“(one gets used to everything, even things that are intensely unpleasant)”
… such as marriage… 😉
Every time a publication changes design, it takes time to get used to new fonts, color schemes, and changed placing of old features, and just the change itself looks at first disturbing, until, after a while, people get used to this, and the same starts all over again when the design is changed again.
We are but creatures of habit.
There is no perfect design or layout. I found, after an initial bewilderment, the new design of NM somewhat better, more readable, and easier to navigate. And i think it loads quicker.
Anyhow, the color scheme seems to be altered now. I find the new main color of the header attractive. But i find the sienna/mahogany brown not too bad either. But that’s just me.
Longway: “…has in fact put thailand back years in terms of democratic and economic development.”
What is the “in fact” that supports this outlandish claim? Pre-2001, a huge proportion of the Thai electorate had no sense that their vote counted for anything beyond hoisting the next phu yai into office – nothing else changed. Post-2001, after Thaksin’s party actually delivers on campaign promises (just fancy that), there’s a real sense that their votes are starting to count for something. Self-interest (on both sides of the bargain) certainly, but – equally certainly – something more like recognisable democracy in action….. and a genie that won’t now go back in its bottle.
“put back… economic development”? 2001-6 growth and development look pretty good. Could you say that the military regime even sustained let alone improved on it in 2006-7? Did all the post-2007 judicial coup-making and continuing activism help the economy? Does the military’s lurking threat (albeit “on the back foot” of late) help or hinder the climate for investment and further growth? Oh but, of course, Thaksin was “the aggressor” – so none of what follows September 2006 is anyone’s fault but his. Jaw-dropping stuff…..
Democracy for this “guy” is not just about some abstract idealised principle but about real (however imperfect, bumpy and slow) progress towards a real end with improving tangible results for more of those exercising their vote – and not just as before for the privileged few. And the growing awareness behind that is “substance” – even if there’s still a long way to go yet (no pun on your moniker intended).
Common, Nick — if this was merely just moaning and a matter of getting used to (one gets used to everything, even things that are intensely unpleasant), why would NM even bother inviting its readers to provide feedback? Or is the opening for feedback just a case of fake participation?
I understand the author’s use of the term “peasants” here but I’m still bothered by it. Today’s rural Isan people are pretty sophisticated about a lot of things – in some cases more so than many Bangkok people who haven’t had to negotiate thing such as having to change incomes, adapt to urbanization, and deal with the modern world after attending third-rate upcountry schools.
Stop moaning, folks.
Such a radically new design just takes time to get used to. In some ways – the new design looks actually more professional, is very easy to navigate, and at least on my computer loads much quicker than the old system.
I think your ideas are generally right, but you still try to fabricate a position that makes one side better than another. It doesn’t matter that thaksin was elected, what matters was that he never respected the electorate in exactly the same way as his opponents.
I tend to out aliterate on thksin’s shoulds as he has always been the aggressor, and his opponents defending their ground, it was an unnecessary conflict, and has in fact put thailand back years in terms of democratic and economic development.
The army and other non elected power bases are on the back foot, but are more united than before and are more powerful than they have been for a long time. It’s such a pity that people on this site in particular carp on about what is not perfect before, but aim to replace it with something that is just as bad,or worse. Democracy for you guys is just a totem word with no meaning beyond a religious symbolic sense. You support the forms of democracy with none of the substance.
Btw don’t make the mistake of thinking that all non elected power bases that have gained from this conflict are opposed to thaksin,
2) Would prefer “Recent posts” at the top of the left column, ABOVE “trending” and “popular”. I like to do a quick scan of what’s new (and see them in reverse chron order). Don’t care what’s “trending”. (How are “trending” and “popular” determined anyway?)
A good proxy for “trending” and “popular” is “recent comments”, which is more informative.
I do like that the “recent posts” box is longer than before.
3) I miss the randomly changing widescreen photos at the top.
4) Miss the comment preview box. Also, the comments box is too narrow (you have room to widen it; you’re not using all the middle column’s width).
5) The “infant feces” color is awful.
6) The Georgia font was nicer than this sterile Arial.
Nevertheless, you still have a remarkably excellent site, whatever it looks like.
Must say I’m not overly excited about the changes. The new color theme is not very exciting – color of an infant’s feces, as aptly put by previous commentator. The site feels cramped and overly busy. The constant movement of Trending Posts and Popular Posts is annoying, quite frankly. And why those are higher on the page than recent posts is a mystery to me. In fact, I find it difficult to find the recent posts, in chronological order, since Featured Stories is not an ordering of most recent posts in chronological sequence. I appreciate the layout of Book Reviews – why can’t same be done for Recent Posts and made more prominent on the page? Like others, I miss the extended preview of a post’s content.
I do appreciate that you can zero in more easily on posts by country now. But can’t say I feel the experience has been improved.
