MrWorldwide

Bangkok bomb: Thai authorities suspect Uighur link to Erawan shrine attack

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bangkok-bomb-thai-authorities-suspect-uighur-link-erawan-shrine-attack-1516045?

Interesting - I believe that possibility was floated earlier in this thread. If true, it might shut some of the 'this has Muslim extremism all over it' brigade up.

Except that the Uyghurs are just another branch of Muslim extremists

I am also amazed at the all-too-common 3rd-grade level of comments from what I suppose are adults.

Do you really think that Uyghurs=extremists? So all Colombians are are cocaine dealers, all Germans are skinheads, and so on?

In the internet age this level of ignorance is really inexcusable.

I readily admit that I wasnt completely across their cause, but this group would seem to be big on extremist rhetoric.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Turkestan_Islamic_Movement

Bangkok bomb: Thai authorities suspect Uighur link to Erawan shrine attack

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bangkok-bomb-thai-authorities-suspect-uighur-link-erawan-shrine-attack-1516045?

Have you even read the link ? The article says are are investigating this line amongst others they is nothing in that article which states the RTP suspect any link,

This is the exact wording:

Thai authorities are investigating whether Uighur militants from far-western China staged the deadly bombing in the Erawan shrine in Bangkok which killed 22 people.

They arent ruling anything out - to my mind, that makes all of the groups discussed in the article possible 'suspects', but I guess its just semantics until they identify the guy with the backpack and others in that video.

Bangkok bomb: Thai authorities suspect Uighur link to Erawan shrine attack

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bangkok-bomb-thai-authorities-suspect-uighur-link-erawan-shrine-attack-1516045?

Interesting - I believe that possibility was floated earlier in this thread. If true, it might shut some of the 'this has Muslim extremism all over it' brigade up. How many years have the insurgents in the south had to mount an attack on BKK / Pattaya / Hua Hin ? The Police cant rule anything out, but Thai Muslims know they have everything to lose and nothing to gain by mounting an attack like this. Granted, it only takes one fruitcake with access to explosives, but this was a very specific target and I cant see the upside for the insurgency turning their focus to Bangkok or another tourist destination within Thailand, but I expect the experts will tell me I'm wrong. Given that I've never ventured further south than Chumphon, I may be guilty of underestimating the threat from homegrown Muslim extremists, but surely such a group would have claimed responsibility by now ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Thailand_insurgency

For those who do not wish to read "gossip" and "opinions", I suggest you just google the news for related, factual stories.

There are very few qualified reporters, investigators connected with this forum.

ThaiVisa is pretty good for finding out where the nightlife is hopping, and where the food is good. Also, latest immigration policies, and such. However...you will see nothing more than "opinions" on this bombing. Plenty news about this on the major news sites.

In other words...this thread would be bare, if it were not for opinions, gossip and squabbling.

You are correct. And it is really discouraging to see 23 pages of this tripe, following this event.

For those of us who love the Kingdom, and call Bangkok home, this is a hard day.

I was at a meeting at the shrine on Friday, at a meeting a few hundred meters up the road yesterday, and was going to go to Central World (across the street) but decided to get my stuff at Pantip Plaza instead.

Over time, I have ridden the Thia Visa roller coaster .. from ignoring it, to posting (too much) on it .. to now .. sort of sitting back and coming to realize .. wow . many foreigners here are a pretty screwed up group and have within their ranks, a few odd people who think every form of human misery, from car crashes, fires, floods, death, maiming ... and explosions in crowded areas .. are .. "amusing"

To those who complain that the Foreigners who live in Bangkok "do not talk to other Foreigners" .. you are sadly mistaken. We talk to other Foreigners all the time, we just elect to avoid people like you. As is our right, yes?

So, yes .. I am not a bit surprised that in 23 pages, there is not on posting that added information of value, so I agree, time to get back to the news networks and see what has happened.

It is 07:10 .. and I need to get to a meeting .. right down the street from the bombing...because for people who actually live in the Kingdom, and Bangkok .. life goes on.

FYI - This is actually a reply to SlippryLobster to say "Yes, spot on ... Thanks"

To the Thai Visa crowd always looking for an argument, please, not today children .. the adults have serious work to do.

