Thailand

Self-Censorship in Thailand

zip2 Free speech has the ability to make you behave in much the same way that a child does after a bowl of sugar-coated Corn Flakes - once you've tasted it, going back to how you had it before is a kick in the head. Be it a rant against The Man or a punch-bowl full of sugary goodness, it feels good to exercise our freedom to speak and/or eat. (It's in the Constitution, I checked). So it was interesting a while back when something happened and I thought to myself, "I should put this on my blog" but then decided against it. But the thing that stuck in my craw was the reason I decided against it.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:46+00:00Asia, Culture, Politics, Print Media, Technology, Thailand, Web Media|0 Comments

Some Amusing Reading – “A Description of Siam in 1829”

thumb4 If only I was as interested in history in high school as I am now, I may even have passed a class or two, instead of getting stared at by teachers bewildered as to how I made all the way to 16 without killing myself in a tragic fruit accident. At any rate, it's a topic that sure interests me now, and one that I occasionally give a boost by doing some reading. I thought it would be neat to put up some snippets of a letter that I just finished titled A Description of Siam in 1829 by Frenchman Barthélemy Bruguière. I normally stick to more 'accessible' fare (coughArchiecough). but had some time to kill, and ended up really getting into it. It's an interesting - and slightly funny - read.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:46+00:00Asia, Culture, Education, History, Religion, Thailand|0 Comments

Is That Résumé Legal? In Thailand, Probably.

help There are many, many things in Thailand that make you do a double- or triple-take when you see them for the first time. Your brain says, "There's no way that'd be allowed back home!" But then you realize that TIT (This is Thailand) and not everything works the way it does in the motherland. And not even crazy stuff like police bribes or mobs shutting down airports - I'm talking about little things. Dudes hanging from a rope painting the side of a building... secretaries in high heels walking on rutted sidewalks oblivious to buses whizzing by six inches away... construction workers in flip-flops... pit-stains at board meetings, etc. Another thing that's likely to jump out at you if you stay here long enough is the info you're expected to divulge on a resume.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:47+00:00Asia, Thailand|5 Comments

Thailand’s Love/Hate Relationship with Media Violence (and Sex!)

janet It's a bit difficult for me to speak credibly about the topic of how sex and violence affects youth, because my experience is often in contrast to my beliefs. Personally, I think that a young kid seeing all kinds of brutal violence and graphic sex is bad; however, in my oft-hooliganistic youth, I saw more of both than any normal kid should and managed to turn out (mostly) okay. It's one of those issues where lines blur in different places for different people. But nowhere is this issue blurred more than in Thailand, where several issues come together in a big ol' pile of censorship, hypocrisy and unintentional comedy.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:49+00:00Current Events, Print Media, Thailand|0 Comments

Customer Un-Service in Thailand

operator The problem with being an expat making negative statements about Thailand is that there are so many of us/them. Most, despite spending the majority of their time on a bar stool, somehow hold the secret to solving all of Thailand's woes, from government corruption to stray dogs to getting too many plastic bags at 7-11. However, while I don't claim to have any magic solutions, I think I've built up enough soi-cred to be able to state - with all love for my adopted home - a few negatively-tinged facts about Thailand. My number one beef: customer service.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:49+00:00Thailand|0 Comments

Dead Cows and Dancing Girls – Finally, A Financial Index I Can Understand

I usually have a genuine interest in almost any topic, from plate tectonics to teledildonics, and honestly treasure the opportunity to learn something new no matter what it's about. There is, however, one area which elicits an almost genetically-triggered sleep response within my brain – economics. As soon as someone starts talking about the stock market or currency bonds, my eyelids start their inexorable droop. However, I do enjoy it when someone manages to make economics interesting, as they have with the slightly sexist-sounding but surprisingly honest Bangkok Bar Girl Index.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:51+00:00Bangkok, Thailand|0 Comments

The Dreaded Visa Run

The first time many people hear the term 'visa run' it makes no sense. Is it when I leave my credit card in a taxi and run after it? Was there a run on visa applications? But the longer you live in Thailand (and most any country, I would imagine), the better versed in the complicated - but necessary - trial of the visa run you become. Essentially, all a visa run means is that you have to check in with the immigration authorities at the border by leaving and then coming back into Thailand. This can mean anything from a two-month holiday around Asia to literally getting stamped out of Thailand and turning around to get stamped right back in again. Navigating the rules and regulations can be tricky, but you learn fast enough - you have to.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:53+00:00Thailand, Tips on Visiting, Travel|0 Comments

A Welcome Lull in the News

Because I'm a nerd, the first thing I do when I wake up is roll out of bed and into my command station computer desk to check what's going on the world via my Netvibes RSS feed. When I checked things out this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see no screaming headlines about protests, killings, emergency decrees or tanks rolling through the city. In fact, I was relieved to find that things were relatively boring. I immediately thought back to a fantastic article from The Onion in October of 2001 with the headline "A Shattered Nation Longs to Care About Stupid Bullshit Again" which sums up my feelings pretty perfectly.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:55+00:00Bangkok, Current Events, Politics, Pop Culture, Thailand|0 Comments

A Few Words on Thailand’s (latest) Protests

Thailand has a funny way of 're-educating' those of us who didn't grow up here. From opening our eyes to Asian history to shattering preconceptions about race, food and poverty, every day that you live here teaches you something new. Since the continually developing protests have started, I've gotten a few emails from friends asking if everything is okay, to which my reply probably sounds a bit lame. The bottom line - unless you're right down near government house where the protests are centered, you'd be hard pressed to know there was any disturbance at all. Thais have a remarkable resilience to factors that would make the rest of us quake in our boots.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:55+00:00Current Events, Politics, Thailand|0 Comments

Thailand’s Computer Cops

Something strange has happened recently, and it's got to do with computers and the internet in Thailand. Generally, the internet here is pretty open and free - if you're not into distributing or watching hardcore porn, selling illegal items or services or insulting the Monarchy, there's very little you can't do (most of the websites that are blocked are pornographic or political in nature - ironic considering the ubiquitous prostitution and political protests in Bangkok, but I digress). However, things are starting to change. It all kicked off in April 2007, when some twit uploaded a video to youtube that was offensive to the much-loved Thai King, which resulted in a blanket ban in Thailand for the site. A few months later, a brand new cyber crime law was passed, which gave the authorities some pretty sweeping powers, allowing them to "control, obstruct and prevent information that might affect national security, including the banning of websites deemed as such." Recently, a friend of mine who has some pretty serious IT credentials said that he's heard that the Thai government is installing some heavy-duting 'sniffing' machines to monitor what goes on online... it all sounds pretty Bush-ian to me.

Greg2016-11-17T15:48:56+00:00Technology, Thailand|0 Comments