I thing the harsh LM laws are one of the main reasons. But i think there are other reasons as well, such as the ever pervading patronage networks in Thai society in general, or educational reasons.
The talent is undoubtedly there. If one just looks at the quality of advertisement in Thailand, and the many international prices Thai advertisement creatives have received. Also crafts in Thailand are of a very high quality. In the field of so called “primitive art” Thailand is definitely there as well (though under-appreciated), if one looks for example at the Bucha Buddhas – mostly wooden Buddhas carved in villages, a culture shared by Thailand, Laos, Burma and Cambodia (i have quite a large collection). Also the incredible number and style of magical amulets show enormous artistic qualities (i have actually over the past 6 years collected amulets given out in connection with the political protests in particular – very interesting).
You have also many Thais that have studied in some of the best foreign art colleges and universities.
But in terms of modern art Thai society is still lacking. But i believe that may not be much longer so. With Thai society being now in transition, the hold of the elites and the state over the minds and hearts of the people waning, i believe that there will be soon a new generation of Thai artists who will break the borders.
Social conflict can be a catalyst for the creation of art, as it forces people to think and to question the core of their values.
Just an addendum: I’ve read an original English copy in the UCLA’s Powell Library 30 years ago. This would be a really rare copy if it’s still existed.
Cognitive dissonance. It is rife in Thailand, and amazingly, not only among Thais. There are many, many farang who are also sufferers – check out ThaiVisa and you’ll see what I mean.
Art allows to question everything – including oneself, society and morals. But the Thai state does clearly not give this freedom – and that is regardless who is at any time in government. The few progressive Red Shirt groups with the educational and financial luxury that enables them to dabble in luxuries such as art are anyhow only very loosely allied with Thaksin and the present government as their demands on the Thai state are much more fundamental.
The art scene in Thailand is still quite depending on funding and gallery space, which again is depending on patronage networks very closely bound to state mechanisms. Even and especially “protest art” and “political art” is bound on the same. Local collectors to the most part only collect either foreign art, or the same old Buddhist themes which can be hung in bank headquarters and corporate offices.
Foreign funding may be an option, but the same state mechanisms have since decades occupied the international mechanisms that enable funding, such as important curator positions and key foundations that recommend artists for such funding. The whole thing is somehow a closed and self perpetuating system, in which artists that do criticize what the Thai state does not allow to will find no support whatsoever.
Thai art functions quite similar like the whole Thai state: keep your head down, go with the flow, listen to your elders. and you will be carried along – you may eventually end up as “National Artist”…
Look, for example, how pseudo protest artists such as Vasan Sittikhet still receive funding and opportunities. At the same time, if you analyze his “protest art”, he will always only go to the borders that are allowed, and will never cross them. When, after ’92, it was alright to criticize the military, he did so. When Isarn was fashionable, he painted Isarn portraits (albeit closely copying the stile of Baselitz), and when it was permitted to criticize Thaksin – he appeared on yellow stages. Yet when the PAD and the establishment had a fallout in 2011 – Vasan was not seen anywhere close to the PAD stages. Always the survivor…posing as a politically critical artist, but massively benefiting from the same system he pretends to criticize. And he isn’t the only one.
Look at the art at PAD protests, for example: little Buddha paintings, sycophantic royalist portraits and childishly polemic anti-red propaganda. It makes one shudder… The few artists one the Red side, while still maybe lacking somewhat in style and artistic expression, at least in spirit went much further in questioning their social environment.
A typical example for the sad state of affairs in Thai art is the case of Kanthoop, who even though passing the entrance exam of the Silipakorn University, was rejected because of lese majeste accusations leveled against her. And none of the “famous” Thai artists said a public word in her defense. Shame on them.
How can possibly art develop in such an intellectually restrictive environment?
Could Thailand’s harsh LM laws have caused the paucity of art and artists in Thailand over the past many decades? My guts tell me it is so, but there could be other reasons.
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New Mandala site upgrade
“(one gets used to everything, even things that are intensely unpleasant)”
… such as marriage… 😉
Every time a publication changes design, it takes time to get used to new fonts, color schemes, and changed placing of old features, and just the change itself looks at first disturbing, until, after a while, people get used to this, and the same starts all over again when the design is changed again.
We are but creatures of habit.
There is no perfect design or layout. I found, after an initial bewilderment, the new design of NM somewhat better, more readable, and easier to navigate. And i think it loads quicker.
Anyhow, the color scheme seems to be altered now. I find the new main color of the header attractive. But i find the sienna/mahogany brown not too bad either. But that’s just me.
The dominance of the middle-income peasants
Because if they were sophisticated Andrew, then they wouldn’t be peasants.
