It’s a remarkably poor article, kicking off with the timeworn cliche that – gasp – Thailand is not actually a serene Land of Smiles after all, and studiously avoiding the elephant in the room until an anodyne final paragraph that is years out of date. I assumed from reading the article that John Blaxland was defence attache to Thailand a long time ago, and had not updated his views, and was rather stunned to discover that he held the position from 2008-10. All I can say is that Australia was poorly served by his analysis if this is representative of the intelligence he gathered during his time in the position.
To say “Sieg Heil” could be rendered “Chana Sawat” into Thai. I recently pondered about the cognates “swastika” (German Hakenkreuz) and the Thai greeting “sawasdee”. They go back to Sankrit “Svasti” meaning well-being.
On the internet I found out that the Thai greeting phrase was coined in the 30s and propagated by Pibul Songkram. Would be interesting to find out if the Thai greeting was fashioned after the swastika. Does anyone have additional information?
The bullets from red shirt were surely fired from ordinary people. But the bullets from PDRC were likely fired from professionals.
You did a great job Nick.
Military shooters were involved along with students (and former students) of a technical college in Bangkok. We’re working on identifying the masked “popcorn” gunman right now with software to improve the quality of the few pictures we have of him without the mask on.
Don’t take the snarks of the ’embedded journalists’ as negative Nick. Their as hominem attacks are the best tribute they can muster to your independent journalism.
Kudos to Trevor Wilson for this exhausting reference and counter references.
Even fitting loose info properly to suggest the relation b/t Myanmar and China is a give and take that will continue for the foreseeable future.
The give and take must eventual benefit both citizenry albeit presently one sided, favoring China in every way.
The Chinese needs and aspiration through Myanmar are very obvious.
Now that the useless careless policy of the west is on the wane, Myanmar need to associate China not just as a sponsor for survival of a regime but as partner with experience in transformation that will benefit both mutually.
Before Ne Win the Chinese involvement in Myanmar transcend beyond commerce. China is an economic power with know hows that can be apply to Myanmar quickly to a certain extend.
The only significant hold back to above is the quagmire of ongoing ethnic/sectarian strives. A curse inherited that will not not be solved unless the west keep using ever changing standards to choose sides instead of the whole citizenry.
Richard, unlike the vast majority of Americans, you do have a good idea of what modern monarchies are about. As for the lese majeste law, according to my understanding it’s intended purpose is to shield the monarch from untoward attacks on his person because he is constitutionally barred form doing so himself. Having said that, and having lived in Thailand half my life (I am now retired)I concur with the widely expressed opinion (in private or semi-publicly at any rate – and only in Thai-language discussions) that there is corruption everywhere in Thailand – and they make no pretense of exempting the monarchy from this. Perhaps you imagine this as tantamount to saying the monarch himself is corrupt, but clearly that would be stretching things.
Once again you make sweeping claims yet provide little or no justification for them. In 2006 the King’s comments directed at the judiciary were that they should do their duty in accordance with the judicial oath they took – or get out. Perhaps you also claim to know Thai Constitutional law better than the King and would disagree with his assertion that, while he is not allowed to vote, he is allowed to comment.
“This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about . . .”
-Rudyard Kipling
Letters from the East, 1898
Collis echoed the sentiment in “Siamese White” (1934).
Global corporate machinations obediently carried enthusiastically by all the “elected” (because DEEEmocracy is alive and well)”Western” governments were going so well- thus far.
It appears China, as a reliable source of cheap indentured unregulated labour and dumping of all sorts of consumer goods including cars and submarines, would have no objection from the “West” of their abomination- Gas Pipe (Shwe Gash) needed to get yet more labour camps in Yunan, and even the most devastating destruction of environment called Myitsone Se (Incidentally THE Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts seems to have “Destroy the Irrawaddy in Burma for the sake of China Department”).
To that end the “West” have repeatedly and shamelessly endorsed and endorsed and endorsed the very same ruthless, soulless, reckless ogres called military in a bit different clothes as a legitimate Asoya making several U-turns about the “Constitution”, “Elections” , etc. (Events Mr Wilson forgot to mention.)
