. Once you're on that treadmill, it's very difficult to get off.
Alternating between Thailand and Singapore, it allows me to see two very different lifestyles. What is ironic is that I've met Singaporeans in Thailand who want to escape their lifestyle, and I've met Thais who want a Singaporean lifestyle.
Returning to Thailand from Singapore used to be easy, but now I'm finding it more difficult because so many things about Thailand frustrate me, for example, apathy, complacency, the old style of politics and patronage, the education system, road manners, general disregard for laws, Thai hierarchy and bureaucracy, the inability to see reason, the inability to accept that you may actually be wrong about something, etc., etc.
The protests going on at the moment are a classic example of the irresistible force meeting an immovable object. I watched some of the televised meetings between the red-shirt leaders and Abhisit, and it was obvious from their body language that neither side would budge.
Maybe it's because of the Thai cultural notion of losing face, but Thais are never wrong about anything. When there is a disagreement it is impossible to solve it in a rational, adult way because neither side will admit to being wrong.
It's also making this blog more difficult to write because I don't want to focus on negative things all the time. In fact, I will probably stop fairly soon and just concentrate on the things that I want to do.
I never wanted to be a selfish foreigner in Thailand - just thinking about myself, without giving a thought to the country or to the people of Thailand - but that is probably the only way to live and survive in Thailand as a foreigner.
If you get too involved it will only cause you problems, and you are powerless to do anything. Thinking too much (kit maak) is frowned upon in Thailand, and Thais will admonish you if they believe you are thinking too much (yaa kit maak).
When in Rome ... so to speak. When in Thailand do as the Thais do and don't think. Thinking causes problems, but by following Thai wisdom and not thinking it makes life a lot easier.
As an ignorant tourist I absolutely loved Thailand, but things are a little different now.
Now that I can understand some Thai, I hear the things I'm not meant to understand; now that I can read some Thai, I see all the cover-ups for dual pricing; and now that I understand a little about the cultural behaviour system, it doesn't give me a great deal of hope for the future.
Sometimes I wish I'd never come here to live because now it will be impossible to relive those wonderful, carefree days of being an unknowing, unseeing tourist in Thailand. I'm here, though, so now I just need to make the most of it.
It's still not a bad place to live compared to many others, but the country faces many problems and I fear that the protests going on in Bangkok at the moment are only just the beginning.
It hurts me to see what is going on in Thailand right now. What really concerns me is that I can see no satisfactory end in sight to the problems. Things need to change but if the red shirts get their way everything will just go full circle and the country will have the same problems that it had a few years ago.
What the red shirts want (the dissolution of the current government, an election, an interim Thaksin-sponsored government, Thaksin's return, and then more free handouts) is not the answer.
The red shirts say they want change but their demands show that all they really want is to continue the Thai system of patronage by bringing back their preferred patron. That isn't change.
If they genuinely wanted change in society they would be demanding more education and business opportunities for themselves in underprivileged regions so that they could work their way up in the Thai social hierarchy eventually. But I don't hear those demands.
There are constant calls from the red shirts for true democracy, but democracy is a convenient concept when you belong to a majority because you will always get your own way via the ballot box.
If you are in a group of five competing against a group of four, isn't democracy a wonderful thing? Just because you are in a majority it doesn't mean you are always right.
The people of truly democratic countries do not use the ballot box simply to elect their favoured patrons. That is not true democracy. The red shirts should remember that one key element of democracy is 'Good Governance (focus on public interest and absence of corruption)'.
'Freedom of opinion' and 'The guarantee of basic human rights' are other key elements that were sadly absent in Thailand a few years ago.
The Thai elite and privileged classes are not entirely without blame for allowing a situation to arise where a majority of the Thai people feel aggrieved enough to protest as they are doing. As the Thais might say, "som-naam-naa."