Agree with your sentiments, and I vowed never to post again when I left Thailand in May - we have enough 'experts from abroad' on TV - but I doubt that it will stop the ratbag brigade here finding some sort of black humor in this incident. My sole observation is that local media here in Oz relied on a report from an American journo in Bangkok who claimed that 'this sort of thing has never happened in Bangkok'. Not sure who issued him his press card, but amnesia seems to have crept in - particularly ironic when he mentioned the proximity of Erawan to Central World.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Thai_political_protests

I expect that the relatives of those who died in 2010 havent forgotten that central Bangkok is no stranger to politically-inspired violence. No right-minded adult wants to see this madness come to a city which most of us love, warts and all. As you say, life goes on - just as it has in Sydney, Madrid and London - but the nutjobs behind these attacks need to be rounded up and put in front of a court ASAP.

I am so tempted to play internet detective on this but hope others also refrain and at least give it some time out of respect for the victims as well as it is all much of what is being reported will be changing in the coming days if not longer. RIP and thought go out to the injured maimed.

Well said, and you've saved me a lot of keystrokes. No doubt we'll hear plenty from the board's experts though, including claims that the Thais bought this on themselves.

Sorry, sheryl and TSR - its back to Oz for me. From the roads to the cops to the non-existent road rules (or complete lack of enforcement of rules that might save liives), I'm blown away by the contrast between the generosity and good nature of individual Khmers vs what PP is becoming - a gridlocked nightmare. There is definitely anti-Viet and anti-Chinese sentiment here, but my paranoia aside, common sense tells me they cant keep jamming more poor people from the provinces into PP without total gridlock. Put people in that dogfight everyday, continue to ratchet up the cost of living and I think most here know where that will lead.

I'm glad I had this experience - Thaiiland sheltered me from a lot of realities of life in this region but this has opened my eyes. Most Khmers seem to be great people overall, but I have grave fears for their future. Even Jakarta seems to have more in the way of future planning and development - that doesnt happen by building more 5-star hotels and convention centres, sadly. Whatever money is being pumped into this city seems to be swallowed up by a select few - happy to hear otherwise.

Bon voyage and good luck.

Posted on the topic earlier this week and stand by what I said then. I sensed it would come down to this. Mark, unfortunately will regret his decisions, regardless of the back n forth by us all of "who can, should, or would" in such a situation. At 59 and a 10 year resident here, he should know it's best to turn the other direction and exit with pace when he sees impending trouble like this..., not become an active participant.

My heart goes out to him and to the family of the man now deceased. There's nothing but sad written all over this event.

And that seems like a good post to resurrect this thread on, given that the case goes to court this coming Wednesday.

FWIW, I completely agree with you - he made a fundamental error of judgement crossing the road then (allegedly) attempting to film the incident. The question isnt whether he deserved to be assaulted - of course he didnt - but we're not talking about someone fresh off the plane stumbling into trouble. He obviously knew he wasnt dealing with the top 10% of Thai society here, and he knew they were fired up. I understand that he didnt want to see any more of the sickening violence which had put his friend in a wheelchair, but how many here seriously believe another YT vid would make a jot of difference to the clubbing decisions of drunken tourists ? Even if he had somehow managed to get that venue closed, how would it change the culture that allows thugs with zero training and no apparent fear of the law to masquerade as 'security staff' ?

It's worth noting that at no time during my late-night escapades in Pattaya or BKK have I felt the need to carry a knife, and I'd be interested to know how many here do so as a matter of routine. Unlike a walking stick or similar, IMO its not a defensive weapon unless you consider the best defense a good offense. Waving it at a group might have the desired effect but I wouldnt want to bet my life on it in a country where many of the locals reportedly carry knives of their own - in any case, once you produce it you have to be prepared to use it. I'll leave it to the TVF legal experts to determine if carrying a bladed weapon signals intent, and I guess we'll find out soon enough how the Thai judiciary sees said weapon in the context of this incident.