What with well hyped “Nobel Peace Prize” winner (never mind the “Prize” itself is a made up one) now well and truly bought in by the people of Burma who have yet to find out whose side that creature is on even though they can see clearly at Latpadaung already. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qFhZzKt4xY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcJUPVNR9qg )
Then again there is a ready made ARMY of young and listless men in monks’s robe in prestigious position in a Buddhist country being indoctrinated by the Sharp- Helvey-Ackerman crowd with CIA-Soros funding since 1996 on call for any disturbance they want to foment- individual and nation wide agitations ready to sacrifice their lives- to shepherd the said “military”.
And deliciously stupid, self-important and well bribed (by the same crowd- Soros, NED(read CIA)) 88’s generation, various “dissident” media, etc. All eager to dance to the tune of the piper.
But dear, oh- dear, Than Shwe currently busy hosting is best bud Shinawatra (who seems oblivious to the deaths and fuss due to and by him) has some moves the “West” may have not thought of. Like fomenting a national anti-Kalar crisis at a loss of lives of thousands of people – Burmese citizens- and getting prime estates in the affected areas for the usual “cronies” to “develop”. And their very own Aung San Suu Kyi seems suspiciously too much in cahoot with the very military she was supposed to counter-balance for the “West” and to protect the very populace with blind faith in her.
And now the very Than Shwe is not letting that woman anywhere near the position the “conscientious” (more like nervous/ jumpy)investors of the multinationals of the “West” require for much touted “Direct Foreign Investment”- a code word for total destruction, devastation and most importantly unravelling of the social structure reducing the hither-to admirable, peaceful and contented suppressed people to rootless, landless, family-less, religion less, social structureless, helpless isolated junkies and automatons. (Go see in South America)
And no one knows what is exactly happening with the most vital instrument of command and control structure- telecommunication. Soros spent 36 millions and failed to get outright control thus far even though he will engineer to get in through the cat-flap. But who will really control it? There surely will be no law to protect any action spawn from that powerful control structure. Leave alone rule of the law in places like Thailand, even Sierra Leone would look like Geneva compared to the Burma.
It appears by double crossing the Chinks about the Dam and getting the “People’s Champion” exactly where he wants along with hijacking the Revolutionary Army of Monks to do his bidding rather that the Sharp/ Helvey/ Ackerman crowd (one could hardly think Sharp-Helvey-Ackerman- CIA-NED crowd would use their trained dogs to go after poor Kalars), old fox is running through all the hoops.
It may now seem so petty/ churlish to start calling this “reforms” thing (Dr Cohen does not seem to approve the reform as real) as not reform. And even though their man Aung San Suu Kyi at the Plinth would not really mean anything, that requirement will not now be fulfilled to assuage the fear of the jittery investors.
The Monks Army seems right on the same side with their once and indeed current torturers and would take a miracle to go against their Anti-Kalar ally “The Pyithu Tatmadaw” now. (It will be stupid to think these weird Human Rights training overtures would change the Sit-tut to a delightfully malleable force.)
All those lavish praise, multitude of prizes, visits, to and from, Front page, front page, No. Ten, Pennsylvania Ave, etc, etc. And still shouting hoarse of the “Democratic Reforms”. Not fruiting? Shame.
Next chapter will indeed be quite an intrigue. But likely bloody as all the “developments’ around the world seems to be done with AK 47 and White Phosphorous.
Any way, commiserations about poor Aung San Suu Kyi. And the Chinese still believing they will get their Dam. Dream on.
By the way, Mao said there were three times Chinese invaded Burma and there were three times they have to come back empty handed. Rather like 1976 Vietnamese lessons really. This Kalar diversion will not last forever.
Clearly, the main point the king was making was that we ALL need to listen to constructive criticism instead of hiding behind ‘face’.
Yet, to date the only public admissions of fault that Thaksin has ever made have been self-serving comments to the effect that he might have been guilty of a “technical error” once and perhaps being “too kind” on another occasion. Nothing wrong with the rice-scheme then, or was that just another “honest mistake” i.e. no real mistake. That’s why I can’t stand Thaksin – he’s stupid and he treats others as if they’re dumber than he is!
There are thousands of angry rice farmers who would disagree with you if it was not a waste of time to argue with someone of your closed-mind attitude. I expect you will be asking for names and addresses and sworn statements next.
Yes,it is said to be HIS men now bodyguarding PM for a while.Although he is currently having control over just a handful of men,not the entire army,but it seems enough to protect Ms PM from some possible desperate measure (ambush for example) from “the other side”.