Though you may have a different usage of ‘sophisticated’ and ‘peasant’ to me…
Thaksin and the palace
Longway: “…has in fact put thailand back years in terms of democratic and economic development.”
What is the “in fact” that supports this outlandish claim? Pre-2001, a huge proportion of the Thai electorate had no sense that their vote counted for anything beyond hoisting the next phu yai into office – nothing else changed. Post-2001, after Thaksin’s party actually delivers on campaign promises (just fancy that), there’s a real sense that their votes are starting to count for something. Self-interest (on both sides of the bargain) certainly, but – equally certainly – something more like recognisable democracy in action….. and a genie that won’t now go back in its bottle.
“put back… economic development”? 2001-6 growth and development look pretty good. Could you say that the military regime even sustained let alone improved on it in 2006-7? Did all the post-2007 judicial coup-making and continuing activism help the economy? Does the military’s lurking threat (albeit “on the back foot” of late) help or hinder the climate for investment and further growth? Oh but, of course, Thaksin was “the aggressor” – so none of what follows September 2006 is anyone’s fault but his. Jaw-dropping stuff…..
Democracy for this “guy” is not just about some abstract idealised principle but about real (however imperfect, bumpy and slow) progress towards a real end with improving tangible results for more of those exercising their vote – and not just as before for the privileged few. And the growing awareness behind that is “substance” – even if there’s still a long way to go yet (no pun on your moniker intended).
The dominance of the middle-income peasants
Define “sophistication”…
New Mandala site upgrade
Common, Nick — if this was merely just moaning and a matter of getting used to (one gets used to everything, even things that are intensely unpleasant), why would NM even bother inviting its readers to provide feedback? Or is the opening for feedback just a case of fake participation?
The dominance of the middle-income peasants
Why can’t peasants be sophisticated?
The dominance of the middle-income peasants
I understand the author’s use of the term “peasants” here but I’m still bothered by it. Today’s rural Isan people are pretty sophisticated about a lot of things – in some cases more so than many Bangkok people who haven’t had to negotiate thing such as having to change incomes, adapt to urbanization, and deal with the modern world after attending third-rate upcountry schools.
The dominance of the middle-income peasants
I wouldn’t call 30,000 baht per month a “pittance.” Many many of the Thais I know and work with don’t even make half this amount.
New Mandala site upgrade
Stop moaning, folks.
Such a radically new design just takes time to get used to. In some ways – the new design looks actually more professional, is very easy to navigate, and at least on my computer loads much quicker than the old system.
Thaksin and the palace
@Annie
I think your ideas are generally right, but you still try to fabricate a position that makes one side better than another. It doesn’t matter that thaksin was elected, what matters was that he never respected the electorate in exactly the same way as his opponents.
I tend to out aliterate on thksin’s shoulds as he has always been the aggressor, and his opponents defending their ground, it was an unnecessary conflict, and has in fact put thailand back years in terms of democratic and economic development.
The army and other non elected power bases are on the back foot, but are more united than before and are more powerful than they have been for a long time. It’s such a pity that people on this site in particular carp on about what is not perfect before, but aim to replace it with something that is just as bad,or worse. Democracy for you guys is just a totem word with no meaning beyond a religious symbolic sense. You support the forms of democracy with none of the substance.
Btw don’t make the mistake of thinking that all non elected power bases that have gained from this conflict are opposed to thaksin,
International community take note – regime change looms in Malaysia
I would definitely encourage people to listen to Nile Bowie’s latest Malaysia interview on the Corbett report. http://nilebowie.blogspot.com/2012/08/corbett-report-radio-spotlight-malaysia.html
Indonesia – Malaysia relations: satu rumpun, satu hati?
Dr. Marshal Clark being interviewed on Radio Australia on this topic.
He argues that Indonesia and Malaysia should shift focus from cultural to bilateral ties.
New Mandala site upgrade
Some comments (seconding a few by others):
1) Middle section is too narrow
2) Would prefer “Recent posts” at the top of the left column, ABOVE “trending” and “popular”. I like to do a quick scan of what’s new (and see them in reverse chron order). Don’t care what’s “trending”. (How are “trending” and “popular” determined anyway?)
A good proxy for “trending” and “popular” is “recent comments”, which is more informative.
I do like that the “recent posts” box is longer than before.
3) I miss the randomly changing widescreen photos at the top.
4) Miss the comment preview box. Also, the comments box is too narrow (you have room to widen it; you’re not using all the middle column’s width).
5) The “infant feces” color is awful.
6) The Georgia font was nicer than this sterile Arial.
Nevertheless, you still have a remarkably excellent site, whatever it looks like.