Not sure how many have been out past Nagaworld to check out the new development on Diamond Island - its new to me, at any rate - clearly, millions are being pumped into creating a side of Phnom Penh that you just wont see from riverside. Not sure that the massive reception/convention centre will win any design awards but overall its a welcome change from the grimier sections of the inner city. Clearly, not everyone was overjoyed when developers took over the island but that's the way it goes in most cities. I guess some might consider it all a bit twee - something akin to the themed developments in China - but I thought the amusement park filled with Khmer kids and their parents was great.

https://www.cambodiadaily.com/archives/koh-pich-awash-with-development-but-dont-ask-for-details-36411/

As Thursday May 21 has only just dawned here in SEA, I'm guessing that should be 'late Wednesday afternoon' - that or Jomtien enjoys some particularly good light at 3am. Also very doubtful that a 76-year old Russian woman would go swimming (my assumption) late at night - inevitably someone will tell us it was clearly foul play, but the photos point to a daytime drowning. RIP.

Actually, I know a lot of Thais who can't read a word of English -- in fact almost all that I meet. That you experienced differently I think relates to where in Thailand you lived and the circles you moved in. The majority of the Thai population cannot speak or read English, and in fact I find the level of English speaking to be better in Cambodia these days than in Thailand (though only among the young people).

It is quite likely that T-shirt came over from Thailand, where its message would be every bit as applicable in tourist venues. Where they are, in my experience, even more aggressive than in Cambodia. The only place I have ever been that is as bad as the tourist straps of Thailand can be, is India.

I think a lot of your difficulty is that in Thailand you had carved out a resident expat life and in Cambodia you are still stuck in tourist ghettoes.

Learn enough Khmer to tell people you are not interested, as soon as you speak Khmer the touts will usually loose interest in you. There is a good sized resident expat community in Siem Reap.

Thanks, Sheryl - I think you've hit the nail on the head, even if I do seem guilty of making a mountain out of a molehill. I just have to sit further inside the restaurants with my back to the beggars and completely ignore everyone between the front door of this hotel and my intended destination.

I may live in Cambodia but I spend a fair amount of time in Thailand... Thais generally speak much poorer English than Khmer. No idea about reading it.

I live in Siem Reap, I think you must have tourist branded on your forehead because apart from in the Old Market area I am never harassed by tuk-tuks and that's my only form of transport...

And beggars only appear in the old market area too... the smartest beggars in town sit outside the enormous Chinese/Korean tourist restaurants on and near the Airport Road... because that's where the money is. Westerners are a minor irrelevance to the day-to-day of Siem Reap. It's the Koreans and Chinese who make up the largest volumes of tourists and they never go into town. Thus Westerners start to think that the town runs for them when really, nobody gives much of a monkey's.

Love your work, TSR, but how would I be anything other than a tourist ? Were you the all-seeing, all-knowing expat the first time you landed here ? Did you immediately settle in the right location, learn the language and begin levitating in perfect harmony with the chants from the nearest temple ?

Lets completely forget English - its a relatively recent introduction to the region anyway - why arent Khmers being taught their own language ? This is a documented culture that dates - at least - to the first century AD : what were our European forebears (my assumption) doing back then - cowering in hovels waiting for the Roman legion ? 15 centuries before the rise of the Incas and the beginning of European colonisation of Asia and the Americas, Khmer people had a working society in the middle of the jungle - I have no idea what relationship those people have to modern Khmers, but surely Cambodians want to preserve that heritage ...

I know - one white man out to fix the world from a keyboard - yada yada. Purely the opinion of an old bloke enjoying a couple of beers in a very nice restaurant, beggars and tuk-tuk mafia notwithstanding

Your Armchair Expert,

MrWW

Not sure that the people who designed that t-shirt, nor the people willing to pay for it here in Siem Reap, spent too much time contemplating how many people in this country cant even read their own language, much less English. Just another day in Amazing Asia, but I cant recall the last time i met a Thai under 40 would couldnt read the Thai script and some English. Just one more thing I'll have to accept if I have any intention of living here.

(Yes, I do know the history, but there is an entire generation with no conscious memory of the genocide but I expect the scars run deep. Easy to talk school with a full belly etc - i get that - I just wonder where the billions in aid money went over the last 30 years)

When one rides enough VIP buses in Thailand no wonder some come to consider themselves as VIP's.