“Malaysia must assume the prophetic courage of Tunku Abdul Rahman, not only from political, religious and socio-economic perspectives, but in the treatment of all its gender-variant and sexually-diverse citizens who ask for recognition, respect and equal treatment in their journey of meaning-making and self-realisation.”
Tunku Abdul Rahman was an aristocratic and conservative Malay; his respect for multicultural and multiethnic diversity was apparent; there is no evidence, as much as any interest group would like to attach significance to the Tunku well-beyond his significant capacities, that he either agreed with, let alone, supported any sexual or transsexual practices that deviated from commonly-accepted Malay behaviour, and such behaviour would have been entirely outside the mainstream of discourse in colonial and post-independence Malaya. To attach the name of an aristocratic Malay of genteel and clearly anglophilic leanings to issues of
sexual variations is like trying to genetically breed a durian with an apple
(no taxonomic relationship whatsoever).
It may be cathartic to assign such approval to an important historical authority figure, but the all-too-frequent advocacy of causes, in the name of important figures in history for which such assignation cannot be validated, distorts and manipulates history in the name of politicized advocacy, which should be judged solely on actual merits and actions contemporary with the analysis, and not hoped-for, but non-validated, historical frameworks that may make for seemingly prophetic prose, but have no basis in reality.
Two things:
1. Invisible power is all-great-and-powerful as long as it remain invisible. With so much bungle play and blatant show of hand had exposed and weaken it, that’s why the military wont/cant stage an open coup.
2. China will always be China, with economic and power growth come first. It would not be real to bet their action on ideology.
I expect this to get minimal attention in those circles backing the Army/Monarchy. Either in Thailand or abroad. And you can just forget about the Monarcho-militarists getting arrested. The Army just won’t allow it. And if they do, punishment will be token. It’s never been otherwise.
This may not belong to this brilliant article, therefore, my apologies. I thought that readers may enjoy this piece, entitled, “The indiscreet vulgarity of the well-to-do Bangkokians”.
During a recent two-month visit to Bangkok, my wife and I had the opportunity to study the well-heeled citizens of that city. They seem especially to frequent Chidlom Central Department store for their shopping, and buy their expensive groceries and food from there on the ground floor. The women are invariably middle-age and past, though there are also young individuals among the Thai crowd. They are usually overweight to obese, they never smile and look as though they have partaken of their daily dose of poison, never greet the person behind the till serving them, and never say “thank-you”.
In the business lounge of our hotel on Thanon Langsuan, there you will find an array of glossy magazines meant for the rich and well-to-do. Imagine in a relatively poor developing country where many people earn 300 Baht per day, there are Thai versions of such glossy , gossippy, publications such as Vogue magazine, Hello! People, and many others too numerous to mention. We found this rather offensive, considering that the majority of the population to not have access to proper education, whereas the rich can send their offspring to expensive Catholic-run institutions, and other private schools. One┬┤s whole future is determined by the quality of one┬┤s education – but that of course has been the policy of the Democrat Party – to keep the poor in their place with no opportunity for social advancement.
Then I gaped at the stream of luxury cars cruising down Ploenchit Road. The odd Bentley is not a rare sight. Actually, I read in one of the English language wespapers that Bentley only expect their sales to increase this year. As I was walking past the Four Seasons Hotel on Rachadamri, a young prick in his twenties, came charging out of the driveway in his Maserati, and amost drove over me. No appologies, of course. The rich do not need manners.
The social pages of the Bangkok Post are quite amusing. There you will find pictures of the same celebraties wining and dining at such and such a five star hotel, the Oriental and the Four Seasons leading the pack.The cost for dinner excluding wine for two in these venerable haunts of the rich and famous, would feed a Thai family in the countryside for four months. What are these people thinking while they are indulging themselves on such a scale? They would probably say that if the poor do not have enough to eat, give them cake, and take away their vote.
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Thailand’s ‘Days of our Strife’
It’s a remarkably poor article, kicking off with the timeworn cliche that – gasp – Thailand is not actually a serene Land of Smiles after all, and studiously avoiding the elephant in the room until an anodyne final paragraph that is years out of date. I assumed from reading the article that John Blaxland was defence attache to Thailand a long time ago, and had not updated his views, and was rather stunned to discover that he held the position from 2008-10. All I can say is that Australia was poorly served by his analysis if this is representative of the intelligence he gathered during his time in the position.
The King Never Smiles?