New Mandala site upgrade
Must say I’m not overly excited about the changes. The new color theme is not very exciting – color of an infant’s feces, as aptly put by previous commentator. The site feels cramped and overly busy. The constant movement of Trending Posts and Popular Posts is annoying, quite frankly. And why those are higher on the page than recent posts is a mystery to me. In fact, I find it difficult to find the recent posts, in chronological order, since Featured Stories is not an ordering of most recent posts in chronological sequence. I appreciate the layout of Book Reviews – why can’t same be done for Recent Posts and made more prominent on the page? Like others, I miss the extended preview of a post’s content.
I do appreciate that you can zero in more easily on posts by country now. But can’t say I feel the experience has been improved.
Thailand’s silver snatched?
“Vichai N”:
I thing the harsh LM laws are one of the main reasons. But i think there are other reasons as well, such as the ever pervading patronage networks in Thai society in general, or educational reasons.
The talent is undoubtedly there. If one just looks at the quality of advertisement in Thailand, and the many international prices Thai advertisement creatives have received. Also crafts in Thailand are of a very high quality. In the field of so called “primitive art” Thailand is definitely there as well (though under-appreciated), if one looks for example at the Bucha Buddhas – mostly wooden Buddhas carved in villages, a culture shared by Thailand, Laos, Burma and Cambodia (i have quite a large collection). Also the incredible number and style of magical amulets show enormous artistic qualities (i have actually over the past 6 years collected amulets given out in connection with the political protests in particular – very interesting).
You have also many Thais that have studied in some of the best foreign art colleges and universities.
But in terms of modern art Thai society is still lacking. But i believe that may not be much longer so. With Thai society being now in transition, the hold of the elites and the state over the minds and hearts of the people waning, i believe that there will be soon a new generation of Thai artists who will break the borders.
Social conflict can be a catalyst for the creation of art, as it forces people to think and to question the core of their values.
Coup talk in Thailand 2012
“Thailand is better off run by the military than by the Shinawatra family.”
Well, there we have it, the thinking mans democratic view.
The Devil’s Discus – in Thai
Just an addendum: I’ve read an original English copy in the UCLA’s Powell Library 30 years ago. This would be a really rare copy if it’s still existed.
Thai Studies in the Shadow of (Self) Censorship
Cognitive dissonance. It is rife in Thailand, and amazingly, not only among Thais. There are many, many farang who are also sufferers – check out ThaiVisa and you’ll see what I mean.
Maybe it’s something in the water…
Thailand’s silver snatched?
“Vichai N”:
Art allows to question everything – including oneself, society and morals. But the Thai state does clearly not give this freedom – and that is regardless who is at any time in government. The few progressive Red Shirt groups with the educational and financial luxury that enables them to dabble in luxuries such as art are anyhow only very loosely allied with Thaksin and the present government as their demands on the Thai state are much more fundamental.
The art scene in Thailand is still quite depending on funding and gallery space, which again is depending on patronage networks very closely bound to state mechanisms. Even and especially “protest art” and “political art” is bound on the same. Local collectors to the most part only collect either foreign art, or the same old Buddhist themes which can be hung in bank headquarters and corporate offices.
Foreign funding may be an option, but the same state mechanisms have since decades occupied the international mechanisms that enable funding, such as important curator positions and key foundations that recommend artists for such funding. The whole thing is somehow a closed and self perpetuating system, in which artists that do criticize what the Thai state does not allow to will find no support whatsoever.
Thai art functions quite similar like the whole Thai state: keep your head down, go with the flow, listen to your elders. and you will be carried along – you may eventually end up as “National Artist”…
Look, for example, how pseudo protest artists such as Vasan Sittikhet still receive funding and opportunities. At the same time, if you analyze his “protest art”, he will always only go to the borders that are allowed, and will never cross them. When, after ’92, it was alright to criticize the military, he did so. When Isarn was fashionable, he painted Isarn portraits (albeit closely copying the stile of Baselitz), and when it was permitted to criticize Thaksin – he appeared on yellow stages. Yet when the PAD and the establishment had a fallout in 2011 – Vasan was not seen anywhere close to the PAD stages. Always the survivor…posing as a politically critical artist, but massively benefiting from the same system he pretends to criticize. And he isn’t the only one.
Look at the art at PAD protests, for example: little Buddha paintings, sycophantic royalist portraits and childishly polemic anti-red propaganda. It makes one shudder… The few artists one the Red side, while still maybe lacking somewhat in style and artistic expression, at least in spirit went much further in questioning their social environment.
A typical example for the sad state of affairs in Thai art is the case of Kanthoop, who even though passing the entrance exam of the Silipakorn University, was rejected because of lese majeste accusations leveled against her. And none of the “famous” Thai artists said a public word in her defense. Shame on them.
How can possibly art develop in such an intellectually restrictive environment?
Thailand’s silver snatched?
Could Thailand’s harsh LM laws have caused the paucity of art and artists in Thailand over the past many decades? My guts tell me it is so, but there could be other reasons.