I just popped out for some dinner (about 8:30pm Thai time) and there was a TV on in the restaurant showing live protest scenes as they are occurring somewhere in Bangkok. It looked like a war zone.
There was a line of police holding riot shields, with red shirts beating against their shields with sticks. A bomb had gone off and there was the sound of frequent gun fire. A soldier had been shot and was shown being taken away in an ambulance.
It looks like a full-scale riot.
It was around this time last year (Songkran) that the red shirts wreaked havoc in Pattaya. They're now doing it again in Bangkok.
The Thai authorities seem very reluctant to use any force but eventually they will have to retaliate with some force otherwise the situation will get completely out of hand.
Whatever sympathy I had for Thailand's underprivileged sector of society is slowly running out as a result of their stupid antics. It's difficult for me to understand Thai TV reports, but I think I heard something about problems elsewhere in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.
I also heard something about a foreign female but didn't catch the whole sentence. It's possible that she was injured.
It's perfectly safe here. South of Chumpon is very much yellow shirt country and there is none of this. The problems are in the red shirt heartlands, and in Bangkok where their fight against the government is focused.
I would imagine the only possible problem areas in the south are places like Phuket where lots of Isaan natives have gone to work.
Now, at 9pm, there is a high-ranking army man making an official announcement on TV. He seems to be describing what actions were carried out by the red shirts, and what actions were taken by army.
This seems to be an attempt to keep everything very open and transparent, and to justify any actions the military need to take to restore order. It's really not looking good.
Update 10:30pm: News reports are indicating that over 520 people have been injured in the Bangkok riots, with eight dead (four soldiers and four civilians).
Friday 2nd April 2010
On The Road (again) - To Singapore (again)
After my last trip to Singapore, I was in no hurry to return; and after my recent travels I was in no hurry to go travelling again. Yet today I find myself once more travelling to Singapore. Life is strange at times.
I spent a good part of last year trying to convince a certain Thai girl to marry me. She had a profound effect on me and she is the only Thai girl I have ever wanted to marry. On Christmas Day she ended any hopes I had of being with her, and the following day I went to Singapore.
I had a terrible time in Singapore but a lot of it had to do with what had just happened. Since then I have been seeing someone else, and trying to forget about Apple. I hadn't seen her for a while and not having any contact was helping me to forget her.
Just before I left today, unbelievably, I saw her again. She smiled and waved, and the feelings came flooding back. It is very difficult to deal with.
In Buddhist terms I have attachment to her and to the feelings I had when I was with her. I am grasping for something that I can't have. This grasping is causing unsatisfactoriness and as a result I am suffering. The way to end the suffering is to stop the grasping, and to stop having attachment.
Buddhism is a wonderfully logical philosophy for living a happy and contented life but sometimes it is very difficult to follow because human emotions are so powerful, and the will power of most people is so weak.
Thais are very emotional people and thus it isn't really surprising that so few Buddhist Thais follow Buddhist precepts or try to live as their religion advises.
This problem has been affecting me for some time and making me very negative. I need to deal with it but I'm not sure how at the moment. It's not good for me, and it's not fair on my current girlfriend.
I thought it was getting better but after seeing her again today I now know why I haven't been feeling particularly happy recently, even though there are lots of reasons why I should be happy. I can't forget about her.
It's affecting all aspects of my life and it is probably not a good idea to write much more until I deal with this issue because my negative frame of mind is adversely affecting all other matters.
The reason for this trip to Singapore is to meet my family who are currently staying with my youngest brother there. They will be returning to England next week. Since my brother left the UK in 2001, and me in 2003, we don't get together as a family very often.
Since the arrival of my niece there hasn't been a complete family gathering. This will be the first complete gathering with all three generations. My parents are getting older and their health isn't good. There may not be many more opportunities to do this.
To be honest, this is a trip I would rather not be making at this time but really I'm doing it for my mother. It will only be for a few days.
Thursday 1st April 2010
I completed the first of my Thai language proficiency tests at the local immigration office yesterday.