Wow, here’s your chance to win the election. Be brave, since there are thousands of angry farmers (presumably angry with PT) who will support you.
You and your masters Chicken? or you simply lie like most Democrat supporters?
Rama VII and Hitler
On a side note:
To say “Sieg Heil” could be rendered “Chana Sawat” into Thai. I recently pondered about the cognates “swastika” (German Hakenkreuz) and the Thai greeting “sawasdee”. They go back to Sankrit “Svasti” meaning well-being.
On the internet I found out that the Thai greeting phrase was coined in the 30s and propagated by Pibul Songkram. Would be interesting to find out if the Thai greeting was fashioned after the swastika. Does anyone have additional information?
The Laksi gunfight
The bullets from red shirt were surely fired from ordinary people. But the bullets from PDRC were likely fired from professionals.
You did a great job Nick.
The Laksi gunfight
Military shooters were involved along with students (and former students) of a technical college in Bangkok. We’re working on identifying the masked “popcorn” gunman right now with software to improve the quality of the few pictures we have of him without the mask on.
The Laksi gunfight
Don’t take the snarks of the ’embedded journalists’ as negative Nick. Their as hominem attacks are the best tribute they can muster to your independent journalism.
China and Myanmar’s reforms
Kudos to Trevor Wilson for this exhausting reference and counter references.
Even fitting loose info properly to suggest the relation b/t Myanmar and China is a give and take that will continue for the foreseeable future.
The give and take must eventual benefit both citizenry albeit presently one sided, favoring China in every way.
The Chinese needs and aspiration through Myanmar are very obvious.
Now that the useless careless policy of the west is on the wane, Myanmar need to associate China not just as a sponsor for survival of a regime but as partner with experience in transformation that will benefit both mutually.
Before Ne Win the Chinese involvement in Myanmar transcend beyond commerce. China is an economic power with know hows that can be apply to Myanmar quickly to a certain extend.
The only significant hold back to above is the quagmire of ongoing ethnic/sectarian strives. A curse inherited that will not not be solved unless the west keep using ever changing standards to choose sides instead of the whole citizenry.
The King Never Smiles?
Richard, unlike the vast majority of Americans, you do have a good idea of what modern monarchies are about. As for the lese majeste law, according to my understanding it’s intended purpose is to shield the monarch from untoward attacks on his person because he is constitutionally barred form doing so himself. Having said that, and having lived in Thailand half my life (I am now retired)I concur with the widely expressed opinion (in private or semi-publicly at any rate – and only in Thai-language discussions) that there is corruption everywhere in Thailand – and they make no pretense of exempting the monarchy from this. Perhaps you imagine this as tantamount to saying the monarch himself is corrupt, but clearly that would be stretching things.
The King Never Smiles?
Once again you make sweeping claims yet provide little or no justification for them. In 2006 the King’s comments directed at the judiciary were that they should do their duty in accordance with the judicial oath they took – or get out. Perhaps you also claim to know Thai Constitutional law better than the King and would disagree with his assertion that, while he is not allowed to vote, he is allowed to comment.
China and Myanmar’s reforms
Like a game of chess really.
“This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about . . .”
-Rudyard Kipling
Letters from the East, 1898
Collis echoed the sentiment in “Siamese White” (1934).
Global corporate machinations obediently carried enthusiastically by all the “elected” (because DEEEmocracy is alive and well)”Western” governments were going so well- thus far.
It appears China, as a reliable source of cheap indentured unregulated labour and dumping of all sorts of consumer goods including cars and submarines, would have no objection from the “West” of their abomination- Gas Pipe (Shwe Gash) needed to get yet more labour camps in Yunan, and even the most devastating destruction of environment called Myitsone Se (Incidentally THE Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts seems to have “Destroy the Irrawaddy in Burma for the sake of China Department”).
To that end the “West” have repeatedly and shamelessly endorsed and endorsed and endorsed the very same ruthless, soulless, reckless ogres called military in a bit different clothes as a legitimate Asoya making several U-turns about the “Constitution”, “Elections” , etc. (Events Mr Wilson forgot to mention.)
What with well hyped “Nobel Peace Prize” winner (never mind the “Prize” itself is a made up one) now well and truly bought in by the people of Burma who have yet to find out whose side that creature is on even though they can see clearly at Latpadaung already. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qFhZzKt4xY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcJUPVNR9qg )
Then again there is a ready made ARMY of young and listless men in monks’s robe in prestigious position in a Buddhist country being indoctrinated by the Sharp- Helvey-Ackerman crowd with CIA-Soros funding since 1996 on call for any disturbance they want to foment- individual and nation wide agitations ready to sacrifice their lives- to shepherd the said “military”.