Buses ? That's crazy talk - you can be a VIP here for a lot less. And you will have left Thailand, keeping this discussion within the parameters of this crazy thread.

About to get on the plane to SR. Didn't fancy a road trip from reading various net rants.

I'll definitely check out the pizza situation tonight - it's great to have options. Interesting that some slag off the restaurants along the riverside - I agree that they are a mixed bag but the Tikka Masala I had a couple of nights back was superb : I guess you pay your money and take your chances.

Snookyville sucks more then pp, to be blunt. Siem reap was the only long term option i found in cambodia.

Sick of the food yet. That will get to you sooner rather then later. As will the touts and tuk tuk guys. I planned b it but did live there about 4 months. Could not wait to get out.

These nasty tuk tuk dudes will wait daily for you to exit your place with their s ** t eating grin, sometimes even coming into the restaurant while your eating to bother people about rides. Others will slowly drive behind you as you walk down the street. They will also grab bags as you enter and exit the hotel without asking.

Watch out for immigration at pp airport. They will ask for bribe money right out in the open even with other travelers around.

OK - had no problem with bribes at the airport, but the system they use to issue the VOA is a joke when you have a couple of hundred people to process : that said, I dodged the taxi touts and that part of the trip was OK.

The food here - on balance - is excellent. I prefer simple food done well over exotica like frogs legs, but I stand by that claim. I know it will get me eventually - been there, got the vomit-covered t-shirt on a previous trip - but right now I'm salivating thinking about my next visit to one of the restaurants back on the other side of the river. What this guy can do with a few vegetables and some chicken just blows my mind - my only complaint is that the sauce is so rich and the little potatoes so filling that you'd be a the size of a house if you ate it all the time. On the Khmer front, I could eat Beef Lok Lak until they prised my fingers from the fork - its just braised steak and onions done right, but I adore it. I also prefer their version of Tom Yum Goong to anything I've had in Thailand or Thai restaurants in Australia, but I expect that varies from restaurant to restaurant. Even the food court (ok, ok ...) in Sorya turned out something edible for $2.50 : I largely gave up on food courts in Thailand. I'm hardly a gourmand, but Ipoh is the last town where the food was such an unexpectedly pleasant surprise - major thumbs up to PP on that score.

And I did get a decent tuk-tuk driver coming back to the hotel this morning, the rooster stopped crowing and the next call to prayers is a couple of hours away, so perhaps things are looking up.

Sounds like you were at the Riverfront area. The rest of the city is not like that..seriously. Just like Bangkok as a whole is not like lower Sukhumvit Road. (Where you will also be hassled by vendors etc).

I am literally never hassled by beggars, vendors and the like...not ever, and I go all over the place...except the riverfront and other tourist hot spots.

Thanks, Sheryl, and that did occur to me so I moved to the other side of the river. No tuk-tuks, no beggars, no Barang that i can see but sadly no convenience stores either : I guess you have to take the good with the bad but I had hoped for a 'mom and pop' Khmer store at the very least, Throw in the call to prayer from the nearby mosque shortly after 4 and a rooster directly below the hotel and I'd say I'm a little closer to the 'real' Phnom Penh than I might have liked.

If I come across as petulant because I cant see the sense in ATM's dispensing the equivalent of a '3300-baht note' by default in such a poor country, I apologise - you've given a great deal to this forum and I thank you for every keystroke.

Have a nice day.

Thank you. It's warm but not as hot as I expected for this time of year. I'll probably check out S'ville in a day or two but having discovered a decent mid-priced hotel in the middle of the 136th St action I'm in no immediate hurry.

At the risk of upsetting the longtimers who have doubtlessly endured a great deal here, I'll focus on money. From beggars who look at you with disdain when you hand them riel (I can fix that, friend) to the tuk-tuk guys you know wont give change under any circumstances, what really annoys me here was also a major thorn in my side in Thailand. Everyone WANTS pockets full of the foreigner's small money, but no-one wants to give change for notes as small as $5. This is a poorer country than Thailand, but someone must have some serious cash here - that or there is a massive debt bubble waiting to leave thousands of new cars at the kerb and multi-storey buildings half finished. The gap between the middle class and the poorest Cambodians is sure to get wider, but the former seem happy to eat food prepared by the latter and I assume they dont get the 'hairy eyeball' when they ask for their change. I dont judge the Khmer majority by the beggars or tuk-tuk drivers, but they put a serious dent in the tourist experience here - end rant.