I was made aware of this latest requirement for foreigners living in Thailand when I did my 90 day reporting exercise last month. Normally they just give you your next reporting date, but this time I was told of the new requirement.
Instead of every 90 days, these tests take place every six months and a pass mark exceeding 77% is required in order for me to obtain my next visa extension.
It was a little nerve-wracking at first because I didn't know what to expect. The spoken test was fairly easy, consisting of some fairly basic questions.
It was with much relief that this part of the test was carried out in the central Thai dialect. Had the southern Thai dialect been used, they might as well have kicked me out of the country now.
The reading part was a little more tricky. They started off with some basic signs but then asked me to read a short passage of text from what looked like a high school text book. I can get the basic sounds when I read, but I can never remember the tone rules so wasn't sure about my pronunciation.
Fortunately this passage didn't have too many tricky words so when they asked me to translate it I was just about able to. Probably the most difficult part of the whole test was the writing part.
With so many Thai consonants having the same sound, it's difficult to remember which ones to use. Tone marks are also difficult for me to remember. My writing test didn't go very well but I think they appreciate the difficulty for foreigners and make allowances.
They give you your result immediately after the test. The immigration official appeared to be satisfied and made another appointment for me to go back at the end of September. Provided the next test isn't any more difficult, getting my visa extension shouldn't be a problem.
I wasn't thrilled when I was first told about this, but it wasn't too bad, and I guess something like this can only be a good thing.
My girlfriend wasn't happy with me travelling alone last week so I was obliged to take her away for a couple of days at the start of the week. We headed to the Thale Noi wetlands nature reserve in Phattalung province.
Phattalung is one of those forgotten provinces in Thailand - it's wonderful. This was my sixth trip to Thale Noi, and I have also been on a number of day trips to the Amphoe Muang district.
I don't make any secret of the fact that I don't like the way much of Thailand has changed in the last 25 years. So many places have been ruined by tourism and greed.
Phattalung remains almost untouched ... so far. A branch of Tesco Lotus was built a few years ago, but it's fairly small compared to other branches and it's quite a long way out of town.
On all my visits I've probably seen no more than half-a-dozen farangs, and where there are no farangs there are no bad Thais trying to rip you off every two minutes.
We wandered around on the first day looking out for birds. On the second day we took a boat trip after breakfast. The lake is carpeted with lotus flowers that open in the morning and close when the temperature starts to rise. Morning is therefore the best time to see them.
On my first visit in February 2005 it was gorgeous. After that, however, things started to go horribly wrong. A road bridge was built across the lake, construction of a new visitor centre was started, and there was other construction.
On one visit I was horrified because the entire area looked like a huge building site. Lotus flowers had been ripped out and there were very few birds.
Everything seems to have settled down again now, though, and the area has started to recover. It's looking very good again and the birds have returned.
There are herons, egrets, purple swamphens, kingfishers, bee-eaters, waders, and all sorts of birds everywhere. Also in abundance were several Brahminy Kites (Haliastur indus) circling above. They are magnificent birds but unfortunately I have still not managed to get a decent photo. You can never get very close and thus they are difficult to photograph.
Good bird photography requires enormous amounts of skill and patience, neither of which I have.
On this trip I also saw a large Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea). I've seen them before but - as with previous sightings - I only managed to get one out-of-focus photo before it took off. The problem with birds is that they don't really like people, and they have this amazing ability to be able to stay just out of range of your lens - regardless of which lens you are using.
On this trip there was evidence that attempts are being made to boost tourism in the area. On previous visits there has been no commercialism at all. I can understand them wanting to get some of the tourist dollars but the ecosystem is very fragile and too much tourism could do irreparable damage.
All will be revealed in the future. The photos I've added here are from my recent trip. Just a reminder that clicking on any thumbnail image will cause a larger image to display in a pop-up window, provided that you have Javascript enabled.