And deliciously stupid, self-important and well bribed (by the same crowd- Soros, NED(read CIA)) 88’s generation, various “dissident” media, etc. All eager to dance to the tune of the piper.
But dear, oh- dear, Than Shwe currently busy hosting is best bud Shinawatra (who seems oblivious to the deaths and fuss due to and by him) has some moves the “West” may have not thought of. Like fomenting a national anti-Kalar crisis at a loss of lives of thousands of people – Burmese citizens- and getting prime estates in the affected areas for the usual “cronies” to “develop”. And their very own Aung San Suu Kyi seems suspiciously too much in cahoot with the very military she was supposed to counter-balance for the “West” and to protect the very populace with blind faith in her.
And now the very Than Shwe is not letting that woman anywhere near the position the “conscientious” (more like nervous/ jumpy)investors of the multinationals of the “West” require for much touted “Direct Foreign Investment”- a code word for total destruction, devastation and most importantly unravelling of the social structure reducing the hither-to admirable, peaceful and contented suppressed people to rootless, landless, family-less, religion less, social structureless, helpless isolated junkies and automatons. (Go see in South America)
And no one knows what is exactly happening with the most vital instrument of command and control structure- telecommunication. Soros spent 36 millions and failed to get outright control thus far even though he will engineer to get in through the cat-flap. But who will really control it? There surely will be no law to protect any action spawn from that powerful control structure. Leave alone rule of the law in places like Thailand, even Sierra Leone would look like Geneva compared to the Burma.
It appears by double crossing the Chinks about the Dam and getting the “People’s Champion” exactly where he wants along with hijacking the Revolutionary Army of Monks to do his bidding rather that the Sharp/ Helvey/ Ackerman crowd (one could hardly think Sharp-Helvey-Ackerman- CIA-NED crowd would use their trained dogs to go after poor Kalars), old fox is running through all the hoops.
It may now seem so petty/ churlish to start calling this “reforms” thing (Dr Cohen does not seem to approve the reform as real) as not reform. And even though their man Aung San Suu Kyi at the Plinth would not really mean anything, that requirement will not now be fulfilled to assuage the fear of the jittery investors.
The Monks Army seems right on the same side with their once and indeed current torturers and would take a miracle to go against their Anti-Kalar ally “The Pyithu Tatmadaw” now. (It will be stupid to think these weird Human Rights training overtures would change the Sit-tut to a delightfully malleable force.)
All those lavish praise, multitude of prizes, visits, to and from, Front page, front page, No. Ten, Pennsylvania Ave, etc, etc. And still shouting hoarse of the “Democratic Reforms”. Not fruiting? Shame.
Next chapter will indeed be quite an intrigue. But likely bloody as all the “developments’ around the world seems to be done with AK 47 and White Phosphorous.
Any way, commiserations about poor Aung San Suu Kyi. And the Chinese still believing they will get their Dam. Dream on.
By the way, Mao said there were three times Chinese invaded Burma and there were three times they have to come back empty handed. Rather like 1976 Vietnamese lessons really. This Kalar diversion will not last forever.
Land like no other.
The King Never Smiles?
Clearly, the main point the king was making was that we ALL need to listen to constructive criticism instead of hiding behind ‘face’.
Yet, to date the only public admissions of fault that Thaksin has ever made have been self-serving comments to the effect that he might have been guilty of a “technical error” once and perhaps being “too kind” on another occasion. Nothing wrong with the rice-scheme then, or was that just another “honest mistake” i.e. no real mistake. That’s why I can’t stand Thaksin – he’s stupid and he treats others as if they’re dumber than he is!
The King Never Smiles?
There are thousands of angry rice farmers who would disagree with you if it was not a waste of time to argue with someone of your closed-mind attitude. I expect you will be asking for names and addresses and sworn statements next.
The weakness of the Thai royalists
Yes,it is said to be HIS men now bodyguarding PM for a while.Although he is currently having control over just a handful of men,not the entire army,but it seems enough to protect Ms PM from some possible desperate measure (ambush for example) from “the other side”.