Having vented, I'm off to sample this morning's traffic in beautiful downtown PP

I use Emirates Bangkok lounges theyre ok

Does Emirates fly BKK to Cambodia?

More importantly, is Cambodia West of Thailand?

The sentence should have read 'Bangkok might only be an hour west of Phnom Penh' but I guess I'll have to cop it sweet for that error. Fortunately, the pilot had a significantly better understanding of geography and I'm not in Burma.

Why are you leaving, if you don't mind?

Hope it all works out for you one way or another..

I believe I answered that earlier in this thread.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/823334-departure-lounge-still-sucks/#entry9382028

I should have started preparing for the move from the day I flew back from Japan last November, but it didnt happen that way.

My experience today (8 May 2015):

- handed the cashier at Yoshinoya a 100USD note for a $7 meal and she gave me change without scrutinising the note or calling for the manager. There were no tears but I wouldnt describe it as 'mint' by any stretch - got it in one of the Central Festival banks so I expected it to be accepted. You obviously dont have to pay that kind of money for lunch here, and a fast food lunch at that, but it was great to get change without the kind of attitude you can cop elsewhere (including Australia) if you hand someone a large bill

- havent tried to pay for anything with baht - received 145USD for 5K baht (xe.com returns a little over 149USD, but that is the wholesale rate for the big players and moneychangers dont work off the hourly price). Clearly, I've timed my arrival to perfection and it would seem prudent to change more baht before it drops below 29USD for 1K baht.

http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=THB&to=USD&view=1Y

- obviously, those same exchange rates will impact what I get from the ATM, but after >11 months of not paying the 'bandit fee' in Thailand it's a bit of a shock to be hit for $4 at an ATM. Such is life - hotels are cheaper, beer is cheaper (even when it rapidly goes up post Happy Hour) and I'll comment on the rest when I have something to comment on

If I can be allowed one small indulgence, its that I would love to see more bromeliads in public spaces in SEA, but I fear they might disappear given their retail pricetags in many nurseries. A fantastic choice for those who arent big on caring for their plants - as long as they get some decaying plant life and moisture in their cups they will produce the pups that form the next generation : plants literally for free with no human intervention required.

http://www.rosstours.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Bromeliad-garden.jpg

What is now Hemmingway's was previously Los Cabos. I attended the grand opening of Los Cabos, and the guest speaker was a diplomat from the Mexican Embassy in Thailand (I'm not sure whether it was the Ambassador, or a consular official). During his remarks, he spoke about the history of the building - saying that it was, for many years, the residence of the French Ambassador to Thailand.

I have no way of knowing whether this is correct - but that is the story that was celebrated at the time.

MS

Interesting, and Hemmingways certainly looks gorgeous in the Google images. To add to the Mexican intrigue outlined above, it would appear that the restaurant has their own interpretation of a Spanish garden, albeit with tropical plants. Lush and very inviting.

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-ZRDzgxca7k/maxresdefault.jpg

Apologies for not embedding most of the images, but they're freaking huge - not fun for those on phones and tablets.

Well, as you may know, Pra pradaeng is right in the centre of Bangkok, can't get much greener than that.

Stickman has done a couple of pieces on it, but I got the distinct impression that its more a curiosity than an integral part of BKK - I think what grabs me about the 'jungle in the city' homes is that its such a marked contrast with the surrounding landscape. This end of Suk is such an unrelentingly grey, depressing landscape that any greenery is welcome - I loved Benjasiri Park when I lived on Soi 22 for 3 months but inner Bangkok could really do with 4 or 5 more of that size.

What months were you on suck 22?

I have reason to believe we were residing in the same building.

A frightening prospect, fey, as its not a building I'd care to revisit. Let's keep this one on topic, shall we ?