Trans*cending tribulations: Malaysian Mak Nyahs
“Malaysia must assume the prophetic courage of Tunku Abdul Rahman, not only from political, religious and socio-economic perspectives, but in the treatment of all its gender-variant and sexually-diverse citizens who ask for recognition, respect and equal treatment in their journey of meaning-making and self-realisation.”
Tunku Abdul Rahman was an aristocratic and conservative Malay; his respect for multicultural and multiethnic diversity was apparent; there is no evidence, as much as any interest group would like to attach significance to the Tunku well-beyond his significant capacities, that he either agreed with, let alone, supported any sexual or transsexual practices that deviated from commonly-accepted Malay behaviour, and such behaviour would have been entirely outside the mainstream of discourse in colonial and post-independence Malaya. To attach the name of an aristocratic Malay of genteel and clearly anglophilic leanings to issues of
sexual variations is like trying to genetically breed a durian with an apple
(no taxonomic relationship whatsoever).
It may be cathartic to assign such approval to an important historical authority figure, but the all-too-frequent advocacy of causes, in the name of important figures in history for which such assignation cannot be validated, distorts and manipulates history in the name of politicized advocacy, which should be judged solely on actual merits and actions contemporary with the analysis, and not hoped-for, but non-validated, historical frameworks that may make for seemingly prophetic prose, but have no basis in reality.
China and Myanmar’s reforms
Myanmar’s reforms ? Is that like 10 days of electricity out of each month, in Yangon, courtesy of China ?
A response to Vanina Sucharitkul
Simply brilliant piece of writing from a razor-sharp legal mind. Thank-you.
The weakness of the Thai royalists
Two things:
1. Invisible power is all-great-and-powerful as long as it remain invisible. With so much bungle play and blatant show of hand had exposed and weaken it, that’s why the military wont/cant stage an open coup.
2. China will always be China, with economic and power growth come first. It would not be real to bet their action on ideology.
The weakness of the Thai royalists
Peter Cohen was not so wrong after all… now there is a poster who does play the “hedonism” card. My apologies.
The Laksi gunfight
I expect this to get minimal attention in those circles backing the Army/Monarchy. Either in Thailand or abroad. And you can just forget about the Monarcho-militarists getting arrested. The Army just won’t allow it. And if they do, punishment will be token. It’s never been otherwise.
The weakness of the Thai royalists
This may not belong to this brilliant article, therefore, my apologies. I thought that readers may enjoy this piece, entitled, “The indiscreet vulgarity of the well-to-do Bangkokians”.
During a recent two-month visit to Bangkok, my wife and I had the opportunity to study the well-heeled citizens of that city. They seem especially to frequent Chidlom Central Department store for their shopping, and buy their expensive groceries and food from there on the ground floor. The women are invariably middle-age and past, though there are also young individuals among the Thai crowd. They are usually overweight to obese, they never smile and look as though they have partaken of their daily dose of poison, never greet the person behind the till serving them, and never say “thank-you”.
In the business lounge of our hotel on Thanon Langsuan, there you will find an array of glossy magazines meant for the rich and well-to-do. Imagine in a relatively poor developing country where many people earn 300 Baht per day, there are Thai versions of such glossy , gossippy, publications such as Vogue magazine, Hello! People, and many others too numerous to mention. We found this rather offensive, considering that the majority of the population to not have access to proper education, whereas the rich can send their offspring to expensive Catholic-run institutions, and other private schools. One┬┤s whole future is determined by the quality of one┬┤s education – but that of course has been the policy of the Democrat Party – to keep the poor in their place with no opportunity for social advancement.
Then I gaped at the stream of luxury cars cruising down Ploenchit Road. The odd Bentley is not a rare sight. Actually, I read in one of the English language wespapers that Bentley only expect their sales to increase this year. As I was walking past the Four Seasons Hotel on Rachadamri, a young prick in his twenties, came charging out of the driveway in his Maserati, and amost drove over me. No appologies, of course. The rich do not need manners.
The social pages of the Bangkok Post are quite amusing. There you will find pictures of the same celebraties wining and dining at such and such a five star hotel, the Oriental and the Four Seasons leading the pack.The cost for dinner excluding wine for two in these venerable haunts of the rich and famous, would feed a Thai family in the countryside for four months. What are these people thinking while they are indulging themselves on such a scale? They would probably say that if the poor do not have enough to eat, give them cake, and take away their vote.